news.bbc.co.uk - 12/29/2008
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The number of civilians killed by violence in Iraq has fallen by two-thirds in 2008, researchers say. Official Iraqi figures say 5,714 people were killed in 2008 compared to 16,252 the previous year. The non-governmental organisation Iraq Body Count also said the number of deaths was down by ...
foxnews.com - 12/25/2008
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foxnews.com —
Thursday, December 25, 2008 BAGHDAD Iraq's Christians,
a small minority in the overwhelmingly Muslim country, quietly...
celebrated Christmas on Thursday with a present from the government, which declared it an official holiday for the first time. But ...
(more)
Iraq Declares Christmas an Official Holiday for First ...
wonkroom.thinkprogress.org - 12/30/2008
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wonkroom.thinkprogress.org —
Of the various premises on which the U.S.
invasion of Iraq was sold to the American people,...
one of the most bizarre was that a post-Saddam Iraqi government would be friendly to Israel . As with claims about WMD and Al Qaeda connections, this one has ...
(more)
Iraq’s Leaders Condemn Gaza Strikes
news.yahoo.com - 12/25/2008
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news.yahoo.com —
BAGHDAD Iraq's Christians, a scant minority in this
overwhelmingly Muslim country, quietly celebrated Christmas on Thursday with...
a present from the government, which declared it an official holiday for the first time. But security worries ...
(more)
For first time, Christmas official holiday in Iraq - ...
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Update on Iraqi civilian deaths
Wizbang —
... of excess mortality in Iraq before and following the 2003 invasion. The World Health Organization and Iraqi government estimate there were ~150,000 excess deaths due to violence from March 2003 to July 2006. Since then violent deaths in Iraq have plummeted. A new report from the Iraqi government concludes: The number of civilians killed by violence in Iraq has fallen by two-thirds in 2008, researchers say. Official Iraqi figures say 5,714 people were killed in 2008 compared to 16,252 the previous year. US military casualties also dropped by two-thirds from 904 in 2007 to 312 ...
Number of Killed U.S. Troops and Iraqi Civilians Down Two-Thirds in 2008
Weekly Standard Blog —
From the BBC:
The number of civilians killed by violence in Iraq has fallen by two-thirds in 2008, researchers say.
Official Iraqi figures say 5,714 people were killed in 2008 compared to 16,252 the previous year.
The non-governmental organisation Iraq Body Count also said the number of deaths was down by two-thirds, but put the figure between 8,315 and 9,028.
US military casualties fell from 900 in 2007 to just over 300 according to the independent website icasualties.org.
Things Got Better in Iraq in 2008
Hit & Run —
... Good news from Iraq. Remember the war we're fighting over there? The one that was barely mentioned during the last part of the campaign? Well, here's one reason why: Fatalities are way, way down. ...
As U.S. Succeeds In Iraq, Network TV Pulls the Plug
NewsBusters.org - Exposing Liberal Media Bias —
Nearly two years after reporters such as NBC's Tom Brokaw derided President Bush's troop surge as "a folly" and suggested the war itself was a "lost cause," American troop deaths are at their lowest level since the Iraq war began in March 2003, and the death toll among Iraqi civilians is also down sharply in 2008.
So right on cue, Monday's New York Times reports that ABC, CBs and NBC have all pulled their full time reporters from Iraq. According to correspondent Brian Stelter, the lack of violence ...
Just another day in the life and death of Iraq LXXXV
The Reaction —
... why I haven't been adding much to this ongoing series lately. Although I still blame the media for its negligent coverage of the situation in Iraq, there is no denying that Iraq isn't as deadly as it used to be. Indeed, according to both the Iraqi government and the non-governmental Iraq Body Count, the number of civilian deaths was down by two-thirds last year compared to 2007. (The official number is 5,714, whereas IBC puts the number between 8,315 and 9,028.) U.S. military deaths were also down, from about 900 to about 300. ...
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A New Iraq
mudvillegazette.com 1/9/2009 — A view from two Iraqi brothers, a New Iraq Emerges from Tyranny and War (Excerpt):
The headlines for those cynics do not go beyond the throw of a shoe, whereas my headlines look into the future and speak of a new Iraq. My headlines speak of ...
Iraq
whitehouse.gov 1/20/2009 — IRAQ President Obama and Vice President Biden will responsibly end the war in Iraq so that we can renew our military strength, dedicate more resources to the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan, and invest in our economy at home. The ...
Bush Visits Iraq For Final Time
huffingtonpost.com 12/14/2008 — BAGHDAD — President George W. Bush on Sunday made a farewell visit to Iraq, a place that defines his presidency, just 37 days before he hands the war off to a successor who has pledged to end it.
Air Force One, Bush's distinctive powder ...
SoI: Anbar
mudvillegazette.com 1/12/2009 — Third in a series, previous entry here .
More from Adam Weinstein, on the near-future of the Sons of Iraq program.
Anbar grassroots movement reaches milestone:
Sons of Iraq registration underway
By Adam Weinstein
MNC-I Public Affairs ...
Re-Arming Iraq
wonkroom.thinkprogress.org 1/15/2009 — Our guest blogger is Peter Juul , a Research Associate at the Center for American Progress Action Fund.
In 2008, the Iraqi government went on a military spending spree, signaling its intent to buy large quantities of advanced weapons from the ...
Iraq 2009 Elections Updates
mudvillegazette.com 2/1/2009 — Peace, high turnout reported at Iraq polls -(CNN) Half of Iraq's eligible voters turned out for peaceful provincial elections this weekend, the election commission said Sunday.
An Iraqi man whose finger has been ink stained after voting makes a ...
SoI: Diyala
mudvillegazette.com 1/12/2009 — Continuing a series begun here .
As 2008 drew to a close, Adam Weinstein, MNC-I Public Affairs, sent us the following update on the transfer of the Sons of Iraq program to Government of Iraq control.
*****
Progress for Peace: Reconciliation ...
What's Next in Iraq
michaeltotten.com 12/1/2008 — I'm working on a long dispatch from the Sadr City area. Here is a short piece in COMMENTARY to hold you over in the meantime. Thank you for being patient. Everything, including writing and publishing, is a gigantic hassle in Iraq.
BAGHDAD For the ...
Meanwhile, Back in Iraq
corner.nationalreview.com 12/22/2008 — The number of daily attacks in Iraq has fallen almost 95% from levels a year ago. Also of note, the murder rate in Iraq in November was 0.9 per 100,000 people. That is lower than the rate from before Saddam was overthrown. For those keeping score, the ...
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Iraq MPs block non-US troop bill
news.bbc.co.uk 12/20/2008 — Iraq's parliament has rejected a draft law that would have permitted forces from the UK, Australia and a number of other countries to remain after 2008. The bill, rejected by 80 votes to 68, would have given the 6,000 non-US troops a legal basis for ...
Trial of Iraqi shoe thrower delayed —
CNN Political Ticker 12/30/2008
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki tried to block one of the shoes thrown at President Bush earlier this month during Bush's visit to Baghdad.
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — The trial of an Iraqi journalist charged with throwing his shoes at ...
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