Higher Ed Law Prof Blog

Who will rule Potomac Man?

By Dana Milbank. From the Washington Post

The new "Attorney at Large" Column

Families, Tribes and Religions Are Perils of Democracy
By
James Castagnera
Attorney at Large
A Washington Post columnist, Dana Milbank, has published a new book entitled “Homo Politicus.” That paper’s January 6th review comments, “The Post's Washington Sketch columnist reaches into the ethnographer's tool kit to take an amusing pseudo-scientific look at a curious tribe he calls Potomac Man, satirically surveying its kinship system, mythology, folklore, norms and, of course, taboos. If you're amused by the antics of lawmakers and lobbyists and delight in tales of political corruption, you'll enjoy Milbank's cheerfully wicked account.”
Fair enough… but families and tribes can pose real-life perils to the democratic process. Recall 1972’s Best Picture, “The Godfather.” Michael Corleone returns home a war hero, only to be asked by his brother Sonny why he took all those crazy chances for a bunch of strangers. Later Godfather Vito Corleone chastises Sonny for letting his feelings show in a meeting with a rival mobster. “Don’t ever let anybody outside the family know what you’re thinking.” For these crime families, democracy was merely a means to an end. The Bill of Rights with all its criminal-justice provisos prevented the police from touching them. Where the first 10 amendments to the Constitution left gaps, the Godfather filled them with bribes to public officials, ranging from judges, which a rival said “you carry like so much change in your pocket,” to congressmen.
At the international level, the largest ruling family on the planet is the House of Saud. which in the words of Wikipedia “is the royal family of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The modern nation of Saudi Arabia was established in 1932, though the roots and influence for the House of Saud had been planted in the Arabian Peninsula several centuries earlier. Prior to the era of the Kingdom's founder, Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud, the family had ruled the Nejd and had conflicted on several occasions with the Ottoman Empire, the Sharifs of Mecca, and the Al Rashid family of Ha'il. The House of Saud has gone through three phases: the First Saudi State, the Second Saudi State, and the modern nation of Saudi Arabia.” Today, knowledgeable observers count some 7,000 family members, who together run the world’s most oil-rich political entity. A family clan that large might almost be called a tribe.
For true tribalism look to Kenya. Since incumbent President Mwai Kibaki prevailed over opponent Raila Odinga in the December national elections, Odinga’s supporters have been rioting, burning and killing in protest of what they deem to be a stolen election. Some 600 people have died and another half million have been driven from their homes since these violent protests began. As hotly contested as the 2008 U.S. presidential election is, can you imagine disappointed Democrats or Republicans taking to the streets to riot and loot following the November balloting? I can’t.
The difference is that, while Milbank’s “Homo Politicus” is a satire, the two presidential candidates in Kenya really do hail from rival tribes. The political dispute taps directly into age-old tribal rivalries and grievances. The post-electoral protests provide many with an excuse to burn villages and settle old scores.
If extended families, clans and tribes don’t provide very good foundations on which to build democratic institutions and values, religion is little better. The Sunnis and Shiites of the Middle East are illustrative. A Congressional report explains, “The differences between the Sunni and Shiite Islamic sects are rooted in disagreements over the succession to the Prophet Muhammad, who died in 632 AD, and over the nature of political leadership in the Muslim community. The historic debate centered on whether to award leadership to a qualified and pious individual who would lead by following the customs of the Prophet or to preserve the leadership exclusively through the Prophet’s bloodline. The question was settled initially when community leaders elected a close companion of the Prophet’s named Abu Bakr to become the first Caliph (Arabic for ‘successor’). Although most Muslims accepted this decision, some supported the candidacy of Ali ibn Abi Talib, the Prophet’s cousin and son-in-law, husband of the Prophet’s daughter Fatima. Ali had played a prominent role during the Prophet’s lifetime, but he lacked seniority within the Arabian tribal system and was bypassed as the immediate successor.” Sunnis and Shiites have been killing one another ever since.
In 1947 Indian independence, Gandhi’s triumph, was marred by religious discord, climaxing in a mass migration of Muslim Indians to what today are Pakistan and Bangladesh. Since then, Indian democracy has survived, some might even say thrived, despite dramatic class differences.
Bottom line, Milbank’s “Homo Politicus,” like all satire, contains disturbing seeds of truth. The more the power brokers in Washington resemble extended families, along the lines of the Mafia, or tribes, or religious sects, the worse for us.
[Jim Castagnera, formerly of Jim Thorpe, is the Associate Provost/Associate Counsel at Rider University. A collection of his “Attorney at Large” columns is now available at www.lulu.com.] Just search "Castagnera" on this site.

