Iraq Occupation

An Unsanitized Look at the Origins of the Iraq War

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Paul Wolfowitz, President George W. Bush, Douglas Feith, Bill Clinton, Colin Powell, John Bolton, Donald Rumsfeld, Condoleeza Rice, Iraq Occupation, Pnac, Dick Cheney, Msnbc, Pope John Paul, Cnn, Iraq WMD, Richard Armitage, Saddam Hussein, Peter Rodman, Iraq War, Fox News, Baghdad, Richard Perle, William Schneider, Dov Zakheim, Zalmay Khalilzad, Iraq Liberation Act, Elliot Abrams, Project for a New American Century, Neo-Conservatives, Neo-Cons, Paula Dobriansky, Karen Kwiatkowski, Politics News
Joseph A. Palermo

The debacle in Iraq is not merely a result of errors in planning or poor decision-making. Soldiers are still risking their lives every day in Iraq, "combat" or no "combat," and many more will die for this policy our neo-con leaders handed down to us.

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Health Care Reform: The Real Price is in "Brother can you Spare a Dime"

Chris Prevatt | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Howard Dean, President Obama, Afghanistan Occupation, Health Insurance, Max Baucus, Harry Reid, Joe Lieberman, Health Care Reform, Iraq Occupation, United States Senate, Health Insurance Industry, Barack Obama, Politics News
Chris Prevatt

It has become readily apparent that efforts to achieve health care reform in the Senate have become a disaster and effectively dead. This seems to be clear to everyone, with the exception of several senators.

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Our Suicide Bombers: Thoughts on Western Jihad

John Feffer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Tamil Tigers, Terrorists, Suicide Bombers, War on Terror, Afghanistan, Terrorism, Suicide Bomber, Iraq Occupation, Drones, Jihad, Occupation, Jihadism, Israel, Predator Drones, Politics News
John Feffer

We have our suicide bombers -- we call them heroes. We have our culture of indoctrination -- we call it basic training. We kill civilians -- we call it collateral damage.

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Iraq's "National Sovereignty Day" is U.S.-Style Hallmark Hype

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Oil, Jalal Talabani, Iraqi Sovereignty, Maj. Gen. Daniel Bolger, US Long-Term Iraq Occupation, Patrick Cockburn, Iraq War, Iraq Oil Privatization, Iraq Occupation, Paul Bremer, Iraq Withdrawal, National-Sovereignty-Day, Iraq, Iraq Green Zone, Barack Obama, Obama Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki, World News
Jeremy Scahill

The puppet government in Iraq has named June 30th "National Sovereignty Day." This is U.S.-style Hallmark hype and will remain so until every last occupation soldier leaves Iraqi soil.

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U.S. Troop Withdrawal From Iraq: Share Your Stories

Huffington Post | Morgan Korn | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq War, u.s. Drawdown, Iraqi Soldiers, American Soldiers, u.s. Pullout, War Wire, Iraq Prime Minister, Nuri Kamal Al-Maliki, Baghdad, Iraq Occupation, General Ray Odierno, Iraq, Status of Forces Agreement, World News

On June 30, 2009, thousands of American troops will withdraw from Iraqi cities. The U.S. and Iraqi governments agreed last year to a security plan whi...

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Rahm Emanuel's Think Tankers Enforce 'Message Discipline' Among 'Liberals'

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: White House, Common Purpose Project, John-Stauber, David Brock, Politico, MoveOn.Org, Afghan War, Tom Matzzie, Iraq Occupation, Dick Gephardt, Center for American Progress, Ben Smith, Obama White House, Anti-War Movement, Rahm Emanuel, Center for Media and Democracy, Erik Smith, Miti Sathe, Jane Hamsher, Blue Dog Democrats, Politics News
Jeremy Scahill

Independent journalists have tried to shine a spotlight on how groups like the Center for American Progress and MoveOn are now supporting the continuation of wars because their guy is now commander-in-chief.

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Fugitive Saddam Aide Calls For Better US Ties After Troops Leave, Govt Toppled

AP | SALAH NASRAWI | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq, Foreign Affairs, Advocacy, Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri, Al Douri, Saddam Hussein, Saddam, House of Saddam, Saddam Aide, Sunni Iraq, Shiite Iraq, Iraq War, Iraq Occupation, US Long-Term Iraq Occupation, World News

CAIRO — A former top deputy of Saddam Hussein has said he wants good ties with the United States, but only after U.S. troops leave and the Shiit...

