Obama and O’Reilly Square Off

Staff / Truthdig Sep 5, 2008 The first installment of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's interview with Bill O'Reilly aired Thursday, during which the Fox News host drove a hard line about Iran's nuclear program and the success of the "surge" in Iraq. "Why can't you just say, 'I was right in the beginning and I was wrong about the surge?' " asked O'Reilly. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

City of Walls

Staff / Truthdig Aug 11, 2008 Americans seem to have bought into the idea that the "surge" is working, but this Baghdad journalist returned home to a city of walls and bloodshed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

‘Surge’ Rhetoric Not Universal

Staff / Truthdig Aug 8, 2008 Despite criticisms of the efficacy of the "surge" in Iraq, a US commander in Afghanistan has dared to say that a planned "surge" in Afghanistan would in fact not help U interests in the country The commander did make sure not to completely deweaponize the Bush administration's rhetoric, suggesting instead that a different type of surge is needed. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

It’s the War, Stupid

Marie Cocco / Truthdig Jul 31, 2008 There is nothing like the blast of a Baghdad bomb and the wail of sirens to drown out John McCain's bitter campaign sound bites or the patter of Barack Obama's "premature victory lap." Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Refighting the Vietnam War

Ellen Goodman / Truthdig Jul 24, 2008 For a long time, John McCain has believed that Vietnam should have, could have had a different ending. So, too, his attention on Iraq has been less on the war's origin than on some undefined victorious conclusion. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

New McCain Gaffes on Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Jul 24, 2008 Sen. John McCain didn't just get his cause-and-effect order wrong on the so-called surge strategy in Iraq, he also claimed in a CBS interview that the increased troop deployment and associated change in tactics protected a key Sunni sheik who helped lead the "Anbar Awakening." Problem? Said sheik was actually assassinated during the surge. Meanwhile, CBS is under fire for editing out these gaffes in its on-air presentation of the interview. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Petraeus Shows Obama the Sights

Staff / Truthdig Jul 21, 2008 Gen. David Petraeus gave his potential boss, Barack Obama, a helicopter tour of Baghdad on Monday. It's a technique the general has used in the past to show normal life in Baghdad -- from a safe distance. John McCain suggested recently that Petraeus would change Obama's mind and his plan about withdrawing from Iraq, but that plan has newfound momentum and it could easily be Gen. Petraeus who is asked to carry it out. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Obama Begins World Tour

Staff / Truthdig Jul 20, 2008 Barack Obama embarked on his international diplomacy tour -- a key step in raising his profile on the world stage and demonstrating his readiness to take over the American presidency -- with an important first major stop. The Illinois senator landed in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Saturday as part of congressional delegation surveying the current situation in that troubled nation. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Bush Considering ‘General’ Withdrawal Timetable

Staff / Truthdig Jul 19, 2008 In what The New York Times is calling a "significant concession," President Bush allowed the topic of U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq to enter a discussion about America's long-term strategy in the region. This occurred Thursday during a video conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A ‘Mini Surge’ in Afghanistan

Staff / Truthdig Apr 30, 2008 Pouncing on the rhetorical success of the US "surge" in Iraq, the U military launched operations Tuesday in the south of Afghanistan as part of a "mini surge" against strongholds of Taliban fighters. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Semantics Can’t Mask Bush’s Chicanery

Robert Fisk / Truthdig Apr 12, 2008 The president's twisting of words in an attempt to justify continuing the war has become sickening. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Bush?s Parallel Universe

Eugene Robinson / Truthdig Apr 11, 2008 No, it's not your imagination: The "debate" about Iraq, and I use the word loosely, becomes ever more surreal as the occupation drags on. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )