Iraq

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Maliki Calls Summit to Heal Iraqi Cabinet

PM threatens to replace Sunnis with "alternative" ministers

(Newser) - Iraq’s PM says he will try to salvage his disintegrating government by holding an emergency summit of cabinet members over the next couple of days. The BBC reports that Nouri al-Maliki is even warning Sunnis that he could refill his government with “alternative” ministers if they refuse to...

Iraq Security Costs Soar
Iraq Security Costs Soar
Aug 12, 2007 1:22 PM CDT

Iraq Security Costs Soar

(Newser) - The US Military has paid $548M to two British firms over the past three years to protect engineers working on projects in Iraq—nearly doubling its original budget, according to the Washington Post. A swelling insurgency and shortage of troops are driving up the cost of private security for the...

'War Czar' Concerned Over Troop Stress, Mulls Draft

Sees progress made on Iraq security front

(Newser) - Washington’s “War Czar” admits that it makes sense to a consider a military draft to relieve soldiers of repeated deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. Lt. Gen. Douglas Lute tells NPR that the pressure point will come in spring, when Bush will have to juggle the nation's military needs...

A Prison Aims to Deprogram Young Jihadists

Shia and Sunni students agree on nothing but Harry Potter

(Newser) - The high-security Iraqi prison that once held Saddam Hussein now hosts a pilot program to reeducate jihadist youth. Newsweek visited Camp Cropper, which for the past two months has offered classes and psychological guidance aimed at deprogramming would-be suicide bombers. But the teachers have struggled because the hatred in the...

UN to Increase Iraq Presence
UN to Increase Iraq Presence
Aug 10, 2007 1:20 PM CDT

UN to Increase Iraq Presence

US praises decision, but adds it too will continue to be involved

(Newser) - The UN will expand its role in Iraq and try to help quell the sectarian violence that has hobbled the country, after a Security Council vote today. Iraq's government says it'll help peacekeepers mediate disputes between the feuding sectarian groups and among Iraq’s neighbors in the region; the blue...

Born-Again Actor Leads Charge into Iraq

Commentators cry foul over evangelical care packages

(Newser) - A ventriloquist and a born-again movie star are among those headed for Iraq to entertain US soldiers and fold them into the arms of the Lord, writes Max Blumenthal in the Nation. All well and good, but this version of the Almighty, delivered by the likes of Stephen Baldwin, is...

US Blames Iran for Bomb Toll
US Blames Iran for Bomb Toll
Aug 8, 2007 12:31 PM CDT

US Blames Iran for Bomb Toll

Record number of fatalitles linked to EFP attacks

(Newser) - A sophisticated bomb that the US military has tracked to Iran was used in a record number of attacks on American-led troops last month, the New York Times reports. The  bombs—called explosively formed penetrators—fire  a semi-molten copper slug that can break through the armor of a Humvee. They...

Army: New Republic Scribe Lied
Army: New Republic
Scribe Lied
Aug 8, 2007 10:26 AM CDT

Army: New Republic Scribe Lied

But magazine stands by private's diary from Iraq

(Newser) - The military and the New Republic are at a standoff over the accuracy of a series of damaging diaries by an Army private in Iraq. Army investigators say they're fabricated, that no one in the unit corroborated his stories about petty cruelty among soldiers. But TNR Editor Franklin Foer told...

UN Offers to Boost Iraq Presence
UN Offers to Boost Iraq Presence
Aug 8, 2007 8:56 AM CDT

UN Offers to Boost Iraq Presence

New Baghdad compound and mediation aid also on the table

(Newser) - UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has offered to increase personnel in Iraq for the first time in more than 3 years and is seeking $130 million to build a reinforced compound in Baghdad for the growing UN mission. Ban faces a backlash from member states afraid of inheriting a...

After Uproar, Britain Reviews Asylum Policy

Iraqi interpreters left for dead may win refugee status

(Newser) - A row over the fate of 91 Iraqi interpreters working for the British military took a new turn today, with the government promising to reexamine its refusal to grant them asylum. The Times of London, which broke the story on Tuesday, now reports that Gordon Brown has ordered a review...

