Last night I posted the good news that December marked the first month since the start of the Iraq war that no U.S. service members died in hostile actions. I hope that is the start of a new trend, but given the recent developments of a judge dismissing all charges against Blackwater, I can’t be […]
Now that Baghdad is asserting their sovereignty and will be able to prosecute contractors who violate the law, Blackwater is looking towards new business opportunities: The private security firm Blackwater is planning to offer a new service to make money: protection from the pirate-infested waters off the coast of East Africa. “Blackwater’s push to land […]
And we finally get Phase 2 of the Iraqi pre-war intelligence report. This is the phase Republicans held up in 2004, because “it would effect the outcome of the presidential election”. Would it? Hell yes it would. Here are some of the key findings: * Statements and implications by the President and Secretary of State […]
Again – April Fool’s: The Iranian general who helped broker an end to nearly a week of fighting between Iraqi government forces and Shiite Muslim militiamen in southern Iraq is an unlikely peacemaker. Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani, who helped U.S.-backed Iraqi leaders negotiate a deal with radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadr to stop the […]
The Green Zone has been hit yet again: Shiite militants are hammering the U.S.-protected Green Zone with rockets and mortars for the fourth day this week. Thick, black smoke is billowing from inside the heavily fortified home to the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi government. And Shiites are protesting in huge numbers: Tens of thousands of […]
The Iraq War continues: Rockets or mortars hit the U.S.-protected Green Zone early Saturday, just a day after powerful Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army militia to extend its cease-fire by another six months. Nearly 10 blasts could be heard in the sprawling area along the Tigris River that houses the U.S. and […]
The surge was supposed to give the Iraqi government “breathing room” so they could get the government functioning. Well it looks like that is getting ready to take a serious blow: The speaker of Iraq’s fragmented parliament threatened Tuesday to disband the legislature, saying it is so riddled with distrust it appears unable to adopt […]
It looks like Bush is moving ahead with talks on his US/Iraq pact treaty: The Iraqi government will begin talks with U.S. officials later in February on a pact that would lay the basis for long-term strategic ties between Washington and Baghdad, an Iraqi official said on Monday. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said Prime Minister […]
It looks like Kristol was wrong on his second New York Times piece: Kristol in his column, which hailed the success of the “surge” in Iraq, concluded with this trump card: Now the Iraqi government has agreed on de-Baathification, a key gain that proves his point and pretty much destroys the Democrats’ stand. But now […]