ARCHIE LEVINE's LOOK AT THE WAR IN IRAQ

Freedom Isn't Tidy: The continuing effort to convince the Iraqi people that the invasion was in their best interest

(updated February 10th, 2005)

The Iraqi Elections, Democracy export test case

Shia 'poll landslide' set to put religion at heart of Iraqi power: Victory will end oppression of the poor south, by Peter Beaumont, The Observer [UK], February 6, 2005
Train wreck of an election, by James Carroll, Boston Globe, February 1, 2005
The Vietnam turnout was good as well: No amount of spin can conceal Iraqis' hostility to US occupation, by Sami Ramadani, The Guardian [UK], February 1, 2005
Bush Hails Iraqi Vote, but Warns of More Fighting Ahead, by David E. Sanger, New York Times, January 31, 2005
Fig-leaf freedom: One election does not a democracy make, by Brian Whitaker, The Guardian [UK], January 31, 2005
Bullets and ballots, The Guardian, Monday January 31, 2005
An election to anoint an occupation: Had it been held in Zimbabwe, the west would have denounced it, by Salim Lone, The Guardian [UK], January 31, 2005
Gunpoint democracy, San Francisco Chronicle, January 30, 2005
Democracy takes time, The Toronto Star, January 30, 2005
President George W. Bush and his courtiers in Washington, D.C., equate democracy with freedom, security and prosperity, but recent history shows us that this logic is tenuous. From Afghanistan to Somalia, exported democracy is frequently distorted, not at all foolproof and, above all, can do more harm than good if forced on a country too quickly.
The Great Middle East Shake-Up, by Steven R. Weisman, New York Times, January 30, 2005
Survey Finds Deep Divisions in Iraq: Sunni Arabs Overwhelmingly Reject Sunday Elections; Majority of Sunnis, Shiites Favor U.S. Withdrawal, New Abu Dhabi TV / Zogby Poll Reveals, Zogby, January 28, 2005
US-Made Election Schemes In Iraq and Palestine, by Amer Jubran, Axis of Logic, Jan 28, 2005
Iraqis Cast Ballots Amid Explosions and Anxiety: Suicide bombers and mortar rounds kill at least 17 people. Hours earlier, a rocket hit the U.S. Embassy, killing two Americans. , By Patrick J. McDonnell and Edmund Sanders, LA Times, January 30th, 2005
Occupation Thwarts Democracy, by John Nichols, The Nation, January 29, 2005
Iraq polling stations under attack, Associated Press, January 29, 2005
New era beckons, but future hangs in the balance, by Richard Beeston, Times of London, January 29th, 2005
The streets of Baghdad are empty. It feels like a city preparing for war, by Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad, Independent [UK], 29 January 2005
Shiite Faction Ready to Shun Sunday's Election in Iraq, by Dexter Filkins, New York Times, January 29, 2005
In Armored Vehicles, U.S. Troops Tell Iraqis to Vote, by Ibon Villelabeitia, Rueters, Jan 28, 2005
On the threshold, The Guardian [UK], January 29, 2005
Iraq's election takes place in extraordinary circumstances, and it poses extraordinary difficulties. George Bush, the man who did most to bring about the demise of Saddam Hussein, has boasted that it marks "a grand moment in Iraqi history". The signs are that millions of Shia Muslims and Kurds do welcome the chance to choose a government, write a new constitution and restore their independence - to say nothing of ending the death, destruction, fear and misery they have so long endured.
Forget Armor. All You Need Is Love, by Frank Rich, New York Times, January 30, 2005
January 30 is here at last, and the light is at the end of the tunnel, again. By my estimate, Iraq's election day is the fifth time that American troops have been almost on their way home from an about-to-be pacified Iraq.
US in Iraq: How long?, by H.D.S. Greenway, Boston Globe, January 28, 2005
Thus the dilemma for any Iraqi government will be whether to cling to the Americans to stay in power, or risk chaos by kicking them out to gain legitimacy.
Nurturing Iraq's Non-Election, by Robert Jensen and Pat Youngblood, AlterNet, January 28, 2005
To pretend that the U.S. might want true democracy in Iraq – one that actually would be free to follow the will of the people – is to ignore evidence, logic and history.
Terror blitz as Iraq seals borders for election day, by James Hider, Times of London, January 28, 2005
Shias hold future in their hands, by Paul Wood, BBC News, Baghdad, January 28, 2005
"We're only going to campaign in the streets around our headquarters," said the candidate, "and none of the others will show their faces. They are afraid of being assassinated."
Lost in the shuffle, Sunni Arabs ponder their role in new order, by Edmund Sanders and Ashraf Khalil, Los Angeles Times, January 27, 2005
The Grand Ayatollah Sistani may call the tune, but the US will still have the power, by Patrick Cockburn in Baghdad, The Independent [UK], 27 January 2005
Victory in a fair election will show the Shias have the right to power but it will not necessarily give them real authority. The 275-member National Assembly requires agreements between the three main communities, Shia, Kurd and Sunni, to reach a decision. The US remains the most powerful force in the country. The Sunni insurgents control swaths of territory. The Shia have some way to go before they rule Iraq.
Of Oil And Elections, by Antonia Juhasz, AlterNet, January 27, 2005
If all goes according to the Bush plan, American investors and companies will soon begin to own chunks of Iraq’s national oil company.
Bush uses deadliest day to beg Iraqis to turn out for the polls, by Richard Beeston in Baghdad and Roland Watson in Washington, Times of London, January 27, 2005
Gulf Sunni regimes brace for Shiite-ruled Iraq, Turkish Press, AFP: 1/26/2005
Filling Saddam's Shoes: America's Puppet Regime Returns to Torture, by Dave Lindorff, CounterPunch, January 26, 2005
US troops gather for onslaught as Mosul unrest threatens election, by Richard Beeston, Times of London, January 17, 2005
Insurgent Violence Flares in Areas Around Baghdad, by Sally Buzbee, Washington Post, January 17, 2005
Gunmen killed eight Iraqi National Guard soldiers at a checkpoint in central Iraq on Monday, and eight people died in a suicide car bombing at a police station north of Baghdad, as insurgents struck at Iraqi security forces ahead of national elections.
Saddam Agents, Militants Plan 'Vicious' Poll Attacks, Reuters, Jan 16, 2005
Covertly Running for Office in Iraq: Many female candidates feel so threatened by violence that they won't acknowledge being in the race for the new national assembly. By Robin Fields, LA Times, January 16, 2005
Famed War Correspondent Joe Galloway Calls for U.S. Pullout After Iraq Elections, Editor & Publisher, January 15, 2005
This election could plunge Iraq further into the abyss: Rigged polls held under foreign occupation have a notorious pedigree, by Seumas Milne, The Guardian [UK], January 13, 2005
Facing Facts About Iraq's Election, New York Times, January 12, 2005

