In a new feature here at the blog, we’ll link to some of the major stories and developments that piqued our interest over the past week.
Developments in Iraq
Maysoon al-Damluji, center, an Iraqiya spokeswoman, spoke during a news conference in Baghdad on Sunday. Saad Shalash/Reuters
- Iraq Body Count confirms the deaths of 458 Iraqi civilians in the month of January alone. (Source: Iraq Body Count)
- As a “good-will gesture,” the Sunni bloc “Iraqiyya” ended its boycott of the Parliament, which began hours after the final American troops withdrew in mid-December. (Source: New York Times)
- Iraqis were “outraged” at news of the plea bargain arrangement for the leader of the Haditha killings in late 2005. (Source: New York Times)
- Iraq drops to 152 out of 179 countries in the world with respect to freedom of the press, in the latest World Press Freedom Index. (Source: Musings on Iraq)
- The New York Times Editorial Board suggests that the Obama Administration is dishonoring a moral obligation to U.S.-affiliated Iraqis by maintaining such a sclerotic resettlement program. (Source: New York Times)
List Project Updates
- We launched our new website, at the center of which is our final list: we will be posting details (names redacted, of course) of assassinations, attacks, and other threats made to U.S.-affiliated Iraqis, in order to debunk U.S. Government claims that our Iraqi allies won’t faced increased danger in the wake of our withdrawal. (Link: End Game in Iraq)
- We also announced that an anonymous donor has pledged to match all contributions to the List Project, up to $100,000. We are already on our way, but need your help – even $5 or $10 – to reach our goal. (Link: Support Our Work)