iraq

Troops in Iraq Find Christmas in Memories

The Associated Press — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 13:42:40 -0500

BAGHDAD (AP) — Army Sgt. Robin Cameron stood guard outside a once opulent Iraqi shopping mall that now serves as a small U.S. military outpost, trying not to think about what he was missing with his family on Christmas.

"It's just another day in Iraq," he said, waving through a convoy of armored vehicles heading out to patrol Baghdad's Mansour neighborhood, once home to Saddam Hussein's favored officers and later an insurgent stronghold known for its deadly attacks on American troops.

Although troop levels are expected to start declining after provincial elections on Jan. 31, the same number are in Iraq today — about 146,000 — as in May 2003, when President George W. Bush declared the end of major hostilities two months after the invasion.

Former Cadets Reflect on Service in Iraq

Alex Berg — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Last Thursday, the Iraqi Parliament ratified the Status of Forces Agreement, a deal to have U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2011. SOFA hits home for many Americans, especially those with family and friends serving in Iraq. But for some Cornell students and Ithacans, the war extends past the news and television reports into the hot Iraqi desert itself.

Major Richard E. Brown, a training instructor in Cornell’s ROTC program and Army Reservist, was deployed to Baghdad for the first time in 2004. He was deployed again this past October to the Forward Operations Base in Kalsu, Iraq, 30 miles south of Baghdad in the Babil province.

Demanding a Re-bate

Laura Temel — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0400

We are less than three weeks away from Election Day. In the longest presidential campaign in American history, 15 primary candidates became two presidential hopefuls: Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain. At this point in time, a typical campaign analyst would presume both platforms would have been well articulated, challenged, and disseminated in the presidential debates. But this is not a typical campaign, and that does not seem to be the case. In the midst of bemused moderators and citizens it is important to ask, what have we learned from Obama and McCain in the debates?

The Politics of Never Saying Sorry

Rob Coniglio — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:33:53 -0400

I was surprised to learn this week from a radio interview that Senator McCain is ambivalent on whether or not he would meet with the Prime Minister of Spain (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/18/mccains-position-on-spain/), who only promised to meet with leaders who share our “same principles and philosophy," qualifying that with his statement that he has a “clear record of working with leaders in the hemisphere that are friends with us.”

Military Members Discuss Wars Abroad

Elizabeth Manapsal — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

While the Iraq war is competing with Hurricane Ike and the financial crisis for media coverage in the new as of late, last night an audience in RPCC heard a range of active duty and retired armed services officers offer their insight on the time they spent serving overseas.

In “Today’s Military: Exposed and Uncen-sored,” a range of mid-level and high-grade officers discussed their views of the war, its successes and failures. Sponsored by the Residential Programs and the ROTC program, the aim of the panel discussion was to present a side of the war rarely seen in the media.

Iraq Presses US on Timeline for Troop Pullout

The Associated Press — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:22:43 -0400

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials stepped up pressure on the United States on Tuesday to agree to a specific timeline to withdraw American forces, a sign of the government's growing confidence as violence falls.

The tough words come as the Bush administration is running out of time to reach a needed troop deal before the U.S. election in November and the president's last months in office. Some type of agreement is required to keep American troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires on Dec. 31.

The Iraqi timeline proposal made public Tuesday appears to set an outer limit, requiring U.S. forces to fully withdraw five years after the Iraqis take the lead on security nationwide — though that precondition could itself take years.

Suicide Bomber Kills 16 People in Northwestern Iraq

The Associated Press — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:12:58 -0400

BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber blew himself up Thursday in a crowd of police recruits in northwestern Iraq, killing at least 16 men and wounding 14 others, an official said.

The blast occurred in Sinjar, a town near the Syrian border that was the site of the deadliest attack of the war — a series of suicide truck bombings that killed an estimated 500 people.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the latest attack. But it bore the hallmarks of al-Qaida in Iraq, underscoring Iraqi claims that insurgents have fled to remote areas to escape a U.S.-Iraqi offensive under way in Mosul, about 74 miles east of Sinjar.

Bush Pays Tribute to Troops at Arlington

The Associated Press — Mon, 26 May 2008 14:12:51 -0400

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — President Bush paid tribute today to America’s fighting men and women who died in battle, saying national leaders must have “the courage and character to follow their lead” in preserving peace and freedom.

“On this Memorial Day, I stand before you as the commander in chief and try to tell you how proud I am,” Bush told an audience of military figures, veterans and their families at Arlington National Cemetery. Of the men and women buried in the hallowed cemetery, he said, “They’re an awesome bunch of people and the United States is blessed to have such citizens.”

