Iraq - Iran - Pakistan
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 Currencies: Iraq bombing attack sends dollar tumbling iht.com 5/18/4 ["The dollar slid against the euro on Monday after the head of Iraq's interim Governing Council was assassinated and a U.S. Treasury Department report showed international investors bought fewer American assets in March."]
 Baghdad blast kills Iraq leader news.bbc.co.uk 5/17/4 ["The current head of Iraq's US-appointed Governing Council has been killed in a car bomb blast near the headquarters of the US-led coalition in Baghdad."]
 Powell says Bush was 'informed' of Red Cross concerns baltimoresun.com 5/17/4 ["Powell said yesterday that he and other top officials kept President Bush "fully informed ... in general terms" about complaints made by the Red Cross and others over ill-treatment of detainees in U.S. custody."]
 Some U.S. troops in S. Korea to go to Iraq msnbc.msn.com 5/17/4 ["3,600 to move out in a few weeks; their return is unclear"]
 US lawmakers told of POW abuse months ago chinadaily.com.cn 5/17/4 [Chinese newspaper]
 EU to condemn Iraq abuse reuters.co.uk 5/17/4 ["saying the actions breach international law"]

Rumsfeld 'allowed abuse' heraldsun.news.com.au 5/16/4 ["The Special Access Program, or SAP, was established by Mr Rumsfeld around late 2001 for use in Afghanistan"]
 France decries the 'black hole' of Iraq guardian.co.uk 5/16/4 ["called for the US-led coalition to hand genuine sovereignty to the new Iraqi transitional government on June 30."]
 Officials admit Iraq interrogations violated Geneva Conventions denverpost.com 5/16/4 ["'What you've described to me sounds like a violation of the Geneva Conventions,' Wolfowitz added later."]
 Insurgents, militia launch attacks across Iraq boston.com 5/16/4 ["Rather than losing steam after a month of fighting, Sadr's rebellion appears to have gathered momentum, however. It recent days, fighting has leaped from city to city across a swath of southern Iraq, reaching almost to the Kuwait border."]
 Preparing for long stay, US steps up reservist call-up gulf-news.com 5/16/4 ["In what seems to be a contradiction with US Secretary of State Collin Powell's assertion on Friday during the G8 foreign ministerial meeting in Washington that American forces 'will leave Iraq if requested by the Iraqi interim government after June 30,' such a move indicates 'accommodating the need for a lengthy American military presence in Iraq'"]
 CIA Wrong on Iraq 'Mobile Labs,' Powell Says reuters.com 5/17/4 [""]
 New claims of maltreatment news.scotsman.com 5/15/4 ["More than 300 Iraqi detainees, some weeping and waving to friends, were released from the infamous Abu Ghraib prison yesterday"]
 Our moral Waterloo guardian.co.uk 5/15/4 ["The claims of western values are mocked by Iraq and the rise of Asia"  "The invasion of Iraq represented the high watermark of western moral virtue."  "The growing sense of crisis that now pervades the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq could well herald a global shift in perceptions about the "moral virtue of the west"."]
 American Forces Push Deeper Into Najaf apnews.myway.com 5/15/4 ["Apparent gunfire slightly damaged one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines, prompting calls for revenge and even suicide attacks."  "By early evening, thousands gathered around the Imam Ali shrine to inspect the damage. Some shook their heads in disbelief. Others mumbled prayers."]
 New Iraqi Gov't Can't Expel U.S. Troops news.yahoo.com 5/15/4 ["a top State Department official said Thursday — quickly reversing a statement made minutes earlier before a House panel."]
 U.S. Troops Release Over 300 Detainees guardian.co.uk 5/14/4 ["he and other prisoners were under psychological pressure, with guards repeatedly shouting and insulting inmates..."]
 France wants time limit on foreign troops in Iraq reuters.co.uk 5/14/4 ["French sources said Paris intended to make sure the resolution, not yet circulated, set a time limit on foreign troops and could be extended if Iraqis approved in 2005."]
 Guantánamo abuse same as Abu Ghraib, say Britons guardian.co.uk 5/14/4 ["It was completely clear to all the detainees that this was happening to particularly vulnerable prisoners, especially those who had come from the strictest of Islamic backgrounds"  "their religion was used against them, that a copy of the Koran was brought in front of them and pages torn out."]
 Iraq 'power play' behind leaking of jail abuse report gulf-news.com 5/14/4 ["he International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), hinted strongly that their leaked report on Iraq prison abuses (which we publish today) was the result of a power play in Baghdad."]
 Detainees suffer terror at U.S. hands thestar.com 5/13/4 ["As detailed in a powerful, 24-page report by the Red Cross — completed in February..."]
 Bush administration has used 27 rationales for war in Iraq, study says news.uiuc.edu 5/12/4 ["The study also finds that the Bush administration switched its focus from Osama bin Laden to Saddam Hussein early on – only five months after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States."]
 Pentagon approved Guantanamo interrogations: report abc.net.au 5/12/4 ["last year approved interrogation techniques for use at the Guantanamo Bay prison"]
 U.S. attacks Karbala mosque in campaign vs. rebel cleric azcentral.com 5/12/4 ["The strike on the Mukhaiyam Mosque brought hundreds of U.S. soldiers and their armored vehicles to within a third of a mile of two of the holiest sites in Shiite Islam"]
 Church Group Wants U.N. to Take Over Iraq foxnews.com 5/11/4 ["representing 36 Protestant and Orthodox denominations said Tuesday that U.S. foreign policy is "dangerous" and urged President Bush to turn over authority in Iraq to the United Nations."  "National Council of Churches"  "and said the U.S. premises for the war — alleged Iraqi links with Al Qaeda and a buildup of weapons of mass destruction — 'have not been verified.' "]
 British troops accused of killing civilians reuters.co.uk 5/11/4 ["and a court has allowed relatives of victims to mount a legal challenge to the government."]
 Abuse will make U.S. job in Iraq harder seattlepi.nwsource.com 5/11/4 ["roughly three out of 10 Americans and other non-Iraqis involved in USAID-financed reconstruction projects have left the country"]
 US destroys cleric's Baghdad HQ news.bbc.co.uk 5/11/4 ["US forces killed 35 militants and destroyed an office run by radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr in Baghdad overnight"]
  The Crimes at Abu Ghraib Are Not the Worst scoop.co.nz 5/11/4 [killing civilians]
 And They Ask, “Why Do They Hate Us?” islamonline.net 5/11/4 [muslim perspective  "And Iraqis are not Red Indians. In the21 st century everyone can see what you think you’re doing in the dark. There are many around the world who feel the plight of the Iraqis as you rip at their culture, not hundreds of years later."]
 Sadr offers talks to end standoff news.bbc.co.uk 5/11/4 ["could end its rebellion in return for a withdrawal of US troops from the city."]
 Red Cross: Iraq Abuse Widespread, Routine apnews.myway.com 5/11/4 ["Up to 90 percent of Iraqi detainees were arrested "by mistake," according to coalition intelligence officers cited in a Red Cross report disclosed Monday."]
 Outside the law guardian.co.uk 5/11/4 ["Mr Rumsfeld regretted that images like this have offended the world. Yet he knows from the same Red Cross sources that first warned of the abuses more than a year ago that torture continues under coalition direction, and he left too much unacknowledged. "]
 Many Arabs too angry to listen to America seattlepi.nwsource.com 5/10/4 ["Even before America invaded Iraq, its Middle East policies - particularly its support of Israel - were viewed as anti-Arab. Its reaction to the Sept. 11 attacks was portrayed as anti-Muslim. And now Arabs are saying the prisoner-abuse scandal shows the United States is both."]
 Mistreatment of Prisoners Is Called Routine in U.S. nytimes.com 5/10/4 ["Nationwide, during the last quarter century, over 40 state prison systems were under some form of court order, for brutality, crowding, poor food or lack of medical care"]
 Top brass 'picked man who ordered torture'  news.com.au 5/10/4 ["The creation of torture units was the consequence of orders by the Defence Department – headed by Secretary Donald Rumsfeld – to prise information out of prisoners."]
 Chinese premier concerned over 'unstable' Iraq news.ft.com 5/10/4 ["China on Monday voiced its concern over the instability in Iraq and called for the United Nations to have a "leading role" in its administration."]
 Shia cleric calls for insurrection against coalition news.ft.com 5/10/4 ["Mr Sadr's militia has been taking heavy losses over recent days, buildings associated with his group have been destroyed and senior lieutenants have been arrested."]
