IRAQ ARCHIVE :

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International Herald Tribune, 23 Dec 08, by Neil Macfarquhar
Security Council extends protection of Iraq's assets
'The Security Council unanimously passed a resolution on Monday extending United Nations protection over Iraq's assets through 2009 ... A United Nations mandate has covered Iraq's financial assets — along with American and other foreign forces in the country — since 2003. But given the newly concluded status-of-forces agreement between Washington and Baghdad, that authorization will end on Dec. 31.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Dec 08, by Sam Dagher
Iranian resistance group criticizes Iraq's efforts to expel it
'Some 3,800 members of the group, the People's Mujahedeen, live in a fenced-off camp north of Baghdad, where they have enjoyed the protection of the American military since 2003.'

Asia Times, 22 Dec 08, by Stephen Starr
The 'other Iraq' forges ahead
'The semi-autonomous Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq ... is looking to exploit the most valuable asset in its possession, oil. It is on this point the region's stability hinges - disagreements with Baghdad over oil ownership could be far more divisive than the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict that spawned the 2005-2007 sectarian war.'

BBC News, 10 Dec 08
UK: Iraq pull-out may begin in March
'The UK has been negotiating the legal basis on which its forces can stay when its UN mandate expires at the end of the year. It still has 4,100 troops in Basra but defence chiefs plan a withdrawal over the next year if Iraqi elections in January pass off peacefully. A withdrawal could allow soldiers to be diverted to Afghanistan.'

Christian Science Monitor, 02 Dec 08, by Jane Arraf
America's diminishing role in Iraq
'Many Iraqis say passage of the US-Iraqi security pact ushers in a new era in which US military power will be replaced by Iraqi political power.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Dec 08, by Riyadh Muhammed and Alissa J. Rubin
Kurds defend policies in sharp rebuke to Iraqi government
'The Kurdish regional government released a pointed rebuttal on Monday to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki's recent criticism of its policies, in a sign of growing fault lines between the Kurds and Iraq's central government.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Dec 08, by Alissa J. Rubin
Civilian death toll in Iraq increased in November
'The numbers of civilian deaths and of improvised explosive devices in Iraq increased in November, although there were still fewer of each than in September, according to statistics released by the Iraqi Interior Ministry on Monday. ... The latest statistics released by the ministry also show an increase in the number of attacks involving "sticky bombs," or explosive devices that attach magnetically to the bottom of a car.'

Christian Science Monitor, 28 Nov 08, by Jane Arraf
On brink of vote, Iraqi parliament makes new demands
'Landmark agreement on US troops is delayed as lawmakers seek more checks on Shiite-led government.'

Washington Post, 25 Nov 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan and Qais Mizher
3 Deadly Blasts Hit Iraq Ahead of Security Pact Vote
'The attacks illustrated the vulnerability of Iraq's security apparatus and the lingering defiance of an insurgency whose influence has declined in recent months.'

Washington Post, 20 Nov 08, by Mary Beth Sheridan
U.S. Troops in Baghdad Take a Softer Approach
'With violence down sharply this year, the U.S. military is broadening its efforts to reconcile Sunnis and Shiites, reintegrate former insurgents into society and repair the rift between residents and their government.'

International Herald Tribune, 17 Nov 08, by Campbell Robertson and Stephen Farrell
Iraq pact sets time for U.S. pullout
'Iraq's cabinet on Sunday overwhelmingly approved a proposed security agreement that calls for a full withdrawal of American forces from the country by the end of 2011. The cabinet's decision brings a final date for the departure of American troops a significant step closer after more than five and a half years of war.'

Washington Post, 19 Nov 08, by Mary Beth Sheridan
Maliki Defends U.S.-Iraq Deal To Public, Criticizes Opposition
'Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki addressed the nation Tuesday to defend a security pact that would let U.S. troops stay in Iraq three more years and expressed concern that some lawmakers were trying to block it for political reasons.'

Washington Post, 18 Nov 08, by Michael Abramowitz
Bush Reversal on Iraq Deadline Gives Obama Breathing Room
'By agreeing to a fixed deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq, President Bush contradicted years of promises that he would never agree to anything but a "conditions-based" plan for phasing out the American military role there.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Nov 08, by Campbell Robertson and Steven Lee Myers
Iraqi and American critics of security pact speak up
'Iraqi and American critics of a security agreement governing American troops in Iraq voiced their objections on Monday, a day after the Iraqi cabinet approved the pact and sent it to Parliament for ratification. In Iraq, opposition has created an unlikely association between the followers of the anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr, who rejected the agreement out of hand, and some Sunni politicians, including ones who support the deal but are trying to wrest concessions from the Iraqi government.'

