Iraq War
16 Articles
Abu Ghraib Dejà Vu
As torture victims from the Abu Ghraib prison return to U.S. federal court, Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Xenakis discusses need for accountability.
A Presidential Proclamation to End the Iraq War: Unilateral Executive Action to Defang a Zombie AUMF
President Biden should proclaim the conflict authorized by the 2002 resolution to be over and determine that it is no longer “necessary and appropriate” to use force for the…
The House Tackles Zombie War Authorizations: Possibilities and Perils
Congress is trying to reassert itself after more than two decades of acquiescence to executive branch overreach on matters of war and peace.
Remaking Iraq: How Iranian-Backed Militias Captured the Country
The U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003 brought about a painful and gradual transition from dictatorship to deeply flawed parliamentary democracy. This story is now…
Remembering the Iraq War: Has Washington Really Learned the Lessons?
Unless lessons from the Iraq War are fully understood and retained, the United States runs the risk of blundering again.
Toward a Values-Based Foreign Policy: Developing an Ethical Checklist
The Biden administration can do more to develop and implement a “values-based” approach to foreign policy.
Missed Opportunities and Minor Progress: The FY 2023 National Defense Bill and War Powers
One big disappointing omission and otherwise a mixed bag from the standpoint of winding down the United States’ forever wars -- despite leaders of both parties having proclaimed…
A Soldier and His Establishment: In the Life of Colin Powell, Who Failed Whom?
The question to ask is not what he should have done differently, but what, if anything, his life suggests we should do differently.
Two Decades Later, Still Reckoning With 9/11
On the 20th anniversary, experts disagree on how the most complex problems that dogged the “war on terror” should have been solved.
UN Resolution on Women, Peace, and Security Stumbles in Iraq When It’s Needed Most
Civil society fights hard to be heard above the din of war, displacement, political dysfunction and the ebbs and flows of international aid.
Grading DOD’s Annual Civilian Casualties Report: “Incomplete”
The new information demonstrates how much progress the department has made and yet how much of a paradigm shift is still needed for full accountability.
COVID-19 Shows How the U.S. Got National Security Wrong
Today's pandemic has revealed that our national security priorities have been completely wrong. It is past time to rethink what national security should mean.