Iraq war

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Bush Pulled Rank on Military Over Surge

Joint Chiefs were pushed aside, new Woodward book says

(Newser) - In the months leading up to the Iraq surge, President Bush faced a revolt by frustrated Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Washington Post’s Bob Woodward writes in a new book, The War Within. Bush dumped the military leaders’ advice as Iraq spun out of control in fall of 2006,...

Petraeus Hands Off Iraq Reins Next Week

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno to take commander's place

(Newser) - Gen. David Petraeus will step down as the top US commander in Iraq on Sept. 16, handing the reins to Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, the No. 2 commander there until recently, Reuters reports. Petraeus, who led the troop surge that ushered in a major decline in Iraq violence, will become...

US 'Spied on Iraqi Leaders'
 US 'Spied on Iraqi Leaders'
Sep 5, 2008 4:21 AM CDT

US 'Spied on Iraqi Leaders'

Woodward book reveals finds 'detached' Bush 'often failed to lead' on Iraq

(Newser) - The Bush administration conducted an extensive spying operation on Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders even while seeking to win their trust, according to a new book from the Washington Post's Bob Woodward. The book portrays an administration hamstrung by indecision as its Iraq strategy fell apart in...

US Hands Anbar Province to Iraqis

Military cedes control of largest region in Iraq

(Newser) - The American military is finally handing over control of Anbar province, once the center of the Sunni insurgency, to Iraqi forces today. Once one of Iraq's most dangerous regions, Anbar was transformed as Sunni militants allied themselves with the US. The transfer of Anbar, delayed several times, brings the number...

Bush Ordered Troop Surge Over Internal Opposition

State Dept., Pentagon, military leaders were split over plan

(Newser) - President Bush’s 2007 addition of 20,000 troops in Iraq helped stabilize the country —but advisers didn’t support the idea until the situation there looked like “civil war,” in the CIA’s words. Instead, the Pentagon wanted to shift responsibilities to Iraqi troops; the State...

As Troops Exit Iraq, US Spends More on Contractors

$1.2B spent for private security firms; critics say Iraqis should be picking up slack instead

(Newser) - American troops are trickling home, but at a hefty cost: The US has spent more than $1.2 billion this year on private security contractors—mostly to protect diplomats, but also to secure infrastructure and supplies, USA Today reports. The State Department says now that focus has shifted to rebuilding,...

Army School Gets Dropouts Ready to Serve

Military needs more eligible recruits to fill its ranks

(Newser) - The US Army today opened its first prep school to prepare high school dropouts for military service, the AP reports. With wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and not enough eligible recruits, the Army wants unqualified prospects to earn their GEDs. "Only three out of every 10 people of military...

Maturing Iraqi Army Enabled US Troop Deal
Maturing Iraqi Army Enabled US Troop Deal
ANALYSIS
Aug 22, 2008 10:40 AM CDT

Maturing Iraqi Army Enabled US Troop Deal

2011 withdrawal probable thanks to tougher local forces

(Newser) - The US's preliminary agreement with Iraq to withdraw most combat troops by 2011 would have been unthinkable even a few months ago. Declining levels of violence, a ceasefire with the Mahdi Army, and the about-face of Sunni leaders have all helped, the Wall Street Journal reports, but for the administration,...

Iraq Barbs Get Sharper; Bitter Road Ahead
Iraq Barbs Get Sharper; Bitter Road Ahead
ANALYSIS
Aug 19, 2008 3:30 PM CDT

Iraq Barbs Get Sharper; Bitter Road Ahead

Candidates have flaws to exploit—if attacks don't get personal first

(Newser) - Appearances by the presidential contenders at a veterans convention highlight not only substantive differences on the Iraq war, Dan Balz observes in the Washington Post, but a growing undertone of personal enmity. After McCain yesterday questioned Obama’s judgment on the troop surge as politically motivated, Obama’s “indignation...

Top-Secret Woodward Tome Gets a Name
Top-Secret Woodward Tome Gets a Name
Aug 19, 2008 11:20 AM CDT

Top-Secret Woodward Tome Gets a Name

White House braces for debut of Iraq-centric The War Within

(Newser) - Bob Woodward’s fourth book on the Bush White House, originally a mere 352 pages, has ballooned into 496 pages of inside dope and is due in stores Sept. 8, Politico reports. And the mystery-shrouded volume, which focuses on the Iraq conflict, officially has a name: The War Within: A ...

Another Global Crisis, Another Vacation
 Another
 Global Crisis,
 Another Vacation
OPINION
Aug 17, 2008 9:19 AM CDT

Another Global Crisis, Another Vacation

President still not taking job seriously: Dowd

(Newser) - “America’s back in the cold war and W.’s back on vacation,” writes Maureen Dowd in the New York Times, observing that as another global crisis begins, the president is again failing to take it seriously. After condemning Russia’s push into Georgia, Bush skipped off...

Blackwater Guards May Be Charged in Iraq Shooting

Prosecutors target 6 in Sept. incident

(Newser) - Federal prosecutors are close to seeing indictments against some of the Blackwater security guards linked to the shooting in Baghdad last September that left 17 civilians dead, the Washington Post reports. Target letters have gone out to six Blackwater contractors, sources tell the Post, indicating a high likelihood that the...

War Support Makes Bayh a Risky VP Choice

2002 push to invade Iraq flies in face of Obama's stance

(Newser) - During the Senate debate on the Iraq war, Evan Bayh was among the leading proponents for invasion, claiming there was “no other credible alternative to protect the safety and well-being of the American people.” But that hawkish push is haunting him, reports the New York Times, now that...

US Contractor Bills in Iraq to Hit $100B

Workers outnumber troops, account for 20% of war spending

(Newser) - By the end of the year, the US will have spent $100 billion on private defense contractors in Iraq, a congressional report finds, showing more private-sector reliance than any previous wartime. Some 20% of funds spent on the war have gone to contractors, whose numbers are now greater than the...

Iraq Private Sector Stalls, Public Hiring Fills Gap

Economy driven by single employer sparks financial concerns

(Newser) - With private business slow to take root in post-invasion Iraq, the government is picking up the slack by hiring a vast army of employees, the New York Times reports, creating an economy far different from what the US had foreseen. Government jobs will account for about 35% of employment this...

Deal Would Set Oct. 2010 for US Pullout: Iraqi Official

Legal immunity for troops remains stumbling block in talks

(Newser) - Significant progress has been made on the security agreement being negotiated between Iraq and the US, the AP reports, with two Iraqi officials saying that the deal sets October 2010 as the deadline for a near-complete withdrawal. Legal immunity for troops remains an issue, and contributed to a “very...

Iraqi Troops: 'We're Not Ready to Go It Alone'

Officers decry lack of equipment; US pushes independence

(Newser) - Iraq’s army has taken strides toward independence—but it still needs the help of American forces, say Iraqi troops and officers interviewed by the New York Times. “We are too many years behind other countries. We need the coalition forces until 2015,” said one officer. But American...

Bush Forged Evidence for War: Book

Bribed Saddam official $5M to write letter

(Newser) - The Bush administration forged a letter linking Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks, author Ron Suskind alleges in his new book. In December 2003, a letter surfaced from Saddam’s intelligence chief, describing a meeting between Saddam and one 9/11 hijacker. The letter was actually drafted by the White House,...

Bus Bomb Kills 12 in Baghdad
 Bus Bomb Kills 12 in Baghdad
Aug 3, 2008 9:58 AM CDT

Bus Bomb Kills 12 in Baghdad

Follows a series of bombings in the capital

(Newser) - Bombs ripped through a minibus this morning in Baghdad, reports CNN, killing 12 and injuring 22 after a string of similar bombings in the region. Two more roadside bombs injured nine near a hospital and two near a convoy of SUVs. Elsewhere, a soldier was killed in an unrelated accident,...

Despite Progress, Iraqi Politics Remain Stalled

Parliement must use calm to implement necessary reforms

(Newser) - Violence in Iraq is hitting unprecedented lows, and Iraqi forces are gradually assuming command over parts of the country previously controlled by American troops. But with the summer break and Ramadan looming, politicians aren’t taking advantage of the lull in violence to pass much-needed legislation, and PM Nouri al-Maliki...

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