Bush’s New Iraq Policy Taking Shape

Staff / Truthdig Jan 8, 2007 Senior aides said Sunday that the president will finally apply benchmarks to Iraq -- only not for the withdrawal of troops. Bush will offer the guidelines to Iraq's political leadership in an attempt to ease sectarian tension. Meanwhile, the military's new Iraq commander is preparing for an influx of troops, expected to accompany the White House's policy revision. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Maliki Butts Heads With Sunni Clerics

Staff / Truthdig Jan 5, 2007 Tensions in Iraq were already running high with the execution of Saddam Hussein and the ongoing violence there. Now Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has scolded Sunni clerics for warning that militias were planning to attack Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Turning the Corner in Somalia

Staff / Truthdig Jan 2, 2007 The Islamists have fled, the transitional government and its Ethiopian allies have reclaimed Mogadishu as Somalia's capital and the prime minister has banned guns and called for peacekeepers. Will the stability last, or will guerrilla warfare and clan violence tear the country apart for another 15 years? Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Parsing the Dead

Staff / Truthdig Jan 2, 2007 Officials from Iraq's Health, Defense and Interior ministries on Monday said 16,273 Iraqi civilians, police and soldiers died from violence in 2006. The number is higher than tabulations by the Associated Press, which put the figure at 13,738, while the U.N. has estimated casualties in the neighborhood of 36,000. Whichever number is most accurate, too many people have been killed in this war. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Palestinians Demand End to Fighting

Staff / Truthdig Dec 22, 2006 Hundreds of Palestinians took to the streets of Gaza on Thursday to demand peace from their government. The rally came a day after a shaky truce between rivals Fatah and Hamas went into effect. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi Bloggers Cope With the Violence

Staff / Truthdig Dec 22, 2006 In this powerful collection of blogs from recent days, Iraqis react to the violence sweeping their nation Here's Meemo, a 19-year-old from Baghdad who's getting out: "I leave Baghdad in two days I'm not going to see death anymore; I'm not going to hear car explosions again; I will come back to life again". Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Violence at Record Highs in All Categories

Staff / Truthdig Dec 19, 2006 According to the Pentagon's latest report, violence in Iraq has reached record levels in all measured categories, with a 32 percent increase in attacks on U.S. troops. The 50-page document also notes a 60 percent increase in civilian casualties since the formation of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Palestinian Factions Agree to Cease-Fire

Staff / Truthdig Dec 18, 2006 Hamas and Fatah have announced a deal meant to end the fighting between the two Palestinian factions, yet the violence persisted throughout Sunday. Hamas described the agreement as a cease-fire. Meanwhile, President Mahmoud Abbas continued to push for new elections in an attempt to oust Hamas from the government. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Tensions Mount Between Palestinian Factions

Staff / Truthdig Dec 16, 2006 Clashes between the two main Palestinian forces continued on Friday as Hamas accused Fatah of attempting to assassinate the Palestinian prime minister. Meanwhile, President Mahmoud Abbas, who recently said he may call for early elections in order to oust Hamas from the government, is close to revealing his plan for addressing the political standstill between the two groups. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Joe Conason: From Gates, Belated Truths About Iraq

Joe Conason / Truthdig Dec 7, 2006 If nothing else can be said for Robert Gates, he seems to have learned that the appearance of honesty is preferable to blatant attempts at deception. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Olbermann Slams Challenge to ‘Civil War’ Label

Staff / Truthdig Dec 4, 2006 Keith Olbermann handed L. Brent Bozell III the "Worst Person in the World" award for challenging NBC's decision to refer to the Iraq war as a civil war. President of the Media Research Center, Bozell said of NBC's decision, "Probably 100 generals in the field in Iraq would disagree." Watch it Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Powell: A Monster of a War

Dwayne Powell / Truthdig Dec 3, 2006 Dig deeper