“Clearly, something is very wrong when inexperienced, poorly trained military reservists are allowed to run wild and abuse prisoners. Clearly, something is wrong when enormous mistakes are made in the occupation of a country whose defeat was a foregone conclusion. I mean everybody knew the USA would defeat Saddam, so why was the aftermath of the war so screwed up? Is this another intelligence failure? Is this a strategic failure on the part of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and his team? We don't know because Mr. Bush rarely holds anyone publicly accountable for doing his or her job poorly."
--Bill O'Reilly

Rebuilding, Reshaping, and Refocusing....

The Way Out of Iraq: Decentralizing the Iraqi Government, by Ivan Eland, The Independent Institute, January 28th, 2005
"A military in extremis": Still living in a fantasy world, the administration has no strategy for maintaining the current number of U.S. forces in Iraq for two more years. By Sidney Blumenthal, Salon.com, Jan. 27, 2005
Bush's Grand Plan? Incite Civil War in Iraq, by Mike Whitney, Counterpunch, January 15/16, 2005
An exit strategy for Iraq, by Marty Meehan, Boston Globe, January 16, 2005
The Critical Battle for Iraq's Energy: Attacks by Saboteurs Cripple Infrastructure, by Karl Vick, Washington Post, January 15, 2005
Is There Another 'Tet' in Our Future? By Michael Gaddy, LewRockwell.com, January 14, 2005
No 'Owning' Iraq: Forget the slogans. It's time to let Iraqis remake their country. By Jim Hoagland, Washington Post, January 13, 2005
Iraq reconstruction hampered by fraud, United Press International, November 1st, 2004
GIs Lack Armor, Radios, Bullets: U.S. Has $400 Billion Defense Budget, CBS News, Oct 31, 2004
A War We Can't Win, by Charley Reese, AntiWar.com, October 30, 2004
Historians dissect war in Iraq: Eminent academics scrutinize the single most important issue in the presidential campaign and find two central truths: quick success, long-term problems, by Matthew B. Stannard, San Francisco Chronicle, October 29, 2004
Making Things Worse New York Times, October 26, 2004
Bush's misbegotten invasion of Iraq appears to have achieved what Saddam Hussein did not: putting dangerous weapons in the hands of terrorists and creating an offshoot of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Slaughter and sloppiness, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, October 26, 2004
Spinning Iraqi Opinion at Taxpayer Expense, by Juan Cole, AntiWar.com, October 25th, 2004
Why America Has Waged a Losing Battle on Fallouja: Marines were on the verge of taking the city in April when politics intervened. U.S. misjudgment, disagreement and shifting strategy ended up fanning the flames of the Iraqi insurgency. By Alissa J. Rubin and Doyle McManus, LA Times, October 24, 2004
Fixing an Unholy Mess, by Steve Lopez, LA Times, October 24, 2004
U.S.-Backed Iraq Government Losing Support, by Deborah Zabarenko Reuters, Oct 22, 2004
U.S.-Backed Iraq Government Losing Support - Survey, by Deborah Zabarenko, Reuters, Oct 22, 2004
Deeper into the Iraqi quagmire: British troops will now be tarred by association with US methods, by Robin Cook, The Guardian [UK], October 22, 2004
Mission Accomplished: George Bush's Endless War, by John Steinberg, DemocraticUnderground.com, October 21, 2004
Casualties of Faith, by Maureen Dowd, New York Times, October 21, 2004
What does it tell you about a president that his grounds for war are so weak that the only way he can justify it is by believing God wants it? Or that his only Iraq policy now - as our troops fight a vicious insurgency and the dream of a stable democracy falls apart - is a belief in miracles?
With Bush, no way out of Iraq, The Capital Times, October 20, 2004
How long will U.S. forces continue to maintain the deadly and expensive occupation of Iraq? If George W. Bush has his way, the answer could be, "Forever."
Failure in Fallujah, by Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, October 20, 2004.
"I think the residents of Fallujah don't want this sort of peace. They want a real peace, not a peace that stabs in the back and strikes and destroys homes and kills women."
The Strategy to Secure Iraq Did Not Foresee a 2nd War, by Michael R. Gordon, New York Times, October 19, 2004
Within a few months, though, the Bush administration's optimistic assumptions had been upended. Many of the foreign troops never came. The Iraqi institutions expected to help run the country collapsed. The adversary that was supposed to have been shocked and awed into submission was reorganizing beyond the reach of overstretched American troops.
