Iraq

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Maliki Backs Obama Iraq Plan
 Maliki Backs Obama Iraq Plan 

Maliki Backs Obama Iraq Plan

Iraq PM says a 16-month schedule to withdraw sounds about right

(Newser) - While shying away from a presidential endorsement, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki expressed support for Barack Obama’s 16-month timeline for withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, Der Spiegel reports. He expressed frustration at his country’s lack of control over US forces and said they should leave "as...

Sunnis Rejoin Iraqi Parliament
 Sunnis Rejoin Iraqi Parliament 

Sunnis Rejoin Iraqi Parliament

Bloc split off last year over power sharing; ministry appointments helped patch rift

(Newser) - The Sunni Arab bloc of Iraq's Parliament returned from a year-long absence today, Reuters reports, as the government approved several Sunni ministerial candidates. The move is a major breakthrough for national reconciliation; "It is a real step forward for political reform,"  a senior lawmaker in the bloc...

Obama Arrives in Afghanistan
 Obama Arrives in Afghanistan 

Obama Arrives in Afghanistan

Candidate wants on-the-ground experience in US war zones

(Newser) - Barack Obama touched down in Afghanistan today to begin a trip to the Middle East and Europe, CNN reports. The Illinois senator, whose whereabouts have been under wraps since he left Washington on Thursday, made a stop in Kuwait, where he visited US troops, his campaign said. He plans to...

Obama Camp Spills Some Details on Foreign Trip

Israel, in particular, presents tricky schedule for Democrat

(Newser) - Barack Obama’s team released a few details about their candidate's trip abroad today, but the time frame remains tightly under wraps. Israel in particular presents a maze of meetings for the Democrat, who’ll see not only president Shimon Peres, but scandal-plagued prime minister Ehud Olmert and three potential...

US, Iraq Agree to Set 'Time Horizon' for Troop Cuts

Security deal may include 'aspirational goals' for withdrawal

(Newser) - George Bush and Nouri al-Maliki have agreed that a security pact should include a general, non-binding “time horizon” for troop withdrawals from Iraq, the White House said today. The leaders agreed to lay down “aspirational goals” based on improving ground conditions, Reuters reports, striking a compromise between the...

Iraqi Visits: Much Ado but Few Epiphanies
Iraqi Visits: Much Ado
but Few Epiphanies
analysis

Iraqi Visits: Much Ado but Few Epiphanies

Obama's pledged trip to Baghdad likely won't change his mind

(Newser) - Lawmakers have been flocking to Iraq to assess the situation on the ground, as Barack Obama is about to do, but the visits rarely result in any revelations for them, writes Karen DeYoung in the Washington Post. The itineraries are fairly routine by now—meet the generals, the troops, and...

Shoddy Electrical Work Killing US Troops in Iraq

Hazard from substandard work worse than Pentagon has acknowledged

(Newser) - Shoddy electrical work by private contractors is making Iraq an even deadlier place for US troops, reports the New York Times. At least 13 troops have died from electrocution and many more have been injured. Others have perished in electrical fires. The problem is worse than the Pentagon has acknowledged,...

Iraq Backs Barack, Despite Pullout Fears

Many alarmed by Obama's troop withdrawal timetable

(Newser) - Barack Obama is widely popular in Iraq, despite deep concerns about his plans to withdraw American troops, reports the New York Times. Iraqis around the country expressed admiration for Obama and believe he would be a major improvement over President Bush—but also worry that his proposed 16-month withdrawal timetable...

Canadian Court Sends Deserter Back to US

Judge rejects American soldier's plea to avoid deportation

(Newser) - Canada's federal court ruled yesterday that an American army deserter can be deported to the US, rejecting his request for a stay to the order. The judge said that Robin Long did not provide clear and convincing evidence that he will suffer irreparable harm if he is returned to the...

Voters Split on Candidates' Iraq Stances: Poll

Poll score: Obama 50%, McCain 49%

(Newser) - Barack Obama and John McCain have battled each other to a draw when it comes to Iraq, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. Americans are split more or less down the middle on Iraq policy, with 50% supporting Obama’s withdrawal timetable and 49% backing McCain’s open-ended...

