Summary: As President Obama prepares to release a review of American strategy in Afghanistan that will claim progress in the nine-year-old war there, two new classified National Intelligence Estimates offer a more negative assessment and say there is a limited chance of success unless Pakistan hunts down insurgents operating from havens on its Afghan border. … One-year retrospective: One year ago today, on December 15, 2009, Aubrey Immelman reported that PolitiFact, the Pulitzer Prize-winning project of the St. Petersburg Times to find the truth in American politics, announced its “Lie of the Year” contest to find the most significant political falsehood of 2009, with U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann among the eight nominees.
Summary: Cheered wildly by U.S. troops, President Barack Obama flew unannounced into Iraq and promptly declared it is time for Iraqis to “take responsibility for their country” after America’s commitment of six years and thousands of lives.
Iraq’s fractious parliament squeezed its abrasive speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani out of a job and authorized non-U.S. foreign troops to stay in the country for another half-year, a pair of high-stakes moves in its final session of 2008.
Summary: The brother of Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President George W. Bush, says his apology letter was written against his will after he was tortured in detention. The shoe-throwing incident received worldwide media coverage and al-Zeidi has become a potent symbol for opponents of the U.S.-led invasion and occupation of Iraq.
Summary: Iraq’s parliament has voted to reject a draft law that allows troops from Britain, Australia, and several other countries to remain in Iraq beyond the end of 2008.
Summary: An Iraqi reporter hurled his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush on a farewell visit to Baghdad, shouting in Arabic, “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog.”