War in Context

Bush’s bullshit
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, May 15, 2008
In his eighth year as president, George Bush still lacks the courage to address anyone but an overly sympathetic audience. Indicative of his plummeting approval rating, he now has to travel six thousand miles to find such company. Should we be surprised that in front of […]

A new cold war or a new Middle East
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, May 14, 2008
Mindful of that old adage - “If you think you understand Lebanon, you haven’t been properly briefed” - on top of which I’m six thousand miles away, I’ll venture a few thoughts.
Political analysis, in as much as it is […]

New York Times tries to out-Murdoch Murdoch
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, May 13, 2008
Does Rupert Murdoch have a mole among the editors of the New York Times? Or is the Times merely adopting the reflex that a Murdoch threat often seems to inspire: mimicry. (That’s how CNN fought back against Fox - it simply […]

How should Obama respond to the Wright issue?
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, April 28, 2008
Clarity should always come first.
What is “the Wright issue”?
As defined by the media, it is a question about whether Barak Obama’s association with Rev Jeremiah Wright undermines his credibility and viability as the would-be Democratic nominee.
This would be a serious […]

The Wright prism
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, April 28, 2008
Isn’t it curious that so much attention can focus on one man and the manner in which he expresses himself, yet at the same time so little attention is paid to what he says.
Anyone who is not already aware of the depth and subtlety of […]

Bill Moyers interviews Rev Jeremiah Wright
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, April 26, 2008
In light of Hillary Clinton’s rebound in Pennsylvania and the flak Barak Obama took in reaction to his injudicious use of the words “bitter” and “cling”, there were surely many of us who felt like this might be the wrong time for […]

The Al Kibar nuclear reactor in Syria
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, April 25, 2008
As someone who voiced great skepticism about the initial claims that Israel destroyed a nuclear facility in the Syrian desert on September 6, 2007, I’ll be the first to admit that the evidence provided in the DNI background briefing presents proof […]

Choosing the right battles
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, April 11, 2008
In the world we’ve been forced to inhabit for the last eight years, international relations has become the arena in which buddies congregate to engage in grooming behavior based on fawning, flattery and patronization. Participants then, like dogs pissing against a lamppost, gather for […]

Who’s really special?
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, April 8, 2008
Is George Bush, ever so slowly, inching towards détente with Iran?
If so, it’s probably something he won’t brag about. But what on earth could hint at such a possibility?
Consider these few things:
First, an interesting piece of speculation recounted by Sami Moubayed a few days ago […]

Taking the blood out of killing
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, March 27, 2008
“If America wants to see itself clean of terrorists we also want that our villages and towns should not be bombed.”
This was the modest request issued by Nawaz Sharif after Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Assistant Secretary Richard Boucher went […]

Words in context
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, March 21, 2008
Suppose Thomas Jefferson and the other founding fathers of American democracy had been able to see into the future. As they looked forward to the America of 2008, what would have held their attention more firmly?
That the society they helped form was to make such […]

When did betrayal become a duty?
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, March 19, 2008
According to the conventional wisdom among those who understand the way politics works, Barak Obama has for several days needed to do something with Rev Jeremiah Wright: “throw him under the bus.”
Obama refused to do so. He refused to treat his association […]

Rising to the Wright challenge
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, March 13, 2008
The “dirt” on Rev. Jeremiah Wright has been around for years, so why has ABC News chosen to highlight Obama’s controversial pastor now?
The race fire has been lit and those who believe it serves their political interests are happy to pour fuel on […]

A monstrous attack?
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, March 7, 2008
What’s worse? Being called a monster, or being likened to Kenneth Starr? I guess it depends on who’s keeping score.
Samantha Power could have referred to Hillary Clinton as Lady Macbeth. She could have said that Barak Obama’s Democratic opponent is displaying an “unalloyed lust for […]

How was Hillary tested?
By Paul Woodward, War in Context, March 6, 2008

It’s 3 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep. But there’s a phone in the White House and it’s ringing.
Something’s happening in the world. Your vote will decide who answers that call, whether it’s someone who already knows the world’s leaders, knows the […]