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While Obama Escalates War in Afghanistan, Iraq Could Blow Up in His Face

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Surge, Obama Afghanistan, Moqtada Al-Sadr, Thomas Ricks Fiasco, MoveOn.Org, Success of the Surge, Antiwar Movement, Afghanistan, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, Afghanistan Escalation, Iraq Occupation, Iraq Withdrawal, Barack Obama, Afghanistan War, Iraq War, Thomas Ricks, Myth of Iraq Surge Success, Iraq, Sunni Awakening, Obama Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki, World News
Jeremy Scahill

There is great reason to suspect that the timeline for withdrawal -- all troops out by 2011 -- announced in February by the Obama administration will prove to be a fallacy.

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"Mission Accomplished" Bush Gets the Last Laugh in Iraq and Afghanistan

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Al Qaeda, " Project for New American Century, "Afghan Arabs, Pakistan, General Raymond Odierno, George W. Bush, Xe, General David Petraeus, "Soft Power, Obama Administration, Iraq, Robert Kagan, Pnac, Dick Cheney, Kbr, Blackwater, Kashmir, Iraq Policy, Middle East. Baghdad, Inter-Services Intelligence, President Barack Obama, Isi, Halliburton, Iraq Occupation, Afghan Policy, Afghanistan War, The Foreign Policy Initiative, Thomas Ricks, " General Pervez Musharraf, " Iraq War, Afghanistan, India, William Kristol, "Mission Accomplished, Politics News
Joseph A. Palermo

For years, George W. Bush has been roundly criticized, even lampooned, for declaring "Mission Accomplished" in Iraq. But maybe declaring "Mission Accomplished" was not that crazy after all.

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New Report Reveals Why We'll Be Paying for the Iraq Occupation for Years to Come, Withdrawal or Not

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama Afghanistan, Private Contractors, Afghanistan, President Obama, Ann Wright, Iraq Occupation, US Foreign Policy, Iraq War Funding, Barack Obama, Afghanistan War, Iraq War, Colonel Ann Wright, Iraq, Gao, Residual Force, Government Accountability Office, Iraq Bases, Afghanistan Surge, US Afghanistan Surge, US Troops, US Military, US Military Afghanistan, Obama Afghanistan Troop Increase, Afganistan Troop Increase, Barack Obama Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, US Troops Afghanistan, US Afghanistan, Afghanistan Taliban, World News
Jeremy Scahill

With last week's announced escalation of the war in Afghanistan, Obama blew the lid off of any lingering perceptions that he represents a significant change in how the U.S. conducts its foreign policy.

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President Obama, Why Did You Pay Blackwater $70 Million in February? [Updated]

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq War, Erik Prince, Blackwater, Afghanistan, Blackwater Iraq, President Obama, Blackwater-Obama, Iraq Occupation, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, Xe, Barack Obama, State Department, Arlen Specter, World News
Jeremy Scahill

With the US economy in shambles and millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet and keep their homes, Obama needs to explain to US taxpayers how they justify mega-payments to Blackwater.

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Blue Dog Democrats and Republican Triangulation

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: House of Representatives, Gop, Mitch McConnell, Ann Coulter, Progressives, Afghanistan Occupation, Employee Free Choice Act, Conservatism, Obama Administration, Democratic Party, Economic Meltdown, Blue Doggery, Meghan McCain, U.S. Senate, Bush Doctrine, Triangulation, Laissez-Faire, Progressive Democrats, Grover Norquist, Capitalism, Republican Party, Blue Dog Democrats, Corporate Governance, Bretton Woods Accords, Evan Bayh, John McCain, North Carolina Representative Patrick McHenry, President Barack Obama, Economic Crisis, Iraq Occupation, Congress, Efca, Triangulate, Blanche Lincoln, Blue Dogs, Republicans, Free Market, Alan Greenspan, William Kristol, Senate, Politics News
Joseph A. Palermo

We must not allow the Blue Dogs to slow down President Obama's momentum or water down the sweeping reforms the nation needs in these trying economic times.

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Sundance Channel Launches Site For 6 Years Of Occupation In Iraq

Huffington Post | Stuart Whatley | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq War, Iraq Occupation, Baghdad, Sundance, Iraq, Sundance Channel 6 Years in Iraq, Sundance Channel, War Crimes, War Wire, Video, World News

The Sundance Channel launched a new website today to make note of the anniversary of Iraq's six-year occupation. The site has webisodes of documentar...

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Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack: There They Go Again

Joseph A. Palermo | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Michael O'Hanlon, Residual Force, President Barack Obama, Kenneth Pollack, Iraq War, New York Times, Saban Center for Middle East Policy, Iraq Occupation, Brookings Institution, American Troops in Iraq, World News
Joseph A. Palermo

In today's New York Times, Michael O'Hanlon and Kenneth Pollack make their same tired argument for permanently occupying Iraq they've been making for the last five years.

