Month: January 2007

Bush’s splurge is already bringing premature claims of success, even though the first troops are just arriving in Iraq. A column in today’s Washington Times by Ollie North quotes an American officer in Iraq as saying, “Do they [members of Congress opposed to the war] even know that in the last two weeks we have … Continue reading “Insurgency May Be Back on Its Heels, but It’s No Setback”

The Pentagon recently reported that it now spends roughly $8.4 billion per month waging the war in Iraq, while the additional cost of our engagement in Afghanistan brings the monthly total to a staggering $10 billion. Since 2001, Congress has spent more than $500 billion on specific appropriations for Iraq. This sum is not reflected … Continue reading “Inflation: The Hidden
Cost of War”

The Iraq War is coming up on its fourth anniversary. Increasingly embattled, even desperate, President Bush has decided to send another 21,500 American troops into the fight. They will join over 150,000 U.S. soldiers already deployed in Iraq. In the speech on Jan. 10 explaining his decision, President Bush argued in almost apocalyptic terms that … Continue reading “The Three US Armies in Iraq”

Antiwar.com is pleased to announce the winners of its first-ever Student Essay Contest, held summer 2006. Today we present Khadija Abdool Hassam of Dubai, honorable mention in the senior division. Alexia Gilmore Executive director, Antiwar.com In this day and age, peace is like a cloud: it comes and it goes. Peace is something people wish … Continue reading “If You Want Peace, Work for It”

Updated at 12:30 a.m. EST, Jan. 30, 2007 Iraqi forces remain on high alert for Ashura-related violence today. Meanwhile, at least 92 Iraqis were killed or found dead and another 95 were injured in today’s smaller attacks. No foreign deaths were reported. Tens of thousands of pilgrims are expected to honor the festival of Ashura … Continue reading “Monday: 92 Iraqis Killed, 95 Wounded”

In the State of the Union address Bush said that failure in Iraq was not an option (not the first time the president has sounded the tocsin). "Many in this chamber," he stated, "understand that America must not fail in Iraq, because you understand that the consequences of failure would be grievous and far-reaching." Among … Continue reading “The Return of Shock and Awe?”

Antiwar.com is pleased to announce the winners of its first-ever Student Essay Contest, held summer 2006. Today we present Masumba David of Uganda, honorable mention in the senior division. Alexia Gilmore Executive director, Antiwar.com This is an essay on conflict in the north of Uganda, which has been going on for 20 years now. I … Continue reading “The Dawn of Peace”

Sen. Russ Feingold may have withdrawn from the presidential sweepstakes, but he has entered the national debate over the Iraq war in a fairly dramatic fashion. Indeed, he has matched the president’s escalation with one of his own by launching hearings, scheduled to begin on Tuesday, designed to point out the obvious – that Congress … Continue reading “The Feingold Option”

The United Nations General Assembly has just adopted a resolution condemning denials of the Holocaust. The resolution, co-sponsored by 103 countries, was approved by consensus, without a vote. Perhaps it’s too early to predict the reactions to this fresh UN resolution, but let us try to speculate what they might be. Outrage in Israel Both … Continue reading “A Midwinter Night’s Dream”

Updated at 11:15 a.m. EST, Jan. 29, 2007 In Iraq, at least 452 Iraqis were killed or found dead today and another 182 were injured in various attacks during the festival of Ashura. Three more American servicemembers were killed in separate incidents, and a U.S. helicopter was shot down, killing two more soldiers as well. … Continue reading “Sunday: 452 Iraqis, 5 GIs Killed; 182 Iraqis Injured; US Helicopter Shot Down”