2007 IRAQ ARCHIVE :

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International Herald Tribune, 22 Dec 07, by Alissa J. Rubin and Damien Cave
Seeds of conflict in a force for Iraqi calm
'The Awakening movement, a predominantly Sunni Arab force recruited to fight Sunni Islamic extremists like Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, has become a great success story after its spread from Sunni tribes in Anbar Province to become an ad-hoc armed force of 65,000 to 80,000 across the country in less than a year. A linchpin of the American strategy to pacify Iraq, the movement has been widely credited with turning around the violence-scarred areas where the Sunni insurgency has been based. But ... rivalries and sectarianism are still undermining the Americans' plans. And in particular, the Awakening's rapid expansion — the Americans say the force could reach 100,000 — is creating new concerns.'

Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec 07, by Alexandra Zavis
U.S. practicing balancing act on Kurdish question
'Condoleezza Rice, in Iraq for reconciliation work, urges caution after Turkey pursues rebels across the border.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec 07, by Scott Petersonand Sam Dagher
Turkey's raids against Kurdish rebels unsettle Iraq
'If this pattern continues and a new front opens in the Iraq war, the instability that Ms. Rice spoke of could not only unsettle a relatively calm northern Iraq, but jeopardize already troubled efforts toward national reconciliation.'

Washington Post, 19 Dec 07, by Karen DeYoung
All Iraqi Groups Blame U.S. Invasion for Discord, Study Shows
'Iraqis of all sectarian and ethnic groups believe that the U.S. military invasion is the primary root of the violent differences among them, and see the departure of "occupying forces" as the key to national reconciliation, according to focus groups conducted for the U.S. military last month.'

BBC News, 20 Dec 07, by Mike Lanchin and Mona Mahmoud
Iraq government 'failing Falluja'
'Three years after the massive US assault on Falluja, the city's mayor has accused Iraq's central government of starving the city of resources.'

Christian Science Monitor, 11 Dec 07, by Sam Dagher
Iraq's Sadr uses lull to rebuild Army
'Moqtada al-Sadr's Shiite militia aims to return leaner, stronger. ... free of rogue elements accused of atrocities and crimes during the height of the sectarian war last year.'

Washington Post, 13 Dec 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Iraq's Youthful Militiamen Build Power Through Fear
'The Mahdi Army of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is using a new generation of youths, some as young as 15, to expand and tighten its grip across Baghdad, but the ruthlessness of some of these young fighters is alienating Sunnis and Shiites alike.'

Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec 07, by Tina Susman
Some Iraqis returnees face uncertain lives
'Lured by relative calm and promises of aid, thousands who had fled the violence are returning from abroad and within the country. But trust will be harder to rebuild than homes.'

BBC News, 06 Dec 07
New rules for Iraq security firms
'The US Pentagon and state department have agreed on procedures which they say will improve oversight of private security contractors operating in Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Dec 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Pushed out of Baghdad, insurgents move north
'Sunni insurgents pushed out of Baghdad and Anbar Province have migrated to the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and have been trying to turn it into a major hub for their operations, according to U.S. commanders.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Dec 07, by Howard LaFranchi
U.S. pushes Iraq to use calm to build unity
'In Baghdad Wednesday, Gates urged progress on a range of reconciliation issues, including jobs and services.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Nov 07, by Cara Buckley
U.S. military to hire 10,000 Iraqi neighborhood guards, then cap program
'The American military expects to add roughly 10,000 people to its roster of unofficial security guards who act as paid neighborhood watchdogs here, and will then cap the program, a military official said on Wednesday.'

ABC News/AP, 30 Nov 07, by Kim Gamel, AP
Return of Iraqi Refugees Concerns US
'The U.S. military has expressed concern that Iraq's government is unprepared to deal with a mass return of refugees to Baghdad, a flow that could foster housing and employment tensions in a city that remains insecure despite declining violence.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Nov 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Increased training role sought for U.S. troops in Iraq
'With violence in Iraq on the decline and a quarter of American combat brigades scheduled to leave by July, commanders plan to give the remaining brigades an expanded role in training and supporting Iraqi forces, according to officials involved in a confidential military review of the next phase of the American troop deployment.'

Asia Times, 21 Nov 07, by Jim Lobe
Fears grow of post-'surge' woes
'While the vast majority of analysts in the capital agree that sectarian violence in Iraq has declined sharply from pre-"surge" levels one year ago, a major debate has broken out as to whether the achievement of the strategic objective of the "surge" - national reconciliation - is closer or more distant than ever.'

New York Times, 20 Nov 07, by Damien Cave and Alissa J. Rubin
Baghdad Starts to Exhale as Security Improves
'... for the first time in nearly two years, people are moving with freedom around much of this city.'

Los Angeles Times, 20 Nov 07, by Tina Susman
Iraqis arrest 43 after convoy guards shoot woman
'The firm involved has contracts with the U.S., but no Americans were detained. The incident might show how far the government is willing to fight immunity for foreign security contractors.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 18 Nov 07
As violence in Iraq diminishes, Iran's role is debated
'In recent weeks, U.S. and Iraqi officials have said Tehran appears to have halted the flow of arms across its border into Iraq and reined in Shiite militias.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Nov 07, by Eric Schmitt and Ginger Thompson
A broken supply chain leaked arms in Iraq
'The U.S. military lost track of some 190,000 pistols and automatic rifles supplied by the U.S. to Iraq's security forces in 2004 and 2005, as auditors discovered in the past year.'

Stars and Stripes, 13 Nov 07, by Joseph Giordono
U.S.: Indirect-fire attacks at lowest level in months
'According to the figures released by the U.S. military command, the number of mortar and rocket attacks reported in October 2007 throughout the country was half the number reported in October 2006. The overall figure was the lowest since February 2006, just before the bombing of a Shiite shrine unleashed a wave of sectarian violence throughout Iraq.'

Asia Times, 13 Nov 07, by Ali al-Fadhily
In Iraq, the silence of the lambs
'The separation of religious groups in the face of sectarian violence has brought some semblance of relative calm to Baghdad. But many Iraqis see this as the uncertain consequence of a divide and rule policy.'

International Herald Tribune, 08 Nov 07, by James Glanz
Iraq plans to confront security firms on guns
'The Iraqi interior minister said Wednesday that he would authorize raids by his security forces on Western security firms to ensure that they were complying with tightened licensing requirements on guns and other weaponry, setting up the possibility of violent confrontations between the Iraqis and heavily armed Western guards.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Nov 07, by Sabrina Tavernise and Karim Hilmi
Baghdad's oasis of tolerance
'Bab al-Sheik ... has been spared the sectarian killing that has gutted other neighborhoods, and Sunnis, Shiites, Kurds and Christians live together here with unusual ease.'

New York Times, 07 Nov 07, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Turkish-Bred Prosperity Makes War Less Likely in Iraqi Kurdistan
'Viewed from the outside, Iraqi Kurdistan looks close to war. Tens of thousands of Turkish troops are amassed on the border. And thousands of Iraqi Kurdish pesh merga fighters have taken up positions in the Mateen Mountains, ready for a counterattack, their local commanders say, should any Turkish operation hit civilians. But wander the markets and byways here and a different reality comes into view ...'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Nov 07, by Helene Cooper and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Turkey skeptical of Iraqi vows to stop Kurdish raids
'Turkey said on Saturday that two days of meetings with officials from Iraq and the United States on how to stop Kurdish militants who attack Turkey from northern Iraq had produced no new proposals.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Nov 07, by Andrew E. Kramer
Iraq confirms cancellation of Russian oil contract
'Guided by U.S. legal advisers, the Iraqi government has canceled a controversial development contract with the Russian company Lukoil for a vast oil field in Iraq's southern desert, freeing it for potential international investment in the future.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Nov 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Iraqi government hinders gains in Anbar, Sunnis say
'The Bush administration has singled out Anbar Province as an example of what can be accomplished in Iraq when local citizens join forces with the U.S. military to fight insurgents. ... But on Friday, a delegation of officials from Anbar talked about a lingering problem that is hampering efforts to build on the gains there: limited support for the predominantly Sunni region from the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Oct 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraq fears border crises overtaking agenda
'Tensions in northern Iraq between Kurdish guerrillas and neighboring countries are threatening to dominate Iraq's diplomatic agenda, taking attention away from some of the country's most pressing needs ...'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Oct 07, by Sabrina Tavernise
In the rugged north of Iraq, Kurdish rebels flout Turkey
'The PKK's impunity is rooted in the complex web of relationships and ambitions that began with the American-led invasion of Iraq more than four years ago, and has frustrated others with an interest in resolving the crisis — the Turks, Iraqis and the Bush administration.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Oct 07, by Alissa J. Rubin and James Glanz
General says U.S. seeking calm in northern Iraq
'With tensions on the border between Iraq and Turkey still running high, General David Petraeus, the American military's commander in Iraq, indicated Sunday that behind-the-scenes efforts were under way to calm the situation. But he would not talk about them publicly because the situation was volatile.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 30 Oct 07
Iraq approves draft legislation lifting immunity from contractors
'The question of immunity has been one of the most serious dispute between the U.S. and the Iraqi government since a Sept. 16 shooting incident involving Blackwater USA guards that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Oct 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Integrating Sunnis into Iraqi police hits hurdle
'The American military's push to organize Sunni Arabs into local neighborhood watch groups has been one of the most important U.S. initiatives in Iraq - so much so that President George W. Bush flew to Anbar Province in September to highlight growing alliances with Sunni tribal leaders.'

