Month: February 2007

Updated: 12:55 p.m. EST, March 1, 2007 At least 44 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and 66 more injured in several smaller incidents. Also, a British soldier was shot dead in Basra. British bases were also shelled but no damage was reported. The U.S. military reported that one American soldier was killed by … Continue reading “Wednesday: 44 Iraqis, 1 GI, 1 Briton Killed; 66 Iraqis Injured”

The new poll numbers on Iraq are in, and they mark a new level of discontent: a majority of Americans now favor setting a date certain for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Fifty-six percent don’t care if order is reestablished before the withdrawal begins: they just want out. As for the president’s defiant "surge" strategy, … Continue reading “The Better Part of Valor”

“We are ready for the next war,” a reserve soldier in the Israel Defense Forces told a TV reporter this week, on the scene of a brigade-size maneuver on the Golan Heights. What war? Against whom? About what? This was not stated, and not even asked. The soldier saw it as self-evident that war will … Continue reading “Pick an Enemy, Any Enemy”

The Army refiled five charges against 1st Lt. Ehren Watada late last week, paving the way for a possible second court-martial for the highest-ranking member of the military to publicly refuse to deploy to Iraq. When his first court-martial ended in a mistrial on Feb. 7, serious debate had not yet begun to surface on … Continue reading “Lt. Watada Is Not Alone”

Interviewed February 20, 2007 – Listen to the interview. Is Iran making nuclear weapons? Is the United States preparing to wage war against them to prevent them from obtaining nuclear weapons? Our guest is Scott Ritter. He is a former Marine, United Nations weapons inspector, and author of an armful of books: Endgame, War on … Continue reading “Regime Change Is the Reason, Disarmament the Excuse”

Making an unannounced stop in Pakistan on Monday, Vice President Cheney "expressed U.S. apprehensions of regrouping of al-Qaeda in the tribal areas and called for concerted efforts in countering the threat" according to an aide to Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf. According to Musharraf, Pakistan "has done the maximum in the fight against terrorism." Furthermore, … Continue reading “Our Pals in Pakistan”

Updated at 12:55 a.m. EST, March 1, 2007 At least 94 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 102 were wounded in various violent attacks. Also, four Americans soldiers were killed in separate roadside bombings, and another three were wounded. The U.S. military reported that three U.S. soldiers were killed and one more wounded during … Continue reading “Tuesday: 94 Iraqis, 4 GIs Killed; 102 Iraqis, 3 GIs Wounded”

SANA’A, Yemen – Militants from a major Shia group within Yemen have stepped up their fight against the government over recent weeks. The group opposes what it sees as policies supportive of the United States and Israel. Militants from the al-Houthi group, a militant force of Shia Muslims from the local Zaidi sect, have been … Continue reading “Anti-US Group Battles Yemeni Govt”

The winds of fortune in the Iranian nuclear standoff seem to have shifted, judging by the U.S.’ new confidence. But in Washington’s apparent quest to get an upper hand, misreading the causes of the backlash in Iran against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may cause the U.S. to lose rather than gain leverage. Over the past few … Continue reading “Will Surge Hurt US More Than Sanctions Hurt Iran?”

ARBIL – The security situation in Iraq’s northern oil rich-city Kirkuk has deteriorated over the past few weeks as a constitutional deadline approaches to determine the fate of the city. The city is home to a mix of Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs, with the population of each hotly disputed. Bombings on Feb. 3, 6, and … Continue reading “Kirkuk: Sparks Rise From a Time Bomb”