NACUA Seminar on the Clery Act

Campus Security and the Clery Act:
Key Compliance Issues, Obligations, and Pitfalls
Thursday, January 24, 2008

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. ET

Statistics continue to show that college and university campuses are by far among the safest environments in the country. Nonetheless, violent crime does occur on and near college campuses every year and recent events have focused attention on campus crime and the responsibility of college officials to monitor and report on such crime, and in certain circumstances to also provide students with timely warnings following the occurrence of a violent crime. In particular, following a student murder on campus and a comprehensive compliance review, the Department of Education recently fined one institution over $300,000 for Clery Act violations. In addition, in the aftermath of the shootings at Virginia Tech last spring, a complaint was filed with the Department of Education alleging the University failed to issue a timely warning as required by the Clery Act following the first murders on the day of the shootings. That complaint is still pending.

Homeland Security's chemical-facility reporting requirements...

... could impact unsuspecting colleges. From the Philadelphia law firm Morgan Lewis

Princeton prof faces criminal charges in Poland

Prosecutors there say his book, which accuses Poles of victimizing Holocaust survivors, is criminally slanderous. From the Washington Post

Is distance learning...

... a solution to on-campus liability for damage done by disturbed students? By Jim Castagnera

On-line learning...

... key to growth or only a survival tactic? The answer from the Greentree Gazette.

Coelleges turn to on-line tech to increase enrollments

A press release from a provider:

Colleges and Universities Turn on Online Technology in Droves to Increase Student Enrollment Yield
EducationDynamics' Enrollment and Retention Services Division Experiences Unprecedented Growth in 2006-2007 Academic Year

New York, NY—January 18, 2008
Following in the footsteps of schools such as the University of Missouri and Troy University, higher education institutions are increasingly turning toward Internet-based technology in an effort to increase student enrollment yield. In the last year, the Enrollment and Retention Services Division of EducationDynamics has experienced unprecedented growth as colleges and universities seek innovative and cost-effective ways to engage students and prospects.

"Projected growth for any institution relies on several factors: constancy in the student mix, application, acceptance and enrollment yield. Any variations change this model, causing institutions to seek new ways to enhance enrollment rates," says Tracy Howe, executive vice president of the Enrollment and Retention Division of EducationDynamics. "We have developed a suite of tools to alleviate guesswork associated with growth projections, particularly enrollment yield. Our increasingly popular Internet-based initiatives focus on the crucial time between acceptance and enrollment, and have proven to increase in enrollment yield from 2 percent to 14 percent."

As bolstering enrollment rates emerges as a premier concern for higher education institutions, colleges and universities across the country are seeking one EducationDynamics product in particular: Enrollment Yield Optimization (EYOpTM). EYOp is designed to connect with students during the window of vulnerability using interactive content to promote key institutional strengths. It also advises students on the next steps associated with enrollment through a virtual pre-orientation, which is custom built to suit an institution's objectives.

Sallie May sued for racial discrimination.

Two minority students complain that the lender charges higher fees and interest rates to minority students, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Israeli faculty end strike

Their three-month strike ends on agreement to give them a 24% pay increase over three years, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

"Hanky Pranky" Suit Dismissed

A lawsuit filed last fall against American University by two male alums, who were falsely identified in the alumni magazine as life aprtners, was dismissed by a court this week. Here is the original story from the New York Post.
And here is the report of the dismissal from the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Expelled student-protester is reinstated in Georgia

Regents reinstate student who protested a parking garage. Download 37d5b605294223968e960144dfdcda88.pdf

Great deals from NAFSA

Great Savings through One Affiliation!

 

As a NAFSA member, you can take advantage of special discounts on several products and services to help you, your staff, or your students— personally and professionally. Through the NAFSA Affinity Affiliate Program, NAFSA’s Global Partners offer cutting-edge tools and services at special savings. 

 

To access discounts and learn more about each program listed below, please visit www.nafsa.org/affinity and log in using your NAFSA User ID and password.

 

¨ ZapTel: Select from a variety of international phone card services.

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Please visit www.nafsa.org/affinity often to see what new opportunities are added throughout the year!

