WASHINGTON, April 30 (UPI) -- "Every lie contains a truth and every truth contains a lie" is a safe rule of thumb when Shakespeare's powers of observation are applied to the Middle East. With each shake of the kaleidoscope, the configuration of the key players becomes a wilderness of mirrors.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 13 (UPI) -- America’s European allies have fallen into the paralyzing embrace of appeasement. Only one German parliamentarian out of 613 openly favors putting German troops in Afghanistan in harm’s way. The Bush administration’s appeals for more European troops fall on deaf ears. Europeans do not believe democracy is attainable in Afghanistan, which is now seen as a failed narco-state. They also blame Iraq for the current geopolitical dilemma.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Do most terrorist trails track back to Pakistan? That was the conclusion of Britain’s MI5, the internal intelligence service.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 (UPI) -- Robert Gates has formally taken over as U.S. secretary of defense, becoming the 22nd man to hold the job.