Special Coverage: War on Iraq

Standoff with Police as Iraq Vets Demand to Meet with Obama Campaign

Alex Kane, Jessica Lee, Indypendent. August 28, 2008.
With no reply from Obama to their letter asking him to endorse their goals, IVAW marched to the Pepsi Center to demand that their voices be heard.

From the blogs

In Wake of Deadly U.S. Airstrike, Jeremy Scahill Questions Dems on Obama's Afghanistan Policy

by Jeremy Scahill, Democracy Now!

As Democrats rally in support of candidates who want an escalation in Afghanistan, the 7-year old war is claiming more lives than ever.

The Maliki Surge: Iraq's PM's Power is Growing

by Staff, Think Progress

It would be a tragedy if 4000 Americans and tens of thousands of Iraqis died simply to establish another U.S.-enabled tyranny in the Middle East.

Obama: Tell IVAW "Yes We Can"

by Liliana Segura, AlterNet

While official rhetoric in Denver ignores the party's failure to end the war in Iraq, one group of vets is not backing down.

Iraq Veterans Against the War Call on Obama to Endorse Their Goals

by IVAW Media, Iraq Veterans Against the War

"A Presidential candidate dedicated to an anti-war platform should have no objections to the goals of our organization."

Two U.S. Marines Held in Contempt in Fallujah Killings Civil Trial

by Steve Czajkowski, Jurist Legal News and Research

Sgt. Ryan Weemer and Sgt. Jermaine Nelson took the 5th and refused to testify against their former squad leader on the killing of Iragi prisoners.

Michael Moore Dares to Ask: What's So Heroic About Being Shot Down While Bombing Innocent Civilians?

by Liliana Segura, AlterNet

Like Iraq, Vietnam was not a noble cause. It's time we stopped letting politicians and the press perpetuate the McCain War Hero myth.

Bush Capitulates, Troop Withdrawal in 2011?

by Spencer Ackerman, Attackerman

The left won the Iraq debate. Period.

DOJ Preparing to Charge Six Blackwater Guards in Nisour Square Massacre

by Nick Fiske, Jurist Legal News and Research

Indictments for the killing of 17 Iraqis would likely be sought under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, which would be unprecedented.

New Bill Would Lift Ban on Journalists Photographing Returning Military Dead

by Faiz Shakir, Think Progress

Rep. Walter Jones and six co-sponsors believe the American people have the right to see deceased service people returning home.

Bush Administration Putting Immunity For Blackwater Over The Lives Of Our Troops

by Blue Texan, Firedoglake

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse.

Democrats: Don't Make Afghanistan Your War

Katrina vanden Heuvel, The Nation. August 28, 2008.
Biden, Obama, and the Dems are rallying to escalate the war in Afghanistan. But trading one war for another would be catastrophic.

Half of Baghdad Lacks Drinking Water

Kareem Abed Zair, Azzaman. August 28, 2008.
Amid soaring temperatures, Baghdad's Water Authority says three million people in Baghdad have no access to running water.

Sectarian Clashes Flaring Up as U.S.-Backed Operations Target Sunnis

Ahmed Ali, Dahr Jamail, IPS News. August 27, 2008.
A military operation that was said to target al-Qaeda has instead targeted Sunni Muslims, creating new sectarian tensions.

Maliki the Nationalist? Don't Buy It.

Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation. August 26, 2008.
In his demands for a U.S. troop withdrawal, the Iraqi PM is hardly the tough negotiator the media makes him out to be.

Looking Back at Five Years of Bush's Wreckage in Iraq

Chalmers Johnson, Tomdispatch.com. August 26, 2008.
Bush's supporters see the global war on terrorism as a "clash of civilizations" -- yet the civilization we are destroying in Iraq is part of our own.

Iraqi Refugees Spurn Government Call to Come Home

Azzaman. August 25, 2008.
"Iraq has turned into something like a no man's land," one refugee says. "It no longer belongs to its people."

War Resister Robin Long Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

Sarah Lazare, Courage to Resist. August 25, 2008.
Long, an Iraq War resister deported from Canada last month, was sentenced to 15 months of prison and dishonorable discharge.

The Three Dumbest Neocon Predictions Since the Disaster in Iraq

John Dolan, AlterNet. August 25, 2008.
Nothing seems to keep the Neocons from losing respectability. Here are three contenders for the dumbest Neocon predictions post-Iraq.

U.S. Accused of Killing 76 Civilians in Afghanistan Airstrike

Jonathon Burch, Independent UK. August 24, 2008.
Most of the casualties were women and children; the deaths sparked demonstrations and a condemnation by Afghan President Hamid Karzai.

Afghan President Pardons Men Convicted of Gang Rape

Kate Clark, Independent UK. August 24, 2008.
President Hamid Karzai has pardoned three men who were found guilty of brutally raping a woman in the northern province of Samangan.

