No, the war is not over, troops are still dying and they are still engaged in combat.

By Kevin Zeese

In the week since the much publicized withdrawal of "combat" troops from Iraq it has become more evident that the Iraq War continues under a new name: "Operation New Dawn." [Read More]

In the week since the much publicized withdrawal of "combat" troops from Iraq it has become more evident that the Iraq War continues under a new name: "Operation New Dawn."

The first confusion came from the Department of Defense. Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said shortly after the "end" of the war, "I don't think anybody has declared the end of the war as far as I know. Counter-terrorism will still be part of their mission." He said the more than 50,000 remaining troops will be well armed and that among their responsibilities will be counter-terrorism which will mean taking on Islamist militants in combat situations. The former head of the Central Command who had been in charge of military operations in Iraq echoed the Pentagon sentiments when Petraeus told CBS News, "We're not leaving" Iraq and that the troops remaining behind will have "an enormous capability."

To make matters worse, General Ray Odierno said it was possible that U.S. combat troops would return to Iraq if the security situation worsened. Odierno also said that he was certain the U.S. would consider staying in Iraq after 2011 if invited. There is more talk of the U.S. staying beyond the 2011 deadline for withdrawal of all troops. Iraq's top military officer said last week that American forces may be needed for another decade, something to which Secretary of Defense Robert Gates says the U.S. is open.

And sadly, the war's "end" does not mean an end to deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq. An American soldier was killed in a rocket attack in southern Iraq on Sunday, the U.S. military said, marking the first American fatality since the last "combat" unit in Iraq pulled out of the country. The military did not provide a lot of information on what the soldier was doing but said he was conducting operations in Iraq's southern province of Basra.

It also does not mean an end to deployments of new troops to Iraq. Five peace activists blockaded six buses carrying Fort Hood Soldiers deploying to Iraq. The buses were slowed to a halt; while police made no arrests, they forced the activists out of the street using automatic weapons and police dogs so the deploying soldiers could proceed.

In addition to soldiers remaining in Iraq, the country remains in miserable condition. Foreign Policy in Focus reports: "Iraq has between 25 and 50 percent unemployment, a dysfunctional parliament, rampant disease, an epidemic of mental illness, and sprawling slums. The killing of innocent people has become part of daily life." They also report that half the urban residents in Iraq live in slums, up from 20% before the U.S. invasion.

But the deception continues. President Obama is planning a speech on Iraq when he returns from summer vacation. Reportedly the speech will highlight Obama keeping his promise to end the war.

Please join me in writing President Obama and urging him to level with the American people. Tell him the disaster Iraq continues to be and that more than 100,000 U.S. troops and mercenaries remain, continuing to engage in combat and continuing to die. Let him know that Americans can handle the truth and do not want to be lied to. You can send a letter by clicking here.

By Kenneth M. Pollack
Washington Post

Early Thursday, less than two weeks before the president's Aug. 31 deadline for ending American combat operations in Iraq, the 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division crossed the border from Iraq into Kuwait. With the departure of this last combat brigade, the U.S. military presence in Iraq is now down to 50,000 troops, fewer than at any time since the 2003 invasion. The shift offers a useful moment to take stock of both how much has been accomplished and how much is left to be done in what is fast becoming our forgotten war. [Read More]

7 Advise and Assist Brigades, made up of troops from Combat Brigades, still in Iraq

By Kate Brannen
Army Times

As the final convoy of the Army’s 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, based at Fort Lewis, Wash., entered Kuwait early Thursday, a different Stryker brigade remained in Iraq. [Read More]

By Robin Pomeroy
Reuters

TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran unveiled a prototype long-range unmanned bomber on Sunday, the latest in a stream of announcements of new Iranian-made military hardware as tension mounts over its nuclear program. [Read More]

AFP

Iran kicked off mass production of two high-speed missile-launching assault boats on Monday, warning its enemies not to "play with fire" as it boosts security along its coastline. [Read More]

By DEXTER FILKINS
New York Times

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — When American and Pakistani agents captured Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s operational commander, in the chaotic port city of Karachi last January, both countries hailed the arrest as a breakthrough in their often difficult partnership in fighting terrorism. [Read More]

U.S. torture program investigated by six countries

By Shashank Bengali
McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — In June, the Supreme Court refused to hear the case of a Canadian man who contends that U.S. authorities mistook him for an al Qaida operative in 2002 and shipped him to a secret prison in Syria, where he was beaten with electrical cables and held in a grave-like cell for 10 months. [Read More]

By Noel Brinkerhoff, David Wallechinsky
AllGov

In less than two years, as of August 18, 2010, the United States has suffered more combat deaths in Afghanistan under President Barack Obama than it did during the two-term presidency of George W. Bush. The latest casualty figures show 577 American soldiers have died in the war from January 20, 2009, the date of Obama’s inauguration, until now. [Read More]

By Sean J. Miller
The Hill

Opposition to the war in Afghanistan, once a mainstay of liberals, is no longer a partisan campaign issue.

A majority of voters want the conflict to end quickly — no matter their party affiliation, according to recent polls. [Read More]

By Ray McGovern
Consortium News

If independent-minded Web sites, like WikiLeaks or, say, ConsortiumNews.com, existed 43 years ago, I might have risen to the occasion and helped save the lives of some 25,000 U.S. soldiers, and a million Vietnamese, by exposing the lies contained in just one SECRET/EYES ONLY cable from Saigon. [Read More]

y GLEN JOHNSON
Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Mass. (AP) -- A majority of Americans see no end in sight in Afghanistan, and nearly six in 10 oppose the nine-year-old war as President Barack Obama sends tens of thousands more troops to the fight, according to a new Associated Press-GfK poll. [Read More]

By Mike Ludwig
Truthout

Pvt. Anthony Smith is the type of guy who stands up for what he believes in. That's why he decided to hold his commanding officers accountable for punishing him and fellow soldiers after they refused to attend an evangelical Christian rock concert at the Fort Eustis military post in Virginia. [Read More]

Issued on rape allegations that Assange calls 'without basis'

NBC News and news services

STOCKHOLM — Swedish prosecutors withdrew an arrest warrant for the founder of WikiLeaks on Saturday, saying less than a day after the document was issued that it was based on an unfounded accusation of rape. [Read More]

By ADAM ENTOUS and EVAN PEREZ
Wall Street Journal

WASHINGTON—Pentagon lawyers believe that online whistleblower group WikiLeaks acted illegally in disclosing thousands of classified Afghanistan war reports and other material, and federal prosecutors are exploring possible criminal charges, officials familiar with the matter said. [Read More]