 

Sample University Fair-Use Policies

Sample # 1 (Marquette University) Download ereserve_copyright_guidelines.pdf

Sample # 2 (Hofstra University) Download policy_ereserves.pdf

Student tuition data on offer

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AAC&U Summer Institutes announced

AAC&U                     Summer Institutes offer a time and place for sustained collaborative                     work on projects of importance to attending campuses. We hope you                     will consider sending a campus team to the Institute that                     best suits your institution's goals.                    Institute                     on General Education                     May 30-June 4, 2008 | Minneapolis, Minnesota                    The Institute on General Education creates an intellectually                     stimulating environment for advancing campus planning in general                     education for two- and four-year, liberal arts, comprehensive, research,                     and public or private campuses. The Institute is comprised                     of interactive presentations by experienced                     faculty who have been engaged in general education reform                     and with emerging trends in higher education and student learning. The                     rich curriculum includes a variety                     of sessions on framing campus projects in local and national                     contexts, improving assessment of general education student                     learning, best practices, and emerging trends in higher education.                     Learn                     more about the Institute or apply                     online.                    Greater                     Expectations Institute:                     Campus Leadership for Student Engagement, Inclusion,                     and Achievement                     June 18-22, 2008 | Snowbird, Utah                    The Greater Expectations Institute is a five-day, intensive                     program designed for campuses working on ways to increase                     student engagement, inclusion, and high achievement. The Institute                     will help you align institutional purposes, structures, and                     practices as well as advance and assess a set of essential                     liberal education outcomes outlined in AAC&U's signature                     reports, Greater                     Expectations:                     A New Vision for Learning as a Nation Goes to College                     and College                     Learning for the New Global Century, such as critical                     inquiry, intercultural competence, and integrative learning.                     While in Snowbird, teams will confer with expert                     faculty; explore more deeply the issues of engagement,                     inclusion, and high achievement; learn from other teams engaged                     in a rich variety of educational change efforts; and develop                     a concrete plan for departmental, divisional, or campus-wide                     action.                     Learn                     more about the Institute or apply                     online.                                                           To unsubscribe from AAC&U Calls for Proposals and Meeting                     Announcements, click                     here. To update your information, reply                     to this email.                    Association                     of American Colleges & Universities                     1818 R Street, NW                     Washington, DC 20009                     www.aacu.org

NAFSA Report on stregthening study abroad programs

Strengthening Study Abroad: Recommendations for Effective Institutional Management

The Report of the Task Force on Institutional Management of Study Abroad

The growth of study abroad—an integral part of any campus internationalization effort—brings with it new challenges for presidents, senior administrators, and study abroad professionals.

Like any other rapidly expanding activity, study abroad needs the attention of top campus leaders to ensure that it is integrated into the academic program; operates in a fashion that is consistent with sound business practices related to contracting, risk management, and accountability; and serves the needs of students. Getting that balance right is ultimately the responsibility of institutional leadership.

This balance was the subject of a NAFSA task force composed of 12 college and university presidents and senior administrators, who met in late 2007. The task force issued its report, in January 2008, outlining 14 criteria for effective institutional management of study abroad. The report, titled Strengthening Study Abroad: Recommendations for Effective Institutional Management, is intended to prompt discussion and reflection at the highest levels on university and college campuses about how each institution can effectively integrate, sustain, and strengthen study abroad.

Endorsed by Higher Education Associations

Six higher education associations endorsed the report—the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), the American Council on Education (ACE), the Association of American Universities (AAU), the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).

Task Force Members

• John K. Hudzik (Chair), Vice President, Global Engagement and Strategic Projects
      Michigan State University
• Karen Hunter Anderson, Vice President for Adult Education and Institutional Support
      Illinois Community College Board
• Joseph Brockington, Associate Provost for International Programs
      Kalamazoo College
• Robert A. Corrigan, President
      San Francisco State University
• Everett Egginton, Dean, International Border Programs and NAFSA President-elect
      New Mexico State University
• Pamela Brooks Gann, President
      Claremont McKenna College
• Marlene M. Johnson, Executive Director and CEO
      NAFSA: Association of International Educators
• Pamela Jolicoeur, President
      Concordia College (Moorhead, MN)
• Kavita Pandit, Senior Vice Provost, Academic Affairs
      The State University of New York
• Kathleen Sideli, Associate Vice President for Overseas Study
      Indiana University
• Thelma B. Thompson, President
      University of Maryland-Eastern Shore
• Humphrey R. Tonkin, President Emeritus
      University of Hartford

Acceptable Use Guidelines

Electronic resources are provided for the benefit of the international education community. However, commercial use, systematic or excessive downloading, or electronic redistribution of this publication are all expressly prohibited.

NAFSA grants institutions of higher education the right to reproduce this document for distribution for informational purposes. No fees of any kind may be charged when distributing copies made from this PDF or any other facsimile of this document.

Released January 2008
© 2008 NAFSA: Association of International Educators. All rights reserved.