 The War is Lost scoop.co.nz 5/10/4 ["Every reason to go to Iraq has failed to retain even a semblance of credibility. Every bit of propaganda Osama bin Laden served up to the Muslim world for why America should be attacked and destroyed has been given credibility by what has taken place in Iraq."]
 U.S. tanks breach militia's stronghold azcentral.com 5/10/4 ["scattered clashes occurred between U.S. and militia forces in the industrial area of Najaf, where Sadr sought refuge last month."]
 Photos hit core beliefs of Muslims, scholars say journalnow.com 5/9/4 ["it depicts an interaction brazenly crossing spiritual, societal and cultural boundaries."]
 Limbaugh: prisoner abuse "brilliant" mediamatters.org 5/9/4 ["Limbaugh on torture of Iraqis: U.S. guards were "having a good time," "blow[ing] some steam off""]
 Bush Calls Iraq Prisoner Abuse Wrongdoing of a Few reuters.com 5/9/4 ["Rumsfeld apologized for the abuse of the prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. But the apology, like one from Bush on Thursday, failed to calm anger in the Arab world."]
 US presses UN to change Iraq's transitional govt plan timesofindia.indiatimes.com 5/9/4 ["Instead of a government that is non-political, the administration is now pushing for one that gives prominent roles to people with ties to political parties"]
 Brits knew of abuse claims heraldsun.news.com.au 5/9/4 ["THE British Government was under intense pressure yesterday after admitting it knew about claims of abuse by UK troops in February, but decided not to make them public."]
 US approved harsh techniques at Guantanamo smh.com.au 5/9/4 [""]
 UK troops 'quell' Basra violence news.bbc.co.uk 5/9/4 ["This, in turn, was seen as a response to newspaper pictures allegedly showing Iraqi prisoners being abused by coalition troops."]
 Floundering in a moral swamp guardian.co.uk 5/9/4 ["They know it is not an excuse to blame these atrocious acts on a few rotten apples. Those in command should have established prison regimes in which such abuses could not happen. "]
 Army running out of ammo, seeks bullets from foreigners dailystar.com 5/9/4 ["because its biggest ammunition supplier, Alliant Techsystems Inc., can't keep up with demand."]
 Iraqi clerics use prison as rally cry boston.com 5/8/4 ["invoked the images of abuse in their Friday sermons to rail against the US occupation in a rare show of unity, suggesting that the revelations from the Abu Ghraib prison could inspire a unified anti-American strategy among traditionally divided Iraqis."  "...addressing thousands of worshipers who jammed the sidewalks outside the Abu Hanifa mosque for prayers."]
 More Photos, Videos in Iraq Abuse Scandal-Rumsfeld news.myway.com 5/8/4 ["I've said today that there are a lot more photographs and videos that exist. If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse. That's just a fact," Rumsfeld said."]
 British troops under fire as Shiite radicals extend uprising south channelnewsasia.com 5/8/4 ["...militiamen also set up five roadblocks on the main highway out of Basra to the southwest."]
administrator L. Paul Bremer III and Secretary of State Colin L. Powell to investigators for the International Committee of the Red Cross..."]
 Rumsfeld apology fails to calm Arab anger reuters.co.uk 5/8/4 ["apology was late and the damage done"]
 Iraqis Protest Treatment of Prisoners abcnews.go.com 5/7/4 ["About 2,000 Iraqis demonstrated in front of Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison on Wednesday to protest U.S. treatment of prisoners there"]
 'Not What Bush Said, But What the Arabs Heard' cnsnews.com 5/7/4 [""]
 US troops take key Najaf building news.bbc.co.uk 5/7/4 ["control of the governor's office amid fierce fighting with Shia gunmen."]
 Spain is firm: Troops won't return iht.com 5/7/4 ["even if foreign troops there were put under the authority of the United Nations or NATO."]
 Only the UN can save us guardian.co.uk 5/7/4 ["put loud pressure on Bush to guarantee the UN a central role after the June 30 handover, with command over the military, and drawing in Turkey and Arab nations under a UN banner. "]
 Extra UK troops 'to Iraq in June' news.bbc.co.uk 5/7/4 ["Around 800 extra soldiers could be deployed in June or July"]
 Bush admits abuses, but no apology detnews.com 5/6/4 ["On Arab TV, he promises 'justice will be delivered.'"]
 Bush Apologizes for Abuse, Backs Rumsfeld news.yahoo.com 5/6/4 ["Bush spoke up in the Rose Garden..."]
 UN begins collecting information for report on human rights situation in Iraq un.org 5/6/4 ["the report is being compiled from information gathered through the media, the coalition authorities, the Iraqi Governing Council, the Iraqi Human Rights Ministry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Red Cross and local UN staff"]
Bush seek $25bn more for Iraq news24.com 5/6/4 ["a retreat from the White House's earlier plans not to seek such money until after the November elections."]
 Shock new details of torture by US troops guardian.co.uk 5/6/4 [""]
 Inhuman and degrading guardian.co.uk 5/6/4 ["As each successive layer of concealment is stripped away from the US military prison system in Iraq, the picture emerges not just of regrettable isolated "abuses" by a few bad guys... but of a much wider system of degradation and torture"]
 Anger fuels calls for revenge news24.com 5/6/4 ["Islamic websites were being flooded on Wednesday with reports on the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by US guards, with many people calling for revenge against the "new Crusaders.""]
 US, UK Face Questions on Who Controls Iraqi Troops reuters.com 5/6/4 ["promised full sovereignty for an Iraqi interim government but several diplomats questioned why Iraqi forces would remain under American military control."]
Widespread abuse by GIs feared detnews.com 5/5/4 ["Pentagon reports other offenses in Iraq, Afghanistan; Bush team looks to mend image"]
Horror, but little surprise among Arabs atimes.com 5/5/4 ["Abu Ghraib"  "condemnation by the United States and Great Britain is not enough". It calls for the 'rapid formation of an international tribunal [to] judge the soldiers who perpetrated these crimes'."]
Troops 'have been abusing Iraqis for a year' smh.com.au 5/5/4 ["says the human rights group Amnesty International"]
Iraqi general refuses to give up Falluja fighters guardian.co.uk 5/4/4 ["distanced himself from the US military by refusing American demands to give up foreign fighters supposedly hiding in the city."  "The reasons for the resistance go back to the American provocations, the raids and abolishing the army, which made Iraqis join the resistance,' he said."]
Pentagon Examined Iraq Detention Centers apnews.myway.com 5/4/4 ["military did a "top-level review" last fall of how its detention centers in Iraq were run"]
Bremer 'knew of abuse in November' news.com.au 5/4/4 ["I told him the news. He didn't take care about the information I gave him."]
UN-sanctioned multinational force to be sent to Iraq after June 30: Annan  geo.tv 5/3/4 ["after the US military hands limited sovereignty back to the country"]
11 Troops Die in Iraq; Contractor Escapes apnews.excite.com 5/3/4 ["Residents of Fallujah celebrate"]
Questions growing about Iraqi general azcentral.com 5/3/4 [""]
 UK press rage over alleged Iraqi prisoner abuse abc.net.au 5/2/4 ["The cause of democracy in Iraq, and the reconstruction we have promised, could be irreparably damaged by more pictures of the kind we have seen over the past 48 hours"]
 'System wide' mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners: report abc.net.au 5/2/4 ["the army investigation found a lack of leadership at the prison and concluded soldiers at the prison, most of whom are reservists, are not trained on rules for handling prisoners of war under the Geneva Convention."]
 April bloodiest month of Iraq war for US abc.net.au 5/2/4 ["128 US troops were killed in April, at least 121 of them in hostile fire"]
 Iraq war stirs new debate on the draft detnews.com 5/2/4 ["Pentagon officials are adamantly opposed to the draft, saying the military has the personnel it needs and that a professional, volunteer army performs better and is less costly to train in the long run. They’re also concerned that a draft would cause morale to plummet."]
 Germany, Spain, France to launch UN resolution on Iraq peopledaily.com.cn 5/2/4 ["The three parties will conduct intense discussions with European Union as well as the United States over the concrete steps of the draft resolution, Zapatero said. "]
 U.S.-backed Iraqi general enters Fallujah to cheering crowds detnews.com 5/1/4 ["triggering a debate in the United States on whether securing the defiant city with an Iraqi force was a masterstroke or a concession that could undermine U.S. control of the country."]
