Iraq News Archives

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

American troops did not expect to play a role in stabilizing Iraq after overthrowing Saddam Hussein, a key adviser to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Monday.

Fewer than 90 civilians were killed in violence in November in one of the lowest monthly death tolls in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, officials said Monday.

WASHINGTON Victor Ruiz has been looking for work since January. An Air Force pension helps, but it's not enough to keep his family afloat.

BAGHDAD: A spate of attacks in Iraq killed seven people when a church and a convent were targeted on Thursday, with one bomb at a busy market claiming three lives as shoppers stocked up for Eidul Azha.

IN THE gardens of the living and the dead, the war goes on; not so much with enthusiasm as with resignation.

Turning on their TVs during the long holiday weekend, Iraqis were greeted by a familiar if unexpected face from their brutal past: Saddam Hussein.

BAGHDAD – A top Iraqi official warned Friday 'it is too early' to claim a breakthrough in a political crisis over the fragile democracy's election law, all but assuring that a national vote will be pushed past its deadline.

" Iraq's faltering election will likely be held in March, the speaker of the nation's parliament said on Friday, the latest date yet mooted by a senior official.

We stand against such attempts. They are doomed to fail. a danger of foreign intervention in the electoral process Two politically influential Shia Muslim preachers yesterday warned of possible foreign interference in Iraq 's coming parliamentary elections.

In this Thursday Nov. 19, 2009, photo Sgt. Michael McCann from Enterprise. Ala., of the 118th Airborne MP Company, a veteran of both Iraq and Afghanistan wars, watches as a driver is stopped at a checkpoint near the town of Balisal Afghan, Logar province, Afghanistan.

In this Aug. 13, 2009, file photo the family of Captain Michael "Scott" Speicher watches as his remains are moved from the jet to the hearse after arriving at NAS Jacksonville in Jacksonville, Fla.

Unknown attackers on Wednesday broke into a house and slit the throats of two women in a brutal Iraqi killing in which four other people including a teenage girl were gunned down, police said.

Iraq's political leaders sought a compromise that would avoid further delay in the country's national election, officials said yesterday, warning that fierce disagreements on how to conduct the election could still unravel any deal.

A local builders' group pitches in to help winterize the house of an Iraq War veteran.

The Czech Republic is prepared to send election observers to Iraq, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Kohout, who has been on a two-day visit to Baghdad since Tuesday, said during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Maliki yesterday.

The U.S. military says an American soldiers has died of noncombat-related injuries in Iraq.

Britain's top diplomat at the United Nations in the buildup to the 2003 Iraq war is giving evidence to the country's inquiry into the invasion.

A spate of attacks in Iraq killed five people and struck a church and a convent on Thursday, with one bomb at a busy market claiming two lives as shoppers stocked up for a Muslim feast and holiday.

Tony Blair deliberately combined the threats from Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida following the 9/11 attacks, the official inquiry into the Iraq War was told today.

American forces stationed in Baghdad were able to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday.

Defense lawyers are alleging misconduct by Justice Department prosecutors in the case against one of five Blackwater security guards accused in the killings of 17 Iraqis in Baghdad.

The Iraqi government has launched an official channel on YouTube, the video sharing site, in an effort to better "share its message" with people in Iraq and beyond.

As the clock strikes 8 p.m. Baghdad time, the curtains sweep apart at the Iraqi National Theatre in what actors hope is a return to regular night-time performances 6-1/2 years after the U.S. invasion.

American Forces Press Service Nov. 20, 2009 - Iraqi security forces arrested five suspected members of the al-Qaida in Iraq and the Islamic State of Iraq terrorist groups today during three combined security operations conducted with U.S. advisors in the Iraqi cities of Ramadi, Tikrit and Kirkuk, military officials reported.

What remains in Iraq is rule-set rationalization: The chief problems in Iraq's commercial code are its incredible complexity, long delays in processing requests for licenses and high cost.

A British inquiry into the Iraq war has revealed there was evidence of links between al-Qaeda and Baghdad, but that these contacts were scaled back in the years before the 2003 invasion.

