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Archives: August 2008
Does Al-Maliki’s New Team Imperil Security Agreement? Al-Maliki asks Peshmerga to stay beyond Blue Line
The LAT reports doubts in Baghdad about whether the security agreement between the Bush administration and the Iraqi government will be achieved. Al-Maliki abruptly dismissed his negotiating team and replaced it with…Sadrists Sign Oath to fight US Troops
Shiites from the Sadr Movement in Iraq have been signing oaths in blood to struggle against the foreign military occupation of their country. This ritual affirmation comes despite the command from Sayyid…OSC: Russia- Iran Alliance?
The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Russian press proposing a strategic alliance between Russia and Iran.Pundit on Possible Russia-Iran Alliance To Counter 'Unfriendly' US MovesArticle by Radzhab Safarov,…China Signs $3 Bn Deal with Iraq; Iraq Army Takes over Camp Ashraf; Chalabi Crony Arrested for Terrorism
The US military on Friday arrested Ali Faisal al-Lami, a Sadrist who served on the Debaathification Committee under Ahmad Chalabi. The Pentagon maintains that Al-Lami is deeply involved with Iran-backed "special group"…
Western Leaders of African Descent
Chris Matthews on MSNBC made the comment that if he won the presidency, Barack Obama would be the first "Western" leader of African descent. He then wondered if he was right, and…McCain: Iraq is a Peaceful, Stable Country
McCain: "Iraq is a peaceful, stable country now":I'm hurt. I thought everyone who is anyone in Washington read IC. McCain seems to have missed these recent headlines here:Wednesday, August 27, 2008: "45…Obama: 8 is Enough
Obama DNC Speech: 'Eight is enough'Obama up in polls.The 1960 Democratic Convention and Kennedy’s Speech
Notable quotes:"I hope that no American, considering the really critical issues facing this country, will waste his franchise by voting either for me or against me solely on account of my religious…Your Obama Tax Cut
Calculate your Obama tax cut."Barack Obama will cut taxes for over 95% of American families (even though more than half of American think he'll raise their taxes)"Arctic Ice: Going, going . . . gone; Schweitzer on Energy in Denver
BBC: Arctic ice is at a 'tipping point'.Watch for yourself on google earth: "This animation in Google Earth shows satellite data of Arctic sea ice concentration from May 25 to August 21,…Pakistan Markets Roiled by End of Coalition Government
Pakistan has had to impose trading limits to stop the slide in its stock market coming off the end of the coalition government.Investors have been worried about the withdrawal of the Muslim…45 Dead, 79 Wounded in Wave of Violence; Bombing in Jalawla’ Raises Tensions with Baghdad
Why Iraq still matters to the presidential campaign,according to Mark Brunswick of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. Violence erupted throughout central, eastern and northern Iraq on Tuesday, leaving at least 45 dead and…Al-Maliki Insists US Troops be Out by 2011; Iraqi Christian Refugees at Risk
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki of Iraq insisted again Monday that all foreign troops must be out of Iraq by 2011 and that US troops in Iraq must come under the authority of…International Reaction to Biden
Iraqi politicians greeted the the selection of Joe Biden as the Democratic vice presidential candidate with dismay because they oppose his soft partition plan for Iraq, an affront to Iraqi conceptions of…54 Killed in Bombings, attacks; Water Crisis; Fixing the Intelligence Around the Policy
A suicide bomber attacked a celebration in Abu Ghraib late Sunday, killing at least 30 and wounding 42. The gathering was in honor of a former prisoner in a US prison who…FBI to Open Cases via Profiling; MI5: Don’t Bother
Bush is trying to permanently widen FBI prerogatives in opening investigations of US citizens before leaving office. His new guidelines would allow an investigation to begin on the basis of data-mining and…OSC: Collective Punishment in Baghdad
The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Arabic online press complaining about Iraqi government collective punishment of Baghdad city quarters that witness poor security.US, Iraqi Forces Accused of Dividing…Najaf Demonstrations against Rice: "Rogue" Operation in Baquba; Sadr in Iran for 5 Years
Secretary of State Condi Rice's visit to Baghdad for consultations on the US-Iraqi security agreement provoked a demonstration in the Shiite holy city of Najaf, with Sadrist crowds carrying placards warning against…Biden as VP Candidate
A warm congratulations to Senator Joe Biden on his VP candidate position on the Democratic ticket!Sen. Biden called me to testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Iraq in April 2004,…Security Agreement Undermines McCain; Dulaimi Was Planting Bombs; Awakening Councils Targeted
Muthanna Dulaimi was caught while planting a roadside bomb! The son of the leader of the Iraqi Accord Front, which has cabinet seats in the government of PM Nuri al-Maliki and from…Suicide Bomber Kills 58 outside Munitions Plant; Zardari Candidate for President
The Tehrik-i Taliban responded to Pakistani military operations against it at Bajaur by sending a suicide bomber to attack workers leaving a munitions factory. Some 57 are dead and 70 wounded. The…Baquba Raid Roils Sunni-Shiite Relations; Al-Maliki to Disband Awakening Councils
The raid by a special forces operation on the governor's HQ in Diyala province is being denounced as a rogue operation by the US military. Sunni figures have recently been targeted, raising…Reuters/Zogby Poll: McCain Makes a Move, Takes 5-Point Lead Over Obama
