Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from Iraq that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. This briefing is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.
TOP TOPICS
- An Iraqi judge has issued an arrest warrant for Iraqi politician Ahmed Chalabi and his nephew Salem on counts of counterfeiting money and murder. If the accusations are true, it will prove a stunning end for a man once touted as the U.S. choice to lead postwar Iraq. If, on the other hand, this is a political takedown of someone the current Iraqi government considers a threat to their future prospects, it would mark a very bad start to the new government.
- Iran may be getting a taste of its own medicine, as terrorists calling themselves the Islamic Army in Iraq have kidnapped an Iranian diplomat, accusing him of fomenting inter-Iraqi strife. While there is a certain poetic justice to the Iranians suffering some blowback from their interference in Iraq, terrorism is no better when executed for a cause we prefer.
Other Topics Today Include: Reports on the fighting; Stryker Brigade letters & photos; Iran loses a diplomat to kidnapping; Some good news from Najaf; Allawi visits Najaf; John Howard faces possible electoral revenge.
REPORTS FROM THE FIELD
- Zeyad has a collection of reports on the fighting in Iraq as of Friday well worth reading. Omar at Iraq the Model has more.
- Arthur Chrenkoff points to some early good news from Iraq.
- SBN: Back in 2003 Ben Stein wrote a column called, "How Can Someone Who Lives in Insane Luxury Be a Star in Today's World?", in which he talks about heroism. The father of a Stryker Brigade soldier recently sent the article to his son, who is serving in Iraq. His
son responded with a long email about a few of the heroes he's served with.
- SBN: Stryker Brigade News also has two albums of photos submitted by Stryker Brigade and Task Force Olympia soldiers. The first is called Smiles From Iraq, and the second is titled Landscapes From Iraq.
IRAQI POLITICS
- As combat continues in Najaf, Iraqi Prime Minister Allawi visited the city to call on the Shiites to lay down their weapons and end the fighting. Allawi was forced to leave the city when fighting flared again, however.
- Iraq has reinstated the death penalty for certain crimes, saying it was a necessary move in response to the continued violence. (Hat tip: The Agonist.)
THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
- Reporters Without Borders is protesting Iraq's decision to close the offices of al Jazeera for the past month.
- Australian Prime Minister John Howard is the latest coalition partner to face potential election blowback from his support for the Iraq war.
ETCETERA
- Arthur Chrenkoff notes the rapid expansion of the Army's training brigade at Fort Benning as we prepare for a potential expansion of the U.S. armed forces.
- Phil Carter examines some of the problems Iraq veterans are facing looking for health care. It's hardly a new story, but no less frustrating.
- The troops are still there. So is the Winds of Change.NET consolidated directory of ways you can support the troops: American, Australian, British, Canadian & Polish. Anyone out there with more information, contact us!
- Don't forget Chief Wiggles' Toys for Iraq drive!
Thanks for reading! If you found something here you want to blog about yourself (and we hope you do), all we ask is that you do as we do and offer a Hat Tip hyperlink to today's "Winds of War". If you think we missed something important, use the Comments section to let us know.
The article about the oil fires is from March 2003.
Here's a question. What's going on with preparations for elections?
The CBS link has been removed. I pulled that off of Google News, which normally puts up current headlines, so I didn't check the date of the article. A lesson for me to cross check links. My apologies for the error.