There is a lot of good news coming from Iraq these days: Violent deaths of U.S. troops and Iraqi civilians appear to have fallen sharply in Iraq in October, according to the latest Associated Press tally. The AP’s figures mirror other reports that the levels of bloodshed are falling here. But the meaning of these…
Category: Iraq
Blackwater Shooters Given Immunity
Why? Three senior law enforcement officials said all the Blackwater bodyguards involved — both in the vehicle convoy and in at least two helicopters above — were given the legal protections as investigators from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security sought to find out what happened. The bureau is an arm of the State Department. The…
Kurdistan and Self-Rule
From the NY Times – fifteen years ago – but still highly relevant given recent events: The Foreign Ministers of Turkey, Iran and Syria condemned the creation of a de facto Kurdish state in northern Iraq today and warned Kurdish leaders that they would not allow it to lead to the partition of the country. “We…
Islamists Booby-Trap Toys
Yesterday in Kirkuk a question was asked: Rizkar Khourshid, 56, whose wife and three children were injured in the explosion and taken to a hospital. “When will the explosions end? What kind of Islam is Al Qaeda claiming?” Today the answer: A bomb hidden in a cart of toys killed two children and wounded 17…
Blackwater, War Criminals?
The LA Times says that Blackwater, the U.S. security contractor, may soon be facing down a war crimes inquiry. The United Nations today called on the United States to hold private security contractors in Iraq accountable in instances when killings appeared unjustified. The recommendation, in a quarterly report assessing the state of human rights in…
There You Go Again, Jimmy
Jimmy Carter says that the United States tortures prisoners in violation of international law. From CNN: “I don’t think it. I know it,” Carter told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Our country for the first time in my life time has abandoned the basic principle of human rights,” Carter said. “We’ve said that the Geneva Conventions do…
Would the World be Better Off…
…if the U.S. loses the war in Iraq? Fox News asked that question of 900 registered voters and came up with what I think is a comforting result (pdf). Of particular note is the Fox headline, which screams that almost 20% of Democrats answered “Yes” to the question. Sure, it’s bad that almost 1 in 5…
Black Waters Indeed
Congress has issued a report that is critical of the private security firm Blackwater, according to the NY Times. The report by the Democratic majority staff of a House committee adds weight to complaints from Iraqi officials, American military officers and Blackwater’s competitors that company guards have taken an aggressive, trigger-happy approach to their work…
The Mercenary Problem
In reference to American para-military contractors in Iraq, Paul Krugman at the NY Times writes: "mercenaries, whom Machiavelli described as ‘useless and dangerous’ more than four centuries ago", saying that mercenaries are back in vogue once more. More: As far as I can tell, America has never fought a war in which mercenaries made up…
Basra, Test Case for Withdrawal
The Christian Science Monitor says that Basra is turning into an emerging "Shiite Taliban state" now that the British are packing up their kit bags and leaving town: The billboard in Umm al-Broom Square was meant to advertise a cellphone service. Instead, it has become a message to those who dare to resist the rising…