IRAQ ARCHIVE :

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New York Times, 08 Dec 09, by Steven Lee Myers
Coordinated Bombings Kill at Least 101 in Baghdad
'The government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has blamed the attacks on Al Qaeda in Iraq and remnants of the Baath Party in exile, though officials have yet to provide concrete evidence pointing to those involved.'

BBC News, 11 Dec 09, by Natalia Antelava
Who is counting the bodies in Iraq?
'"We don't do body counts." These were the words of Gen Tommy Franks, the man in change of the US-led invasion of Iraq. But more than six-and-a-half years after the invasion, the body count has become a critical measure of success and failure in Iraq.'

Washington Post, 10 Dec 09, by Glenn Kessler and Ernesto Londoño
Gates arrives in Baghdad for unannounced visit
'U.S. defense officials insist the rash of bombings will not deter the United States from its plans to reduce the number of U.S. forces in the country to 50,000 by the end of August and to end combat operations in 2011.'

New York Times, 09 Dec 09, by Marc Santora and Riyadh Mohammed
Iraq’s Other Security Threat: Politics
'With Iraq reeling from a third wave of bombings, the investigations as much as the attacks themselves have undermined public faith in the government.'

New York Times, 17 Nov 09, by Marc Santora
Kurdish Legislators Threaten Boycott of Iraq Election
'Any delay of the elections beyond their scheduled date of Jan. 21 would not only be an international embarrassment but could complicate the American military’s plans for withdrawal.'

Christian Science Monitor, 17 Nov 09, by Jane Arraf
Abu Ghraib attack raises fears of resurgent Al Qaeda in Iraq
'The murder of 13 in Abu Ghraib this weekend has some worried that Al Qaeda in Iraq may be exploiting gaps between withdrawing US forces and Iraqi troops not yet ready to stand alone.'

New York Times, 11 Nov 09, by James Risen
Charges Prompt Iraqis to Look Into Blackwater
'A senior Iraqi official said Wednesday that he had ordered an investigation into whether top officials of Blackwater Worldwide approved of bribes to Iraqi government officials after shootings by Blackwater guards in 2007 left 17 Iraqi civilians dead.'

New York Times, 03 Nov 09, by Rod Nordland
Iraq Swears by Bomb Detector U.S. Sees as Useless
'Despite major bombings that have rattled the nation, and fears of rising violence as American troops withdraw, Iraq’s security forces have been relying on a device to detect bombs and weapons that the United States military and technical experts say is useless.'

New York Times, 02 Nov 09, by John Leland
Scattering of Attacks in Iraq
'A week after the deadliest attack in Iraq in more than two years, a scattering of smaller bomb attacks around the country on Sunday raised fears of a sustained escalation in violence as American forces withdraw.'

CNN, 28 Oct 09, by Michael Ware
Analysis: Iraq not ready to face al Qaeda
'The bombs that ripped through Baghdad on Sunday immediately brought more bloodshed -- and bode only of the promise of more to come. ... The slaughter is not new but the extent of the killings in these bombings -- 160 dead and more than 500 injured -- do punctuate a seemingly never ending campaign.'

New York Times, 28 Oct 09, by Marc Santora
Pervasive Corruption Rattles Iraq’s Fragile State
'As Iraqi officials work to assign blame for the deadly attacks on the heart of the government on Sunday, concern is rising that a greater security threat may come from within the system in the form of corruption, from the top leadership of ministries down to soldiers who man checkpoints.'

Washington Post, 21 Oct 09, by Nada Bakri
In Iraq, battling an internal bane
'Spate of crime underlines need to purge corruption, extremists from security forces.'

Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct 09, by Jane Arraf
Iraqi-Syrian crisis deepens; Baghdad looks to UN for help
I'raqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said Wednesday he's optimistic that a UN investigator would examine claims that Syria, Iran, and others were interfering in Iraq's affairs.'

Washington Post, 08 Oct 09, by Ernesto Londoño
After Six Years, 'We're Worthless'
'Iraqis on U.S.-Created Local Councils Feeling Vulnerable as American Pullout Looms'

New York Times, 29 Sep 09, by Thom Shanker
General Says Iraq Troop Reductions May Quicken
'The senior American commander in Iraq said Tuesday that he could reduce American forces to 50,000 troops even before the end of next summer if the expected January elections in Iraq went smoothly.'

Christian Science Monitor, 27 Sep 09, by Jane Arraf
US exit strategy: Empower Iraqis
'Officers are forging a new approach in the south, building trust with their Iraqi counterparts.'

