That headline of mine was a trick. No, George Bush hasn’t commented on present events in Iraq, probably because he doesn’t believe it helpful for ex-presidents to criticize their successors. But he already described the whole thing back in 2007, … Continue reading →
—abhors a vacuum. And so Iran rushes in where Obama fears to tread: U.S. and senior Iraqi officials tell The Daily Beast that Iran is now offering the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki its army, its spies and highly … Continue reading →
…who predicted the whole trajectory of post-occupation Iraq back in December of 2011 when the SOFA deal fell through. Rick Francona gets to say “I told you so,” although I doubt that gives him much satisfaction at this point. No, … Continue reading →
Back in January, ISIS issued this threat to Iraq and to the US: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), issued a rare audio message back on January 21 in which he flatly … Continue reading →
Austin Bay has a good piece on Iraq up at PJ. Also see this in National Review: We had gained, at a frightful cost in lives and treasure, a priceless strategic asset, namely the possibility of Iraq as a strong … Continue reading →
…I offer this. Do the Iraqi people deserve this, just because they failed to get along together and turn into a well-functioning democratic state in a decade (less than that, actually, before we pulled out)? Remember also that not all … Continue reading →
Anyone watching recent events in Iraq who wants a refresher course on the end of the Vietnam War and our withdrawal from that area would do well to take a look at this article. Here’s one of the most poignant … Continue reading →
To refresh your memory, this is how it went down in Iraq in 2011: The U.S. had tried to extend the presence of our troops past Dec. 31 [2011]. Why did we fail? The popular explanation is that the Iraqis … Continue reading →
As one would expect, some of the hardest hit Americans are those who spent time fighting in Iraq: “Going out across the desert I remember the feelings that you have, wondering if you’re going to make it out alive,” Rep. … Continue reading →
I started this blog right before the 2004 election, and for the first few years a large percentage of my posts were about Iraq. That remained true through all the ups and downs of the surge and the Bush administration. … Continue reading →
Read it, but have a good stiff drink by your side. And lock up all sharp objects. Because if you’re not already profoundly depressed, his essay will depress you. I can’t quarrel with what he writes; it’s what I would … Continue reading →
As soon as Obama was elected it was a foregone conclusion that this would be the result in Iraq—that the country would be taken over by the worst forces in the area. Since then, it’s just been the slow denouement: … Continue reading →