 Iraqis Hail Falluja 'Victory' as U.S. Changes Tack wired.com 5/1/4 ["Soldiers of the old Iraqi army led by one of Saddam Hussein's generals patrolled Falluja on Saturday, a year after George W. Bush declared the U.S. "mission accomplished" in ousting the Iraqi regime."]
 U.S. Hands Over Some Positions in Iraq thestate.com 5/1/4 ["Led by one of Saddam Hussein's generals, Iraqi troops replaced U.S. Marines on Friday and raised the Iraqi flag at the entrance to Fallujah under a plan to end the monthlong siege of the city."]
 Photos of torture reach Iraq newsday.com 5/1/4 ["After he saw them with his own eyes, he understood why some Iraqis are fighting the U.S.-led occupation."  "That picture showed exactly the type of torture that Saddam's thugs used"]
 'Moment of truth' at hand for U.S., Iraq, Kerry says baltimoresun.com 5/1/4 ["Today is the one-year anniversary of Bush's visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln"  "First, he said, other members of the U.N. Security Council should be brought in "to share the political and military responsibilities and burdens of Iraq with the United States."]
 AP Toll Says 1,361 Iraqis Killed in April ap.washingtontimes.com 5/1/4 ["The daily carnage, seen by Iraqis before their own eyes and in bloody images and photos transmitted around the country by Arab television and Iraqi newspapers, has heightened anti-U.S. sentiment across the country - even when the deaths were caused by insurgent attacks."]
 Zapatero urges broader U.N. role in Iraq thestate.com 4/30/4 ["expressed strong backing for French and German opposition to U.S. policy in Iraq Thursday, urging a broader U.N. role to help stabilize the country."]
 'US doomed to failure in Iraq' news24.com 4/30/4 ["Vo Nguyen Giap, the legendary general who masterminded Vietnam's wars of independence against the French and American armies, warned the United States on Friday that it faced defeat in Iraq."]
 Pentagon Commander Appeals to Muslim Countries to Send Troops to Iraq voanews.com 4/30/4 ["I do favor the inclusion of more international troops, especially more Muslim troops. For example, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, they all have very capable and very professional forces that could be added to the stability equation..."]
 US investigating abuse of Iraqi prisoners independent.co.uk 4/29/4 ["said to have been taken last November and December inside the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad"]
 Annan warns against violence in Iraq reuters.co.uk 4/29/4 ["We have contingency plans, depending on what happens on the ground"]
 US raids making Iraq worse: Annan thedailystar.net 4/29/4 ["The more the occupation is seen as taking steps that harm the civilians and the population, the greater the ranks of the resistance grows"]
 Fighting intensifies in Fallujah thestate.com 4/29/4 ["as Arab rebels attacked three Marine units and U.S. forces responded with withering air assaults and a 500-pound bomb."]
 Details of Iraqis' Power, Limits Emerge newsday.com 4/29/4 ["The United States will still be in charge of military operations in Iraq, and in charge of Iraqi security forces. And the interim government won't be able to write new laws. "]
 Photos show jail abuse by US troops smh.com.au 4/29/4 [""]
 Winning Fallujah risks losing Iraq usatoday.com 4/28/4 ["the U.S. military faces what could be its most important series of battles since the 1968 Tet Offensive in Vietnam, when insurgents lost badly to U.S. troops but attacked so aggressively and so widely that they changed the course of the war."]
 Burning with anger: news.independent.co.uk 4/28/4 ["Iraqis infuriated by new flag that was designed in London"]
 U.S. Forces Blast Falluja Targets After Deadline reuters.com 4/28/4 ["deadline expired for rebels to hand over their heavy weapons, witnesses said."  "Local doctors say hundreds of people have been killed in the marines' siege of the town..."]
 Iraqis demand full sovereignty news.bbc.co.uk 4/27/4 ["US Secretary of State Colin Powell has said Iraq would have to 'give back' some power to the US in the early days."]
 U.S. troops enter Najaf, pressure militia thestate.com 4/27/4 ["U.S. soldiers have vowed to stay far from the city's holy sites to avoid outraging Iraq's majority Shiite Muslims."]
 US lobbies allies over UN resolution on Iraq news.ft.com 4/27/4 ["in order to avert a possible break-up of its "coalition of the willing" after the planned transfer of sovereignty on June 30."]
 U.S. threatens Falluja and Najaf swissinfo.org 4/27/4 ["threatening imminent assaults on two key towns if guerrillas do not accede to their demands."]
 Fallujah Erupts in Deadly Firefights themoscowtimes.com 4/26/4
 U.S. begins building public case for renewing efforts to capture Fallujah  thestate.com 4/25/4 ["saying that insurgents there had not disarmed and that city leaders had not condemned them."]
 Saudis Aided in Iraq More Than Thought customwire.ap.org 4/25/4 ["Saudi Arabia secretly helped the United States far more than has been acknowledged, allowing operations from at least three air bases, permitting special forces to stage attacks from Saudi soil and providing cheap fuel, U.S. and Saudi officials say."]
 Half of Iraqi forces refused to fight during uprising worldtribune.com 4/24/4 ["Ten percent actually worked against the U.S."]
 Norway rejects U.S. plea to stay in Iraq reuters.co.uk 4/24/4 ["in June when Norway aims to focus on helping stabilise Afghanistan."  "We must contribute so that NATO does not fail in Afghanistan"]
  61 dead in rush-hour carnage theaustralian.news.com.au 4/22/4 ["Once the British were inside and the post was open, a missile hit the main doors" - eyewitnesses touts missiles, press says car bombs... hmmm]
 U.S. Contractor Fired for Military Coffin Photo wireservice.wired.com 4/22/4 ["critics have said the rules are aimed at sanitizing the war for the public."]
 U.S. to Reinstate Some Sacked Iraq Officials reuters.com 4/22/4 ["some senior Iraqi officials purged after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein would be restored to duties"]
 Riyadh car bomb attack kills 4 and injures 148 news.independent.co.uk 4/21/4 ["the national police headquarters in Riyadh"]
 Basra blasts kill 68 including schoolchildren timesonline.co.uk 4/21/4 ["when co-ordinated car bombs ripped through three police stations at rush-hour this morning in the British-controlled city."]
 Massive Barrage Launched on Marines in Fallujah foxnews.com 4/21/4 ["Nearly three dozen insurgents then joined the fight with Marines in a running battle that lasted four hours."]
 Dominican Republic to Pull Iraq Troops Early foxnews.com 4/21/4 ["announcement came just two days after President Hipolito Mejia pledged to keep the country's 302 troops in Iraq until their one-year committment ended in August."]
 Pentagon identifies units in case more troops are needed for Iraq news.yahoo.com 4/21/4 ["Military commanders are now bracing for more violence ahead of a planned handover of sovereignty to a transitional Iraqi government on June 30."]
 Mubarak: Arabs Hate U.S. More Than Ever reuters.com 4/20/4 [Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak]
 British troops 'may have to stay 10 years to keep order' news.independent.co.uk 4/20/4 ["Brigadier Nick Carter said it could take British troops between two and 10 years to restore long-term stability, under the authority of an Iraqi police force acceptable to all rival factions within the country."]
 U.S. pulls troops back from brink in Najaf  upi.com 4/20/4 ["because Najaf contains the shrine to the Imam Ali, the holiest figure in Shiite Islam, any assault on the city would have likely drawn the ire of more moderate and tolerant clerics, such as Sistani. And a call by Sistani for violent opposition to the U.S. occupation would likely result in fighting that could not be easily managed by U.S. forces. The forceful entry of American troops into Shiism's holiest city would infuriate Shiites from Pakistan, Iran and Lebanon."]
 With rebels ruling Iraq roads, U.S. forces feeling pinched seattletimes.nwsource.com 4/20/4 ["The U.S.-led coalition has been unable to hold onto all of its supply and communication lines on vital routes leading from the capital."]
 Spain quits Iraq force thestar.com 4/19/4 ["New PM orders 1,400 troops home as soon as possible Bremer admits Iraqi forces 'not ready' for June 30 handover"]
 Sadr urges end to attacks on Spanish troops khaleejtimes.com 4/19/4 ["to ensure the security of Spanish troops until their departure as long as these forces do not perpetrate aggressions against the Iraqi people"]
 Insurgent purveyors of fear wage war of intimidation in Iraq stltoday.com 4/19/4 ["Guerrilla 'masters of intimidation' are also successfully countering the U.S. military's own psychological campaign. "]
 Cleric's Supporters Threaten All-Out War With US cnsnews.com 4/18/4 ["Tens of thousands of supporters of radical Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr Friday threatened to unleash an all-out war on U.S. forces if the Americans storm Najaf in pursuit of al-Sadr."]