US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans
US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans
Aug 8, 2007 4:51 AM CDT

US Rattled by Brit Pullout Plans

Withdrawal schedule expected this fall

(Newser) - The White House is increasingly concerned about the timing of the British troop pullout from Iraq, expected to be announced by PM Gordon Brown in October, the Guardian reports. About 5,000 British troops remain in the Basra area, where they' have already withdrawn to  an area around the city's...

As Brits Leave, Basra Crumbles
As Brits Leave, Basra Crumbles
Aug 7, 2007 9:31 AM CDT

As Brits Leave, Basra Crumbles

Former success story turns sour

(Newser) - The southern Iraqi port of Basra was once hailed as a success for coalition troops, but as British forces pull out, the city is devolving into violent conflict typical of Baghdad. Loose political parties and criminal gangs, which the remaining Brits are powerless to control, are fighting to dominate the...

US Loses 30% of Iraq Weapons
US Loses 30% of Iraq Weapons
Aug 6, 2007 11:47 AM CDT

US Loses 30% of Iraq Weapons

That's 110,000 AK-47s, 80,000 pistols

(Newser) - Nearly a third of US weapons doled out to Iraqi security forces over the past three years are unaccounted for, a GAO report says, and insiders are worried they've fallen into the hands of insurgents. The weapons that the Pentagon can no longer track include 110,000 AK-47 assault rifles...

Gates Warns of 'Protracted' Iraq Stay

Troops will remain to support government, Defense chief says

(Newser) - US troops will likely remain in Iraq for a "protracted period of time," Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned yesterday. Soldiers would remain as a "stabilizing and supporting force" for the government long after combat troop numbers are reduced, he said in a CNN interview. Gates couldn't say...

Extremists, Militias Target Gays in Iraq

Officials, human rights groups dispute extent of escalating violence

(Newser) - Gays in Iraq are the targets of increasing violence by militias, police, and religious extremists, a largely unreported consequence of the 2003 US invasion. A fatwa is in place, reports the Chicago Tribune, and gays are fighting to emigrate to Sweden, Germany, and other countries. Recent reports by the...

Soldier Draws 110 Years for Rape, Murder

Coconspirators handed tough sentences for young girl's death

(Newser) - A military court handed Jesse Spielman a dishonorable discharge and a 110-year prison sentence for raping and murdering an Iraqi girl last year. Spielman and four comrades planned the 2006 assault on a family near Baghdad over a drunken game of cards; they then gang-raped and murdered the girl, her...

Iraq's Power Grid Is Near Collapse
Iraq's Power Grid Is Near Collapse
Aug 4, 2007 7:01 PM CDT

Iraq's Power Grid Is Near Collapse

Insurgents target plants, and provinces are disconnecting from the system

(Newser) - Iraq’s power grid is teetering on the edge of collapse as insurgents destroy almost any attempt to restore power and the country’s fractured government is stalled, the AP reports. With enough power for only half of demand, there have been four nationwide blackouts in the last two days....

Gun-Toting Robots Patrol Iraq
Gun-Toting Robots Patrol Iraq
Aug 4, 2007 4:43 PM CDT

Gun-Toting Robots Patrol Iraq

(Newser) - Heavily armed, remote-controlled robots are on the ground in Iraq—a first in military history. Only three of these robo-soldiers, armed with M249 machine guns, are currently deployed, but the Army has requested 80 more. Their location is classified, but officials report they're involved in reconnaissance and street patrol missions....

Bush, Brown Back UN Iraq Force
Bush, Brown Back UN Iraq Force
Aug 3, 2007 8:09 AM CDT

Bush, Brown Back UN Iraq Force

Security Council resolution could mark beginning of exit strategy

(Newser) - The US and UK have circulated a draft resolution to the UN Security Council that would greatly increase the UN's role in Iraq, writes the Times of London. The resolution follows Bush and Brown's meeting at Camp David and is seen as a step towards an exit strategy from Iraq...

Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll
Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll
Aug 3, 2007 5:48 AM CDT

Long Combat Tours Take Mental Toll

Brit Study: Alcoholism, post traumatic stress soar after 13 months

(Newser) - Soldiers who serve extended tours in combat zones have much higher rates of alcoholism, post traumatic stress syndrome and problems at home, a large British study has found. Of those in war zones for more than 13 months over three years, one in four had "severe" alcohol problems, compared...

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