Call it a deadline, a horizon, a timeline, a time frame or an “aspirational timetable.” Whatever the label, Iraq and the United States finally have agreed on a date by which the United States will have pulled all of its troops…

The New York Times reports today that our loyal allies in Iraq have begun arresting leaders of the so-called “Great Awakening” movement. That’s the mostly Sunni movement made up of former allies of Al Qaida in Iraq who switched sides in…

It was a case of ironic timing that seemed almost surreal: On the very same day that the awe-inspiring opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic games was supposed to announce in spectacular fashion the start of an athletic competition symbolizing…

Let us see if we have this straight: The U.S. government this year is running a $389 billion deficit and borrowing from abroad to finance it.
In addition, we’re spending roughly $100 billion a year — and sacrificing scores of American…

The media is frequently criticized for being too negative, and many believe that — regardless of the cause — news organizations deliberately want to paint reality with the darkest colors possible. Good news is allegedly downplayed in favor of the…

Obama’s highly anticipated overseas tour, which includes visits to countries throughout the Middle East and Europe, has generated a flurry of news coverage in the U.S. and around the world. One sign of the attention being paid to Obama’s trip:…

I have previously translated Arabic al-Jazeera articles (and comments) in order to give readers of The Platform some idea of how the election is being followed around the world. Despite some alarming stories about what’s happened to other bloggers who have…

In a widely discussed op-ed in the New York Times this morning, Barack Obama laid out his plan for Iraq.

The major centerpiece of Obama’s policy in the War on Terror is that Iraq has been a “distraction” from the more important…

The Washington Post’s Channel ‘08 blog (which tracks the videos of the 2008 campaign) notes two web-only attack ads released by the RNC and DNC attacking Barack Obama and John McCain’s positions on Iraq, respectively.

On July 8, the RNC…