96 Killed As Peshmerga Lose Strategic City in Eastern Iraq

At least 96 people were killed and 85 more were wounded. There were very few reports of attacks. The city of Jalawla in Diyala, however, had a number of casualties due to a bombing and clashes. There are reports that Peshmerga units lost control of the town. Meanwhile, the prime minister deployed troops around Baghdad in what may be some kind of show of force.

Covering for the KLA

At the end of July, a “Special Investigative Task Force” (SITF) announced (PDF) the results of its three-year inquiry into charges of heinous atrocities involving the “Kosovo Liberation Army”. Insofar as it deigned to acknowledge any atrocities were committed by these favored clients of the Empire, the SITF report is indeed groundbreaking. However, a second … Continue reading “Covering for the KLA”

The Long Reach of Vietnam War Deceptions

A half century ago, on Aug. 10, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution though he knew its justification was based entirely on deception. Indeed, it was a continuation of a pattern of deception begun with a series of clandestine acts of war against North Vietnam by U.S. forces known as “Oplan … Continue reading “The Long Reach of Vietnam War Deceptions”

The Collapse of America’s Great African Experiment

Originally posted at TomDispatch. On return from his recent reporting trip to Africa, Nick Turse told me the following tale, which catches something of the nature of our battered world. At a hotel bar in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, he attended an informal briefing with a representative of a major nongovernmental organization (NGO). … Continue reading “The Collapse of America’s Great African Experiment”

Hundreds of Militants Killed As U.S. and Iraq Conduct Airstrikes

is impossible to know how many militants were killed in the U.S. airstrikes today; however, the Iraqi military claimed that over 800 militants were killed in a number of operations. Some of them may have involved U.S. forces. Only five people, civilians or security forces, were killed in other violence. Two people were reported wounded. Several thousand Yazidis were treated for dehydration after walking to Syria, and 60 people were airlifted off Sinjar Mountain.

Obama’s Mythical Retreat from Military Force

Here’s a thought: The Iraq War boosters who enthusiastically promoted the idea that a violent invasion would deliver a stable democracy should keep their opinions about the next U.S. war to themselves. For many pundits and (mostly) Republican politicians, the Obama years have been a time of serious decline of American power in the world. … Continue reading “Obama’s Mythical Retreat from Military Force”

Obama Authorizes Air Strikes As Another 294 People Are Killed Across Iraq

Most of the 294 killed today were militants. At least 84 other were wounded. There were two suicide bombings in a Shi’ite neighborhood in Baghdad and another two bombings near a Shi’ite mosque in Kirkuk. Meanwhile, U.S. President Obama authorized humanitarian aid and airstrikes in Iraq.

Sneaking Back Into Iraq

Has anyone noticed how our numerous post-Iraq military interventions – actual and proposed – have nearly always been the result of a sudden "humanitarian crisis"? The War Party – facing popular skepticism, indeed, outright opposition from the American people, who were lied into a war that should never have been fought – is now forced … Continue reading “Sneaking Back Into Iraq”

On Soldiers and Moral Principles

American soldiers are not permitted to make moral assessments about the wars in which they are tasked to fight. This is not meant to be an inflammatory statement. The simple fact of the matter is that if a soldier believes a war to be unjust, and decides to act on his or her moral convictions … Continue reading “On Soldiers and Moral Principles”