That provoked a standing ovation from the crowd in a marble amphitheater where Bush spoke. “Whoo-hoo!” shouted one woman, who couldn’t contain her enthusiasm.

US Military Says Al-Qaida in Iraq Still Lethal

The Associated Press — Sun, 25 May 2008 11:16:02 -0400

BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. military distanced itself today from remarks declaring al-Qaida in Iraq close to defeat, saying the terror network is "off-balance and on the run," but remains a very lethal threat.

However, Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, a military spokesman, said violence has dropped some 70 percent since a U.S. troop buildup began nearly a year ago.

Underscoring the continuing dangers, a roadside bomb targeted a patrol of U.S.-allied Sunni Arab fighters near a mosque in northern Baghdad today, killing one of the so-called Awakening Council members and wounding three others, a police official said.

Francis Fukuyama on the War in Iraq

David Wittenberg — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:08:47 -0400

[video]

Cornell Sun Opinion and Associate Editor David Wittenberg take a look at the Iraq War with political economist Francis Fukuyama

C.U. Democrats Prepare to Send Care Packages to Troops in Iraq

Elizabeth Manapsal — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In an effort to connect the Cornell community with those serving in the Iraq War, the Cornell Democrats have begun collecting goods in order to put together care packages and send them overseas.

Packages will be sent to the 40th Expeditionary Signal Battalion located at Camp Victory at the Baghdad International Airport. The C.U. Democrats expect to send the first package by Spring Break.

Throughout the month, the Cornell Democrats will collect a variety of products ranging from non-perishable food to travel games in order to provide the troops with entertainment for their spare time.

Kurds Protest Turkish Vote

The Associated Press — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 09:20:30 -0400

IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Thousands of Kurds and supporters took to the streets in northern Iraq Thursday to protest the Turkish parliament's decision to authorize the government to send troops across the border to root out Kurdish rebels who have been conducting raids into Turkey.

Elsewhere, U.S. forces detained 15 suspected militants in raids, while an insurgent threw a hand grenade into a school in the south, wounding six boys.

The vote in Turkey on Wednesday removed the last legal obstacle to an offensive, but there was no sign of imminent action as the United States and the Iraqi government urged restraint.

U.S. Drawdown in Iraq to Begin in Diyala Province

The Associated Press — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 01:06:38 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Commanders in Iraq have decided to begin the drawdown of U.S. forces in volatile Diyala province, marking a turning point in the U.S. military mission, The Associated Press has learned.

Instead of replacing the 3rd Brigade of the 1st Cavalry Division, which is returning to its home base at Fort Hood, Texas, in December, soldiers from another brigade in Salahuddin province next door will expand into Diyala, thereby broadening its area of responsibility, several officials said Tuesday.

White House Denies Memo Authorized Torture

The Associated Press — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:20:52 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate and House Democrats demanded Thursday to see two secret memos that reportedly authorize painful interrogation tactics against terror suspects — despite the Bush administration's insistence that it has not violated U.S. anti-torture laws.

White House and Justice Department press officers said legal opinions written in 2005 did not reverse an administration policy issued in 2004 that publicly renounced torture as "abhorrent."

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller sent a letter to the acting attorney general saying the administration's credibility is at risk if the documents are not turned over to Congress.

Senate Authorizes War Funding Bill

The Associated Press — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:37:26 -0400

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thwarted in efforts to bring troops home from Iraq, Senate Democrats on Monday helped pass a defense policy bill authorizing another $150 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The 92-3 vote comes as the House planned to approve separate legislation Tuesday that requires President Bush to give Congress a plan for eventual troop withdrawals.

The developments underscored the difficulty facing Democrats in the Iraq debate: They lack the votes to pass legislation ordering troops home and are divided on whether to cut money for combat, despite a mandate by supporters to end the war.

Hoping the political landscape changes in coming months, Democratic leaders say they will renew their fight when Congress considers the money Bush wants in war funding.

Casualty Rate in Iraq for September Falls

The Associated Press — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 19:35:06 -0400

BAGHDAD (AP) — The number of American troops and Iraqi civilians killed in the war fell in September to levels not seen in more than a year. The U.S. military said the lower count was at least partly a result of new strategies and 30,000 additional U.S. forces deployed this year.

Although it is difficult to draw conclusions from a single month's tally, the figures could suggest U.S.-led forces are making headway against extremist factions and disrupting their ability to strike back.

The U.S. military toll for September was 64, the lowest since July 2006, according to figures compiled by The Associated Press from death announcements by the American command and Pentagon.