Iraq war

Stories 221 - 240 | << Prev   Next >>

Biden: US Will Appeal Blackwater Dismissal

Vice president expresses his 'personal regret' for the case's outcome

(Newser) - Joe Biden said today the US will appeal a court decision dismissing manslaughter charges against five Blackwater guards involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting. Biden expressed his "personal regret" for the shooting and said the Obama administration was disappointed by the dismissal. "A dismissal is not an...

'Jesus Rifles' Draw Fire
 'Jesus Rifles' Draw Fire 
Jan 18, 2010 6:20 PM CST

'Jesus Rifles' Draw Fire

US military firearms with coded messages raise issue of 'crusade'

(Newser) - A rifle scope commonly used by the US military is inscribed with references to the Bible. The scopes, made by Trijicon of Michigan, bear codes that refer to verses glorifying God and Jesus—even though the military, leery of being accused of waging a Crusade, bans proselytizing in Iraq and...

Obama's First Year in Numbers

 Obama's 
 First Year 
 in Numbers 
DOW'S UP, AT LEAST
Jan 18, 2010 12:10 PM CST

Obama's First Year in Numbers

The Dow is up more than 2,600 points, at least

(Newser) - President Obama is about to celebrate—maybe that's not the right term—one year in office, and the AP takes a look at some numbers that have defined his inaugural turn around the sun.
  • The Dow: Perhaps the only clear victory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has risen from 7,
...

To Honor Troops, Stop Playing the National Anthem

Instead, read names of fallen service members

(Newser) - If you don't know anyone in the military, it can be shockingly easy to forget that the US has been at war for almost an entire decade. A good remedy would be making the cost, particularly in human terms, more visible, writes John Baldoni. He suggests that the national anthem...

David Petraeus: GOP's 2012 Dark Horse
 David 
 Petraeus: 
 GOP's 2012 
 Dark Horse 
BUZZING AROUND DC
Jan 5, 2010 9:39 PM CST

David Petraeus: GOP's 2012 Dark Horse

General considered rising star by key righty pundits

(Newser) - Looking for a “true dark horse” to win the Republican presidential nomination in 2012? Put your money on Gen. David Petraeus, the architect of the Iraq and Afghanistan war strategies, who’s soon to receive a big award from the conservative American Enterprise Institute, Paul Bedard writes for US ...

Hostage's Parents Slam US 'Terrorist Deal'

Dead man's dad opposes negotiating with kidnappers

(Newser) - The family of a British hostage who died after being kidnapped in Iraq have criticized the US for an alleged deal that reportedly released a terrorist prisoner in exchange for the freedom of one of their son's colleagues last week. Peter Moore was freed after militant cleric Qais al-Khazali was...

Afghanistan '09 Twice as Deadly as Iraq for US

Military expects further rise in casualties

(Newser) - This has been the first year since the Iraq war began that more Americans troops were killed in Afghanistan than Iraq, and next year is expected to be even worse. Some 319 American troops have died in Afghanistan this year, compared with 148 for Iraq, USA Today reports.

Army Historians Fault Early Afghan War Strategy

Forces were undermanned, and planning was shoddy

(Newser) - The US missed out on chances to stabilize Afghanistan early in the war because it devoted too few troops and too little planning to the conflict, write Army historians in an official chronicle of the conflict. "It should have become clear” in late 2003 “that the coalition presence...

The Lowest Points of the 'Decade of the Oligarchs'
The Lowest Points of the 'Decade of the Oligarchs'
aughts in Review
Dec 24, 2009 2:50 PM CST

The Lowest Points of the 'Decade of the Oligarchs'

Bush put US on path to banana republic status

(Newser) - The 2000s were dominated by George W. Bush and the new American oligarchy he represents, writes Juan Cole. He lists hit 10 lowest points of an awful decade:
  • “The constitutional coup of 2000,” in which “ugly racial and other low tricks” and a “far right-wing Supreme
...

US Commander in Iraq Threatens Court-Martial for Pregnancy

Order applies to both women and men

(Newser) - The general in command of American forces in northern Iraq has instituted an order making court-martial a possible punishment for becoming pregnant—or for impregnating a service member or civilian employee. The policy, which covers both single and married personnel, has not been enforced; it applies only to situations in...

