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June 17, 2013

Rabbi Simcha Weinstein: Black to the Future: American Apparel Gets Biblical

Patrik Jonsson: Minnesota Nazi: How did Nazi hunters miss Michael Karkoc?

Kate Irby, Ali Watkins, Trevor Graff and Kevin Thibodeaux: All the ways you're being watched
Don Lee: G-8 meeting will test NSA leaks' effect on U.S. influence

Patrik Jonsson: Fort Hood shooting: Judge nixes Nidal Hasan defense strategy. What now?

Stacey Burling: Why the stigma for migraine sufferers?

The Kosher Gourmet by Lisa Abraham: Does it work? 5 new kitchen gadgets put to the test

June 14, 2013

Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski: A spiritual budget: Religious economics and being a ruler

John P. Martin: Hitler insider's missing diary found

Matt Pearce: NSA surveillance disclosure could affect court cases
Peter Tinti: US bounties changes strategy on (Wild, Wild) West African jihadis

Daniel Pendrick, M.D.: Memory loss? Old age may be the least of it

Lauren F. Friedman: But it's all natural! Should we have an instinctive preference for herbal remedies?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Streisand and Alicia Keys in Israel; "Girls" Stuff; Mel Brooks, Another TV special; Superman (who is Jewish) returns --- Israeli plays his mom

The Kosher Gourmet by Sharon K. Ghag : Bored with salad? Bling it up a bit (4 effortless recipes that will result in a 'WOW!')

June 12, 2013

Stephanie Hanes: Little girls or little women? The Disney princess effect

Fred Weir: In tweak to US, Russia would 'consider' asylum for Snowden

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: What's so special about Omega-3 supplements?
Morgan Housel: What newspapers were saying when you should have been buying

Pete Spotts: How cockroaches evolved so as to bypass 'roach motels'

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: Deep-dish cookie: Warm, gooey and a little over the top

June 10, 2013

Joseph A. Slobodzian: Faith healing and third degree murder: Thorny legal case
Lindsay Wise: Few options for online users to avoid spying, experts say

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: There are plenty of nutritional food bargains out there
Harvard Health Letters: Can bariatric surgery control diabetes?

Zach Murdock: Superglue helps doctors save infant's life

The Kosher Gourmet by Celebrated chef Mario Batali : As good as grilling gets: Rib eye with dry mushroom spice rub

June 7, 2013

Rabbi David Aaron: Beating jealousy

Caroline B. Glick: Wounded . . . and dangerous

Clifford D. May: Al Qaeda vs. Hezbollah
Harvard Health Letters: Fighting back against allergy season

Kimberly Lankford: Grandparents who use FSA to cover grandkid's braces and other must-know info

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom:J ewish Tony Nominees/Tony Awards; Jewish Teen Actor In Sci-Fi Flick; Jewish singer in "Voice" finals

The Kosher Gourmet by Anjali Prasertong: A tart filling so good it might not make it to the crust

June 5, 2013

John Rosemond: Mom, Dad: Talk More and listen less

Kristen Chick: Egypt court sentences 43 pro-democracy workers to prison

Sharon Palmer, R.D.: Mushrooms Have Medicinal As Well As Culinary Value
Morgan Housel: Why you never learn from your investment mistakes

Don Lee: In China, kindergarten rivalry takes deadly turn

The Kosher Gourmet by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan: 30-Minute Coq au Vin isn't a dream

June 3, 2013

Molly Hennessy-Fiske: Military judge to consider letting Fort Hood shooting defendant represent himself

Richard A. Serrano: Pvt. Bradley Manning's WikiLeaks trial also a test for government

Mark Trumbull: Have degree, driving cab: Nearly half of college grads are overqualified
Kim Lankford: What to do when long-term care insurance premiums rise

Deborah Netburn: Study: Adults' mouth bacteria may help babies

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom: Jewish Contestant on 'The Voice'; Will Smith's 'Jewish movie family'; Bravo Gives Long Island Jews the Jersey Shore Treatment; Magicians and More

The Kosher Gourmet by Bill Ward: How to be as refined as the wines at a wine tasting

May 29, 2013

Andrew Connelly and Helene Bienvenu: The Little Synagogue that Refused to Die

Dennis Prager: The 'Muslims-Killed-by-the-West' Lie

David Clark Scott: Open war on teachers?
Morgan Housel: If you know only five things about investing, make it these

Sara Reardon: AGenome detectives change the donation game

Deborah Netburn: A one-way ticket to Mars? 78,000-plus and counting apply by video

The Kosher Gourmet by Bev Bennett: CHEDDAR AND CHERRY MUFFINS --- your mouth is already watering

May 24, 2013

Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb: When I didn't so 'humbly disagree'

Caroline B. Glick: Thank you, Hafez al-Assad

Diana West: From the Brooklyn Bridge to London
Morgan Housel: Why spotting bubbles is so much harder than you think

Environmental Nutrition editors: NuVal labeling to the rescue?

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Memorial Day: Jews Serving and KIA in War on Terror; Liberace Bio-Pic; Jew Wins "Survivor"; Shalom, Dr. Brothers; More

The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen: HIDE THESE FROZEN TREATS FROM THE KIDDIES!: Sangria pops; Irish cream pudding pops; mango Lassi pops

May 22, 2013

John Thorne: They launched the 'Arab Spring' but now yearn for the good old days of a strongman

John Rosemond: 'Disciplinary math' adds up to parental successl

Warren Richey: Are prayers before public meetings OK? Supreme Court to decide
Rick Montgomery: Use of ADHD drugs as study aid raises concern on campuses

Brierley Wright, M.S., R.D.: 6 convincing reasons you should keep carbs in your diet

Eoin O'Carroll: Scientists examine nothing, find something

The Kosher Gourmet by Carole Kotkin: This soup is made from one of the great pleasures of spring: A wonderful pairing of rosy color and earthy tang

May 20, 2013

Richard A. Serrano: Is Meir Kahane's assassin now a changed man?