International Herald Tribune, 18 Nov 08, by James Glanz and Riyadh Mohammed
Maliki government dismissing oversight officials
'The government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is systematically dismissing oversight officials who were installed to fight corruption in Iraqi ministries by order of the American occupation administration ...'

Asia Times, 18 Nov 08, by Murad Batal Al-shishani
Al-Qaeda 'awakens' in Iraq
'The policy of al-Qaeda in Iraq in its fight against Awakening Councils in Sunni tribal areas has been to assassinate the movement's leaders. Al-Qaeda has now set its sights on recruiting council youths disenchanted by the Iraqi government's attempts to integrate them into the regular security forces.'

Asia Times, 17 Nov 08, by Gareth Porter
US again misfires on Iranian arms in Iraq
'... a US military task force has now found that Iranian-made weapons are less than 1% of the total weapons found in Shi'ite caches, suggesting that weapons are arriving from local and international arms markets rather than an Iran-sponsored smuggling network.'

Washington Post, 17 Nov 08, by Ernesto Londoño
Mask Ban Upsets Iraqis Hired as U.S. Interpreters
'The U.S. military has barred Iraqi interpreters working with American troops in Baghdad from wearing ski masks to disguise themselves, prompting some to resign and others to bare their faces even though they fear it could get them killed. ... Many interpreters employed by the U.S. government and Western companies in Iraq do everything they can to avoid being recognized on the job because extremists have tortured and killed Iraqis accused of collaborating with the enemy.'

Washington Post, 11 Nov 08, by Mary Beth Sheridan and Qais Mizher
Bombing Shows Fragility of Iraq's Security Gains
'The U.S. military says a spate of recent bombings in Baghdad has not altered the broader trend: Violence is down dramatically in Iraq from last year. There are about four attacks a day in the capital, compared with 24 in December, according to the military's count.'

Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP, 13 Nov 08, by Robert Burns
U.S. forces head out of Iraq cities
'The U.S. military in Iraq is abandoning – deliberately and with little public notice – a centerpiece of the widely acclaimed strategy it adopted nearly two years ago to turn the tide against the insurgency. It is moving American troops farther from the people they are trying to protect.'

Washington Post, 09 Nov 08, by Mary Beth Sheridan and Ernesto Londoño
Self-Sufficiency Still Eludes Domestic Security Forces
'With violence down dramatically, U.S. forces are trying to boost the confidence and image of the Iraqi security forces by mentoring and training troops and officers, and by mounting public-relations campaigns. The goal is for citizens to seek the protection of the Iraqi forces, instead of militias or insurgent groups, as the Americans depart.'

International Herald Tribune, 07 Nov 08, by Alissa J. Rubin
Obama victory alters tenor of Iraqi politics
'Iraqi Shiite politicians are indicating that they will move faster toward a new security agreement about American troops, and a Bush administration official said he believed that Iraqis could ratify the agreement as early as the middle of this month.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 06 Nov 08
Iraq violence continues to flare
'A series of bomb blasts across Baghdad killed six people and wounded more than 20 Thursday, the police said, in the fourth consecutive day of heightened violence in the Iraqi capital. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials said the United States had officially responded to Iraqi proposals for changes in a draft security pact that would keep U.S. troops in the country three more years but did not say what was in the response.'

Washington Post, 30 Oct 08, by Ernesto Londoño
U.S. Takes Battle Against Iraq Violence to Border
'... U.S. officials collect the biometric information of virtually all "military-age men" in an effort to stop the entry of weapons and fighters. Since officials began gathering biometric data at border posts this spring, more than 150,000 individuals have been scanned and photographed.'

Foreign Policy in Focus, 24 Oct 08, by Phyllis Bennis
Tenuous Agreement on Maintaining U.S. Troops in Iraq
'Despite the recent surge of attention to the U.S.-Iraqi negotiations over an agreement to keep U.S. troops in Iraq for years into the future, the resulting agreement or lack of agreement is likely to have little actual impact on the occupation.'

