Iraq and the US have negotiated a draft agreement setting out a timetable for US troop withdrawal. It states that combat troops must be removed from Iraqi cities by 2009 and from the rest of the country by 31 December 2011. Some are heralding the agreement as the beginning of Iraq's future as an independent state. But as the US struggles to maintain its economic and political influence in Iraq and steps up the pressure against the resistance in Afghanistan where there are 60,000 foreign troops  the need for the immediate and unconditional withdrawal of US and UK troops from the region is as urgent as ever. Read more...

The leaders of the Alliance for Workers Liberty (AWL) argue socialists should not fight for the withdrawal of US and UK troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. It claims that, were the occupation to end immediately, the Iraqi labour movement would be annihilated by reactionary Islamic forces. Read more...

Just weeks after the media retrospectives on the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq, a new round of violence was unleashed on the country's long-suffering people, leaving at least 500 dead. While an Iranian-brokered ceasefire has brought some relief, Jeremy Dewar warns that this is the start of a battle to break up Iraq and hand its oil wealth over to the imperialist multinationals. Read more...

Unable to claim military victories following the “surge” of US troops, the occupation forces have nevertheless claimed improved security in Iraq. Economic life has picked up; fewer soldiers and civilians have died. Sectarian militias are less conspicuous and Iraqi refugees are returning from Syria. Read more...

“The British have given up and know they will be leaving Iraq soon. They are retreating because of the resistance they have faced. Without that they would have stayed for much longer, there is no doubt. The British have realised this is a war they should not be fighting.” Read more...

Since January US forces in Iraq have been implementing the new “surge” policy that was agreed by the White House towards the end of last year. 21,500 additional troops and tougher rules of engagement were, argued the Bush administration, to resolve the security crisis in Iraq, put an end to the insurgency and bolster the authority of the Iraqi government. Read more...

Iraqi trade unions have taken a firm stance against the pillage of the country’s natural resources by rejecting the proposed hydro-carbon bill, which will hand over the country’s oil and gas reserves to multinational companies. Read more...

Simon Hardy reports from the ’With the resistance for a just peace in the Middle East’ conference that took place in Tuscany, Italy between the 24th and 25th March. The conference brought together a number of anti-imperialist resistance movements from across the Middle East including representatives from the Iraqi resistance. It has been a failing of the mass anti-war movements in the west that they have not attempted to build similar conferences and hence the conference provided a real insight into the politics of the Middle Eastern resistance movements but it also revealed real tensions and divisions. Read more...