Christian Science Monitor, 16 Sep 09, by Jane Arraf
Iraq's vice president says Iraq should call on US for security help
'Adel Abdul Mahdi says in an interview with the Monitor that political reluctance to ask US troops for security support should be reconsidered.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Sep 09, by Huma Yusuf
US allows Bagram detainees to challenge detention
'In an implicit criticism of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's reluctance to ask for help from the US following the June 30 pullback of combat troops, Dr. Abdul Mahdi called for a re-assesment of the role of US forces here that could result in more involvement for American troops sidelined by what he termed an over-optimistic view of security in Iraq.'

Washington Post, 16 Sep 09, by Anthony Shadid
In Checkpoint Scrawl, Reality's Counterpoint
'No one disputes these days that the Americans are leaving Iraq ... But no one is quite sure what kind of state they will leave behind.'

New York Times, 08 Sep 09, by Marc Santora
Attacks Muddle American Plans to Draw Down in Iraq
'One critical calculation is how the Americans can both provide the protection needed to move the vast accumulation of equipment from six years of war and maintain the capacity to support Iraqi forces if violence spins out of control.'

New York Times, 08 Sep 09, by Marc Santora
Attacks in Iraq Take Aim at Checkpoints
'Insurgents detonated bombs and threw grenades on Monday at or near six Iraqi police and army checkpoints, in assaults on the most visible deterrents the Iraqi government has to attacks.'

New York Times, 08 Sep 09, by Marc Santora
Big U.S. Bases Are Part of Iraq, but a World Apart
'With American troops moved out of Iraq’s cities and more than 100 bases across the country continuing to close or to be turned over to Iraq, the 130,000 American troops here will increasingly fall back to these larger bases.'

New York Times, 26 Aug 09, by Marc Santora
Shiite Power Broker Dies, in Blow to Iraqi Party
'One of the towering figures of post-Saddam Hussein Iraq, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, a Shiite who had longstanding ties with Iran but was also a supporter of the American invasion, died on Wednesday.'

Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug 09, by Liz Sly
Al Qaeda-linked group claims two recent Baghdad bombings that killed 95
'The insurgent group Islamic State of Iraq, which rarely acknowledges bombings, takes responsibility for suicide attacks at two government ministries. Iraq and Syria recall ambassadors.'

Asia Times, 26 Aug 09, by Sami Moubayed
Iraq burns its bridges with Syria
'Baghdad on Tuesday abruptly recalled its ambassador to Damascus over the recent bombings in the Iraqi capital in which 100 people were killed. The move has angered the Syrians, who resent the implication that they had something to do with the attack. Syria is also bemused as to why Iraq would want to alienate the country that just a week ago it hailed as holding the key to Iraq's success.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Aug 09, by Jane Arraf
Ramadi struggles to instill a rule of law
'Attacks rise, but a new $21 million court has failed to convict any major suspects in six months. US Marines frustrated by shrinking role in key Iraqi city.'

Christian Science Monitor, 23 Aug 09, by Jane Arraf
Baghdad governor: Sunni MPs may be arrested for bombing
'Gov. Salah Abdel-Razzaq also says that Saudi Arabia may be connected to last week's truck bombs that killed more than 100 people. His comments highlight the level of mistrust between the Shiite-led government and Sunni political parties.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Aug 09, by Jane Arraf
Baghdad bombing leaves hole in diplomatic corps
'Iraq's Foreign Ministry saw 10 percent of its staff killed or injured. Foreign minister blames systemic security breaches for last week's assault.'

Washington Post, 23 Aug 09, by Zaid Sabah
Iraqi Official Says Security Forces May Have Colluded in Bombings
'Zebari Accuses Government of Overconfidence Prior to Deadly Attacks'

Miami Herald, 21 Aug 09, by Adam Ashton, McClatchy Newspapers
Baghdad security shakeup possible in wake of deadly bombings
'Baghdad's mix of overlapping security agencies with murky authorities could be in line for a major makeover due to this week's deadly bombings at Iraq's Foreign and Finance ministries.'

Christian Science Monitor, 20 Aug 09, by Jane Arraf
Iraqis disagree about how to respond to bombings
'The government had plans to dismantle Baghdad's concrete blast walls in the next 40 days, but some residents now want them to stay.'

Washington Post, 25 Aug 09, by Ernesto Londoño and K.I. Ibrahim
Major Shiite Political Parties Exclude Maliki in Forming Coalition
'Move by Iran-Allied Groups Could Push Iraqi Premier to Partner with Sunnis'

Washington Post/AP, 25 Aug 09, by Hamza Hendawi, AP
US officer feeling sidelined as Iraqis take over
'Not once since [Capt. Nathan] Williams and his infantry company pulled out of the Hurriyah district in north Baghdad nearly three months ago has the Iraqi commander, Maj. Hussein Adhab Salman, or any of his officers, accepted the many offers of help from Williams and his troops or asked for their assistance.'

