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 USG Open Source Center translates an item from the Kurdish Press ‘ Iraqi Kurdish MP says USA not a real allyHawlatiSaturday, August […]
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 divided into eight districts, with checkpoints and body searches. Teams of female inspectors checked women for bombs. US and Iraqi aircraft did […]
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 his military capabilities and has therefore become unreasonably difficult to deal with over the proposed status of forces agreement on the rules […]
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 impeachment vote against him in the senate, where his Muslim League (Q) still holds a plurality of seats. Or he would have had […]
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 anniversary of the birth of the hidden 12th Imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, the Shiite messiah who many Iraqi Shiites believe will soon come to […]
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 diplomat pointed out to me that “McCain’s behavior on Georgia is a perfect example of putting personal political advantage over the […]
Polk: Bases in Iraq, Provocation of Iran
William R. Polk writes in a guest editorial for IC: Rushing toward War As the Bush Administration begins its final months in office, it has embarked upon two courses of action that will pre-empt the scope of the incoming Obama or McCain administration and will plague America for years to come. The first of these […]
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