army

19 March 08 during the prophet's birthday celebrations.

Our Observer in Baghdad, Last of Iraqis, took the same street scene and filmed it once in June 2007 and then in March 2008. In the first video nobody dared set foot outside; the street is deserted. But now, it seems to have come back to life. Thanks to the American Army? Apparently not. According to Last of Iraqis it's the al Sahwa militia to be thankful to. Read more...

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To mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq invasion, George Bush made a speech to the Pentagon today, in which he insisted that the controversial offensive had opened a "major strategic victory" in the broader war on terror. Two American bloggers criticise their president's speech, but for very different reasons. Read more...

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Actor Chuck Norris has become quite an idol at American military bases. His posters are as frequent on camp walls as the obligatory pin-up, and soldiers at the Baghdad helicopter base have even erected an altar in his glory. Read more and watch our pick of Chuck videos.

The Legend of Chuck Norris posted by "mikethedirector" 25 Feb. 07

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An insight into the daily life of American soldiers in Iraq. In this video, filmed from the top of an army vehicle, backstreet vendors try to peddle Viagra and hashish to the soldiers. See the video and read the comment from a soldier who served in Iraq…

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Controversy over the US stance on the interrogation method called waterboarding, considered by many as torture, has caused bloggers to try out the method for themselves. See the videos here…

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It’s estimated that around 25% of Israelis don’t complete their mandatory military service. This group is largely made up of Arab-Israelis, Ultra-Orthodox Jews, married and religious women and individuals with physical and psychological disorders, but it also includes many who simply refuse to partake. These “conscientious objectors” are now being targeted by a guilt-wielding campaign, entitled “A real Israeli does not evade the army.” Read more…

From the video campaign. Foreign girls are impressed by Israeli guys who've done their military service...

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The American military in Iraq released five videos this week which they say show Iraqi children being trained by al Qaeda to capture civilians and to use weapons. The American army, which seized the material during an operation against al-Qaeda in Khan Bani Saad, north Baghdad, says that the videos are being used for propaganda and to recruit young people. Our Observer for Iraq, ‘Treasure of Baghdad’, was shocked by the videos. Here is his reaction. Read more and watch the video...

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The proliferation of camera cell phones has seen an increasing number of amateur videos emerging from Iraq. The favourite genre appears to be humour, which is spurring the production of hundreds of videos that would match ‘Pop Idol' standards. With hours to spare and nothing to do between often dangerous missions, US soldiers are choreographing, performing, and recording themselves dancing and singing, and then posting the videos on YouTube. We put together a collection of these videos, although dates and locations are unknown, and showed them to ex-soldiers and US Army officials to get their reactions. Read more...

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Since Afghanistan and Iraq, constant and live coverage of war has become reality. Wherever, whenever, you can see what's happening as it happens. Filmed by both insurgents and soldiers, there are now hundreds of videos online. Here is one of them. Posted on the video-sharing network Liveleak on 11 December, the video was shot in Iraq, but it's impossible to say when. We asked Ernesto, a soldier who fought in Iraq, to comment on the video. "It's hard for a civilian seeing this from the outside," he explains. "But this stuff is not pro-war or anti-war, it's just reality."

Post your questions to Ernesto.

Video not dated.

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By Team Observers

The private security agency Blackwater, criticised for its cowboy methods in Iraq, is advertising its training camp. In this video, which is circulated on the internet, the American company promises to turn students into first-class users of pistols, machine-guns and sniper rifles. All in aid of becoming ‘the best’, and to survive ‘in a hostile environment’. Their slogan: ‘when you face your moment of truth, we want your Blackwater training to see you through’.

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