New York Times, 19 Aug 09, by Sam Dagher
2 Blasts Expose Security Flaws in Heart of Iraq
'Insurgents struck at the heart of the Iraqi government on Wednesday in two huge and deadly bombings that exposed a new vulnerability after Americans ceded control for security here on June 30. Nearby American soldiers stood by helplessly — despite the needs of hundreds of wounded lying among the dead — waiting for a request for assistance from Iraqi officials that apparently never came.'

Washington Post, 17 Aug 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Greg Jaffe
Iraq Carnage Shows Sectarian War Goes On
'The massive car bombs that killed about 100 people and wounded more than 500 in Baghdad on Wednesday morning offered powerful new evidence of the enduring strength of Sunni extremists nearly two months after U.S. troops all but disappeared from Iraqi cities.'

Washington Post, 17 Aug 09, by Ernesto Londoño
U.S. Moves to Counter Violence in Northern Iraq
'The top U.S. commander in Iraq announced Monday that he would like to station American troops along disputed areas in northern Iraq to build rapport between Iraqi government troops and those under the command of the autonomous Kurdish government.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 Aug 09, by Jane Arraf
Why Iraq bombings are spiking
'The attacks, including a double suicide bombing near Mosul on Thursday, are aimed at disrupting January elections, says Deputy Prime Minister Barham Saleh in an interview.'

New York Times, 17 Aug 09, by Rod Nordland and Sam Dagher
U.S. Will Release More Members of an Iraqi Shiite Militia
'The American military commander in Iraq, Gen. Ray Odierno, said Monday that more members of a radical Shiite militia would be released from United States custody, even though the military still believed that they were responsible for attacks that killed Americans.'

Washington Post, 18 Aug 09, by Ernesto Londoño
Iraq May Hold Vote On U.S. Withdrawal
'U.S. troops could be forced by Iraqi voters to withdraw a year ahead of schedule under a referendum the Iraqi government backed Monday, creating a potential complication for American commanders concerned about rising violence in the country's north.'

New York Times, 17 Aug 09, by James Glanz
Supply Officer Charged Over Iraq Work
'The case of Capt. Bryant Williams provides another example of how contracting officers have managed to set up corrupt deals at the heart of the United States enterprise in Iraq.'

New York Times, 11 Aug 09, by Rod Nordland
Shiites in Iraq Show Restraint as Sunnis Keep Attacking
'Shiite clerics and politicians have been successfully urging their followers not to retaliate against a fierce campaign of sectarian bombings, in which Shiites have accounted for most of the 566 Iraqis killed since American troops pulled out of Iraq’s cities on June 30.'

New York Times, 08 Aug 09, by Rod Nordland
Iraqis Take the Lead, With U.S. Trailing Closely
'... the mission revealed a new dynamic between Iraqi and American troops since the pullout: a quiet acknowledging of continued Iraqi dependence on the Americans ...'

Washington Post, 06 Aug 09, by Ernesto Londoño
Change of Guard in Baghdad's Green Zone
'A Haven for Westerners Transforms as Iraqis Take Over the Reins From U.S. Forces'

Asia Times, 06 Aug 09, by Sami Moubayed
Kurds turn up the heat on Baghdad
'Maliki will now have to accustom himself to a confrontation - be it words or bullets - with his compatriots in Iraq. Or he will have to cede Kirkuk. A third option does not exist.'

New York Times, 06 Aug 09, by Campbell Robertson
Iraqis Freed by U.S. Face Few Jobs and Little Hope
'A grim welcome awaits many of Iraq’s ex-detainees, who often are suspected of spying for the U.S. or recruited by insurgents.'

Washington Post, 03 Aug 09, by Nada Bakri
Iraqi and Kurdish Leaders Pledge to End Disputes
'The conflict between the Iraqi government and the Kurdish autonomous region is seen as the most dangerous threat to the nation's stability, and U.S. officials have publicly urged both sides to resolve their disputes before most American combat troops complete their withdrawal from Iraq by August 2010.'

New York Times, 29 Jul 09, by Elisabeth Bumiller and Peter Baker
Gates Sees Faster Iraq Troop Pullout
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said on Wednesday that as many as 5,000 U.S. troops could come home from Iraq earlier than the Pentagon had planned because violence levels in the country were generally down and Iraqi security forces were doing well on their own.'

New York Times, 28 Jul 09, by Elisabeth Bumiller
Iraq Can’t Defend Its Skies by Pullout Date, U.S. Says
'The Iraqis will be unable to handle their own air defenses after all American troops withdraw from the country by the end of 2011, the top commander of American forces in Iraq said Tuesday.'

