Gallup finds that a majority of Americans with a close family member who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan say the invasion of Iraq was a mistake. An analysis of recent USA Today/Gallup polls shows that Americans with close family members who have served in the military since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks — including those who have served in Afghanistan or Iraq — are divided in their overall views of the war. About half of this group says it was a mistake to send troops to Iraq. Most Americans who do not have a close relative who has served … Continue reading Military Families With Brains

Sadlyunspurprising. The Army is investigating possible war crimes after a Fort Carson soldier facing first-degree murder charges in the slayings of two Iraq war veterans told investigators he and another soldier randomly fired at Iraqi civilians. Pfc. Bruce Bastien Jr. and two former soldiers face charges in the December shooting death of Spc. Kevin Shields, while Bastien and one of those former soldiers face charges in the Aug. 4 shooting death of Pfc. Robert James. [snip] Bastien said he and another soldier used stolen AK-47 military rifles to shoot at civilians while their unit patrolled Baghdad neighborhoods while they were … Continue reading Hearts and Minds

Surge, baby! BAGHDAD (AFP) – A US commander on Wednesday said the number of “spectacular” assaults by Al-Qaeda in Iraq has increased although the overall number of attacks was down and 20 key militants have been killed or caught. Major General Mark Hertling, commanding general of coalition forces in northern Iraq, gave no specific examples of what he termed “spectacular” attacks, referring only to big car bombs and to suicide attacks. Continue reading Chimpy Calls Them “Spectaculars”

Crap. Six U.S. soldiers were killed in a house rigged with explosives on Wednesday in Diyala province, where U.S. and Iraqi forces have launched a major operation against al Qaeda, the U.S. military said. The military said four U.S. soldiers were also wounded in the explosion. Continue reading Lest We Forget — There’s A War On

Oy. When Leila Nasser was six months pregnant, U.S. soldiers burst into her house and wrestled away her husband, Mohammed Amin, who was asleep on the roof, trying to escape the summer heat. This week, Nasser waited outside what’s now called the “reconciliation hall” in Baghdad’s Jihad neighborhood for Amin to appear. In her arms she cradled her year-old son, whom she’d named Moubin, the Iraqi word for apparent. [snip] More than 25,000 Iraqis are now in U.S. detention facilities. The Jihad reconciliation committee of Sunni and Shiite Muslims had requested that 562 men be released. Last month, 48 people … Continue reading “Talk About Reconciliation”

Good news from Iraq, viaDan Froomkin. Karen DeYoung writes in The Washington Post: “Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S. military invasion is the primary root of the violent differences among them, and see the departure of ‘occupying forces’ as the key to national reconciliation, according to focus groups conducted for the U.S. military last month. “That is good news, according to a military analysis of the results. At the very least, analysts optimistically concluded, the findings indicate that Iraqis hold some ‘shared beliefs’ that may eventually allow them to surmount the divisions that have led … Continue reading Iraqis United By Hatred Of America

What’s that? Iraqi leaders complained Monday that Turkey had not coordinated with Baghdad before sending dozens of warplanes to bomb Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq — the largest aerial attack in years against the outlawed separatist group. In Turkey, a U.S. Embassy official in Ankara said Washington was informed about the operation. “It was a Turkish operation, it was a Turkish decision. We were informed,” the official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, as the official was not authorized to speak to the media. The Iraqi parliament condemned the bombing, calling it an “outrageous” violation of Iraq’s … Continue reading Um, Sovereignty?

Dorothy: So what can make all that horror “worth it” to you? What would it take for you to be willing to hand parents the remnants of their children and say, “It had to be done”–and mean it? What looming threat could allow you to stand inside a blown-up hospital, realize that the walls weren’t painted red, and still convince yourself that an air strike was the right thing to do? Under what circumstances could you honestly tell yourself and your family and your god that things will be worse–that there will be more death, more chaos, more brutality–if we … Continue reading Justified Does Not Mean ‘Without Consequence’

Smell thefreedom. BAGHDAD — The Iraqi government has ordered all policewomen to hand in their guns for redistribution to men or face having their pay withheld, thwarting a U.S. initiative to bring women into the nation’s police force. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, issued the order late last month, according to ministry documents, U.S. officials and several of the women. It affects all officers who have earned the title “policewoman” by graduating from the police academy. It does not apply to men in the same type of jobs. Critics say the move is the latest sign of the … Continue reading SNRRRRRQXZ!