Dems Block GOP War Bill Filibuster

Gates slams tactic to delay health bill

(Newser) - Senate Democrats beat back a Republican attempt to filibuster a huge Pentagon spending bill in a post-midnight session last night. Republican success would have forced the government to seek a new stopgap way to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, delaying health care legislation in the process. Three Republicans...

Former Gov. Gary Johnson Eyes Ron Paul's Shoes
Former Gov. Gary Johnson Eyes Ron Paul's Shoes 

ELECTION 2012
Dec 17, 2009 9:39 AM CST

Former Gov. Gary Johnson Eyes Ron Paul's Shoes

Republican with libertarian leanings could harness Tea Partiers

(Newser) - Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, hoping to catch the rising tide of Tea Party-style populist anger, has been polishing up his quirky libertarian bona fides for what looks like a run at the presidency in 2012. Though Johnson is cagey, he has made it clear he’s sticking with...

Blair: I Would've Invaded Iraq Anyway
 Blair: I Would've 
 Invaded Iraq Anyway 
EVEN WITHOUT WMD
Dec 12, 2009 9:40 AM CST

Blair: I Would've Invaded Iraq Anyway

Even if he'd known there were no WMD, ex-PM wanted Saddam out

(Newser) - Tony Blair is unrepentant of his support for the Iraq war, telling a BBC interviewer that even if he'd known there were no weapons of mass destruction, "I would still have thought it right to remove him. I mean obviously you would have had to use and deploy different...

Gates Arrives in Iraq in Wake of Bombings

US officials say spate of violence won't affect withdrawal plan

(Newser) - Robert Gates flew to Baghdad today for an unannounced visit, finding a city still reeling from the bombings that killed at least 127 people on Tuesday. The defense secretary is scheduled to meet with Nouri al-Maliki and other top officials, and to offer condolences to victims of the attacks. He’...

Obama: 'War Is Sometimes Necessary'
 Obama: 'War Is 
 Sometimes 
 Necessary' 
nobel acceptance speech
Dec 10, 2009 7:53 AM CST

Obama: 'War Is Sometimes Necessary'

Obama accepts peace prize by saying force morally justified

(Newser) - President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today with, paradoxically, a defense of war. Obama began his speech by acknowledging the controversy surrounding his reward, both because his accomplishments are slight and because of the wars he presides over. “We will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes,”...

Iraqi Shoe Thrower Has to Dodge One Himself

Another man fires footwear of his own at Bush critic

(Newser) - The Iraqi journalist who famously chucked his shoes at George Bush got a taste of what it's like to be on the receiving end today. During a press conference in Paris to push his campaign for "victims of the US occupation," Muntadhar al-Zeidi had to duck when a...

Oil Giants Bend to Iraq's Terms
 Oil Giants 
 Bend to 
 Iraq's Terms 



HARD TIMES IN BIG OIL
Dec 1, 2009 10:35 AM CST

Oil Giants Bend to Iraq's Terms

War for oil hasn't been too lucrative for American companies

(Newser) - If the Iraq war was fought for oil, it’s done little to enrich American oil companies, which are just now striking deals to service the country’s fields—and at far worse terms than they’d hoped. Most companies balked at Iraq’s initial service contract offers, refusing to...

Dem: Bush Let Bin Laden Escape ... on Purpose

Needed to justify Iraq war, Hinchey says

(Newser) - A Democratic congressman today accused President Bush of purposely letting Osama bin Laden escape capture in order to justify the Iraq war—and, when given an out by MSNBC’s David Shuster, Rep. Maurice Hinchey reiterated, “I don’t think it’ll will strike a lot of people as...

Mystery Saddam Channel Hits Iraq TV

Executed dictator lives again on station

(Newser) - A mysterious satellite TV station honoring Saddam Hussein has become a fixture on Iraqi television on the third anniversary of the dictator's execution.The government suspects the so-called "Saddam Channel" is being funded by the late ruler's Baathist party, but no one knows for certain, reports AP . The station...

Biden the Second Most Powerful Vice Prez

He's scaling back from Cheney, but a major player in his own right

(Newser) - Joe Biden is surely not as powerful as Dick Cheney was, writes James Traub. But because Cheney so radically expanded the office of vice president, Biden has been able to scale it back and still become arguably the second most powerful VP in history. Biden has no portfolio—he acts...

Stories 221 - 240 | << Prev   Next >>