New York Times, 28 Jul 09, by Rod Nordland and Timothy Williams
Iraq Force Soon to Be a Coalition of One
'As Iraqi forces have increasingly taken the lead, the United States is the last of the “coalition of the willing” that the Bush administration first brought together in 2003.'

Washington Post, 30 Jul 09, by Ernesto Londoño
Iraqi Raid Poses Problem for U.S.
'Fighting Continues at Camp for Iran Exiles'

Washington Post, 29 Jul 09, by Greg Jaffe
Gates Pressures Kurdish Leaders to Cooperate in Iraq
'Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates pressed Kurdish regional leaders on Wednesday to resolve their disputes with the Iraqi government in the next few months while the U.S. still has tens of thousands of soldiers in the country and U.S. leaders have greater influence over Baghdad.'

New York Times, 28 Jul 09, by Sam Dagher
New Kurdish Leader Asserts Agenda
'The president of the semiautonomous Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, on Tuesday rejected proposals by the United Nations to resolve Iraq’s explosive internal border disputes, and reiterated his determination to proceed with a contentious local constitution.'

Washington Post, 23 Jul 09, by Karen DeYoung
Obama Calls on Iraq to Foster National Unity
'President Obama said Wednesday that he is "very encouraged" by Iraq's progress in taking over its own security responsibilities and that the United States is on track to withdraw all its military forces from the country by 2011.'

Washington Post, 22 Jul 09, by Karen DeYoung and Nada Bakri
U.S., Iraq to Discuss Expectations
'Agenda for meeting between Obama, al-Maliki includes recent changes in military relationship.'

Washington Post, 23 Jul 09, by Karen DeYoung
Audit Urges Cuts at U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
'The [U.S.] State Department's inspector general said that although the U.S. presence in Iraq will become more civilian as the military withdraws over the next two years, the embassy "should be able to carry out all of its responsibilities with significantly fewer staff and in a much-reduced footprint."'

Washington Post, 20 Jul 09, by Ernesto Londoño
U.S. Troops in Iraq Find Little Leeway
'Handling of Threatened Mortar Raid Exemplifies Newly Curtailed Powers'

Washington Post, 18 Jul 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Karen DeYoung
Iraq Restricts U.S. Forces
'The Iraqi government has moved to sharply restrict the movement and activities of U.S. forces in a new reading of a six-month-old U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that has startled American commanders and raised concerns about the safety of their troops.'

Washington Post, 17 Jul 09, by Anthony Shadid
Kurdish Leaders Warn Of Strains With Maliki
'Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region and the Iraqi government are closer to war than at any time since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, the Kurdish prime minister said Thursday, in a bleak measure of the tension that has risen along what U.S. officials consider the country's most combustible fault line.'

Asia Times, 16 Jul 09, by Mohammed A Salih
US diplomacy leaves Kurds adrift
'A series of events and statements strongly indicates possible behind-the-scenes diplomacy by United States Vice President Joe Biden led to the indefinite postponement of a referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan's draft constitution. The delay of the controversial charter comes as Biden takes charge of Washington's Iraq policy amid desperate calls for national reconciliation.'

New York Times, 05 Jul 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
America Searches for Means of Influence in Iraq
'With most troops now on large bases outside the cities, America's day-to-day involvement in Iraqi life has vanished. The decisions, big and small, that American commanders made are now largely being made by Iraqis; American soldiers no longer have daily contact with tribal sheiks, mayors, insurgents and shopkeepers — a change welcomed by the majority of Iraqis.'

New York Times, 04 Jul 09, by Marc Santora
Iraqi Seizes the Chance to Make War Profitable
'Every war has its spoils, and while much has been written about the multinational corporations whose profits soared as the battle raged, there are also hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people like [Araz M.] Mohsin.'

Christian Science Monitor, 07 Jul 09, by Jane Arraf
Insecurity tempers lure of Iraq's oil fields
'International firms want to get a foot in the door – but for many, the risks still outweigh potential profits.'

Reuters, 02 Jul 09, by Deborah Charles
U.S. declares Iraq-based group foreign terrorist organization
'The U.S. government on Thursday said it has declared Kata'ib Hizballah a foreign terrorist organization, saying the group is linked to Lebanon's Hezbollah and has posed a threat to stability in Iraq.'

Washington Post, 01 Jul 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Ann Scott Tyson
Iraq's 'Milestone' Day Marred by Fatal Blast
'Car Bombing Kills at Least 34 in Kirkuk As U.S. Combat Troops Pull Out of Cities'

New York Times, 01 Jul 09, by Campbell Robertson
Insurgents Hail Pullout of Troops From Cities
'Groups that have advocated violence against Americans urged Iraqis to continue the fight, but not among themselves.'

