Gareth Porter

The George W. Bush administration is citing the formation of a coalition of Sunni political organizations to run candidates in Iraq’s December parliamentary elections, and high Sunni turnout in the recent referendum, as evidence that its policy of attracting Sunnis away from the insurgency is working. But this argument ignores the evidence from both the … Continue reading “Reports of Sunni Enthusiasm May Be Premature”

The early vote totals from Nineveh province, which suggested an overwhelming majority in favor of Iraq’s draft constitution that assured its passage by national referendum, now appear to have been highly misleading. The final official figures for the province, obtained by IPS from a U.S. official in Mosul, actually have the constitution being rejected by … Continue reading “Vote Figures for Crucial Province Don’t Add Up”

Despite last-minute maneuvering by Shiite and Kurdish leaders to offer the possibility of further changes in Iraq’s draft constitution, and warnings by foreign jihadists against participation, all indications are that Sunnis will turn out in large numbers Saturday to cast ballots in the country’s referendum. The very large number of Sunnis expected at the polls … Continue reading “Sunni Strategy Shifts Toward Voter Turnout”

If the referendum on Iraq’s draft constitution next month is conducted fairly, it now appears very likely that the document will be defeated by a two-thirds majority in the three Sunni-dominated provinces of Anbar, Salahadeen, and Nineveh, plunging Iraq into a new political crisis. However, one way such a defeat could be averted is by … Continue reading “Kurdish Voting Shenanigans May Tip Referendum”

Sunnis and Shi’ites are now sliding toward a civil war, and the Bush administration has shown no interest in trying to avert it.  With Congress growing increasingly restless over the absence of an administration exit strategy, opponents of the occupation could take the offensive by offering a clear alternative policy of using U.S. influence to encourage … Continue reading “How Bush Is Contributing to Civil War in Iraq”

Even as the Bush administration was hailing the heroism of the Iraqi Shi’ite majority for going to the polls last Jan. 30, it was secretly preventing the new Shi’ite government from having full control over its own intelligence services. The reason, it has now been revealed, is that the administration fears that the Shi’ites will … Continue reading “The Coming Shi’ite Showdown”

Thirty years after the last chopper left the Saigon embassy, Americans still don’t know why this country fought in Vietnam. According to the dominant explanation, U.S. policymakers believed unquestioningly in the “domino theory,” which held that noncommunist countries in Southeast Asia would topple one by one if South Vietnam was lost. According to the conventional … Continue reading “Dominoes or Dominance?”

As the U.S. occupation of Iraq heads toward its third year, there is a remarkable absence of debate over withdrawal, despite the evidence that a clear majority of the American people want out. Many conservatives are uneasy about the occupation, but they are unwilling to challenge the administration publicly. Most liberals in politics and the … Continue reading “Preventing or Fomenting Civil War?”