U.S. service members and veterans have long insisted that the military’s garbage-disposal fires in war zones made them ill. Why were their claims stonewalled for so long?
Tag Archives: Iraq War (2003-11)
Petition to Rescind Tony Blair’s Knighthood Gets Hundreds of Thousands of Signatures
Nearly 15 years after he left office, the prime minister’s support for the Iraq war has not been forgiven by many in Britain.
Biden Awards Medals of Honor for Bravery in Iraq and Afghanistan
“It’s just hard to explain where your soldiers got the courage they got,” the president said as he awarded the three medals.
Ian Fishback’s Death Highlights Veteran Mental Illness Crisis
Ian Fishback revealed abuse of detainees during the Iraq war, but struggled after leaving the service. He died awaiting a bed at the V.A.
Maj. Ian Fishback, Who Exposed Abuse of Detainees, Dies at 42
His letter to two senators about beatings by U.S. troops in Iraq led to legislation in 2005 prohibiting extreme mistreatment of military prisoners.
Colin Powell and ‘Guernica’
He broke many barriers but was outplayed by masters of deceit.
Assessing the Legacy of Colin Powell
Readers pay tribute to Mr. Powell but also criticize aspects of his record. Also: Sexism harms everyone.
Colin Powell, a Study in America’s Missed Opportunities
The world would have been a very different place if he had been elected president in 1996.
Colin Powell, Former U.S. Secretary of State, Dies of Covid Complications
A former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, secretary of state and national security adviser, Mr. Powell died on Monday, his family said.
Russ Kick, ‘Rogue Transparency Activist,’ Is Dead at 52
Working on his own, he used the Freedom of Information Act to publish suppressed documents, sometimes making front-page news.
Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, Former U.S. Commander in Iraq, Dies
The four-star general helped carry out the strategy to increase U.S. troop numbers, which was credited with turning the tide of sectarian killings.
Biden Declared the War Over. But Wars Go On.
The president’s assertion after the withdrawal from Afghanistan that the United States is not at war for the first time in 20 years ignored continued smaller-scale conflicts.
Barbara Lee’s Long Quest to Curb Presidential War Powers Faces a New Test
The Democrat spent two decades building consensus to rein in war authorizations that have been stretched beyond their original intent. The Afghanistan withdrawal has complicated the debate.
Washington Manned Up and Let Us Down After 9/11
Overdosing on macho after 9/11 led America astray.
In Shanksville, Preserving the Memory of 9/11 and the Wars That Followed
After Flight 93 went down, once unthinkable duties were thrust upon the community, including young people who found themselves coming of age in a time of war.
Foreign Terrorists Have Never Been Our Biggest Threat
By 9/11, domestic extremism was already on the rise.
Why Art Struggled to Address the Horrors of 9/11
After the attacks, American culture became one of prohibitions. Then the Iraq War made it difficult to address Sept. 11 on its own terms.
Veterans Struggle With Issues That Are Often Invisible to Others
Those who served in the wars that began after Sept. 11, 2001, are struggling with health problems, trauma and feelings of displacement and alienation.
Let’s Not Pretend That the Way We Withdrew From Afghanistan Was the Problem
Our ignominious exit reflects the failure of America’s foreign policy establishment at both prediction and policymaking.
End the Imperial Presidency
Congress needs to stop abdicating its constitutional duty to determine whether, where and whom America should fight.
Joe Galloway, Decorated Vietnam War Correspondent, Dies at 79
He chronicled the first major battle of the war in “We Were Soldiers Once … and Young” and raised questions about the invasion of Iraq.
Donald Rumsfeld, Defense Secretary Under 2 Presidents, Is Dead at 88
Mr. Rumsfeld, who served under Gerald Ford and George W. Bush, was in charge of the invasion of Iraq and later said that the removal of Saddam Hussein had “created a more stable and secure world.”
As Wars Wind Down, Congress Revisits Presidential Powers
The House is expected to repeal the 2002 authorization for the invasion of Iraq, and the Senate will consider doing so as well in a rare debate over war powers.
A Path of Forgiveness After Unimaginable Loss in Iraq
An engineer’s wife, daughter and other family members were killed in a misguided airstrike by the U.S.-led coalition. But Basim Razzo would rather sow understanding than hatred.
The Way of the Conscientious Objector
A philosophical and moral conversion led this soldier to leave the military. Why don’t more take this path?
Liz Cheney and the Big Lies
Vice wasn’t something she always worried about.