New York Times, 30 Jun 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraq Marks Withdrawal of U.S. Troops From Cities
'The excitement, however, has rung hollow for many Iraqis, who fear that their country’s security forces are not ready to stand alone and who see the government’s claims of independence as overblown.'

Christian Science Monitor, 30 Jun 09, by Dan Murphy
Iraqi cities: Could violence bring US forces back?
'Key challenges remain, including the discontent of former Sunni insurgents recruited by the US and credited with improving security.'

Washington Post, 29 Jun 09, by Ernesto Londoño
1st Pullout Deadline Stirs Anxiety, Pride in Iraq
'... across Iraq, the first major deadline in the American military's phased withdrawal from the country is being viewed with a mix of apprehension, pride and incredulity.'

New York Times, 29 Jun 09, by Marc Santora
U.S. Leaves Iraqi District Where Anger Lingers
'... as American soldiers prepared to withdraw from such outposts as part of a security agreement with the Iraqi government, the last stand was drawing to a close.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Jun 09, by Jane Arraf
US troops to exit Iraq's cities but new role still evolving
'Iraqi and US officials agree that Tuesday's withdrawal of American combat forces from Iraqi cities is a historic event. What is less apparent to even military commanders here is how exactly the new arrangements will work.'

Washington Post, 01 Jul 09, by Ernesto Londoño, K.I. Ibrahim and Steven Mufson
Anxious Oil Giants Pass on Iraq
'... The impasse was also a setback for the United States, which has encouraged Iraq to make use of foreign investment and expertise to help bring stability to the most important sector of the country's economy.'

Reuters, 25 Jun 09, by Daniel Wallis
Q+A-The U.S. military draw down in Iraq
'All but a few U.S. soldiers must leave cities, towns and villages by June 30, marking a milestone moment as Iraq reasserts its sovereignty six years after the U.S. invasion. Here are some issues to watch going forward ...'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jun 09, by Jane Arraf
Stabilizing Iraq: Why Mosul is a special case
'The fatal shooting of a young man on a crowded downtown street illustrates why Americans could have trouble completely leaving this troubled provincial capital.'

Washington Post, 23 Jun 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Nada Bakri
Blasts Kill 22 Across Baghdad
'A series of explosions across Baghdad on Monday left at least 22 people dead and dozens wounded, heightening fear among residents and Iraqi leaders of a resurgence of violence on the eve of the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from urban areas.'

Christian Science Monitor, 22 Jun 09, by Jane Arraf
Iraq pullout: Some US soldiers likely to stay behind in Mosul
'As US prepares to withdraw troops from major cities, bombings in Baghdad and near Kirkuk have the country on edge.'

Washington Post, 22 Jun 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Nada Bakri
Uneasy Iraq Weighs Implications of the Political Crisis Next Door
'As post-election unrest roils neighboring Iran, Iraqi officials are warily contemplating the potential ramifications of the crisis in a country with which Iraq shares a tumultuous past and an 800-mile border.'

Washington Post, 25 Jun 09, by Anthony Shadid
In Iraq, a Different Struggle for Power
'Although Iraq's sectarian war has largely ended, and the Sunnis feel they lost, another struggle for power, perhaps no less perilous, has begun in earnest. Maliki has resorted to a more traditional notion of politics in which violence is simply another form of leverage. ... To allies, he is what Iraq needs, a proponent of law in a state still without order.'

New York Times, 21 Jun 09, by Timothy Williams and Suadad Al-Salhy
Laws Lag in Iraq, as Patience Wears Thin
'Popular support for Iraq's democratic institutions is being undermined steadily by official corruption, yet the country has no comprehensive anticorruption law.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jun 09, by Jane Arraf
Why was top US general late for his own press conference? Iraqi security.
'As the June 30 deadline approaches for US combat troops to be out of the cities, Iraqi military leaders, officials, and ordinary security people have been increasingly emphasizing Iraqi independence in ways large and small.'

Christian Science Monitor, 15 Jun 09, by Jane Arraf
Could the murder of an Iraqi lawmaker kick off a new insurgency?
'As US forces begin to pull out of cities, Hareth Obeidi's assassination is sparking concern among Sunnis.'

New York Times, 09 Jun 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraq Moves Ahead With Vote on U.S. Security Pact
'The Iraqi government is pressing ahead with plans to hold a national referendum on the Iraqi-American security agreement — a measure likely to lose if put to a popular vote with the outcome that American troops could be forced to leave as early as next summer, nearly a year and half ahead of schedule.'

