IRAQ ARCHIVE :

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Washington Post, 29 May 08, by Karen DeYoung
Citing Its Resources, Iraq Appeals for Development Partners
'The report, titled "A New Beginning," comes as Congress has moved to force Iraq to shoulder more responsibility for U.S. war and reconstruction costs, now approaching half a trillion dollars since 2003. Recent legislation has called for Baghdad to pay to train and equip its security forces and to pick up more of the tab for U.S. military operations.'

BBC News, 23 May 08
US spending in Iraq ignored rules
'An audit of some $8bn (£4bn) paid to US and Iraqi contractors has found that almost every payment failed to comply with US laws aimed at preventing fraud.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 May 08, by Michael R. Gordon and Alissa J. Rubin
Operation in Sadr city is an Iraqi success, so far
'Iraqi forces rolled unopposed through the huge Shiite enclave of Sadr City on Tuesday, a dramatic turnaround from the bitter fighting that has plagued the Baghdad neighborhood for two months, and a qualified success for Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki.'

Family Security Matters/AFPS, 16 My 08, by Jim Garamone
Commander Charts Progress in Baghdad, Diyala
'A mix of force, good governance and economic stimuli has resulted in a turnaround for an area in Iraq that once was a hotbed of Sunni and Shiite insurgents.'

AP, 21 May 08, by Robert Burns
Commander: Al-Qaida in Iraq is at its weakest
'The al-Qaida terror group in Iraq appears to be at its weakest state since it gained an initial foothold in the aftermath of the U.S.-led invasion five years ago, the acting commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East said Wednesday in an Associated Press interview.'

International Herald Tribune, 15 May 08, by Michael R. Gordon
Along the Sadr City wall, cease-fire means nothing
'The formal truce that was announced in the Green Zone with great fanfare Monday has meant nothing here. Shiite militias have been trying to blast gaps in the wall, firing at the U.S. troops who are completing it and maneuvering to pick off the Iraqi soldiers who have been charged with keeping an eye on the partition. U.S. forces have answered with tank rounds, helicopter rocket strikes and even satellite-guided bombs to try to silence the militia fire.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 08, by Anna Badkhen
U.S. Army to Baghdadis: Do you really live here?
'As Iraqis return to Baghdad neighborhoods once racked by sectarian violence, the US military wants to ensure that squatters aren't laying claim to their houses.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 May 08, by Sam Dagher
As Baghdad grapples with Sadr City, Iraqi Kurdistan busily builds 'Dream City'
'The Kurdistan Regional Government is briskly pursuing oil and gas contracts and economic development, a drive that is chafing Iraq's central government in Baghdad.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 May 08, by Howard LaFranchi
U.S. death toll rises as it digs in against Iraq's Shiite militias
'At least 47 US soldiers were killed in Iraq in April, making it the deadliest month since September. Many of the casualties are a result of the recent assault on the Mahdi Army.'

Washington Post, 30 Apr 08, by Amit R. Paley
U.S. Role Deepens in Sadr City
'Fierce Battle Against Shiite Militiamen Echoes First Years of War : The clashes underscored how deeply U.S. forces have been drawn into heavy combat in the huge Shiite district since Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki unexpectedly launched an offensive in southern Iraq last month against Shiite militias, primarily the Mahdi Army of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr.'

Asia Times, 01 May 08, by Michael Scheuer
Al-Qaeda searches for unity in Iraq
'A series of messages from al-Qaeda deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri and its chief in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Mujahir, indicates al-Qaeda is pulling out all the stops to try to prevent the Sunni Iraqi mujahideen from militarily winning the war but then losing the political spoils because of disunity.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Apr 08, by Howard LaFranchi
Iraq's Army – not ready yet
'As US troops draw down, Iraqi forces are taking the lead. Reviews so far are mixed.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 May 08, by Nicholas Blanford
Is the Sunni-Shiite rift mostly politics and media hype?
'A panel discussion Tuesday in Doha, Qatar, was dominated by the perception that the Western media hypes up tensions by focusing too much on the minority of radicals.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 May 08, by Alissa J. Rubin and Michael R. Gordon
Iraq team to discuss militias with Iran
'The Iraqi prime minister is sending several senior Shiite leaders to Tehran to discuss their concerns that Iran is arming and financing militias in Iraq, senior Iraqi and American officials said Wednesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Apr 08, by Stephen Farrell and Alissa J. Rubin
Groups with Iran's backing blamed for Baghdad attacks
'Nearly three-quarters of the attacks that kill or wound American soldiers in Baghdad are carried out by Iranian-backed Shiite groups, the United States military said Wednesday.'