Soldiers fear that they are 'sleeping with the enemy': Deep mistrust between American troops and Iraqi soldiers they are training, by Adrian Blomfield, News.Telegraph [UK], 18/10/2004
A War Without Reason, by Bob Herbert, New York Times, October 18, 2004
Inching Along, One More Piece to Rebuild Iraq, by James Glanz, New York Times, October 17, 2004
How Do We Get Out? By Pat Buchanan, The American Conservative, October 25, 2004 issue
Iraqis plead for more international help at Tokyo donors conference, Channel News Asia, 13 October 2004
Elections Will Not End the Fighting in Iraq: Against a Countrywide Rebellion, the Capture of Samarra is a Bloody, But Useless, Gesture, by Patrick Cockburn, Counterpunch, October 6, 2004
A 'Transition' to Failure: There is no better proof of the consequences of the Bush "plan" for Iraq than the grim reality on the ground three months after the so-called "transition" of power. By Erik Leaver, AlterNet, October 6, 2004.
Voters Excluded in Iraq -- and at Home, by Harold Meyerson, Washington Post, October 6, 2004
Iraqi President condemns US air assaults, by Sabah al-Bazee, The Age, October 5, 2004
Treat Terrorists As The Criminals They Are, by Harley Sorensen, SFGate.com, October 4, 2004
We're Not on the Pacific Coast Highway Anymore, Toto, By Dan Neil, LA Times, October 4, 2004
Top 10 Reasons to Get Out of Iraq: A list of compelling reasons why immediate withdrawal is the only available course of action that can restore hope to both Americans and Iraqis. By Erik Leaver, The Nation, September 29, 2004.
Growing Pessimism on Iraq: Doubts Increase Within U.S. Security Agencies, by Dana Priest and Thomas E. Ricks, Washington Post, September 29, 2004
The Bush Definition of Democracy: Be it in Iraq or Afghanistan, the Bush administration has a track record of fixing elections to produce the winner it desires. By Rahul Mahajan, AlterNet, September 28, 2004
Baghdad Year Zero: Pillaging Iraq in pursuit of a neocon utopia, by Naomi Klein, September 24, 2004, from Harper's Magazine
U.S. vows no covert politics in Iraq polls, by Deb Riechmann, The Associated Press, September 27, 2004
'We will not try to influence the outcome of the upcoming Iraqi election by covertly helping individual candidates for office.'
--Allen Abney, White House spokesman
Iraq world's most hostile environment, by Andrew Hammond, Reuters, Sun 26 September, 2004
Powell downbeat on Iraq as bomb kills 3, by Roy Eccleston, The Australian, September 28, 2004
Heady U.S. Goals for Iraq Fall by Wayside, by Tyler Marshall, LA Times, September 27, 2004
How goes the war? Need for stability is foremost in Iraq, by Ellen Tauscher, San Francisco Chronicle, September 26, 2004
Iraq's Disappearing Election, New York Times, September 26, 2004
Costs Whittle Funds to Iraqis: Much of the U.S. aid for rebuilding isn't entering the economy, drained by the insurgency, profits for contractors and salaries for foreigners. By Paul Richter, LA Times, September 26, 2004
No press applause for Allawi speech: Arab commentators are unimpressed by Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi's speech to the US Congress on Thursday, with one saying it was difficult not to "throw up". BBC News, 24 September, 2004
Potemkin Nation: The positive portrait of Iraq painted by President Bush and Prime Minister Allawi runs counter to the harsh reality. LA Times, September 24, 2004
Bush Upbeat as Iraq Burns, by Bob Herbert, New York Times, September 24, 2004
Violence 'may limit Iraqi poll': US troops have been increasingly under fire from Iraqi insurgents; The US defence secretary has suggested Iraq may only be able to hold limited elections in January, omitting areas where violence is most severe. BBC News, 24 September, 2004
The Face of Iraqi Democracy, New York Times, September 24, 2004
Match Iraq Policy to Reality, by Jessica Mathews, Washington Post, September 23, 2004
Carter Ties U.S. Presence, Iraq Bloodshed: Former President Jimmy Carter Says U.S. Troops' Presence in Iraq Has Contributed to Bloodshed, The Associated Press, Sept. 22, 2004
If America were Iraq, What would it be Like? By Juan Cole, JuanCole.com, September 22nd, 2004
The Last Deception, by Paul Krugman, New York Times, September 21, 2004
A strident minority: anti-Bush US troops in Iraq, by Ann Scott Tyson, The Christian Science Monitor, September 21, 2004
" Though military personnel lean conservative, some vocally support Kerry - or at least a strategy for swift withdrawal."
What Went Wrong in Iraq, by Larry Diamond, Foreign Affairs, September/October 2004
Americans pay a price for White House's illusions, The Boston Globe, September 20, 2004
Commander-In-Chief's Bait-And-Switch, by Harley Sorensen, San Francisco Chronicle, September 20, 2004
"The thing that rankles me most about George W. Bush these days is the way he lies to our troops."