Download the Report

Strengthening Study Abroad: Recommendations for Effective Institutional Management

(292kb )

Additional Resources

Resources for Institutional Management of Study Abroad

FAQs

FAQs about the report

Press Release

January 16, 2008
Press Release

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IEE Interactive Newsletter

	January 14-18, 2008
» IIE Prize for Peace in the Middle East: Call for Nominations » U.K. Sees Increase in International Student Enrollments » Summer Internship Program in Warsaw
» AIEA 2008 Conference Registration Ends Jan 19 » Workshop on Transatlantic Cooperation in Law Education in Berlin » ACA Conference 2008: European Higher Education in Next Decade
» DAAD Summer Program in Berlin for American Journalism Students » Embassy of Brunei Darussalam Scholarships
» Allan Goodman to Speak at Global Education Conference » IIE/AACC Community College Study Abroad Workshop: March 14 » Upcoming Study Abroad Scholarship Deadlines » New Research and Recommendations on U.S. Study Abroad
Missed an IIE.Interactive? They're all in our online archives »

Leadership Alerts on Offer

Leadership updates in your inbox every day        Start receiving alerts tomorrow - see below for free trial information                                                                                                          Leadership Alerts     Leadership Directories database change occured on January 10, 2008 Change to Communications Information for Jonathan L. Sanchez Name     Jonathan L. Sanchez Title     Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer Organization Name     IAC/InterActiveCorp Address     Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer IAC/InterActiveCorp     555 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 New Communications Information         Tel: (212) 314-7254 E-mail: jonathan.sanchez@iac.com Former Communications Information         Tel: (212) 314-7300 Leadership ID™ 2007571876 © 2008 Leadership Directories, Inc.                           The perfect development tool for nonprofits and associations Leadership Alerts™ will send you an e-mail each time a person you are tracking in our database is updated, or if a new person matching your selection criteria is added.     Increase your outreach and development opportunities by receiving notification of new contacts in new roles.     Customize your tracking selection to focus on position vacancies, new C-suite executives at companies, professionals in specific geographic regions, board turnover at other nonprofits and associations, and much more.     Receive alerts about contact information changes—new phone numbers, emails, titles, and addresses all generate an alert.     Click here to sign up for a Leadership Alerts™ Demo.                       Start receiving Alerts in your inbox tomorrow! E-mail us to start your free two-week trial period. Just list examples of the people or organizations you'd like to track, and we'll do the rest! ! Click Here

       

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V14973

What to do about a stealing employee?

A checklist from the Philadelphia firm of Pepper Hamilton:

               

What to Do When an Employee Is Stealing from You   Dealing with the possibility of an employee stealing from the company, in any manner, is often a sticky subject. Handle it in an almost surgical fashion to guarantee the company does not overstep its bounds and expose itself to liability. There are any number of possible scenarios in which an employee can steal from a company, but some typical examples include: cashier at any retail store stealing from the cash register or taking money from customers and then voiding the sale, office employee with access to company funds (e.g., sales representative or financial officer) falsifying expense accounts or issuing non-business related checks, employee stealing tools or equipment. There are often warning signs that an employee is stealing from his/her employer. A company should be watching for: (1) frequent cash balance variances; (2) inventory shortages; (3) change in employee's behavior (e.g., new clothing, new car); (4) missing equipment, tools; and (5) complaints from employees regarding missing items.    Once these warning signs are spotted, decide on the manner of the investigation. Whether performed in-house or through an outside investigator, the investigation should include the following steps. Based on the specific allegations: gather facts and compile documentation (information about witnesses, documents and physical evidence), perform audits of computer records, financial records, etc., preserve documents/evidence (e.g., computerized records, emails, videos), maintain the chain of custody, to restrict handling of evidence, and to document the movement of physical evidence.  Once these warning signs are spotted, decide on the manner of the investigation. If the investigation shows that there was misconduct, decide on the type of discipline or corrective action needed.   Based on this information and the company’s policies, decide what action to take. Consider whether to accuse the employee of "theft." Can the employee be accused of a  "violation of company policy" or "cash handling violation?" By using other words, the company may avoid a defamation claim. Whether this is a first-time occurrence for a company or a lingering problem, it is best to review, or if necessary create, policies and procedures to focus on loss prevention. It is important to develop measures to avoid similar claims or risk. Let employees know that acts of dishonesty are serious infractions. Advise employees that if they know of another employee’s dishonesty and fail to report it, they can be subject to discipline as well. For more information or if you have a question about this or another labor matter, please contact Maureen Dwyer at at dwyerm@pepperlaw.com or 215.981.4149.

