Despite flowery speeches, discussions of "transition", and 50,000 "non-combat" troops remaining, America is still losing men and women and spending tens of billions of dollars in Iraq. And as violence escalates once again, and a new government remains elusive nearly six months after parliamentary elections, some worry that U.S. forces may have to resume "combat" operations.
Republican Congressman Ron Paul is pointing to a recently released study by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) as more evidence that rising "collateral damage", specifically in Afghanistan, fuels anti-American violence.
It is not often that the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) faces a strong Republican challenger to District 8’s Congressional seat, but could the 2010 election be different? With so much disappointment and frustration among Democrats with the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress, is there an opening for a self-described anti-war Republican to win this seat?
By September 1, President Obama pledges to have only 50,000 "non-combat" troops stationed in Iraq to assist with security oversight. Currently, about 65,000 U.S.
According to Army General George Casey, the United States will likely be engaged in extended conflicts such as Afghanistan and Iraq for the next decade or so. He also stated that American military efforts must combine economic, educational, and other nation building measures to ensure long-term success against global extremism.
Osama Bin Laden has repeatedly expressed his primary intent: to bankrupt America. Sadly, his methodology has caused the United States to spend over $1 trillion on the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
While the Afghanistan and Iraq wars have cost the United States over $1 trillion, 5,000 deaths, and 30,000 maimings, there is yet another painful cost that is rarely discussed by the American public.
Iraqi election (March 7th) results are still uncertain. Prime Minister incumbent, Nouri al-Maliki, is challenging American favorite Ayad Allawi, who is said to have won the election. As they battle for the most powerful position in Iraq, the fact remains that Maliki is currently commander-in-chief of Iraqi armed forces.
