The Iraqi parliament on Monday condemned Turkish air strikes on what it said were bases of the Kurdish Workers Party inside Iraqi territory. The parliament decried what it called a “cruel” violation of Iraqi “sovereignty.” Over two dozen Turkish troops have been killed in recent months by PKK guerrillas, who Ankara says are based in […]
Archives for December 2007
Rubin on ‘Who is to Blame’ on Afghanistan
Juan is traveling and will post later on Monday. Until then, have a look at Barnett Rubin’s important essay, “Afghanistan: Who is to Blame?”
Siddiqui: Musharraf ‘Defacing’ Pakistan Constitution
The USG Open Source Center translates from Urdu a critical commentator on Pervez Musharraf’s ‘defacing’ of the Pakistan constitution. Musharraf has lifted the state of emergency in preparation for elections, but there are suspicions he will have them rigged. Press restrictions remain in effect. ‘Pakistan Commentary Criticizes Musharraf for Defacing Constitution, JudiciaryCommentary by Irfan Siddiqui: […]
Turkey Bombs N. Iraq; Unpopular British Hand over Security Control in Basra
In the far north of Iraq, Turkish warplanes bombed villages that its security specialists say were harboring terrorists of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK). The bombing campaign is the latest in a series of actions that have brought tensions to a boil in the Kurdish-dominated north. In Iraq’s deep south, Britain turns general control of […]
Obama vs. Bush On How Honesty is the Highest form of Leadership
Hillary Clinton fired the co-chair of her New Hampshire campaign, Bill Shaheen, because he speculated that Barack Obama would be attacked by Republicans for admitting youthful drug use,if he were the nominee. She then apologized to Obama. But in this controversy, what is forgotten is that our current incumbent also admitted to youthful drug use: […]
Kurdish Press Freedoms Curtailed
The parliament of the Kurdistan Regional Authority, a part of Iraq, has just passed a very dangerous press law, which has drawn vigorous protests from Iraqi Kurdish journalists. AP reports that: ‘ Under the measure, journalists can be prosecuted in counterterrorism courts, which could bring the death penalty, and newspapers can be shut down for […]
Former US interrogator recounts torture cases in Afghanistan and Iraq
The USG Open Source Center translates an interview in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo with Damien Corsetti, a former private in the US army who served as an interrogator and was charged with crimes. He says he witnessed torture but did not commit it himself. He also says that most of the individuals he interrogated […]
Pelosi on Republicans: They Like this War
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she has been surprised at the depth of support for the Iraq War among Republicans in the House of Representatives. AP writes: ‘ “They like this war. They want this war to continue,” Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters. She expressed frustration over Republicans’ ability to force majority […]
Muqtada Hits the Books; Said to aim at one day being Ayatollah
The Associated Press reports that Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr has gone back to his studies of Shiite law and jurisprudence in Najaf. He began work toward becoming an independent jurisprudent (mujtahid) in 2000 under the supervision of Muhammad Ishaq Fayyad (an Afghan grand ayatollah), AP says, but since 2003 his political duties have taken him away […]
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