Friday: 132 Iraqis Killed, 14 Wounded2 Nov 2006Excerpt: Authorities in Baghdad reported the discovery of 87 bodies scattered throughout the capital over a 36-hour period. This brings the tally to 132 Iraqis killed and 14 wounded. In prominent deaths, the gunshot-riddled body of journalist Abdul Majeed Ismael Khalil was discovered in Baghdad; he was abducted last month. Gunmen also killed singer Resan al-Sayab and television journalist Ahmed Rasheed in separate incidents in the capital. U.S. forces, conducting raids in the Mahmudiya area killed 13 suspected militiamen and destroyed various types of weaponry. In rare good news, a Greek kidnap victim is free and unharmed; the woman was in Baghdad delivering medicine to a hospital.
Terror, Torture Fine for Some1 Nov 2006Excerpt: President George W. Bush has promoted himself as single-mindedly tough on terrorists and those who protect them. “We make no distinction between those who committed these acts and those who harbor them,” he told the nation on Sept. 11, 2001. But while Arab suspects with no evidence or charges against them get “rendered” to other nations or stranded in Guantanamo, two anti-Castro terrorists who destroyed an airplane with passengers aboard are getting kid-glove treatment.
The Neocons’ Nadir?1 Nov 2006Excerpt: Less than a week from midterm elections that are expected to bring at least one house of Congress under Democratic control, neoconservatives, whose foreign policy ideas dominated most of the first half of the administration of U.S. George W. Bush, are having a hard time.
Thursday: 8 GIs, 60 Iraqis Killed; 98 Iraqis Injured1 Nov 2006Excerpt: The November tally of U.S. military deaths has quickly risen to eleven. Eight servicemembers were reported killed today and another two were added to yesterday’s count. Also, several prominent Iraqis and members of their families were assassinated in different parts of the country. They are among the at least 58 known Iraqi dead. Another 92 Iraqis have also been wounded in ongoing violence and three Iraqis were reported missing.
Who’s Afraid of an Iranian Bomb?31 Oct 2006Excerpt: At the height of the epic Battle of Britain in 1940, when British airmen were killed at an appalling rate (“never was so much owed by so many to so few”), an official in charge of propaganda had a bright idea to raise morale. On the walls at the Royal Air Force bases a poster appeared with these words: “Who is afraid of the Ju-87?” (At the time, one of the most effective German planes.)
Move Over, GI Joe and Han Solo31 Oct 2006Excerpt: It’s hard even to remember anymore the true state of the U.S. military as the Vietnam War ground toward its bloody end. By the late 1960s, the statistics flowing back to Washington about the American war machine were enough to give any general nightmares.
Snake Oil and the Midterm Elections31 Oct 2006Excerpt: So we are in the trenches of another election season, and if you peer closely you can see the explosions on the horizon. I’ve yet to be convinced the Democrats have the capacity to take back Congress, and to tell you the truth I don’t really care if they do. Not only do they not have the ability to lead, they also do not possess the moral impetus to change the direction of this war if they are lucky enough to regain control. Indeed, they are just as responsible for the ruin in Iraq and back home as the Bushites.
Hillary Urges ‘Sea Change’ in Mideast Policy31 Oct 2006Excerpt: In a major policy address, Sen. Hillary Clinton Tuesday called for a “sea change” in U.S. foreign policy that would include direct talks with Syria, Iran, and North Korea and greater U.S. engagement in promoting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
Wednesday: 91 Iraqis, 3 GIs Killed; 42 Iraqis, 1 Marine Wounded31 Oct 2006Excerpt: Another 91 Iraqis were killed and 42 more wounded in violent acts today. November’s first U.S. military fatality occurred today west of Baghdad; a soldier was killed when a roadside bomb blasted his vehicle. The U.S. military also reported that a soldier was killed by small arms fire and a Marine died in a non-hostile incident, both in Anbar Province yesterday. The family of a wounded Marine today reported that he had been injured in Anbar on Monday. Several assassination attempts occurred, some successful. Five high profile Iraqis were kidnapped.
