IRAQ :

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug 10, by Howard LaFranchi
Troops withdraw, but US work in Iraq war unfinished and fragile
'The last US combat troops leave Iraq Thursday, shifting the American role in the Iraq war from the Pentagon to the State Department, which faces a potentially unprecedented task.'

Financial Times, 19 Aug 10, by Andrew England
Final US combat brigade leaves Iraq
'The US’s military operation in the country is being rebranded from “Operation Iraqi Freedom” to “Operation New Dawn” with a far greater focus on training and advising the Iraqi security forces. US civilians will also take a more prominent role as the military draws down.'

New York Times, 18 Aug 10, by Michael R. Gordon
Civilians to Take U.S. Lead After Military Leaves Iraq
'As the United States military prepares to leave Iraq by the end of 2011, the Obama administration is planning a remarkable civilian effort, buttressed by a small army of contractors, to fill the void.'

New York Times/Reuters, 19 Aug 10
Analysis - Will Obama Keep US Troops In Iraq Beyond 2011?
'Iraq's military chief, the former U.S. general who oversaw the training of Iraq's security forces, and U.S. officials who negotiated the current U.S.-Iraqi military pact are among those who say a U.S. military presence will be needed beyond 2011.'

Washington Post, 11 Aug 10, by Karen DeYoung and Ernesto Londoño
State Dept. faces skyrocketing costs as it prepares to expand role in Iraq
'As the last U.S. combat troops prepare to leave Iraq this month, the State Department is struggling to implement an expanded mission that it has belatedly realized it might not be able to afford.'

The Telegraph, 11 Aug 10, by Richard Spencer and Ben Leach
US 'on target' to withdraw troops from Iraq despite military misgivings
'The US has insisted it is on target to end combat operations in Iraq despite warnings from the country's top army officer that native troops will not be ready to take control for another decade.'

Washington Post, 24 Jul 10, by Leila Fadel
Mosul struggles with ethnic divides, insurgency
'Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh are a microcosm of Iraq's most explosive and unresolved conflicts as the United States prepares to draw down to 50,000 troops by Sept. 1.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Jul 10, by Jane Arraf
In Iraq, US hands over Tariq Aziz, other Saddam Hussein-era officials
'Today the US transferred to Iraq almost all the prisoners it has held in custody for seven years, including Tariq Aziz and other officials in Saddam Hussein's regime that were featured in a "most wanted" deck-of-cards. But some former officials remain in limbo – waiting to be tried in a special court.'

New York Times, 14 Jul 10, by Tim Arango
Transfer of Prison in Iraq Marks Another Milestone
'The United States plans on Thursday to transfer to the government of Iraq the last American-run prison, another milestone in the winding down of America’s war here but also dredging up memories of one of its most serious misdeeds.'

New York Times, 14 Jul 10, by Sam Dagher
Prospects Abound Among the Kurds
'As America winds down its war effort in Iraq, a growing list of former American diplomats and military officials are now chasing business opportunities in the oil-rich Kurdish region or acting as advisers to its government.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jun 10, by Jane Arraf
As US troops leave, Iraq inches toward a new government
'Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met Tuesday with Ayad Allawi to discuss forming a new government and decide who will be prime minister. But the main Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish factions are still negotiating.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Jun 10, by Jane Arraf
First day of summer in Iraq signals hot, violent months ahead
'Resilience is a way of life here. But between the attacks, faltering electricity which has sparked deadly protests, and the lack of a new government almost four months after national elections, Iraqis are dreading a long, hot, difficult summer ahead.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jun 10, by Jane Arraf
A bigger threat to Iraq than Al Qaeda? Power cuts.
'The US and Iraq have spent billions on concrete blast walls and other measures to protect against insurgent groups, including Al Qaeda. But power cuts and rolling blackouts are feeding public discontent over a lack of electricity.'

New York Times, 04 Jun 10, by Thom Shanker
Qaeda Leaders in Iraq Neutralized, U.S. Says
'Iraqi and American forces have killed or captured 34 of the top 42 leaders of Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, cutting off the terrorist organization from its foreign sponsors and raising questions about whether it can reconstitute, the senior American commander in Iraq said.'

Washington Post, 04 Jun 10, by Leila Fadel
U.S. military's castoffs become sought-after items at yard sales across Iraq
'U.S. officials worry that much of the tens of millions of dollars worth of U.S. equipment being handed over to the Iraqi government is neglected or quickly stolen. Under federal law, U.S. agencies must show that no other division in the government needs equipment before it can be donated or left behind.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 May 10, by Jane Arraf
As US troops leave, Iraqis fear prison torture will widen
'Despite the Abu Ghraib scandal, US troops are now seen as protectors of human rights. Iraqis say they are being tortured in Iraqi secret prisons.'

Christian Science Monitor, 12 May 10, by Jane Arraf
Are Sadr militias rearming in Iraq's south?
'A US general said he hasn't ruled out the involvement of militias close to Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in recent attacks in Iraq's south and says the movement is reasserting itself as a force in the area.'

Christian Science Monitor, 11 May 10, by Jane Arraf
After Iraq attacks, security forces describe hardships at Baghdad checkpoints
'Federal police and Iraqi soldiers interviewed after yesterday's Iraq attacks described being shot at, deserted by colleagues who pay commanders to get out of work, and forced to ask neighbors for drinking water and toilet access.'

Christian Science Monitor, 11 May 10, by Jane Arraf
Iraqi security forces say politicians were behind Iraq attacks
'In one example, a policeman near one of the six Baghdad checkpoints attacked in a wave of Iraq attacks yesterday said political parties were taking advantage of the tenuous security situation.'

