War in Iraq

Iraq’s capital is embracing Valentine’s Day this year with a huge public display of affection in what its residents say is the nation’s most amorous celebration of the holiday ever. Street corners across Baghdad are blanketed with the synthetic red fur of teddy bears, while silken nighties and lip-shaped satin pillows hang in store fronts. It’s a vivid counterpoint to a place that’s still a far cry from warm and fuzzy — with bombings remaining a fact of life since the withdrawal of U.S...Read Full Story

  Probably not the best choice of font for the flag of the US Marine Corps Scout Snipers. From CNN: The Marine Corps said it became aware of the photo last November and the local command investigated, but found it not to be racially motivated, according to a statement released by a Marine Corps spokesman, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton. The unit's commander decided not to proceed with disciplinary action, it said, but all Marines in the unit were reminded that such behavior will not be tolerated and...Read Full Story

By NBC News, msnbc.com and news services February 11, 2012 SAN DIEGO — The U.S. Marine Corps confirmed Thursday that a sniper team in Afghanistan posed for a photograph in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS. Use of the SS symbol is not acceptable, and the Marine Corps has addressed the issue, Lt. Col. Stewart Upton said in a statement. He did not specify what action was taken. Upton said the Marines in the photograph, posted on an Internet blog, are...Read Full Story

Jerry Burke in front of a destroyed Iraqi tank ( Police Futurist ) In May 2003, Jerry Burke, who at the time was the head of the New England Institute of Law Enforcement Management, was asked if he would be interested in travelling to Baghdad to carry out an assessment of the Iraqi police. He took up the offer, and found a police force in utter disarray. Most of its officers had abandoned their posts, police stations were looted and burned, and the government was non-existent. The U.S. was...Read Full Story

Afghan Suicide Attack Targets Police in Kandahar By TAIMOR SHAH and  ALISSA J. RUBIN Published: February 5, 2012 KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — A suicide bomber detonated a vehicle in a police parking lot next to a civilian area in central Kandahar on Sunday, killing at least seven people, five of them police, in the fourth such bombing or attempted bombing in almost a month. glass. The area where the explosion occurred is on a main road used by civilians that runs beside...Read Full Story