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. This briefing is brought to you by Joel Gaines of No Pundit Intended and Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.
TOP TOPICS
- Multiple bombings in Iraq killed 15 and there are reports of U.S. troops engaging insurgents north of Baghdad, one day after three blasts in Baghdad killed 63 and undermined claims the surge was beginning to have some effects against the insurgency.
- Majority Leader Harry Reid says Iraq is a worse blunder than Vietnam and that the U.S. needs to find a way to dig itself out of the hole it is in. Senate Democrats continue to seek ways to limit President Bush's authority to prosecute the war in Iraq after they failed to get the 60 votes necessary for cloture on a nonbinding resolution expressing a lack of confidence in the war.
Other Topics Today Include: bombings in Kirkuk; Rice to Baghdad; false hope during sweep; Iraqi failing to spend reconstruction dollars; dollar demand up; Iraq: better than GM; Iraq approves 2007 budget; Bush says Iraqis meeting goals; Iraq thanks Jordan; Iraq starts anti-Aliso campaign; U.S. wasting billions in Iraq; U.S. to accept refugees; Hashim pleads innocent; Marine gets eight years.
REPORTS FROM THE FIELD
- A pair of bombings killed 9 and wounded 60 in Kirkuk on Saturday.
- Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice made a surprise visit to Iraq Saturday, speaking with American troops and Iraqi officials while she was in Baghdad.
- There were early reports that U.S. and Iraqi forces might have captured or wounded the current leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, but it appears they were premature.
RECONSTRUCTION & THE ECONOMY
- The introduction of credit officers in two Iraqi banks is strengthening customer relationships and streamlining loan processing for greater profitability.
- Iraqi ministries demand jumped more than $45 million on Tuesday in Iraq’s central bank daily auction, reaching $79.030 million compared to $33.380 million on Monday.
- The Iraqi-American Commerce and Industry Chamber opened its new branch “The Businessmen Center” at Baghdad International Airport.
- Foreign investors are not yet allowed to trade on the two-and-a-half-year-old Iraq Stock Exchange - but maybe soon.
IRAQI POLITICS
- Following heated discussions which dragged on for nearly three weeks, Iraqi legislators have approved the 2007 budget.
- President Bush said the Iraqi government is making progress in reaching the goals set out by his administration to continue U.S. support for the Iraq war.
THE INTERNATIONAL STAGE
- Foreign Minister Abdel Ilah al-Khatib on Sunday affirmed Jordan’s commitment to Iraq in helping the country restore stability and security and enable Iraqis to live honorable and dignified life.
- Iraq fired an intensive international campaign, to explain the dangers of dam ”Aliso” which the Turkish government intends to build on the Turkish Part of the river Tigris, and that will deprive thousands of hectares of Iraqi land from water.
- Federal investigators warned that the U.S. has wasted $10 billion in Iraq reconstruction funds, and that more is at risk if procedures for money handling are not modified.
- President Bush insists that Iran is the source of much of the hardware being used by the insurgency to kill U.S. troops.
- The U.S. is planning to accept some 7,000 Iraqi refugees into the United States this year, having taken in a total of 466 since the war began.
ETCETERA
- Defunct Iraqi regime's minister of defence Sultan Hashim denied any involvement in chemical attacks against Kurdish villages in 1988.
- A U.S. Marine was sentenced to eight years and given a dishonorable discharge for his role in the kidnapping and murder of Hashim Ibrahim Awad.
- One of the current Iraq Report compilers, Andrew Olmsted, is heading to Iraq himself, so this is his final Iraq Report for at least the next 12-18 months. Thanks to Joe and the rest of the WoC gang for the opportunity to help out over the past few years.
- Do you have your GI Bracelet? Many military families fall into financial hardship when the breadwinner is injured or killed. The entire purchase price of the GI Bracelet is donated to support our troops and their families! Please join us to give back to these brave people in their time of need.
- 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!
- Many American troops have taken it upon themselves to reconstruct schools and gather learning tools for the children of Iraq. Their efforts have been met with immense gratitude from the local Iraqis and their children. You can help too! Visit Operation Iraqi Children and get involved.
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. And if you have a tip for a future Iraq Report, email us at MondayIraqReport(at)windsofchange.net.
Is it just me, or is the Democrat version of "20,000 troops won't make a difference" turning against the donks?
Dan Patterson
Arrogant Infidel
It's upping the ante. Murtha is driving it and all the new "conservative" Dems are falling into line to "slow bleed" the troops by denying them reinforcements, ammo, food, and supplies. Interestingly enough, Dems have also backed Iran against the US.
LAT is running the "fauxtograph" with the "Iranian" evidence of US terrorism inside IRan. Not only are the photos obvious photoshop fakes, but they contain Russian grenades and such. Bonus: most people WANT payback on Iran and would approve of tit-for-tat terrorism.
I thought this was an important story from yesterday:
New York Times
[NM: All-caps rant elided]
#4 Democracyrules,
Dude your the James Joyce of Iran!!!!