Joe Biden Is a Key Fighter in Dissolving Bush's 'Terror' Myths

Andy Worthington, AlterNet. August 24, 2008.
Biden doesn't have clean hands when it comes to Iraq, but he's been a leader in re-establishing the rule-of-law in Bush's terror war.

Biden, Iraq and Obama's Betrayal

Stephen Zunes, Foreign Policy in Focus. August 24, 2008.
The choice of Biden calls into question whether Obama's offering a "change we can believe in."

U.S.-Iraqi "Security Agreement" a Distraction as Conflicts Continue to Simmer

Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation. August 22, 2008.
A debate over McCain's claims of "victory in Iraq" is one Obama can win if he hits hard.

Robin Long, War Resister Deported from Canada, Faces Trial This Week

Sarah Lazare, AlterNet. August 21, 2008.
The first war resister to be deported from Canada since the Vietnam War faces court-martial and three years in jail. Who is next?

Almost Half of Iraqi Adults Are Unemployed

Anna Badkhen, Truthdig. August 20, 2008.
"If you don't have money to pay bribes, you can't get a job," says one mechanical engineer. "I'd drive a garbage truck; I'd do anything,"

How Many More Iraqis Can You Throw Behind Bars Without Trial?

Fatih Abdulsalam, Azzaman. August 19, 2008.
Among the U.S.'s most vociferous criticisms of Saddam's regime was its practice of inhumane, summary arrests. Now it is guilty of the same.

How Close Are Iraq and the U.S. to Reaching a Forces Agreement?

Mina Al-Oraibi, Asharq Al-Awsat. August 18, 2008.
Iraqi and American officials are reportedly close to reaching an agreement on U.S. forces -- but there are some contradictions in their statements.

U.S. Holding Thousands of Prisoners with Alleged Terror Ties in Iraq

Basil Adas, Gulf News. August 15, 2008.
The U.S. has refused to provide any information about the prisoners or abide by an amnesty law issued by the Iraqi government.

How Much "Meddling" Is Iran Actually Doing in Iraq?

Omid Memarian, IPS News. August 14, 2008.
As the U.S keeps accusing Iran of arming Shiite militias, Iraqi officials are ignoring its claims in favor of diplomacy with neighboring governments.

The Long War: How Many Iraqs and Afghanistans Lie Ahead?

Andrew Bacevich, Tomdispatch.com. August 14, 2008.
The Pentagonization of the United States shows no sign of slowing down.

Sadr Spokesman: Mahdi Army to Become a "Non-political" Cultural Organization

Ma'ad Fayad, Asharq Al-Awsat. August 12, 2008.
The official spokesperson for the Al-Sadr Trend discusses Muqtada al-Sadr's coming plans.

How to Crack the Pentagon Pundits' Code

Diane Farsetta, Center for Media and Democracy. August 12, 2008.
You can help plough through the 8,000 pages of internal documents on the Pentagon's covert pundit-propaganda program.

Iran Stepping in to Bring Electricity to Iraq

Ahmed Ali, Dahr Jamail, IPS News. August 12, 2008.
With temperatures sky-high and drought on its way, Iraqis in need of electricity are looking to Iran for relief.

Can Iraq Vets Help Heal the Wounds of War?

Karin Zeitvogel, Huffington Post. August 12, 2008.
In impoverished refugee outposts, veterans and victims of the Iraq war find unlikely common ground.

Fears of New Fighting as Tensions Mount Over Kirkuk

Ali al-Mansouri, Azzaman. August 11, 2008.
The battle over the oil-rich Province of Kirkuk, once ignited, would be almost impossible to extinguish.

Who's Really Running Iraq?

Patrick Cockburn, CounterPunch. August 8, 2008.
The United States has far less control over events in Iraq than politicians and the press would have us believe.

Army Recruiter Threatens High School Student with Jail Time

Amy Goodman, Democracy Now!. August 7, 2008.
A Texas army recruiter was recently suspended for telling a teenager he would be sent to jail if he chose college over the military.

What Makes Female Suicide Bombers Different?

Courtney E. Martin, Huffington Post. August 6, 2008.
The media portrays female suicide bombers as coerced, but the factors that drive women to strap on explosives are often the same that drive men.

Drop in U.S. Casualties Coincides with Surge in Iraqi Deaths

Fatih Abdulsalam, Azzaman. August 5, 2008.
The U.S. relies on its own security parameters to judge its performance in Iraq. This does not include Iraqi casualties.

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IWPR

Providing hands-on training, extensive reporting and publishing, and support for local media, the Institute for War and Peace Reporting works to build democracy at the frontlines of conflict.

IVAW

Iraq Veterans Against the War calls for immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces in Iraq, reparations for the Iraqi people, and full benefits and adequate healthcare for returning servicemen and women.

No More Victims

One of the most effective ways to combat militarism is to focus on direct relief to its many victims. No More Victims connects American communities with war-injured Iraqi children and their families.

Courage to Resist

Tens of thousands of service members have resisted illegal war and occupation. Courage to Resist is a grassroots organization devoted to supporting GI resisters and their families.