Two bombs have ripped into Iraq after suicide bombers entered the central part of the city of Karbala.

An inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war began yesterday with top government advisers testifying that some Bush administration officials were calling for Saddam Hussein's ouster as early as 2001 -- long before sanctions were exhausted and two years before the U.S.-led invasion.

The Iraqi parliament today failed to resolve an impasse threatening to delay the country's election in January, which could affect the U.S. military's plans for a partial pullout next year.

Via Michael Goldfarb , you would think the US is monitoring a kindergarten playground instead of fighting a war: Navy SEALs Face Assault Charges for Capturing Most-Wanted Terrorist Navy SEALs have secretly captured one of the most wanted terrorists in Iraq - the alleged mastermind of the murder and mutilation of four Blackwater USA security guards ...

The U.S. State Department announced Tuesday that it is now offering a reward of up to $5 million for a Palestinian bomb-maker suspected of once targeting commercial airliners and of aiding the Iraq insurgency.

A man detonated explosives packed into his car as he approached a police checkpoint north of the western Iraqi city of Falluja on Sunday, killing a policeman, police and medics said.

MANKATO - For a combat medic to perform effectively, maintaining emotional distance is vital when trauma and death visit comrades.

A long-awaited public inquiry into Britain's role in the Iraq war opens Tuesday, with former civil servants first to appear in hearings set to climax with Tony Blair taking the stand.

Iraq's parliament failed Monday to produce an election law that pleased minority Sunni Arabs, prompting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to say that nationwide balloting scheduled for January "might slip" to a later date.

The Sunni insurgent group al-Qaida in Iraq has rebounded in strength in recent months and appears to be launching a concerted effort to cripple the Iraqi government as U.S. troops withdraw, Iraqi and American officials say.

Iraq's parliament suspended efforts today to reach a deal on a law that is crucial for an election to take place in January and could affect the U.S. military' s plans for a partial withdrawal next year.

The U.S. military says an American soldier has been killed in action in Iraq. A military statement said the soldier from the Multi-National Division - South died on Sunday.

Leaked documents have revealed the extent of tensions between UK military commanders in Iraq and their US allies.

A stepped-up campaign by Iraq's prime minister against Saddam Hussein loyalists is alienating Sunni Muslims and stoking tensions between them and the majority Shiites ahead of key national elections.

In this handout photo released by the Iraqi Government, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, speaks during a meeting with sheiks and tribal leaders of al Sudan Shiite tribe, in Baghdad , Iraq , Thursday, Nov.

Iraqi security officials say four people have been killed in attacks in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul.

A leaked Government report on "lessons learnt" after the Iraq war reveals "appalling" failures that left the British Army ill-equipped for battle and the subsequent occupation, it has been reported.

BAGHDAD: The top US military officer in Iraq warned on Wednesday of attacks in the run-up to an expected January general election and said he would ask Washington to alter troop drawdown plans if necessary.

US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said it is too soon to set a timeline for shifting security duties from NATO-led troops to Afghan forces, as proposed by Britain.

An Iraqi official says Baghdad has contacted Tehran in a bid to secure the release of three Americans detained in Iran, but has received no reply.

In its largest reconstruction effort since the Marshall Plan , the United States government has spent $53 billion for relief and reconstruction in Iraq since the 2003 invasion, building tens of thousands of hospitals, water treatment plants, electricity substations, schools and bridges.

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is becoming more Iraqi and less dominated by foreigners as the insurgent group increasingly joins forces with Saddam Hussein's outlawed Ba'ath party, the commander of U.S. forces said today.

A top aide to Iraq's Shiite spiritual leader on Friday urged the country's fractious political blocs to resolve a crisis over a key election law that threatens to delay national polls planned for January.

The Justice Department intends to drop manslaughter and weapons charges against one of the Blackwater Worldwide security guards involved in a deadly 2007 Baghdad shooting, prosecutors said in court documents Friday.

MILWAUKEE - Detainees at a camp in Baghdad, Iraq have found a way to get under the skin of guard troops from Wisconsin.

Early Monday morning, men dressed in Iraqi Army uniforms killed at least 13 people, including a local cleric.