Baghdad Year Zero: Pillaging Iraq in Pursuit of a Neocon Utopia, Democracy Now, September 20th, 2004
McCain: Bush not straight enough on Iraq, CNN, September 19, 2004
Senators of both parties criticize his picture of conditions there: Several Republicans and Democrats took President Bush to task on Sunday's talk shows over his repeated assertions that all is well in Iraq.
Republicans Criticize Bush 'Mistakes' on Iraq, by Randall Mikkelsen, Reuters, Sept. 19, 2004
Mr. Bush and Iraq, Washington Post, September 19, 2004
Iraqis Want the U.S. to Leave -- but Not Just Yet: They say the Americans should first 'fix what they broke here' by restoring security. By Patrick J. McDonnell, LA Times, September 19, 2004
Drop the Pretense on Iraq, LA Times, September 18, 2004
Bush failed to plan for after war, report says, by Rupert Cornwell, Independent [UK], 17 September 2004
Unease Shadows Bush's Optimism: The president doesn't waver, but others do as casualties mount and security withers. By Tyler Marshall, LA Times, September 17, 2004
Iraq Warfare Put U.S. Troops Under Growing Stress-Study, Reuters, Sep 16, 2004
Iraq rebuilding efforts 'pitiful': More needs to be spent on security in Iraq, say officials; A cross-party committee of the US Congress has criticised the Bush administration for the slow progress of reconstruction in Iraq. BBC News, September 16, 2004
Iraq's bridge too far, by Arnaud de Borchgrave, United Press International, September 15, 2004
Raising the Pressure in Iraq, by Dexter Filkins, New York Times, September 14, 2004
One man's resistance: 'Why I turned against America', by Jason Burke in Baghdad, The Observer [UK], September 12, 2004
"There is no greater shame than to see your country occupied"
Iraqi Resistance Shifts From Saddam to Allah, by William S. Lind, AntiWar.com, September 11th, 2004
Report: Civil war most likely outcome in Iraq: Major British institute says breakup of Iraq is a likely scenario. By Tom Regan, Christian Science Monitor, September 6, 2004
U.S. won't get what it wants, by R. William Ayres, USA Today, September 1, 2004
Lessons from Japan for the US occupation of Iraq, by Yusuf Al-Khabbaz, USA Media Monitors, 01 September 2004
"The American occupation of Japan was methodical and thorough, and it took advantage of several elements within Japanese civil society that were already geared toward modern capitalism and democracy."
Iraq success 'catastrophic': Bush, by Roy Eccleston, The Australian, August 31, 2004
A No-Win Situation, by Paul Krugman, New York Times, August 31, 2004
I miscalculated on Iraq aftermath - Bush, Ireland On-Line, 27/08/2004
A ruinous trap of their own making: Iraq is now more dangerous to the US than when they went to war, by Sidney Blumenthal, The Guardian [UK], August 26, 2004
Editorial: Iraq's disarray / Americans sense a growing lack of control, Post-Gazette.com, August 22, 2004
U.N. Security Council extends mission in Iraq for one year, Associated Press, 8/12/2004
Deepening Anti-U.S. Rage Casts Doubt on Iraq Leaders' Ability to Restore Order, by Tom Lasseter, Knight-Ridder / Common Dreams, August 7th, 2004
Bush Signs Bill Adding $25 Billion in War Funds, LA Times, August 6th, 2004
Iranians flood across Iraq border unchecked by military, by Neil Barnett in Shalamcheh, Telegraph (UK), Aug. 1st, 2004
Gen. [Franks] saw chaos coming, book review by Corky Siemaszko, Daily News, July 31st, 2004
The U.S. General who routed Saddam Hussein's army in three weeks warned before the invasion that a quick victory could lead to a 'catastrophic success' because they were not prepared for postwar anarchy in Iraq.
Iraq Setbacks Change Mood in Washington, by Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times, May 23, 2004
Lawmakers in both parties as well as some military leaders fear the occupation is heading for failure. Bush stands firm, but U.S. goals may be scaled back.
Gen. Zinni: 'They've Screwed Up', CBS News, May 21, 2004
“There has been poor strategic thinking in this,” says Zinni. “There has been poor operational planning and execution on the ground. And to think that we are going to ‘stay the course,’ the course is headed over Niagara Falls. I think it's time to change course a little bit, or at least hold somebody responsible for putting you on this course. Because it's been a failure.”
Iraq: Losing the American Way, James Kurth, The American Conservative, March 15, 2004
By repudiating our historic ways of war and democratization, the Bush administration threatens attempts at nation-building elsewhere.
Shinseki vs. Wolfowitz, Michael E. O'Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy Studies, The Washington Times, March 4, 2003