Active-Duty GIs Call for Withdrawal30 Oct 2006Excerpt: For the first time since the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, active-duty members of the military are asking members of Congress to end the occupation of Iraq and bring U.S. soldiers home.
Third and Final Act30 Oct 2006Excerpt: The third and final act in the national tragedy that is the Bush administration may soon play itself out. The Okhrana reports increasing indications of “something big” happening between the election and Christmas. That could be the long-planned attack on Iran.
Bush the Cheerleader30 Oct 2006Excerpt: When President George W. Bush was asked at his news conference last Wednesday whether we are winning in Iraq, he answered, “Absolutely; we’re winning.” The disingenuousness was almost enough to provoke sympathy for the beleaguered president as he lived through another bad week with further diminished credibility.
Mercenaries Look Beyond Iraq30 Oct 2006Excerpt: As the position of the Coalition forces in Iraq looks increasingly untenable, it is not just the fate of the national military contingents that is in question.
November ‘56: Defining Moment30 Oct 2006Excerpt: November 1956, 50 years ago, was a month the drama of which many of us can yet recall. It was a defining moment of the Cold War.
Filling the Spin Vacuum30 Oct 2006Excerpt: President Bush and Karl Rove realize they are losing the pre-election public relations battle with the Democrats over the war in Iraq.
UK: Once Again, Stop the War30 Oct 2006Excerpt: LONDON —More than three years after London saw its biggest ever rally to prevent the war in Iraq, the group Stop the War is launching a new campaign to pull coalition forces out of Iraq.
Tuesday: 80 Iraqis, 2 American Soldiers Killed; 37 Iraqis Wounded30 Oct 2006Excerpt: In the latest developments in war-torn Iraq, 78 Iraqis were killed and another 37 were wounded in violent acts. At least 40 more Iraqis are reported kidnapped in one incident alone and the U.S. military also reported two more American servicemember deaths today.
Poppy Wars29 Oct 2006Excerpt: While the Iraqi catastrophe—and whether we are about to be at a post-midterm election “tipping point” in that country—preoccupies Americans, an older Bush administration Afghan “success” story has sprung enough holes to sink the Titanic and looks to be taking on water fast.
Beyond Ideology29 Oct 2006Excerpt: (The following is the text of a talk given at Duke University before a joint meeting sponsored by the Libertarian Party of North Carolina and the Green Party.)
Monday: 107 Iraqis, 1 Marine and 1 US MP Killed; 120 Iraqis Injured29 Oct 2006Excerpt: In Iraq, there is little doubt now that the holiday break from violence was just that. At least 107 Iraqis have so far died on Monday and another 120 were wounded. The U.S. death toll for October alone hit 101 today making this the fourth deadliest month since the war began. An 89th Military Police Brigade servicemember was killed by a sniper in east Baghdad today. The military also reported this morning that a Marine was killed “due to enemy action” in Anbar Province yesterday. In major news, at least 33 were killed in a bombing in Sadr City, and two political assassinations took place.
Sunday: 94 Iraqis Killed, 25 Injured28 Oct 2006Excerpt: At least 94 Iraqis were killed in todayand#8217;s violence. Another 25 are known injured. No foreign deaths were reported, but two Iraqi journalists were murdered in the capital. Also, Prime Minister al-Malikiand#8217;s vehicle was attacked by gunmen, but he was not present. The deputy governor of Baghdadand#8217;s vehicle was blasted by a roadside bomb; he was uninjured. Also, the British consulate at Basra is being evacuated due to safety concerns and repeated mortar attacks.
Punishing North Korea—Eh?27 Oct 2006Excerpt: When George W. Bush became president, North Korea, Iraq, and Iran were signatories to the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) and had made all their NPT proscribed materials, facilities, and activities subject to International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.
Bush Under Growing Pressure to Engage Syria27 Oct 2006Excerpt: While U.S. President George W. Bush appeared this week to reject suggestions that Washington directly engage the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, pressure both here and in the region for Washington to work out some accommodation with Damascus is rising.
Antiwar.com original