Patrick Cockburn assesses the prospects for Iraq and the occupation, suggesting that an attempt to force an outright military victory will only prolong the occupation and the resistance

The Iraq war has set new standards for mendacity and propaganda, writes Patrick Cockburn.

The war in Iraq has been one of the most disastrous ever fought by Britain, says Patrick Cockburn. Gordon Brown should stop prevaricating and order a full enquiry immediately.

Photo shows US marines in Fallujah, November 2004. And two dead bodies.

Six years after a war was launched to overthrow the Taliban, British solders are still being killed in bloody skirmishing in a conflict in which no final victory is possible, writes Patrick Cockburn.

In terms of establishing an orderly government in Basra and a decent life for its people, writes Patrick Cockburn, the British failure has been absolute.

While the US and Britain express sympathy for the plight of refugees in Africa, writes Patrick Cockburn, they are ignoring – or playing down – a far greater tragedy which is largely of their own making: two thousand Iraqis are fleeing their homes every day.

Patrick Cockburn writes an open letter to Gordon Brown, explaining the need to pull British troops out of Iraq.

Iraq may be seen in Britain as Tony Blair’s nemesis but Iraqis yesterday greeted his departure with utter indifference. Asked what they thought about it, most simply shrugged their shoulders and looked surprised at being asked the question. Others said they saw him as a surrogate for President Bush.

The stand-off over the 15 British sailors and marines captured by Iran ended with a de facto prisoner exchange, despite denials by Britain and Iran that a swap was intended.

How American Raids and Arrests Set the Stage for Iran’s Capture of British Marines.

Patrick Cockburn on the worsening situation in Iraq under the Anglo/American occupation.

Does Anyone in Washington or at Downing Street Know What’s Really Happening in Iraq?

When does incompetence become a crime?

From ‘mission accomplished’ to mission impossible for the Iraqis.

The government’s picture of Iraq is not so much a tissue of lies as a tissue of fantasies…

The state of terror now gripping Iraq is as bad as it was under Saddam Hussein. Torture in the country may even be worse than it was during his rule, the United Nation’s special investigator on torture said yesterday.

The real reason for the increasing violence in the Middle East is the return to imperial control and foreign occupation half a century after the European colonial empires were broken up, fuelling Islamic militancy.

An open letter to Tony Blair on his recent speech on the middle east…

What use is a constitution when there is no state? – Imagine living in Baghdad. Bush and Blair say things are improving. It’s not true: they’re getting worse by the day.