This piece by Arwa Damon is worth reading: It actually took me a while to put all the pieces together — that I know these guys, the U.S. Marines at the heart of the alleged massacre of Iraqi civilians in Haditha. I don’t know why it didn’t register with me until now. It was only …
Hearts and Minds
This is the kind of news report that makes you just want to turn off the television for the next few days and pretend you never supported the invasion of Iraq: military investigation into the deaths of two dozen Iraqis last November is expected to find that a small number of marines in western Iraq …
The Troubles In Iraq
A pretty decent story (albeit depressing) about the troubles faced in training Iraqi troops: American Sgt. LaDaunte Strickland, sweat pouring down his face, stared at the four Iraqi soldiers sitting in the shade of a truck. They were supposed to be helping Strickland and a group of U.S. Marines man a vehicle-control point, a basic …
Bomb-Building Techniques Improve
From the NY Times: The explosion that killed 14 marines in Haditha yesterday was powerful enough to flip the 25-ton amphibious assault vehicle they were riding in, in keeping with an increasingly deadly trend, American military officers say. In recent months the roadside bombs favored by insurgents in Iraq have grown significantly in size and …