 Calm before the storm in Baghdad observer.guardian.co.uk 4/18/4 ["The threat from the 'Combined Mujahideen Brigades' to launch operations in Baghdad is being taken seriously. Security officials circulated a warning last week prompting many media organisations and contractors involved in reconstruction work to pull out."]
 Bush denies planning Iraq war shortly after 9/11 news.ft.com 4/18/4 ["insisting he did not begin to focus on Iraq until nearly a year later."]
 Spain to Withdraw Its Troops From Iraq `as Soon as Possible' quote.bloomberg.com 4/18/4 [""]
 10 US Troops, Dozens of Iraqi Insurgents Killed in Fighting voanews.com 4/18/4 ["U.S. forces have closed off long stretches of two major highways running north and south from Baghdad following insurgent attacks that have affected the flow of supplies to the capital."]
 Iran gets its hands dirty atimes.com 4/17/4 ["Against all odds, Iran had embarked on an unlikely diplomatic mission to get the American "Satan" out of its difficulties in Iraq."]
 Rumsfeld: Iraq Toll Higher Than Expected apnews.myway.com 4/16/4 ["I certainly would not have estimated that we would have had the number of individuals lost that we have had lost in the last week." "with 88 U.S. soldiers killed in a surge of violence...  Hundreds of Iraqis have been killed."]
 U.S.-trained Iraqi forces failed to support U.S. troops realcities.com 4/16/4 ["In Fallujah, at least two Iraqi battalions refused to join the fight against insurgents."]
 Iranian diplomat assassinated in Iraq amid mediation mission boston.com 4/15/4 ["cast a shadow over Thursday's unusual negotiating mission to Najaf by the envoy from neighboring Iran, which fought an eight-year war with Iraq in the 1980s and does not have diplomatic relations with Washington."]
 Analysis: US 'emulates' Israeli tactics news.bbc.co.uk 4/15/4 ["the Arab press is pointing to similarities between US military operations in Iraq and the tactics Israeli forces employ in the West Bank and Gaza."]
 Iran Tells US It Cannot Solve Iraq Crisis Alone news.scotsman.com 4/14/4 ["Previously, we had dialogue” about Iraq, Kharrazi told reporters. “Currently it has stopped because we felt we were going nowhere. The Americans give promises but don’t keep their promises. Currently, they (Americans) are taking a wrong path."]
 Russia Offers to Evacuate Over 800 from Iraq reuters.com 4/14/4 ["the scale of the pullout depended on the companies involved, some of which looked hesitant to risk contracts worth an estimated $1 billion."]
 Philippines Considering Iraq Withdrawal story.news.yahoo.com 4/14/4 ["The Philippines, one of the staunchest allies of the United States, may withdraw its peacekeepers and aid workers from Iraq as security conditions worsen, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo said on Wednesday."]
 Iraq Kidnappings Rattle America's Allies news.yahoo.com 4/14/4 [" As of Tuesday, about 40 foreign hostages from 12 countries were reported being held, with insurgents demanding in many cases that the hostages' governments withdraw troops from the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq.  The governments vowed not to give in."]
 Send reinforcements: U.S. general seeks more troops in volatile Iraq bostonherald.com 4/13/4 ["U.S. military leaders in Iraq sought up to 10,000 reinforcements and demanded the death or capture of a radical cleric yesterday as troops grappled with continued post-war unrest. "]
 Iraq Gunmen Batter American Supply Lines apnews.myway.com 4/13/4 ["The military has been trying to regain control of supply routes after several convoys were ambushed at least 10 truck drivers kidnapped"]
 Abizaid seeks more combat troops for Iraq news.ft.com 4/13/4 ["commander of US forces in the Middle East"]
 UN requests safe passage for Iraq aid workers abc.net.au 4/13/4 ["says international humanitarian law requires that all necessary measures be taken to protect civilians trapped by armed conflict."]
 Iraqis grab 2 soldiers, 7 civilians detnews.com 4/13/4 ["More than 40 foreigners from at least 12 countries — including a Mississippi man whose fate was unclear — have reportedly been kidnapped in recent days by insurgents."]
 Pervez critic charged for ‘mutiny’ telegraphindia.com 4/12/4 ["A Pakistani Opposition leader was sentenced to 23 years in prison today after he was accused of defaming the military and trying to incite a mutiny."]
 Rumsfeld asked to explain role of private security contractors in Iraq news.yahoo.com 4/12/4 ["contractors -- often ex-soldiers -- operate in a fashion similar to special forces, but they are not under US military control and not subject to rules governing the conduct of American forces"]
 U.S. to reach out to former Iraq military seattlepi.nwsource.com 4/12/4 ["they will reach out to former senior members of Saddam Hussein's disbanded army to try to stiffen Iraqi security forces who have proved disappointing against a growing insurgency."]
 Over 600 killed in Fallujah news24.com 4/12/4 ["One of the fields, now called 'Graveyard of the Martyrs,' there was row after row of freshly dug graves, with wooden planks for headstones with names on them."]
 Fallujah resistance vows to continue fight upi.com 4/12/4 [" When asked why he fought, Abu Freedom is clear.  "Because I hate the Americans and hate the invaders," he says. "I don't want to see Americans in charge of my country.'"]
 What Should Bush Do? time.com 4/12/4 ["There are no more U.S. troops to send to Iraq"  "The key would be to activate nine National Guard brigades in the next 18 months and convert them into active-duty soldiers, allowing the reservists to go back to their communities."]
 Alarmed over rising violence in Iraq, Annan urges protection of civilians un.org 4/12/4 [""]
 Bush worships at base, says Iraq war 'right' denverpost.com 4/12/4 ["129,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq. About one-tenth are from Fort Hood, the largest active-duty armored post in the military.  Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has said U.S. commanders want to hold that level for some time rather than reduce to 115,000, as previously planned."  "They sat together in a semicircular pew inside the pyramid-shaped chapel and took communion."]
 U.N. nuclear inspectors arrive, Iran says centrifuge building suspended boston.com 4/12/4 ["Five U.N. nuclear inspectors arrived Monday to try to confirm whether Iran has stopped suspicious nuclear activities including the building of centrifuges for uranium enrichment."]
 More Marines join fight in Iraq detnews.com 4/11/4 ["Nearly 60,000 Fallujah residents, about a third of the population, have fled over the past two days"]
 First-person report: Iraq atmosphere changes suddenly and ominously seattletimes.nwsource.com 4/11/4 [""These examples whip up emotions, show to the public just how successful the struggle is against the foreigner, the occupier, the alien," Stein wrote. "Pack mentality can overcome reason and propriety."  "But before Fallujah, two things happened that helped unravel what little hope was here.  ...Israeli forces assassinated Sheik Ahmed Yassin  ...U.S. authorities shut down the Hawza newspaper"  ]
 Fallujah insurgents offer ceasefire if U.S. forces pull out of city boston.com 4/11/4 [""]
 U.S. control of Iraq nears 'tipping point' detnews.com 4/11/4 ["Troops are forced into urban warfare they skipped earlier"  "We’re at a tipping point in Iraq, with a real danger of losing control of the situation"]
 In visit to Norfolk, Rumsfeld calls for U.N. to take leading role in Iraq hamptonroads.com 4/10/4 ["Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld looked longingly toward NATO on Tuesday for help in responding to rapidly escalating violence in Iraq, but he acknowledged that the Atlantic alliance will be busy for the foreseeable future with attempts to rebuild Afghanistan."  "gave no indication that the administration is prepared to give the United Nations responsibility for security , which could place American troops under U.N. command."]
 Putting down Iraq insurgency may inspire new enemies detnews.com 4/10/4 ["as it fights street by street to crush an insurgency, it is causing resentment among the very Iraqis whose hearts and minds it hopes to win."]
 U.S. troops battle to retake Iraqi cities detnews.com 4/10/4 ["chant against the United States during a joint Shiite and Sunni prayer service"  "Fighting is heavy in Fallujah, Kut; Baghdad clerics urge uprising"]
 Baghdad marks uncomfortable anniversary of statue's fall detnews.com 4/10/4 ["In 1991, everything in Iraq was destroyed” after the Persian Gulf War, he said. “Within two months it was all back."]
 When fear turns to anger atimes.com 4/10/4 ["The likelihood of civil war has only been delayed a bit as Sunnis and Shi'ites fight against the common foe."]
