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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Danielle Kurtzleben: The Peace Process is over. Finally
Susan Johnston: The Myth of Economic Inequality
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Farro Salad: An ancient grain is now new again as the base of a tasty tangle of flavorsome vegetables, chickpeas and salami
February 10, 2012
Rabbi Nathan Lopes Cardozo: The biblical case against small-mindedness involved diminishing His precious prophet
Caroline B. Glick: The Peace Process is over. Finally
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
Rachel Koning Beals: Gen X Women Continue to Shrink Gender Investing Gap
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: Who Says You Can't Make Restaurant Favorites at Home?: MANGO AND STICKY RICE
February 9, 2012
Jeff Strickler: An argument a day keeps the divorce away, they say
Clifford D. May: CAIR's Crusade against The Third Jihad
Melissa Healy: Study finds jolt to the brain boosts memory
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
Emily Brandon: 10 Necessities for a Great Retirement Spot
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Winter Squash and Red Swiss Chard Risotto is Colorful Cozy Cold Weather Fare (includes detailed dos and don'ts)
February 8, 2012
Rivy Poupko Kletenik: Tree hostility: The auspicious history of the evolution of Tu B'Shevat
Steven Emerson: Planting Trees is Racist?!
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Anne Applebaum: Russia's Potemkin democracy
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
Emily Brandon: 10 Necessities for a Great Retirement Spot
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Kathleen Hennessey and Christi Parsons: Obama not worried that birth-control move will hurt his re-election chances with Catholics, other faithful
Caroline B. Glick: Obama's rhetorical storm
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
David Francis: How to Avoid an IRS Audit
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: These homemade energy bars (3 recipes) are far better workout fuel than commercial ones, packing power and taste
February 6, 2012
Scott Peterson: Iran's top ayatollah: We're trumping the West
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Philip Moeller: Where Smart Investors Put Their Money
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: Vegetable Frittata --- leftovers never tasted so scrumptious
February 3, 2012
Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein: Living with ideals --- in reality
Caroline B. Glick: Fool me twice
Jonathan Tobin : Adelsonphobia Strikes in Nevada Caucus
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Kimberly Palmer : 8 Ways to Get Ready for Retirement Now
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: A quick cookie recipe: Hazelnut and Olive Oil Shortbread: Sweet, Nutty, and Savory
February 2, 2012
Rabbi Yaakov Rosenblatt : Welcome Home, Governor Perry
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Kelsey Sheehy : 5 Tips for Choosing an M.B.A. Concentration
Rachel Koning Beals : Investors Increasingly Tap Social Media for Stock Tips
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross : Savory vegetable pie is a taste of European bistro with minimal effort and maximal flavor
February 1, 2012
Nara Schoenberg: What to do when you've been dissed
Michelle Malkin: First, They Came for the Catholics
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Lisa M. Krieger: Possible breakthrough in preventing Alzheimer's
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
Susan Johnston: 5 Apps for Organizing Your Expenses at Tax Time
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: The famed chef's Broccoli and White Bean Soup can easily be a lunch in itself, or a nice antipasto --- and is hard to mess up
January 31, 2012
Paul Greenberg: Separation of Church and State works two ways
Caroline B. Glick: Hamas and the Washington establishment
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: Uncle Sam is joining in efforts to crack down on Islamists' critics
Danielle Kurtzleben: The 10 Worst Cities for Finding a Job
Laura McMullen: 3 Tips to Overcome a Bad Grade in College
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: Orzo dish mixes plump, chewy grains with caramelized onions, garlic, mushrooms and sweet potato
January 30, 2012
Rabbi Avi Shafran: Blind faith and physics
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
Menachem Wecker: 3 Do's and Don'ts for Healthy Studying in College
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Butternut Squash Gratin with Tomato Fondue is a combination of the sweet and creamy
January 27, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: What Pharaoh can teach us sophisticates about being stubborn
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: Barigoule is a light and tangy dish of artichoke hearts stewed in white wine
January 26, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Newt the closet anti-Semite?
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Martin Peretz: One Year Later: The Failure of the Arab Spring
Rachel Koning Beals: Need to Know info before investing in Muni Bonds this year
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
The Kosher Gourmet by Leela Cyd Ross: Curried Coconut Carrot Soup. Need we say more?
January 25, 2012
Andrew Silow-Carroll: Speak politics the Jewish way!
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
Menachem Wecker: Adding an extra 'm' -- marriage -- to that M.B.A.
Melissa Healy: Harnessing shrooms' magic
The Kosher Gourmet by Hilary Meyer: 3 Secrets Leave All of the Comfort in this 'Comfort Food', but few of the Calories
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Jada A. Graves: 6 Careers to Watch in 2012
Jason Koebler: Who Should Have Access to Student Records?
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: This luscious fruit bread marries toasted pecans with juicy pears. Perfect with a pot of tea
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Stephanie Hanes: Toddlers to tweens: Relearning how to play
Jack Kelly : Still ignoring history
Rachel Koning Beals: Awkward Questions You Must Ask Your Financial Adviser
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: Spanakopita is a golden pie that manages to be healthy yet still taste indulgent
January 19, 2012
Clifford D. May: How terrorists lose their stigma
Suzanne Bohan: Vanquishing social anxieties without drugs
Lisa Fernandez and Sean Webby: In alternative lifestyle, domestic violence means men as victims and women being abusers
Danielle Kurtzleben: The 10 Best Cities for Finding a Job
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Three bean soup with gremolata
January 18, 2012
Edward I. Koch: Why the Crocodile Tears, Hillary?
David G. Savage: Supreme Court to Principals: You have been warned
George Friedman of Stratfor: Iran, the U.S. and the Strait of Hormuz Crisis
Jason Koebler: 'Holy Grail' of Flu Vaccines by Next Year
Alex M. Parker: The Off-the-Radar Congressional Targets of 2012
The Kosher Gourmet by Susan Russo: Got soft apples? Make Apple-Maple Walnut Breakfast Quinoa
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Believe it or not, your cuppa joe offers potential health perks
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: Eleventh-Hour Freezer Pasta, Made Interesting: Ravioli with romesco sauce; Tortellini salad with apples and walnuts
January 13, 2012
Chief Rabbi Dr. Warren Goldstein: Expansion Of Spirit (PROFOUND yet UPLIFTING)
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Rachel Koning Beals:Top Complaints About Daily Deal Sites --- how to avoid missteps
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Braised Oxtail Stew with Olives
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
Ken Dilanian and David S. Cloud: In secret study, CIA and 15 other U.S. intelligence agencies warn Obama against leaving Afghanistan too soon
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
Menachem Wecker : 4 Technology Must Haves for Online Students
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
Rachel Koning Beals: Should You Invest in Bond Funds or Individual Issues?
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand : Colorful Lentil Salad with Walnuts and Herbs
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
Paul Bedard: Study: Is Fox Too Balanced?
Rachel Koning Beals: Is it Time to Move into Homebuilder Stocks?
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: Brothy Chinese Noodles

