IRAQ ARCHIVE :

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Washington Post, 27 May 09, by Nada Bakri
In Iraq, Assertive Parliament Emerges Under New Speaker
'The newly elected speaker of parliament, Ayad al-Samarraie, a Sunni Arab, is attempting to reshape the institution ahead of crucial elections scheduled for January, eight months before the Obama administration has pledged to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 09, by Jane Arraf
Spike in suicide attacks: Is Al Qaeda in Iraq coming back?
'US intelligence officials do not see a reversal in security gains, but Iraqi political maneuvering could affect decisions to keep US troops in trouble spots.'

New York Times, 12 May 09, by Campbell Robertson
Violence Rises in Iraq's Tense North
'Tensions flared in Iraq's volatile north on Tuesday with demonstrations in Mosul and a car bomb that killed 7 and wounded 18 in Kirkuk. ... Kirkuk is the most contentious point on a tense ethnic fault line between Kurds and Arabs that stretches east from Syria and south along the Iranian border.'

New York Times, 06 May 09, by Campbell Robertson and Stephen Farrell
Ambush by an Ally Chills Trust in Iraqi Units
'The slayings of Sergeant Davis and a Marine, Capt. Warren A. Frank, in November were not the only times Iraqis in uniform had attacked American soldiers. Military officials have counted seven such deaths in northern Iraq in the last six months, including two soldiers killed on Saturday at a combat outpost south of Mosul.'

Asia Times, 06 May 09, by Sami Moubayed
Muqtada comes in from the cold
'The Western perception of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is of a firebrand militant attached to strings pulled in Iran. The face Muqtada presented on a visit to Turkey at the weekend - his first public appearance in nearly two years - told a very different story, one of a "cultural, economic and political rebellion", no guns, and of solidarity with Ankara on the issue of Kurds.'

The Guardian, 30 Apr 09, by Richard Norton-Taylor and Matthew Taylor
British troops officially end combat operation in southern Iraq
'British troops officially ended combat operations in southern Iraq today, handing over control of their base in Basra to US forces. ... Britain's combat role – including patrolling the city of Basra – was originally due to end on 31 July but was brought forward.'

New York Times, 29 Apr 09, by Sam Dagher and Suadad Al-Salhy
Baghdad Is Shaken by a Series of Bombs
'A series of bombs went off in Baghdad on Wednesday, extending a period of violence that has rattled Iraq's government and security forces. The pattern of Wednesday's attacks — including three car bombs in predominantly Shiite areas and two at a Sunni mosque — raised fresh concern that sectarian passions could be inflamed anew.'

Washington Post, 27 Apr 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Zaid Sabah
Deaths in U.S. Raid Elicit Anger in Iraq
'Iraq's prime minister on Sunday denounced a predawn American raid in southern Iraq during which two Iraqis were killed, saying his government intends to prosecute U.S. soldiers who carried out the operation.'

Washington Post, 26 Apr 09, by Mary Beth Sheridan
Clinton Reiterates Iraq Commitment
'Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton promised the people of war-torn Iraq on Saturday that the Obama administration will not abandon them as it begins to pull out U.S. troops.'

New York Times, 22 Apr 09, by Timothy Williams
U.N. Report Lays Out Options for an Oil-Rich Iraqi Region
'A long-awaited United Nations report that was presented Wednesday to senior Iraqi officials proposes several options for Kirkuk Province, including making it an autonomous region as a way to defuse simmering tensions between Kurds and Arabs over its oil wealth.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr 09, by Jane Arraf
Can Iraq go it alone?
'The dramatic drop in violence over the past year is due in part to US-led efforts. But the insurgency could linger.'

Asia Times, 23 Apr 09, by Sami Moubayed
Syria reaches out to 'friend' Iraq
'This week's landmark visit to Iraq by Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otari is a welcome sign of repaired relations between Damascus and Baghdad that have been icy since the United States invasion of 2003. Iraqis see the visit as an outstretched hand from the greater Arab family, while Syrians are trying to avoid being next door to another neighbor armed to the teeth and living in lawlessness.'