BBC News, 24 Oct 08, by Jim Muir
Iraqi forces prepare to take control
'The turning over of refitted Humvees to the Iraqi armed forces is symbolic of the broader transition that's taking place as US-led coalition forces prepare for an eventual full withdrawal - perhaps by the end of 2011, if the currently-circulated draft agreement is accepted. But will the Iraqi forces be ready to fill the vacuum and stand on their own feet within that three-year period?'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Oct 08, by Alissa Rubin and Katherine Zoepf
Russia backs keeping U.S. force in Iraq
'With the prospects for agreement on a proposed American-Iraqi security pact in doubt, the idea of allowing United States-led troops to stay under a United Nations mandate resurfaced this week, and Russia's foreign minister told reporters that his country would support such a plan.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Oct 08, by Scott Peterson
US Referees Iraq's Troubled Kurdish-Arab Fault Line
'At a flash point for violence, an Army general plays diplomat.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 Oct 08, by Thom Shanker
U.S. official issues a blunt warning on security pact
'The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff used unusually strong terms Tuesday to warn that time is running out for Iraq to approve a bilateral agreement with the United States that would extend the authority for American military operations beyond the end of this year.'

Washington Post, 21 Oct 08, by Mary Beth Sheridan
U.S.-Iraq Military Agreement Hits New Stumbling Block
'The Iraqi cabinet Tuesday called for reopening negotiations over a draft agreement to keep U.S. forces in this country beyond 2008, in the most serious sign yet that the accord is in trouble.'

International Herald Tribune, 21 Oct 08, by Alissa J. Rubin and Suadad Al-Salhy
New doubts cloud Iraqi security pact with U.S.
'Hopes that a security agreement between Iraq and the United States could be concluded quickly receded Sunday as several of the leading Iraqi political parties, among them some that had negotiated the agreement, appeared to back away from quick approval.'

International Herald Tribune, 19 Oct 08, by Mark Mazzetti
Iraqi militias training in Iran, documents say
'Newly declassified intelligence documents offer the most comprehensive account to date to support American claims about Iranian efforts to build a proxy force in Iraq.'

International Herald Tribune, 15 Oct 08, by Sam Dagher
Iraqi Christians flee Mosul in the wake of attacks
'Several church leaders accused the Iraqi government of trying to cover up the problems facing Christians and of overstating its success in improving security in Mosul.'

International Herald Tribune, 14 Oct 08, by Campbell Robertson
Followers of an ancient faith are caught in Iraq's fault lines
'Yazidis, adherents of an ancient religion with roots in Zoroastrianism, were targets of bombings from Sunni extremists, who consider them devil worshipers.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Oct 08, by Stephen Farrell, Alissa J. Rubin, Sam Dagher and Erica Goode
As fears ease, Baghdad sees walls tumble
'The slow dismantling of the walls is the most visible sign of a fundamental change in the Iraqi capital, as the American surge strategy draws to a close.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Oct 08, by Sam Dagher
Roadside bomb in Baghdad kills Shiite legislator
'An Iraqi member of Parliament from Moktada al-Sadr's political movement was killed in a roadside bombing in Baghdad on Thursday. The attack prompted supporters of Sadr, the anti-American Shiite cleric, to hold the United States responsible.'

International Herald Tribune, 08 Oct 08, by Erica Goode
Negroponte calls security deal on Iraq 'close'
'Winding up a visit to Iraq that has taken him to six provinces, Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte said on Tuesday that American and Iraqi negotiators were "close" to resolving the issues that have stood in the way of a security agreement governing the continued presence of American troops in the country.'

BBC News, 01 Oct 08
Iraq remains 'locked in conflict'
'The US defence department says the fundamental character of the conflict in Iraq remains unchanged, despite dramatic security improvements there. In its quarterly report to Congress, it said Iraq remained locked in a communal struggle for power and resources. The Pentagon also expressed concern at the pace at which members of Sunni militias were being integrated into the armed forces or other government jobs.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 01 Oct 08
Iraq civilian and U.S. troop deaths fall in September
'Violence in Iraq has fallen to around four-year lows in recent months, but militants have still been capable of large-scale attacks. ... The Pentagon will pull 8,000 troops out of Iraq by February, leaving 138,000 soldiers deployed there. Some 4,175 U.S. troops have been killed in Iraq and the surrounding areas where troops are stationed since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003 ...'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Sep 08, by Tom A. Peter
Iraqi Insurgents Forced Underground
'But even in hiding, Al Qaeda in Iraq can carry out high-profile attacks and has infiltrated security forces.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Sep 08, by Erica Goode
On safer streets in Baghdad, friction infiltrates patrols by Awakening groups
'A shootout near a checkpoint [in Baghdad's Adhamiya area] quickly drew the attention of the American officers stationed in the neighborhood. Both outbursts involved members of the Awakening Councils, the citizen patrols paid by the United States to fight the insurgency. And both were seen as a worrisome sign of the tension and infighting that have rippled through the Sunni-dominated Awakening groups in recent weeks, just as the American military plans to transfer control of about half the councils to the Shiite-led government. ... in Adhamiya and in some other areas of Iraq, the patrols, hailed by many as heroic for making the streets safer, have posed increasing problems.'

