After nearly seven years in a country that we were originally only going to invade for six months at most, the United States Marine Corp. completed their mission in Iraq and began to turn over command of Anbar province to the U.S. Army. This was the first move to truly signal the beginning of the United States’ withdrawal from Iraq and a shift in focus to Afghanistan.

While military officials have been happy with the security situation in most of Iraq, the move also comes in the middle of an election scandal in which 500 politicians have been ...continue reading]]> http://www.nycmagazine.com/2010/01/22/marines-end-mission-in-iraq/feed/ 0 http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/12/16/obamas-afghanistan-surge-consists-of-mostly-contractors/ http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/12/16/obamas-afghanistan-surge-consists-of-mostly-contractors/#comments Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:00:25 +0000 Igor Derysh http://www.nycmagazine.com/?p=963

One of the least discussed things about the two wars that the United States is waging in the Middle East is the fact that more than half of the military force in both Iraq and Afghanistan consists of private contractors which have allowed the United States to send much fewer soldiers than estimates say are necessary. Similar is the case with Obama’s surge in Afghanistan which will consist of as much as 56,000 contractors sent to Afghanistan on top of the troops that he is sending there.

When people mention that the Department of Defense sent less soldiers ...continue reading]]> http://www.nycmagazine.com/2009/12/16/obamas-afghanistan-surge-consists-of-mostly-contractors/feed/ 0