Month: December 2007

Updated at 11:05 p.m. EST, Dec. 31, 2007At least 49 Iraqis were killed and 35 more were wounded during violence that included security raids in several cities. A suicide bomber detonated his cargo near a school just north of Baghdad, and female bomber struck in Baquba. Also, 2007 was the deadliest year since the invasion. … Continue reading “Monday: 1 US Sailor, 49 Iraqis Killed; 35 Iraqis Wounded”

The drumbeat to "do something" about Pakistan – preferably of a military nature – has been going on for some time, and the assassination of Benazir Bhutto is the perfect catalyst for such an enormous blunder. As far back as this last summer, the administration has been sending out signals that a direct assault on … Continue reading “Panic Over Pakistan”

If the last days of 2007 are any indication, U.S. President George W. Bush’s last year in office is shaping up as grim and lonely. Grim, because Bush’s signature “war on terror” is nowhere near the kind of “victory” on which he had placed so much hope. Hundreds of billions of dollars from the U.S. … Continue reading “Bush’s Twilight Year Looks Grim”

The conventional wisdom among presidential candidates is that the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has proved the importance of continued American meddling in that land. Both Republicans and Democrats are rushing to mumble incoherent platitudes before the cameras, while several have even proclaimed their next big idea for how Pakistan ought to … Continue reading “Ron Paul Is Right About Pakistan”

The Shocking Stories of the Aid Workers Just Released From Gitmo Andy Worthington’s fine article “The Shocking Stories of the Aid Workers Just Released From Gitmo” is just one more indication that there is a secret agenda, which has nothing to do with fighting terrorism, at Gitmo. As shocking as his account is, I have … Continue reading “Backtalk, December 31, 2007”

Updated at 6:55 p.m. EST, Dec. 30, 2007On the first anniversary of Saddam Hussein’s execution, observances were rather subdued and violence was extremely light. Overall, 13 Iraqis were killed and eight more were wounded. Thirteen people were abducted near Tuz Khormato, and the chief of police in Basra escaped an assassination attempt unharmed. Also, one … Continue reading “Sunday: 1 US soldier, 13 Iraqis Killed; 8 Iraqis Wounded; 13 Iraqis Kidnapped”

Despite all the claims of improvements, 2007 has been the worst year yet in Iraq. One of the first big moves this year was the launch of a troop “surge” by the U.S. government in mid-February. The goal was to improve security in Baghdad and the western al-Anbar province, the two most violent areas. By … Continue reading “2007 Worst Year Yet in Iraq”

Updated at 11:55 p.m. EST, Dec. 29, 2007At least 37 Iraqis were killed and 20 more were wounded in the latest violence. Also, Sunni groups allege that Baghdad police rounded-up 250 non-militants in sectarian-driven raid. Meanwhile, a police spokesman in Mosul was attacked during a television interview. No Coalition deaths were reported. Police in Baghdad … Continue reading “Saturday: 37 Iraqis Killed, 20 Wounded”

As you may have noticed, things have not been going well, recently, for the American Hegemony. That would be the global hegemony the wonderful folks who call themselves “neo-conservatives” – having been denied military victory in the Cold War by the internal collapse of the Soviet Union – have been determined to achieve any way … Continue reading “Unhappy Hegemony”

There’s no getting around the fact that the assassination of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto, who recently returned to an active role in Pakistani politics, is a setback for any hope of democratic reform, as most observers have noted. Even more alarming, it is a significant victory for the forces of Islamic extremism the … Continue reading “Sad Day for Democracy… but Hope on the Horizon?”