Hannan Adely: Town raises Palestinian flag at City Hall

Melissa Healy: Genetic copies of living people from embryos no longer science fiction
Morgan Housel: When smart investors do stupid things

Sharon Saloman, M.S., R.D.: Hunger games: Eat more, weigh less, without starving

Jewz in the Newz by Nate Bloom : Jews Inducted into Rock Hall of Fame; Anton Yelchin co-stars in New "Trek" film; Kutcher (but not Kunis) visits Israel; Jewish TV Star Praises Jewish Rap Star

The Kosher Gourmet by Cathy Pollak: WARNING: This WALNUT CAKE WITH PRALINE FROSTING, perfect for afternoon coffee, is addicting


Jewish World Review Sept. 18, 2007 / 6 Tishrei 5768

First, do no harm

By Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.


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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | Sen. Jim Webb is a serious guy. A decorated Vietnam veteran, a Navy Secretary in the Reagan Defense Department, the Virginia Democrat is also the father of a veteran of the conflict in Iraq. And Mr. Webb is seriously opposed to the U.S. military campaign there. So when he decides to try to end that campaign, it would be advisable to take him and his legislative initiatives, well, seriously.


That is particularly true given the seemingly unobjectionable nature of an amendment he proposed earlier this year and is expected to offer anew this week. It would afford troops who have been pulling repeated, exhausting and dangerous combat tours guaranteed respite between deployments. To add to its appeal, the Webb Amendment affords the president the latitude to waive its requirements in response to "an operational emergency posing a threat to the vital national security interests of the United States." For these reasons, those in the know think it may be able to command the 60 votes needed to cut off debate.


Unfortunately, the Webb requirement is so fraught with logistical and administrative problems that it would be devastating for the very people it is intended to help — the troops and those responsible for safely leading and successfully managing them in time of war. As one of the most thoughtful military strategists of our time, Fred Kagan, put it recently in National Review:


"[The original Webb amendment] specified not only that a particular unit had to spend basically a day at home for every day it spent deployed, but that every member of the armed forces had to receive such 'dwell time,' as the period between deployments is called. The problem is that when a unit returns from a deployment, its personnel are often reassigned to other units and other assignments. Brigades don't stay together forever. So this amendment would actually require the Army and Marine Corps staffs to keep track of how long every individual service member had spent in either Iraq or Afghanistan, how long they had been at home, how long the unit that they were now in had spent deployed, and how long it had been home, and somehow find units to deploy that had been home for the specified time and all of whose personnel had also been home for the required period.


"Since that would be patently absurd, the alternative would be to pull people out of units that were going to deploy if those individuals did not have enough 'dwell time,' breaking up leadership and soldier teams the formation of which is the express purpose of the Army and Marine training system. Requiring the president to issue a certification to Congress to waive this requirement for every individual soldier who might be affected is even more absurd."


Now, everyone should be sensitive to the needs of U.S. servicemen and -women. Unquestionably, they and their loved ones are bearing a disproportionate burden in this War for the Free World. It is wearing them out, threatening to break an all-volunteer force and to render wholly unsustainable its combat equipment.


This reality is, of course, contributing to actions by the Commander-in-Chief at the recommendation of Gen. David Petraeus to begin withdrawing 5 brigades from Iraq before it may actually be prudent to do so. Indeed, under present circumstances, force structure limitations are another form of "artificial deadline." Despite talk about conditions on the ground determining the number of troops in Iraq, the enemy knows that we may not be able to sustain the fight.


Another consideration is that we may need U.S. forces for fights elsewhere. Indeed, the probability of conflict with Iran is growing as we fail to take steps that might make unnecessary the use of the military against the regime in Tehran — notably, by depriving it of money (for example, via "terror-free investing") and legitimacy (through the use of Reagan-style political warfare techniques). This prospect is made likelier by the increasing offensive capability of Iran, thanks in no small measure to help provided by Russia, China and North Korea.


Legislators legitimately troubled about these facts have a responsibility not to make matters worse by adopting the Webb Amendment. If they wish to help, rather than hurt, our national security, they need to address not the symptoms but the cause of our present difficulties: We need a larger military.


It was predictable — and predicted by the Center for Security Policy — during the early 1990s that the ill-advised desire to cash in the so-called "peace dividend" would inevitably bring us to such a pass. As with similar draw-downs in the past, we wound up cashiering force-structure we need to deter aggression against us or our interests and to contend with its perpetrators.


The costs of rectifying this mistake are huge. But they will be vastly larger if we wait to increase the size of our Army and Marine Corps under far worse circumstances down the road. In the latter case, one such unwanted cost may be the need for conscription to meet our military requirements.


If we truly desire more rest for our troops and time with their families amidst a global war, without sacrificing the nation's security — and who doesn't? — we must achieve those objectives in ways that won't hamstring the Pentagon. We must instead use all appropriate techniques to minimize the tasks assigned to America's military and to assure it is properly sized and equipped for those it will have to perform, both today and tomorrow.


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

JWR contributor Frank J. Gaffney, Jr. heads the Center for Security Policy. Comments by clicking here.

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America has been at war for years, but until now, it has not been clear with whom or precisely for what. And we have not been using the full resources we need to win.

With the publication of War Footing, lead-authored by Frank Gaffney, it not only becomes clear who the enemy is and how high the stakes are, but also exactly how we can prevail.

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© 2006, Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.

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