Half the Sodium (and More Than Twice the Fiber!)

January 9, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: The land-for-peace hoax (MUST-READ/FORWARD/SHARE)
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
Bonnie Miller Rubin: The new college-admission essay: Short and tweet(ish)
Rachel Koning Beals: Why Mid-Caps Stand Out in This Slow-Growth Stretch
The Kosher Gourmet by Diane Rossen Worthington: Cumin seed roasted cauliflower with salted yogurt, mint and pomegranate seeds
January 6, 2012
Jonathan Rosenblum: Greatness --- and those who sully it
Clifford D. May: The Historian, the Diplomat, and the Spy
Paul Bedard: Study: Obama Is Late Night's Biggest Joke
Rachel Koning Beals: An Investing Guide to Closed-End Funds
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Durand: Slow Cooker Peppered Beef Shank in Red Wine

Jewish World Review August 25, 2008 / 24 Menachem-Av 5768

A gentle reminder for the Dems: This is not a peacetime election for Al Qaeda

By Jonathan Rauch


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | So for Democrats, the war on terrorism is over. Not the terrorism part, mind you. Just the war part.


In 2004, the party's platform used the phrase "war against terror" or its equivalent ("war against Al Qaeda"; "war against a global terrorist movement") 12 times—beginning on page one, paragraph three. Typical language: "As Democrats and Americans, we yield to no one in our commitment to do everything necessary to win the war on terror." Foreign policy, led by "Defeating Terrorism," dominated the document.


The economy was relegated to a sheepish second place.


Four years ago, the war against terrorism was a war in the most literal sense, complete with combat operations, invocation of martial law against enemy combatants, and frequent reference to Congress's authorization of the use of military force. John Kerry accepted the Democratic presidential nomination by "reporting for duty" at the convention, with a salute.


Times change, and so do platforms. This year brings a peacetime election. For most Americans, the war on terror has become a figure of speech. Reflecting that new mentality, the 2008 draft Democratic platform, posted on TheAtlantic.com by Marc Ambinder on August 7, used the phrase "war on terror" only once. Which was exactly as many times as it used the phrase "war on science" (as in "Bush Administration's").


The Democrats take the problem of terrorism seriously; the draft platform makes that clear. Where security strategy is concerned, the 2004 and 2008 platforms are basically the same, except that today's Democrats promise a brisk withdrawal from Iraq and add emphasis on Pakistan. Four years ago, as again today, the platform called for improved international cooperation against terrorism; better public diplomacy; a redoubling of efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and to roust terrorist havens; stronger measures to prevent nuclear proliferation and keep nuclear materials out of mischief; nonmilitary democracy promotion; energy security; and better-focused homeland-security measures.


What has changed in four years is not the strategy but the conceptual framework around it. In 2004, the Democrats' proposals were presented as stratagems in a war against "a global terrorist movement of many groups, funded from different sources and with separate agendas, but all committed to assaulting the United States and free and open societies around the globe."


