Arms Control Wonk

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Chinese Military Power, 2004

The 2004 edition of the Department of Defense’s Annual Report on the Military Power of the People’s Republic of China has been released and, well, it is pretty disappointing. The most important sections (according to DOD) are actually shorter than…

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Dude, check out Saddam’s Sidearm!

Soldiers who captured Saddam Hussein gave Bush the gun that the deposed dictator was carrying at the time of his capture. Bush reportedly keeps the gun in a study adjoining the Oval Office “and is said to show it to…

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The Allawi Factor

There is lots of good coverage on Allawi out there, especially from the New Republic and Josh Marshall. Digging out who did what to whom will take some time on this story, but – as a little background – I…

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CAMBONE WATCH #1

Oh yeah, and another thing … The FT is reporting that Steve Cambone “would probably be brought before the committee again to iron out some contradictions.” TICK-TOCK. TICK-TOCK.

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Well, maybe it was about oil …

The Heritage Foundation is hosting a meeting about “Revitalizing the Iraqi Oil Industry: Implications for the World Oil Market.” (Go visit the animals at the zoo. They have a small exhibit dedicated to Republicanus Moderatus, an endangered species these days.…

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What ICC Exemption?

The Bush Administration has paused, for now, its efforts to secure an exemption from prosecution under the International Criminal Court for U.S. forces. A U.S. official told AP on condition of anonymity that Washington “wants to concentrate on getting the…

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Al Gore on Foreign Policy

Al Gore gave a fantastic foreign policy address last night–just 4 years too late. But it was fantastic anyway, holding the Bush Administration to account largely on the issue of Abu Ghraib. One thing that I notice seems to have…

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New York Times’ Mea Culpa

The New York Times has committed, in its mea culpa today, to “continue aggressive reporting aimed at setting the record straight” regarding “the story of Iraq’s weapons, and of the pattern of misinformation.” Perhaps the most important omission, however, is…

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Buzz Aldrin, Meet Yang Liwei

Yang Liwei, the first Chinese astronaut, had a suprise visior during his meeting with Senator (and former Astronaut) Bill Nelson (D-FL): Buzz Aldrin, second man to walk on the moon. Aldrin has been a man on fire trying to promote…

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International Criminal Court

The Bush Administration announced a surprise push for a new Security Council Resolution by Friday that would extend by one year an exemption from prosecution by the International Criminal Court granted to U.S. personnel (including contractors). “Given the recent revelations…