A Soldiers Blog

Barak Defends Plan to Assassinate Saddam: "Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak defended an Israeli plan to assassinate Saddam Hussein in 1992, breaking his silence on an operation that was canceled after five Israeli commandos were killed during a dress rehearsal. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Attacks Decline in the Iraqi City Samarra: "After emerging as one of the worst trouble spots for U.S. forces in Iraq, the violence in Samarra tapered off this week amid raids by American troops and calls by Muslim clerics for insurgents to halt attacks that lead to civilian deaths. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Turkish court charges man in bombings: "An anti-terrorism court Friday charged a Turk with an offense amounting to treason after authorities said he acted as a link between al-Qaida and suicide bombers in attacks that killed 62 people in Istanbul last month."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



How Army Sleuths Stalked the Adviser Who Led to Hussein: "The man who led U.S. Special Operations forces to Saddam Hussein's hideaway was not on anyone's Top 55 or even Top 200 fugitive list."

In New York Times: World Special



Yes, Convoy Was Attacked, Bremer Says: "L. Paul Bremer III, the top American official in Iraq, acknowledged on Friday that a convoy he was traveling in two weeks ago had been attacked."

In New York Times: World Special



Halliburton Says It Saved U.S. Oil Money: "Halliburton officials noted that it saved taxpayers $164 million by importing most of the fuel from Turkey."

In New York Times: World Special



Baker Briefs Bush on Trip on Reducing Iraq's Debt: "Administration officials pronounce James A. Baker's trip ? to France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Britain ? a success."

In New York Times: World Special



Fears of Retaliation for U.S. Limits on Iraq Work: "The decision to ban certain countries from bidding on reconstruction projects may come back to haunt some American companies."

In New York Times: World Special



2 Kurdish Parties Close to Forming Unity Government: "Once they have created a single government in the Kurdish areas of the north, Kurdish officials will push for a federalist system in Iraq."

In New York Times: World Special



The Aftermath: ""It started about 3pm in Fallujah. From the time it was announced that Saddam was caught, until about 3pm, everyone was astonished. There was no reaction, just waiting, to see if it was true. There was a rumour that he was seen in Fallujah, so people went out cheering. Explosions started, people demonstrated in the streets, with lots of heavy firing till midnight, rockets, RPGs." Jo Wilding writes about the reaction of Iraqis to Saddam Hussein's capture."

In Electronic Iraq



A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq: "As of Friday, Dec. 19, 460 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. Of those, 315 died as a result of hostile action and 145 died of non-hostile causes, the department said. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Saddam, Libya Announcements Boost Blair: "In less than a week, Prime Minister Tony Blair has had two big moments in the international spotlight, going public first with important good news for him and close ally President Bush. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Ex-Atty. General Would Aid Saddam Defense: "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Friday that he would be willing to provide legal counsel to Saddam Hussein if the ousted Iraqi leader requested Clark's assistance. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Ex-atty. general would aid Saddam defense: "Former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Friday that he would be willing to provide legal counsel to Saddam Hussein if the ousted Iraqi leader requested Clark's assistance."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Bomb demolishes Badr Brigade HQ in Baghdad: "Bomb blast in Baghdad destroys the HQ of the Badr Brigade. What will the Shi'ites do now?"

In Back to Iraq 2.0



Anti-Bush Iraq Documentary Makes the Party Circuit: "In the midst of a film industrycrackdown on digital movie piracy, filmmaker Robert Greenwaldis urging rampant, unauthorized copying of his documentarycriticizing the Bush administration's reasons for invadingIraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



War in Iraq Voted Top Story of 2003: "The "major combat" phase was over in six weeks, but the war in Iraq - from its tumultuous prelude to a still-active insurgency - was in the global spotlight throughout the year. (AP)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Democrats Press Rumsfeld for Halliburton Records: "Democratic lawmakers pressed DefenseSecretary Donald Rumsfeld on Friday for records that could shedlight on a draft audit that found Halliburton may haveovercharged the U.S. government by $61 million for fuel itshipped into Iraq. (Reuters)"

In Yahoo! News: War with Iraq



Homemade Humvee armor gets a no-go from Pentagon in IraqWar.info



Mideast 'road map' architects to meet: "The architects of the "road map" to Palestinian-Israeli peace hope to meet early next year to press for its implementation, the European Union's top diplomat said Friday."

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq



Why did the West lend so much to Iraq?: "Iraq is swamped by more than $120 billion in debt that clouds its economic future. Where did it come from? Why did so many Western democracies, including the United States, lend so much money to President Saddam Hussein? What happens now?"

In Seattle Post-Intelligencer: War on Iraq