Month: October 2005

As the American toll in Iraq climbs toward 2,000 dead and 15,000 wounded, and the horror of those shortened or constricted lives continues to sink deep into American communities, various memorials to the fallen – American soldiers, journalists, contractors, and sometimes Iraqis as well – have sprung to life. Arrays of combat boots; labyrinths and … Continue reading “Casualties of the Bush Administration”

Despite last-minute maneuvering by Shiite and Kurdish leaders to offer the possibility of further changes in Iraq’s draft constitution, and warnings by foreign jihadists against participation, all indications are that Sunnis will turn out in large numbers Saturday to cast ballots in the country’s referendum. The very large number of Sunnis expected at the polls … Continue reading “Sunni Strategy Shifts Toward Voter Turnout”

Today the Department of Defense announced the death of a Marine supporting the war in Iraq. Kenneth E. Hunt Jr., 40, died of wounds recieved in July “when the vehicle he was riding in struck an anti-tank mine while conducting combat operations against enemy forces in Al Taqaddum, Iraq.” This death bring the total American … Continue reading “22 US Troops Killed in the Last Week”

I know it’s more than a bit of a long shot, but I’m hoping beyond hope that the election Saturday in Iraq is something that can at least be viewed as a modest success. The definition of success will have to be far more modest than what our wise leaders might have accepted as success … Continue reading “Just a Chance”

BEIRUT – The death of Syria’s interior minister Ghazi Kanaan in Damascus Wednesday has raised new tensions ahead of the publication of the UN report on the murder of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafik Hariri. The report is expected next week. Kanaan and other members of Syria’s ruling circles had come under increasing pressure in … Continue reading “Syrian’s Suicide Leads to Turmoil”

The suicide of Syria’s interior minister – a week before a UN investigation is to release its report on the assassination of Lebanese politician-entrepreneur Rafik Hariri – has the regime-change crowd salivating, and leading the pack is Michael Young, opinion editor at the Beirut Daily Star and Reason magazine’s resident Aounist. Young has been regaling … Continue reading “Danny Ayalon, Spy?”

Just when you think that President Bush couldn’t out-Saddam Saddam any more, he goes and does something that proves you wrong. If any Iraqis caught the hilarious video conference Thursday between Bush at the White House and troops from the 42nd Infantry Division in Tikrit, it may have seemed like a high-tech version of a … Continue reading “Mr. Bush Goes to Tikrit (Sort of)”

How Long Can This Go On? I just found your Web site by reading the piece by Mr. Roberts. Will definitely check it out in the future. Last winter, I had a back injury and looked at way too much C-SPAN. During this time I saw the shabby way the Democrats were treated in the … Continue reading “Backtalk, October 14, 2005”

The Bush administration seems to be drawing the outlines of a strategy to oust Syria’s President Bashar Assad and his ruling Ba’ath Party. Of course, no one is considering an American-led military invasion à la Iraq to achieve “regime change” in Damascus. Instead, neoconservative policymakers and analysts are urging Washington to take advantage of the … Continue reading “Making the Middle East Safe for What?”

Did you know that there are five police academies in Iraq that produce over 3,500 new officers every eight weeks? Well, if you’re among the millions of recipients of that “Did You Know?” e-mail proliferating on the Internet, you “know” that “fact” along with a whole lot of other good-news items about Iraq – astonishing … Continue reading “Good News, or Urban Legends?”