By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American people often prove to be more sophisticated about themselves, their rights, and their government than they get credit for. Even if they can’t enumerate the clauses, most people know the Bill of Rights is designed to restrict the government’s ability to curb their speech or religious practice; [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 686 men who expressed their desire to run in Iran’s presidential election were whittled down to 8 — not by primaries, debates and polls, but by the six theologians and six jurists on the Guardian Council. The candidates had to be Iranian-born, over 21, and believe in “God, [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Wednesday, June 5, it was revealed that that the current US (“I’ve got Israel’s back”) administration leaked to the media the specifications for the heretofore-secret US-Israel installation for Israel’s Arrow 3 missiles. It was quickly called just another leak from an administration already reeling from leaks; someone apologized. [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Parties on various sides of the immigration debate in the United State have focused mainly on issues surrounding Hispanic immigrants because there are a lot of them and numbers get attention. Human Rights Watch, for example, created a handy-dandy checklist for the Senate version of the immigration bill, including [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. –Last week, before meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pronounced Israel’s prosperity an impediment to “peace” with the Palestinians. “I think there is an opportunity [for peace], but for many reasons it’s not on the tips of everyone’s tongue. People in Israel aren’t waking [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States, Canada, Israel, the Netherlands, and Bahrain designate Hezb’allah a terrorist organization; Britain and Australia outlaw only Hezb’allah’s “terrorist wing” but permit its “political wing” to organize and raise money (only for political activity, of course). A motion by Britain will put the British/Australian formula on the [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — At first blush, it might have sounded like praise, but it wasn’t. Before meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Secretary of State John Kerry pronounced Israel’s prosperity an impediment to “peace” with the Palestinians. “I think there is an opportunity [for peace], but for many reasons it’s not on [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — History is back and so are the Russians. After an interregnum of twenty years, during which the communist Soviet Union was demolished and a crony capitalist, Russian kleptocracy turned inward to establish firm control of journalists (oh wait, that might have been the Obama Administration), civil society practitioners including [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called Prime Minister Netanyahu during Mr. Netanyahu’s visit to China, surely a diplomatic oddity. (Chinese Premier Li Kegiang answers the hotline in Beijing and says, “Oh, sure. Hey, Bibi, it’s for you.”) President Obama called him there as well, making Netanyahu appear to be the [...]
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C.–The announcement by Secretary of Defense Hagel that the United States will “rethink all options” including arming Syrian rebel groups, was carefully hedged. “It doesn’t mean… you will” (choose any particular path). The statement however moves the U.S. closer to picking sides in a war with no good options and no [...]