Obama: Swift End to Iraq War Will Strengthen Security

Candidate makes position crystal clear

(Newser) - Barack Obama will promise a swift end to the Iraq war in a major speech today, arguing that the ongoing conflict “distracts us from every threat that we face,” according to excerpts obtained by Politico. As president, Obama would take the fight to al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan....

Suicide Bombers Kill 35 in Iraq
 Suicide Bombers
 Kill 35 in Iraq 
UPDATED

Suicide Bombers Kill 35 in Iraq

Dozens more wounded in attack on army recruitment center

(Newser) - Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in an Iraqi army recruitment center, killing 35 people and wounding at least 63, the New York Times reports. Most of the dead were recruits. The attack took place in Baquba, the capital of Iraq's ethnically mixed Diyala province. On Sunday the country's interior...

Hold Those Horses: Obama Is Unchanged on Iraq
Hold Those Horses: Obama
Is Unchanged on Iraq
OPINION

Hold Those Horses: Obama Is Unchanged on Iraq

The public and the press are utterly unable to cope with nuance

(Newser) - Barack Obama is the same man on Iraq he was 6 months ago and 2 years ago, the New Republic editors say—so how come the press keeps saying he’s gutted his own policy? Sure, Obama recently “shifted the accent in his Iraq talk,” but talking with...

Obama to Meet With Abbas During Mideast Swing

Dem to meet Palestinian president in Ramallah

(Newser) - Barack Obama will visit Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank next week, a top Palestinian official said today. The Ramallah meeting with the president of the Palestinian Authority will happen on July 23, CNN reports. Details on the international trip have been guarded, but the Times of London says Obama...

New McCain Attack: Obama Wants to Lose War

Republicans say Dem is serving own purposes

(Newser) - John McCain’s inner circle tried a new line of attack against Barack Obama today, charging that the presumptive Democratic nominee and his entire party want to lose the Iraq war to serve their own political purposes. Said McCain’s top foreign policy hand, “Senator Obama seems to think...

Obama Stands By Plan for 16-Month Drawdown in Iraq

Candidate outlines 16-month withdrawal; blasts Bush, McCain

(Newser) - Calling Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki's demand for a timetable for US withdrawal an "enormous opportunity," Barack Obama lays out his plan for ending the war in Iraq in a New York Times op-ed piece. The presumptive Democratic nominee reiterates his support for a careful withdrawal over 16...

Army Waivers Linked to Suspect Soldiers

Criminals allowed to fight in US wars likely to continue troubles

(Newser) - Dozens of US criminals who were granted Army waivers to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan have been linked to in-service problems, the Sacramento Bee reports. In a year-long study, the paper connected "suspect soldiers"—accused of beating prisoners, stealing weapons, and more—to troubles back home. Of 18...

US Weighs Faster Iraq Withdrawal
US Weighs Faster Iraq Withdrawal 

US Weighs Faster Iraq Withdrawal

Need for troops in Afghanistan may drive unexpected shift

(Newser) - US officials in Washington and Baghdad may pull as many as three brigades from Iraq by the time George Bush leaves office, the New York Times reports. The move, driven in part by a need to bolster the American presence in Afghanistan, could remove far more troops than seemed likely...

GOP's Hagel Will Travel to Iraq With Obama

Republican has been a vocal critic of the war

(Newser) - GOP national-security stalwart and longtime McCain friend Chuck Hagel will join Barack Obama on his upcoming trip to Iraq, sources tell the Wall Street Journal. The retiring Nebraskan senator has been a vocal critic of the war and the Bush administration. Despite his Republican credentials, he has been floated as...

Bodies of 2 Missing GIs Found
 Bodies of 2 Missing GIs Found 

Bodies of 2 Missing GIs Found

Soldiers were kidnapped by insurgents in 2007 ambush

(Newser) - The families of two US soldiers missing in Iraq for over a year have been informed that their bodies have been found, reports AP. Alex Jimenez, 25, and Byron Fouty, 19, were seized by insurgents in a May 2007 ambush. Four other soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division "Polar...

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