How about the widely-known fact that the majority of the Democratic Party is lobbying against a substantial troop increase? That seems like a pretty clear example of a partisan atmosphere. In fact, if partisanship was not involved in the decision-making process, President Obama would have accepted General Stanley McChrystal's assessment back in ...

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the whole objective of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a much more strategic decision. Granted, Islamic fundamentalism was occurring in Russia's backyard, but I severely doubt that this was the main justification for the Soviet offensive. To me, the Soviet invasion was much more ideological. ...

What a great piece! I not only applaud Mr. Thomas and Mr. Barry for their extensive research on the subject...I also applaud their willingness to report what many Americans do not want to hear; namely that President Obama will sow the seeds of his own destruction if he implements a middle ground to the war in Afghanistan. With the Taliban ...

Ohhh I am sorry, I meant to reference Vladimir Putin's rise to power as one of Russia's First Deputy Prime Ministers in the late 1990's; the position that essentially paved the way for Mr. Putin's presidential run one year later. While warranted, your nit-picking is irrelevant to the more general point. What is relevant is the fact that Russia ...

This story does not come as a surprise to me at all. Everyone who is remotely aware of Russian politics recognizes that the Russian youth- in fact, most of the Russian population- has transformed into mini-Putin's who have no problem in advocating a strong sense of nationalism. We can see this rather abruptly in many of Prime Minister Vladimir ...

As young Iranians continue to voice their frustration through demonstrations and looting, this election creates an opportunity that many moderates inside the country may soon recognize. The formation of a new era in Iranian politics is fast approaching. A widespread popular movement against the oppressive rule of Ayatollah Khamenei may very well ...