New York Times 'Baghdad Bureau', 04 Jun 09, by Campbell Robertson and Baghdad Bureau
Iraqi Reaction to President Obama's Speech
'... most people in Iraq, a country that has been exhaustively condemned, extolled, grieved over and celebrated by a succession of American presidents, seemed unimpressed.'

New York Times, 02 Jun 09, by Alissa Rubin and Rod Nordland
New Envoy Faces an Iraq of 2 Minds About U.S.
'Among Iraqis there are two conflicting views of America's policy now: the American military is leaving too soon, or the American military is not ever going to leave. Persuading its friends of continued American support while convincing its skeptics that the Americans really will go is the conundrum faced by the recently installed American ambassador, Christopher R. Hill.'

Washington Post, 27 May 09, by Nada Bakri
In Iraq, Assertive Parliament Emerges Under New Speaker
'The newly elected speaker of parliament, Ayad al-Samarraie, a Sunni Arab, is attempting to reshape the institution ahead of crucial elections scheduled for January, eight months before the Obama administration has pledged to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq.'

Christian Science Monitor, 13 May 09, by Jane Arraf
Spike in suicide attacks: Is Al Qaeda in Iraq coming back?
'US intelligence officials do not see a reversal in security gains, but Iraqi political maneuvering could affect decisions to keep US troops in trouble spots.'

New York Times, 12 May 09, by Campbell Robertson
Violence Rises in Iraq's Tense North
'Tensions flared in Iraq's volatile north on Tuesday with demonstrations in Mosul and a car bomb that killed 7 and wounded 18 in Kirkuk. ... Kirkuk is the most contentious point on a tense ethnic fault line between Kurds and Arabs that stretches east from Syria and south along the Iranian border.'

New York Times, 06 May 09, by Campbell Robertson and Stephen Farrell
Ambush by an Ally Chills Trust in Iraqi Units
'The slayings of Sergeant Davis and a Marine, Capt. Warren A. Frank, in November were not the only times Iraqis in uniform had attacked American soldiers. Military officials have counted seven such deaths in northern Iraq in the last six months, including two soldiers killed on Saturday at a combat outpost south of Mosul.'

Asia Times, 06 May 09, by Sami Moubayed
Muqtada comes in from the cold
'The Western perception of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr is of a firebrand militant attached to strings pulled in Iran. The face Muqtada presented on a visit to Turkey at the weekend - his first public appearance in nearly two years - told a very different story, one of a "cultural, economic and political rebellion", no guns, and of solidarity with Ankara on the issue of Kurds.'

The Guardian, 30 Apr 09, by Richard Norton-Taylor and Matthew Taylor
British troops officially end combat operation in southern Iraq
'British troops officially ended combat operations in southern Iraq today, handing over control of their base in Basra to US forces. ... Britain's combat role – including patrolling the city of Basra – was originally due to end on 31 July but was brought forward.'

New York Times, 29 Apr 09, by Sam Dagher and Suadad Al-Salhy
Baghdad Is Shaken by a Series of Bombs
'A series of bombs went off in Baghdad on Wednesday, extending a period of violence that has rattled Iraq's government and security forces. The pattern of Wednesday's attacks — including three car bombs in predominantly Shiite areas and two at a Sunni mosque — raised fresh concern that sectarian passions could be inflamed anew.'

Washington Post, 27 Apr 09, by Ernesto Londoño and Zaid Sabah
Deaths in U.S. Raid Elicit Anger in Iraq
'Iraq's prime minister on Sunday denounced a predawn American raid in southern Iraq during which two Iraqis were killed, saying his government intends to prosecute U.S. soldiers who carried out the operation.'

Washington Post, 26 Apr 09, by Mary Beth Sheridan
Clinton Reiterates Iraq Commitment
'Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton promised the people of war-torn Iraq on Saturday that the Obama administration will not abandon them as it begins to pull out U.S. troops.'

New York Times, 22 Apr 09, by Timothy Williams
U.N. Report Lays Out Options for an Oil-Rich Iraqi Region
'A long-awaited United Nations report that was presented Wednesday to senior Iraqi officials proposes several options for Kirkuk Province, including making it an autonomous region as a way to defuse simmering tensions between Kurds and Arabs over its oil wealth.'

Christian Science Monitor, 21 Apr 09, by Jane Arraf
Can Iraq go it alone?
'The dramatic drop in violence over the past year is due in part to US-led efforts. But the insurgency could linger.'