Washington Post, 24 Apr 08, by Amit R. Paley
Attacks on Green Zone Drop Sharply, U.S. Says
'U.S. officials said Wednesday that a military campaign in the stronghold of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has succeeded in nearly eliminating the deadly rocket and mortar attacks launched from the area.'

Washington Post, 22 Apr 08, by Karen DeYoung
Iraq Wants U.S. to Compromise More on Security Deals
'Iraq is resisting U.S. proposals for a pair of new bilateral security agreements, saying it expects Washington to compromise on "sensitive issues," including the right to imprison Iraqi citizens unilaterally, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Monday.'

BBC News, 22 Apr 08
Maliki plea for regional support
'Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has urged neighbouring states to do more to support his country's economy.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Apr 08, by Michael R. Gordon
In Baghdad, struggle ties security to basic services
'Even as American and Iraqi troops are fighting to establish control of the Sadr City section of this capital, the Iraqi government's program to restore basic services like electricity, sewage and trash collection is lagging, jeopardizing the effort to win over the area's wary residents.'

New York Times, 21 Apr 08, by James Glanz and Alissa J. Rubin
U.S. and Iran Find Common Ground in Iraq’s Shiite Conflict
'The causes of this convergence boil down to the logic of self-interest, although it is logic in a place where even the most basic reasoning refuses to go in a straight line. In essence, though, the calculation by the United States is that it must back the government it helped to create and take the steps needed to protect American troops and civilian officials.'

Washington Post, 22 Apr 08, by Sholnn Freeman
Iraqi Christians Struggle With Fear After Slayings
'The Iraqi Christian population numbered 1.35 million before the Persian Gulf War in 1991, according to politicians who cite government statistics from the time. That number has dropped by at least half, according to politicians, priests and religious organizations, mainly because Christians have fled the country in the years since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Apr 08, by Thom Shanker and Steven Lee Myers
General's advice to suspend troop cuts reflects bleak assessment of Iraq military
'The recommendation by the top American commander in Iraq to suspend troop reductions reflects a bleak assessment that Iraqi forces remain unprepared to take over the mission of securing their own nation, senior administration and military officials said Wednesday.'

Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr 08, by Peter Spiegel
For U.S., another top threat emerges in Iraq
'Iranian-backed 'special groups' are now the greatest threat to American forces, Gen. Petraeus testifies. Some officials and experts disagree.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Apr 08, by Sam Dagher
In Iraq, Sunni insurgents still aim to oust U.S., Shiites
'In an interview, a member of the Islamic Army of Iraq speaks of his group's long-term goals.'

New York Times, 03 Apr 08, by Michael R. Gordon, Eric Schmitt And Stephen Farrell
U.S. Cites Planning Gaps in Iraqi Assault on Basra
'... interviews with a wide range of American and military officials ... suggest that Mr. Maliki overestimated his military’s abilities and underestimated the scale of the resistance. The Iraqi prime minister also displayed an impulsive leadership style that did not give his forces or that of his most powerful allies, the American and British military, time to prepare.'

