Individuals and the War on Terror

Although I acknowledge the importance of vast socio-economic forces and other metacauses, I also think that individuals make a difference. In the War on Terror, some people stand out.

• President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran
• American Armed Forces
• American Civilians
• Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan
• The Holy Father
• Iraqi Leaders
• Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
• Osama bin Laden, from Saudi Arabia
• Stanislav Petrov, the man who saved the world
  (From 1983: before 9/11, a tale of one man's common sense and willingness to think.)

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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran

• "Ahmadinejad Wants America to Apologize: This is News?"
  (January 28, 2009)
• "Barack Obama's Presidency: History Being Made"
  (November 6, 2008)
  (President Ahmadinejad congratulates, advises President-Elect Obama)
• "Barack Obama's Presidency: History Being Made"
  (November 6, 2008)
• "Resolutions "Worthless Papers"
  - Iran's President Ahmadinejad"
  (October 24, 2007)
• "Iran's New Nuclear Negotiator"
  (October 21, 2007)
• "Iran and Russia and Germany and Japan"
  (October 19, 2007)
• "Russia's Putin and Iran's Ahmadinejad: More Complications"
  (October 16, 2007)
• "Students Demonstrating Against the President: in Iran"
  (October 10, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad's Plan for Peace: Banish the Jews to Alaska"
  (October 7, 2007)
• "Kidnapped Israeli Soldier's Wife Asked Wrong Question at UN"
  (September 27, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad: Let's Give Him the Credit He Deserves"
  (September 26, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad at Columbia University: The Transcript"
  (September 25, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad at Columbia, What Happened?"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad at Columbia University - Part 2 - There are No Homosexuals in Iran?!"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Ahmadinejad at Columbia University - Part 1"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Columbia President Introduces Ahmadinejad at Columbia University"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "Let Ahmadinejad Speak? Of Course!"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad Arrives Not-So-Quietly at Columbia University"
  (September 24, 2007)
• "President Ahmadinejad Arrives Quietly in New York"
  (September 23, 2007)
• "Columbia, President Ahmadinejad, and Tolerance"
  (September 23, 2007)

American Armed Forces

• "Michael Jackson and 1st Lieutenant Brian N. Bradshaw: One's News, the Other's Not"
  (July 7, 2009)
• "A Bank Robbery in Texas, Donald Murrah and David Long"
  (March 12, 2009)
• Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor
  
  • "Navy Petty Officer Mike Monsoor and the Trident Hoax"
    (March 11, 2009)
  • "Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero"
    (March 31, 2008)
  • "Golden Tridents on Petty Officer Michael A. Monsoor's Coffin"
    (July 5, 2008)
  • "Michael Anthony Monsoor: Above and Beyond the Call of Duty"
    (April 8, 2008)
  • "Michael Monsoor to Receive Posthumus Medal of Honor"
    (April 2, 2008)
  • "Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael A. Monsoor: American Hero"
    (March 31, 2008)
• "Melissa Stockwell: Representing America, Again
  (September 6, 2008)
• "There are Heroes - Ross A. McGinnis"
  (June 2, 2008)
• Gunnery Sergeant William "Spanky" Gibson
  "Crippled Marine Marches Back to Iraq, Wants to Help"
  (February 28, 2008)
• Marine 1st Lieutenant Nathan Krissoff
  Marine 2nd Lieutenant Austin Krissoff
  Lieutenant Commander Bill Krissoff
  "A Father Honors Fallen Son"
  (November 28, 2007)
• Specialist Christopher Hoyt
  "There are Heroes"
  (November 19, 2007)
• Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder, Albert Snyder:
  • "Individuals Count: See the Snyders"
    (November 1, 2007)
  • "Tolerance Only Goes So Far"
    (October 31, 2007)
  • "Does Free Speech Include Disrupting Funerals?"
    (October 26, 2007)
• Lieutenant Michael Murphy, U.S. Seal
  "The World Needs Heroes -"
  (October 22, 2007)