Asia Times, 23 Apr 09, by Sami Moubayed
Syria reaches out to 'friend' Iraq
'This week's landmark visit to Iraq by Syrian Prime Minister Mohammad Naji Otari is a welcome sign of repaired relations between Damascus and Baghdad that have been icy since the United States invasion of 2003. Iraqis see the visit as an outstretched hand from the greater Arab family, while Syrians are trying to avoid being next door to another neighbor armed to the teeth and living in lawlessness.'

New York Times, 15 Apr 09, by Alissa J. Rubin and Rod Nordland
U.S. Military Expresses Concern About Perception of an Iraqi Crackdown on Sunnis
'The American military insisted the detentions were not part of a Iraqi government campaign against the Awakening Councils.'

Washington Post, 14 Apr 09, by Ernesto Londoño
Sunni Insurgents Claim Blast That Killed 5 U.S. Troops
'The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group for extremist organizations including al-Qaeda in Iraq, asserted responsibility Monday for a bombing that killed five U.S. soldiers last week in the deadliest attack on American troops in Iraq in more than a year.'

New York Times, 15 Apr 09, by Steven Lee Myers
Iraq Provinces Try to Overcome Political Disarray
'The 14 provinces that voted in January have only begun to form councils. Five have no functioning government.'

PBS NewsHour, 07 Apr 09, by Kwame Holman
Obama Urges Iraqis to Take Larger Role in Controlling Country
'In an unannounced trip to Iraq Tuesday President Obama met with national leaders, urging the Iraqis to take a larger role in controlling the country and reiterating his pledge to have all military personnel out of the country by 2011.'

New York Times, 05 Apr 09, by Campbell Robertson
Palestinians Are Focus in Abbas Visit to Baghdad
'Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, visited Iraq for the first time since the American invasion in 2003, meeting with Iraqi leaders on Sunday to garner support for the Palestinian leadership and Iraq's Palestinian community.'

Christian Science Monitor, 01 Apr 09, by Tom A. Peter
As US pulls back in Iraq, lost urban footholds
'Combat outposts – some 75 small bases credited with playing a crucial role in turning the tide of the war – are being shut down.'

The Guardian, 02 Apr 09, by Martin Chulov
Iraq disbands Sunni militia that helped defeat insurgents
'Iraq took a security gamble yesterday when it disbanded the Sunni militias that helped turn the tide against al-Qaida in Mesopotamia and other insurgent groups. One hundred thousand members of the Awakening Councils will now be given jobs at the interior ministry, but many fear the plan will renew sectarian tension and spark disaffection among those not given security roles.'

New York Times, 31 Mar 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraqi Militants Show a New Boldness in Cities
'As the American military prepares to withdraw from Iraqi cities, Iraqi and American security officials say that jihadi and Baath militants are rejoining the fight in areas that are largely quiet now, regrouping as a smaller but still lethal insurgency.'

Christian Science Monitor, 31 Mar 09, by Jane Arraf
In Iraq, British forces hand over control of Basra to the US
'American forces will seek to disprove the perception that they are more heavy-handed than the British.'

Asia Times, 02 Apr 09, by Gareth Porter
US sinks deeper into Sunni-Shi'ite struggle
'When United States troops and Apache helicopters joined Iraqi forces in putting down an uprising by Sunni "Sons of Iraq" militiamen in central Baghdad last weekend, it was a preview of the kind of combat the US military is likely to see increasingly over the next three years unless a policy decision is made in Washington to avoid it.'

International Herald Tribune, 23 Mar 09, by Rod Nordland and Alissa J. Rubin
Sunni fighters, key to stability, grow restive
'The American military marked another milestone the other day in the initiative perhaps most responsible for taming the violence in Iraq: All but 10,000 of the 94,000 Sunni militiamen — many of them former insurgents who agreed, for cash, to stop killing American soldiers — had been turned over to the control of the Iraqi military.'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Mar 09, by Rod Nordland and Alissa J. Rubin
U.S. military confirms downing Iranian drone over Iraqi territory
'The U.S. military has long accused Iran of meddling in Iraqi affairs, arming militants and fueling sectarian strife. In recent months, however, the Iranians have refrained from overtly supplying weapons to Iraqi factions, partly as a show of cooperation with a largely friendly Iraqi government. Reuters quoted Maj. Gen. Abdul Aziz Mohammed Jassim, operations chief at the Iraqi Defense Ministry, as saying he believed the aircraft wandered into Iraqi territory by "mistake."'

International Herald Tribune, 16 Mar 09, by Rod Nordland
With local control, new troubles in Iraq
'Iraqis are in many ways taking to heart the adage that all politics is local, as Americans hand over to them ever greater control of affairs in the provinces. That local control, however, has brought more horror stories than successes in the past few days.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Mar 09, by Alissa J. Rubin and Marc Santora
2nd suicide bombing perils Iraqi alliances
'In the face of increasing suicide bombs, assassinations and improvised explosive devices, Iraqi military officials and community leaders say they fear a renewed effort by Sunni extremists to disrupt the relative calm in Iraq and undermine its fragile political alliances.'