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International Herald Tribune, 06 Aug 08, by Campbell Robertson
Iraqi Army willing, but not ready, to fight alone
'While Americans and Iraqi civilians alike are increasingly eager to see combat operations turned over to the Iraqi Army, interviews with more than a dozen Iraqi soldiers and officers in Diyala Province, at the outset of a large-scale operation against insurgents led by Iraqis but backed by Americans, reveal a military confident of its progress but unsure of its readiness.'

International Herald Tribune, 06 Aug 08, by James Glanz and Campbell Robertson
As Iraq surplus rises, little goes into rebuilding
'Soaring oil prices will leave the Iraqi government with a cumulative budget surplus of as much as $79 billion by year's end, according to an American oversight agency. But Iraq has spent only a minute fraction of that on reconstruction costs, which are now largely borne by the United States.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 04 Aug 08
Agreement on Kirkuk could speed vote in Iraq
'Iraqi political leaders reached a compromise Monday that could resolve a stalemate over the fate of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk and allow local elections to go ahead, the deputy speaker of Parliament said.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Jul 08, by John F. Burns
Britain plans pullout of most of its Iraq force
'... Prime Minister Gordon Brown outlined a tentative plan on Tuesday for withdrawing most of Britain's remaining troops from Iraq early in 2009. Brown told Parliament that Britain planned a "fundamental change of mission" at the turn of the year for the 4,100 troops it has in its Iraq contingent, the second largest group of foreign troops serving in Iraq. About 140,000 Americans will be deployed there after current American troop withdrawals are completed.'

International Herald Tribune, 22 Jul 08, by Judy Dempsey
Maliki appeals to Germany to increase investment in Iraq
'... Maliki, who was given military honors in Berlin before he met Chancellor Angela Merkel, said it was time for Germany and Iraq to open a "new chapter" in relations, an indication that Germany's staunch opposition to the U.S.-led war against Iraq in 2003 was no reason to prevent investment by German companies.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Jul 08, by Sabrina Tavernise and Riyadh Muhammed
Veto leaves provincial Iraqi elections in limbo
'The president of Iraq has vetoed legislation on provincial elections, sending it back to lawmakers for revisions as political leaders continued to try to strike a deal that would allow the vote to be held this year as planned.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Jul 08, by Alissa J. Rubin
Kurdish defiance likely to delay Iraqi elections
'The Iraqi Parliament approved legislation to govern provincial elections, but Kurdish lawmakers boycotted the session, vowing to force the measure to be rewritten and probably delaying the balloting for months.'

Washington Post, 10 Jul 08, by Ernesto Londoño
U.S. Troops in Iraq Face A Powerful New Weapon
'Suspected Shiite militiamen have begun using powerful rocket-propelled bombs to attack U.S. military outposts in recent months, broadening the array of weapons used against American troops.'

Washington Post, 10 Jul 08, by Ann Scott Tyson and Dan Eggen
U.S. General: Iraqi Forces to Be Fully Ready in '09
'Iraq's army and police will be fully manned and operational by mid-2009, possibly as early as April, the top U.S. general in charge of building Iraqi security forces said yesterday, signaling the prospect that Iraqi forces could assume primary combat responsibilities in the country while U.S. troops shift to a supporting role.'

Reuters, 09 Jul 08, by Ian Simpson
Tiny Iraq navy to flex muscle as oil guardian
'Iraq's fledgling navy of battered patrol boats is bulking up for a greater role in protecting the country's economic heart, its offshore oil terminals, officials said.'

Los Angeles Times, 08 Jul 08, by Alexandra Zavis
Iraqi prime minister advocates withdrawal timetable
'A blueprint for the future U.S. presence in Iraq is still in the works. Maliki is said to recognize the unpopularity of the war in America, and wants to ease domestic concerns as well.'

International Herald Tribune, 02 Jul 08, by Sabrina Tavernise
U.S. agrees to lift immunity for contractors in Iraq
'Iraq's foreign minister said Tuesday that the United States had agreed to lift immunity for foreign security contractors operating in Iraq, making them subject to prosecution under Iraqi law, according to Iraqi politicians.'