American Civilians

• "Bruce Maloy, Thank You"
  (March 13, 2009)
• "Dog Tags for Kids: That's One Good Idea"
  (December 26, 2008)
• Former President Jimmy Carter
  (starting April 9, 2008)
  • "News Never Revealed Inside the US! Reality Check, Please"
    (April 22, 2008)
  • "Jimmy Carter, Condoleezza Rice, and Paying Attention"
    (April 22, 2008)
  • "Carter the Peacemaker: Carter-Hamas Talks Bring Hope of Peace!"
    (April 19, 2008)
  • "Former President Carter's Peace Trip: What You See Depends on Where You Stand"
    (April 19, 2008)
  • "Carter Meetings Proof: Hamas a National Liberation Movement! Reality Check, Please"
    (April 19, 2008)
  • "Terrorists, Shmerrorists: I'm Here for Peace, Man!
    Jimmy Carter and Khalid Meshaal Meeting Today"
    (April 18, 2008)
  • "Former President Carter, Hamas, Khalid Meshaal: Definitely Not Routine"
    (April 17, 2008)
  • "Hugs and Kisses: To Hamas, From Former President Carter"
    (April 15)
  • "Jimmy Carter and the Blogosphere"
    (April 11, 2008)
  • "Khaled Meshaal, Jimmy Carter, and the News: Why the 24 Hour Delay?"
    (April 10, 2008)
  • "Khaled Meshaal; Jimmy Carter; Common Sense: Which of These Doesn't Match the Other Two?"
    (April 10, 2008)
  • "Jimmy Carter's Mid East Jaunt"
    (April 9, 2008)
• "Peach Bottom Nuclear Plant: Security was the Pits"
  (February 28, 2008)
• " 'Cowboy Diplomacy' and 'Live Long and Prosper' "
  (October 29, 2007)

Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan

• "Bhutto's Assassination Anniversary: Claims, Wild and Otherwise"
  (December 27, 2008)
• " 'Democracy is the Best Revenge' "
  (September 6, 2008)
• "Bhutto: A Son of bin Laden Planned My Death"
  (February 3, 2008)
• "Bhutto Assassination: Gun = Government Involvement?" (January 2, 2008)
• "Pakistan and the Bhutto Assassination: A New-and-Improved Official Explanation"
  (January 1, 2008)
• "Pakistan is not America"
  (December 30, 2007)
• "Brave Words, Prudent Words"
  (December 30, 2007)
• "After Benazir Bhutto: Grassroots Looters, Official spinmeisters"
  (December 28, 2007)
• "Pyrrhic Victory, Anyone? Another Thought on the Bhutto Assassination"
  (December 28, 2007)
• "Al Qaeda: We Killed Bhutto"
  (December 28, 2007)
• "Benazir Bhutto's Assassination and Nawaz Sharif's Near-Miss: It Could be Worse"
  (December 27, 2007)
• "Benzir Bhutto, June 21, 1953 – December 27, 2007"
  (December 27, 2007)
• "Pakistani Government Promises Objective Investigation of its Involvement in Bhutto Assassination Attempt"
  (October 22, 2007)
• "Bhutto, Bombs, and Curious Coincidences"
  (October 19, 2007)
  
• "'Long Live Bhutto' Banner: Why English?"
  (October 19, 2007)
  
• "Pakistan Politics: Bhutto Bombed"
  (October 18, 2007)

The Holy Father

• "Spiritual Leader of 1,000,000,000 Doesn't Meet With Los Angeles Advocate!"
  (April 15, 2008)
• "Pope Visits America: News and Adequate Coverage"
  (April 15, 2008)
• "Pope Benedict XVI is Coming to America"
  (April 14, 2008)
• "The Pope Comes to America: A Prediction in a Very Catholic Post"
  (April 13, 2008)
• "America is in Good Company: Bin Laden Slams Pope, Too"
  (March 20, 2008)
• " 'Pope attacks Iran at Jewish Congress' "
  (October 13, 2007)
• "Muslim Leaders Call For Dialog! Pope Told "Survival of World" at Stake!!"
  (October 12, 2007)

Iraqi Leaders

• "Ten Iraqi Sheiks Kidnapped: Who's Promoting Islam Here?"
  (October 28, 2007)
• "Stressed-Out by Iraq? You're Not the Only One"
  Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha, Sheik Majid Tahir
  (September 16, 2007)

Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

• "Putin, Ahmadinejad, Iran, Syria, Israel: Here We Go Again?"
  (October 18, 2007)
• "Wisdom (?) From Iran: Boycott Peace Conference"
  (October 13, 2007)
• "When Iran's Disappointed, Bad Things Happen"
  (September 29, 2007)
• " 'Quagmire,' the Revolutionary Guard, and the News"
  (August 19, 2007)

Osama bin Laden, from Saudi Arabia

• "Osama bin Laden: Something Old, Something New"
  (October 23, 2007)
• "SITE, Osama bin Laden, and Online Security: What Part of "Secret" Doesn't Washington Understand?"
  (October 9, 2007)
• "القـُدْس - Al Quds - Death to Israel, Death to America, and All That"
  (October 6, 2007)
• "Osama bin Laden, Superstar!"
  (September 11, 2007)
• "Osama bin Laden: Media Star"
  (September 10, 2007)
• "When Osama Talks, People Listen"
  (September 8, 2007)
• "Bin Laden's New Video"
  (September 7, 2007)
• "Muslims Fear American Attack, Global Survey Finds!!!"
  (July 27, 2007)

Stanislav Petrov, the man who saved the world

• "Common Sense Knows No Boundaries: Neither does Bureaucratic Vindictiveness"
  (February 14, 2008)