Word: figs
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 2000-2009
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...have by the Dear Leader, Kim Jong Il. But last week I sent my personal envoy, Dai Bingguo, to Pyongyang, and we told him again that the time has come to sit down and negotiate with you directly. We'll host the talks in Beijing to give you a fig leaf of multilateralism, if you still care about that. But I'm assuming you'll now get on with the business of ... how did your Defense Secretary, Mr. Gates, put it? Oh yes: 'Buying the same horse twice.' (Read more about Robert Gates...
...make similar allegations about the embassy contract. On Sept. 9, James Gordon, the former operations director at the embassy, filed a suit against his former employer, claiming it forced him out after he blew the whistle on its misconduct. "Their goal was to maximize their profits, provide a fig leaf of security at the embassy and pray to God that nobody got killed," he told reporters Sept. 10 in a press conference by phone from Kabul, where he is working for another security firm he refused to name. Gordon added that employees and managers were allowed to "frequent brothels notorious...
...spirited traveler, the safari itself is the key. Our adventure began after our twin-prop touched down at a remote bush landing strip at Kimanjo, deep in Laikipia. From there it was a Land Cruiser ride to our first camp, set beneath acacia and a vast sycamore fig. Here we met the troop in its full glory: 19 camels and 15 Samburu, Turkana and Masai tribesmen. The sense of joining an ancient caravan heading into the bush was heightened by the fact that there would be almost no contact with the outside world for several days...
...regionally, to reinforce the legitimacy of their rule. Iran's Islamist democracy and willingness to challenge the U.S. and Israel have resonated throughout the Middle East with Arab populations frustrated with their own autocratic leaders, whom they perceive as doing Washington's bidding. But Tehran's appeal required a fig leaf of democracy: for all its flaws, Iran has been one of the more democratic countries in the Middle East...
...might the U.S. go about talking to Hizballah? One way would be for the U.S. to engage the group under the fig leaf of dealing with the new Lebanese government. Something needs to be done, for the consequences of ignoring Hizballah will keep getting worse. A rematch between the group and Israel could escalate into a regional war, with Syria joining ranks with Hizballah, Israel bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, and Iran striking back at U.S. forces in Iraq. The unresolved conflict between Hizballah and Israel is becoming a national-security issue for America...