New York Times, 15 Apr 09, by Alissa J. Rubin and Rod Nordland
U.S. Military Expresses Concern About Perception of an Iraqi Crackdown on Sunnis
'The American military insisted the detentions were not part of a Iraqi government campaign against the Awakening Councils.'

Washington Post, 14 Apr 09, by Ernesto Londoño
Sunni Insurgents Claim Blast That Killed 5 U.S. Troops
'The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for extremist organizations including al-Qaeda in Iraq, asserted responsibility Monday for a bombing that killed five U.S. soldiers last week in the deadliest attack on American troops in Iraq in more than a year.'

New York Times, 15 Apr 09, by Steven Lee Myers
Iraq Provinces Try to Overcome Political Disarray
'The 14 provinces that voted in January have only begun to form councils. Five have no functioning government.'

PBS NewsHour, 07 Apr 09, by Kwame Holman
Obama Urges Iraqis to Take Larger Role in Controlling Country
'In an unannounced trip to Iraq Tuesday President Obama met with national leaders, urging the Iraqis to take a larger role in controlling the country and reiterating his pledge to have all military personnel out of the country by 2011.'

New York Times, 05 Apr 09, by Campbell Robertson
Palestinians Are Focus in Abbas Visit to Baghdad
'Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, visited Iraq for the first time since the American invasion in 2003, meeting with Iraqi leaders on Sunday to garner support for the Palestinian leadership and Iraq's Palestinian community.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 Apr 09, by Tom A. Peter
As US pulls back in Iraq, lost urban footholds
'Combat outposts – some 75 small bases credited with playing a crucial role in turning the tide of the war – are being shut down.'

The Guardian, 02 Apr 09, by Martin Chulov
Iraq disbands Sunni militia that helped defeat insurgents
'Iraq took a security gamble yesterday when it disbanded the Sunni militias that helped turn the tide against al-Qaida in Mesopotamia and other insurgent groups. One hundred thousand members of the Awakening Councils will now be given jobs at the interior ministry, but many fear the plan will renew sectarian tension and spark disaffection among those not given security roles.'

New York Times, 31 Mar 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraqi Militants Show a New Boldness in Cities
'As the American military prepares to withdraw from Iraqi cities, Iraqi and American security officials say that jihadi and Baath militants are rejoining the fight in areas that are largely quiet now, regrouping as a smaller but still lethal insurgency.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 Mar 09, by Jane Arraf
In Iraq, British forces hand over control of Basra to the US
'American forces will seek to disprove the perception that they are more heavy-handed than the British.'

Asia Times, 02 Apr 09, by Gareth Porter
US sinks deeper into Sunni-Shi'ite struggle
'When United States troops and Apache helicopters joined Iraqi forces in putting down an uprising by Sunni "Sons of Iraq" militiamen in central Baghdad last weekend, it was a preview of the kind of combat the US military is likely to see increasingly over the next three years unless a policy decision is made in Washington to avoid it.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Mar 09, by Rod Nordland and Alissa J. Rubin
Sunni fighters, key to stability, grow restive
'The American military marked another milestone the other day in the initiative perhaps most responsible for taming the violence in Iraq: All but 10,000 of the 94,000 Sunni militiamen — many of them former insurgents who agreed, for cash, to stop killing American soldiers — had been turned over to the control of the Iraqi military.'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Mar 09, by Rod Nordland and Alissa J. Rubin
U.S. military confirms downing Iranian drone over Iraqi territory
'The U.S. military has long accused Iran of meddling in Iraqi affairs, arming militants and fueling sectarian strife. In recent months, however, the Iranians have refrained from overtly supplying weapons to Iraqi factions, partly as a show of cooperation with a largely friendly Iraqi government. Reuters quoted Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Jassim, operations chief at the Iraqi Defense Ministry, as saying he believed the aircraft wandered into Iraqi territory by "mistake."'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Mar 09, by Rod Nordland
With local control, new troubles in Iraq
'Iraqis are in many ways taking to heart the adage that all politics is local, as Americans hand over to them ever greater control of affairs in the provinces. That local control, however, has brought more horror stories than successes in the past few days.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Mar 09, by Alissa J. Rubin and Marc Santora
2nd suicide bombing perils Iraqi alliances
'In the face of increasing suicide bombs, assassinations and improvised explosive devices, Iraqi military officials and community leaders say they fear a renewed effort by Sunni extremists to disrupt the relative calm in Iraq and undermine its fragile political alliances.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Mar 09, by J. David Goodman
U.S. and British forces in Iraq are reduced
'Two combat brigades that had been scheduled to return to Iraq this year will not be replaced, the United States military announced Sunday, signaling a first step in President Barack Obama's plan to end combat operations there by 2010. In addition, the last 4,000 British troops in Iraq are now due to leave by September.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Mar 09, by Max Delany
Why 10,000 Ugandans are eagerly serving in Iraq
'... the Ugandan government says there are more than 10,000 men and women from this poverty-stricken East African nation working as private security guards in Iraq. Hired out to multibillion-dollar companies for hundreds of dollars a month, they risk their lives seeking fortunes protecting US Army bases, airports, and oil firms..