Washington Post, 24 Oct 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Maliki, Under Turkish Pressure, Vows to Curb Kurdish Rebels
'Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki vowed Tuesday to halt the activities of Kurdish separatists staging strikes into Turkey from northern Iraq, marking his government's strongest declaration yet that it would act to forestall a Turkish invasion.'

Reuters, 24 Oct 07, by David Clarke
End of road for Iraqis on Turkish border
'Washington and Iraq have urged Turkey to hold off, fearing an incursion will shatter the stability of Kurdistan, which has escaped the daily catalogue of bloodshed plaguing much of the country and is now enjoying an economic renaissance.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct 07, by Gordon Lubold
Increasingly, the U.S. sits down with Iraqi militants
'In talks with some groups, the US aims to convince Shiite militias that political reconciliation, not violence, is the way forward.'

Washington Post, 24 Oct 07, by Karen DeYoung
Security Firms in Iraq Face New Rules
'Private security contractors will continue to protect U.S. diplomats in Iraq but will operate under closer supervision by U.S. Embassy officials and with clearer accountability for their actions, according to new rules approved yesterday by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct 07, by Dan Murphy
Bin Laden lambastes Iraqi insurgents
'Osama bin Laden's latest audio missive reveals that the US strategy of appealing to Sunni tribesmen may be working against Al Qaeda.'

Washington Post, 16 Oct 07, by Karen DeYoung and Walter Pincus
Corruption in Iraq 'Pernicious,' State Dept. Official Says
'Official corruption in Iraq is "real, endemic and pernicious," and remains a major challenge to building a functioning, stable democracy there, a senior State Department official said yesterday in response to congressional charges that the department is concealing the extent of the problem.'

Washington Post, 15 Oct 07, by Thomas E. Ricks and Karen DeYoung
Al-Qaeda In Iraq Reported Crippled
'The U.S. military believes it has dealt devastating and perhaps irreversible blows to al-Qaeda in Iraq in recent months, leading some generals to advocate a declaration of victory over the group ... At the same time, the intelligence community, and some in the military itself, worry about underestimating an enemy that has shown great resilience in the past.'

Washington Post, 15 Oct 07, by Amit R. Paley
Iraq Demands Expulsion Of Contractor Blackwater, Compensation for Killings
'The Iraqi government has demanded that Blackwater Worldwide, the private security firm that guards top U.S. diplomats in Iraq, be expelled from the country within six months and pay $8 million in compensation to the family of every civilian its employees are accused of killing last month, Iraqi officials said.'

Washington Post, 15 Oct 07, by Walter Pincus
A Contract to Find 'Trustworthy' Iraqi Workers
'In August, the U.S. military requested bids on a new biometric credential system to provide identification cards for three Iraqi government ministries.'

New York Times, 10 Oct 07, by Sebnem Arsu and Sabrina Tavernise
Turkey Says Its Troops Can Cross Iraq Border
'Turkey took a step toward a military operation in Iraq on Tuesday, as its top political and military leaders issued a statement authorizing troops to cross the Iraq border to eliminate separatist Kurdish rebel camps in the northern region.'

Reuters, 09 Oct 07
Iraq wants Blackwater to pay $136 mln compensation
'The Iraqi government wants U.S. security firm Blackwater to pay $8 million in compensation to each of the families of 17 people killed in a shooting last month, a senior government source said on Tuesday.'

International Herald Tribune, 08 Oct 07, by Sabrina Tavernise
In life of lies, Iraqis conceal work for U.S.
'For the tens of thousands of Iraqis who work for the United States in Iraq, daily life is an elaborate balancing act of small, memorized untruths. Desperate for work of any kind when jobs are extremely hard to come by in Iraq, they do what they must, even though affiliation with the Americans makes them targets.'

BBC News, 10 Oct 07
Doors closing on Iraqi displaced
'A growing number of Iraqi provinces are refusing entry to internal refugees, the UN refugee agency has warned.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Oct 07, by Richard A. Oppel Jr.
Kurds in Iraq strike 4 new oil deals, angering Baghdad
'Worsening a deep divide with Iraqi leaders, the Kurdish regional government has struck four new oil exploration deals over the strong objections of the Baghdad central government. The deals are the latest effort by the Kurds to jump-start their oil industry as national oil legislation languishes in Parliament.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Oct 07, by Paul Von Zielbauer
Iraqi violence ebbed in September, reports say
'The number of violent civilian deaths in Iraq dropped precipitously in September compared with the previous month, an Iraqi government official and an independent monitoring group said Monday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Oct 07, by Gordon Lubold
U.S. takes Anbar model to Iraqi Shiites
'A variation on a successful effort appears to be curbing attacks south of Baghdad.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 30 Sep 07
Washington criticizes U.S. Senate call for separation in Iraq
'The U.S. Embassy on Sunday criticized a Senate resolution that could lead to a division of the country into sectarian or ethnic territories, agreeing with many Iraqi leaders who say the proposal out of Washington "would produce extraordinary suffering and bloodshed."'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Oct 07, by James Glanz
Money to rebuild is finding ways to flow in provinces of Iraq
'Because of security threats and a seemingly immovable bureaucracy, the federal ministries in Baghdad largely failed to spend billions of dollars of Iraqi oil revenues set aside last year to rebuild things like roads, schools, hospitals and power plants.'

Washington Post, 20 Sep 07, by Steve Fainaru
Where Military Rules Don't Apply
'Blackwater USA, the private security company involved in a Baghdad shootout last weekend, operated under State Department authority that exempted the company from U.S. military regulations governing other security firms, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials and industry representatives.'

Washington Post, 22 Sep 07, by Joshua Partlow and Sudarsan Raghavan
Iraq Probe of U.S. Security Firm Grows
'Iraq's probe into a deadly shooting by Blackwater USA in Baghdad last weekend has expanded to include allegations about the security firm's involvement in six other violent episodes this year that left at least 10 Iraqis dead.'

PRI/BBC 'The World', 27 Sep 07
Contractors in Iraq
[audio] 'The U.S. is sending special investigators to Iraq to examine how contractors operate there. The move was sparked by the Blackwater controversy earlier this month when 11 Iraqis died in a shooting incident involving the U.S. security firm.'

International Herald Tribune, 25 Sep 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraq insurgents target Interior Ministry officials for assassination
'Extremists appear to have begun a systematic campaign to assassinate police chiefs, police officers and other Interior Ministry officials across Iraq, with at least 10 attacks in the last two days.'

Washington Post, 25 Sep 07, by Karen DeYoung
What Defines a Killing as Sectarian?
'U.S. military teams analyze and tally each civilian death.'

Washington Post, 18 Sep 07, by Joshua Partlow and Walter Pincus
Iraq Bans Security Contractor
'The Iraqi government on Monday said it had revoked the license of Blackwater USA, an American security company involved in a shootout in Baghdad that killed at least nine people, raising questions over which nation should regulate tens of thousands of civilian hired guns operating in Iraq.'

Asia Times, 18 Sep 07, by Daniel Luban
Blackwater pays price for Iraqi firefight
'The expulsion of Blackwater contractors could greatly hamper the US military effort in Iraq, which has come to rely on Blackwater to provide security for many leading officials, including Ambassador Ryan Crocker. But ... even if Blackwater were banned from operating in Iraq, most of its employees could transfer to similar private security firms and the overall security situation for the US would not change much.'

Washington Post, 18 Sep 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
Security Took 'Turn for Worse' In Southern Iraq, Report Says
'Security is deteriorating in southern Iraq as rival Shiite militias vying for power have stepped up their attacks after moving out of Baghdad to avoid U.S.-led military operations, according to the latest quarterly Pentagon report on Iraq released yesterday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 Sep 07, by Sam Dagher
'Shiite Taliban' rises as British depart Basra
'Many in the Iraqi port city say social freedoms are eroding as radical militias gain power.'

BBC News, 17 Sep 07
Iraq shootout firm loses licence
'Iraq has cancelled the licence of the private security contractor, Blackwater USA, after it was involved in a gunfight that killed eight civilians.'

Washington Post/AP, 13 Sep 07, by Hamza Hendawi
Sheik Led Sunni Fight Against Al-Qaida
'Desperate for a success story in an increasingly unpopular war, the U.S. military embraced Abu Risha. Iraq's government grudgingly followed suit, despite its fear of boosting another armed group that could turn against it. The result was a dramatic decrease in violence in Anbar.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Sep 07, by Sam Dagher and Gordon Lubold
Sheikh's death threatens US success in Anbar Province
'Sheikh Abu Risha's death, which was the result of a roadside bomb explosion near his home in the provincial capital Ramadi, comes at a crucial time. The Sunni tribal forces he led were moving closer to creating a formidable block with sufficient weight to provide representation for the embittered community in the government and counter those Sunnis who still believe in using violence to achieve their aims.'

Washington Post, 13 Sep 07, by Joshua Partlow
Shelling Near Iranian Border Is Forcing Iraqi Kurds to Flee
'For four weeks now, Kurdish villagers in this far northeastern corner of Iraq have endured a punishing barrage of rockets and artillery shells from what they say are Iranian troops across the border.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep 07, by Gordon Lubold
Anbar streets illustrate Petraeus's testimony
'Marines say the strategy in Iraq's Sunni province works, but sheikhs say US support has an expiration date.'

Weekly Standard, 12 Sep 07, by Jeff Emanuel
On the Road in Samarra
'Another mission is accomplished north of Baghdad.'

International Herald Tribune, 11 Sep 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
For Iraqis, report to Congress offers bitter truth
'Iraqis reflecting on the report to Congress by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker found themselves in a difficult spot: Although there is nothing they want more than to have American soldiers leave their country, there is nothing they can less afford.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Sep 07, by Howard LaFranchi
Is Iraq making political strides?
'General Petraeus will cite progress to Congress this week – but it's mostly military.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Sep 07, by Damien Cave and Stephen Farrell
Iraq escalation has failed to achieve key goals
'Seven months after the American-led troop "surge" began, Baghdad has experienced modest security gains that have neither reversed the city's underlying sectarian dynamic nor created a unified and trusted national government.'

Gulf News, 11 Sep 07, by Basil Adas
Deep mistrust towards US security report
'... "The Petraeus-Crocker report probably means a lot more for Americans than Iraqis themselves, although it speaks about the political and security situation in Iraq."'

BBC News, 10 Sep 07
Iraqi PM positive on surge impact
'Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has told parliament that his government has stopped Iraq sliding into civil war. He also said violence had fallen 75% in the restive provinces of Baghdad and Anbar, and that 14,000 militants linked to al-Qaeda had renounced violence.'

BBC News, 08 Sep 07, by Magdi Abdelhadi
Iraq surge brings few political rewards
'As two top US officials prepare to report on the country's military strategy in Iraq, BBC Arab Affairs analyst Magdi Abdelhadi examines failed national reconciliation efforts on Iraq's political front.'

PBS 'NewsHour', 06 Sep 07, with Jim Lehrer et al
Panel Finds Progress, Problems with Iraqi Security
'A report from the Iraqi Security Forces Independent Assessment Commission found the Iraqi Army is improving but the national police are dysfunctional. Panel Chairman retired Marine Gen. James Jones and former Washington, D.C. police chief Charles Ramsey discuss their findings.'

Washington Post, 06 Sep 07, by Karen DeYoung
Experts Doubt Drop In Violence in Iraq
'The U.S. military's claim that violence has decreased sharply in Iraq in recent months has come under scrutiny from many experts within and outside the government, who contend that some of the underlying statistics are questionable and selectively ignore negative trends.'

Washington Post, 06 Sep 07, by Karen DeYoung
Iraqi Army Unable To Take Over Within A Year, Report Says
'Iraq's army, despite measurable progress, will be unable to take over internal security from U.S. forces in the next 12 to 18 months and "cannot yet meaningfully contribute to denying terrorists safe haven," according to a report on the Iraqi security forces published today.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Sep 07, by Gordon Lubold
Iraq's Maliki reaches out to Sunnis in Anbar Province
'The Shiite leader pledges $120 million in reconciliation move. Too little, too late?'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Sep 07, by Gordon Lubold
A quieter Anbar Province rebuilds
'As security concerns recede, Iraqi tribal chiefs turn to US for more mundane community needs.'

Washington Post, 05 Sep 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
No Relief From Fear
'Despite U.S. buildup, families still fleeing Baghdad homes as violence, rivalries loom over paralyzed Iraqi government'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Sep 07, by David S. Cloud and Steven Lee Myers
Bush, in Iraq, says troop reduction is possible
'President George W. Bush made a surprise eight-hour visit to Iraq on Monday, emphasizing security gains, sectarian reconciliation and the possibility of a troop withdrawal, thus embracing and pre-empting this month's crucial congressional hearings on his Iraq strategy.'

Washington Post/Reuters, 03 Sep 07, by Aref Mohammed, Reuters
British troops quit Iraqi city of Basra
'The withdrawal from the besieged Basra Palace complex, under daily mortar and rocket fire by Shi'ite militias, is a step towards handing over Basra province to Iraqi control and an eventual British pullout from Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Sep 07, by David E. Sanger
Bush hopes to reward Sunni areas in Iraq aligned with U.S.
'President George W. Bush, marshaling his arguments to maintain current troop levels in Iraq, has approved the acceleration of a new program to intensify economic assistance directly to Sunni Arab regions where former insurgents have joined U.S. forces in fighting extremist Sunni groups, senior U.S. officials say.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Sep 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Laying enmity aside to combat Al Qaeda in Iraq
'Checkpoint 20 was the last piece of American-controlled terrain on the road to Hawr Rajab and our linkup point with Sheik Ali Majid al-Dulaimi. ... A dusty town on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, Hawr Rajab had a strategic importance that belied its humble appearance. It straddled the infiltration routes used by Sunni militants to circumvent Lion's Gate, the grandiloquently named system of checkpoints, canals and other obstacles designed to stop the suicide attacks that had brought havoc to the Iraqi capital.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 31 Aug 07
Violence in Iraq's south threatens to overshadow gains elsewhere
'Rivalries and violence between Shiite factions are threatening to overshadow progress U.S. forces have made against al-Qaida in Iraq and other extremists just weeks before the top American commander and diplomat in Iraq report to Congress.'

Washington Post, 02 Sep 07, by Mary Jordan
British Generals Criticize Rumsfeld on Iraq
'The general who headed the British army during the 2003 Iraq invasion said that former U.S. defense secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's handling of postwar Iraq was "intellectually bankrupt" and pointed to Rumsfeld as "one of those most responsible for the current situation in Iraq."'

Washington Post, 03 Sep 07, by Megan Greenwell
Talk About Field Trips!
'... The trip was the chance of a lifetime for [Wesley] Morgan, an ROTC cadet [at Princeton] who said he first became interested in military history and counterinsurgency at age 6. But Petraeus's invitation also highlights his desire to attract more people like Morgan to military service -- the guys with degrees from places like Princeton (where Petraeus himself earned a doctorate), the slightly nerdy ones who are as comfortable poring over treatises on counterinsurgency tactics as going out on patrol.'

Stratfor, 27 Aug 07, by George Friedmann
Endgame: American Options in Iraq
'... more than four years after the war began, the strategic goal has not been achieved -- and there is little evidence that it will be achieved. Security has not increased significantly in Iraq, despite some localized improvement. In other words, the NIE is saying that the United States has failed and there is no strong evidence that it will succeed in the future.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Aug 07, by Stephen Farrell
Iraqi cleric Moktada al-Sadr orders 6-month halt to militia activities
'The radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr suspended all activities of his Mahdi army militia for six months ... The move is apparently intended to eliminate "rogue" elements of the Mahdi army that no longer respond to Sadr's orders. It follows repeated allegations in recent months by U.S. and British officials that Sadr has lost control over some factions, with some acting from criminal motives and others attacking coalition troops after receiving training and funding from Iran.'

Stars and Stripes, 31 Aug 07, by Les Neuhaus
U.S. troops skeptical of al-Sadr order
'Though the radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr put his Mahdi Army on ice Wednesday, U.S. infantrymen patrolling the streets of eastern Baghdad, which are dominated by his followers, are maintaining a wary eye.'

Washington Post, 31 Aug 07, by Megan Greenwell
Sadr May Revoke 'Freeze' on Militia
'Aides say Iraqi Cleric is reconsidering after military raid on Karbala office.'

Washington Post, 30 Aug 07, by Karen DeYoung and Thomas E. Ricks
Report Finds Little Progress On Iraq Goals
'Iraq has failed to meet all but three of 18 congressionally mandated benchmarks for political and military progress, according to a draft of a Government Accountability Office report. The document questions whether some aspects of a more positive assessment by the White House last month adequately reflected the range of views the GAO found within the administration.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Aug 07, by David S. Cloud
U.S. panel will urge broad overhaul of Iraqi police
'An independent commission established by Congress to assess Iraq's security forces will recommend remaking the 26,000-member national police force to purge it of corrupt officers and Shiite militants suspected of complicity in sectarian killings, administration and military officials said Thursday.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 Aug 07, by Damien Cave
Shiite's tale: How gulf with Sunnis widened
'For Shatha al-Musawi, a Shiite member of Parliament, the urge to reconcile is being blacked out by distrust, disappointment and visceral anger.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
As British leave Basra, militias dig in
'The last contingent of British soldiers based in the center of this southern city will leave by Friday, says a senior Iraqi security official, adding that a deal has been struck with leaders of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army to ensure their safe departure.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Aug 07, by Gordon Lubold
Iraq now woos officers once spurned
'In need of leaders, the Army seeks officers from Saddam Hussein's corps.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 Aug 07, by James Glanz and Eric Schmitt
U.S. broadens fraud investigations in Iraq
'Several U.S. agencies are investigating a widening network of criminal cases involving the purchase and delivery of billions of dollars of weapons, supplies and other materiel to Iraqi and American forces, according to American officials. The officials said it amounted to the largest ring of fraud and kickbacks uncovered in the conflict here.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
As British leave Basra, militias dig in
'The last contingent of British soldiers based in the center of this southern city will leave by Friday, says a senior Iraqi security official, adding that a deal has been struck with leaders of Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army to ensure their safe departure.'

Washington Post, 28 Aug 07, by Megan Greenwell
Sporadic Raids South Of Baghdad Yield Little
'In Wasit and other parts of Iraq, U.S. commanders rely on quick air assaults to drive out insurgents. Though commanders said they are confident of the strategy, recent "disruption operations" southeast of the capital have yielded only modest results. All too often, suspected insurgents and their weapons have disappeared by the time Americans alight from their helicopters for a three- or four-hour assault.'

Washington Post, 27 Aug 07, by Megan Greenwell
Iraqi Leaders Reach Accord On Prisoners, Ex-Baathists
'Iraq's top five political leaders announced an agreement Sunday night to release thousands of prisoners being held without charge and to reform the law that has kept thousands of members of Saddam Hussein's political party out of government jobs.'

