Iraq war

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A First: No US Deaths in Iraq in August

Iraqi crackdown, US strikes helped

(Newser) - As the US approaches its end-of-year deadline for withdrawing all troops from Iraq, August saw a milestone: It was the first month since the US-led invasion began in March 2003 that saw no American military deaths. The previous record was one soldier death in December 2010, and a military spokesperson...

Pentagon Late Fees for Storage Boxes: $720M

Overdue containers can cost $2,200 each

(Newser) - The Pentagon has racked up a few late fees for metal containers it has rented and failed to return on time. Nothing serious—just a little more than $720 million during the past 10 years. Used for storage, building material, and shelter in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 20-foot containers can...

Time for a War Tax to Cover Our Debts

10% surcharge could cover next year's bill: Walter Pincus

(Newser) - With the debt supercommittee looking to slash the deficit, some in Washington are raising an old question, notes Walter Pincus in the Washington Post : What about a tax on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? “These wars ought to be paid for and not put on a credit card...

Explosions Across Iraq: Kut, Najaf, Kirkut, Tikrit, Diyala Targeted
 56 Killed in Blasts Across Iraq 

56 Killed in Blasts Across Iraq

Dozens wounded; explosions end weeks of relative peace

(Newser) - Bombs struck more than a dozen Iraqi cities this morning, killing 56 and wounding dozens more. The coordinated explosions mark the first major violence in a comparatively peaceful month of Ramadan, the AP notes; the violence comes as as officials debate whether to maintain a US presence in the country...

Judge Lets Army Vet Sue Rumsfeld Over Detention

American contractor says defense sec approved his detention, torture in Iraq

(Newser) - An Army vet who says he was imprisoned unjustly and tortured by the US military in Iraq can sue former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld personally for damages, a judge ruled yesterday. The veteran, a private contractor who worked as a Marine translator in the volatile Anbar province, says he was...

Watchdog: Iraq Less Safe Than a Year Ago

US inspector issues bleak report 5 months before withdrawal

(Newser) - A report on Iraq five months before the US withdrawal doesn't exactly inspire confidence: "It is less safe, in my judgment, than 12 months ago," declares Stuart Bowen, the official appointed by Congress to keep an eye on the transition. He cites an increase in bombings and...

Park Won't Face Charges in Amputee's Coaster Death

Darien Lake violated its own policy

(Newser) - A double-amputee Iraq War veteran who was hurled off a towering roller coaster to his death never should have been allowed on the ride, but the New York park's operators will face no criminal charges despite violating their own policy, authorities said today. Signs at the Ride of Steel...

Iraq Wants US to Sell It 36 F-16s

Expanded deal is under discussion

(Newser) - As the Dec. 31 US troop withdrawal deadline looms, Iraq is looking to purchase as many as 36 US fighter jets and other air-defense systems. The purchase, which will cost billions, could help cement ties between Iraq and the US and, Washington hopes, keep Iran at bay. The move comes...

Panetta to Iraq: Decide on US Troop Extension

Defense secretary makes unannounced visit to Baghdad

(Newser) - Fresh from his visit to Afghanistan, the AP is reporting that Leon Panetta made a surprise appearance in Baghdad today. The newly minted defense chief is looking to press the Iraqis to get off the fence on whether they want residual US forces to remain in the country after...

Amputee Vet Killed in Coaster Accident

James Hackemer was thrown from ride

(Newser) - Rough story from the Darien Lake amusement park in upstate New York: A 29-year-old man who lost both legs in the Iraqi war is dead after falling out of a 200-foot-high roller coaster. James Hackemer lost his limbs to a roadside bomb in 2008 and just barely survived. "We...

US Willing to Leave 10K Troops in Iraq

But unless formal request is made, only 200 will remain in 2012

(Newser) - The deadline for the departure of most American troops from Iraq arrives at the end of this year, but the White House is prepared to keep up to 10,000 troops in place after that point. Of course, such a move would require Iraq's deeply divided government making a...

Double Blasts Kill 35 in Iraq
 Double Blasts Kill 35 in Iraq 

Double Blasts Kill 35 in Iraq

Roadside bomb follows car bomb in city north of Baghdad

(Newser) - Double blasts from a car bomb and a roadside bombing at a parking lot outside a city council building north of Baghdad killed at least 35 people today, Iraqi police and hospital officials said. The attack started when insurgents first detonated a car bomb around noon in the parking lot...

US Sees Iran's Hand in Iraq Violence

June the deadliest month in two years

(Newser) - June was the deadliest month in two years for US troops in Iraq, with 15 killed in various attacks—and the US thinks Iran is to blame. Military officials think Iran is handing militia groups more sophisticated weapons, like rockets, armor-piercing grenades, and improved jam-resistant roadside bombs, the Washington Post...

US War Pricetag Nears $4 Trillion
 US Wars Price Tag Nears $4T 

US Wars Price Tag Nears $4T

Action in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan approaching cost of WWII: study

(Newser) - The real cost of American military action in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan dwarfs the $1.3 trillion appropriated on Capitol Hill, according to a study by Brown University's nonpartisan Eisenhower Research Project. The study estimates that the war bills already paid or obligated to be paid are at least...

What We&#39;ve Learned From Robert Gates
 What We've 
 Learned From 
 Robert Gates 
analysis

What We've Learned From Robert Gates

A look back at the retiring defense secretary's career

(Newser) - With Robert Gates, who has served eight presidents over four decades, about to retire, the Washington Post looks back at how Gates operated in the Pentagon. He’s been “careful, conservative, and consensus-oriented,” writes Greg Jaffe, and he’s “earned a reputation as the most ruthlessly efficient...

Planeloads of Cash Sent to Iraq Possibly Stolen
Planeloads of Cash Sent
to Iraq Possibly Stolen
$6.6B missing

Planeloads of Cash Sent to Iraq Possibly Stolen

Missing $6.6B could be 'largest theft of funds in national history'

(Newser) - The US still doesn’t know what happened to billions in cash it sent to Iraq to pay for reconstruction. Some $6.6 billion of the $12 billion it delivered remains missing—and for the first time, some officials say it could have been stolen. It may be “the...

Five US Troops Killed in Iraq Rocket Attack
 5 US Troops Killed in Iraq 

5 US Troops Killed in Iraq

Largest loss of life for American military in Iraq in past two years

(Newser) - Five American troops have been killed in an Iraq rocket attack, according to Iraqi security officials. Three or more rockets hit an Iraqi base in Baghdad this morning where the troops were living as advisers, they say. The US military had earlier acknowledged five troops were killed but offered no...

US Troops Mark Memorial Day in Iraq, Afghanistan

Soldiers honor fallen comrades

(Newser) - US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan remembered their fallen comrades in Memorial Day services nearly a decade after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that sparked the Afghanistan war. In that country, dawn flag-raising ceremonies honored the more than 1,400 who have been killed, the AP reports. "We...

Breathing Trouble Dogs Middle East Vets

 Breathing Trouble 
 Dogs Middle East Vets 
study says

Breathing Trouble Dogs Middle East Vets

New study increases concern over respiratory issues

(Newser) - Why do so many young, previously healthy soldiers come back from the Middle East with respiratory problems, some so bad they can no longer pass a physical required for active duty? The question was made more urgent with the results of a new study showing that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans...

Toxic Dust May Explain Troops' Health Problems

Navy researcher says particles loaded with metals and bacteria

(Newser) - A Navy researcher thinks he's found the "smoking gun" to explain why so many service members come back from Iraq and Afghanistan with health problems ranging from respiratory ailments to cancer to heart disease: It's all that dust they're breathing, reports USA Today . It's far...

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