U.S. Envoy: Iran Supporting Iraq Insurgents

Staff / Truthdig Mar 24, 2006 The pretense has been shattered The US is explicitly accusing Iran of supplying money and training to anti-U fighters in Iraq . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Washington Post: President’s Iraq Success Story a ‘Tall’ Tale

Staff / Truthdig Mar 21, 2006 The paper throws cold water on Bush's much-touted claim that the Tall Afar region of Iraq is a case study in the U.S.' ability to help restore stability to a war-torn area. (Check out the transcript of Bush's speech--particularly the unscripted Q & A session at the end.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi Blogger Writes of Harrowing Existence

Staff / Truthdig Mar 20, 2006 The Washington Post ran a week's worth of postings by a young, UK-raised Iraqi dentist who describes the unnerving experience of living "between the hammer of terrorists and the anvil of American, British and Iraqi security forces." (Also, check out his blog, Healing Iraq, with his bio.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Grim Details Emerge in New Detainee Abuse Scandal

Staff / Truthdig Mar 19, 2006 The New York Times uncovers the story of a top-secret detention center in Baghdad where American jailers "used detainees for target practice in a game of jailer paintball." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

About That Huge Air Attack? Never Mind.

Staff / Truthdig Mar 18, 2006 The US military announced Thursday that it had launched the "largest air assault since the U-led invasion" in 2003 As it turns out, however, it was little more than a photo op According to Time magazine, "there were no airstrikes no leading insurgents were nabbed there were no shots fired at all," and U forces met no resistance Can anyone say Potemkin assault? UPDATE: The L Times is now reporting that the operation has yielded 48 arrests, including at least one major insurgent ringleader, along with seizures of weapons and training manuals. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Judge Pulls Plug on Hussein in Wake of Shouting Match

Staff / Truthdig Mar 16, 2006 In his first formal testimony in his trial, the deposed Iraqi leader called on Iraqis to cease the sectarian violence and join forces against the Americans--while insisting that he is still the rightful leader of Iraq. The judge trying the case, quarreling with Hussein several times during his 40-minute speech, ended by closing the session to the public. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Top General Contradicts Bush’s Iran Bombs Claim

Staff / Truthdig Mar 15, 2006 Remember how Bush claimed on Monday that Iran was providing many of the roadside bombs killing US troops in Iraq? Well, the U' top military commander just told the Pentagon that there is no proof for such a claim Usually it's someone opposed to Bush's policies who makes him look so foolish--not the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Truthdig's Juan Cole was all over this apparently bogus claim yesterday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Bush’s Fantasy of ‘Progress’ in Iraq

Robert Scheer / Truthdig Mar 15, 2006 "If such constant mayhem is taken as a sign of progress, three years after the U.S. invasion, then Bush will surely be thrilled by what the future holds." Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Bush Sets a Target for Iraq Transition

Staff / Truthdig Mar 14, 2006 The president, who has until now refused to set concrete withdrawal timelines, now vows to cede control of most of the country to Iraqi forces by the end of 2006 Check out a full-text version of his speech. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi Death Tally Triples Official Reports

Staff / Truthdig Feb 28, 2006 The violence unleashed after last week's bombing of a Shiite Muslim shrine claimed 1,300 Iraqi lives, triple the number reported by the US military Outside of major U offensives, these have been the deadliest few days in the last three years in Iraq UPDATE: The violence continues with multiple attacks claiming 68 lives on Tuesday. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Not ‘Standing Up’ Anytime Soon

Staff / Truthdig Feb 27, 2006 The Iraqi army now has ZERO battalions capable of fighting the insurgency without U.S. support. (The one battle-worthy battalion that the White House was so proud of has been downgraded.) Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Teeters Toward Civil War

Staff / Truthdig Feb 23, 2006 After insurgents bomb one of the holiest Shiite shrines in Iraq, at least 138 die in reprisal battles --marking the worst Shiite-on-Sunni violence since the outbreak of the Iraq war. University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole calls the day "apocalyptic." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )