The ousted head of the central bank, Sinan al-Shabibi, reiterated his claims that he is innocent of wrongdoing and was fired in order for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to further consolidate the premier’s control of the government. Two very young girls were killed in separate incidents in Zubayr. Meanwhile, at least 12 Iraqis were killed and seven more were wounded in other attacks.
read moreWinter of Discontent
After the Afterglow At least one national nightmare finally ended on the morning of November 7, when the media frenzy over the election finally abated. An entire industry devoted to perception management dutifully created the perception that the race was close and the...
Pakistan: The Real Swing State
Outside a downtown Islamabad coffee shop that sells an assortment of French macaroons (cupcakes are so passé), I strike up a conversation with Omar Malik. A 34-year-old who works for a private telecommunications company, Malik seems liberal. Liberal in the way...
Beyond Bayonets and Battleships
Untitled Document In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Cold War was commonly said to have partially plunged "into the shadows" as a secret, off-the-grid, spy-versus-spy conflict fought between the planet's two superpowers. No one caught this mood better than...
Next Stop: Syria
A new study says the British have invaded nine out of ten countries on earth: during the course of their long history of conquest, only 22 nations escaped Britannia's imperial wrath. And it looks like they're at it again, with British Prime Minister David Cameron...
More Bloodshed Across Iraq: 13 Killed, 44 Wounded
Iraq suffered a second day of attacks that were spread across the country. At least 13 Iraqis were killed and 44 more were wounded. This latest spate of violence began on an otherwise quiet Tuesday with an attack on an army base. Also, two of fugitive Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi’s staff were sentenced to death, in absentia, on charges of terrorism.
read moreKill Lists Will Continue
Outside of websites such as Antiwar.com, there has been remarkably little commentary over the issue of the White House–managed kill lists, which played no part in the election but will nevertheless continue to be a keystone of security policy in the new administration...
13 Killed, 39 Wounded in Iraq; Turkish Troops Enter North
At least 13 people were killed and 39 more were wounded across Iraq today. Some of the casualties occurred during Turkish operations in northern Iraq.
read moreNetanyahu’s 2010 Order Was Not a Move to War on Iran
A new twist was added to the long-running media theme of a threat by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to go to war with Iran when news stories seemed to suggest Monday that Netanyahu had ordered the Israeli military to prepare for an imminent attack on...
Meddling in Mali
The United States is meddling in another internal civil war to prevent a “terrorist haven” from developing. This time it’s not in Somalia or Yemen but instead in the West African country of Mali. The United States and France are concerned that Islamists have taken...