Zogby News Release reprinted by permission at IC:Released: August 20, 2008Reuters/Zogby Poll: McCain Makes a Move, Takes 5-Point Lead Over ObamaObama loses ground among Dems, women, Catholics & even younger votersUTICA, New…Afghanistan in Crisis
All hell seems to be breaking loose in Afghanistan, at a time when most Western observers are focusing on the Georgia crisis. Ten French troops killed by 100 guerrillas. An attack on…Raid on Governor’s office in Diyala; Seniora to Baghdad; Dulaimi’s Son Arrested
Strange things happen in Iraq. On Tuesday, an unidentified Iraqi government security force, or at least people wearing such uniforms, attacked the Diyala provincial governor's headquarters, killed his secretary, and arrested a…Davidson: Privatizing Foreign Policy: The Road to Iran
Lawrence Davidson writes in a guest op-ed for IC: Americans' penchant for paying little attention to their nation's foreign policies has powerful and disastrous effects on national politics and policy-making. Here are…McCain’s Mansions and the Real Elitist
BraveNewFilms on McCain's mansions and his elitism.Cole in Salon: The Fall of Bush’s Man in Pakistan; Dawn: Bush was Last Holdout
My column is out in Salon.com: "The fall of Bush's man in Pakistan:" (Despite Pervez Musharraf's despotism and double-dealing with U.S. enemies, George W. Bush, John McCain and the GOP embraced him…Kirkuk a Powderkeg: NYT; Ramadi Bombing Targets Police
Kurdish control of Kirkuk creates a powder keg in Iraq, the NYT explains this morning:' it demonstrates that despite a recent decline in violence, Iraq’s unsettled ethnic and regional discord could still…Musharraf Resigns
Al-Jazeera International on the career of Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf, who just stepped down to avoid impeachment.Fox News: 12 Year Old Girl Tells the Truth about Georgia
Ooops. Fox News Interviews an Ossetian-American 12-year-old girl who thanks Russian troops for saving her from Georgian aggression.But Fox News was obviously not happy with the way the interview went.Gee,that isn't that…Bombing Kills 15, Including AC Leader in Baghdad; Al-Sadr Calls for Blood Pledge of Holy Struggle Against Occupation; Seniora to Baghdad
A suicide bomber in Baghdad killed 15 and wounded 29 in al-Adhamiya on Sunday. This neighborhood is what's left of the Sunni enclave on the eastern side of the Tigris, and the…Aljazeera International on the Kirkuk Crisis
The struggle over the oil city of Kirkuk has so far derailed provincial elections in Iraq. Aljazeera International on the Kirkuk crisis (part 1) Aljazeera International on the Kirkuk crisis (part 2)The…Bombers hit Karbala Pilgrims for Third Straight Day
Bombers struck at Shiite pilgrims for the third straight day on Sunday, killing as many as six new victims. This despite extensive security measures in the holy city of Karbala.The city was…Aljazeera: War Crimes in Georgia and Ossetia
Ethnic cleansing of Georgians by Ossetians? Georgian plans to wipe out Ossetians? Aljazeera International reports on claims and counter-claims of war crimes.McSame is Getting even More Same
"Approval Ratings: The Public v. McCain"Kahl: Iran Tamed Mahdi Army; Al-Maliki May attack Sunni Awakening Councils
Colin Kahl, just back from Iraq, gave a briefing that Gareth Porter attended. He reports that:1. US officials in Baghdad are genuinely worried that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has become "over-confident" about…Musharraf said on Verge of Resigning
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will likely resign before Monday. Musharraf could only have stayed in power in one of three ways. He would have had to be able to block a 2/3s…Bombing Kills 26 Pilgrims; Iraq Seeks Regional Security Network with Iran, Turkey
A female suicide bomber targeted Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 26 and wounding 75. Pilgrims are streaming to the holy city of Najaf in honor of the…McCain: Nations don’t invade other Nations
McCain says, "In the twenty-first century, nations don't invade other nations:"And imagine him all sweetness and light now about wanting good relations with Moscow after his rants all the past week.An experienced…Polk: Bases in Iraq, Provocation of Iran
William R. Polk writes in a guest editorial for IC:Rushing toward WarAs the Bush Administration begins its final months in office, it has embarked upon two courses of action that will pre-empt…US Deters Israel from Attacking Iran; Russian Cooperation seen Key to Dissuading Tehran’s Nuclear Program
The Haaretz article that made such a stir by reporting that the Pentagon had turned down Israeli requests for high-powered equipment to aid an attack on Iran's nuclear research facilities has a…Cole in Salon: The Bush/Cheney Kettle Call the Putin Pot Black
My column, , "Putin's War Enablers: Bush and Cheney (Russia's escalating war on Georgia reveals the consequences of the Bush administration's long assault on the international rule of law.) is now out…Iraq Refugee Crisis
There are approximately 2 million Iraqi refugees in the Middle East, mainly in Syria but with another big population in Amman. Their money is running out. NGOs have fewer resources for them…Abdullah II in Baghdad; Bomber Attempts Assassination of Diyala Governor
McClatchy reports on the visit to Iraq of King Abdullah II of Jordan, . The king is the first Arab ruler to come on a state visit. The Jordanian press underlined that…McCain Strategist Lobbyist for Georgia; Scheer: Did He Stage Provocation?
