Month: May 2007

The family of Andrew Bacevich, a 27-year-old first lieutenant who was recently killed in an ambush north of Baghdad, doesn’t want to see its beloved son and brother turned into an impersonal symbol of a tragic and unnecessary war: they want him to be remembered as a special person, "a great-looking kid with an infectious … Continue reading “‘What Kind of
Democracy Is This?’”

Private military companies have been engaged in an intense struggle in recent months – over a $475 million deal billed, perhaps optimistically, as the last major security contract in Iraq. The contract, originally due to be awarded on April 10, involves a wide range of services, from the provision of personal security details to the … Continue reading “Iraq Contractors in
Beltway Battle”

Two weeks ago, much hoopla was made over six Muslims arrested for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack against Fort Dix in New Jersey. According to U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, the six men intended "to create carnage at Fort Dix," and "This is a new brand of terrorism where a small cell of people can bring … Continue reading “Rudy Giuliani and the
Fort Dix Six”

Updated at 12:14 a.m. EDT, May 23, 2007Violence once again exploded in the capital with a significant bombing in Amil and a minibus attack near Tunis. Overall, at least 105 Iraqis were killed or found dead and 121 Iraqis were wounded during attacks. Also, the body of an Asian man was found near Kirkuk, and … Continue reading “Tuesday: 105 Iraqis Killed, 121 Wounded”

The World Bank has just appointed a new country for Iraq despite security and corruption concerns, according to a leaked document. The news emerged just days after outgoing World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz promised not make any major new appointments at the institution. The Government Accountability Project, a Washington-based watchdog group, released an e-mail it … Continue reading “Departing Wolfowitz Names New Iraq Director”

TEHRAN – While the Iranian regime has been categorical that negotiations with the European Union over its controversial nuclear program are isolated from planned talks with the United States over security in Iraq, the timing of the parleys are such that overlap may be hard to avoid. On Sunday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said … Continue reading “Iran Nuclear Negotiations Run Parallel to Iraq Talks”

ARBIL – The working environment for Iraq’s journalists is becoming increasingly dangerous and difficult, with 31 killed since the start of this year, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The dire situation has prompted both international and local media groups to design a new "safety strategy" involving the creation of special offices charged … Continue reading “Journalists Face Repression on All Sides in Iraq”

After initially spurning the Iraq Study Group’s (ISG) recommendations, President Bush now seems inclined toward the ISG’s recommendation of transforming the U.S. military’s role from fighting insurgents and militias into a smaller force that would train Iraqi forces in seeming perpetuity. Although this solution would lower U.S. casualties, and perhaps increase Republican chances in the … Continue reading “Decentralization: Iraq’s Only Hope”

Many of my colleagues, faced with the reality that the war in Iraq is not going well, line up to place all the blame on the president. The president "mismanaged" the war, they say. "It’s all the president’s fault," they claim. In reality, much of the blame should rest with Congress, which shirked its constitutional … Continue reading “Congress Must Do Its Duty”

If patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel, then self-righteousness is the trapdoor hidden under the rug. Both ruses were on parade as Tony Blair delivered the long-awaited farewell address to his Sedgefield constituency. It was a vintage Blair performance full of self-congratulation tinged with a dose of fantasy masquerading as vision. The plastic … Continue reading “Blairways Pushes for
New Routes…”