Tag: Iraq

Obama Plays Down Plan for Post-2011 Iraq Troop Presence

When the Barack Obama administration unveiled its plan last week for an improvised State Department-controlled army of contractors to replace all U.S. combat troops in Iraq by the end of 2011, critics associated with the U.S. command attacked the transition plan, insisting that the United States must continue to assume that U.S. combat forces should … Continue reading “Obama Plays Down Plan for Post-2011 Iraq Troop Presence”

Rebranding the Iraq War

The war in Iraq is over. Or so the government and most media outlets will claim on Sept. 1, by which time thousands of U.S. troops will have departed the land of two rivers for other assignments. With this phase of the drawdown, says President Barack Obama, “America’s combat mission will end.” The Pentagon is … Continue reading “Rebranding the Iraq War”

Kurdish Refugees: ‘We’re Not Living, Just Not Dying’

SULEYMANIYA, Iraq – Compared to most internally displaced Kurds in northern Iraq, Shamal Qadir is almost lucky. Since the Turkish army devastated his village, Kuzine, in a bombing raid Jul. 1, he’s been living in a schoolhouse, where room temperatures are comfortable and basic amenities are accessible. "Our family bought land and started building houses … Continue reading “Kurdish Refugees: ‘We’re Not Living, Just Not Dying’”

What to Do About the Wars

As President Obama pooh-poohed as old news the many WikiLeaks documents showing the sad state of the conflict in Afghanistan, the chief executive also began an entire month of crowing about keeping his campaign promise to “bring the war in Iraq to a responsible end.” But in both wars, the president’s strategies are flawed and … Continue reading “What to Do About the Wars”

Obama Drops 2009 Pledge to Withdraw Combat Troops From Iraq

Seventeen months after President Barack Obama pledged to withdraw all combat brigades from Iraq by Sept. 1, 2010, he quietly abandoned that pledge Monday, admitting implicitly that such combat brigades would remain until the end of 2011. Obama declared in a speech to disabled U.S. veterans in Atlanta that “America’s combat mission in Iraq” would … Continue reading “Obama Drops 2009 Pledge to Withdraw Combat Troops From Iraq”

Despite Iraq Withdrawal, Greater Mideast Not Looking Good

While President Barack Obama Monday touted the continuing U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq as a key marker in the success of his regional policies, the latest news from the Greater Middle East, as well as a new public opinion survey, is far less encouraging. Not only was July the deadliest month for U.S. troops in … Continue reading “Despite Iraq Withdrawal, Greater Mideast Not Looking Good”