Iraq
Death bell knelling in Iraq
If the fall of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul is currently just a bitter blow to [Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri] Al-Maliki’s government, tomorrow the entire Iraqi nation will have a taste of that bitterness. The fall of Mosul is a bad omen for the ultimate fall of… »
Iraq in Crisis: Militant Advance Sparks Mass Displacement as “Failed” U.S. Experiment Disintegrates
Iraq is on the brink of disintegration as Sunni militants seize more towns and now set their sights on the capital Baghdad. In the past few days, al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have seized control of Mosul, Iraq’s second-largest city, as well as Tikrit and Dhuluiya. Meanwhile,… »
Ex-Counterterrorism Czar Richard Clarke: Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld Committed War Crimes
Richard Clarke, the nation’s former top counterterrorism official, tells Democracy Now! he believes President George W. Bush is guilty of war crimes for launching the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Clarke served as national coordinator for security and counterterrorism during Bush’s first year in office. He resigned in 2003 following the… »
Obama Chides Russia on “Brute Force,” Rejects Iraq War Criticism
Democracy Now! President Obama continues an overseas tour in Italy today where he’s meeting with Pope Francis for the first time. Wrapping up a visit to Brussels, Obama delivered an address criticizing Russia for annexing Crimea and using what he called “brute force.” President Obama: “Of course, Ukraine is… »
Endless War? As Syria Conflict Enters 4th Year, Deadly Stalemate Favors Assad Regime
Amy Goodman for Democracy Now! The conflict between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and rebels seeking his ouster has just entered its fourth year. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says more than 146,000 people have been killed since the Syrian conflict began on March 15, 2011, roughly half… »
The truth about the criminal bloodbath in Iraq can’t be ‘countered’ indefinitely
John Pilger’s article for the Guardian reminds us that the disaster in Iraq continues to unfold in spite of the silence of the main TV and newspapers. …”The media cover-up has been a weapon in the crimes of western states since the first world war. But a reckoning is coming… »
Iraq suspends 10 satellite TV channels for promoting violence
Iraqi authorities have suspended the licenses of 10 satellite TV channels for promoting violence and sectarianism through their coverage of recent wave of violence in the country. Iraq’s leading al-Sharqiya and Qatar-based Al-Jazeera are among the pan-Arabic channels whose operating licenses were revoked on Sunday. The Iraqi Communication and Media… »
BBC: major Iraq birth defect study expected to show increase linked to conflict
The BBC has reported that a much anticipated study by the WHO and Iraqi Ministry of Health will show that rates of birth defects in Iraq are higher in areas that were subject to heavy fighting in 2003. The report, broadcast on BBC World and available online features… »
A decade on and depleted uranium contamination still blights Iraq
To mark the 10th anniversary of the 2003 invasion, a new report has highlighted continuing uncertainties over the impact and legacy of the use of 400 tonnes of depleted uranium (DU) weapons in Iraq. The report reveals the extent of DU’s use in civilian areas for the first time. »
‘Suppliers of Arms to Opposition Want to Destroy the Syrian People’ – Iraqi PM
By RT*, 5 October – States that send arms to Syria face upheavals and unrest due to sectarian violence, their stability will be in jeopardy and the state of affairs will be no better than in Syria, warned Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki in an interview to RT. “He who… »