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This (Old) News Just In... Obama Doesn't Plan to End the Iraq Occupation

Jeremy Scahill | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Study Group, Iraq War, Samantha Power, Susan Rice, Private Contractors, Richard Danzig, Blackwater Iraq, Iraq Occupation, New York Times, Iraq, Residual Force, Barack Obama, Colin Kahl, Anti-War, Obama Iraq Withdrawal, Iraq Withdrawal, Obama Iraq, Politics News
Jeremy Scahill

Some people seem to just now be waking up to the fact that Obama never had a comprehensive plan to fully end the occupation. Obama never defined "ending the war" as removing all U.S. forces from Iraq.

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Lawrence Wilkerson's Lessons of War and Truth

Nick Turse | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Occupation, US Military, Vietnam, Lawrence Wilkerson, Military, Secretary of State, Military Service, Vietnam War, Vietnam Veterans, Politics News
Nick Turse

Lawrence B. Wilkerson has spent 31 years as a soldier in the US Army, including military service in Vietnam. He played a role in the death of a Vietnamese girl and came to disclose that.

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End the Occupation of Iraq -- and Afghanistan

Marjorie Cohn | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, United Nations, Iraq Occupation, International Law, Politics News
Marjorie Cohn

So far, Bush's plan to maintain a permanent U.S. military presence in Iraq has been stymied by resistance from the Iraqi government. Barack Obama's ti...

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We Won in Iraq -- A Long Time Ago

Dave Winer | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Semantic Nonsense, Iraq War, Saddam Hanging, National Football League, Linguistics, Iraq Occupation, McCain Iraq 100 Years, Politics News
Dave Winer

Remember when our troops marched into Baghdad, took the place over, drove Saddam into a hole and arrested or killed the government? Then we disbanded their army -- that's what victory looks like.

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The Surge Is Working? Not If You Read the Latest GAO Report

Mitchell Bard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Reconstruction, Iraq War, Iraq Oil, Iraq Surge, Iraq Violence, Bush Iraq, Gao Report, Iraq Reconciliation, Iraq Occupation, Iraq Casualties, Iraqi Government, McCain Iraq, Iraq GAO Report Conclusions, Politics News
Mitchell Bard

What the GAO report makes clear, above all else, is that contrary to what the mainstream media and the GOP would have you believe, the surge has not worked. It's time for the U.S. military to go home.

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Jason Linkins

Majority Of Iraqi Legislators Call For Timetable For U.S. Withdrawal

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Politics News, Iran, Video, War in Iraq, Iraq, Iraq Occupation, Politics News

In a letter to Congress, dovetailing with yesterday's testimony before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Ri...

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Jason Linkins

In Congressional Hearings, Iraqi Parliamentarian Blames The "Destruction" Of Iraq On U.S. Invasion

HuffingtonPost.com | Jason Linkins | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Video, Iraq Occupation, Iran, Iraq, War in Iraq, Politics News

Some extraordinary testimony is being offered today in hearings impaneled by Congressman Bill Delahunt - who chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee o...

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Shout It Out: There's Still a War Going On!

R.T. Eby | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Iraq Occupation, Mission Accomplished, Dick Cheney War, Green Zone Haliburton, Iraq Death Toll, George Bush War, Green Zone, Media Iraq War, Jennifer Aniston Iraq, Press Iraq War, Home News
R.T. Eby

The media have stopped covering the war. Bush has given up trying to accomplish his mission. Meantime, PFC George Delgado may very well have been the 4,000th American death in the war.

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$1 Billion In Military Equipment Missing In Iraq

CBS | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: CBS News, US in Iraq, Iraq Weapons, Iraq Finance, Iraq Occupation, Iraq Money, Politics News

Tractor trailers, tank recovery vehicles, crates of machine guns and rocket propelled grenades are just a sampling of more than $1 billion in unaccoun...

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White House And Iraq Agree On "Principles" For Permanent US Presence

TPM Muckraker | Spencer Ackerman | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Warwire, George Bush and Iraq Prime Minister, Iraq and Long Term Plan, Iraq War, George Bush and Iraq, Iraq Occupation, Iraq and US Soldiers, Iraq and Vietnam, Nouri Al Maliki and George W. Bush, Nouri Al Maliki on Iraq, Nouri Al Maliki, Politics News

So it begins. After years of obfuscation and denial on the length of the U.S.'s stay in Iraq, the White House and the Maliki government have released ...

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