Qaeda Hits Shi'ite Mosque, Killing 12 & Sunni Shaikh
Backs The SOFA.
A Qaeda suicide bomber wearing an explosives-packed vest on Nov. 28
killed 12 people and wounded 17 others in the main Shi'ite mosque
in the town of Musayeb, near the city of Hilla 60 km south of . . .
The SOFA Debate.
With a substantial majority, parliament on Nov. 27 finally approved
the SOFA, after accepting Sunni Arab demands to make it dependent on a
referendum but rejecting other conditions. The . . .
US Sees Neo-Salafi Groups In Decline & Liberal Iran.
A new 121-page report - "Global Trends 2025, A Transformed
World" - from the US National Intelligence Council (NIC) concludes
that the Neo-Salafi movement will be in definite decline as it has . . .
Syria Against But Iran Silent On SOFA.
Iraq's Council of Representatives (parliament) on Nov. 27
approved the SOFA but Syria immediately declared itself strongly opposed
to the accord, while Iran gave indications Tehran was having a . . .
The Challenges Of Terrorism - Iraq, Part 40 - Al-Qaeda Is On The
Run.
A combination of concentrated, US-aided attacks and joint
American-Iraqi efforts to rebuild Iraq from the bottom up is causing the
Qaeda-led Neo-Salafi insurgent groups to be on the run. They are . . .
Iraqi Military Ordered To Keep Out Of Politics.
Iraq's Sunni Defence Minister 'Abdul-Qader Muhammad Jasem
on Oct. 30 told a news conference all his ministry's employees to
the lowliest soldiers will have to sign a pledge they will not run . . .
US Report Lists 310 Private Security Contractors.
A report by the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction,
an independent US federal agency, reveals that at least 310 private
security companies from around the world have received . . .
Waset Handed To Iraqis.(Brief article)
The US military on Oct. 29 handed responsibilities for the
predominantly Shi'ite south-eastern province of Waset over to the
Iraqi authorities. This was done at a ceremony held in Waset which . . .
Barzani Meets Bush As Baghdad Wants SOFA Changes.(Mas'oud
Barzani, George W. Bush and the status of forces agreement)
Kurdistan President Mas'oud Barzani on Oct. 29 met with
President George W. Bush at the White House. Both Barzani and his ally,
Iraq's Kurdish President Jalal Talabani, are strong supporters of . . .
The Challenges Of Terrorism - Iraq, Part 39 - Iran, Syria &
Turkey.
The US military and diplomats in Iraq this week were functioning as
if they will be staying in this country and keep dealing with the
challenges of terrorism in the coming years. In the same time, . . .
The Risks.
The most important lesson is whether or not the US will manage to
democratise Iraq - by far the most critical test for American
credibility in the GME. The New York Times on Oct. 2 said: "The
dust . . .
Baghdad Takes Control Of Acs.(Awakening Council)
In a high-stakes test for the US strategy to pacify the country,
the Iraqi authorities on Oct. 1 began assuming control of the ACs in the
Baghdad region, involving about 54,000 members. US . . .
The Challenges Of Terrorism - Iraq, Part 38 - Lessons For The
GME.(Greater Middle East)
The US, and through it the NATO powers and their allies, have
learned a great deal from the American occupation of Iraq since late
March 2003. One key lesson for the US out of its presence in Iraq, . . .
Who's Biden.
Stephen Zunes, a professor of politics and chair of Middle Eastern
studies at the University of San Francisco, is critical of Obama's
running mate, recalling that Biden was "one of the . . .
Maliki & Talabani Say US Pull-Out Deadline Agreed.(Nouri
al-Maliki and Jalal Talabani)
Maliki on Aug. 25 insisted that the Bush administration had agreed
to withdraw all US troops from Iraq by end-2011, while the White House
denied there was such an agreement. President Talabani, in . . .
Neo-Salafis Fight Back.
A Qaeda suicide bomber on Aug. 26 blew himself up in a crowd of
Iraqi police recruits in the town of Jalawla in Diyala, killing 28
people and wounding 45. It was the biggest attack for weeks in . . .
Focus On Afghanistan & Pakistan.
Both Obama and Biden believe the dangers to US interests in
Afghanistan and Pakistan are more serious than the ones in Iraq, while
McCain believes Iraq remains central to American's efforts . . .
Obama's Energy Policy.
The Obama campaign has issued a six-point national energy plan
focused on conservation and boosting domestic production of both
conventional and alternative sources of fuel. The Obama camp wants . . .
IRAQ - The Challenges Of Terrorism - Part 37 - Partition Dangers
Return.
The dangers of Iraq's partition - hence a worsening of the
challenges of terrorism in this part of the world - have returned as a
result of three new developments: (1) the choice of Senator . . .
Zebari On US Presence Beyond 2008.(Hoshyar Zebari)(Brief
article)
Reuters on Aug. 11 quoted Foreign Minister Zebari as saying the US
must provide a "very clear timeline" to withdraw its troops
from Iraq as part of an agreement allowing them to stay beyond . . .
|
|