U.S. Army hopes to keep native Arabic speakers
Washington — The Army may begin paying a retention bonus of as much as $150,000 to Arabic speaking soldiers in reflection of how critical it has become for the U.S....New operation gets surprise support
BAQUBA (IPS) — A massive military operation in Diyala province has underscored the military and political gains by the Sahwa militia, despite Prime Minister Nouri...What does al-Maliki really want?
The July deadline for Iraq and the United States to sign a security agreement for the long-term status of U.S. troops in Iraq is stumbling to a close. ......
Iraq is poised to explode
While everyone's looking at Iraq's effect on American politics — and whether or not John McCain and Barack Obama are converging on a policy that combines a flexible...
Bush, U.S. military pressure Iraqis on withdrawal
July 26th, 20080 WASHINGTON (IPS) — Instead of moving toward accommodating the demand of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for a timetable for U.S. military withdrawal, the George......
Has the ‘surge’ in Iraq worked?
In 2006, things seemed to be going badly for the U.S. military efforts in Iraq. The Iraq war became a top issue in the 2006 Congressional elections in the United...Iraqi Shi’a party rises as Sadr falls
NAJAF — At a teeming rally in this holy city last Thursday, thousands of Iraqi Shi'a made an election pledge. "We are at your beck and call, Hakim," they shouted......
U.S. forces to hand over hard-won Anbar Province?
FALLUJAH — This is a city literally rising from the ashes. While reminders of two major U.S. assaults here in April and November 2004 are inescapable, signs of...
A blueprint for withdrawal from Iraq
June 27th, 20080 WASHINGTON (IPS) — Proponents of a U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq routinely brush off criticisms that their ideas are "irresponsible." But until this week, the......
How the war will end in Iraq
All eyes are on the U.S. presidential campaign, in which the candidates have taken quite different positions concerning the war in Iraq. This is the wrong place to...
Revealed: Secret plan to keep Iraq under U.S. control
June 6th, 20080 A secret deal being negotiated in Baghdad would perpetuate the American military occupation of Iraq indefinitely, regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential......
Iraqis questioning U.S.-Iraq deals
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Iraqi parliamentarians are increasingly concerned that they are being left out of talks between Iraqi and U.S. officials over a strategic deal to...No evidence to prove U.S. claims against Iran
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Early this month, the George W. Bush administration's plan to create a new crescendo of accusations against Iran for allegedly smuggling arms to......
Iraq’s antiquities garner international attention
Across southern Iraq, large stretches of terrain resemble a moonscape, the earth pocked by dozens of untidy craters. The man-made holes have been dug as part of...Iran shifts attention to brokering peace in Iraq
Details from a secret meeting between top Iranian and Iraqi officials signal Iran's aim to 'stop arming' militias ISTANBUL and BAGHDAD......
Pressure to cut costs, troops strains “surge”
WASHINGTON (IPS) - Growing impatience in Congress over the enormous costs being racked up by the Iraq war, as well as the Pentagon's belief that it needs more troops...The ten commandments of Iraq
The Iraq war is over. The failure of Bush's surge to produce political reconciliation in Iraq, combined with the unsustainable stress on our military and Congress'......
The new walls of Baghdad
The new "surge" strategy in Iraq, led by General David Petreaus, has been heavily marketed as an example of the U.S. military's application of the "lessons of...
Iraqi chaos hardening sectarian fiefdoms
April 18th, 20080 To the extent that a government in Iraq exists, it provides services on a sectarian basis WASHINGTON (IPS) — There are an estimated 2.7 million Iraqis......
Reality ignored in hearings on Iraq
April 11th, 20080 Sure, Arizona Senator John McCain's campaign may still be selling him as some kind of "maverick" or "independent thinker" — and most of the media may still be buying...Iraqi Olympians dodge violence and politics on the path to Beijing
A sprinter and an archer – two of the four Iraqis who have qualified so far – struggle to train amid sectarian divides and a dearth of equipment. BAGHDAD......
Basra battles: What reporters omitted and fabricated
The latest battles in Basra, Iraq’s largest city and a vital oil port, provide ample examples of misleading and manipulative practice in corporate journalism today....Iraq still a quagmire say experts
WASHINGTON (IPS) — Despite a reduction in violence over the past 15 months, "the U.S. risks getting bogged down in Iraq for a long time to come, with serious......
