Iraq warns of rise in attacks ahead of elections (EARTHtimes.org)
Baghdad – Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari warned Iraqis on Thursday to expect more terrorist violence ahead of parliamentary elections set for January. All eyes are now turning to the date of the next elections, and I think terrorists are planning m…
Syrian envoy denies aiding insurgency in Iraq (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Disputing an assertion by the top U.S. general in Iraq, Syria’s ambassador to Washington on Wednesday denied that his government allows foreign fighters to cross the Syrian border into Iraq.
DoD seeks more civilians for deployment (Fort Leavenworth Lamp)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – A recent Facebook post by a U.S. Soldier heading home from Iraq highlighted some of the nonmilitary roles American troops often assume in today’s counterinsurgency wars.
Clinton police officer recalls military service in Iraq (Hunterdon Review)
Clinton Sgt. Jay Hunter stands in front of an armored military vehicle during his third tour of duty as part of the U.S. Marine Reserves. Hunter was happy to see that the U.S. military and Iraqi forces have beaten back the insurgents.
Attacks in Iraq surge after U.S. pullback (MalaysiaNews.net)
By Richard Sale THE WASHINGTON TIMES As American forces withdraw from Iraqi cities and towns, sharp cutbacks in the money paid to Sunni tribal leaders, combined with increasing Sunni hostility toward…
Welcome home, war (Asia Times)
In his approach to National Security Agency surveillance, as well as Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) renditions, drone assassinations, and military detention, President Barack Obama has to a surprising extent embraced the expanded executive powers championed by his conservative predecessor, George W Bush.
Jackson Williams: Bush Oil Buddies Divvy Up Iraqi Oil, Now Joined By ‘Liberal Scion’ Peter Galbraith (The Huffington Post)
The ongoing saga of the Iraqi oil patch pie adds a new chapter, and it comes courtesy of the Thursday NY Times, and its above-the-fold…
Afghan Enclave Offers Model to Rebuild and Rebuff Taliban (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
JURM, Afghanistan — Small grants given directly to villagers have brought about modest but important changes in this corner of Afghanistan, offering a model in a country where official corruption and a Taliban insurgency have frustrated many large-scale development efforts.
Iraq briefs UN envoy on Baghdad bombings (Press TV)
Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says his ministry has provided UN special envoy Oscar Fernandez-Taranco with security and intelligence information on the recent Baghdad bombings.
Iraq government: Looking ‘very seriously’ at security breaches that led to Oct. 25 bombing (The Christian Science Monitor)
Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshyar al-Zebari said Thursday that security breaches explain how a second, similar attack could take place despite the many precautionary measures implemented after devastating Aug. 19 bombings.
