is 30 days old!!! If you have been following recent events in Iran you'd know that things have completely turned around.

Branch Rickey used to say that "luck is the residue of design."

Professor, maybe you should elect this guy as your leader to changed the archaic design of State to get lucky;->>
Obama was talking based on the Old Design, he didn't promise any design change, therefore it is not fair to expect miracles from his talks.

Grand Sen~or.

Was the election really such a clear cut victory for the pro-Western March 14 coalition?

The ideological elite that governs America has been aiding and abaiting Pakistan to launch this offensive, so we must never forget that every single American have the ultimate responsibility for that 3 million people now have been displaced. Without the foul attack on Taliban's heartland in the south of Aghanistan (to where they retreated following air bombardments on their forward positions in Oct/Nov 2001) in 2005 -- from 2006 under the command of NATO -- there would have been no displacements of 3 millions Pakistanis. Make no mistake about it! It is absolutely essential that Americans -- while they are sitting in their comfy homes eating their dougnuts -- understand that ultimately they -- through their elected government -- are ultimately responsible for these poor peoples plight.

You say: What have attacks in Aghanistan in 2005-06 got to do with Pakistanis being displaced in 2008-09?

Reply: That it should be necessary to pose this question show the fog through which Americans views foreign affairs.

There are no scientific polls, but in informal interviews by The Associated Press with more than three dozen Pakistanis across the country Wednesday and Thursday, not a single person expressed sympathy or allegiance toward the Taliban. MSNews

Professor, I hope you don't base your following argument on news-paper gossip coloumns;->

3. The New York Times reports that some Pakistani villagers are turning against the Taliban, and may even be supporting the government's more active role against them.

Professor, please ask yourself, would you dare to say "Oh Yess! I like their turban, I'm going to wear one like theirs if I can afford to have one, can you tip me couple of dollars!" while your State declared war on Taliban, when the Associated Press reporter questioned you?

What is this joke Mate?! Is that how you develop FP actions based on statistics like that?! I hope your Nuclear Physicists don't work like FP gurus;->>
If they do, wait a few surprises mushroom around your houses;->>

Today I was decided to take a break, telling myself "I've said enough!!" but when I read that piece of news and associated it with your article, I broke my fast;->
I hope one of these days I run away and have a break;->>

Grand Sen~or.

"Side note: is there any other major world figure who has done as much public relations damage to his own country's image and interests? "

ummm, Bush?

As for celebrating point 1 (Lebanon), I am afraid US allies there (i.e. Saad Hariri and his coterie) are allied with the recruiters for Zarqawi (i.e. very radical Sunni Islamists from Northern Lebanon). All paid for by the Saudis. And stability or political transparency or civil (rather sectarian) laws probably won't come anytime soon.

The only thing that is good about March 14 getting re-elected in Lebanon is that Israel simply won't have the excuse of Hizbullah being in power to attack Lebanon (though they have never needed excuses for sheer outright military aggression).

I'm shocked--shocked--that Ahmadinejad won in a landslide in Iran, especially after the 'Obama effect'.

How about you, Mr. Realist?

Is anyone shocked with this?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/12/AR2009061202593.html