There is no denying that the "surge" of U.S. forces in Iraq was an extraordinary success on a tactical level.

Gen. Petraeus replaced the previous strategy of "search and destroy" to "clear and hold." This transformation of tactics directly improved the situation on the ground by influencing key constituencies...

The first four years of military operations in Iraq consisted of "search and destroy" missions that turned many Iraqis into insurgents. Accompanied by small pockets of Al-Qaeda, Shia death squads, Sunni militias, and civil war, the prospect of a free and stable Iraq appeared to be impossible. With an impotent...

Now that the Democratic party has chosen a presidential nominee, it is time to take a small breather to refocus on the war in Iraq which has been generally ignored by most of the major media outlets during the primary. It's important to reincorporate the war back into the discussion...

Last evening I watched Grace is Gone starring John Cusack, a powerful film about a man who upon learning of his wife's death in Iraq, struggles to convey the devastating news to his two young daughters. In my opinion this film should be required viewing for the American people...

Philadelphia has one of the highest murder rates in the country, a wave of cop-killings, gang violence, and a drug epidemic. The only thing keeping a lid on the rampant violence are the brave men and women of the Philadelphia Police Department.

So it's imperative to address the fallout from...

Once again the U.S. military is conducting major combat operations in Baghdad's Sadr City slum. Urban street fighting, daytime air strikes, refugees fleeing, the whole 9 yards. The targets are Shiite extremists who have been killing our troops and obstructing the so-called progress of a freely elected Iraqi government....

During the Vietnam conflict the American people had personal reasons to care about their country being at war. Now, if Americans don't have their own blood or money in the game, they couldn't care less.

During the Vietnam War emotions were high. Kids were being pulled into a draft...

Democrats in Congress have a new plan to win back the White House. The strategy is to avoid any war-funding showdown with President Bush that would take place anytime near election day. How will they do this? A plan is currently in the works to combine the remainder...

The Petraeus/Crocker testimony on Capitol Hill this week was quite grim. In comparison to their last testimonials in September 2007, they reported that almost nothing has changed. Is it their fault? Of course not. I have no desire to "armchair quarterback" the people who are tasked with making Iraq an...

This November, if you want out of Iraq, vote blue. If you want to stay, vote red. That is how the Democrats and Republicans are framing the debate. However, as much as we would like it to be that black and white, sophomoric, and simplistic -- it just isn't so.

It doesn't take the world's greatest prognosticator to predict that Iraq's future is indeed ominous. Most people with half a brain or a shred of common sense can view the current situation in Iraq and conclude that George W. Bush's dream for Iraq/transforming the Middle East will never be a...

This November we will have a chance to completely turn this country around by picking a new president. In addition, we will be afforded the choice to replace incumbent members of Congress based on their past performances. My advice to voters is to look at your member of Congress' voting...

Since my discharge from active duty 3 years ago, I have worked hard to end the war in Iraq -- so far without any success. Lately, I have been pondering why the anti-war movement as a whole, myself included, has not been effective in influencing members of Congress, primarily the...

The real truth about the war in Iraq is that it hasn't made us any safer at home and has only exacerbated the threat of terror attacks worldwide.

The continued presence of the U.S. military in Iraq is fanning the flames of global anti-Americanism while stretching our military to a...

For too long a bi-partisan majority of Congress has sat idle while President Bush has continued to carry out his occupation of choice in Iraq with a blatant disregard for the mandate given by the American people in the election of 2006.

We are rapidly approaching a landmark...

Shiite Cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr is threatening to let a six-month cease fire between his militia and U.S. forces expire within the next few days. This is the same man who is responsible for the deaths of countless American troops and certainly has the potential to be responsible for more....

The Subcommittee on Defense Appropriations is currently drafting legislation to fund the war in Iraq for the duration of the year. The legislation calls for troops to be withdrawn by years end -- binding or non-binding, I don't know. One thing is for sure -- President Bush will...

I view the 9/11 attacks on the United States as my generation's Pearl Harbor .

I reenlisted after 9/11 to fight the terrorists who actually attacked our country -- Osama Bin Laden, Al-Qaeda, and the Taliban.

Instead, I found myself invading Iraq , a country that did not...

After reading the news from a study released this week by the Center for Public Integrity and the Fund for Independence in Journalism about the Bush administration's 935 whoppers used to sell the war in Iraq to the American people I felt compelled and obligated to write this piece....

For the last 2 1/2 years I have focused all my passion and energy on ending the war in Iraq. My main argument is that our troops and innocent Iraqi people continue to be killed on a daily basis for reasons we all know never existed to serve as...