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Politico
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Jul 21, 08 1:40 PM CDT
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Republican presidential candidate John McCain is stuck in an awkward position after both President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki moved closer to a withdrawal timetable favored by Barack Obama, Politico notes. McCain has opposed such a measure, but in 2004 asserted that if a sovereign Iraqi government asked US troops to leave, the American government should comply.
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Washington Post
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Jul 21, 08 10:02 AM CDT
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Barack Obama spent nearly an hour today meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, the Washington Post reports, before meeting with President Jalal Talabani. Though the Democrat gave few details—“We had a very constructive discussion,” was all Obama would say—an Iraqi official said the government shares Obama’s goal of withdrawing troops by 2010, without setting specific dates.
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CNN
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Jul 21, 08 4:49 AM CDT
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Barack Obama landed in Basra today and headed to Baghdad for the latest leg of his world tour, the Washington Post reports. The candidate, who made a brief stop in Kuwait last night after 2 days in Afghanistan, will meet with US commanders and Iraqi officials and speak with US troops and civilian employees. He is accompanied by Democratic Sen. Jack Reed from the Senate Armed Services Committee, CNN reports, and Republican war critic Chuck Hagel.
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Washington Post
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Jul 18, 08 11:45 AM CDT
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Lawmakers have been flocking to Iraq to assess the situation on the ground, as Barack Obama is about to do, but the visits rarely result in any revelations for them, writes Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post . The itineraries are fairly routine by now—meet the generals, the troops, and some Iraqi leaders; maybe visit the front lines—and "most seem to return even more convinced of the views they held before they left."
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New York Times
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Jul 18, 08 4:00 AM CDT
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Shoddy electrical work by private contractors is making Iraq an even deadlier place for US troops, reports the New York Times . At least 13 troops have died from electrocution and many more have been injured. Others have perished in electrical fires. The problem is worse than the Pentagon has acknowledged, with 283 fires sparked at military installations in a 6-month period, according to Army documents.
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New York Times
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Jul 17, 08 3:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama is widely popular in Iraq, despite deep concerns about his plans to withdraw American troops, reports the New York Times . Iraqis around the country expressed admiration for Obama and believe he would be a major improvement over President Bush—but also worry that his proposed 16-month withdrawal timetable could reverse hard-fought security gains.
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Washington Post
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Jul 15, 08 10:00 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Barack Obama and John McCain have battled each other to a draw when it comes to Iraq, according to a new Washington Post -ABC News poll. Americans are split more or less down the middle on Iraq policy, with 50% supporting Obama’s withdrawal timetable and 49% backing McCain’s open-ended approach. In general, 47% trust McCain to handle Iraq, while 45% trust Obama.
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Reuters
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Jul 15, 08 5:29 AM CDT
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Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in an Iraqi army recruitment center, killing 35 people and wounding at least 63, the New York Times reports. Most of the dead were recruits. The attack took place in Baquba, the capital of Iraq's ethnically mixed Diyala province. On Sunday the country's interior ministry announced a major crackdown in Diyala, which will involve American troops.
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Sacramento Bee
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Jul 13, 08 7:17 PM CDT
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Dozens of US criminals who were granted Army waivers to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan have been linked to in-service problems, the Sacramento Bee reports. In a year-long study, the paper connected "suspect soldiers"—accused of beating prisoners, stealing weapons, and more—to troubles back home. Of 18 with felony arrest or mental health records, eight were involved in Iraq incidents and a ninth killed himself.
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Washington Post
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Jul 13, 08 9:48 AM CDT
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A photo turned an American medic in Iraq into a hero, showing him carrying an Iraqi child to safety. But the photographer, Warren Zinn, wonders whether it also contributed to his suicide. Joseph Dwyer suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Iraq; Zinn worries, in the Washington Post , whether his fame exacerbated his pain.
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Associated Press
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Jul 11, 08 2:59 AM CDT
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The families of two US soldiers missing in Iraq for over a year have been informed that their bodies have been found, reports AP. Alex Jimenez, 25, and Byron Fouty, 19, were seized by insurgents in a May 2007 ambush. Four other soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division "Polar Bears" died in the attack. The body of a third kidnapped soldier was found weeks later.
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Variety
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Jul 10, 08 4:31 PM CDT
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From the mean streets of Baltimore to the meaner ones of Baghdad, the force behind The Wire scores a direct hit with HBO's new Generation Kill , writes Brian Lowry for Variety . Following a cast of Marines during the Iraqi invasion’s first 40 days, the 7-episode miniseries may make you forget it's a work of fiction as it "offers offers a chance to see those troops in their full, unfettered, foul-mouthed glory." It begins Sunday.
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Washington Post
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Jul 10, 08 9:18 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Shiite insurgents in Iraq have been attacking US forces with a new weapon the military fears could kill dozens of troops at a time, reports the Washington Post . Rocket-propelled bombs, made of propane tanks packed with hundreds of pounds of explosives, have killed at least 21 people this year, including three US troops—and are being used with increasing frequency.
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New York Times
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Jul 10, 08 7:41 AM CDT
(Newser) -
Nouri al-Maliki and the Iraqi government are now openly demanding a timetable for the withdrawal of American forces, reports the New York Times . While nobody expects Baghdad to boot American troops, several military victories and greater political stability have emboldened Maliki, and the increasingly loud demands reflect a new confidence on the part of the Iraqi PM.
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New York Times
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Jul 8, 08 12:05 PM CDT
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Calling the current system “ineffective at best and unconstitutional at worst,” two former Secretaries of State propose a sweeping update of law governing powers to declare war—whereby the president would be required to seek permission from Congress for “significant armed conflict” (lasting more than a week). In the New York Times , James Baker and Warren Christopher take both branches to task.
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Los Angeles Times
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Jul 7, 08 1:58 PM CDT
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War films can help shape public perception, and the Army is trying to guide moviemakers away from negative portrayals of the Iraq conflict like the ones that dominated films about Vietnam. Army liaisons to Hollywood offer equipment, expertise—and script alterations that some filmmakers see as spin. The LA Times looks at an area in which, one military liaison says, "There doesn't seem to be a lot of room for nuance."
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Times (UK)
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Jul 6, 08 6:56 PM CDT