Month: April 2008

Updated at 7:40 p.m. EDT, April 30, 2008Although more bodies are stacking up in the aftermath of his security crackdown, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki continues to threaten the Mahdi army. At least 71 Iraqis were killed and another 155 were wounded in the latest round of violence. Five American soldiers were killed in separate events. … Continue reading “Wednesday: 5 US Soldiers, 71 Iraqis Killed; 155 Iraqis Wounded”

War with Syria? Peace with Syria? A big military operation against Hamas in the Gaza strip? A cease-fire with Hamas? Our media discuss these questions dispassionately, as if they were equivalent options. Like a person in a showroom making a choice between two cars. This one is good, and so is the other one. So … Continue reading “Always the Military Option”

The RAND Corporation was the ur-think tank, the Cold War granddaddy of them all, and it’s still with us. In the 1950s, nuclear war-gaming a conflagration for which the usual war games would have been ludicrous, it took the U.S. military into virtuality and science fiction long before there was an Internet to play with. … Continue reading “Teaching Imperialism 101”

Updated at 11:35 p.m. EDT, April, 29, 2008As heavy street fighting continues in Sadr City, Kirkuk suffered a spate of roadside bombings. Also, female suicide bombers staged attacks in Diyala province. At least 90 Iraqis were killed and another 135 were wounded across the country. Two American soldiers were also killed An American soldier was … Continue reading “Tuesday: 2 US Soldiers, 90 Iraqis Killed; 135 Iraqis Wounded”

Five months after the U.S. hosted the Annapolis conference to push for a decisive Israeli-Palestinian peace, negotiations between the two sides have shown no visible progress. As President George W. Bush races to ink a deal before his term expires in January of next year, disagreements remain over the final-status issues and the territorial integrity … Continue reading “Palestinian Negotiators Go Home Frustrated”

The developed nations of the West are still trying to figure out ways to deal with the new China. On the eve of China’s biggest coming-out party, the world is not the gracious guest admiring the balustrades. Instead, the world’s media are pointing at the servant in the backyard and frowning at the dirt on … Continue reading “The Sword Is Blunted”

Updated at 9:25 p.m., April 28, 3008At least 43 Iraqis were killed and another 112 were wounded in the latest attacks, most of them in Baghdad and Sadr City. No Coalition deaths were reported. Also four U.S. servicemembers were killed. Three American soldiers were killed during a mortar or rocket attack in Baghdad. Another soldier … Continue reading “Monday: 4 US Soldiers, 43 Iraqis Killed; 112 Iraqis Wounded”

Editor’s note: Justin Raimondo’s column will return Friday. The shooting has already started in the Persian Gulf – and chances are we’ll be at war with Iran before President Bush’s term is up. An American ship under contract with the U.S. Navy – the Western Venture – claims it was in international waters when Iranian … Continue reading “Is War With Iran Imminent?”

You simply can’t pile up enough adjectives when it comes to the general, who, at a relatively young age, was already a runner-up for Time Magazine‘s Person of the Year in 2007. His record is stellar. His tactical sense extraordinary. His strategic ability, when it comes to mounting a campaign, beyond compare. I’m speaking, of … Continue reading “Selling the President’s General”

DAMASCUS – More than a million Iraqis were lucky enough to flee into Syria. But in this relatively safe haven, there is no getting away from poverty. Mohammad Saleem ran a successful supermarket in Baghdad. “I was leading a comfortable life with my family, despite the 13 years of UN sanctions,” Saleem told IPS in … Continue reading “Iraqi Refugees Flee Danger for Poverty”