US Security Team Delivers Grim Appraisal of Afghanistan War, War on Terror, NewAgeIslam.com

War on Terror

US Security Team Delivers Grim Appraisal of Afghanistan War

Monday 09 February 2009

by: Craig Whitlock, The Washington Post

Munich - President Obama's national security team gave a dire assessment Sunday of the war in Afghanistan, with one official calling it a challenge "much tougher than Iraq" and others hinting that it could take years to turn around.

U.S. officials said more troops were urgently needed, both from America and its NATO allies, to counter the increasing strength of the Taliban and warlords opposed to the central government in Kabul. They also said new approaches were needed to untangle an inefficient and conflicting array of civilian-aid programs that have wasted billions of dollars.

"NATO's future is on the line here," Richard C. Holbrooke, the State Department's special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, told attendees at an international security conference here. "It's going to be a long, difficult struggle.... In my view, it's going to be much tougher than Iraq."

Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, head of the U.S. Central Command, said the war in Afghanistan "has deteriorated markedly in the past two years" and warned of a "downward spiral of security."

http://newageislam.com/us-security-team-delivers-grim-appraisal-of-afghanistan-war---/war-on-terror/d/1184

More bad news from Iraq: Female and dressed to kill, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

More bad news from Iraq: Female and dressed to kill

Khaleej Times

30 July 2008

Whatever the explanation, this is very disturbing. These desperate and despicable tactics by the insurgents must be condemned in strongest terms by everyone. Women are not only homemakers, they build a critical role in building and nurturing society. Using them to destroy homes and innocent bystanders is most shameful.

That said, the new phenomenon must come as a wake-up call to Iraq's leaders. But, instead of cracking down on the families of the female bombers, the Iraqi government and the US-led coalition must take a serious look at why women are taking to these desperate measures. If the Iraqi authorities are keen to prevent such tragedies in the future, it's important to understand what is driving such women.

Invariably, at the heart of all such tragedies are victims of grave injustice. Since the Invasion in 2003, there have been myriad cases of ordinary Iraqis routinely suffering atrocities and human rights abuse at the hands of the coalition troops as well as the Iraqi militias and security forces.

http://newageislam.com/more-bad-news-from-iraq--female-and-dressed-to-kill/islam-and-the-west/d/387

Iraqi Leader: US Should Leave as Soon as Possible, Islam and the West, NewAgeISlam.com

Islam and the West

Iraqi Leader: US Should Leave as Soon as Possible

Published on Sunday, July 20, 2008 by The Associated Press

The Der Spiegel article, released Saturday, quoted al-Maliki as giving apparent backing to the withdrawal plans discussed by Obama - the Illinois senator and likely Democratic nominee has pledged to withdraw combat troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.

“That, we think, would be the right timeframe for a withdrawal, with the possibility of slight changes,” al-Maliki was quoted as saying. “Those who operate on the premise of short time periods in Iraq today are being more realistic. Artificially prolonging the tenure of U.S. troops in Iraq would cause problems.”

Asked when U.S. forces would leave Iraq, he responded, “As soon as possible, as far a we’re concerned.”

In the interview, al-Maliki said he was not seeking to endorse Obama.

Sadiq al-Rikabi, an adviser to al-Maliki, said later that Iraqi officials do not intend to be “part of the electoral campaign in the United States.”

http://newageislam.com/iraqi-leader--us-should-leave-as-soon-as-possible/islam-and-the-west/d/272

Patrick Cockburn on the US-Iraqi Clash over the Status of US Troops, Islam and the West, NewAgeIslam.com

Islam and the West

Patrick Cockburn on the US-Iraqi Clash over the Status of US Troops

PATRICK COCKBURN: Well, the Iraqi reserves, the Iraqi money, is in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The reason it’s there is historical and rather surprising. It dates from 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, and there are still really sanctions against Iraq as a danger to the rest of the world. That money, about $50 billion, is in the bank. But there have been many court cases brought against it. It’s protected currently by a presidential immunity. And what US negotiators in Baghdad have been implying to their Iraqi counterparts is that if they don’t cut a deal on American terms, then that presidential immunity might lapse at the end of the year, and the Iraqis wouldn’t be able to get their hands on these massive reserves, which they need very badly.

AMY GOODMAN: We’re talking to Patrick Cockburn. He broke the story of the US proposal to Iraq that the US is pushing through right now, which includes more than fifty military bases. Now, can you explain that? And also comment on John McCain, the once again controversial comment he made about war. This time it was on NBC. He was talking about—when asked when he thinks US troops will return from Iraq, “That’s not too important. What’s important is the casualties in Iraq. Americans are in South Korea…Japan…in Germany. That’s all fine.” But talk about that and these bases.

http://newageislam.com/patrick-cockburn-on-the-us-iraqi-clash-over-the-status-of-us-troops/islam-and-the-west/d/89