Month: April 2008

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki set aside any pretense of democracy by ordering the Mahdi army to disband or face banishment in upcoming elections. At least 51 Iraqis were killed and 143 more were wounded today. Also, five more American soldiers were killed. One American soldier was killed by an IED during a routine road … Continue reading “Monday: 5 US Soldiers, 51 Iraqis Killed; 143 Iraqis Wounded”

JERUSALEM – With negotiations on the Palestinian track limping along unproductively, Israeli leaders have again begun talking about renewing peace negotiations with Syria. But at the same time they are keeping a wary eye on new deployments by the Syrian military. "Israel is making every effort to get Syria back to the negotiating table," Israeli … Continue reading “Israel and Syria Flirt With Détente”

GAZA CITY – Ayman Eid stands as motionless as his orange Hyundai taxi. Never mind taking a passenger somewhere, Ayman has no idea how he will ever get home. The queue at the petrol station seems endless. Drivers have run out of petrol even to queue up in their cars; they just queue up themselves, … Continue reading “Gaza Running on Near Empty”

On April 5, the London Telegraph reported that “British officials gave warning yesterday that America’s commander in Iraq will declare that Iran is waging war against the U.S.-backed Baghdad government. A strong statement from Gen. David Petraeus about Iran’s intervention in Iraq could set the stage for a U.S. attack on Iranian military facilities, according … Continue reading “Petraeus Testimony May Signal Iran Attack”

They came, they saw, they… deserted. That, in short form, is the story of the Iraqi government “offensive” in Basra (and Baghdad). It took a few days, but the headlines on stories out of Iraq (“Can Iraq’s Soldiers Fight?”) are now telling a grim tale. The information in them is worse yet. Stephen Farrell and … Continue reading “The General and the Trap”

A new president brings fresh eyes to old problems, but more importantly, the head of the executive branch has the flexibility to reject the failed policies of his predecessor without gravely wounding his own credibility. Unfortunately, John McCain has promised, should he become president, to continue the disastrous Middle East policies of the current administration. … Continue reading “Caveat Emptor: Buy McCain,
Get Kagan and Woolsey”

More memos have recently surfaced that were written early in the Bush administration by John C. Yoo from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel – the man who gave us the administration’s horrifyingly narrow definition of torture as physical pain that must be “equivalent in intensity to the pain accompanying serious physical injury, such … Continue reading “Yoo-surping Power for the Executive”

The pollsters are now telling us John McCain could pull it off, with match-ups pitting him against both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton showing the War Party’s favorite son neck-and-neck with the Dems. Aside from the nearly complete meaninglessness of such data at this time, what these polls fail to take into account is one … Continue reading “The Barr Factor”

Updated at 9:40 p.m. EDT, April 6, 2008At least five American soldiers were killed and another 31 were wounded in three separate attacks in Iraq today. Iraqis did not fare any better, with 81 Iraqis killed and 126 more wounded as well. Clashes in Baghdad were the cause of mose of the casualties. Also, 42 … Continue reading “Sunday: 5 US Soldiers, 81 Iraqis Killed; 31 US Soldiers, 126 Iraqis Wounded”

Updated at 10:00 p.m. EDT, April 5, 2008At least 37 Iraqis were killed and another 33 were wounded during the latest attacks. No Coalition troops were reported killed, but U.S. troops in Baghdad are continuing their campaign to end Green Zone rocket attacks, which escalated after Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered a “security crackdown” in … Continue reading “Saturday: 37 Iraqis Killed, 33 Wounded”