© 2008 Pepper Hamilton LLP. All Rights Reserved. Berwyn | Boston | Detroit | Harrisburg | New York | Orange County Philadelphia | Pittsburgh | Princeton | Washington, D.C. | Wilmington 3000 Two Logan Square | Eighteenth and Arch Streets | Philadelphia, PA 19103-2799 www.pepperlaw.com

This alert is a periodical publication of Pepper Hamilton LLP and should not be construed as legal advice or a legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only, and you are urged to consult a lawyer concerning your own situation and any specific legal questions you may have.  This publication may contain attorney advertising.  Any tax information or written tax advice contained herein (including any attachments) is not intended to be and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer. (The foregoing legend has been affixed pursuant to U.S. Treasury Regulations governing tax practice.) Copyright © 2008 Pepper Hamilton LLP. All rights reserved.

Webnar on social networking/recruiting

Web Conference: The Relevance of Social Networking in the Recruitment Process Presented by: Prashant Singh, Chat University Account Manager and Ryan Carroll, Solutions Sales Manager of Hobsons Enrollment Management Technology Division Wednesday, January 30, 2008 2:00 p.m. EST

Social networking is the hottest new technology and a major buzzword in today's market of communicating with both undergraduate and graduate students. With the emergence of major public social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook, it is obvious that students are comfortable with this method of communication and are using it every day. How is this trend relevant in today's higher-ed market? How can you capitalize on student interest - whether they are prospects, accepted students, current students, or even graduate students - to communicate with them in the way that they want to be reached? What are the benefits and implications of using this type of technology in your day-to-day communication with students? Join us for this one-hour Web conference where we will discuss three areas where social networking can be a relevant communication option and how you can begin to implement a social networking strategy on your campus. Who Should Attend  Anyone involved in social networking on campus will benefit from this workshop. Administrators in executive management, enrollment management, strategic planning, business and law programs, retention, and admissions will leave with new ideas to implement or methods to improve existing strategies. Online Conference Information Wednesday, January 30, 2008 2:00 p.m. EST Online Webcast Format Duration: 1 hour COST: Complimentary This conference will be delivered via an online Web conference with a corresponding conference call. Login information will be provided to all registrants via e-mail prior to the conference date. To Register To register for this FREE event, please visit the following link: ONLINE REGISTRATION You will receive a confirmation e-mail from messenger@webex.com after you register containing information on how to join on the day and time of the event.  Questions? If you have questions or cannot attend but would like more information on social networking, please visit our Web site at http://www.hobsons.com/us/emt/index.html.

Teachers collect in bullying case

Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:57:44 +0000
> From: jamlav@msn.com
> To: jamlav@msn.com
> Subject: Independent.ie: School pays damages to teachers in bullying case
>
> A friend (jamlav@msn.com) has sent you an article:
>
> School pays damages to teachers in bullying case
> http://www.independent.ie/national-news/school-pays-damages-to-teachers-in-bullying-case-1266955.html
>
>
>
>