Washington Post, 03 Jul 08, by Sudarsan Raghavan
Progress Cited on U.S.-Iraq Pacts
'The United States and Iraq are making progress on complex political and security agreements that would allow U.S. troops to operate in the country next year, Iraq's foreign minister said Wednesday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jun 08, by Sam Dagher
U.S. forces to hand over hard-won Anbar Province
'The Americans are set to transfer control of the once-restive Sunni province to Iraq, but many in Anbar question just how much real power the US is willing to relinquish.'

International Herald Tribune, 30 Jun 08, by Andrew E. Kramer
U.S. advised Iraqi ministry on oil deals
'A group of American advisers led by a small State Department team played an integral part in drawing up contracts between the Iraqi government and five major Western oil companies to develop some of the largest fields in Iraq, American officials say. The disclosure, coming on the eve of the contracts' announcement, is the first confirmation of direct involvement by the Bush administration in deals to open Iraq's oil to commercial development and is likely to stoke criticism.'

International Herald Tribune, 03 Jul 08, by James Glanz and Richard A. Oppel Jr.
U.S State Dept. role in Iraq oil deal questioned
'Bush administration officials knew that a Texas oil company with close ties to President George W. Bush was planning to sign an oil deal with the regional Kurdistan government that runs counter to American policy and undercut Iraq's central government, a congressional committee has concluded.'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jul 08, by Sam Dagher
A 'surge' unit sees change, but questions its permanence
'As the US Army soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment prepare to return home this month, many question whether the sacrifices they made will have been worth it in the end.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Jul 08, by Michael Kamber
Wounded Iraqi forces say they've been abandoned
'In the United States, the issue of war injuries has revolved almost entirely around the care received by the 30,000 wounded American veterans. But Iraqi soldiers and police officers have been wounded in greater numbers, health workers say, and have been treated far worse by their government.'

International Herald Tribune/Reuters, 23 Jun 08
Iraqi forces to take control of security in Anbar Province
'The U.S. military will transfer control of security in Anbar Province to Iraqi forces this week, the governor of the region said Monday, a remarkable turnaround given that the region was considered lost to insurgents less than two years ago.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Jun 08, by Sam Dagher
U.S. says Baghdad bombing was meant to reignite sectarian violence
The military blamed a little-known Shiite cell leader for Tuesday's attack in the Shiite neighborhood of Hurriyah that killed at least 63 people. By

Washington Post, 19 Jun 08, by Ernesto Londoño
U.S. Blames Shiites for Lethal Blast In Baghdad
'U.S. military officials on Wednesday accused a Shiite militant group of carrying out a truck bombing in northwestern Baghdad on Tuesday evening that killed at least 65 people, the deadliest attack in the capital since March.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Jun 08, by Sam Dagher
Iraqi interpreters: hope rises to go to U.S.
'President Bush extended a law that could give some of the thousands of interpreters working for the American military refuge in the US under a special visa program.'

Los Angeles Times, 09 Jun 08, by Ashraf Khalil
Iraq pledges closer ties with Iran
'Iraqi leader Nouri Maliki meets with President Ahmadinejad and seeks to allay Iranian concerns about Iraq's proposed long-term security deal with the United States.'

Asia Times, 09 Jun 08, by Kaveh L Afrasiabi
Iran shadow over US-Iraq security pact
'Ideally, the United States wants a long-term security agreement with Iraq that would allow US soldiers to remain indefinitely in the country and without restrictions. The Baghdad government's reluctance to sign onto such an accord reflects opposition at home as well as in Iran. But Tehran is prepared to deal, provided it gets a slice of the Iraqi security pie.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 05 Jun 08
Iran and Turkey coordinate strikes in Iraq
'Turkey and Iran have been carrying out coordinated strikes against Kurdish rebels based in northern Iraq, a top general told media Thursday in the first military confirmation of Iranian-Turkish cooperation in the fight against separatists.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Jun 08, by Andrew E. Kramer
Explosions and shootings disrupt relative calm in Iraq
'Insurgents preparing to attack an American military base in Baghdad accidentally killed themselves and more than a dozen civilians on Wednesday when their rocket-loaded truck exploded in a residential area. Also on Wednesday, three American soldiers were shot and killed in the village of Hawija, north of Baghdad, the American military said in a statement.'

International Herald Tribune/AP, 03 Jun 08
Talks on U.S.-Iraqi security pact bog down
'Lawmakers allied to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said Tuesday that negotiations over a U.S.-Iraqi security pact and the future status of American troops in Iraq were stumbling, with "almost all points under dispute."'

Christian Science Monitor, 03 Jun 08, by Nick Squires
Why Australia is leaving Iraq
'Prime Minister Rudd criticized the US justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq as 550 Australian troops packed up to leave.'

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