Allepo’s castle burns

Monday, June 29, 2009

I was just cruising by, on my way to the airport, and as we turned the corner, the castle stood ablaze in front of me.

Iraq’s New Death Squad

Friday, June 05, 2009 - The Nation

Just after the U.S. took Baghdad in 2003, American Special Forces began training young Iraqis with no prior military experience in the desert of Jordan. The resulting brigade—the Iraq Special Operations
Forces—was a deadly, elite, covert unit, fully fitted with American equipment, that would operate for years under U.S. command and be
unaccountable to Iraqi ministries and the normal political process. It’s probably the largest special forces outfit ever built by the US and it is free of many of the controls that most governments employ to rein in such lethal forces.

Iraqis call them the “Dirty Brigade.” Many charge that they are an elite, private force for the Americans and Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and accuse them of engaging in collective punishment. One American Lt. Colonel I talked to called them “shit hot.”

I broke this story in The Nation magazine. You can read the story at The Nation, or click “read full entry” below.

Research support was provided by New America Media, the Nation Institute, and the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Muslims in Syria Like Obama’s Tone but Want New Policy

Thursday, June 04, 2009 - New America Media

DAMASCUS, Syria--Muslim shopkeepers, activists, and analysts in Damascus who watched Obama’s speech Thursday appreciated what they saw as a clear change in the U.S. attitude toward the Muslim world. But most are skeptical, saying they want a fundamental shift in American policy, not just a shift in rhetoric.