Arab World

John McCain says that it isn’t too important when American troops leave Iraq, that the main thing is to ensure there aren’t troop deaths. He said that the US has troops in a lot of places, including South Korea. (Via via Veracifier). Contrast the Arizona senator’s glib comment with reporting about the real Iraq: ‘ […]

The narrative of the American Right about Iraq is that Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is finally in control, that the Iraqi armed forces are performing well, and that in short things are now going swimmingly. This narrative is a variation on the “Good News” story that the Bush administration has used all along to propagandize […]

A BBC investigation concludes that as much as $24 billion has gone missing in Iraq, and much of it may have been embezzled by private companies and corporations brought there by Bush: ‘ For the first time, the extent to which some private contractors have profited from the conflict and rebuilding has been researched by […]

Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki met Monday with Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. According to Farsnews writing in Persian, Khamenei told al-Maliki that the most important and fundamental problem for Iraq at present is the presence of Occupation forces. He affirmed, “We are certain that the people of Iraq, through their intrinsic unity and […]

The guerrilla movement in Iraq struck with three strategic attacks and several lesser ones on Sunday. A suicide bomber targeted US troops at a patrol base in Rashad near the oil city of Kirkuk on Sunday, killing one US soldier and wounding 19 others. Two Iraqis were also wounded in the blast. On Saturday, guerrillas […]

The USG Open Source Center translates an Iranian radio broadcast that alleges the US is trying to bribe members of the Iraqi parliament to pass the proposed security agreement with the US, with the alleged bribes totaling $3 bn. No source is given for the allegation, and the price tag seems high. At 275 MPs, […]

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 […]