At least 30 Iraqis were killed and 32 more were wounded in new attacks against Shi’ite pilgrims and other Iraqis., while the Diyala Council Fears Returning To Work.
read moreObama’s New Military Strategy Doesn’t Add Up
President Barack Obama ordered up yet another strategic review last year. This one explicitly aimed at bringing the nation's military posture into line with something we can afford. In response to that review, his administration forged a plan [.pdf], unveiled during...
Mentally Unfit but Serving Anyway
The year began with a story about a 24-year-old ex-soldier who shot and killed a female park ranger at Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington before dying of apparent hypothermia, his body face down in the snow. Months before, the mother of Benjamin Colton Barnes’...
Iraq: Sectarian Attacks Leave 28 Dead, Dozens Wounded
Attacks on Arbaeen pilgrims continued today, presaging what could be a particularly violent week. At least 28 Iraqis were killed in the both sectarian and other attacks. Another 82 were wounded, along with 16 pilgrims from Afghanistan.
read moreThe Myth of Military Budget Cuts
Last week, President Obama unveiled what is being touted as a new defense strategy intended to drive reductions in the defense budget (the first time a president held a press conference at the Pentagon). According to the president: As I made clear in Australia, we...
The Return of the Chickenhawks
What a joy to see Ron Paul take down Newt “Chickenhawk” Gingrich in front of millions of Americans. Slogging through fifteen Republican presidential debates was totally worth it just to witness this defining moment. Dianne Sawyer, who sounded like she was on...
The World for Israel, or Jews for the World?
A remarkable event took place on Dec. 8, 2011, at the National Press Club in downtown Washington. It was a Jewish-Gentile forum on Israel, Palestine, Zionism, anti-Zionism, anti-Semitism, and the imminent threat of war. At the heart was presentation of a new book,...
Who’s Afraid of the Ayatollahs?
Politicians and pundits are curiously schizophrenic when discussing Iran. On one hand, they are prepared to declare, as Mitt Romney did, that the “greatest threat that Israel faces, and frankly the greatest threat the world faces, is a nuclear Iran.” To deal with this...
Interior Ministry Apologizes For Abuses, But Only Those Under Saddam
Security forces in the Interior Ministry apologized for abuses committed during the Saddam era, but apparently forgot to mention any acts since 2003. The ministry was well known to harbor death squads for years after the U.S.-led invasion, and accusations of torture continue to the present day. Separately, the ministry demanded the Kurds hand over Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who is wanted on charges of terrorism that many believe are trumped up. At least six Iraqis were killed and 28 more were wounded in new violence.
read moreIraq: Shi’ite Pilgrims Targets For More Violence
At least 10 Iraqis were killed and 30 more were wounded. Some of the violence targeted Shi’ite pilgrims in and around Baghdad, but attacks farther north were heavy on security personnel. Meanwhile, the Iraqiya list could be seeing a breakthrough soon as talks with the National Coalition over the latest political impasses seem to be working.
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