IRAQ :

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.'

See Iraq archive for past stories.