New York Times, 03 Apr 08, by Erica Goode
Normal Life Starts to Return as Iraqi Forces Regain Control in Basra
'But sporadic violence continued three days after the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr ordered his Mahdi Army to stop its armed resistance to the American-supported Iraqi assault, and demanded concessions from the government in return.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Apr 08, by James Glanz
Iraqi deaths are on the rise again during clashes with militias
'The toll of civilian deaths in the Iraqi capital last month reached its highest point since September 2007, and the death toll nationwide has soared in recent weeks as Shiite militiamen have battled Iraqi and American security forces, Interior Ministry figures obtained Tuesday show.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 Mar 08, by Sam Dagher
Sadr reins in Shiite militiamen, sends mixed signals
'Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, the Iraqi religious leader whose Mahdi Army has been locked in a deadly battle with Iraqi forces, aided by the US military, in Baghdad, Basra, and other southern cities, called for a cooling-off period in a statement issued Sunday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Mar 08, by Sam Dagher
Sadr City braces for fresh street battles
'Residents of Baghdad's Shiite slum fear violence in Basra between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi forces will spread to Baghdad.'

Washington Post, 27 Mar 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan and Sholnn Freeman
Sadr Followers Protest Security Crackdown
'Supporters of hardline cleric Moqtada al-Sadr poured into the streets of the Iraqi capital on Thursday to protest an ongoing security crackdown against Sadr's militia, while fighting continued in the southern city of Basra and new rocket attacks struck near the U.S. Embassy.'

Washington Post, 27 Mar 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan and Sholnn Freeman
Battles with Shiite Fighters Spread : Maliki Gives Militias In Basra 72 Hours To Give Up Fight
'As Shiite militiamen and Iraqi security forces battled for a second day in the southern city of Basra on Wednesday, with growing shortages of food, water and other basic necessities, rockets rained down again on Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, injuring three Americans and an Iraqi, officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Mar 08, by Sam Dagher
U.S. sees long fight to oust Al Qaeda in Mosul
'American soldiers say the battle for the northern Iraqi city is a complicated mix of counterterrorism, economic incentives, and political solutions.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 Mar 08, by James Glanz
Iraqi troops may move to reclaim Basra's port
'Several senior Iraqi officials said on Wednesday that the government might soon deploy Iraqi Army troops to seize control of this city's decrepit but vital port from politically connected militias known more for corruption and inciting terrorism than for their skill in moving freight.'

Asia Times, 13 Mar 08, by Robert M Cutler
Turkey and Iraq take a step at a time
'After eight days, Turkey this month ended its ground operation in the Kurdish territory in northern Iraq without achieving its stated goal of uprooting the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) presence. ... Turkish politicians and the military would have agreed that only this sort of action would insure that the others in the region would always include the possibility of Turkey's repeating such operations in their calculations.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Mar 08, by Julien Spencer
Turkey offers reforms for Kurdish minority
'Long-simmering tensions with Kurdish militant separatists led to a week-long incursion into northern Iraq in February to target bases.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Mar 08, by James Glanz and Eric Schmitt
Data on violence point to stalemate in Iraq
'Newly declassified statistics on the frequency of insurgent attacks in Iraq suggest that after major security gains last fall in the wake of an American troop increase, the conflict has drifted into at least a temporary stalemate, with levels of violence remaining constant from November 2007 through early 2008.'

Washington Post, 06 Mar 08, by Joshua Partlow
Turkey Resumes Strikes in Iraq's North
'Five days after withdrawing its troops from northern Iraq, Turkey launched another round of air and artillery strikes on Kurdish guerrilla territory there, a sign that the offensive against the rebels will continue, Iraqi officials said Wednesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Mar 08, by Solomon Moore
Iraq in talks with U.S. and European oil companies
'Iraq once had one of the region's strongest agricultural and industrial economies. But United Nations sanctions and years of war with the United States and Iran have destroyed much of Iraq's economic base, leaving the nation heavily dependent on oil revenue. And Iraq's oil industry, hobbled by armed conflict, mismanagement and neglect, produces far less oil than Saudi Arabia and Iran.'

International Herald Tribune, 27 Feb 08, by Richard A. Oppel Jr. and Khalid al-Ansary
Gates urges quick end to Turks' military operation in Iraq
'Defense Secretary Robert Gates urged the Turkish military on Wednesday to abandon by mid-March their invasion of guerrilla-controlled lands in the northernmost reaches of Iraq. But Turkish officials said the government had no intention of ending military operations in Iraq before all its targets had been destroyed.'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb 08, by Sam Dagher
Turkish raid strains U.S.-Kurd ties
'American support in strike against PKK rebels threatens relations with key Iraqi allies.'

