IRAQ :

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.'

See Iraq archive for past stories.