Foundation for Defense of Democracies Newsletter

A Weekly Update
Notes and Comments THE KINGDOM: The Christian Science Monitor recently ran an op-ed by Kenneth Ballen, president of Terror Free Tomorrow: The Center for Public Opinion, based on a poll conducted in Saudi Arabia. The poll finds only about 1 in 10 Saudis holding a favorable opinion of Osama bin Laden. This would appear to be a steep drop from 2003 when a Saudi poll showed 49 percent viewing the al-Qaeda leaders favorably. The story adds: Even for Saudis with a favorable view of bin Laden and al-Qaeda, addressing the problem of terrorism is one of their most important priorities, as it is to all Saudis, chosen by close to 90 percent. This is puzzling. How could anyone both view bin Laden favorably and be anti-terrorist? Call me paranoid but I wonder if the answer might not be that these Saudis oppose al-Qaeda terrorism when it is directed against Saudis - but look sympathetically upon al-Qaeda terrorism when it is directed against infidels and apostates. The poll also finds that 40 percent of Saudis currently have a favorable opinion of the US, twice or more the percentage of those in Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Indonesia. For Saudis, this is a profound turnaround from just a year and a half ago, when, in a limited Terror Free Tomorrow survey, only 11 percent had a favorable opinion of the US. That figure has now more than tripled, while unfavorable ratings have plummeted from 89 percent to just half. The article goes on to say: Two factors help explain this major shift: 1) US policies are perceived to be less hostile, and 2) Saudi King Abdullah has promoted moderation. But which policies today are less "hostile" than they were? Which have even changed? What is different is that a year and a half ago, the U.S. was losing the war in Iraq. Today, the U.S. is winning. As for King Abdullah promoting moderation, I'm skeptical but I'm willing to be convinced. Meanwhile roughly half of all Saudis favor "continuing to fight until there is no state of Israel." More moderation needed in this area, it would seem. The full story is here.    CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR? A very entertaining movie but is that really how it happened? A historical analysis is here. REPORTING FROM IRAQ: From Michael Yon's blog: There's only a small group of writers who honestly spend enough time in Iraq to make serious claims based on firsthand accounts. But I've seen the Iraqi Army with my own eyes. I've done many missions in 2005 and 2007, in many places in Iraq, along with the Iraqi Army: please believe me when I say that, on the whole, the Iraqi Army is remarkably better in 2007 and far more effective than it was in 2005. By 2007, the Iraqis were doing most of the fighting. And ... this is very important ... they see our Army and Marines as serious allies, and in many cases as friends. Please let the potential implications of that sink in. We now have a large number of American and British officers who can pick up a phone from Washington or London and call an Iraqi officer that he knows well - an Iraqi he has fought along side of - and talk. Same with untold numbers of Sheiks and government officials, most of whom do not deserve the caricatural disdain they get most often from pundits who have never set foot in Iraq. British and American forces have a personal relationship with Iraqi leaders of many stripes. The long-term intangible implications of the betrayal of that trust through the precipitous withdrawal of our troops could be enormous, because they would be the certain first casualties of renewed violence, and selling out the Iraqis who are making an honest-go would make the Bay of Pigs sell-out seem inconsequential. The United States and Great Britain would hang their heads in shame for a century. Alternately, in an equation in which the outcome is a stable Iraq for which they (Iraqi Police and Army officials) are stewards, the potential benefits are equally enormous. Because if Iraq were to settle down, and then a decade passes and we look back and even our most severe critics cannot deny that Iraq is a better place, a generation of Iraq's most important leaders would have deep personal bonds with their counterparts in America and Great Britain. This could actually happen. More here.    Hat tip: Instapundit. From Michael Totten's blog: "The Al Qaeda organization is the enemy of Iraqis and of Americans," Mahmoud said. "We are Muslims. Sunnis. Al Qaeda came through Islam and used it to enter Iraqi lands. They are killers, insurgents, they don't respect humanity. They don't belong to Islam ..." When Mahmoud says Al Qaeda does not belong to Islam, he is not speaking theologically. I'm afraid Al Qaeda does belong to Islam if you look at it that way. But he is right that Al Qaeda does not belong to Islam as it is currently lived by the people in his community. "In Western Iraq we have been a part of this big game," Mahmoud said. "The Sunnis here are very simple people, very innocent people. It is easy to win their hearts. Al Qaeda tried to go through the religion to earn their affection. People can get enrolled in those types of Islamic organizations for that reason." ... "When you join the Al Qaeda organization the first thing you have to do is get your parents far away from your mind. Your father and mother have to be away from your thinking. There can be nothing else. Only the Al Qaeda organization. Your kids, your wife, your family, your parents, your beliefs, all have to be out. ... "If an Al Qaeda officer gives you an order to kill your father," Ahmed continued, "you have to do it. Your father, your mother, your neighbor, no matter who it might be. ... According to the conventional narrative, Al Qaeda was rejected by Iraqis because they murdered Iraqis. They were far more vicious and hateful than the Americans they vowed to expel. The narrative is correct, as far as it goes, but Al Qaeda is detested for more than mere thuggery. Other armed groups have been able to maintain at least some popularity even though they also murder Iraqis. None of the others, though, violent though they may be, are so thoroughly totalitarian, so alien to the traditions of Iraqi culture, and so hostile to its centuries-old social fabric. Al Qaeda in Iraq tears at Iraq's traditional culture as viciously as Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge did in Cambodia. ... According to the conventional wisdom, Al Qaeda makes up only a very small part of Iraq's insurgency. Maybe that's true, overall. But I have not been able to find a single person on the ground in Western Iraq - not American, and not Iraqi - who says anyone other than Al Qaeda has played a significant role in the insurgency. More here.    