NEW YORK — Can Iraq hold together? It’s worth examining what is happening in that country through a broader prism. If you had looked at the Middle East 15 years ago, you would have seen a string of strikingly similar regimes — from Libya and Tunisia in the west to Syria and Iraq in the […]
Iraq
Posted inOp-Eds
Cal Thomas: Obama incapable of fighting terrorism
George W. Bush never claimed to be prescient, but here he is in 2007, warning us what would happen if the United States prematurely pulled its troops out of Iraq before Iraqi forces were sufficiently trained, equipped and motivated to defend the country we gave back to them after the ouster of Saddam Hussein: “To […]
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Posted inOp-Eds
Charles Krauthammer: Abdication has a price
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yes, it is true that there was no al-Qaeda in Iraq when George W. Bush took office. But it is equally true that there was essentially no al-Qaeda in Iraq remaining when Barack Obama took office. Which makes Bush responsible for the terrible costs incurred to defeat the 2003-09 jihadist war engendered […]
Posted inOp-Eds
Austin Bay: Better U.S. response needed in Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s bloody media foray into northern Iraq adds another international dimension to Syria’s thoroughly internationalized civil war. It is also a direct political challenge to the Obama administration, one so stark that unless the administration acts decisively, nations world wide that rely on U.S. security support will severely […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Obama to send as many as 300 military advisers to Iraq
WASHINGTON — Holding back from more robust options, President Barack Obama on Thursday said he was dispatching up to 300 military advisers to Iraq to help quell the rising insurgency in the crumbling state. He called on Iraqi leaders to govern with a more “inclusive agenda” to ensure the country does not descend into civil […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Iraqi unrest pushing gas prices up
Violence in Iraq is pushing U.S. gasoline prices higher, depriving drivers of the usual price break between Memorial Day and July Fourth. The national average price of $3.68 per gallon is the highest price for this time of year since 2008, the year gasoline hit its all-time high. According to MaineGasPrices.com, the average price of […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn
Veterans gather for adaptive sports at Pineland Farms
NEW GLOUCESTER — Brandon Hammonds flew in from Charlotte, N.C., just so he could strap on cross-country skis and try his hand at biathlon. He liked the experience so much that he’s talking about coming back next year. Hammonds, a Marine who was wounded during combat duty in Iraq, was one of 13 veterans and […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
‘I’m taking your family heads or tails’: Police release details in multi-state domestic violence case
A mother fled Tampico, Ill., with her 2-year-old daughter to escape a very abusive relationship at the hands of an Iraq War veteran with a serious addiction to methamphetamines. The woman came to the Knox County area to stay with a relative but, according to police, William McBroom-Stees was able to track them down and […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Iraq seeking new U.S. aid after pushing out troops
WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly two years after pushing out the U.S. military, Iraq is asking for more American weapons, training and manpower to help fight a bloody resurgence of al-Qaida that has unleashed a level of violence comparable to the darkest days of the nation’s sectarian conflict. The request will be discussed during a White […]
Posted inLetters
H. Kenney: Bush’s clear line
Steven Reed’s letter to the editor, published Sept. 16, was partially right when he wrote “President Bush presented a clear line to Congress only after the United Nations voted on sanctions against Iraq.” Bush presented a clear line of deception. There were no weapons of mass destruction. None, nada, zero. It was only by that […]