The Guardian/AP, 27 Aug 07, by Robert H. Reid, AP
Sunni Politicians Raise Doubts Over Deal
'Sunni politicians applauded goals set down in an agreement hammered out by the country's top leaders under intense American pressure but expressed doubt Monday that the U.S.-backed prime minister would actually see them through.'

Christian Science Monitor, 16 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
Crisis summit aims to save Iraq's Maliki
'With a mid-September deadline looming for the Bush administration to deliver its Iraq progress report to Congress, American diplomats in Baghdad are working in overdrive to prevent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government from total collapse – something that could shatter all efforts to forge a long-elusive national reconciliation.'

Khaleej Times/AFP, 17 Aug 07
Iraqi leaders announce new alliance, no Sunnis
'Iraq's president and prime minister announced a new political alliance between mainstream Shiite and Kurdish parties on Thursday but, crucially, no Sunni leaders have yet signed up.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Aug 07, by Stephen Farrell
French official's Iraq visit offers lift, U.S. says
'"This is one more example," [White House spokesman Gordon] Johndroe said, "along with the new UN mandate, the neighbors conference process and recent announcements by Saudi Arabia to open an embassy and forgive Saddam-era debt, of a growing international desire to help Iraq become a stable and secure country."'

Washington Post/Reuters, 14 Aug 07, by Peter Graff, Reuters
U.S. troops launch new Iraq offensive
'U.S. forces launched a big offensive in Iraq with an overnight airborne assault targeting al Qaeda guerrillas on Tuesday, part of a major new countrywide push.'

Washington Post, 14 Aug 07, by Megan Greenwell
Iraqi Summit Set to Begin
'Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will convene a political summit on Tuesday in hopes of ending Iraq's deepening governmental crisis, he announced Monday. Top representatives of the country's Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish political factions met Monday and agreed on the basic structure of the talls ...'

National Review 'The Tank', 14 Aug 07, by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Why Soldiers Cry
'Al Mansour (Baghdad) ... This is where IEDs and small arms are still killing and wounding Americans. This is where Iraqi children live, try to play, and have been deliberately targeted by terrorists.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
Trouble grows in Iraq's Shiite south
'Assassinations and party rivalries roil economically vital southern Iraq as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki bids to solve a national political rift in talks this week.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 Aug 07, by Stephen Farrell
U.S. troops shelter an unlikely survivor in Baghdad
'Nine months old, underweight, malnourished, fatherless and half Sunni, half Shiite, she already had enough deadly handicaps growing up in Saydia, a battlefield suburb that has become one of the worst sectarian killing zones in Baghdad.'

Toronto Star/AFP, 10 Aug 07
Iraqi leader's Tehran talks put U.S. on edge
'Iran's leaders have told visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki that American troops must leave his country, in talks that reinforced growing Iran-Iraq ties and sparked unease in Washington.'

Washington Post, 10 Aug 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
'In the Land of the Blood Feuds'
'On the unruly outer fringes of the Sunni area south of Baghdad known as the Triangle of Death, American soldiers navigate more than a dozen battle zones straddling the fault lines of sect and tribe. Al-Qaeda in Iraq -- identified by President Bush and his generals as the main U.S. enemy -- is just one of myriad armed groups competing here for influence and authority.'

Christian Science Monitor, 09 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
Anti-Saudi tide rises in Iraq
'Iraq's leaders use a Shiite holiday to shift attention from Iran to its Sunni neighbors.'

Los Angeles Times, 06 Aug 07, by Tina Susman
South of Baghdad, a cautionary tale
'After heavy losses, U.S. troops in the 'triangle of death' say they're making progress, though slowly and subtly.'

Michael Totten's Middle East Journal, 07 Aug 07, by Michael J. Totten
An Iraqi Interpreter's Story
'Iraqis who are not American citizens and who work as interpreters for the American military cover their faces when they work outside the wire. Mahdi Army militiamen and Al Qaeda terrorists accuse of them of collaboration with the enemy. They and their families are targetted for destruction.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Aug 07, by Stephen Farrell
5 ministers threaten to leave Iraq's cabinet
'Five ministers suspended their participation in meetings of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's cabinet on Monday, sending a warning signal that they may pull out of his increasingly isolated government if their demands are not met. The five are members of the secular Iraqiya coalition led by former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, a moderate group whose lawmakers are drawn from across sectarian lines.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
In Iraqi south, Shiites press for autonomy
'Momentum is building for a federation of southern provinces in a further challenge to Iraq's national unity.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 07 Aug 07
Turkey to warn Iraq's PM to act against Kurdish rebels or face Turkish incursion
'Kurdish guerrillas killed a Turkish lieutenant in the southeast on Tuesday, as the Iraqi prime minister arrived for a visit likely to be dominated by Turkish warnings to either crack down on rebel bases in northern Iraq or face a possible incursion.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Aug 07, by Gordon Lubold
To exit Iraq, how is as important as when
'Any troop withdrawal could take up to 18 months and would need careful planning, military experts say.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Aug 07, by Mark Mazzetti
Iraq snapshots give 2 views
'In war, good news and bad news often coexist. But in Iraq, where battle lines are murky, the snapshots emerging from the American counterinsurgency campaign can seem particularly contradictory. ... "Compared with a conventional war, when we can say that we are exactly 50 miles from Berlin, it is extremely difficult in a conflict like this to find data that shows any meaningful trend," said Andrew Bacevich, a military historian and professor of international relations at Boston University.'

Washington Post, 03 Aug 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Maliki's Impact Blunted By Own Party's Fears
'As the U.S. military attempts to pacify Iraq so its leaders can pursue political reconciliation, Iraqi and Western observers say Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his inner circle appear increasingly unable to pull the government out of its paralysis.'

Asia Times, 03 Aug 07, by Sami Moubayed
Maliki out on his feet
'Thirteen out of 37 ministers in Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's cabinet have walked out, and more are likely to follow soon. This leaves him with no Sunnis, and no representatives of "kingmaker" Muqtada al-Sadr. Maliki's days are clearly numbered, and already candidates are positioning themselves to take over the premiership, with secular Shi'ite Mahdi al-Hafez an early front-runner.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Aug 07, by Sam Dagher
In Iraq, death tolls often in dispute
'Disparities between official and eyewitness tallies lead some Iraqis to charge the government with downplaying attacks.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 Aug 07, by Gordon Lubold
US troop fatalities in Iraq drop sharply
'US troop fatalities in Iraq have plummeted from near-historic highs just two months ago. The number of deaths attributed to improvised explosive devices is down by more than half. Violence is down in the four most dangerous provinces. The decrease is an apparent sign that, by at least one indicator, the surge of American forces is doing something it set out to do: tamp down the violence.'

International Herald Tribune, 27 Jul 07, by Stephen Farrell
U.S. special forces battle Mahdi Army in holy city of Karbala
'American special forces battled Mahdi army militiamen in Karbala on Friday, calling in a deadly helicopter airstrike during a rare operation in one of the country's holiest Shiite cities.'

New York Times, 30 Jul 07, by Michael R. Gordon
In Baghdad, Justice Behind the Barricades
'In a city plagued by suicide bombers and renegade militias, the Americans and the Iraqi government have turned to an unusual measure to help implant the rule of law: they have erected a legal Green Zone, a heavily fortified compound to shelter judges and their families and secure the trials of some of the most dangerous suspects.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Jul 07, by Stephen Farrell
For U.S. and Britain, opposite directions in Iraq
'As U.S. troop levels are rising in Baghdad, British force levels are heading in the opposite direction, with the troops preparing to withdraw completely from the city center of Basra. ... The scaling down by America's largest coalition partner foreshadows many of the political and military challenges certain to face American commanders when their troops begin withdrawing.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters/AP, 30 Jul 07
With key legislation pending, Iraqi Parliament breaks for summer
'The Iraqi Parliament on Monday went into summer recess for a month without agreeing on a series of laws that Washington sees as crucial to stabilizing the country.'

Stars and Stripes/AP, 31 Jul 07, by Qassim Abdul-Zahra,AP
Iraqi premier faces revolt within party
'Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki faces a revolt within his party by factions that want him out as Iraqi leader, according to officials in his office and the political party he leads.Ibrahim al-Jaafari, al-Maliki's predecessor, leads the challenge ... Al-Jaafari's campaign, the officials said, was based on his concerns that al-Maliki's policies had led Iraq into turmoil because the prime minister was doing too little to promote national reconciliation.'

Washington Post, 31 Jul 07, by Megan Greenwell
A Dismal Picture of Life in Iraq
'Living conditions in Iraq have deteriorated significantly since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, leaving nearly one-third of the population in need of emergency aid, a consortium of relief organizations said in a report released Monday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Jul 07, by Sam Dagher
Iran's growing presence in Iraq
'The US, Iran, and Iraq agreed Tuesday to form a subcommittee on stability in Iraq.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Jul 07, by Sam Dagher
Iraqi government in deepest crisis
'US and Iraqi officials are trying to prevent complete disintegration.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Jul 07, by James Glanz
Audit blames contractor and its U.S. overseers for Iraq rebuilding failures
'One of the largest U.S. contractors working in Iraq, Bechtel National, met its original objectives on fewer than half of the projects it received as part of a $1.8 billion reconstruction contract, while most of the rest were canceled, reduced in scope or never completed as designed, according to a new report by U.S. investigators.'

Washington Post, 27 Jul 07, by David Finkel
'Izzy? . . . Bring Your Daughter Here'
'An hour after a car bomb exploded in downtown Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, wounding at least 110 and destroying an apartment building, a phone call begging for help came to an Army officer in eastern Baghdad. ... How do moments of decency occur in a place such as Baghdad, in a war such as this war? Perhaps by what several officers on an Army base in eastern Baghdad decided to do next.'

Washington Post, 27 Jul 07, by William Branigin
Foreign Workers Abused at Embassy, Panel Told
'Two American civilian contractors who worked on a massive U.S. Embassy construction project in Baghdad told Congress yesterday that foreign laborers were deceptively recruited and trafficked to Iraq to toil at the site, where they experienced physical abuse and substandard working conditions.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 Jul 07, by Caroline Brothers
Iraqis turn to gangs to flee for safety
'A criminal matrix stretching from Poland to Guatemala is exploiting the vast wave of refugees who are fleeing the war in Iraq, Interpol says.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Jul 07, by Michael R. Gordon
U.S. seen in Iraq until at least '09
'While Washington is mired in political debate over the future of Iraq, the American command here has prepared a detailed plan that foresees a significant American role for the next two years.'

Stars and Stripes, 24 Jul 07, by Franklin Fisher
Marines patrol to see and be seen
'Before their patrol set off Friday night, Marine Maj. Hezekiah Barge Jr. said his role would be less about the "science" of fighting a war and more about the "art" of reading people.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Jul 07, by Sam Dagher and Dan Murphy
US draws new Iraq-Al Qaeda link
'The US military says it caught the man who ties Osama bin Laden's network to Iraq.'

Washington Post, 20 Jul 07, by Megan Greenwell
Sunni Group to End Five-Week Boycott Of Iraqi Parliament
'Iraq's largest Sunni political group announced Thursday that it will end its boycott of parliament, returning the legislative body to full strength for the first time in five weeks.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Jul 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraqi cleric re-emerges, bolder than ever
'After months of lying low, the anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr has re-emerged with a shrewd two-tiered strategy that reaches out to Iraqis on the street and distances him from the increasingly unpopular government.'

NPR 'All Things Considered', 19 Jul 07
U.S. Envoy: Fear Must Turn to Trust in Iraq
[audio] 'In testimony Thursday from Baghdad, Ambassador Ryan Crocker said the troop buildup is showing some gains in reducing sectarian violence in the Iraqi capital.'

Houston Chronicle, 15 Jul 07, by Ned Parker, Los Angeles Times
Report: Saudis are primary Iraq jihadists
'Although Bush administration officials frequently have lashed out at Syria and Iran for helping the insurgents and militias who attack U.S. troops and civilians here, the largest number of foreign fighters and suicide bombers in Iraq come from a third next-door neighbor, Saudi Arabia, according to a senior U.S. military officer and Iraqi lawmakers.'

Washington Post, 20 Jul 07, by Thomas E. Ricks
Deals in Iraq Make Friends of Enemies
'U.S. forces in Iraq are striking a variety of "handshake agreements" with Iraqi insurgents and militia groups, sometimes resulting in the release of fighters detained for attacking coalition forces, U.S. military officials said in several recent interviews.'

Washington Post, 17 Jul 07, by Karen DeYoung and Thomas E. Ricks
Exit Strategies
'Would Iran take over Iraq? Would Al-Qaeda? The debate about how and when to leave centers on what might happen after the U.S. goes.'

San Fransisco Chronicle, 17 Jul 07, by Stephanie Gaskell
Bombs put Kirkuk in line as next hotbed
'The oil-rich northern region of Iraq has enjoyed comparative calm since the toppling of Saddam's Hussein's government. But Kirkuk province, which had been viewed by many as a model for the rest of the country, may be turning into the next hotbed of sectarian slaughter.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jul 07, by Sam Dagher
Risky US alliances in Iraq
'Frustrated with the Iraqi Army, US forces cultivate ties to ex-insurgents.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Jul 07, by John M. Broder
Contractors in Iraq often pay high price
'This is the face of battle in a new war and a new century - a 46-year-old Pakistani-American woman, sent to the war zone as part of a rented army of 130,000 civilians supporting 150,000 U.S. soldiers and marines. ... doing work that junior enlisted troops would have done in every American army before this one. ... About 1,000 contractors have been killed in Iraq since the war began; nearly 13,000 have been wounded.'

Washington Post, 13 Jul 07, by Karen DeYoung
Iraqi Military's Readiness Slips
'Despite stepped-up training, the readiness of the Iraqi military to operate independently of U.S. forces has decreased since President Bush's new strategy was launched in January, according to the White House progress report released yesterday.'

Washington Post, 13 Jul 07, by Joshua Partlow and Sudarsan Raghavan
Deadlocked Sunni, Shiite Factions Block Political Progress, Iraqis Say
'Iraqi politicians on Thursday struck a more pessimistic tone about Iraq than did the White House assessment, and said the deadlock between warring Sunni and Shiite factions makes major political progress unlikely in coming months.'

Christian Science Monitor, 10 Jul 07, by Sam Dagher
US faced with Iraqi Army turncoats
'Foot soldiers and US commanders say Iraq's security forces include officers working with insurgents.'

Washington Post, 10 Jul 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Iraqi Politicians Warn Against Pullout
'Politicians from Iraq's major parties and ethnic groups said Monday that Iraq's government could collapse, plunging the nation into full-blown civil war and sparking regional conflict, if the United States were to begin withdrawing troops too quickly. The warnings were issued as Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari also asserted that Turkey has massed 140,000 troops along its border with Iraq to stage a possible cross-border assault against Kurdish separatists.'

Stars and Stripes, 08 Jul 07, by Drew Brown
Stopping insurgents before they hit Baghdad
'A group of about 20 soldiers moves quietly under a starry sky toward a house about 500 meters from this small outpost less than 10 miles southeast of Baghdad. As they file up the road, an imam begins a solemn song over a loudspeaker somewhere nearby, calling the faithful to the evening's final prayers.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Jul 07, by Stephen Farrell
Around 150, death toll in Iraq attack among war's worst
'The death toll from a suicide truck bombing in a remote village in northern Iraq rose to around 150 on Sunday, making it one of the deadliest single bombings, if not the deadliest, since the 2003 invasion.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Jul 07, by John F. Burns and Alissa J. Rubin
U.S. envoy offers grim prediction on Iraq pullout
'As the U.S. Senate begins a new debate this week on proposals for a withdrawal from Iraq, the U.S. ambassador and the Iraqi foreign minister are warning that the departure of American troops could lead to sharply increased violence, the deaths of thousands of people and a regional conflict that could draw in Iraq's neighbors.'

News and Observer, 08 Jul 07, by Joseph Neff
Blackwater manager blamed for 2004 massacre in Fallujah
'Military contractors write that a site manager sent four Americans on an ill-advised, fatal mission.'

Christian Science Monitor, 05 Jul 07, by Scott Peterson and Nicholas Blanford
A gauge of Iran's hand in Iraq
'Iran on Wednesday denounced as "false and ridiculous claims" new US accusations that a Lebanese Hizbullah special operations chief arrested in Iraq was working against US troops on behalf of Iran's elite Qods Force.'

ABC News, 04 Jul 07, by Luis Martinez
Downed U.S. Pilots in Daring Hostile Fire Escape
'In a dramatic rescue worthy of any action movie, two Army helicopter pilots shot down south of Baghdad Monday evaded capture by their attackers and then flew to safety, one of them strapped to the side of an Apache helicopter not designed to take additional passengers.'

Washington Post, 01 Jul 07, by Steve Fainaru and Alec Klein
In Iraq, a Private Realm of Intelligence-Gathering
'The deepening and largely hidden involvement of security companies in the war has drawn the attention of Congress, which is seeking to regulate the industry. The House intelligence committee stated in a recent report that it is "concerned that the Intelligence Community does not have a clear definition of what functions are 'inherently governmental' and, as a result, whether there are contractors performing inherently governmental functions."'

ABC News/AP, 02 Jul 07, by Lee Keath, AP
General: Iranian Forces Killed U.S. Soldiers
'Iran's elite Quds force helped militants carry out a January attack in Karbala that killed five Americans, a U.S. general said Monday. U.S. military spokesman Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner also accused Tehran of using the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah as a "proxy" to arm Shiite militants in Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
Civilian casualties in Iraq reported to decline
'U.S. and Iraqi officials said they saw a decline in the monthly civilian casualty count in June, a development that occurred as the U.S. troop increase reached full strength. However, the size of the decline was hard to gauge because death counts in Iraq are highly inaccurate.'

The Economist, 04 Jul 07
Oil on troubled waters
'Until Iraq's economy recovers fully is there any chance of tackling its other woes? The prospects seem dim.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jul 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraqis make progress on crucial oil law
'The Iraqi government took a step closer on Tuesday to completing work on an oil law that is one of several pieces of legislation on which the U.S. Congress has demanded progress before it authorizes additional expenditures for the war.'

Washington Post, 05 Jul 07, by Glenn Kessler
Construction Woes Add to Fears at Embassy in Iraq
'U.S. diplomats in Iraq, increasingly fearful over their personal safety after recent mortar attacks inside the Green Zone, are pointing to new delays and mistakes in the U.S. Embassy construction project in Baghdad as signs that their vulnerability could grow in the months ahead.'

