Iraq

Can aid win hearts and minds?

Posted on Wed, 08/04/2010 - 08:22

A recent Christian Science Monitor article reported that USAID is “losing hearts and minds” in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakshan province because of failed and shoddy projects, corruption, secrecy and waste.
Given how much of the US aid budget is spent trying to make the world a safer and more secure place for Americans, you might think there would be plenty of studies testing the hypothesis that aid funds can reduce terrorism or shift hostile public opinion. In fact, there is startlingly little evidence that we know how to use aid for this purpose.

Funds for Iraq Humanitarian Assistance Slow to a Trickle

Posted on Wed, 07/28/2010 - 09:42
US funding for Iraq humanitarian assistance reaches astonishingly low levels.

We came. We saw. We Conquered. We took our Money With Us.

Feedback from Innovations in Mobile Data Collection for Social Action: "If this is the Future, I like it"

Posted on Thu, 12/17/2009 - 08:47

After coming back from Amman, Jordan, where we co-hosted a workshop on mobiles, data, and social action, we heard from many of our colleagues who have been blogging about their experience. We also combed through the evaluations and tweet and other social media streams to evaluate this unique workshop. Here are some excerpts.
Robert Soden from Development Seed writes: 

More troops make more peace

Posted on Wed, 07/22/2009 - 14:13

Neocon and former occupation mouthpiece Coalition Provisional Authority spokesperson Dan Senor on the upcoming Kurdish elections:

Friedman: Occupation only makes Iraqis "want" and "need" U.S. help

Posted on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 14:45

I just got around to reading Tom Friedman's column from the other day about Kirkuk Iraq. It's odd in a number of ways, from his love of using jokes to make a point, to his blithe assumption that the U.S.

Babylon besieged!

Posted on Fri, 07/10/2009 - 08:07

Well, okay, actually just damaged.  But it is (mostly) because of war.

Meet your new UN envoy in Iraq

Posted on Wed, 07/08/2009 - 09:36

Replacing Staffan de Mistura will be the current deputy head of the UN Development Program, Dutchman Ad Melkert.  Some praise:
U.N. spokeswoman Michele Montas said Melkert would bring to the Iraq job "a unique combination of extensive political experience ... and economic and development expertise."

U.S. troops may be leaving Iraqi cities...

Posted on Tue, 06/30/2009 - 13:24

...but the UN is staying. Almost 500 international personnel (and again that many Iraqis) work for the UN in Iraq, maintaining a key presence in cities like Baghdad, Mosul, and Kirkuk. And as pretty much everyone acknowledges, what's most important for the country in the coming months is national dialogue, political reconciliation, and regional cooperation -- the very areas where the neutral brokers wearing the blue berets are taking the lead.

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