Tag: Iraq

US Out of Iraq. Really.

When the United States begins to draw down overseas military forces from trouble spots, the American media, and therefore the public, assumes the show is over and loses interest. This waning of attention and interest has happened in Iraq and is dangerous. This phenomenon occurred even during the Vietnam War. President Richard Nixon told the … Continue reading “US Out of Iraq. Really.”

Maliki’s Doubts Threaten Post-2011 Iraq Troop Presence

President Barack Obama has given his approval to a Pentagon plan to station U.S. combat troops in Iraq beyond 2011, provided that Iraqi Premier Nouri al-Maliki officially requests it, according to U.S. and Iraqi sources. But both U.S. and Iraqi officials acknowledge that Maliki may now be reluctant to make the official request. Maliki faces … Continue reading “Maliki’s Doubts Threaten Post-2011 Iraq Troop Presence”

Buy Two Wars, Get Another for Half Price

Things are bad when a president who says he wants out of Iraq and claims American soldiers will soon start to withdraw from Afghanistan succumbs to international and domestic pressure to do the heavy lifting in yet another civil war—this time in Libya. It’s as if there is a “buy two wars and get the … Continue reading “Buy Two Wars, Get Another for Half Price”

10 Reasons Iraq Was No Cakewalk

March 19 marks the eighth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, a nation that had no weapons of mass destruction and was not involved in the 9/11 attacks. It was sold to the American public as a war to defend our nation and free the Iraqi people. U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz said … Continue reading “10 Reasons Iraq Was No Cakewalk”

Another Imperial Quagmire?

Unbelievably, after experiencing 10 years of quagmire in Afghanistan and Iraq, the American foreign policy establishment is now clamoring for the institution of a no-fly zone in Libya. Luminaries on both the Left and the Right have endorsed the concept: for example, Senators John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, and John McCain. Even though the U.S. military … Continue reading “Another Imperial Quagmire?”

Occupy Washington to End the Wars

Dear American antiwar community: As I wrote previously, I am a former congressional aide. I worked for a United States senator from 2006 to 2008. During that time, as an employee of the legislative branch of the U.S. empire, I directly contributed to the oppression, torture, and murder of people I never met. While I … Continue reading “Occupy Washington to End the Wars”

Iraqi Protests Make Washington Squirm

After news that a “Day of Rage” in Iraq had not only drawn tens of thousands of Iraqis demanding jobs, clean water and electricity, but the wrath of security forces—at least 29 dead, a hundred journalists rounded up and beaten and police firing into crowds—one official had this to say: “[The security forces] generally have … Continue reading “Iraqi Protests Make Washington Squirm”

Kurd Issue to the Fore Ahead of Elections

DIYARBAKIR, Iraq – Sultan Quyun, 58, longs for the day when the decades-long conflict between the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and Turkish security forces will come to an end. For her, the end of violence does not just hold the promise of a possible resolution of the Kurdish issue in the country, but would bring … Continue reading “Kurd Issue to the Fore Ahead of Elections”