IRAQ :

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.'

Washington Post, 19 Feb 10, by Greg Jaffe
War in Iraq will be called 'Operation New Dawn' to reflect reduced U.S. role
'The change is intended to send a message that the U.S. military's combat role in Iraq is rapidly drawing to a close.'

Washington Post, 11 Feb 10, by Ernesto Londoño and Mary Beth Sheridan
Former Blackwater security guards must leave Iraq, official says
'The statement by Interior Minister Jawad Bolani ... could lead to the expulsion of as many as 250 guards who once worked for Blackwater and who now work for other security firms in Iraq.'

New York Times, 10 Feb 10, by Steven Lee Myers and Anthony Shadid
Leader Faulted on Using Army in Iraqi Politics
'In a dispute over the provincial council’s legal powers to appoint a governor, Mr. Maliki ordered in the military here — for the second time — to exert his influence. American military commanders and diplomats expressed alarm at his willingness to use force.'

Washington Post, 26 Jan 10, by Ernesto Londoño and Leila Fadel
36 killed in bombings at 3 Baghdad hotel compounds favored by Westerners
'The blasts suggest that a weakened insurgency, battling the government under the banner of al-Qaeda in Iraq, has chosen to carry out a smaller number of more powerful and more sophisticated attacks that target prominent, fortified compounds in the capital. In the past, the group frequently targeted Shiite civilians in easy-to-access areas such as markets in an effort to stoke sectarian violence.'

Christian Science Monitor, 26 Jan 10, by Jane Arraf
Iraq bombings: Gen. Odierno blames a changing Al Qaeda
'On the second consecutive day of major suicide bombings in Iraq, top US Gen. Raymond Odierno says Al Qaeda in Iraq had changed focus in the past six months.'

New York Times, 26 Jan 10, by Steven Lee Myers
Rivalries in Iraq Keep G.I.’s in the Field
'A string of checkpoints has appeared on the roads that spoke out from this volatile city [Mosul] .... The joint operation along one of Iraq’s ethnic trouble spots began with a deliberate lack of fanfare, but it constitutes the most significant military mission by American forces since they largely retreated to bases outside Iraq’s cities in June.'

New York Times, 12 Jan 10, by Timothy Williams
Iraq Says Raid Uncovered a Plot to Bomb Ministries
'A wide-ranging plot to bomb government ministries and other public places, to be followed by a wave of political assassinations, was uncovered by Iraqi officials ...'

Washington Post, 08 Jan 10, by Leila Fadel and Michael Hastings
Deadly blasts underscore tenuous security in Iraq's Anbar province
'Anbar was considered an American model of success after Sunni tribal leaders and U.S. forces struck a deal to rein in insurgents in a place once known as a militant heartland.'

See Iraq archive for past stories.