To the Point
Iraq's Future: The Battle Continues
Massive truck bombs in Baghdad last week dramatized sectarian differences, even as Prime Minister al-Maliki claimed to have security well in hand. Will political instability lead to civil war? Will Iran extend its influence in Iraqi affairs? Should the US continue its troop withdrawal? Also, Senator Edward Kennedy, who died of brain cancer last night.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenMassive truck bombs in Baghdad last week dramatized sectarian differences, even as Prime Minister al-Maliki claimed to have security well in hand. Will political instability lead to civil war? Will Iran extend its influence in Iraqi affairs? Should the US continue its troop withdrawal? Also, the legacy of "Liberal Lion" Ted Kennedy, who died of cancer last night at the age of 77.
Banner image: Iraqi men inspect damaged vehicles still strewn on a street, four days after a truck bombing outside the foreign ministry building in central Baghdad on August 23. Photo: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Images
In this episode
3 storiesDemocrats Lose a Big Presence in the Senate
The so-called “Liberal Lion” of the US Senate, Democrat Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts, succumbed to brain cancer last night at the age of 77. Speaking today from Chilmark, Massachusetts, President Obama interrupted his vacation to mourn the loss of " one of the greatest senators of our time ."
Read the story8 minBombs and Politics in Iraq
Last week two massive truck bombs killed 100 people in downtown Baghdad and wounded 1000 more, a serious blow to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. He'd been dismantling blast walls and claiming that Iraqi forces could maintain security now that US troops have pulled out of the cities.
Read the story35 minKennedy's Death Marks End of an Era in American Politics
James Sterling Young, director of the Kennedy Oral History Project at the University of Virginia, says, “Most people grow up and go into politics. The Kennedys go into politics and then they grow up.” Fitting words for Edward Kennedy , who died last night of brain cancer at the age of 77.
Read the story8 min