From Stars and Stripes: ARLINGTON, Va. — About 15,000 Army National Guard troops are getting the word that they will deploy to either Afghanistan or Iraq beginning in the summer of 2009, Pentagon officials announced Monday. Two National Guard brigades totaling about 7,000 personnel will be sent to Afghanistan, and another three brigades, totaling about 8,000 troops, are destined for Iraq, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters. Continue reading 5 Guard Brigades Notified of 2009 Deployments

Last month Iread in my local media about the death of Sfc. Anthony Raymond Wasielewski from Ladysmith WI. He had been injured in Iraq last May and died at his home in early October. It appeared his death was related to his comabat injuries but from the article that was not conclusive. I wondered if he would be counted as a casualty of the war. I checkedIraq Coalition Casualty Count site and found he was not listed. Recently I checked back at the site and found that Sfc. Anthony Raymond Wasielewski is listed in a separate count of“Post Iraq Deaths … Continue reading Not counting their sacrifice

Today the White House released aU.S.-Iraq Declaration of Principles for Friendship and Cooperation. TPM has more Continue reading BFF: US & Iraq

The long haul: The compound, which will be completed by late fall, is the largest and most expensive embassy in the world, a walled expanse the size of Vatican City, containing 21 reinforced buildings on a 104-acre site along the Tigris River, enclosed within an extension of the Green Zone which stretches toward the airport road. The new embassy cost $600 million to build, and is expected to cost another $1.2 billion a year to run—a high price even by the profligate standards of the war in Iraq. [snip] The new embassy has tennis courts, a landscaped swimming pool, a … Continue reading Rebuilding the Palace

B-b-but, people inBaghdad are beginning to exhale! </NYTimes> In Baghdad the mortar fire is growing more accurate and intense. After 30 mortar shells hit the Green Zone one afternoon last July, an American diplomat reported that his colleagues were growing angry about being “recklessly exposed to danger”—as if the war should have come with warning labels. At least the swimming pool has been placed off limits. Embassy staff are required to wear flak jackets and helmets when walking between buildings, or when occupying those that have not been fortified. On the rare occasion when they want to venture a short … Continue reading US Embassy, Baghdad

Better off under Saddam. Despite the fact that Iraq and U.S. officials have made water projects among their top priorities, the percentage of Iraqis without access to decent water supplies has risen from 50 percent to 70 percent since the start of the U.S.-led war, according to an analysis by Oxfam International last summer. The portion of Iraqis lacking decent sanitation was even worse — 80 percent. [snip] Electricity, which is needed to power pumps, continues to be unreliable in many parts of Iraq, causing some taps to go dry because pumping stations and water treatment plants can’t operate. In … Continue reading Your Monday Morning Progress Report

That’s whatthey called it. SAMAWA – The provincial governor of Muthanna province accused U.S. troops of opening fire on civilian cars south of Baghdad, wounding six people, and threatened to suspend ties with U.S. officials over the attack. A U.S. statement said that a U.S. military convoy was involved in “an incident” that resulted in the death of two Iraqis and wounded four more, but gave no additional details. Continue reading “An Incident”

Support the Troops, Bitches! November 15, 2007; Washington, D.C. – NPR News is reporting that new figures from the Pentagon, obtained by NPR, show that since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, substantially more troops have been discharged from the Army for behavior and discipline issues which are potentially related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other serious mental health conditions. The report from NPR correspondent Daniel Zwerdling is airing today on NPR News All Things Considered. Based on numbers provided by the Army – comparing discharges roughly since the war in Iraq began to the same period before … Continue reading A Yellow Ribbon Magnet Will Make It All Better

I suppose this isan example of all the progress we’ve been hearing about. BAGHDAD (AP) – The leader of an anti-al-Qaida Sunni group is accusing U.S. troops of mistakenly killing dozens of his fighters during a battle north of Baghdad. The sheik told Al-Jazeera television that he had tried repeatedly to call American commanders and tell them they were fighting “their friends.” U.S. military officials confirm troops killed 24 fighters in a battle in the same area. The military says the clash began as soldiers searched for al-Qaida extremists believed hiding there. U.S. officials say initial reports indicate soldiers looking … Continue reading My Bad

No comment. Sex Determined Army Iraq Contracts A former employee of a Tennessee defense company is accused of sleeping with an Air Force contracting officer to secure Iraq contracts. Eric W. Barton, who worked for EOD Technology Inc., which won at least $2.5 million in Iraq contracts, is accused of having a six-month relationship with Air Force Capt. Sherrie Remington, who at the time was in charge of awarding some contracts for work in Iraq, The San Antonio Express-News reported Nov. 11. A report by the U.S. Army urges the company be debarred, which means the company — which has … Continue reading Wacka-Wow, Wacka-Wacka Wow-Wow…

Is it because Gen. Betrayus decided not to report them? Seems likethe incident described herewas pretty devastating, yet no deaths or injuries were reported. A U.S. army armored vehicle was completely destroyed when an explosive charge went off near a patrol vehicle in eastern Baghdad, Iraqi police said on Monday. “An explosive device planted by unknown gunmen in Falasteen Street blew up at a late hour on Sunday evening, totally destroying a U.S. Hummer-modeled vehicle that was passing the location,” an official security source, who requested anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI). The source did not … Continue reading US Casualties Down In Iraq