International Herald Tribune, 09 Mar 09, by J. David Goodman
U.S. and British forces in Iraq are reduced
'Two combat brigades that had been scheduled to return to Iraq this year will not be replaced, the United States military announced Sunday, signaling a first step in President Barack Obama's plan to end combat operations there by 2010. In addition, the last 4,000 British troops in Iraq are now due to leave by September.'

Christian Science Monitor, 06 Mar 09, by Max Delany
Why 10,000 Ugandans are eagerly serving in Iraq
'... the Ugandan government says there are more than 10,000 men and women from this poverty-stricken East African nation working as private security guards in Iraq. Hired out to multibillion-dollar companies for hundreds of dollars a month, they risk their lives seeking fortunes protecting US Army bases, airports, and oil firms..

Washington Post, 26 Feb 09, by Campbell Robertson and James Glanz
Fall in oil prices threatens plans to rebuild Iraq
'The financial crisis will make it harder for Iraq to pay for services and could affect U.S. plans for troop withdrawal.'

Christian Science Monitor, 25 Feb 09, by Tom A. Peter
Iraq's waning insurgency scrambles for new sanctuary
'As violence falls in Baghdad, Al Qaeda in Iraq is taking its fight to desert outposts and rural villages.'

International Herald Tribune, 24 Feb 09, by Daniel Williams, Bloomberg News
Former enemies share role in keeping Iraqi peace
'Captain John Bradley, the patrol leader of a U.S. field-artillery unit, sat with Colonel Mohammed, an Iraqi Army officer, sharing tea and ambitions to wipe out rebels.'

Christian Science Monitor, 24 Feb 09, by William Boston
As war ebbs, Europe returns to Iraq
'France and Germany opposed the US-led invasion but are now eyeing new investments in the war-torn country.'

Middle East Times, 18 Feb 09, by Sana Abdallah
Iraq's Kurds Call for U.S. Mediation With Baghdad
'The Kurds in the northern autonomous region of Iraq are worried that the U.S. forces will leave the country without intervening in resolving key disputes with the central Baghdad government, amid warnings that the unresolved questions could erupt into an Arab-Kurdish war.'

International Herald Tribune, 10 Feb 09, by Marc Santora and Alan Cowell
Iraq shakes off the U.S.
'Speaking at a news conference with the French president, Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki signaled Tuesday a desire to gradually diminish American power over Iraqi politics and increase ties to other Western powers.'

Washington Post, 04 Feb 09, by Sudarsan Raghavan
As Anbar Counts Votes, Sheiks Voice Defiance
'Here, in the cradle of the Sunni insurgency, tribal leaders nurtured and empowered by the United States appear ready to take control the old-fashioned way -- with guns and money -- if their political ambitions are frustrated.'

International Herald Tribune, 01 Feb 09, by Alissa J. Rubin
Iraqis preparing for life after the U.S. leaves
'Iraqis across the country voted over the weekend in provincial elections that will help shape their future, but regardless of the outcome it was clear that the Americans were already drifting off stage - and that most Iraqis were ready to see them go.'

Christian Science Monitor, 29 Jan 09, by Tom A. Peter
Iraqi courts to decide fate of America's detainees
'The US military will begin handing over thousands of Iraqis who were captured during the war to Iraqi authorities on Sunday.'

International Herald Tribune, 29 Jan 09, by Timothy Williams
U.S. won't renew Blackwater's contract in Iraq
'It is unclear how soon Blackwater will leave Iraq, but it is likely that it will remain at least until spring, when a joint Iraqi-American committee is scheduled to complete guidelines for private contractors operating in Iraq, officials said.'

Washington Post, 28 Jan 09, by Ernesto Londoño
In Iraq's North, Ethnic Strife Flares as Vote Draws Closer
'Arabs Hope to Curb Power Of Kurdish Government'

Christian Science Monitor, 08 Jan 09, by Jane Arraf
As war winds down, will Iraq's progress hold steady?
'Violence has plummeted and US forces are pulling back, but the year ahead will test the staying power of gains throughout the country.'

International Herald Tribune, 05 Jan 09, by Campbell Robertson
New U.S. Embassy opens in Baghdad Green Zone
'Iraqi and American officials presided over a dedication ceremony for the sprawling new U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Monday, declaring the start of a new era for relations between the two countries. ... A wave of bombings across Baghdad over the course of the morning made it clear that the challenges were not over.'

2008 Iraq archive
2007 Iraq archive