They Don’t Build Democracies Like They Used To

Staff / Truthdig Mar 30, 2010 Iraq’s recent election was supposed to remove Nouri al-Maliki from power, but the prime minister, sounding rather like a Bond villain, declared “the game is still very much on.” Now a governmental commission created to keep Baathists out of public life says that on the night before the election it banned six candidates who went on to win. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Another Deadly Day in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig Aug 12, 2009 On Tuesday, eight people were killed and many more wounded in a series of blasts in Baghdad's Ameen neighborhood -- just a day after 52 died and 250 were injured in explosions set off by al-Qaida, according to Iraqi officials. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Over 30 Killed in Baghdad Bombings

Staff / Truthdig Sep 29, 2008 A spate of bombings around Baghdad on Sunday killed 34 people, including at least four Iraqi policemen, three soldiers and several civilians shopping in local markets and preparing to break their fasts to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Blasts Kill Dozens

Staff / Truthdig Jul 28, 2008 Multiple suicide bombings in Baghdad and Kirkuk in the north killed more than 50 Iraqis on Monday. The bombers in the capital targeted Shiite pilgrims. More than 200 were wounded in the two cities. News of the attacks came on the heels of a spate of bombings around the world. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Violence in Basra Drops 90% After British Withdrawal

Staff / Truthdig Nov 18, 2007 Perhaps Basra can be seen as a test case for the rest of Iraq with regard to withdrawal and its effects: According to Maj. Gen. Graham Binns, the commander of British forces in Basra, there has been a "remarkable and dramatic drop in attacks" since the majority of his troops withdrew from the city. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqis Unite Against Splitting the Nation

Staff / Truthdig Oct 1, 2007 Sen. Joe Biden's plan to divide Iraq along sectarian lines has had an unintended consequence: It has united much of the country, Shiite and Sunni alike, in opposition to the measure. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Lack of Progress Report: Iraq’s ‘Dysfunctional’ Security

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2007 A new independent report from a congressionally appointed panel of retired senior military officers criticizes Iraq's "dysfunctional" Interior Ministry, noting rife sectarianism and corruption. The report also blames Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for problems with Iraq's army, which it says will not be self-sufficient for at least two years. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi Refugees Have Nowhere to Go

Staff / Truthdig Aug 31, 2007 The BBC explores the refugee crisis in Iraq, where camps for displaced civilians are filling up and, in some cases, closing due to horrendous conditions. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sectarian Violence Surges in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig May 24, 2007 Recent morgue figures show a rise in sectarian violence in Iraq, challenging the effectiveness of the U.S. troop surge and a three-month old security crackdown. The Bush administration had cited a drop in violence as evidence of success, but many attributed the relative lull in killings, now but a memory, to an order from Moqtada al-Sadr for his militia to temporarily stand down. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi PM Shuts Down Wall Construction

Staff / Truthdig Apr 23, 2007 Last week U.S. forces began building a controversial wall around a Sunni neighborhood in Baghdad, ostensibly to protect its residents from sectarian violence. On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he opposed the construction and had ordered it stopped. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sectarian Tensions Inflamed Despite Crackdown

Staff / Truthdig Feb 26, 2007 Moqtada al-Sadr pulled his forces off the streets of Baghdad in response to the U.S.-Iraqi security crackdown, but a devastating bombing at a university Sunday and other Sunni attacks have caused the cleric to rethink his position: "Here we are, watching car bombs continue to explode to harvest thousands of innocent lives from our beloved people in the middle of a security plan controlled by an occupier." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sectarian Violence Rains Death on Iraq as Maliki Praises Crackdown

Staff / Truthdig Feb 24, 2007 Grim reports from Iraq continue despite the PR campaign to understate the deadliness of the mix of American military presence, civil war and improvised explosives ravaging the country. Today at least 42 people died in a car bombing in a town 50 miles west of Baghdad. Earlier today, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki issued a statement touting a recent crackdown, citing a reduction in violence in Baghdad, but on Saturday in the capital alone at least seven people were killed and more than 30 injured, according to the BBC. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )