Reality TV Iraqi Style

Staff / Truthdig Oct 28, 2006 "Beit Beut," an Iraqi reality TV show similar to "Survivor" and "Big Brother," speaks to Iraqi compassion despite the sectarian violence ravaging the country. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Renewed Violence in France

Staff / Truthdig Oct 26, 2006 Authorities are scrambling to address a possible resurgence of violence after two buses were torched near Paris on Wednesday. Last year's civil unrest led to the destruction of some 9,000 vehicles in and around the city. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Possible U.S. Troop Increase in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig Oct 24, 2006 Gen. George W. Casey announced that he is considering sending more U.S. troops to Iraq in order to help quell the violence. This is a major reversal of the military withdrawal that started last December. The reductions stopped in June when the violence in Baghdad showed no signs of abatement. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hiding in Plain Sight

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2006 Iraqis have been taking great pains to conceal their identities in order to avoid sectarian violence. Because personal information, such as a name and province of origin, can hint at whether they are Shiite or Sunni, the fake ID trade is booming and worried Iraqis sometimes even change their license plates. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Are Bush & Co. Seeking Democracy Alternatives in Iraq?

Staff / Truthdig Aug 18, 2006 ThinkProgress drew our attention to this nugget buried at the end of a N.Y. Times article yesterday: Bush administration officials are "beginning to plan for the possibility that Iraq's democratically elected government might not survive." Reporters bury this kind of news only if it's not very well sourced. So we're staying conservative on this one. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Greenwald: Neocon Policy, R.I.P.

Staff / Truthdig Aug 8, 2006 In the above photo, arch neoconservative William Kristol takes a pie in the face while delivering a pro-Iraq war speech in 2005. Bestselling author Glenn Greenwald describes (Salon, ad wall) how pundits like Kristol are on the run everywhere -- after their bloodthirsty, imperialist policies have proved disastrous for America and global stability. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

As U.S. Shifts Policing Power, Baghdad Strife Rises

Staff / Truthdig Aug 6, 2006 As U.S. forces have given Iraqi security officers responsibility for policing Baghdad, violence has notably increased, undercutting America's premise that Iraqis are capable of securing their own country. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Friedman Jumps on the Antiwar Bandwagon

Staff / Truthdig Aug 5, 2006 Tom Friedman, the NY Times columnist whose Mideast and Iraq war analyses formed the "conventional thinking" for centrists and lefties the world 'round, has thrown in the towel on his three-year-long support of the Iraq war: "It is now obvious that we are not midwifing democracy in Iraq We are baby-sitting a civil war" (more) . Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Top Pentagon General: Civil War Possible in Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Aug 3, 2006 Gen John Abizaid, commander of the US Central Command, told a congressional committee this morning that "the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I?ve seen it in Baghdad in particular, and if not stopped, it is possible that Iraq could move toward civil war" . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

As U.S. Deaths Drop, Iraqi Deaths Rise

Staff / Truthdig Aug 2, 2006 At least 44 US troops were killed in Iraq in July, well below the average monthly death toll of about 64 However, the sectarian conflict is worsening: Baghdad's morgue received 1,595 bodies in June, up 16% over May (July figures were not available) "American troops are no longer the primary focus of the people perpetuating the violence inside Iraq," said a U think tank expert, "they have become a secondary target" . Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Sea Change in Bush’s Thinking on Iraq?

Staff / Truthdig Jul 27, 2006 Don't miss this observation by the Washington Post's Dan Froomkin: "President Bush and national security adviser Stephen Hadley yesterday for the first time publicly acknowledged the momentous shift in the role for U.S. troops in Iraq, from fighting terrorists to trying to suppress religious violence." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Israelis and Lebanese Are Still Talking — on the Net

Staff / Truthdig Jul 23, 2006 Official diplomatic relations between the two countries may be at a nadir, but young citizens on both sides are finding common ground on Internet chat boards Says a blogger: "We have tons of things in common We come from two of the most liberal, educated countries in the Middle East" Also: Read the back story on that infamous picture of Israeli girls writing on rocket shells. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )