2003: A Year of Reversals for White House Neo-Conservatives

Interview with Tom Englehardt, author and columnist, conducted by Scott Harris

As the war in Iraq continues to grind on into the new year, the Bush administration does its best to paint a happy face on a conflict that daily claims the lives of Iraqi civilians, aid workers, U.S. soldiers and their allies. Iraqi insurgents shot down an American helicopter near the city of Falluja on Jan. 2, killing one soldier and wounding another.

Despite an agreement to hand over power to an Iraqi government by July 1, U.S. and British troops will likely remain in Iraq for years to come. According to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, troops from America and Britain may very well stay in Iraq through 2007. In another sign of rising discontent in the ranks of soldiers fighting the war in Iraq, the Pentagon announced several orders that will prevent thousands of enlisted men and women from leaving the military service even if they are eligible to do so. The Army, which constitutes most of the 130,000 soldiers serving in Iraq, is now offering a re-enlistment bonus of up to $10,000 in order to stem the flow of soldiers departing the service.

Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with author and columnist Tom Englehardt, whose recent article, "The Empire Strikes Out 2003: Imperial Gong Show Year," takes a hard look at events over the past year including the Bush Administration's war in Iraq and the fortunes of the White House "neo-con's" blueprint for world domination.

Read Tom Englehardt article, "The Empire Strikes Out 2003: Imperial Gong Show Year" and other timely articles on his website at www.tomdispatch.org

Related links:

"Army Trying to Keep Troops From Leaving," The Associated Press, Jan. 5, 2004

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