Army's Role in Iraq Turning Personal

US military looking to increase defense ties with states around region

(NEWSER) - The United States may be pulling out of Iraq by the end of 2011 , but that doesn't mean it's getting out of the Persian Gulf—in fact, the US military is looking to boost its combat presence in Kuwait and increase its military ties to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Oman, reports the New York Times . With Iran looking to flex its muscles and other states looking unstable, the US military wants to create a new “security architecture” for the region, integrating air, sea, and missile defenses. More»

Projects from power plants to hospitals are at risk of sitting idle

(NEWSER) - As the American troop withdrawal nears, US officials fear the $53 billion taxpayers have spent since 2003 to rebuild Iraq will be squandered. Facilities from power plants and water treatment facilities to schools and hospitals are at risk of being neglected or abandoned for lack of funding or expertise, the New York Times reports. More»

(NEWSER) - The United States' poor track record on rebuilding Iraq has long been chalked up to lousy planning by Pentagon brass. But an expanding investigation by federal authorities adds another element to the mix: possible corruption by the military commanders who oversaw reconstruction in the Wild West days after the invasion, the New York Times reports. Investigators have subpoenaed the bank records of an Army colonel and an Air Force lieutenant colonel, both of whom deny wrongdoing. More»

Iraqis taking over

(NEWSER) - As Iraqis headed to the polls yesterday, it was clear that American sway over the country is fading fast, the New York Times reports. Some 140,000 US troops remain in the country, but their presence is far less visible, and Iraqis have made bold strides in setting a firm 2011 US departure date. More»

US transfers control of Baghdad's fortified enclave

(NEWSER) - The heart of the US occupation in Iraq was returned to Iraqi control at midnight last night, the Washington Post reports. Iraqi soldiers now control checkpoints leading to the heavily fortified Green Zone enclave in Baghdad. American troops and workers have moved out of many buildings, including the former palace of Saddam Hussein that once served as a US embassy. More»