 Hostages face death deadline nzherald.co.nz 4/10/4 ["unless Japan withdrew its troops from Iraq by Monday."]
 'We have to fight to a safe haven - but they are all under attack' guardian.co.uk 4/10/4 ["An international hostage crisis was deepening"]
 Iraqi Red Crescent official and wife murdered reuters.co.uk 4/10/4 [""]
 Japan appeals for Iraq hostage release swissinfo.org 4/10/4 ["said they were holding 30 foreign hostages and threatened to decapitate them unless U.S. forces lifted their blockade of the Iraqi town of Falluja.  "We have Japanese, Bulgarian, Israeli, American, Spanish and Korean hostages," a masked gunman said in an footage aired by Arab TV station, Al Arabiya."]
 Iraqi police step aside; interior minister quits pittsburghlive.com 4/9/4 [""]
 Chaos, killing and kidnap guardian.co.uk 4/9/4 ["On the eve of the anniversary of Saddam Hussein's fall from power - a moment the US had imagined would be marked by celebrations - Iraq's fragile security began to fall apart."]
 'US policy has nurtured anarchy' guardian.co.uk 4/9/4 ["The region's papers lay the blame for the insurgency squarely at America's feet "]
 280 Iraqis dead in Fallujah theaustralian.news.com.au 4/8/5 ["and 400 wounded this week"]
 Militiamen Control Parts of 3 Iraq Cities ajc.com 4/8/5 ["The militia led by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has full control over the city of Kut and partial control in Najaf"]
 Battles rage from north to south guardian.co.uk 4/8/5 ["The US, which was careful during the war not to hit holy sites, fired a missile and dropped a 500lb bomb to breach a wall enclosing a mosque in Falluja, an attack that will further inflame the uprising. At least 25 and up to 40 Iraqis were reported killed."]
 'This is more like a real war' news24.com 4/8/5 ["a US medic said the resistance was more intense than in last year's invasion."]
 U.S.: No control in two cities cnn.com 4/8/5 [""You can be certain that if (U.S. generals) want more troops, we will sign deployment orders so that they'll have the troops they need," Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said at a Pentagon news conference Wednesday"]
 Sadr Aide Says Iraqis Capture Coalition Soldiers reuters.com 4/8/5 [""]
 US general vows militia destruction news.com.au 4/7/4 ["whose al-Mahdi Army militia battled US and other coalition troops since Sunday in a half dozen cities"]
 U.S. hits mosque in Iraq, reportedly killing up to 40 baltimoresun.com 4/7/4 ["at least 30 Americans and more than 150 Iraqis were dead in the fighting for the city."]
 Baghdad erupts after U.S. raid thestate.com 4/7/4 ["U.S. soldiers had raided an office of Muqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shiite cleric, and torn up a poster of his father, one of Iraq’s most revered martyrs."  "Frenzy shows strength of militias, depth of support for cleric al-Sadr"]
 Pentagon delays U.S. troops' trip home usatoday.com 4/6/4 ["A decision by the Pentagon to increase the number of U.S. troops in Iraq is a reversal of its plan to steadily reduce the U.S. force level there."]
 Anarchy across Iraq thisislondon.com 4/6/4 ["In the most widespread violence to hit Iraq since the last days of the war, Coalition troops faced clashes in almost all the main cities."]
 Rioting Across Iraq Kills Nearly 60 apnews.excite.com  4/6/4 ["declared a radical Shiite cleric an "outlaw" Monday after his supporters rioted in Baghdad and four other cities in fighting that killed at least 52 Iraqis, eight U.S. troops and a Salvadoran soldier."]
 The battle the US wants to provoke guardian.co.uk 4/6/4 ["Bremer is deliberately pushing Iraq's Shia south into all-out chaos "]
 Bush Says U.S. to Stick to June 30 Iraq Handover reuters.com 4/5/4 ["for handing over Iraqi sovereignty, even as a Shi'ite uprising against the U.S.-led occupation stirred fears of a civil war."]
 ElBaradei 'impatient' with Iran news.com.au 4/5/4 ["THE international community is "impatient" with Iran's slow cooperation in answering charges that it has a clandestine nuclear weapons program, UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei said today."]
 More US troops may be needed in Iraq - key senator alertnet.org 4/5/4
 Around 23 Killed as Iraqis Fight Occupation Troops reuters.com 4/4/4 ["militiamen" - I am surprised they used that term instead of rebels, etc.  "20 Iraqis were killed and at least 200 wounded in the battle."]
 Powell: Iraqi trailers might not have been weapons labs pittsburghlive.com 4/3/4 ["conceded Friday evidence he presented to the United Nations that two trailers in Iraq were used for weapons of mass destruction may have been wrong."]
 Mutilated Foreigners 'Strung Up Like Sheep' in Iraq news.scotsman.com 3/31/4 [""]
 Marines Seek to Pacify Fallujah ap.org 3/31/4 ["Newly arrived U.S. Marines..."]
 US clears Musharraf of nuclear trafficking abc.net.au 3/29/4 ["declined to rule out other possible high-level military complicity."]
 Pakistan won’t allow inspection of nuclear sites: envoy dailytimes.com.pk 3/29/4 [""]
Iraqi defector behind America's WMD claims exposed as 'out-and-out fabricator' news.independent.co.uk 3/29/4 [""If Powell had said to the Security Council: 'It's one source, we never actually talked to him, and we don't know his name', I think people would have laughed us out of court.""]
 Iran Hiding Its Nuclear Activities, Report Says story.news.yahoo.com 3/27/4 ["efforts to conceal key elements of the country's nuclear program from international inspectors"]
 U.S. scrambles for armored cars as troops make do with sandbags baltimoresun.com 3/27/4 ["Army officials concede that they won't be able to fill the need until midsummer at the earliest."  "projected that 235 armored Humvees would be needed for all Iraq, rather than the nearly 5,000 needed now"]
 Soldiers in Iraq still buying their own body armor usatoday.com 3/26/4 ["The military people don't want to advertise the fact that there are people doing this on their own"]
Iraq's Sistani Warns U.N. Not to Back Constitution reuters.com 3/22/4 ["unless the United Nations rejects the constitution, he would boycott a U.N. team expected to visit Iraq soon"]
The Bush doctrine has been turned on its head smh.com.au 3/22/4 ["European Commission President, Romano Prodi... The terrorism that the war in Iraq was supposed to stop is infinitely more powerful today than it was a year ago"]
Iraq war wasn't justified, U.N. weapons experts say cnn.com 3/22/4 ["Blix, ElBaradei: U.S. ignored evidence against WMDs"]
 Iraq war has not helped war on terror: Prodi eubusiness.com  3/21/4
 Iraq: Blair and Bush seek new UN backing mg.co.za 3/21/4 ["to shore up crumbling international support"]
 U.S. to keep 20 bases in Iraq through 2006 worldtribune.com 3/21/4
 Independent Probe of Iraq Oil-for-Food Programme scotsman.com 3/20/4
India tests short-range missile news.bbc.co.uk 3/19/4 ["new version of its nuclear-capable Prithvi missile has been tested successfully."]
Tolerance of Iran's nukes spurs neighbors worldnetdaily.com 3/18/4 ["...giving similar ideas to several countries in the Middle East, including Egypt and Saudi Arabia..."]
Bomb Destroys Baghdad Hotel, Kills Dozens apnews.excite.com 3/17/4 ["several residents said they believed a rocket caused the destruction.  "We saw the tail of a rocket, then we saw a big flash and heard a big boom"]
Iran Cooperating With UN on Nuclear Inspections, ElBaradei Says bloomberg.com 3/17/4
Bush's Pakistan contradiction atimes.com 3/14/4 ["President General Pervez Musharraf, who has made himself indispensable to US policy as the supreme frontier man in the 'war against terror'..."
Pakistan's new missile can reach all Indian cities straitstimes.asia1.com.sg ["...can carry all types of warheads"]
Tehran calls for nuclear file to be closed news.ft.com ["reiterated Iran's insistence that its suspension of uranium enrichment activities was only temporary."]
