Source: CNN Author: William Bennett In his first inaugural address in 1953, newly elected President Dwight D. Eisenhower told the American people, “History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. We must acquire proficiency in defense and display stamina in purpose.” This was […]
After nearly nine years, the death of over 115,000 Iraqi civilians and more than 4,400 US troops, and the expenditure of hundreds of billions of dollars, President Barack Obama has said the last American soldier would leave Iraq by year’s end with his head held high. The troops are proud, […]
Source: AFP BAGHDAD — The US military closed its north Iraq division on Thursday, leaving 18 bases in the country ahead of a year-end pullout, with Baghdad and Washington still at an impasse over a future troop deal. The closure of US Division-North was the latest in an operation to […]
Source: AFP BAGHDAD — Iraq’s presidency approved on Thursday the executions of 53 people, including five foreigners, according to the head of the presidency council office. “There are 53 people who have been approved for execution — among them are five foreigners,” Nassir al-Ani told AFP. He provided no further […]
By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star Lebanon The Middle East continues to experience one of its most tumultuous moments of structural change in several generations, and countries are reconfiguring both their domestic power structures as well as their intra-regional relations. In this context, we can expect much of the […]
Source: Al-Ahram Weekly Author: Salah Nasrawi As the year-end deadline for American forces in Iraq to leave the country approaches, Iraqi and American policy-makers are at loggerheads over an agreement on the future of military cooperation between the two countries, after Iraq’s political leadership insisted that there will be no […]
Source: AFP ANKARA — Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari arrived in Ankara Wednesday for talks with Turkish leaders to boost the fight against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq, the Anatolia news agency reported. Zebari was to call on President Abdullah Gul before huddling with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu […]
Source: AFP BAGHDAD — Iraq is considering multiple options regarding the future of the US military presence, ranging from a limited mission to no trainers whatsoever, a top official told AFP on Monday. The remarks from Ali al-Alaak, the general secretary of the cabinet, come amid an apparent impasse between […]
What are America’s brave soldiers serving abroad afraid of if their hands are clean? America’s audacity is breathtaking. US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has demanded that Iraq provide total immunity to the US troops staying on beyond the scheduled pullout later this year. First, the US must invent a pretext […]
Source / Courtesy: BBC US defence secretary Leon Panetta has insisted that any US troops remaining in Iraq beyond the scheduled pull-out at the end of this year must remain immune from local prosecution. Talks are continuing for several thousand of the 43,000 US troops to remain to train Iraqi forces. […]
Source: International Crises Group Baghdad/Washington/Brussels, 26 September 2011: Spreading corruption threatens to undermine the significant progress Iraq has made toward reducing violence and strengthening state institutions. Failing Oversight: Iraqs Unchecked Government, the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the steady erosion of the credibility of Prime Minister Nouri […]
By BARBARA FERGUSON, LIFE.STYLE@ARABNEWS.COM American Muslims are the country’s most ethnically and racially diverse faith group. In the Washington DC area, the Muslim population is relatively large and made up of many young, short-term globe-trotters, student and embassy types who are looking to gather and network. Outside Washington, in the […]
Source: UPI WASHINGTON, 13 Sep 2011 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department cited insurgent activity, terrorist violence and fighting with Kurdish militants as reason for issuing a travel warning for Iraq. The State Department announced Tuesday it was warning all U.S. citizens in Iraq against all but essential travel throughout […]
from ARABNEWS
Source: Salon.com The president promised early on to withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq by the end of 2011. What changed? By Justin Elliott 12 Sep 2011 — A debate is unfolding in official Washington about whether the Obama administration should leave any troops in Iraq, and, if so, how […]
Source: Wikileaks – Tehran Times. TEHRAN, 12 Sep 2011 – Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has reportedly said that Saudi Arabia is main sponsor of terrorism in Iraq, alleging that the U.S.-backed monarchy intends to stoke a civil war in the Middle Eastern country. Newly released classified U.S. diplomatic cables […]
Suppression of one’s own crimes is virtually ubiquitous among powerful states, at least those that are not defeated. Noam Chomsky We are approaching the 10th anniversary of the horrendous atrocities of September 11, 2001, which, it is commonly held, changed the world. On May 1, the presumed mastermind of the […]
By Rami G. Khouri The Daily Star Lebanon To arrive in the United States, as I did a few days ago, one week before the 10th anniversary commemoration of the 9/11 terror attacks is to reach a land that is, remarkably, little changed from what it was on that shocking […]
Source: The Associated Press Author: Steven R. Hurst WASHINGTON (AP) — Dick Cheney’s autobiography presents a robust defense of his push for the U.S. invasion of Iraq without critically examining two issues central to America’s near-failure in the war: the Bush administration’s decision to disband the country’s army and banish […]
Source: AFP CERNOBBIO, Italy — Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini on Sunday urged the international community and the new Libyan authorities to avoid making the same “big mistake” as in Iraq. “If somebody used to work for the regime but has no blood on his hands, why destroy all the […]