Washington Post, 26 Feb 09, by Campbell Robertson and James Glanz
Fall in oil prices threatens plans to rebuild Iraq
'The financial crisis will make it harder for Iraq to pay for services and could affect U.S. plans for troop withdrawal.'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb 09, by Tom A. Peter
Iraq's waning insurgency scrambles for new sanctuary
'As violence falls in Baghdad, Al Qaeda in Iraq is taking its fight to desert outposts and rural villages.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Feb 09, by Daniel Williams, Bloomberg News
Former enemies share role in keeping Iraqi peace
'Captain John Bradley, the patrol leader of a U.S. field-artillery unit, sat with Colonel Mohammed, an Iraqi Army officer, sharing tea and ambitions to wipe out rebels.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Feb 09, by William Boston
As war ebbs, Europe returns to Iraq
'France and Germany opposed the US-led invasion but are now eyeing new investments in the war-torn country.'

Middle East Times, 18 Feb 09, by Sana Abdallah
Iraq's Kurds Call for U.S. Mediation With Baghdad
'The Kurds in the northern autonomous region of Iraq are worried that the U.S. forces will leave the country without intervening in resolving key disputes with the central Baghdad government, amid warnings that the unresolved questions could erupt into an Arab-Kurdish war.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Feb 09, by Marc Santora and Alan Cowell
Iraq shakes off the U.S.
'Speaking at a news conference with the French president, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki signaled Tuesday a desire to gradually diminish American power over Iraqi politics and increase ties to other Western powers.'

Washington Post, 04 Feb 09, by Sudarsan Raghavan
As Anbar Counts Votes, Sheiks Voice Defiance
'Here, in the cradle of the Sunni insurgency, tribal leaders nurtured and empowered by the United States appear ready to take control the old-fashioned way -- with guns and money -- if their political ambitions are frustrated.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Feb 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraqis preparing for life after the U.S. leaves
'Iraqis across the country voted over the weekend in provincial elections that will help shape their future, but regardless of the outcome it was clear that the Americans were already drifting off stage - and that most Iraqis were ready to see them go.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Jan 09, by Tom A. Peter
Iraqi courts to decide fate of America's detainees
'The US military will begin handing over thousands of Iraqis who were captured during the war to Iraqi authorities on Sunday.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Jan 09, by Timothy Williams
U.S. won't renew Blackwater's contract in Iraq
'It is unclear how soon Blackwater will leave Iraq, but it is likely that it will remain at least until spring, when a joint Iraqi-American committee is scheduled to complete guidelines for private contractors operating in Iraq, officials said.'

Washington Post, 28 Jan 09, by Ernesto Londoño
In Iraq's North, Ethnic Strife Flares as Vote Draws Closer
'Arabs Hope to Curb Power Of Kurdish Government'

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Jan 09, by Jane Arraf
As war winds down, will Iraq's progress hold steady?
'Violence has plummeted and US forces are pulling back, but the year ahead will test the staying power of gains throughout the country.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Jan 09, by Campbell Robertson
New U.S. Embassy opens in Baghdad Green Zone
'Iraqi and American officials presided over a dedication ceremony for the sprawling new U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Monday, declaring the start of a new era for relations between the two countries. ... A wave of bombings across Baghdad over the course of the morning made it clear that the challenges were not over.'

2008 Iraq archive
2007 Iraq archive