US, EU struggle for draft UN resolution on Iran gulf-news.com 3/6/4 ["told reporters in Lisbon that Iran's behaviour was in sharp contrast to that of Libya"]
Iraq-al Qaeda ties have not been found thestate.com 3/5/4
Officials: Al-Qaida and Iraq unlinked tallahassee.com 3/4/4
Iraqi clerics try to avert civil war baltimoresun.com 3/4/4
Fears Iraq being manipulated into civil war smh.com.au 3/3/4 ["The attacks stoked ethnic and religious distrust; made many Iraqis think twice about the greatness of these US gifts - liberation and democracy; and blew away any interest in the country's interim constitution"]
Bombers slaughter 180 pilgrims 'in attempt to provoke civil war' telegraph.co.uk 3/3/4
Pakistan braced for violent backlash news.ft.com 3/2/4 ["following the most deadly sectarian attack in months on a procession of Shia worshippers observing the Ashura holy festival."]
A Look at Ashoura, the Holiest Day of the Shiite Muslim Calendar ap.tbo.com 3/2/4 ["series of deadly blasts Tuesday struck important shrines on the holiest day of the Shiite Muslim calendar"]
New US 'Bullet Magnets' Prepare For Iraqi Frontline rense.com 3/2/4 [""bullet magnets" - army reservists or National Guard soldiers, weekend warriors with minimal combat training pressed into service."]
REGION: ‘Europe waking up to Iran nuke threat’ dailytimes.com.pk 3/1/4
Iraq Council Agrees on Interim Constitution reuters.com 3/1/4
Iraqis draft constitution nearly complete cnn.com 2/28/4
Comply with IAEA, Blair tells Iran gulf-daily-news.com 02/26/04 ["Iran rejected calls for it to be more open about its nuclear activities"]
Iran defends nuclear charges news.ft.com 2/25/4 ["We have other projects which we have not declared to the IAEA and we see no need to do so."]
U.N. forces may go to Iraq after power transfer: Annan japantimes.co.jp 2/24/04
Khan 'is covering up for Musharraf' gulf-daily-news.com 2/23/4
Iraqis want to try Saddam without POW status peopledaily.com.cn 2/22/4
Iran Admits Buying Illegal Nuclear Technology from South Asian Dealers voanews.com 2/22/4 ["but it stopped short of saying they were part of a nuclear proliferation ring led by Pakistan's top nuclear scientist"]
Bin Laden 'boxed in' by US soldiers theaustralian.news.com.au 2/21/4 ["reportedly"   "The timing of that order will ultimately depend on President George Bush, the report says.  "Capturing bin Laden will certainly be a huge help for him as he gets ready for the election.  "It will be an even bigger bonus than getting Saddam." ]
Pakistan steps up efforts to find bin Laden seattlepi.nwsource.com 2/21/4 ["Thousands of troops deployed to help U.S. capture fugitive"  "in some recent raids, U.S. forces have crossed over the largely unmarked border into Pakistan to capture or kill Taliban sympathizers."]
Inspectors find nuclear equipment at air base in Iran news.independent.co.uk 2/19/4 ["components that could be used in advanced centrifuges for extracting enriched uranium"]
Iraqi Kurds reject call to disband militia dawn.com 2/19/4 ["and are pushing for a veto over any deployment of the Iraqi army in their region"]
Pak will never stop its nuclear and missile programmes: Musharraf expressindia.com 2/18/4 ["and does not need outside help to maintain or advance its programme"]
Musharraf says no to nuclear site inspections news.ft.com 2/18/4 ["in no circumstances permit foreign inspectors to enter the country and monitor its nuclear weapons or civil nuclear facilities"]
Two-year wait for Saddam trial guardian.co.uk 02/16/04 ["the first defendants to appear will be high-ranking Ba'ath party officials."]
Blix terms Bush, Blair ‘salesmen’ jang.com.pk 02/16/04 ["We inspected more than 700 sites and we never found anything"]
Attacks raise doubts on Iraqi security force's readiness iht.com 2/17/4
Iraq’s future worries nearby countries asianews.it 2/14/04
The bloody price of occupation guardian.co.uk 2/14/04
Guerrilla Raid in Restive Iraq Town Leaves 22 Dead reuters.com 2/14/04 ["assault by about 70 guerrillas"]
US warns Iran over nuclear plans bbc.co.uk ["Mr Bush's speech has received backing from the UN nuclear watchdog and nuclear powers including China, India and Pakistan."]
US signals 'possible use of force' over Iran weapons abc.net.au
Inspectors uncover Iranian plans for nuclear device detnews.com ["'This is the smoking gun,' said Henry D. Sokolski, executive director of the Washington-based Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. “They lied -- again.'" - is this a repeat of Iraq coming?]
Bush Emphasizes Threat From Black-Market Weapons Traffic kxan.com 2/12/4
Centrifuge designs found in Iran linked to Pakistan straitstimes.asia1.com.sg 2/12/4
UN makes pledge over Iraq future itv.com 2/11/4 ["to help Iraq regain its sovereignty"]
Prince Charles in surprise visit to Iraq reuters.co.uk 2/8/4
US helps Pakistan safeguard nuclear material jang.com.pk 2/8/4
U.N. team arrives in Baghdad reuters.co.uk 2/7/4
Pakistan pardons nuclear scientist news.com.au 2/6/4 ["a decision to prosecute Khan would have outraged many Pakistanis."]
Pakistan scientist in nuclear confession news.independent.co.uk 2/2/4 ["sharing nuclear secrets with states such as North Korea, Iran and Libya in the dying days of the Cold War"]
Kurd Parties Say Blasts Will Bring Unity themoscowtimes.com 2/2/4 ["targeting Iraq's two main U.S.-allied Kurdish parties, which killed at least 67 people"]
U.S. Forces Plan to Reduce Presence Inside Baghdad reuters.com 2/1/4
More Than 100 Reformists Resign from Iran Parliament washingtonpost.com 2/1/4 ["in protest over conservative efforts to fix an upcoming election"]
A trap is laid for Pakistan jang.com.pk 1/29/04
Army chief making plans based on possibility of keeping soldiers in Iraq through 2006 boston.com 1/28/04 ["...Stretched by commitments in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea and the Balkans, the Army has used emergency authority to go beyond the limit set by Congress on the number of soldiers who can be in uniform"]
Report: Humanitarian reasons didn't justify Iraq war csmonitor.com 1/27/04
A daily look at U.S. military deaths in Iraq boston.com 1/27/04
Of course the White House fears free elections in Iraq guardian.co.uk 1/25/04 ["They took to Baghdad's streets, shouting: "Yes, yes to elections. No, no to selection.""]
Fissures in the House of Saud insightmag.com 1/23/04 [Saudi royal family]
US War on Terror May Spread to Syria, Report Says cnsnews.com 1/23/04 ["could be conducted against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley"]
CIA warns of civil war in Iraq thestate.com 1/22/04 ["officers say tensions mounting between Shiites, Kurds"]
The price of deceit sunspot.net 1/21/04 ["THERE ARE ONLY two credible arguments to justify the war in Iraq"]
America to cut troops in Iraq by one fifth telegraph.co.uk 1/20/04
50, 000jobs for Iraqis to be created by US-led coalition gulf-daily-news.com 1/20/04
PR Spin? When was Saddam really captured? ajc.com 1/18/03 [See the ripe dates in these AP photos?  Dates get ripe in August, not December.  Picture also at here.  For .edu info about dates, click here or here. (credit, prisonplanet.com for this info)]
Car Bomb Explodes Outside Coalition Headquarters foxnews.com 1/18/03 ["killing about 20 people and wounding more than 60 in the deadliest attack..."
Iraq attacks complicate UN role plans news.bbc.co.uk 1/18/03 [with all of this start-stop-start-stop, I wouldn't be surprised if more people start demanding the UN get involved regardless]
Advance Japan force leaves for Iraq straitstimes.asia1.com.sg 1/16/04
Tests Show No Agent in Iraq Mortar Shells apnews.myway.com 1/16/04 ["So far, however, no such materials have been found nine months after the collapse of Saddam's regime."]
Syria And Turkey Defy The United States daralhayat.com 1/10/04
Saddam Is A PoW, Says Pentagon news.scotsman.com 1/10/04 ["The Geneva Conventions on treatment of prisoners of war forbid any kind of coercion in interrogations, for example"]
US woes in Iraq were foreseen but unheeded straitstimes.asia1.com.sg 1/10/04
Tactical Evolution, or Tactical Desperation? sftt.org 1/4/9 [Iraq becoming Vietnam?]
