On Sunday, Billl Roggio reported the kidnapping of New York Times correspondent Stephen Farrell, who was freed today by a NATO operation. Farrell’s driver/interpreter Sultan Munadi was also kidnapped, and lost his life in the raid along with a British soldier. Editors at the Times had been trying to keep the abduction quiet, as they […]
Marines and Navy Corpsmen treat an Iraqi Police officer at a station in downtown Fallujah, January 2007. Though seriously wounded with a gunshot through his back, this man was stabilized and survived after being transported to an American facility. Photo by Bill Ardolino. The AP’s decision to run a picture of a mortally wounded Marine […]
Sheikh Khamis al-Hasnawi and a US Marine outside Fallujah in March 2007. On August 23, Aswat al-Iraq reported a failed assassination attempt on Sheikh Taleb al-Hasnawi. Taleb is a powerful sheikh of the Albu Issa, one of the most significant tribes around Fallujah: “An IED emplaced on a roadside in the village of Ahsi went […]
The AFP quickly reported that the two suicide bombers behind the recent spectacular attacks in Baghdad on Aug. 19 were released from American custody at Camp Bucca a few months ago. There is some relevant background worth understanding about US detention of Iraqis: 1. The transfer of detainees out of US custody and back into […]
A legion of analysts are trying to discern Iraq’s future stability since American forces have (mostly) pulled out of cities and the ultimate Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) withdrawal deadline draws closer. Of all the potential flashpoints – Arab-Kurd haggling over Kirkuk, possible reanimation of criminal Shia militias, insidious meddling by Iran, remnants of Al […]
Images from Bill Ardolino’s recent embed with the 3rd Squadron of the 89th Cavalry in Rusafa and Military Police units in Sadr City.
Bill Ardolino goes on a night patrol in the Shorja Market in Baghdad’s Rusafa District with the Al Sadria Sons of Iraq and the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment.
Bill Ardolino is embedded with the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment in the Rusafa district in central Baghdad. US troops and Iraqi police conduct raids against Mahdi Army criminal enterprises and a suspected IED cell.
Bill Ardolino interviews an Iraqi Police general in the Rusafa district in central Baghdad. The general discusses the state of the police, the security situation, integration of the Sons of Iraq into the security forces, and problems with the militias.
Bill Ardolino is embedded with the 3rd Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment in the Rusafa district in central Baghdad, where Iraqi Shiites are turning on the Mahdi Army.
“Inside Iraqi Politics” is a special series dedicated to examining political progress in Iraq, with a focus on issues that affect the country’s stability and reconciliation efforts. This fifth installment continues examination of legislation, including the Unified Retirement Law, the Accountability and Justice Law, the General Amnesty Law, review of Article 140 and the status of Kirkuk, and the Provincial Powers Act and Elections Law.
“Inside Iraqi Politics” is a special series dedicated to examining political progress in Iraq, with a focus on issues that affect the country’s stability and reconciliation efforts. This fourth installment examines the status of key legislation that distributes the country’s wealth, including the 2008 budget and the oil law.
“Inside Iraqi Politics” is a special series dedicated to examining political progress in Iraq, with a focus on issues that affect the country’s stability and reconciliation efforts. This third installment overviews various influences on legislative progress, including the structure and political composition of the parliament.
“Inside Iraqi Politics” is a special series dedicated to examining political progress in Iraq, with a focus on issues that affect the country’s stability and reconciliation efforts. This second installment examines the efforts by Iraq’s executive branch to improve services and achieve reconciliation, including an in-depth profile of the Iraqi Implementation and Follow-Up Committee for National Reconciliation and the Baghdad Services Committee, special bodies appointed by Prime Minister Maliki.
“Inside Iraqi Politics” is a special series dedicated to examining political progress in Iraq, with a focus on issues that affect the country’s stability and reconciliation efforts. This first installment overviews broad political goals and various influences on progress by the executive branch.
Bill Ardolino examines the impact of the surge and other theories on the recent decline in deaths in Iraq.
Bill Ardolino looks at the dramatic changes in the Fallujah Police Department from January 2007 to today. Part two of a two-part series.
Bill Ardolino looks at the dramatic changes in the Fallujah Police Department from January 2007 to today. This is the first of a two-part series.
Bill Ardolino is currently embedded in Fallujah. Bill recently sat down with a local leader to ask about local conditions, the role of mukhtars in the rebuilding of Fallujah, and thoughts on the national government.
What do everyday Fallujans think about the war? What do they think about Americans and why did so many of them fight us? What was the city like under al Qaeda? How do they view the central government in Iraq, their city, and their future? Bill Ardolino poses these questions to a local interpreter working for the US Army.