Obama, Listen to Iraqis | U.S. Reputation On Line Over Gaza | Our Monument to a Failed Occupation

War on Iraq Newsletter January 16th, 2009 More from War on Iraq »

Does Obama See the U.S. as Long-Term Guarantor of Iraqi Stability? If So, For How Long -- And Why? By Robert Dreyfuss, The Nation When it comes to Iraq, Obama is in full control. But drawing down combat forces is only half the story. Read more »   In a few short days, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the president of the United States and the celebrations, from Washington to Nairobi, will no doubt be raucous. For many it will be the culmination of a long-held dream (the first African American president) as well as the end of a long national nightmare (the Bush presidency). But for the Arab world, which saw Gaza bombed on November 4th, when so much of the rest of the world was glued to the U.S. election, and which has seen the United States respond to the subsequent Israeli assault -- which has left well over 1,000 Palestinians dead -- with lockstep support, the pomp and lofty symbolism of the inauguration will do nothing to imbue honor upon the United State's current role in the Middle East. When it comes to Iraq, it is understandable that Americans and foreigners alike have a great amount of hope in the potential for Obama to turn things around. This week, numerous contributors lay out some of the most important ways Obama must approach it, including answering some basic questions -- Does the U.S. intend to be a "long-term guarantor" of Iraq's stability?; What do Iraqis want -- and is anyone listening? For more Iraq -- and Afghanistan -- coverage, visit AlterNet's War on Iraq section. Thanks for reading, Liliana Segura Editor, War on Iraq Special Coverage     Obama, Like Bush, Ignores Iraqi Will at His Own Peril By Eric Stoner, Foreign Policy in Focus In discussing his plans for the Iraq War, one group that Obama seldom, if ever, mentioned was the Iraqi people. Read more »   Our $700 Million Embassy in Iraq is a Monument to a Failed War and an Unwanted Occupation Antiwar.com Nearly the size of Vatican City, the new U.S. compound sends a stark message: Washington expects to be Iraq's boss, not its friend. Read more »   Iraq VP to Biden: Obama's "Reputation On the Line" Over Gaza Voices of Iraq Meeting with the new U.S. vice president, Tareq al-Hashemi urged the new administration to "intervene to force Israel to stop the aggression." Read more »   Iraq to Purchase 2,000 Russian Tanks Azzaman The size of the deal, a bid to boost the Iraqi army's combat readiness, makes it one of the largest ever signed in the Middle East. Read more »   Iraqi and U.S. Forces Ramping Up Security Ahead of Provincial Elections Middle East Online With more than 400 political groups and 14,660 candidates bidding for election, security is expected to prove immensely complicated. Read more »   Without a Change of Course, Afghanistan Will Become the U.S.' Next Great Disaster in 2009 By Bill Scheurer, AlterNet What if we took a radically different approach to war and peace? Read more »   What a Cheesy 1980s Teen-Flick Can Teach Us About the Bush Doctrine By Brad Reed, AlterNet From rejecting diplomacy to abusing prisoners to disdaining Europe, "Red Dawn" offers a blueprint for the Bush years. Read more »   PEEK and Video: The hottest buzz and videos on the web     Kerry Fears Afghanistan War Turning into Another Vietnam By DJK, Brave New Films Voicing concern during Hillary Clinton's Secretary of State confirmation hearing. Read more »   Truce in Gaza? Bush Must Be Exiting the Stage By Steven D., Booman Tribune One suspects this was the plan all along. Read more »   Afghanistan II: the Sequel We (and the Afghans) Don't Need By DJK, Brave New Films Haven't we seen this movie before? Read more »

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