Nearly a million Sadr supporters descended on Basra to join an annual gathering that marks the end of the Saddam regime. Meanwhile, at least nine Iraqis were killed and 56 more were wounded in new violence. A series of evening attacks troubled the ethnically diverse Diyala province.
read moreAll Quiet on the Southern Front
“What have you learned in school today, my son?” “There was no school today. There is an emergency!” “And what have you learned from that, my son?” Actually, quite a lot. This week’s “round," as the army likes to call it, followed a well-established pattern, as formal...
Obama, Iran, and the Price of Gas
ThinkProgress, the online semi-official apologists for all-things-Obama, touts the news that “even” the War Street Journal and the libertarian Cato Institute say “it’s not Obama’s fault gas prices have increased.” In their typical...
Will Anyone Debate the US-Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement?
In Afghanistan, the tragic Kandahar killing spree has prompted renewed talk about the proposed U.S. Afghan Strategic Partnership Agreement. At stake in these discussions is the security of Afghanistan, the U.S., and the region. Citizens in the U.S. and Afghanistan...
A New Age of Enemies
Just a couple of days after “Sergeant Massacre” left his base in southern Afghanistan and single-handedly perpetrated the My Lai of the Afghan War, shooting and evidently in some cases stabbing to death 16 Afghan villagers, including nine children, a district police...
New Attacks Leave 6 Dead in Iraq
At least six Iraqis were killed and five more were wounded in light violence. Many of the victims were security personnel.
read moreIraq Militia Group Releases Captive American
According to senior officials working for Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, an associated militia group has released an American captive who may have once been a U.S. soldier. Meanwhile, at least six Iraqis were killed and seven more were wounded in the latest violence.
read moreMassacre As Metaphor
Kurdistan Complains of Unpaid Oil Revenue As President Calls Baghdad Leaders “Failures”
Kurdish leaders accused Baghdad of not handing over its fair share of oil payouts to the semi-autonomous region. They claim they have not received any payments since last May and the regional government is owed over $1 billion. Meanwhile, at least 10 Iraqis were killed and 10 more were wounded in new violence.
read moreLobbying for War
There has been considerable discussion of the meaning, or lack thereof, of the apparent difference of opinion between the United States and Israel over both the desirability and the possible timing of going to war with Iran. Those Americans who still revere the...