New York Times, 11 May 10, by Anthony Shadid
Iraqi Deal to End De-Baathification
'Similar predictions have been made in the past, and the issue has proved phoenix-like in its capacity to haunt politics here.'

Washington Post, 27 Apr 10, by Ernesto Londoño
U.S. ambassador says Iraq must act faster in establishing a new government
'U.S. officials see the formation of a new government and a smooth transfer of power as crucial precursors to the scheduled drawdown of all but 50,000 troops by the end of August.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Apr 10, by Hannah Allam, McClatchy Newspapers
Iraq-Iran border post: From 'Checkpoint Charlie' to tourist gate?
'At a remote Iraq-Iran border post, US forces watch Iranians watch them. Iran's spy drones circle overhead. But there are plans to make this border crossing a new gateway for tourism between the two countries.'

New York Times, 27 Apr 10, by Sam Dagher
Report Details Torture at Secret Baghdad Prison
'The torture of Iraqi detainees at a secret prison in Baghdad was far more systematic and brutal than initially reported, Human Rights Watch reported on Tuesday.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr 10, by Jane Arraf and Mohammad al-Dulaimi
Iraq claims key gains in dismantling Al Qaeda in Iraq
'After the killing this week of the two top leaders of Al Qaeda in Iraq, officials in Baghdad said more important gains have recently been made in dismantling the group's networks.'

Christian Science Monitor, 19 Apr 10, by Jane Arraf
Two Iraq Al Qaeda leaders killed: Did they really get Abu Omar al-Baghdadi?
'US and Iraqi officials say DNA evidence proves they killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the key link between Al Qaeda internationally and its offshoot in Iraq, and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the senior Iraqi member of the group. But one analyst is skeptical.'

New York Times, 20 Apr 10, by Timothy Williams
Wider Recount of Iraq Ballots Is Requested by Vote Leader
'... a move that could deepen the country’s instability before the planned American military withdrawal.'

New York Times/AP, 22 Apr 10
Iraq Airmen Blues: No MiG Today; No F-16 Either
'... the new craft and the new generation of pilots and personnel at the nascent Iraqi air force's sprawling headquarters is still a far cry from the mighty air power Saddam Hussein once fielded.'

New York Times, 06 Apr 10, by Timothy Williams and Yasmine Mousa
Baghdad Bombing Streak Stokes Fear of New Round of Sectarian Violence
'The violence came against a backdrop of continuing political instability after March 7 parliamentary elections left no single group able to form a government, forcing a scramble to form coalitions. ... There are also new concerns that Iraq’s army and police may drift back into sectarianism.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Apr 10, by Laith Hammoudi and Hannah Allam, McClatchy Newspapers
Baghdad bombings: Did Al Qaeda rent rooms to blow them up?
'Iraq officials say that the Baghdad bombings Tuesday came after Al Qaeda agents rented vacant apartments and office space and planted bombs there.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Apr 10, by Scott Peterson and Alice Fordham
Sadr followers snub Allawi and Maliki. Who will lead Iraq?
'With followers of anti-American cleric Moqtada al-Sadr saying they support neither Nouri al-Maliki nor Iyad Allawi, the top two vote-getters continue to jostle for allies to form a coalition that will lead Iraq.'

Washington Post, 30 Mar 10, by Dana Hedgpeth
Panel says firms need U.S. guidance to reduce contractors in Iraq
'The U.S. government is probably paying contractors millions of dollars for unnecessary work in Iraq because the military is not giving companies clear enough guidance about reducing their employees, officials on the Commission on Wartime Contracting said Monday.'

New York Times, 16 Mar 10, by Anthony Shadid
Followers of Sadr Emerge Stronger After Iraq Elections
'The followers of Moktada al-Sadr, a radical cleric who led the Shiite insurgency against the American occupation, have emerged as Iraq’s equivalent of Lazarus in elections last week, defying ritual predictions of their demise and now threatening to realign the nation’s balance of power.'

New York Times, 13 Mar 10, by Anthony Shadid and Sam Dagher
Issue of Presidency Endangers Iraq’s Tenuous Balance
'... negotiations that could last months, the presidency, a largely ceremonial post, has emerged as a growing quarrel, threatening to upset Iraq’s still tenuous and ambiguous arrangements of sect, ethnicity and power.'

New York Times, 11 Mar 10, by Anthony Shadid and Tim Arango
In Early Tally, Tight Iraq Race Deepens Splits
'Iraq’s major coalitions were locked in a surprisingly close race on Thursday, in initial results from elections that deepened divisions across a fractured landscape.'

Christian Science Monitor, 04 Mar 10, by Jane Arraf
Suicide bombs before Iraq election shows Al Qaeda still active
'Suicide bombs in Baghdad killed at least 7 people on Thursday, creating worries about security for the Iraq election and the ongoing activities of Al Qaeda in and around Baghdad.'

New York Times, 11 Mar 10, by James Glanz
New Fraud Cases Point to Lapses in Iraq Projects
'Chaos, weak oversight and wide use of cash payments in the Iraq reconstruction program allowed Americans who took bribes to get off scot-free.'

New York Times, 02 Mar 10, by James Risen
Interference Seen in Blackwater Inquiry
'An official at the United States Embassy in Iraq has told federal prosecutors that he believes that State Department officials sought to block any serious investigation of the 2007 shooting episode in which Blackwater Worldwide security guards were accused of murdering 17 Iraqi civilians, according to court testimony made public on Tuesday.'

See Iraq archive for past stories.

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