Washington Post, 28 Feb 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan and Amit R. Paley
Sunni Forces Losing Patience With U.S.
'U.S.-backed Sunni volunteer forces, which have played a vital role in reducing violence in Iraq, are increasingly frustrated with the American military and the Iraqi government over what they see as a lack of recognition of their growing political clout and insufficient U.S. support.'

Washington Post, 14 Feb 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan and Zaid Sabah
Iraqis Pass 3 Key Bills, Pleasing All Parties
'Parliament Approves Budget, Vote, Amnesty'

Washington Post, 07 Feb 08, by Karen DeYoung
In Pact, U.S. Won't Commit to Protecting Iraq
'A long-term "relationship" being negotiated between the United States and Iraq will include U.S. "security assurances and commitments ... to deter foreign aggression against Iraq that violates its sovereignty and integrity of its territories, waters, or airspace," according to an agreement signed by President Bush and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki last November. Or maybe it won't. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in congressional testimony yesterday that the agreement "will not contain a commitment to defend Iraq."'

Washington Post, 07 Feb 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Insurgents Are Teaching Youths to Kill, U.S. Asserts
'Seized Videos Linked To Al-Qaeda in Iraq'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 Jan 08, by Gordon Lubold
Permanent U.S. bases in Iraq unlikely
'A US-Iraq security pact won't set troop levels now, but it could set the stage for long-term strategy.'

Washington Post, 31 Jan 08, by Thomas E. Ricks
U.S. Commanders in Iraq Favor Pause in Troop Cuts
'Senior U.S. military commanders here say they want to freeze troop reductions starting this summer for at least a month, making it more likely that the next administration will inherit as many troops in Iraq as there were before President Bush announced a "surge" of forces a year ago.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 29 Jan 08
U.S. commanders predict a long campaign for Mosul
'Leading U.S. commanders in northern Iraq predicted Tuesday that the battle to oust Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia from its last urban stronghold would not be swift but rather a grinding campaign for Mosul that will require more firepower from both the Pentagon and Iraqi allies.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jan 08, by Solomon Moore and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Attacks imperil U.S.-backed militias in Iraq
'American-backed Sunni militias who have fought Sunni extremists to a standstill in some of Iraq's bloodiest battlegrounds are being hit with a wave of assassinations and bomb attacks, threatening a fragile linchpin of the military's strategy to pacify the nation.'

Washington Post, 17 Jan 08, by Josh White
U.S. Boosts Its Use of Airstrikes In Iraq
'The U.S. military conducted more than five times as many airstrikes in Iraq last year as it did in 2006, targeting al-Qaeda safe houses, insurgent bombmaking facilities and weapons stockpiles in an aggressive strategy aimed at supporting the U.S. troop increase by overwhelming enemies with air power.'

BBC News, 17 Jan 08
Agencies see good year for Iraq
'Iraq faces a period of economic growth and political progress, according to assessments by the International Monetary Fund and the UN.'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Jan 08, by James Glanz
Iraq reconstruction figures were wrong, GAO says
'Highly promising figures that the Bush administration cited to demonstrate economic progress in Iraq last autumn, when Congress was considering whether to continue financing the war, cannot be substantiated by official Iraqi budget records, the Government Accountability Office reported.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Jan 08, by Nick Cumming-Bruce
WHO survey finds increased civilian death toll in Iraq
'The most wide-ranging survey of causes of death in Iraq since the U.S. invasion of March 2003 estimates 151,000 Iraqis died from violence in the 40 months up to June 2006, making it the leading cause of adult male death and one of the leading causes of death for the population as a whole.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Jan 08, by James Risen
Use of gas by Blackwater leaves questions
'In 2005, a Blackwater helicopter dropped a riot-control gas over a Baghdad checkpoint in the Green Zone. Previously undisclosed, the incident raises further questions about the role of private contractors.'

2007 Iraq archive