Category Archives: Iraq

Iraqi bleg

Posted on April 27, 2009 by andrewleigh

Loyal reader Alistair Campbell, who helped run the Youth Initiative for Progress in Iraq conference last year, is looking for financial and in-kind support to get an Iraqi team to the 2010 World Schools Debating Championship. More details over the … Continue reading →

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Randomised Trials (again)

Posted on November 7, 2007 by andrewleigh

According to the NYT, the US army is carrying out randomised experiments on trauma treatments. Their rationale is that with a lot of soldiers dying in Iraq, it’s worth running experiments now to save lives in the future.  A similar ethical … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian Politics, Iraq | 9 Comments

Death in the Family

Posted on October 10, 2007 by andrewleigh

My friend Macgregor points me to this extraordinarily moving article by Christopher Hitchens. If you’re as lachrymose as me, I don’t recommend reading it at work. 

Posted in Iraq | 4 Comments

On Leadership

Posted on August 5, 2007 by andrewleigh

In today’s NYT mag, Michael Ignatieff has one of the nicest essays on political leadership that I’ve read in a long time.

Posted in Iraq, US Politics | 1 Comment

Um, one has 5 letters, and the other has 6?

Posted on October 20, 2006 by andrewleigh

This is among the scarier things I’ve read recently. It’s by Jeff Stein, the National Security editor at Congressional Quarterly: FOR the past several months, I’ve been wrapping up lengthy interviews with Washington counterterrorism officials with a fundamental question: “Do … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq | 1 Comment

Rising Toll

Posted on October 16, 2006 by andrewleigh

A new Lancet study estimates that one in forty Iraqis (650,000 people) have died since the 2003 invasion. It’s a careful piece of research, which – unlike the last Lancet study – also compares its figures with those from the Iraq Body … Continue reading →

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Exunt Emmott

Posted on April 13, 2006 by andrewleigh

I’m behind on my Economist reading, so only last night read this brilliant valedictory from Bill Emmott, who edited the magazine from 1993-2006.

Posted in Economics Generally, Iraq | 3 Comments

Sorry, that's OUR light on the hill

Posted on April 4, 2006 by andrewleigh

In 2003, I was a supporter of intervention in Iraq (apart with Michael Costello and my friend Macgregor, it’s hard to think of many other Australian leftists who took the same view). Knowing what we know now, intervening was a bad … Continue reading →

Posted in Australian Politics, Iraq | 23 Comments

Stuff Happens

Posted on August 14, 2005 by andrewleigh

Just returned from seeing the Company B production of David Hare’s play Stuff Happens, at Sydney’s Seymour Centre (showing until 21 Aug, then coming to Melb on 24 Aug). The play is about Iraq, and takes a reasonable shot at … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq | 2 Comments

State of Iraq

Posted on June 9, 2005 by andrewleigh

The quarterly "State of Iraq" figures, by Mike O’Hanlon and coauthors, came out in the NYT last Fri. Here’s their summary (click on the chart on the left to enlarge): "Many Iraqis today are wealthier than they were before the … Continue reading →

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Pro War Blogger Opposes Torture

Posted on May 19, 2005 by andrewleigh

Belatedly responding to John Quiggin’s call, I’d be happy to be counted among the ranks of pro-war bloggers opposed the use of torture. I’d regard myself as what the yanks call a "liberal hawk". So far as I’ve been able … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq | 5 Comments

Appearances Matter

Posted on March 5, 2005 by andrewleigh

Call me a Saville Row Janet Albrechtsen, but would it be too much to ask ABC journos like Matt Brown to put on a tie when interviewing the Iraqi PM? At a time when the broadcaster is under fire for … Continue reading →

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State of Iraq

Posted on February 22, 2005 by andrewleigh

The NYT’s latest State of Iraq report is out. The article is here (registration required), and I’ve put the chart below. The bottom line is similar to their last report – improvements on the economic front (which tends to be … Continue reading →

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Ramsey on Iraq

Posted on February 21, 2005 by andrewleigh

What do you do when the SMH doesn’t publish your letter? Put it on your blog, of course. The question of how many civilian deaths have occurred in Iraq is too important to be treated with the sloppiness Alan Ramsey … Continue reading →

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Iraq Votes

Posted on January 31, 2005 by andrewleigh

I couldn’t be more delighted to see that the turnout in the Iraqi elections has amply exceeded the turnout in recent US elections (the SMH says 72%, though US papers were reporting slightly lower figures). For the sake of the … Continue reading →

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The State of Iraq

Posted on November 27, 2004 by andrewleigh

Of all the Iraqi assessments, the one I trust most is the piece put together every couple of months by Michael O’Hanlon and various co-authors for the New York Times. The latest one has just come out (NYT registration required, … Continue reading →

Posted in Iraq | 2 Comments

Baghdad Year Zero

Posted on September 24, 2004 by andrewleigh

With news of beheadings, bomb blasts and the ongoing violence in Iraq filling our papers and TV screens, readers might find it helpful to check out this month’s Harper’s Magazine **. In it is an interesting article by Naomi Klein … Continue reading →

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