Mortar Attack in Iraq Kills 1 U.S. Soldier, Wounds 34 washingtonpost.com 1/8/4
New leader of NATO puts Afghanistan first iht.com 1/8/4 ["pledging to unite the alliance as it prepares for a wider military role in Afghanistan and, perhaps, Iraq"]
Afghans OK constitution detnews.com 1/5/4
Blair: Iraq war was test case bbc.co.uk 1/5/4 [Blair: "The conflict here was a conflict of enormous importance because Iraq was a test case."  Indeed.]
Blair visits Iraq, praises troops cnn.com 1/4/4
Seismic shift in axis of evil news.scotsman.com 1/4/4
Libya's 'advanced' nuclear efforts news.bbc.co.uk 1/4/4
Bush lists demands of Iran theaustralian.news.com.au 1/2/4 ["turn over any member of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network it has in custody, abandon efforts to develop unconventional weapons, and embrace political reforms"]
US says removal of sanctions linked to Libya actions xinhuanet.com 1/2/4 ["until Tripoli fulfills its commitments to sever any connection with terrorism and dismantle its weapons of mass destruction"]
First New Troops Prepare For Iraq military.com 12/31/03
Hawks tell Bush how to win war on terror news.telegraph.co.uk 12/31/03 [Richard Perle & David Frum]
Commentary: 1.5 million fingers on trigger washtimes.com 12/29/03 ["1 percent of Pakistan's 150 million people are extremists"]
Aid Pours into Iran After 20,000 Die in Bam Earthquake voanews.com 12/28/03
A democracy that smells like a dictatorship smh.com.au 12/23/03 ["Afghanistan is favouring a system that has failed everywhere else"]
Saddam key in early CIA plot upi.com 12/18/3 ["...their instrument for more than 40 years"]
Chief US WMD Inspector in Iraq Reportedly Leaving Post voanews.com 12/18/3
Saddam's capture by U.S. forces raises a groundswell of unease in Arab world haaretz.com 12/17/3
Secretary-General Annan rejects any trial that could lead to Saddam's execution boston.com 12/17/03
How Saddam could embarrass the West news.bbc.co.uk 12/17/03 ["...remind the world that he once had his supporters outside Iraq - in the former Soviet Union, in the Gulf States and in the West."]
Interrogators have gleaned little of use, say Americans independent.co.uk 12/16/3
Wash. Congressman Questions Saddam Timing newsday.com 12/16/3
Official: Saddam Could Face Execution apnews.myway.com 12/15/03 ["...Other council members said the televised trial would likely begin later, perhaps by summer."]
LaHood: Hussein's capture imminent pantagraph.com 12/15/03 [original published 12-2-3.  "We're this close" to catching Saddam Hussein... said the five-term Republican congressman from Peoria who serves on the House Intelligence Committee. "Do you know something we don't?" "Yes I do," replied LaHood.]
Saddam Captured Hiding in Hole Near Tikrit reuters.com 12/14/03 [Just in time for a trial during the 2004 Presidential campaign - funny how the Iraqi war tribunal was just created last week...]
Building the next Iraqi civil war worldnetdaily.com 12/14/03
Iraqis cynical of U.S. democracy pledge miami.com 12/13/03 [Democracy tends to tryanny; let's give them a republic]
US `could have prevented' civilian casualties in Iraq taipeitimes.com 12/13/03
Bush laughs off critics of 'spoils of war' bidding independent.co.uk 12/13/03 ["...might violate international law. 'International law? I'd better call my lawyer'" - Bush]
Hundreds of Iraqis 'killed by cluster bombs' guardian.co.uk 12/12/03
Pentagon Rules on Iraq Contracts Draw Criticism Abroad nytimes.com 12/10/3 ["France, Germany, Russia and Canada today assailed the Pentagon's decision to bar them from competing for $18.6 billion in contracts"]
Pentagon: One-third of new soldiers in Iraq army quit just before starting operations boston.com 12/10/03
Japan OKs Plan to Send Soldiers to Iraq apnews.myway.com 12/9/3
S. Korea Recalls Workers From Iraq news.yahoo.com 12/8/3
Iraq Governing Council Wants to Stay On lasvegassun.com 12/6/3 ["to stay beyond July 1, the date set for a provisional Iraqi government to take office"]
Iraq duty strains American Army to danger point azcentral.com 12/6/3 ["Army will allow four divisions returning from combat duty to fall to readiness levels that would make them not fully combat ready for up to six months"    "40 percent of the army's combat troops"]
Official: Divisions not ready for battle boston.com 12/6/3 ["Four Army divisions -- 40 percent of the active-duty force -- will not be fully combat-ready for up to six months next year, leaving the nation short of ready troops in the event of a major conflict in North Korea or elsewhere"]
US forces accused of Iraq 'massacre' news.ft.com 12/5/3
Clerics Raise Fear of Islam Ruling Iraq lasvegassun.com 12/5/3
The Bird Was Perfect But Not For Dinner washingtonpost.com 12/4/3 [Bush's PR tactics to make us think he was there for the troops]
US backs down over Nato force for Iraq independent.co.uk 12/4/3 ["urging Nato to prepare for a key role in the country next year"]
Mystery shrouds whereabouts of bodies of 54 insurgents said killed by US news.yahoo.com 12/4/3
Iraqis challenge US account of battle guardian.co.uk 12/3/3
Allies alarmed as Iraqi insurgents seek them out independent.co.uk 12/3/3
Phase three: civil war guardian.co.uk 12/3/3 ["The post-occupation power struggle in Iraq may yet be the bloodiest chapter in the conflict"]
Iraqis dispute claim of 54 killed sfgate.com 12/2/3 ["Townspeople say only 8 died, mostly noncombatants"]
Iran: No abandoning nuke ambitions washtimes.com 12/2/3 ["plans to build seven more nuclear power plants and resume its suspended uranium enrichment program"]
Bloodiest month in Iraq leaves 105 troops dead news.independent.co.uk 12/1/3
54 killed in Iraq ambush independent.co.uk 12/1/3
Spain and Poland push for Nato to take on Iraqi peace-keeping role independent.co.uk 12/1/3 [Rumsfeld: "the US is open to an expanded Nato role"]
Toll on U.S. troops in Iraq grows as wounded rolls approach 10,000 centredaily.com 12/1/3 ["equivalent of almost one Army division"  "504 troops were evacuated for treatment of psychiatric problems"]
Diplomats' Iraq deaths complicates Japanese deployment abc.net.au 11/30/3 ["This incident is unforgiveable"]
7 Spanish Intel Officers Killed in Iraq apnews.myway.com 11/30/3 ["chanting slogans in support of Saddam Hussein and kicking the bodies"  "described the crowd as jubilant"]
No proof of Al Qaeda in Iraq: US General abc.net.au 11/30/3 ["top US commander in Iraq says the military is yet to formally link Al Qaeda to the anti-coalition insurgency in the country"]
Bush visit unlikely to help US: media dawn.com 11/30/3 [Thanksgiving visit]
White House's Iraq claims rapped seattletimes.nwsource.com 11/29/3
U.S. convoy attacked; Iraqi official killed sunspot.net 11/28/3 ["...warned his troops to watch their friends because suicides are on the rise."  "At least two dozen noncombat deaths are under investigation as possible suicides"]
US troops stand guard after a helicopter crashed in Mosul news.scotsman.com 11/28/3 ["“I was happy, everyone was happy,” ...a firefighter, said in front of the firehouse. “The Americans, yes, they do good things, but only to enhance their reputation. They are occupiers. We want them to leave.”"]
Rumsfeld OKs mobilizing 14,398 reservists azcentral.com 11/27/3
The Doomsday Scenario abcnews.go.com 11/27/3 ["‘Shadow Government’ Readies in Case of Another 9/11"]
Only 10 percent of Japanese support Iraq troop dispatch: poll channelnewsasia.com 11/26/3 ["shows the public neither hopes for nor supports an early dispatch of troops when safety of the Self-Defense Forces cannot be secured"]
US pays up for fatal Iraq blunders guardian.co.uk 11/26/3 ["accounts of how American soldiers shot dead or seriously wounded unarmed Iraqi civilians with no apparent cause..."   "A total of 10,402 claims had been filed..."]
Iraqi Teens Pummel Bloodied U.S. Soldiers abcnews.go.com 11/24/3 ["a burst of savagery"]
Troops' horrific injuries are conflict's hidden cost denverpost.com 11/23/3 ["424 U.S. troops killed in combat and noncombat incidents since the war in Iraq began in March, and 2,009 wounded in combat"  "The wounded are brought back after midnight, making sure the press does not see the planes coming in"]
Look at Afghanistan ... and fear for Iraq thestar.com 11/23/3
Cargo plane hit with missile in Iraq dfw.com 11/22/3
Comparing Iraq to nations after WWII usatoday.com 11/20/3 ["Germany and Japan formally surrendered, which gave the United States authority in their countries. Iraq did not."]
