Turkish planes shelled northern Iraq again, the first time since Feb. 3. A number of casualties were reported. At least five Iraqis were killed and 19 more were wounded in other violence.
read moreArmy Officer’s Leaked Report Rips Afghan War Success Story
An analysis by Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, which the U.S. Army has not approved for public release but has leaked to Rolling Stone magazine, provides the most authoritative refutation thus far of the official military narrative of success in the Afghanistan War since the...
Iraq PM Re-iterates Pledge to Arrest VP, Stop Autonomy Bids
During a speech today, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki re-iterated his intention to prevent several provinces from legally converting into semi-autonomous regions. He also promised to prosecute Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. Meanwhile, at least 15 Iraqis were killed and 23 more were wounded in new violence.
read moreA House of Sand and Fog
Last summer, as the Sandstorm mistakenly dubbed the “Arab Spring” swept across North Africa, a cadre of professional revolutionaries the Empire created in Serbia bragged about their role in the revolts to some European videographers. Sure, the revolts in Tunisia and...
Buck Fever: Crosshairs on Iran
We all like to believe that we have a firm grasp on reality, that what happens in the world around us and how we perceive it are in perfect harmony; that not much "gets by us." A now famous psychology experiment, available on YouTube, demonstrates how faulty...
If You Have to Ask Why, the Answer is Usually ‘Money’
One major problem with writing political commentary is that it's often difficult look at something that seems … well, crazy … and find a rational explanation for it. It's easier to just write off what looks like craziness as craziness and move on. But in the real...
Silent State: The Campaign Against Whistleblowers in Washington
One thing is obvious. No one ever joins the government in order to be a whistleblower or leaker. Whistleblowers are created, not born. To offer an example, as Peter Van Buren is happy to admit, before he spent a year on two forward operating bases in Iraq running a...
The ‘Cairo 19’ Got What They Deserve
The Sky Is Falling
Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense under Donald Rumsfeld and Robert Gates, has opined in The Washington Post that the sky is once again falling as a result of proposed Pentagon budget cuts. According to England, “Further budget cuts will erode our security...
HRW Urges Iraq To Stop Executions, Two Men Later Hanged
A U.S.-based human rights group urged Iraq to stop executing detainees, at least until a “flawed criminal justice system” is repaired. Despite the call, two more executions took place today. Four people were killed in other violence, and four Iraqis were wounded.
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