Say Hello to the New Boss...

Dearth of Human Rights, Wealth of Human Tragedy, by Marc Krug, Intervention Magazine, February 1, 2005
First Saddam Hussein, then George Bush, now US created Prime Minister Alyad Allawi ordered Iraqi prisoners tortured. What is the difference between Iraq and America?
Report: CIA Took Detainees Out of Iraq, Reuters, Oct 23, 2004
Hatred, fear reign after 'liberation': Violence, anarchy cutting too close to home for some Borzou Daragahi, Chronicle Foreign Service, San Francisco Chronicle, October 15, 2004
Costs Whittle Funds to Iraqis: Much of the U.S. aid for rebuilding isn't entering the economy, drained by the insurgency, profits for contractors and salaries for foreigners. By Paul Richter, LA Times, September 26, 2004
Dance of the Marionettes, by Maureen Dowd, New York Times, September 26, 2004
Incident on Haifa Street, by Tom Engelhardt, Antiwar.com, September 20, 2004
Violent ‘Peace’ Arab News Editorial, 8 September 2004
Iraq extends al-Jazeera ban and raids offices, by Luke Harding in Baghdad, The Guardian [UK], September 6, 2004
Journalists ordered to leave Najaf, by Julia Day, The Guardian [UK], August 16, 2004
Banning Bad News in Iraq, New York Times Editorial, August 10, 2004
Guardsmen Ordered to Ignore Iraqi Prisoner Abuse, NPR, August 7, 2004
Ordered to just walk away, by Mike Francis, The Oregonian, August 07, 2004
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