Stars and Stripes, 29 Jun 07, by Drew Brown
Baqouba operation moves to next phase
'U.S., Iraqi troops have 60 days to win over locals and restart economy'

Military.com/AP, 26 Jun 07
U.S. Troops Target Bomb Networks
'Newly arrived U.S. troops southeast of Baghdad are destroying boats on the Tigris River and targeting networks bringing powerful roadside bombs from Iran as the military cracks down on Sunni and Shiite extremists from all directions. But a top U.S. commander warned on Monday that three or four times more Iraqi security forces are needed to sustain the progress in clearing the area and stanching the flow of arms and makeshift bombs into the capital.'

NPR 'Morning Edition', 28 Jun 07
Slow Going for U.S. Forces South of Baghdad
[audio] 'U.S. troops in the region south of Baghdad are slowly clearing insurgents from strongholds along the Tigris River. Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch says the mission is hampered by insufficient numbers of Iraqi security forces.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 27 Jun 07, by
Turkey's military seeks guidelines to attack Kurdish rebels
'Reaffirming his view that an operation in northern Iraq is needed to combat Kurdish rebels, the head of the Turkish military asked the government on Wednesday to set political guidelines for such an incursion.'

Washington Post, 29 Jun 07, by John Ward Anderson
Residents Say 17 Killed by U.S. Were Not Insurgents
'A U.S. military spokesman, Lt. Col. Christopher C. Garver, said the June 22 incident in Khalis, about 30 miles north of Baghdad, was under investigation "because of discussions with locals who say it didn't happen as we reported it."'

DefenseNews.com/AFP, 27 Jun 07
Talabani: China to Arm Iraqi Police
'Iraqi President Jalal Talbani said on June 27 that Beijing has agreed to sell weapons to the country's fledgling police force.'

Los Angeles Times, 26 Jun 07, by Ned Parker
Blast could derail a key Iraqi alliance
'Sunni and Shiite tribal leaders who had hoped to overcome sectarian warfare are killed in the Baghdad hotel bombing.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jun 07, by Howard LaFranchi and Sam Dagher
'Anbar model' under fire
'The US military says that its strategy of building ties with the tribes has been effective in reducing attacks. But the approach is facing growing criticism from both Iraqi politicians and military experts.'

Washington Post, 26 Jun 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
General: Iraqi Forces Far From Self-Sufficiency
'Brig. Gen. Dana J.H. Pittard, commander of the Iraq Assistance Group, said "it'll take years" for Iraqi security forces to become self-reliant in protecting the country from internal and foreign threats. He suggested that it will be at least two years before the forces, which number 348,000, can "fully take control" of the situation in Iraq.'

BBC News, 24 Jun 07
US troops 'tighten' Baquba grip
'US troops fighting al-Qaeda militants in the Iraqi city of Baquba now control about 60% of the city's western side, their commander says.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Jun 07, by John F. Burns
Top targets fled before U.S. push, commander says
'The operational commander of troops battling to drive fighters with Al Qaeda from Baquba said Friday that 80 percent of the top Qaeda leaders in the city fled before the American-led offensive began earlier this week. He compared their flight with the escape of Qaeda leaders from Falluja ahead of an American offensive that recaptured that city in 2004.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Jun 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Iraqi units face delicate task in U.S. offensive
'After clawing their way toward insurgent strongholds in western Baquba, U.S. troops have begun one of the most delicate phases of the operation: reintroducing the city's residents to their own army.'

Washington Post, 26 Jun 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Iraqi Youth Face Lasting Scars of War
'Conflict's psychological impact on children is immense, experts say'

Washington Post, 26 Jun 07, by Philip Kennicott
Insurgents Muster Their Forces Online
'Radio Free Europe report describes Iraq fighters' new media versatility'

International Herald Tribune, 21 Jun 07, by Michael Gordon and Alissa J. Rubin
Heavy fighting as U.S. troops squeeze insurgents in Iraq city
'Fighting was heavy in parts of Baquba on Wednesday as American troops continued to squeeze a large section of the city in an effort to rid it of insurgents believed to be part of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia.'

National Review Online - The Tank, 19 Jun 07, by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
Arrowhead Ripper
'The operation yesterday and today launched into Diyala Province is arguably "one of the largest" -- if not the largest -- of the Iraq war since the close of the invasion phase in 2003: Some 10,000 coalition soldiers (primarily U.S. and Iraqi) supported by helicopters, jets, Strykers, Bradleys, you name it, have essentially shifted from security crackdown mode to full-attack mode. Many Americans may view this as just another push against the bad guys in Iraq. But this is very big.'

Stars and Stripes, 20 Jun 07, by Teri Weaver
Some soldiers in Iraq prefer walking
'Normally, Company C walks much, much farther, and for one simple reason: "Walking is much safer," says Capt. Stewart Lindsay, 27, of Freeport, Pa., the company's commander. Since deploying to the Babil area late last fall, the company has developed a basic security plan. Roadside bombs target trucks, so they have largely gotten off the roads, left the trucks behind, and saved lives.'

National Defense Magazine, Jun 07, by Stew Magnuson
Bomb Making Skills Spread Globally
'Improvised explosive devices have caused 70 percent of U.S. casualties in Iraq, where troops now employ a variety of jamming technologies to thwart attacks. But bomb makers have been innovating against these sophisticated countermeasure systems. A case in point is triggering devices, which have progressed rapidly since the war began in 2003, experts say.'

Washington Post, 21 Jun 07, by Joshua Partlow and Robin Wright
Top Iraqi Officials Growing Restless
'raqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi, a senior Shiite politician often mentioned as a potential prime minister, tendered his resignation last week in a move that reflects deepening frustration inside the Iraqi government with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Other senior Iraqi officials have considered resigning in recent weeks over the failures of their government to make progress after more than a year in power, according to Iraqi and U.S. officials.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 Jun 07, by Alissa J. Rubin
Unrest overtakes Shiite heartland
'The unrest in Diwaniya, which is mirrored in neighboring Nasiriya, suggests the emergence of a poisonous political landscape in which competing Shiite groups no longer look to the political system to allocate power.'

BBC News, 19 Jun 07
Iraq rises up failed states index
'Iraq ranks as the world's second most unstable country, according to an annual index of failed states.'

BBC News, 19 Jun 07
US launches major Iraq offensive
'The US military in Iraq has said 10,000 US and Iraqi troops are taking part in an operation against al-Qaeda networks north of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.'

Washington Post, 16 Jun 07, by Steve Fainaru
Iraq Contractors Face Growing Parallel War
'Private security companies, funded by billions of dollars in U.S. military and State Department contracts, are fighting insurgents on a widening scale in Iraq, enduring daily attacks, returning fire and taking hundreds of casualties that have been underreported and sometimes concealed, according to U.S. and Iraqi officials and company representatives.'

NPR 'All Things Considered', 14 Jun 07, by Rachel Martin
Sunni, U.S. Leaders Unite Against Al-Qaida in Anbar
[audio] 'A senior U.S. diplomat visits Ramadi, capital of Anbar province, once the most dangerous place in Iraq for U.S. troops but now the scene of an alliance with Sunni tribal leaders bent on destroying al-Qaida in Iraq.'

Washington Post, 19 Jun 07, by Glenn Kessler
Embassy Staff In Baghdad Inadequate, Rice Is Told
'Ryan C. Crocker, the new U.S. ambassador to Iraq, bluntly told Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a cable dated May 31 that the embassy in Baghdad -- the largest and most expensive U.S. embassy -- lacks enough well-qualified staff members and that its security rules are too restrictive for Foreign Service officers to do their jobs.'

Washington Post, 19 Jun 07, by Robin Wright
Iraq, 'Sinking Fast,' Is Ranked No. 2 on List of Unstable States
'Iraq now ranks as the world's second most unstable country, ahead of war-ravaged or poverty-stricken nations such as Somalia, Zimbabwe, Ivory Coast, Congo, Afghanistan, Haiti and North Korea, according to the 2007 Failed States Index, issued yesterday by the Fund for Peace and Foreign Policy magazine.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Jun 07, by Nicholas Kulish
UN weapons inspection team for Iraq, Unmovic, nears its end
'The search for Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction appears close to an official conclusion, several years after their absence became a foregone one.'

The New Yorker, 26 Mar 07, by George Packer
Working with the Americans
[audio] 'An Iraqi interpreter's story, from invasion to exile.'

Washington Post, 14 Jun 07, by John Ward Anderson and Joshua Partlow
Shiite Shrine in Samarra Is Hit Again
'The Iraqi government imposed a curfew across Baghdad on Wednesday after insurgents used explosives to demolish two minarets at a revered Shiite shrine whose partial destruction last year sparked a devastating increase in sectarian bloodshed. The attack raised concerns among U.S. and Iraqi leaders about a resurgence of such violence. President Bush said in a statement Wednesday evening that the bombing "was clearly aimed at inflaming sectarian tensions" and called on "all Iraqis to refrain from acts of vengeance."'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Jun 07, by Dan Murphy
Samarra shrine attack: less incendiary now?
'Wednesday's attack on the Askariya shrine mirrored a 2006 bombing at the Shiite holy site, but this strike may not spark the same sectarian bloodshed.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 15 Jun 07
Iraqi Kurds cope with Turkish threat
'Turkey has massed thousands of troops along the border and has shelled Iraqi territory as part of its campaign against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, which stages cross-border attacks from sanctuaries here.'

