The outcome of the Battle of Basra is still unclear. But as things stabilize in that critical city—the southern gateway to Iraq's oil wealth—Basra may well turn out to be Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Kasserine Pass.

Click Here to read the entire article written by Michael Hirsh in Newsweek.

 

Please give the gift of independent reporting. Your gift goes far and is used for transport, lodging, living expenses, satellite communications and for repairing and replacing gear that fails due to the rigors of the battlefields.  Millions of people, in more than a hundred countries, see these photos and words.  Your generosity goes very far, and is greatly appreciated.

For a pdf version of General McCaffrey's testimony for the Senate Foreign Relations Hearing on 2 April 2008 Click Here.

 

Please give the gift of independent reporting. Your gift goes far and is used for transport, lodging, living expenses, satellite communications and for repairing and replacing gear that fails due to the rigors of the battlefields.  Millions of people, in more than a hundred countries, see these photos and words.  Your generosity goes very far, and is greatly appreciated.

Yon also predicted that al Qaeda in Iraq “will no longer exist as a strategic component in this war” by the end of this summer. “Reconciliation,” he said, is now the “proximate challenge” that Petraeus should address in his testimony.

Read the entire article here in the Standford Review, written by Tristan Abbey.

On Friday, dozens of FBI agents and support professionals at our Headquarters in Washington lined up to give blood to the brave men and women of our nation’s military—the first time that the U.S. Armed Services Blood Program has ever held a blood drive outside of a military facility.

How that happened is quite a story.

On the Ground: The Grunts and The Press

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. For many of the journalists who have covered it, it has been the story of their lifetime, but we’ve nevertheless seen coverage of the war slip off the front pages over the last few months. While there are still plenty of reporters risking their lives doing great work in Iraq, much of the political, social, and economic complexity of today’s war seems to be getting lost in the election-year crush..........

Barry McCaffrey, a retired U.S. army general and adjunct professor of international affairs at West Point, discusses past failings and future options for success in Iraq five years after the war began.

Please click here to read some important words from General McCaffrey.

Deborah Haynes is a writer paying her dues in Iraq. I’ve talked with Deborah on various occasions, and have added her voice to those I listen to about Iraq.

Ms Haynes writes for the Times of London, but also keeps a more informal account of her Iraq experiences here: Please click here to read Ms Haynes’ latest in the Times Online.

 

Please give the gift of independent reporting. Your gift goes far and is used for transport, lodging, living expenses, satellite communications and for repairing and replacing gear that fails due to the rigors of the battlefields.  Millions of people, in more than a hundred countries, see these photos and words.  Your generosity goes very far, and is greatly appreciated.

 

From Soldier’s Angels

Soldiers’ Angels is recruiting all members and friends to go to America’s Favorite Mom contest and vote for Patti Patton Bader. Registered members may vote once a day in the Most Inspiring Mom online contest. This contest ends March 31, 2008.

Why is it so important for Patti Patton Bader to win? The obvious reason is, she deserves it. The secondary reason is the funds go to the favorite charity of the winner, ah you guessed it, Soldiers’ Angels! Also, it provides another level of public awareness for Soldiers’ Angels in drawing the attention of more angels and donors.

Don’t delay, sign up and VOTE FOR PATTI! Soldiers’ Angels is now 200,000 angels strong globally and celebrates its’ 5th anniversary in the month of March. What a great gift this would be.

Soldiers’ Angels (www.soldiersangels.org) was started by a self-described “ordinary mother” of an ordinary young man turned hero, Sgt. Brandon Varn. Brandon was deployed in Iraq and has since honorably completed his mission and has returned back to his proud and loving family.

In the summer of 2003, he wrote home expressing his concern that some soldiers did not receive any mail or support from home. Being a caring and loving mother, she decided not to allow a situation like that to continue. She contacted a few friends and extended family to ask if they would write to a soldier or two. Within a few short months, Soldiers’ Angels went from a mother writing a few extra letters to an Internet Community with thousands of angels worldwide.

With more and more merchants donating services, money and items for packages, the Angels reorganized as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit so all donations would be tax deductible. Soldiers’ Angels currently supports tens of thousands of American Service Members stationed wherever we raise our nation’s flag, and that number continues to grow daily. Soldiers’ Angels are dedicated in supporting our military during and after their deployment.

Now this ordinary mother’s youngest son, Bretton Varn, is serving his country in Iraq as he continues his family’s legacy of bravery, honor and commitment. As with all of our brave men and women in the United States Armed Forces, our thoughts and prayers are with Brett and his family as he begins his tour in service to his nation.

May God Bless Our Troops

 

Please give the gift of independent reporting. Your gift goes far and is used for transport, lodging, living expenses, satellite communications and for repairing and replacing gear that fails due to the rigors of the battlefields.  Millions of people, in more than a hundred countries, see these photos and words.  Your generosity goes very far, and is greatly appreciated.