Iraq war

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Penn Hangs Again With Pal Chavez

Actor and anti-American leader tour natural gas pipeline

(Newser) - Sean Penn is again in Venezuela visiting President Hugo Chavez, the New York Post reports. The two met last year, and the actor calls Chavez—who tends to be critical of the US, to put it mildly—"a fascinating guy," while the prez and equally ardent Bush-hater has...

Petraeus Panel to Rethink Iraq, Afghan Strategy

General assembles brain trust for 100-day review of regional efforts

(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus is assembling a panel of experts to carefully reconsider US strategy in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as Pakistan, Iran and the surrounding region, reports the Washington Post. He's recruiting a handpicked brain trust of advisers from the private sector, State Department and Pentagon. The group will...

US Agrees to Leave Iraq in 2011
 US Agrees to Leave Iraq in 2011 
Oct 15, 2008 4:32 PM CDT

US Agrees to Leave Iraq in 2011

Bilateral pact, which gives Iraq control over troops, must be approved by parliament

(Newser) - Iraq's government could soon be in charge of US troops for the first time, a prelude to their full withdrawal by 2011 under a deal now awaiting approval by Iraqi politicians, Reuters reports. The deal sets a firm timeline, and lets the Arab nation prosecute American soldiers for some serious...

US Kills al-Qaeda in Iraq's No. 2

Insurgent leader specialized in recruiting

(Newser) - American troops acting on a tip killed the No. 2 leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq—a Moroccan known for his ability to recruit and motivate foreign fighters—in a raid in the northern city of Mosul, the US military said today. The man, known as Abu Qaswarah, was a charismatic...

Joint Chiefs Head Calls for Wider PTSD Screening

Post Traumatic Stress a 'bigger problem than we realize,' says chief

(Newser) - Every member of the US military should undergo screening for post-traumatic stress disorder upon returning from combat in Iraq, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has recommended. As many as 1 of every 5 returning combat vets suffers from mental health problems, USA Today reports. "I think...

Someone's Leaving Iraq— Journalists

Interest wanes as news shifts from fighting to rebuilding

(Newser) - As Iraq stabilizes itself, withdrawals have finally begun—for the media. Journalists have left Iraq in droves this year, the Washington Post reports. Last September, military units hosted 219 embedded journalists; this month, that number shrunk to 39. Of the dozen newspapers that once maintained Baghdad bureaus, only 4 remain....

The Maverick Will Rise Again
 The Maverick Will Rise Again 
OPINION
Oct 10, 2008 2:01 PM CDT

The Maverick Will Rise Again

Conservatives may have turned against him, but the National Review hasn't

(Newser) - Wall Street is reeling, but the real depression has set in among Republicans who seem resigned to losing the White House. "Yet for all the gloom, there are several reasons why this race is by no means over," Victor David Hanson writes for the National Review. The neocon...

Marines Try to Wean Iraq From US Pocketbook

Saddam-era budget network can't provide to expanded security forces

(Newser) - As Iraq becomes safer, the Marines have focused on the next challenge: weaning the country’s security forces off US financial and logistical support, USA Today reports. To spur the independence of the nascent Iraqi police, the Marines now refuse to refuel their vehicles, and it's gotten the Iraqis' attention....

No Clear Favorite for Military Families in Election

Veteran McCain has support, but wars' toll pushes many toward Obama

(Newser) - Members of the US military and their families are looking to the November election to address the hardships of military life, but opinions vary as to which candidate will serve them best, the Boston Globe reports. John McCain’s vows to honor service—and promise of higher pay—have clear...

$700B Goes a Long Way in Space&mdash;and on Earth
$700B Goes a Long Way
in Space—and on Earth
ANALYSIS
Oct 5, 2008 6:03 AM CDT

$700B Goes a Long Way in Space—and on Earth

Bailout bucks could fund 7 space stations, pay salaries for 16M teachers

(Newser) - With the Treasury Department now in charge of figuring out what holes to plug with its $700 billion in bailout bucks, the San Francisco Chronicle takes a look at what else that money could do. Some highlights:
  • Hire 16,062,414 public-school teachers.
  • Pay the average weekly wages of 22
...