McCain's campaign strategist Randy Scheunemann was a lobbyist for Georgia until recently, and remained part of Orion Strategies until May 15. OS had signed a $2 mn. deal to provide "strategic advice"…Arato: The Decision of the Turkish Constitutional Court: the Way Ahead
Andrew Arato writes in a guest op-ed for ICThe Turkish Constitutional Court has made its very important decision. The Justice and Development Party (AKP) will not be closed. It is the right…Russia & Georgia, US & Hamas, Cheney & Musharraf
Bush's demand that Russia "reverse course" on Georgia and not try to overthrow an elected government is full of special pleading.Bush has no standing to ask anyone not to go around invading…Walbridge: Suskind on America’s Declining Moral Authority
John Walbridge writes in a guest op-ed for IC:Most of the discussion of Ron Suskind's new book, "The Way of the World," has focused on a single anecdote. Citing CIA sources, he…Mountain of Evidence Marshaled against Musharraf; US Refuses to Back Elected Civilian government
Dawn says that the parliament in Pakistan has prepared a mountain of documentation in its push to impeach President Pervez Musharraf. Senate leader Raza Rabbani said that if all the documents they…Wave of Attacks Kills over a Dozen; US Soldier Killed, 2 Wounded at Tarmiyah; Zebari insists on Withdrawal Timeline
A new wave of bombings and attacks in Iraq, especially one at Tarmiya targetting Awakening Council members that may have left nearly a dozen people dead and scores wounded (one US soldier…Outbreak of Armed Conflict in Kirkuk Feared
Outbreak of armed conflict in Kirkuk feared.Fighting between Russia, Georgia risks wider war.Iraq will try to ensure that its army is "self-sufficient" by summer of 2009, when the Iraqi government wants US…
Ali-Karamali: Of Documentaries and Dehumanization
Sumbul Ali-Karamali writes in a guest op-ed for IC:A lazy way to dismiss conflicts as hopeless is to characterize (usually erroneously) the disputing parties as having been “at each other’s throats for…Al-Iraqiyah: Arab-Kurdish Polemics over the Oil City of Kirkuk
BBC Monitoring carries a translation of a discussion of the Kirkuk crisis on al-Iraqiyah televisions between a Kurdish and an Arab member of parliament.:August 8, 2008 FridayIraqi MPs discuss problem of Kirkuk…2000 Georgian Troops Leaving; Huge Blast at Tal Afar Kills 21; Arab-Kurdish Tensions in Kirkuk; Mahdi Army to Disarm if US Leaves
A huge bomb blast in the northern Turkmen city of Tal Afar killed 21 and wounded 70 on Friday. Tal Afar has been taken over by Shiite Turkmen, after having been dominated…Kwame Trumps Georgian War
These are the top three stories at google.news at 3:00 pm on Friday, generated by reader interest.Wouldn't, like, war in the Caucasus be more important than the other two? Or the attempt…InformationClearingHouse Web Owner Threatened
Are armed thugs threatening owners of progressive anti-war web sites in the United States? Tom Feeley who runs InformationClearingHouse.info says he and his family are being harassed by men with guns.If the…Plight of Iraqi Refugees
The US has virtually ignored the 4.7 million Iraqis displaced by its illegal war in Iraq and its after-effects. In an honest republic, this issue would be on American television screens every…Crisis in Pakistan: Articles of Impeachment against Musharraf
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan has decided to fight the articles of impeachment introduced against him in the parliament by the ruling coalition of the Pakistan People's Party and the Muslim League.…SOFA Near to Agreement?; US Combat Troops out by end of 2010? Kurds Unify Peshmerga, Surround Kirkuk
US out of Iraq at end of 2010?McClatchy reports that two high Iraqi officials are leaking details of an "almost completed" security agreement between Washington and Baghdad.AP also has some details.It would…CTC West Point: Al-Qa’idah’s Road in and Out of Iraq
[pdf]: The Combating Terrorism Center at West Point has an important new publication: Bombers, Bank Accounts and Bleedouts: Al-Qa'idah's Road in and Out of Iraq.If the US were actually serious about the…Asbahi Resignation and Islamophobia
Kudos to Jake Tapper for pointing out that Mazen Asbahi, the coordinator for Muslim affairs of the Obama campaign until he stepped down after 10 days, did nothing that Karen Hughes did…Parliament Adjourns with No Provincial Election Law; Arab Tribes Threaten Violence
The Iraqi parliament proved unable to pass a provincial elections law on Wednesday despite a marathon 4-hour extraordinary session. They adjourned for the rest of the month. The sticking point was finding…The Scam of Energy Independence
John McCain keeps talking about making the US "energy independent."Robert Bryce points out that it is impossible for the United States to be energy independent with current technology.McCain says nuclear energy can…Abdul-Ahad on Iraq’s Killing Fields
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad of the Guardian on Iraq's killing fields:Iraq Withdrawal Time Horizon= 2011?
