...The galling hypocrisy of U.S. President Bush flanked by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and the U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who chose to lecture Russia during a press conference at the White House concerning the unethical behaviour of invading another country in the 21st Century was a glowing example of political theatre in the absurd.... (click title to entry, thank you)
British troops out of Iraq by spring (click here)
The vast majority of British troops serving in Iraq will be withdrawn in the next nine months, senior defence sources have revealed
By Thomas Harding Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 11:27AM BST 15 Aug 2008
Just a few hundred soldiers will remain after spring 2009 effectively bringing to an end this country’s involvement in Iraq after six years of fighting.
The Ministry of Defence insisted the move was backed by the US which it said is “intimately involved” in discussions about the British withdrawal.
There are still currently more than 4,000 British troops stationed in southern Iraq despite pledges from the Prime Minister that numbers would have reduced by now. Mr Brown has been careful over the past few months not to put a timetable on British withdrawal but sources gave the clearest indication yet that our involvement is poised to end.
The Iraqis are now close to agreeing a deal with the Americans - which could see all US soldiers leave within three years starting next summer....
None of this has been approved by the legislature and according to the agreement the USA troops are no longer an autonomous entity able to make decisions for themselves. So, it would be far better to leave Iraq with our ability to carry out our own defense rather than risk becoming an extension of an Iraqi government. That is a violation of USA Sovereignty.
US troops 'to pull out of Iraq in three years' (click here)
The US will withdraw from Iraq within three years under the terms of a draft deal with the Iraqi Government, it has been reported.
By Jon Swaine
Last Updated: 11:30AM BST 14 Aug 2008
American troops will pull out of cities across the country next summer and, if violence remains low, will be completely evacuated by 2011, Hoshyar Zebari, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, said.
Mr Zebari also said that the US military's ability to mount attacks inside the country will be tempered from next year, under the terms of the deal. A new US-Iraqi committee would be required to clear any operation...
Ill. soldier dies by roadside bomb in Iraq
By Carolyn Tuft
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
08/15/2008
The U.S. Department of Defense has reported that an Illinois soldier has died when the vehicle he was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb while he was serving in Iraq.
The soldier was Corporal James M. Hale, 23, of Naperville. He died Wednesday in Baghdad, according to the Department of Defense.
On his second tour of duty, Hale had last been based at Fort Bliss, Texas. He was assigned to the 978th Military Police Company, 93rd Military Police Battalion.
Hale was the second Illinois resident to die in Iraq in the past two weeks. Corporal Adam T. McKiski of Cherry Valley died last week while in combat in the Anbar province.
Hale left behind a wife and three children. He was awarded posthumously the Purple Heart, the Department of Defense reported.
A $100 billion bill (click here)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Washington is headed toward another dismal milestone in Iraq. With more than 4,000 U.S. soldiers dead and a conflict that's outlasted World War II, now add a $100 billion bill for private contractors by year's end.
The sum pays for a shadow military that provides security, builds bases and runs the chow line in mess halls. The 180,000 private employees, based in or around Iraq, match the number of American troops.
The figure is a high-water mark in the annals of privatized fighting. About 20 percent of the Iraq operations are done by for-hire outsiders, according to a Congressional Budget Office report....
Iraq bombing kills 17 (click here)
Last update: August 14, 2008 - 9:35 PM
A suicide bomber detonated her explosives Thursday among a group of Shiite pilgrims resting by a roadside in Iskandariyah, a former Sunni insurgent stronghold 30 miles south of Baghdad. Women were cooking dinner, men were praying and children were playing nearby when the attacker struck, a witness said.
The U.S. military put the death toll at 17, including one policeman and 16 civilians, and said the lone female bomber was responsible. A senior provincial security officer said 26 people were killed and 75 wounded.
AFGHAN BLAST KILLS 3
An explosion targeting international troops on a foot patrol in southern Afghanistan killed three members of the U.S.-led coalition Thursday, an official statement said. No other details were released.
Southern Afghanistan is the center of the Taliban insurgency. The last three months have been the deadliest for international troops in Afghanistan since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion.
