John Bruhns is an Iraq war veteran. He writes on politics and Mideast conflict.

Blog Entries by John Bruhns

Iraq: Six Long Years Of Deception

Posted March 19, 2009 | 03:30 PM (EST)


Six years ago today I was in Kuwait awaiting orders to cross the border into Iraq with the first wave of invading forces. It was predicted that U.S. troops would be greeted as liberators, weapons of mass destruction would be found, and democracy would flourish across the Mideast. What a...

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What Obama Is Risking In Afghanistan

Posted February 24, 2009 | 12:20 PM (EST)


President Obama's campaign slogan was "Change we can believe in." Americans, desperate for change, gave Obama a clear victory. Now in power, he's realizing that he can't deliver that change -- at least in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Obama said during his campaign: "I will meet with military leaders and...

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Obama's War On Terror: Proceed With Caution

Posted February 17, 2009 | 07:18 PM (EST)


The Obama administration is facing military uncertainty regarding the war on terror. President Obama inherited a hefty load of problems that are arguably unsolvable. He may not be able to live up to his campaign promises of ending the war in Iraq and shifting military focus to Afghanistan.

During...

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Iraq: 3,000 High-Risk Detainees

Posted January 27, 2009 | 06:00 PM (EST)


As the Obama administration starts drawing down troops in Iraq and relocating them in Afghanistan many unsolved problems linger in the balance. The most crucial issue (for Iraq) is what the U.S. Military will do with approximately 18,500 Iraqi detainees still in custody. The current plan is to begin releasing...

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Israel: There Has To Be A Better Way

Posted January 9, 2009 | 06:17 AM (EST)


Let me be crystal clear: Hamas is a terrorist organization that commingles themselves among the civilian population in Gaza. They fire rockets into Israel knowing that eventually Israel will provide a mammoth military response that will kill many innocent Palestinians. This exacerbates anti-Semitism in the Middle East and recruits...

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Israel: Attacks on Gaza will Likely Backfire

Posted January 1, 2009 | 11:45 AM (EST)


There is no sugar coating Israel's latest assault on Gaza. It's wrong and likely to backfire on Israel -- similar to the 2006 Lebanon War.

My uneducated guess is that the Israelis notified Washington prior to their bombardment of Gaza. But then again, what does it matter?...

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Iraq: Is the SOFA viable?

Posted December 14, 2008 | 03:47 PM (EST)


The Status of Forces Agreement between the governments of Iraq and the United States comes with outrageous stipulations that render our troops helpless, subject them to Iraqi military tribunals, halt U.S. military operations, and turn vengeful detainees over to the Iraqis. So what is the point of leaving...

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Extremity Causes Backlash

Posted November 19, 2008 | 11:53 AM (EST)


The last 8 years of the Bush Administration taught us one certainty: There is always a backlash to extremity. Hence the historic election of Barack Obama as President of the United States.

Those who voted to elect George W. Bush in 2000, and most significantly in 2004, enabled him...

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Congressman Wolf's Henchmen

Posted October 27, 2008 | 09:47 AM (EST)


It appears as if Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) just had his Macaca moment -- sort of -- but worse.

Staffers from Judy Feder's campaign were assaulted when attempting to ask Mr. Wolf a simple question. Mr. Wolf stood by idly and did nothing.

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The Obama Challenges

Posted October 23, 2008 | 09:36 AM (EST)


When I cast my vote for Barack Obama, I'll do so acknowledging that he will not be handed a gift when he becomes president.

The Bush administration, aided by a bipartisan majority of Congress, will be leaving behind many problems that will take years to solve....

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Prosecuting U.S. Troops Under Iraqi Law .. ?

Posted October 16, 2008 | 11:08 AM (EST)


The United States and the Iraqi government are currently engaged in serious deliberations to outline the provisions of the Status Of Forces Agreement between the two countries. Under the tentative agreement, U.S. troops will relocate from Iraqi cities to outside bases and completely withdrawal from Iraq by December 31,...

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Obama's Edge Over McCain on Iraq

Posted October 7, 2008 | 10:28 AM (EST)


Both McCain's and Obama's Iraq policies are too ambiguous for the layperson to comprehend. It is clear that if you want to expedite the process of getting out of Iraq, Obama is your candidate. If you want to remain in Iraq indefinitely to acheive a so-called "victory" prior to...

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Can We Surge in Afghanistan?

Posted September 27, 2008 | 07:15 PM (EST)


The dialog between McCain and Obama in the presidential debate was mind blowing. Both are in full agreement on the need to increase our troop presence in Afghanistan. However, neither of them offer any firm plan to cut troop levels in Iraq -- something necessary to surge in Afghanistan. Regardless...

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Civil War in the Anti-War Movement

Posted September 10, 2008 | 11:55 AM (EST)


The anti-war movement in America is on the brink of self-destruction. There are multiple contributing factors to the movement's erosion. Extremists, incompatible ideologies, lack of participation from the silent majority, timid politicians from all parties, fringe/special interest groups, and an overall lack of solidarity has all but put the final...

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The Issues Are Enough To Achieve Change

Posted August 26, 2008 | 04:37 PM (EST)


Last evening while watching the Democratic convention I became inspired to write a piece outlining my strong support for the Obama/Biden ticket this November. In doing so it's necessary to explain the reasons for my support. It's hard to find a specific issue to focus on with the uncountable detriments...

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The Ticking Iraqi Clock

Posted August 4, 2008 | 02:54 PM (EST)


As an Iraq veteran it's very hard for me to grip the strong possibility that the troop surge in Iraq was all for naught. So recently I have been focusing on the successes of the surge in Iraq without political or ideological blinders. I recently wrote a piece to...

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The Real Cost Of Staying The Course

Posted July 21, 2008 | 03:20 PM (EST)


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...

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Buying Time

Posted July 16, 2008 | 12:20 PM (EST)


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...

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The Acceptance Of Unaccountability

Posted June 11, 2008 | 10:18 AM (EST)


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...

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Female Troops In Iraq

Posted June 1, 2008 | 03:51 PM (EST)


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...

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