Legislative, military timetables converge with fiscal year
Washington Post May 8, 07 8:18 AM CDT
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September is likely to be put-up-or-shut-up time for supporters of the Iraq war, legislators from both parties tell the Washington Post. Gen. David Petraeus has said he will have a sense of whether the surge is working by then, and lawmakers want a clearer picture of America's future involvement before the fiscal year begins October 1.
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New York Times May 7, 07 4:07 PM CDT
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World Bank president Paul Wolfowitz is guilty of a conflict of interest for finagling promotions and raises for his girlfriend, according to a panel of seven bank directors. The result isn't binding and doesn't recommend a punishment, but bank insiders tell the Times that a majority of the 24 board members want Wolfowitz out.
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New York Times May 6, 07 9:07 PM CDT
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With Tony Blair about to step down, Alan Cowell considers the departing PM's most important accomplishments and failures. The former: moving Britain’s poiltical center of gravity away from Margaret Thatcher’s rugged individualism and toward a more compassionate society.
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Pentagon: troops are out of line with "soldier's rules"
Washington Post May 5, 07 8:00 PM CDT
(Newser)
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U.S. troops in Iraq flunked a survey on battlefield ethics, according to a Pentagon report published yesterday. Of the 1,767 soldiers interviewed, more than one-third endorse torture, two-thirds would not turn in a team member for abusing civilians, and 10% admit to harassing civilians and vandalizing property—all policies that violate the Army's code of ethics.
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Pro-independence faction takes control
of Scottish parliament
Guardian (UK) May 4, 07 3:42 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Tony Blair's Labour Party took a beating in yesterday's local elections, winning just 27 percent of the vote. But both the party—wildly unpopular because of Blair's Iraq war stance and several recent scandals—and pundits scored the result a minor victory because Labour lost only 410 local council seats rather than the predicted 600.
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Hard-line stand may help her stake out leadership on war
New York Times May 4, 07 10:10 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Hillary wants a do-over on Iraq, calling on Congress to withdraw the war powers they gave Bush in 2002. In a clear bid to stake out her own hard-line anti-war territory, Clinton says Congress should repeal the authority granted Bush as of Oct. 11, the fifth anniversary of the vote.
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Washington Post May 3, 07 3:57 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Some of the most riveting reporting about the war in Iraq is coming from the soldiers fighting it. As blogs from deployed soldiers proliferate, higher-ups are biting their nails over the ensuing transparency. Bloggers like Capt. Danjel Bout say posting provides "online therapy" and helps keep friends and the public apprised of developments.
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US, Iran, Syria to cross paths at Egypt summit
BBC May 3, 07 7:52 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is begging other nations to write off Iraq's debt, saying the country needs reconstruction funds. He spoke today at a regional summit that will feature the first high-level talks between the U.S. and Syria since 2005; prospects of Secretary of State Rice sitting down with her Iranian counterpart are far less certain.
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British defense minister regrets mistakes, underestimating
Dick Cheney
Guardian (UK) May 2, 07 5:26 PM CDT
(Newser)
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In a confessional interview about his Iraq war regrets, the former British defense secretary tells the Guardian that the Brits' biggest miscalculation was underestimating Dick Cheney. Geoff Hoon said he and other senior ministers would air disagreements with Bush, Rumsfeld, and Powell, and they'd come away thinking they'd made their points. But they were wrong.
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What's worse than Moqtada al-Sadr?
The Mahdi Army ignoring him
Newsweek May 2, 07 1:58 PM CDT
(Newser)
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The Madhi Army is letting loose. Officially locked down by leader Moqtada al-Sadr during the troop surge, renegade Mahdis are unleashing a wave of random violence on once-peaceful areas of central and southern Iraq, Newseek reports. That worries even al-Sadr's commanders, who are now seeking U.S. help to control their wayward acolytes.
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After 10 years at
No. 10, PM says he'll pass torch to Brown within weeks
Daily Telegraph (UK) May 2, 07 9:08 AM CDT
(Newser)
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As he marked a decade in power, British prime minister Tony Blair said yesterday he'll step down within weeks. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown is expected to succeed Blair, who stopped short of officially anointing Brown but told a Labour rally, "In all probability, a Scot will become prime minister of the United Kingdom."
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A day of pomp and American flags leads back to the drawing board
Politico May 2, 07 7:25 AM CDT
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After a day of partisan theatrics—what the Politico notes may rank as the Capitol's most celebrated sendoff for a doomed bill—work gets serious on a compromise war spending bill that may include benchmarks but no timelines. Bush meets with congressional leaders to begin formal negotiations today, even as the House makes a futile effort to override yesterday's veto.
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Washington Post May 1, 07 5:50 PM CDT
(Newser)
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As good as his word, President Bush made short work of vetoing the war appropriations bill Congress put on his desk today, objecting to its provision for a strict timetable for pulling the troop out of Iraq. With the veto a fait accompli for weeks, lawmakers are already girding to develop a compromise.
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