The international community must bear its share of responsibility for this tragedy. All over the world there were people like me sitting in offices who did not fully appreciate the depth and the speed with which you were being engulfed by this unimaginable terror. Genocide can occur anywhere. It is not an African phenomenon. We … Continue reading Sleepless in Sudan

It was a church once upon a time, and soon will be again. Between the times, it was a bar where the Chippendales pranced like Pan at the Bacchanalia; a coffee house with a damn fine French press, but lousy bagels; a restaurant; and finally, a sad, empty husk. In a few days, it will … Continue reading Hobbling On One Foot

If we are viewed as a country that engages in torture ... any possible information we might be able to gain is far counterbalanced by the effect of public opinion," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., on "Face the Nation,” November 13, 2005.He ought to know. He was tortured by his captors in a North Vietnamese POW … Continue reading Choking on the Camel

From ghoulies and ghostiesAnd long-leggedy beastiesAnd things that go bump in the night,Good Lord, deliver us!—A Scottish PrayerOne could be a bit frightened by it all: the occupation of Iraq, disintegrating into civil war; the Israeli wall, leaking terrorists, unable to stop the carnage; Syria, snarling at the U.N.; the Muslim slums of Paris writhing … Continue reading All Hallows’ Eve