Washington Post, 14 Jun 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
No Drop in Iraq Violence Seen Since Troop Buildup
'Three months into the new U.S. military strategy that has sent tens of thousands of additional troops into Iraq, overall levels of violence in the country have not decreased, as attacks have shifted away from Baghdad and Anbar, where American forces are concentrated, only to rise in most other provinces, according to a Pentagon report released yesterday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 Jun 07, by Howard LaFranchi
US civilians drive Iraq's other surge
'Teams of US experts in law and management are trying to develop governance by the rule of law in northern Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 12 Jun 07, by Charles J. Hanley, AP
Discreetly (but loudly), ordinance experts get rid of old Iraqi munitions
'Explosion by meticulously planned explosion, a little-known U.S. Army outfit has not so quietly notched one success here in Iraq, a country known more for failure these days.'

Washington Post, 09 Jun 07, by Joshua Partlow
For U.S. Unit in Baghdad, An Alliance of Last Resort
'The American soldiers in Amiriyah have allied themselves with dozens of Sunni militiamen who call themselves the Baghdad Patriots -- a group that American soldiers believe includes insurgents who have attacked them in the past -- in an attempt to drive out al-Qaeda in Iraq. The Americans have granted these gunmen the power of arrest, allowed the Iraqi army to supply them with ammunition, and fought alongside them in chaotic street battles.'

Washington Post, 07 Jun 07, by John Ward Anderson
Baghdad's Green Zone Is a Haven Under Siege
'Mortar and rocket attacks on the Green Zone are nothing new, but people who live and work in the complex -- a walled compound of about five square miles on the banks of the Tigris River that is headquarters to the Iraqi government and U.S. forces -- say that the strikes are becoming more frequent, accurate and deadly.'

Washington Post, 07 Jun 07, by John Ward Anderson
Insurgent Group Announces Truce with Al-Qaeda in Iraq
'A Sunni insurgent group that waged a deadly street battle last week against the rival group al-Qaeda in Iraq in a Sunni neighborhood of west Baghdad announced Wednesday that the two forces had declared a cease-fire.'

NewsHour, 06 Jun 07
Zarqawi Legacy Divides Sunni Opposition in Iraq
'In the year since an American missile ended the reign of al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the movement he helped foster has continued to use Iraq as a rallying cry even as Sunni opposition to the militant group has increased.'

Washington Post, 04 Jun 07, by Joshua Partlow
Attacks Kill 17 U.S. Soldiers in Iraq
'A car bomb attack outside a major U.S. military base in Iraq discharged a gaseous cloud that sickened dozens of people Sunday, punctuating a flurry of violence that left 16 American soldiers dead during the first three days of June.'

International Herald Tribune, 04 Jun 07, by David S. Cloud and Damien Cave
Commanders say push in Baghdad is short of goal
'Three months after the start of the Baghdad security plan that has added thousands of American and Iraqi troops to the capital, they control fewer than one-third of the city's neighborhoods, far short of the initial goal for the operation, according to some commanders and an internal military assessment.'

Washington Post, 04 Jun 07, by Ann Scott Tyson and John Ward Anderson
Attacks on U.S. Troops in Iraq Grow in Lethality, Complexity
'As U.S. troops push more deeply into Baghdad and its volatile outskirts, Iraqi insurgents are using increasingly sophisticated and lethal means of attack, including bigger roadside bombs that are resulting in greater numbers of American fatalities relative to the number of wounded.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jun 07, by Thom Shanker
Makeshift bombs are biggest killers in Iraq
'Attacks with makeshift bombs killed 80 percent of all U.S. forces who died in combat in Iraq over the last three months, despite the billions of dollars spent to defend the troops with armored vehicles, to detect or disrupt the weapons, or to attack the bomb-making cells and those who finance them.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jun 07, by Damien Cave
Bombs damage bridge linking Baghdad and Kirkuk
'Bombs severely damaged a bridge linking a highway from Baghdad with the northern city of Kirkuk on Saturday, the police and witnesses said, heightening tensions between Arabs and Kurds and forcing traffic to re-route through some of the most dangerous areas of Diyala Province.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 01 Jun 07, by
Plans for new U.S. embassy in Baghdad turn up online in security breach
'Detailed plans for the new U.S. Embassy now under construction in Baghdad appeared online in a major breach of the tight security surrounding the sensitive project that will be America's largest diplomatic mission abroad.'

Washington Post, 02 Jun 07, by Colum Lynch
U.N. Team Still Looking for Iraq's Arsenal
'More than four years after the fall of Baghdad, the United Nations is spending millions of dollars in Iraqi oil money to continue the hunt for Saddam Hussein's alleged weapons of mass destruction.'

Washington Post, 01 Jun 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
Gates, U.S. General Back Long Iraq Stay
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and a senior U.S. commander said yesterday that they favor a protracted U.S. troop presence in Iraq along the lines of the military stabilization force in South Korea. ... that he is thinking of "a mutual agreement" with Iraq in which "some force of Americans . . . is present for a protracted period of time, but in ways that are protective of the sovereignty of the host government."'

Washington Post, 01 Jun 07, by John Ward Anderson
Sunni Insurgents Battle in Baghdad
'Sunni residents of a west Baghdad neighborhood used assault rifles and a roadside bomb to battle the Sunni insurgent group al-Qaeda in Iraq this week, leaving at least 28 people dead and six injured, residents said Thursday.'

International Herald Tribune, 31 May 07, by Damien Cave
U.S. conducts Iraq raids to find 5 kidnapped Britons
'The search for five British civilians kidnapped from an Iraqi government building intensified Thursday with American troops conducting raids in the Sadr City neighborhood of Baghdad and the Iraqi government pledging its support for an investigation.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 31 May 07
Turkish military ready to cross into Iraq, general says
'Turkey's top general said Thursday his army — which has been massing troops on the border with Iraq — was prepared to attack separatist Kurdish guerrillas in a cross-border offensive and accused Turkey's allies of supporting the rebels.'

NPR 'Morning Edition', 31 May 07, with Renee Montagne
Bloody Summer Projected for Iraq War
[audio] 'The U.S. troop surge in Iraq has put more soldiers in outposts where they are vulnerable to attack. May has been one of the bloodiest months for U.S. troops since the start of the war, and retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey anticipates more violence during the summer.'

NPR 'Talk of the Nation', 29 May 07, with Loren Jenkins and General Robert Scales [US Army ret.]
Planning an Exit Strategy for Iraq
[audio] 'For months, Congress and the White House have been talking about setting a timetable for a withdrawal from Iraq. But with nearly 160,000 troops currently dispersed throughout Iraq, what would a departure look like? Guests discuss the "how" of an Iraq exit plan.'

Stars and Stripes, 31 May 07, by Drew Brown
Medical supplies delivery aims to ease tensions
'U.S. team hopes effort fosters good will between hospital, Iraqi army'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 Jun 07, by Gordon Lubold
America's Iraq strategy boosts US combat losses
'May's spike in the American death toll in Iraq is the result of the administration's new approach in Iraq – as much as it is the enemy's own "surge" of attacks against US forces. In strategic terms, it's called taking it to the enemy. But analysts warn that if the number of US casualties continues at their current high level through the summer, that could raise questions about whether the strategy is actually working.'

International Herald Tribune, 28 May 07, by Thom Shanker
U.S. commander closely watches elite forces
'Every night in Iraq, American Special Operations forces carry out as many as a dozen raids aimed at terrorist leaders allied with Al Qaeda, other insurgent fighters and militia targets. Their after-action reports are the first thing that General David Petraeus, the senior American commander in Baghdad, reads the next day.'

International Herald Tribune, 26 May 07, by Kirk Semple
Coalition clashes with Sadr militia in Baghdad and Basra
'U.S., British and Iraqi forces battled fighters from the Mahdi militia in Baghdad and the southern port city of Basra on Saturday, a day after the militia's leader, the Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, came out of hiding and reiterated his calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops.'

Washington Post, 28 May 07, by John Ward Anderson
U.S. Forces Free Al-Qaeda in Iraq Captives
'U.S. forces raided an al-Qaeda in Iraq hide-out northeast of Baghdad on Sunday and rescued 41 people who had been kidnapped by the insurgent group, some as long as four months ago, a U.S. military spokesman said.'

New York Times, 28 May 07, by Michael Moss and Souad Mekhennet
Militants Widen Reach as Terror Seeps Out of Iraq
'The Iraq war, which for years has drawn militants from around the world, is beginning to export fighters and the tactics they have honed in the insurgency to neighboring countries and beyond, according to American, European and Middle Eastern government officials and interviews with militant leaders in Lebanon, Jordan and London.'

New York Times, 28 May 07, by Michael Kamber
As Allies Turn Foe, Disillusion Rises in Some G.I.'s
'... in interviews with more than a dozen soldiers in this 83-man unit over a one-week period, most said they were disillusioned by repeated deployments, by what they saw as the abysmal performance of Iraqi security forces and by a conflict that they considered a civil war, one they had no ability to stop.'

Washington Post, 25 May 07, by Thomas E. Ricks and Sudarsan Raghavan
Sadr Back in Iraq, U.S. Generals Say
'Moqtada al-Sadr, the influential Shiite cleric and militia leader who went into hiding before the launch of a U.S.-Iraqi security offensive in February, is in the southern city of Kufa, senior U.S. military commanders said Thursday.'

U.S. Defense Department, 23 May 07
DoD News Briefing with Brig. Gen. Walsh from Iraq
'Every day in Iraq, we see the fruits of our labor. Many of these successes are things in America that we take for granted. One of them is access to local medical facilities throughout the country.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 24 May 07
Turkish government says it would back military in any offensive in northern Iraq
'Turkey's government has said it would back the military if the generals seek to stage an incursion into northern Iraq to fight Kurdish rebels.'

