Updated at 11:53 p.m. EST, Dec. 23, 2009 Attacks targeting Christians and Shi’ites left dozens dead or wounded in the days leading to important holidays for both groups. Christmas occurs on Friday, while Ashura begins at sunset on Saturday. At least 23 Iraqis were killed and 67 more were wounded across the country in these …
Continue reading “Wednesday: 23 Iraqis Killed, 67 Wounded”
At least three Iraqis were killed and 13 more were wounded in light violence. Iran maintained a dominant place in Iraqi headlines by offering a conciliatory explanation of its recent incursion into Iraqi territory and speaking on the fate of three American hikers who traveled in the opposite direction. An Iranian spokesman said that recent …
Continue reading “Tuesday: 3 Iraqis Killed, 13 Wounded”
Listen to Rep. Ron Paul on the Iran sanctions bill (MP3). Last week the House overwhelmingly approved a measure to put a new round of sanctions on Iran. If this measure passes the Senate, the United States could no longer do business with anyone who sold refined petroleum products to Iran or helped them develop …
Continue reading “Iran Sanctions Are Precursor to War”
When I was a kid, the boy next door once played a nasty trick on my brother, Paul. Our neighbor held his cat in his arms, brought it within a few inches of Paul’s face, and pulled its tail. The suddenly angry cat bit Paul’s face. My brother and I were upset; we both thought …
Continue reading “The Case Against Iran Sanctions”
The oilfield standoff ended peacefully today after talks between the Iraqi and Iranian foreign ministers went well. Elsewhere, the country has been relatively quiet due to the Islamic New Year and upcoming Ashura observances. The upcoming Western holidays are also adding to the lack of news reports. At least two Iraqis were killed and five …
Continue reading “Sunday: 2 Iraqis Killed, 5 Wounded”
There was little violence to greet the Islamic New Year, but the oilfield standoff at the Iranian border in Missan province continues. At least five Iraqis were killed and one more was wounded across the country in northern Iraq.
Updated at 10:15 p.m. EST, Dec. 18, 2009
Iranian troops briefly entered a disputed border area of Iraq and seized an oil well. No fighting was reported there, but two Iraqis were killed and four others were wounded elsewhere in Iraq. Iraqi investigators have finished excavating a mass grave containing 185 Kurds that dates to the Saddam era. Meanwhile, Admiral Michael Mullen visited troops near Nasariya, and Iraq war vets are finding organic farming to be great therapy in California. In the United Kingdom, the families of two men who were kidnapped in Iraq two years ago asked for their safe return; the bodies of three colleagues were returned earlier this year.
Although the tumult that has gripped Iran since the contested Jun. 12 election has never abated, two recent occurrences have highlighted the further sharpening of internal conflict and the government’s inability to restore stability in the face of creative ways the opposition has learned to use the symbols of the Islamic Republic in order to …
Continue reading “Iran’s Domestic Conflict Shifts Into Higher Gear”
Before the United States House of Representatives, statement opposing the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act I rise in strongest opposition to this new round of sanctions on Iran, which is another significant step toward a U.S. war on that country. I find it shocking that legislation this serious and consequential is brought up in such …
Continue reading “Sanctioning Iran a Dangerous, Illegal Move”
Updated at 8:50 p.m. EST, Dec. 14, 2009
At least eight Iraqis were killed and 32 more were wounded in the latest violence. One small attack took place last week, but the delayed account highlights the difficulties in reporting casualties in the war-torn country. Meanwhile, female servicemembers who have returned home to the United States report having difficulties transitioning back into society. Also, Iran says it will try three American hikers who crossed into the country from Iraq, and new details arose from an investigation into the Bloody Tuesday bombings.