FAIRY TALES: In his new New York Times column, Bill Kristol writes that leading Democrats remain out of touch with the reality in Iraq. IT'S NATIONAL SECURITY, STUPID: Mathew Continetti argues that national security will be the main issue in this year's elections. PERPETUAL WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST? Max Boot argues that's better than a perpetual "peace process" that can never deliver peace.  Max notes: To be skeptical of the peace process is not to suggest that such never-ending strife is desirable, but merely to acknowledge that it may be inevitable. The contrary view -- that even a conflict as intractable as this one should end soon -- rests on a sunny, if ahistorical, Enlightenment faith that peace is the natural order of things and war a temporary aberration. ... While there is plenty of evidence that most Israelis are tired of today's war, there is little sign that their enemies are likely to give up anytime soon. Jihadists speak of their struggle to eliminate the "Zionist entity" as the work of centuries. Even if many ordinary Palestinians privately long for peace, their preferences are unlikely to prevail over those of the gunmen. Hard as it may be to accept, we have to confront the possibility that the Arab-Israeli conflict may not have a "solution," at least not in the foreseeable future, and that trying to create one represents a triumph of hope over experience. More here.    PEACE PROCESSING: National Review Online editorializes: At the close of his presidency, Bill Clinton attempted the very maneuver that Bush is presently undertaking. Another intifada was all that came of it. The parties are locked in a historic struggle. Outsiders can exert influence and pressure for good or ill, but they cannot resolve it until such time as some other factor changes the interests of the parties. The rise to regional power of Iran may well be that other factor. A nuclear-armed Iran will dominate the Middle East. Powerless to resist, incapable of uniting, the Arabs of the Gulf are very frightened. The Iranians know that they are on a winning streak. The last U.S. National Intelligence Estimate - which misleadingly implies that Iran's leaders no longer desire nuclear weapons, when every sign points to the contrary - furthers Iranian ambition. So confident do the mullahs feel of ultimate victory that they risk staging attacks on American warships. In this gathering crisis, the relationship between Israelis and Palestinians is marginal, although seeming to act on it helps our friends in the Gulf ally with us against Iran. Unfortunately, for many a long year, the State Department has actually believed that peace in the Middle East is predicated on settling this particular dispute. We hope President Bush is not really as dewy-eyed about this process as his words suggest. More here.  DEMOCRATIZATION: An important precondition for democracy is human rights. If we aren't promoting respect for human rights, we aren't promoting democracy. Where Libya is concerned, it is unclear what we are doing. As Michael Rubin points out, given that President Bush once spoke of imprisoned Libyan dissident Fathi Eljami:             as a barometer of change in Libya and how, in Prague just last June, the President again promised to help free Fathi, someone should certainly (a) ask Condoleezza Rice why she did not raise Fathi's case [during a meeting with Libyan foreign minister Abd ar-Rahman Shalgam] and (b) ask [State Department official} David Welch whether Shalgam's remarks [dismissing Fathi's case as unimportant to Washington] are accurate. After all, U.S. credibility is on the line. CORRUPTING INFLUENCE: In 2006, the Lancet, a prestigious English medical journal, published a study claiming that 650,000 people were killed as a result of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. It was a blistering indictment. Since then, however, with considerably less publicity, both the Lancet's methodology and claims have been shown to be false. Now, The Times (UK) figures out how this came about: A study that claimed 650,000 people were killed as a result of the invasion of Iraq was partly funded by the antiwar billionaire George Soros. Soros, 77, provided almost half the 50,000 (pound) cost of the research, which appeared in the Lancet, the medical journal. Its claim was 10 times higher than consensus estimates of the number of war dead. The study, published in 2006, was hailed by antiwar campaigners as evidence of the scale of the disaster caused by the invasion, but Downing Street and President George Bush challenged its methodology. New research published by The New England Journal of Medicine estimates that 151,000 people - less than a quarter of The Lancet estimate - have died since the invasion in 2003. Jeff Jacoby sorts it out here, noting that Soros used the Open Society Institute, a think tank he funds, to underwrite the study. Jacoby adds that the authors of the study were "avowed opponents of the Iraq war, and submitted their report to the Lancet on condition it be published before the election." For the Lancet, politics trumped science and the journal's reputation won't recover anytime soon. National Journal on the problems with the Lancet study here.    - Cliff May In Their Own Words "America faces an existential threat. ...We will have to fight these terrorists to the death somewhere, sometime. We can't negotiate with them or "solve" their jihad. If we quit in Iraq now, we must get ready for a harder, longer, more deadly struggle later." (01/23/2007) Liz Cheney, Former State Department official "The war was fought on many fronts. At that time the most important one was American public opinion... Military power is not the decisive factor in war. Human beings! Human beings are the decisive factor." (01/01/1989) Vo Nguyen Giap, North Vietnamese General "Our American friends had not understood us when they came, they were proud, stubborn people and so were we. They worked with the opportunists, now they have turned to the tribes, and this is as it should be. The tribes hate religious parties and religious fakers." (09/10/2007) Sheikh Abu Sattar Abu Reisha, Leader of the Anbar Awakening In the Media Please click on the underlined items to view the full article. Print & Online Monday, January 14, 2008 Let's Have a FISA Fight Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review Online The president should refuse to sign any new legislation unless it is a permanent overhaul of FISA that keeps us on offense against the monsters trying to kill us.   [Read More] Friday, January 11, 2008 USA: Victory or retreat ? Clifford D. May, Michael Ledeen, Dov Zakheim, Rousseau Institute Forum on the Middle East Where does the U. S. Administration stand on Iraq, Iran, the Israeli-Arab conflict, Central Asia ? The Jean Jacques Rousseau Institute (JJRI) asked three leading experts : Michael Ledeen, resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) and contributing editor to the National Review ; Cliff May, president of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and chairman of the Policy Committee of the Comittee on the Present Danger (CPD) ; and Dov Zakheim, former Undersecretary of Defense and Comptroller (2001-2004).   [Read More] Hezbollah's Billion Petrodollars Walid Phares, Human Events One Billion dollars spent on Hezbollah in Lebanon can have ripple effects as far as Detroit and Argentina. There is no native force in Lebanon that can match this tidal wave nor even one tenth of it. This is Iran's Petro power deployed on the Eastern Mediterranean not a local social movement building orphanages.   [Read More] Thursday, January 10, 2008 Thinking about Terrorism and Other Security Challenges in Africa J. Peter Pham, World Defense Review In the end, the establishment of AFRICOM is only one step in a process of continent-wide security-building that will likely be generational in length and scope. Nonetheless it is a significant advance for U.S. strategic engagement of Africa, one for which 2008 will be a decisive year.   [Read More] Wishful Thinking: A lethal habit when it comes to Islamist terrorists Clifford D. May, Scripps Howard News Service Osama bin Laden probably does not get home delivery of Parade but more than 30 million Americans do. And on the magazine's cover last Sunday was the not-quite-smiling face of Benazir Bhutto, along with this confident quote: "I am what the terrorists most fear." By the time Bhutto's image and words reached America's breakfast tables, she was, of course, dead.   [Read More] Broadcast Sunday, January 13, 2008 Backbone Radio, 710 KNUS- Denver Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Iranian harassment of U.S. Navy warships.   [Read More] Friday, January 11, 2008 On the Air with Jennifer Horn, 1590 WSMN- New Hampshire Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Iranian harassment of U.S. Navy warships.   [Read More] Thursday, January 10, 2008 The Michael Reagan Show, Syndicated Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Iranian harassment of U.S. Navy warships.   [Read More] Stand Up America with Paul Vallely, Rightalk.com Clifford D. May Iran's provocations and President Bush's trip to the Middle East   [Read More] Tuesday, January 08, 2008 KKMS Live, KKMS- Minneapolis, MN Clifford D. May President Bush's trip to the Middle East   [Read More] The Dave Logan Show, KOA - Denver Clifford D. May Political analysis   [Read More] The Right Balance, Syndicated Daveed Gartenstein-Ross The future of Benazir Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party.   [Read More] Friday, January 04, 2008 Dateline Washington, Radio America Clifford D. May President's visit to the Middle East   [Read More] Mentions Friday, January 11, 2008 Inside Track: The Next Genocide? Ximena Ortiz, The National Interest J. Peter Pham, director of The Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs at James Madison University - who is currently in East Africa - said of the Kenyan crisis: "What surprises me is neither the ethnic violence since ethnic tensions have simmered - barely below the surface - in Kenya, like so many African states, almost since independence nor the fierceness of passions in the electorate since Africa's largely centralized states make political competition a winner-take-all, livelihood-and-death proposition; what surprises me, rather, is that many diplomatic observers, given to Western notions of political correctness and often surrounded by Westernized African elites, failed to capture the reality of the precariousness of the Kenyan state until the violence erupted."   [Read More] Tuesday, January 08, 2008 Bob Zubrin on How to Break OPEC Glenn Reynolds, Instapundit.com Instapundit's Glenn Reynolds comments on Dr. Robert Zubrin's book Energy Victory.   [Read More] International Media Monday, January 14, 2008 Europe wises up to Iran Olivier Guitta, Middle East Times Iran is on the front burner once again. Not that it ever really was off it. But events appear confusing. A recent incident in the Strait of Hormuz between Iranian boats and U.S. warships is a reminder that an Iranian threat remains.   [Read More] Thursday, January 10, 2008 Bila Hudud Walid Phares, al Jazeera The US position on the Palestinian-Israeli situation.   [Read More] Tuesday, January 08, 2008 News Update Burak Kuntay, FOX Turkey President Bush's trip to the Middle East   [Read More] Mon