Biden to Withdraw All Combat Troops From Afghanistan by Sept. 11
After years of arguing against an extended military presence in Afghanistan, President Biden is doing things his way, with the deadline for withdrawal set for the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
In Iraq, Drought and Abundance in the Mesopotamian Marshes
Once vengefully drained by Saddam Hussein, the wetlands in southeastern Iraq have since been partially restored. Now the region and its isolated settlements face a new set of challenges.
Francis Begins Visit to Iraq, in ‘Duty to a Land Martyred’
The pope’s four-day trip is intended to nurture ties with Shiite Muslims and encourage a Christian population decimated by years of strife.
Seeking Fresh Start With Iraq, Biden Avoids Setting Red Lines With Iran
The administration’s measured response to a rocket attack in Erbil sharply contrasts with a Trump-era campaign against Iran that, more often than not, caught Iraq in the crossfire.
Pentagon Begins Independent Inquiry Into Special Ops and War Crimes
The Defense Department inspector general will examine whether elite U.S. commando forces are doing enough to comply with the laws of armed conflict and hold violators accountable.
War and the Capitol
I watched the video with my heart in my throat — the rage, the chaos and destruction for the sake of spectacle. It reminded me of battle.
Trump’s Most Disgusting Pardons
Blackwater mercenaries committed a massacre. Now they’ll go free.
Blackwater’s Bullets Scarred Iraqis. Trump’s Pardon Renewed the Pain.
Iraqi witnesses against Blackwater guards were promised justice after a mass killing in Baghdad in 2007. ‘Today,’ one said, the bullets still in his leg, ‘they proved to me it was just theater.’
‘Is Austin on Your List?’: Biden’s Pentagon Pick Rose Despite Barriers to Diversity
With retired Gen. Lloyd J. Austin III’s nomination to be the first Black defense secretary, the Pentagon comes face to face with its record as a place where people of color struggle to climb.
Trump Orders All American Troops Out of Somalia
While the number of troops — about 700 — is small, it is a continuation of President Trump’s efforts to withdraw the United States from what he has described as endless wars.
Two Costly Wars, and a Legacy of Shame
The troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan planned by the Trump administration amount to a painful admission: We lost.
Trump Is Said to Be Preparing to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia
Facing the end of his time in power, the president is pushing to accelerate withdrawals from counterterrorism conflicts. He campaigned on ending the longstanding wars.
From Iraq, an Intimate Glimpse of the Religious Holiday of Arbaeen
Every year, millions of pilgrims descend on the central Iraqi city of Karbala to commemorate the Shiite holiday of Arbaeen, one of the largest organized gatherings in the world.
The Human Experience Will Not Be Quantified
Why do we keep mistaking data for knowledge?
Refugees Who Assisted U.S. Military Denied Entry Into U.S.
President Trump has reduced the flow of refugees into the country to a trickle, and even Iraqis and Afghans who risked their lives for American service members have been cut off.
Trump’s Campaign Talk of Troop Withdrawals Doesn’t Match Military Reality
President Trump has brought home few American combat troops over all even as his pressure campaign against Iran risks a new Middle East conflict.
Pompeo Threatens to Close U.S. Embassy in Iraq Unless Militias Halt Attacks
U.S. and Iraqi officials say they are surprised by the proposed retreat, which could set back American efforts to fight the Islamic State and to limit Iranian influence.
Fake Guns, Fictional Battles, Real Uniforms: Inside the Immersive World of MilSim
Veterans, gamers, history buffs and gun enthusiasts are shelling out to take part in military simulations.
Biden Wants to Return to a ‘Normal’ Foreign Policy. That’s the Problem.
America can’t go back to being everywhere and solving every problem.
Why the United States Invaded Iraq
Robert Draper’s “To Start a War” provides the deep background on the decisions that took America into war in the Middle East.
Inside the Iraqi Kleptocracy
Corruption, as much as violence, makes Iraq unlivable. It helped fuel the rise of ISIS. And America provides the cash to sustain it, at least $10 billion a year in hard currency.
Colin Powell Still Wants Answers
In 2003, he made the case for invading Iraq to halt its weapons programs. The analysts who provided the intelligence now say it was doubted inside the C.I.A. at the time.
2004: ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ and a Country at War With Itself
In this moment of polarization and racial justice, our critic looks back at Michael Moore’s smash documentary about the Iraq war and ‘The Notebook.’
U.S. Commandos at Risk for Suicide: Is the Military Doing Enough?
An unreleased report commissioned by U.S. Special Operations Command found deficiencies in the military’s suicide-prevention programs for its elite troops.