In 2008, by contrast, the Democrats present their security proposals as steps worth taking for a host of reasons, of which thwarting terrorism is just one. Terrorism, indeed, is nestled among threats that include weapons of mass destruction, rogue states, weak states, rising powers, addiction to oil, and global warming. The problem today is not an enemy axis but a threat matrix—not KAOS but chaos.


According to Athena Jones, a reporter for National Journal and NBC who has traveled extensively with Barack Obama's presidential campaign, the presumptive Democratic nominee sometimes mentions terrorism on the stump, but "I wouldn't say he talks about it all that frequently." Instead, he concentrates on the economy and related standard-of-living issues such as energy and health care.


Obama knows what he's doing; his choice of subjects reflects important political and strategic realities. Politically, the economy is what the public wants to hear about and what Democrats feel most confident talking about. Strategically, the fight against violent Islamism is a counterinsurgency war that will unfold over decades, not years. Weaving counter-terrorism policy into U.S. strategy on many levels, as Obama proposes to do, makes sense—more sense, in fact, than President Bush's self-defeating attempt to treat the conflict as a permanent military emergency.


Still, before Obama and the Democrats move on too quickly, a gentle reminder: This is not a peacetime election for Al Qaeda. In comments prepared for a discussion this month at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Ted Gistaro, a senior terrorism analyst in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, noted, "Al Qaeda's intent to attack the U.S. homeland remains undiminished." The organization, he added, "is identifying, training, and positioning operatives for attacks in the West, likely including in the United States."


Today's peacetime mentality, although prevalent, is fragile. A big explosion or two would shatter it faster than you can say "Ayman al-Zawahiri." Obama has shown he cares about change, about the economy, about moving troops out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. But what about terrorism? This is a candidate, remember, who has no military experience. This is a party whose base has at times managed to seem more alarmed and disgusted by President Bush's war than by Osama bin Laden's.


"When you think about Obama's vulnerabilities, and his need to capture wavering Democrats and swing voters, questions about whether he is strong enough and patriotic enough are definitely on the table," says Gil Troy, a historian at McGill University and a visiting scholar at the Bipartisan Policy Center, a centrist Washington think tank. "The challenge is showing the American people on a deep, deep level that terrorism is a core issue, and you're really passionate about this. Obama has to show, and the Democrats have to show, that they are passionately opposed to and disgusted by terrorism."


Troy, the author of a new book, Leading From the Center: Why Moderates Make the Best Presidents, argues that Obama should give a detailed speech "about all the things Bush did right in the war on terrorism. After I had explained where I agree with him, then I would talk about where I disagree."


If Obama lacks the stomach to praise Bush, he might, at a minimum, explicitly distance himself from the element in his party that thinks the whole idea of a "war" against terrorism is a barbaric political ploy. So far, he has yet to either embrace or repudiate this group; instead, he is leaving open such questions as:

  • Does he think Bush administration officials who authorized rough interrogation methods should be put on trial for war crimes, as a growing chorus in his party is demanding? If not, why doesn't he renounce such talk? If so, does he want his own administration second-guessed in the same way? As president, could he live with the overcautiousness and fear that criminal sanctions would instill within the CIA, the Pentagon, and the White House?

  • Assuming that he keeps his promise to close the Guantanamo prison camp, what does he propose to do with the detainees—and with others who will be picked up in the future? Some are hardened jihadists who can be neither released safely nor, because of evidentiary and other problems, tried in civilian courts. Does he propose to put them out on the street in America or abroad? Find a new way to lock them up? The next president will need to deal with this, so what is Obama's plan?

  • Does he intend to hold CIA interrogators to the kid-glove standards of the Army field manual? If so, that would likely preclude even such mild forms of intimidation as angry shouting. Or will he allow selective use of moderately harsh methods, short of torture, if his operatives reasonably believed that such tactics could elicit life-saving information?

  • Does he think that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force—which bestowed Congress's blessing on lethal strikes against any person, country, or organization involved in the 9/11 attacks—is still in effect? If so, how far beyond Qaeda targets does it allow him to reach? When he says (as he did in an August 2007 speech), "I will not hesitate to use military force to take out terrorists who pose a direct threat to America," is he claiming the same kind of unilateral war-making powers that Bush asserted? If not, where are the limits?


Just now, when his campaign needs to add more steak to its sizzle, Obama could do himself a favor by clarifying his position on the war against terrorism—the "war" part as well as the "terrorism" part. He might heed the prominent politician who warned earlier this month: "Right now, our brave men and women in uniform are fighting two different wars while terrorists plot their next attack."


That salutary reminder came not from Bush or John McCain, but from Obama himself. It was just a single sentence in a long speech (on energy policy), startling because it was unusual for Obama. But it showed that his eyes are open. He still has time to demonstrate that he takes his own warning seriously, by using the campaign's remaining weeks to prepare the country, and himself, for a conflict that may be quiescent but isn't over.

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

JWR contributor Jonathan Rauch is a senior writer and columnist for National Journal. Comment by clicking here.

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