Powell: Nations Working on Iraq Security thestate.com 11/18/3 ["France, Germany and other countries have resisted appeals for peacekeeping troops and extra reconstruction aid"]
Bush's New 'Exit Strategy' from Iraq: A Big Gamble newsday.com 11/18/3
US signs up Iraqi security men with minimal training hindustantimes.com 11/18/3
Uncle Sam's lucky finds guardian.co.uk 11/18/3
Slanging match erupts over Australian position on Iraq smh.com.au 11/16/3
Our troops will stay despite deadly blast, vows Berlusconi straitstimes.asia1.com.sg 11/16/3
S. Korea to Send Fewer Than 3,000 Troops newsday.com 11/16/3
Iraqi guerrillas seen as adapting to U.S. tactics sunspot.net 11/15/3
U.S. war dead in Iraq exceed early Vietnam years reuters.co.uk 11/14/3 ["surpassed the number of American soldiers killed during the first three years of the Vietnam War"]
Update: 7,500 US Casualties Evacuated from Iraq War Zone to US iraqwar.ru 11/14/3 ["8,000 in less than eight months"]
US to stay beyond Iraq handover news.bbc.co.uk 11/14/3
'Health will suffer for generations' guardian.co.uk 11/13/3 [Iraq, health services, and Depleted Uranium]
'We could lose this situation' guardian.co.uk 11/13/3 [Iraq: "bleak assessment that the resistance is broad, strong and getting stronger"]
U.S. soldiers fire on truckload of civilians thestar.com 11/12/3 ["American HQ has yet to explain deadly shooting of five at roadblock"]
Iran accepts extra inspections of nuclear sites news.independent.co.uk 11/11/3
Japan to Delay Sending Support Troops to Iraq voanews.com 11/11/3 ["because of the deteriorating security situation there."]
Dreamers and idiots guardian.co.uk 11/11/3 ["Britain and the US did everything to avoid a peaceful solution in Iraq and Afghanistan"]
AP: U.N. Finds No Evidence of Iran Nukes abcnews.go.com 11/10/3
IRAN BACKING OFF ITS NUKES nypost.com 11/10/3
Heavy-handed US policy has alienated potential friends theage.com.au 11/9/3 ["...enraged by the ways of US troops are united in hostility to America."]
Iran Agrees to Suspend Uranium Enrichment Program voanews.com 11/8/3 ["and allow tougher inspections"]
Iraq looked to cut deal  nydailynews.com 11/6/3
Embedded reporters 'sanitised' Iraq war  guardian.co.uk 11/6/3
Documents reveal Iraq's arms quest straitstimes.asia1.com.sg 11/4/3
‘Something’ felled an M1A1 Abrams tank in Iraq – but what? armytimes.com 11/4/3
U.S. Helicopter Shot Down; 15 Killed washingtonpost.com 11/2/3 [wounded 21]
Bush warns Iraq neighbours bbc.co.uk 10/30/3
Young enlistees have highest death rate in Iraq knoxstudio.com 10/29/3
U.S. reports more attacks in Iraq; more deaths than during active combat cbc.ca 10/29/3
'Syrian' Bomber Caught Alive in Baghdad, U.S. Says news.yahoo.com 10/28/3
U.N. and U.S. in Iraq: Nobody Won This Round theatlantic.com 10/27/3 [..."recognizing U.S. authority in Iraq"]
After Iraq, the guilt of killing tears a life apart sunspot.net 10/26/3 [War is not like the movies, the consequences are significance, and thus the justifications for war must be considered before starting]
Was Iraq telling truth about nuke weapons? chron.com 10/26/4 [no active program]
Turkey says it won't send troops without Iraqi approval iht.com 10/24/3
World spurns US appeal for $30bn to rebuild Iraq independent.co.uk 10/24/3
U.S. Troops in Iraq Have Limited Body Armor foxnews.com 10/24/3
Annan Expects Additional Funds for Iraq as Security Improves voanews.com 10/24/3
Critical to deliver on promises with Iraq funding forbes.com 10/24/3 [$33 billion pledged so far]
AP: U.S. Raid Nets Whole Iraqi Village news.yahoo.com 10/23/3 [and we wonder why they want us out]
Iran Turns Over Nuclear Program Documents thestate.com 10/23/3
Attacks on GIs increase to about 20-35 per day azcentral.com 10/23/3
Curtains Ordered for Media Coverage of Returning Coffins washingtonpost.com 10/22/3 [it's sad when we worry more about the monetary price tag than the human lives]
US failure to count civilian deaths 'incredible' independent.co.uk 10/21/3
Soldiers ripe to resist? sfgate.com 10/21/3
Pentagon planning exit strategy for Iraq seattletimes.nwsource.com 10/19/3
Senate, House Pass $87 Billion Bills for Iraq and Afghanistan washingtonpost.com 10/18/3
U.N. Unanimously Adopts Iraq Resolution news.yahoo.com 10/16/3
Bush Says Iraq Is 'Better Than You Probably Think' washingtonpost.com 10/8/3
Another Falsehood on Iraq Goes Unchallenged fair.org 10/3/3
US says Iran nuke program should go to UN if IAEA demands are not met spacewar.com 9/29/3
Three Nations Asked to Bolster Iraq Force news.yahoo.com 9/20/3
Team: No smallpox in Iraq detnews.com 9/19/3
Case for Iraq war a lie, Kennedy says sunspot.net 9/19/3
Pakistan helped al-Qaeda set up shop in Afghanistan: US documents news.yahoo.com 9/15/3
India says it can not send troops to Iraq globeandmail.ca 9/12/3
Bin Laden Tape Is Old Material - French Expert asia.reuters.com 9/12/3
Wounded, Weary And Disappeared tompaine.com 9/11/3 [our troops - the side we never see]
U.S. troop strength in Iraq down to nearly 116,000, military says boston.com 9/11/3 [are we losing more than we are being told?]
Iran Says It Will Fight Any Deadline to Prove Its Atomic Programs Are Peaceful ap.tbo.com 9/11/3
Allies Line Up with U.S. to Set Iran Nuke Deadline reuters.com 9/11/3
Changes sought to U.S. resolution on Iraq sunspot.net 9/11/3
Turkey Willing to Send Troops to Iraq voanews.com 9/10/3
US reserves' stay extended in Iraq dawn.com 9/10/3
Forces Strained in Iraq Mission, Congress Is Told 9/10/3 nytimes.com 9/10/3
British reinforcements arrive in southern Iraq taipeitimes.com 9/8/3
Farah tried to plead with the US troops but she was killed anyway observer.guardian.co.uk 9/7/3 [callous disregard for civilian life]
Bush on warpath over UN's shock report on Iran A-bomb telegraph.co.uk 9/7/3
Marines Turn Over a South-Central Area of Iraq to a Polish-Led International Force nytimes.com 9/3/3
Iraq: Why Bush now wants the UN news.bbc.co.uk 9/3/3
Arms-Grade Uranium Reported at Iran Plant guardian.co.uk 8/26/3
Bogged down in Iraq, US encounters limits to military power news.yahoo.com 8/24/3
Mass graves to reveal Iraq war toll guardian.co.uk [minimum of 16,000 people murdered]
U.S. in war on Islam, clerics say azcentral.com 8/16/3
IAEA works toward gaining unrestricted inspections in Iran taipeitimes.com 8/5/3 [reminds me of Iraq...]
Iraq invasion violated international law: Blix smh.com.au 8/10/3
Poll: Majority Backs Use of Force in Iran washingtonpost.com 6/27/03
Next Up – Iran? newsmax.com 6/29/03
Rice warns of 'Made in America' solution to Iran's nuclear plans telegraph.co.uk  6/29/03
Iraq war not about new arms evidence: Rumsfeld cbc.ca 7/10/3
Hard-liners want Iran to develop nuclear weapons dailystar.com.lb 7/7/3
General plays down resistance in Iraq iht.com 7/7/3
Troop morale in Iraq hits 'rock bottom': cuttingedge.org 7/7/3
Bush was just plain wrong on Iraq suntimes.com 6/29/03
Twenty Lies about the War  news.independent.co.uk 7/14/3
Iran, Cuba zap U.S. satellites worldnetdaily.com 8/7/3