Month: April 2008

Updated at 12:55 a.m. EDT, April 11, 2008Fighting in Sadr City has subsided dramatically, but violence still took the lives of 68 Iraqis across Iraq. Almost half of them were found in a mass grave. At least 74 Iraqis were wounded as well. An American soldier was killed during an overnight IED attack in Baghdad, … Continue reading “Thursday: 1 US Soldier, 68 Iraqis Killed; 74 Iraqis Wounded”

SARAJEVO – It has been sixteen years since war broke out in Bosnia-Herzegovina. If commemorative coverage in the local media is anything to judge by, the war is still going on – the peace agreement made in Dayton, Ohio notwithstanding. The war’s physical scars in Sarajevo have mostly healed. Several burned-out buildings still remain, but … Continue reading “Glitz and Loathing in Sarajevo”

The results of Iran’s eighth parliamentary elections were never meant to be a cliffhanger – the hard-line camp of fiery President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came out on top; moderate conservatives maintained their stake; reformists were demoralized. And everyone else was on vacation. Iranian New Year’s celebrations, held before and during the first days of spring, curiously … Continue reading “Iran’s Engineered Elections Reelect Sanctions-Fed Regime”

Updated at 11:50 p.m. EDT, April 9, 2008On the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad to U.S. forces, Iraqi authorities placed curfews on the capital and other cities in order to prevent anti-American activities and protests. At least 49 Iraqis were killed and another 122 were wounded in the latest violence. Also, seven American … Continue reading “Wednesday: 7 US Soldiers, 49 Iraqis Killed; 122 Iraqis Wounded”

Aside from the expected drivel and boilerplate rhetoric, the testimony of Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker before Congress on Tuesday had a few surprises. Yes, we all know the administration’s line: the "surge" is working, all’s well, oh sure, more needs to be done but… etc., etc., ad nauseam. What I sense, however, … Continue reading “Endless Enemies”

BAQUBA – As violence continues in Baghdad and southern Iraq, it seems quiet on the surface in Baquba, the volatile city 25 mi. north of Baghdad. But few believe the truce between the U.S.-backed Awakening Groups and the government security forces can last. The Awakening Groups, known locally as the Sahwa, were formed to battle … Continue reading “Tense Truce Between Awakening Groups and Iraqi Government”

Jordan, often described in the mainstream press as the most moderate country in the Arab Middle East, was the first to receive prisoners "as a true proxy jailer for the CIA" and has received more victims of "extraordinary rendition" than any other country in the world, according to a new report by Human Rights Watch … Continue reading “Jordan Acted as Hub for US Renditions, Report Says”

Once again, in reporting to Congress, Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker highlighted "progress" in Iraq without discussing the price Iraqis are paying for the occupation of their country. Reports from Iraq indicate that nearly 500 Iraqis died in the first three days of fighting against the Sadr organization in Baghdad, Basra, Hilla, Diwaniya, … Continue reading “US Ignores Iraqis’ Views”

My father was a young man during the Vietnam War. Health problems exempted him from conscription, but he had several friends who fought in the war. I have several friends and acquaintances of long standing who are or were in the military, some of whom have been to Iraq as part of the occupation. A … Continue reading “The Romance of Death”

Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shi’ite cleric who emerged triumphant from an Iraqi government assault on his Mahdi Army militia in Basra (and Baghdad) has called for a “million-strong” march in Baghdad tomorrow to mark the fifth anniversary of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq. The demonstration just happens to fall on one of the days that Gen. … Continue reading “Petraeus’ Ghost”