Iraq

The USG Open Source Center reports on the efforts of the ruling United Iraqi Alliance (Shiite fundamentalist parties backing Nuri al-Maliki; OSC calls it United Iraqi Coalition) to shore up the credibility of its negotiators who are dealing with the Bush administration’s push for wideranging military prerogatives in Iraq in the new Status of Forces […]

Thousands of Shiites demonstrated on Friday after prayers against the security agreement being imposed on Iraq by the Bush administration. In Sadr City, crowds set fire to the American flag. Even Iraqi government officials close to Washington are rejecting US demands that troops be allowed to undertake military missions without getting a go-ahead from the […]

The intrepid Patrick Cockburn reveals that the White House is more or less extorting the Iraqi government into signing a security pact with George W. Bush. At stake is $50 bn. of Iraqi money held in the US Federal Reserve, at least $20 bn. of which could be lost to Iraq if the government of […]

A big explosion in north Baghdad killed at least 15 [late reports say 18] persons and wounded 75 on Wednesday. Iraqi police said it was a suicide bombing. The US military said it was an accidental explosion of munitions a Shiite militia was moving up for an attack on US forces. Robert Reid writes, “The […]

The USG Open Source Center reports on the way a former Sunni guerrilla leader of the Islamic Army, Abu Azzam Tamimi, is now turning to civil politics. He has formed a political party to contest the provincial elections this fall. I view this development as extremely positive and am hoping that the provincial elections in […]

The US is still hopeful that it can conclude a security agreement with the government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on the framework for a US troop presence next year after the UN Security Council authorization runs out. The negotiations have produced a sharp reaction from a broad cross-section of the Iraqi public, Sunni and […]

The USG Open Source Center translates an Aljazeera segment on the proposed security agreement with the US. Via BBC Monitoring ‘June 1, 2008 Sunday AL-JAZEERA TV DEBATES IRAQI REACTIONS TO PROPOSED SECURITY DEAL WITH USA Al-Jazeera Satellite Television at 1830 gmt on 30 May carries live a new 25-minute episode of its daily “Behind the […]

Barack Obama is considering a trip to Iraq this summer. I fear he has been forced into this visit by John McCain, who keeps taunting him on his limited foreign policy experience, saying he has not been to Iraq since 2006 and so does not understand how the “surge” was “victorious.” McCain’s taunts are ridiculous. […]

Robert Reid of AP reports that the Iraqi government is acknowledging differences with the US over the proposed security agreement intended to regulate the role of US troops in Iraq. The USG Open Source Center translates remarks last Friday of Jalal al-Din al-Saghir of the Buratha Mosque in north Baghdad. Saghir is a leading member […]