Has Obama Reneged on His Promise?
Tags: Iraq
The Rand Papers on Iraq and Afghanistan: The Banality of Occupation
The contradiction rampant throughout the report can be best phrased in the words of US Army Major Justin Featherstone who told the report’s writers after his extensive work with the urban population in southeastern Iraq: “Humanity is what it’s about, a genuine desire to do good by the good people, which can sit side-by-side with…
Bowing to the Masters of War?
The American people did not elect the Pentagon. They elected Barack Obama based a good deal on his promise to get US troops out of Iraq sooner rather than later. Since he was elected, Mr. Obama has hedged on this promise. Since he was inaugurated, the Pentagon and its civilian boss Robert Gates have hedged…
Guns, Butter, and Obama
Over the next several months there will be a battle for hearts and minds, but not in Iraq or Afghanistan. The war will be here at home, waged mostly in the halls of Congress, where grim lobbyists for one of the top 15 economies in the world are digging in to preserve their stake in…
Obama Should Worry About Iraqi Shoes, Too
When Iraq’s violence escalates, President Obama better not be caught on his heels when he’s blamed for losing Bush’s “win.” By Ben Lando AlterNet INTERNATIONAL Posted by Bulalat After four hours stuck in Baghdad traffic, I was close enough to get out of the car and walk to my hotel. I’m sure it was raw…
Anti-imperialist Group Hails Iraqi Journalist for Hurling Shoes at Bush
BY BULATLAT An international anti-imperialist organization hailed the Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at US President George W. Bush. In a statement sent through email, Jose Maria Sison, chairman of the International Coordinating Committee of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS) called journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi of Cairo-based Al-Bahgdadia as a hero for hurling…
Total Defeat for U.S. in Iraq
It’s All Spelled Out in Unpublicized Agreement On November 27 the Iraqi parliament voted by a large majority in favor of a security agreement with the US under which the 150,000 American troops in Iraq will withdraw from cities, towns and villages by June 30, 2009 and from all of Iraq by December 31, 2011.…
The Election, Economy, War, and Peace
Turning to the future, what can we realistically expect of an Obama administration? We have two sources of information: actions and rhetoric. The most important actions to date are selection of staff. The first selection was for vice-President: Joe Biden, one of the strongest supporters of the Iraq invasion among Senate Democrats, a long-time Washington…
The Danger of Keeping Robert Gates*
Press reports say Barack Obama may retain George W. Bush’s Defense Secretary Robert Gates as a gesture to war-time continuity, bipartisanship and respect for the Washington insider community, which has embraced Gates as something of a new Wise Man. However, if Obama does keep Gates on, the new President will be employing someone who embodies…
US-Iraq Agreement Leaked
A leaked version of last month’s draft of the proposed US-Iraq status of forces agreement (SOFA) suggests that the Iraqi parliament may not be consulted before it is signed, despite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s promises to do so. The pact would govern the future US presence in Iraq. The draft indicates no intent to set…
Former “Bush Puppet” Iraqi PM Calls for US Withdrawal
Dr. Ayad Allawi, the former interim Iraqi prime minister previously referred to even by US Congress members as a “Bush puppet,” voiced his strong support for a US withdrawal timeline during a Wednesday Congressional hearing. BY MAYA SCHENWAR, T r u t h o u t Posted by Bulatlat.com Vol. VIII, No. 31, September 7-13,…