Worldmeets.us translated an article today from the Iraqi newspaper al-Sabah saying that there has been a breakthrough in the negotiations between the al-Maliki government and the Bush administration on a status of…Was Abu Nidal Forgery Aimed at Refuting Joe Wilson?
The LA Times summarizes the case made by journalist Ron Suskind that the Bush administration orchestrated the forging of a document by Iraqi defector and former intelligence chief Tahir Jalil Habbush. Habbush…Abdul-Ahad: Baghdad is "Calmer" Because they Made it into Prison Cells
The Guardian's Ghaith Abdul-Ahad went back to Baghdad to see the effects of last year's troop escalation ("surge"). He argues that the US military's blast walls and forcible division of the city…Bush Suppressed Evidence Iraq Had no WMD
For critics of Ron Suskind's revelations that Bush and Cheney suppressed evidence that Iraq had no WMD, check out the below:Tyler Drumheller from a 2006 "60 Minutes" interview.Or how about the column…John H. Brown on Bushian Propaganda
John H. Brown, who resigned in protest from the State Department in March of 2003, on the difference between public diplomacy and propaganda with regard to the Iraq War:Swat Violence termed ‘Near Civil War’; Obama Slammed in Pakistan
The Pakistani Army, in fierce fighting with tribal forces organized by the Tehrik-i Taliban, claims to have killed some 90 of the enemy in the past week, as the Swat Valley was…Bush Pressured FBI to Blame al-Qaeda for Anthrax; McCain fingered Iraq on Letterman; Can’t we Change the Name of Washington National Airport?
One thing I haven't seen mentioned with regard to the attempt to implicate Iraq in the anthrax scare in fall of 2001 is the reason Iraq was hard to rule out as…2 US Soldiers Killed; Parliament Tries Again
The Iraqi parliament will make another attempt on Tuesday to pass a provincial elections law that resolves controversies over how to treat troubled Kirkuk Province.AFP summarizes political violence in Iraq on Monday,…Breakthrough on Solar Energy Storage
MIT has made a breakthrough in energy storage, one of the main obstacles to effective use of solar energy: "Inspired by the photosynthesis performed by plants, Nocera and Matthew Kanan, a postdoctoral…Hersh: Cheney Office Considered Manufacturing Provocation to Start War with Iran
Think Progress has an exclusive report on New Yorker journalist Seymour Hersh's discovery that Cheney's office considered, then rejected, getting up a provocation against Iran as a pretext for going to war.The…Provincial Elections Law Postponed; Parliamentary Recess and Gridlock; Preachers Urge Voter Registration
An extraordinary Iraqi parliamentary session planned for Sunday to settle the provincial election law was cancelled at the last minute. Parliament is on recess in August.So to recap: No provincial election law…Pakistan to Send Special Ops into Tribal Areas
Pakistan appears to be acquiescing in Bush administration demands that it send special ops forces in to fight the dissident tribal forces and the Tehrik-i Taliban, according to LAT.Aljazeera International reports on…Bombing in Baghdad; Doubts Cast on Diyala Operation
Guerrillas used a car bomb to kill 8 persons in Baghdad and wound 14 The Iraqi government will order $9 billion in weapons from US firms. This sort of thing, if it…Iraqi Kurdish paper interviews Turkoman Front official Chawder
The USG Open Source Center translates a newspaper interview with an official of the Turkmen Front. Turkmen speak a language similar to that used in Turkey, and so are the objects of…Kurds on Kirkuk Council call for Annexation of Oil City
Kurdish members of the Kirkuk/Tamim Province governing council called Friday for the city of Kirkuk to be annexed to the nearby Kurdistan Regional Authority. This move is vehemently rejected by Kirkuk's Arabs…