Double Copter Crash Kills Soldier in Baghdad

(Newser) - A pair of Black Hawk helicopters crash-landed in northern Baghdad today and killed an Iraqi soldier, AFP reports. Two American soldiers and two Iraqi soldiers were also injured. The US military did not suspect enemy fire and called the situation "under control. Emergency services are on the scene."...

US Kills Mastermind of Baghdad Bombings

Senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader also in execution video

(Newser) - The US has killed a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq suspected of masterminding one of the deadliest bombings in Baghdad, the AP reports. Mahir Ahmad Mahmud al-Zubaydi, also known as Abu Assad or Abu Rami, allegedly directed the cell responsible for a  series of blasts that killed more than...

CBS Reporter Under Scrutiny for Iraq Booty

US Customs looks into Logan's swiped Hussein portraits

(Newser) - CBS chief correspondent and tabloid catnip Lara Logan has two portraits of Saddam Hussein in her office, and US Customs wants to know why. The art was recovered from the wreckage of a Baghdad palace, and it's illegal to take such items out of Iraq. Customs prosecuted a Fox News...

Forces Key to Iraq Security Lose Steam as US Hands Off

Shiite government isn't incorporating Sunni Sons of Iraq, or, worse, hunting them down

(Newser) - As Iraq's Shia-led government assumes greater control of security, US soldiers fear the sudden disintegration of the 54,000-strong Sunni force that had been key to improving conditions there, the Washington Post reports. The government has pledged to hire 20% of the so-called Sons of Iraq, but that still leaves...

Return to Iraq: A Fragile Peace That's Jarring

Troop surge, Awakening Councils have brought fragile peace

(Newser) - When Dexter Filkins left Baghdad in 2006, it was a city of shuttered buildings and fearful citizens, in a land that looked as though it would never recover from war. But, writes the war correspondent in the New York Times, “to return now is to be jarred in the...

Why Bush Is a Great President
 Why Bush Is a Great President 
OPINION
Sep 19, 2008 8:58 AM CDT

Why Bush Is a Great President

Hindsight will vindicate expanded powers, Iraq war

(Newser) - George Bush may not be everyone’s favorite leader right now, but history will polish the wartime president’s image, writes Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post. No one knew war was imminent when Bush entered office—but 9/11 changed that. Yet Bush has kept us safe and paved the...

Petraeus' Successor Has Mixed Record

Ray Odierno takes over today as Army's top dog in Iraq

(Newser) - Gen. Ray Odierno, who today became the top US commander in Iraq, was instrumental in last year’s troop surge that helped stabilize the country. But though most notably known for mirroring predecessor David Petraeus' focus on protecting Iraqi citizens, some in the military have slammed his methods early in...

Palin Ties Iraq to 9/11 Attacks
Palin Ties Iraq
to 9/11 Attacks 
Sep 12, 2008 8:13 AM CDT

Palin Ties Iraq to 9/11 Attacks

Tells deploying troops mission is to 'defend innocent from enemies' who planned strikes

(Newser) - In her speech yesterday to Iraq-bound troops in Alaska—a brigade that includes her oldest son, Track—Palin linked the war in Iraq with the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Washington Post reports, making a connection the Bush administration has long since stopped making. She said the soldiers' mission is to...

Iraq Troop Levels to Hold Steady Under Bush

But numbers will increase in Afghanistan

(Newser) - Troop levels in Iraq won't change until after George Bush leaves office, the president will announce in a speech today, leaving further withdrawals as an immediate matter for his successor —although Bush will oversee what amounts to a transfer of US troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. The announcement likely...

White House Lambastes Woodward
White House Lambastes Woodward
Sep 9, 2008 5:22 AM CDT

White House Lambastes Woodward

Denies book's claims; author unveils shocker on death teams

(Newser) - The White House has angrily rejected Bob Woodward's claim that the administration was riven by dissent ahead of the surge in Iraq, CNN reports. Woodward wrote in his new book that President Bush pushed troop levels past the Joint Chiefs, ignoring their worries about over-extending the military. The War Within...

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