Washington Post, 24 May 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Morgue Data Show Increase In Sectarian Killings in Iraq
'More than three months into a U.S.-Iraqi security offensive designed to curtail sectarian violence in Baghdad and other parts of Iraq, Health Ministry statistics show that such killings are rising again.'

Washington Post, 24 May 07, by Karen DeYoung
Taste of Home Runs Low in Iraq
'... mouths turned dry Monday when an internal embassy e-mail announced a "Theater-Wide Delay in Food Deliveries." Due to an unspecified convoy problem, it said, "it may not be possible to offer the dishes you are used to seeing at each meal. Fresh fruits or salad bar items will also be severely limited or unavailable."'

Washington Post, 21 May 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
Edging Their Way Into Sadr City
'The U.S. military is engaged in delicate negotiations inside Sadr City to clear the way for a gradual push in coming weeks by more American and Iraqi forces into the volatile Shiite enclave of more than 2 million people, one of the most daunting challenges of the campaign to stabilize Baghdad.'

Stars and Stripes, 21 May 07, by Zeke Minaya
Baghdad tribes close to fighting al-Qaida
'Mirroring a nationwide trend, tribes near Baghdad are on the verge of banding together against al-Qaida and have met with U.S. military officials seeking aid and guidance in fighting the terrorist network.'

San Francisco Chronicle, 21 May 07, by John Ward Anderson and Sudarsan Raghavan, Washington Post
U.S. death toll rising in Baghdad
'Military deaths have been rising since fall, and the first half of this year has already been deadlier than any six-month period since the war began more than four years ago.'

Stars and Stripes, 22 May 07
More outposts being built to accomodate troops for 'surge'
'American troops continue to build small, neighborhood outposts to support the troop "surge" in and around Baghdad, while the final extra Army brigade is poised to arrive in Iraq next month.'

International Herald Tribune, 20 May 07, by John M. Broder and James Risen
Iraq's hidden casualties: 13,000 working for contractors
'Casualties among private contractors in Iraq have soared to record levels this year, setting a pace that seems certain to turn 2007 into the bloodiest year yet for the civilians who work alongside the U.S. military in the war zone, according to new government numbers.'

BBC News, 19 May 07
Hopes rise for missing US troops
'The commander of US forces in Iraq, Gen David Petraeus, has said he knows who captured three US soldiers, who have been missing since last Saturday.'

Washington Post, 18 May 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
For Searchers in Iraq, a Peerless Mission
'Tradition, Duty, Character Converge in Manhunt'

Washington Post, 17 May 07, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Many Tips, Few Answers in Hunt for GIs
'Effort involves 6,000 troops; hundreds of Iraqis detained for questioning'

International Herald Tribune, 17 May 07, by Kirk Semple
Street battles in Iraqi cities point to dire security status
'Sprawling street battles between militia gunmen and Iraqi security forces erupted in three cities on Wednesday on a day of wide-ranging violence that underscored the grave security situation across much of Iraq.'

BBC News, 17 May 07
War-torn Iraq 'facing collapse'
'Iraq faces the distinct possibility of collapse and fragmentation, UK foreign policy think tank Chatham House says. Its report says the Iraqi government is now largely powerless and irrelevant in many parts of the country. It warns there is not one war but many local civil wars, and urges a major change in US and British strategy ...'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 15 May 07
Iraq has become new epicenter for 'holy war,' ex-chief of MI6 says.
'Al-Qaida is changing its tactics and so should governments, the former head of Britain's spy agency said Tuesday, warning that the group's cells were making new inroads in Europe, Algeria, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.'

International Herald Tribune, 16 May 07, by James Glanz
U.S. 'surge' in Iraq not significantly reducing attacks
'Newly declassified U.S. data show that as additional American troops began streaming into Iraq in March and April, the number of attacks on civilians and security forces there stayed relatively steady or at most declined slightly, in the clearest indication yet that the troop increase could take months to have a widespread effect on security.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 07, by Howard LaFranchi
Iraqi lawmakers argue for caution in shaping oil law
'The White House envisions passage this month of the law to share revenue among Iraq's sectarian populations and regulate foreign investment in oil. Congress wants quick approval as a sign of Iraq's seriousness about national reconciliation.'

Christian Science Monitor, 18 May 07, by Gail Russell Chaddock
How will Iraq share the oil?
'In the US, the demand that Iraq pass an oil law is a 'benchmark' that is becoming a flashpoint.'

Washington Post, 14 May 07, by Joshua Partlow
Iraq Insurgents Boast of Ambush
'The insurgent coalition that includes al-Qaeda in Iraq asserted responsibility on Sunday for the ambush south of Baghdad that left four U.S. soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter dead and three other American soldiers missing.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 May 07, by Kirk Semple
U.S. intensifies search for 3 missing soldiers
'About 4,000 American ground troops supported by surveillance aircraft, attack helicopters and spy satellites swept towns and farmland south of Baghdad on Sunday searching for three American soldiers who disappeared Saturday after their patrol was ambushed, military officials said.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 May 07, by Howard LaFranchi
Iraq's Al Qaeda attacks higher-impact targets
'The fate of three missing American soldiers, apparently captured after a weekend Al Qaeda ambush, remained uncertain Sunday, but the mission to find them demonstrated a new reality for US forces: They are facing a deadlier Iraq as their numbers rise.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 14 May 07
Iraq "has become new epicenter for 'holy war' against West," says terror expert
'Iraq has become the new epicenter for al-Qaida cells waging "holy war" against the West, one of the world's pre-eminent terror experts said Tuesday. If the U.S.-led coalition forces pulled out of Iraq now, attacks in Europe would increase and troops would have to go back in two to three years, said Rohan Gunaratna, the head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.'

Washington Post, 15 May 07, by Joshua Partlow
New Detainees Strain Iraq's Jails
'The capture of thousands of new suspects under the three-month-old Baghdad security plan has overwhelmed the Iraqi government's detention system, forcing hundreds of people into overcrowded facilities, according to Iraqi and Western officials.'

International Herald Tribune, 13 May 07, by James Glanz
100,000 to 300,000 barrels of oil a day unaccounted for in Iraq
'Between 100,000 and 300,000 barrels a day of Iraq's declared oil production over the past four years is unaccounted for and could have been siphoned off through corruption or smuggling, according to a draft U.S. government report.'

San Francisco Chronicle/AP, 10 May 07, by Tom Raum, AP
Cheney Defends Extended Deployments
'Vice President Dick Cheney told U.S. troops in Iraq on Thursday that he knows they're suffering hardships from extended deployments but the longer stays are "vital to the mission."'

Bloomberg, 10 May 07, by Ken Fireman
Cheney Tells Troops in Iraq the U.S. Will Continue the Fight
'The commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq, Army Major General Randy Mixon, told reporters that "this budget battle has been particularly frustrating" to him and his troops. "It is not appropriate to tie the funding of troops to other issues," he said. "Congress has the responsibility to fund the soldiers. To wrap that up in politics is not appropriate."'

Washington Post, 09 May 07, by Joshua Partlow
Cheney Pushes Iraqis for Quick Action
'Sectarian Reconciliation, Legislative Issues Stressed in Baghdad Visit'

Washington Post, 11 May 07, by Joshua Partlow
Iraqi Lawmakers Back Bill on U.S. Withdrawal
'A majority of members of Iraq's parliament have signed a draft bill that would require a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from Iraq and freeze current troop levels. The development was a sign of a growing division between Iraq's legislators and prime minister that mirrors the widening gulf between the Bush administration and its critics in Congress.'

Washington Post, 10 May 07, by Robin Wright
Iraq Seeks Time to Take Steps, but Levin Notes 'Disconnect'
'In a sign of growing tensions between Washington and Baghdad, Iraqi national security adviser Mowaffak al-Rubaie said yesterday that the United States needs to give Iraq more "time and space" to take pivotal military and political steps and to stop making plans based on "the Washington clock."'

International Herald Tribune, 09 May 07, by Michael R. Gordon
Iraqi official takes case to U.S., but skeptics don't budge
'Mowaffak al-Rubaie, the national security adviser to Iraq's prime minister, undertook on Tuesday what may have been his most challenging mission yet: trying to persuade American lawmakers who have all but run out of patience that still more patience is required.'

International Herald Tribune, 07 May 07, by Kirk Semple
Alliance built on a commandeered house in Iraq
'Nearly every day, the sheik stops by the villa that was once his home, but is now an American garrison. Sometimes he comes with tips about the insurgency, or with news of political developments in this rural village near the Euphrates River. But mostly he comes to ask for his house back.'

CBS News.com, 07
The Battle for Iraq
'New Leaders, The Insurgents, Postwar Attacks ... '

National Review Online, 07 May 07, by W. Thomas Smith Jr.
"One hand can't clap"
'Around midnight, I stood on a three-story rooftop in Baghdad, watching orange and yellow flashes from a distant artillery barrage far to the west. Earlier there had been a spirited firefight about a block from my position -- crackling automatic-weapons fire, arcing tracers, and single shots between the two forces, with one side (the insurgents) eventually silenced by the rapid, heavy "boom, boom, boom, boom" of an American .50-caliber machine gun.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 May 07, by Gordon Lubold
US benchmarks for Iraq may be hazy
'While Congress presses for clarity, the White House and Pentagon opt for ambiguity.'

Washington Post, 08 May 07, by Ann Scott Tyson
Troops at Baghdad Outposts Seek Safety in Fortifications
'Nearly three months after the U.S. military launched a new strategy to safeguard Baghdad's populat