Are you a career State Department employee hesitant to volunteer for service in Iraq or Afghanistan? Well, if your worst fears are realized and you are killed at one of those posts Condi has already arranged foryour death to be ignored. If terrorists attack the U.S. embassy in Iraq and injure or kill American diplomats serving there, the State Department does not have to investigate the incident as it would if it occurred anywhere else in the world, thanks to a tweak to federal law. Two years ago, the State Department quietly requested — and received — a legal provision … Continue reading Doin’ The Condi Cover-Up

Heckuva job! The Iraqi interior minister said Wednesday that he would authorize raids by his security forces on Western security firms to ensure that they were complying with tightened licensing requirements on guns and other weaponry, setting up the possibility of violent confrontations between the Iraqis and heavily armed Western guards. The tightening of the requirements followed a shooting in September by one of those firms, Blackwater, that Iraqi authorities said left 17 Iraqis dead. “Every company will be subject to such examination, and any company that does not follow the law will lose its license,” the minister, Jawad al-Bolani, … Continue reading Thanks, General Betrayus!

America is sick ofChimpy’s Vanity War. End it now. Opposition to the war in Iraq has reached an all-time high, according to the CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll released Thursday morning. Support for the war in Iraq has dropped to 31 percent and the 68 percent who oppose the war is a new record. Despite the drop in violence in Iraq, only one quarter of Americans believes the U.S. is winning the war. There has been virtually no change in the past month in the number of Americans who believe that things are going badly for the U.S. in the war … Continue reading *KNOCK-KNOCK* Is This Thing On?

Last month Madison native and combat medic Cpl. Rachael L. Hugo, 24, was killed when her unit came under fire in Bayji, Iraq. Yesterday when I read that Wisconsin native Second Lt. Tracy Alger age 30 had been killed by an IED in Iraq I thought my God we have lost so many women from WI to this war. Thinking my perception may not match reality I searched the Iraq Coalition Casualtysite. I found 6 women from WI have been killed in Iraq. The only state which has lost more is CA with 7. IL and TX have lost 6 … Continue reading Wisconsin Women In Memoriam

To someone whose spouse has just been deployed: The ME, ME, ME Person: “Oh, well, you still have me.” Wow! I didn’t realize my husband leaving made this all about you. How lucky I am to still have you! The thing is, there truly are few people I like more than my husband, and simply put, you are not one of them. The Pragmatist: “Well, you knew he was in the Military and that this could happen.” Yep, sure did and you also know that your husband has a penis, so should he ever decide to put it inside another … Continue reading What Not To Say

TheIraqi Interior Ministryreports an increase in Iraqi fatalities during the month of October. At least 887 Iraqis were killed in Iraq in October, ministry data showed on Thursday, slightly higher than September which saw a total of 840 people killed across the nation. Data from Iraq’s interior, defence and health ministries showed that 758 civilians, 116 policemen and 13 soldiers were killed in attacks across Iraq in October. Continue reading Min-Surge

YouTube video from Traprock Peace Center On May 26, 2007 Andrew Card faced hundreds of boos and catcalls as he was given an honorary degree during the graduate school commencement at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He was really booed… Continue reading Saturday Video–Andy Card BOOED at UMass-Amherst Commencement

Christ on a Cracker, I’m not sure what is worse –the stunning dishonesty or the jaw-dropping incompetence. Iraq’s national security adviser has accused the US military of plotting to assassinate Shia militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr. A senior member of Nouri al-Maliki’s coalition-backed government in Baghdad, Mowaffaq Rubaie, believes Mr al-Sadr was attacked while attending peace negotiations in August 2004. According to the Independent newspaper Dr Rubaie acted as a mediator between US forces and Mr al-Sadr by arranging the meeting in the town of Najaf, south of Baghdad. He claims the Mehdi Army militia leader wanted to arrange an agreement … Continue reading Failure To Honor A Flag Of Truce

The wrong career choice for many Americans, that is. The Army fell short of its recruiting goal for May, its first significant slip in two years. [snip] With an array of special incentives for attracting recruits, the Army managed to recover from a 2005 recruiting slump, but the impact of the Iraq war and the strong domestic economy have made it difficult to attract enlistees. The Army and Marine Corps have suffered the bulk of casualties in Iraq. The pace of recruiting is even more important now that Defense Secretary Robert Gates has set a goal of increasing the size … Continue reading Army Wrong

Building on Atrios, the Iraqi People have been very clear for years: they want us out of their country. USA Today/Gallup Poll, April 2004 Only a third of the Iraqi people now believe that the American-led occupation of their country is doing more good than harm, and a solid majority support an immediate military pullout even though they fear that could put them in greater danger, according to a new poll. ABC News/Time/BBC/NHK/Der Spiegel Poll, December 2005 Two-thirds now oppose the presence of U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq, 14 points higher than in February 2004. Nearly six in 10 … Continue reading Get Out