Melinda worries about Aiden when he's befriended by the ghost of a girl who died from leukemia.

Army Lt. Col. Dominic "Rocky" Baragona was killed in Iraq on the day he was going home.

The wives of four South African men abducted on the outskirts of Baghdad, Iraq, nearly three years ago have made an emotional plea for help to President Jacob Zuma.

Iraqi lawmakers will vote Saturday on how to break a deadlock over a key election law after a vice president vetoed the legislation, causing a crisis that could delay a national vote scheduled for January and affect the timetable for an American troop withdrawal.

The international security company formerly called Blackwater Worldwide is facing large government fines for unlicensed arms shipments to Iraq, as a key Congressional committee is asking for a separate investigation into whether the company bribed Iraqi officials.

The UN's special envoy to Iraq has said it will be a "Herculean task" to ensure basic standards are met before Iraq's planned national elections in January.

Reporting from Baghdad - One of Iraq's vice presidents vetoed the country's new election law today, throwing into fresh doubt the feasibility of holding crucial national elections in January and possibly disrupting the withdrawal next year of U.S. troops.

Asian Cup holders Iraq face being kicked out of world soccer after the country's football association was disbanded by a rival sports authority, governing body FIFA said on Tuesday.

More than six years after the U.S. invasion left Iraq's main zoo a wasteland of starving animals and deserted cages, the park in central Baghdad is enjoying a vigorous revival and needs to grow.

A car bomb exploded in a crowded market place in northern Kirkuk on Monday, killing at least six people and wounding six others, Iraqi police and hospital sources said.

An Iraqi police officer allows a heavily loaded car to pass a checkpoint in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, Nov.

In a massacre that revived memories of Iraq's worst years of sectarian bloodshed, assailants dressed in Iraqi army uniforms savagely killed 13 men and boys late Sunday near the restive city of Abu Ghraib, according to Iraqi officials and villagers.

A treat for U.S. soldiers in Iraq, especially action movie buffs. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has visited with U.S. troops in Baghdad, thanking them for their service and sacrifices.

An Iraqi policeman uses a scanner device to inspect a taxi at checkpoint in central Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, Nov.

Afghanistan has slipped three places to become the world's second most-corrupt country despite billions in aid meant to bolster the government against a rising insurgency, according to an annual survey of perceived levels of corruption.

Baghdad, Nov 16: At least 26 people were killed in fresh violence on the western outskirts of Baghdad and in the disputed northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk Monday, police and medics said.

Sadiya Khadem Rashid just needed a stamp. One stamp from Baghdad's city hall so she could receive $850 in compensation given to displaced Iraqis who return home.

Iraq's president was expected to sign a series of agreements during his first state visit to France starting Monday, capping efforts at rebuilding bilateral ties more than six years after Paris spurned the war to oust Saddam Hussein.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped in on U.S. troops in Iraq on Monday, thanking them for the sacrifices they and their families are making.

In this handout photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, 'Late Show' television host David Letterman entertains soldiers at the Coalition Provisional Authority headquarters December 24, 2003 in Baghdad, Iraq.

18, 2006 file photo, Iraq 's Sunni Arab vice president Tariq al-Hashimi, gestures as he speaks to the press following his meeting with other politicians and President Jalal Talabani in Baghdad ,Iraq. Hashimi said Sunday Nov.

The only soldier convicted after an Iraqi civilian died in British military custody is to give evidence to the public inquiry into the incident.

Iraq's Camp Bucca, the US-run jail where around 100,000 prisoners were kept over six years, was a breeding ground for the Al-Qaeda terror network, according to police and former inmates.

Doctors and officials in Fallujah are appealing to the international community for an investigation into the unnatural increase in birth defects, 5 years after two major battles between the U.S. military and Sunni militia groups took place there.

The trial of a British security contractor accused of shooting two colleagues to death has been postponed, an Iraqi official said.

Iraq's Kurdish politicians, locked in dispute with the Baghdad government, will lack unity for the first time when fighting January's general election, due to the rise of a new opposition force.

The trial of a Briton accused of shooting dead two men is expected to begin in Iraq.

The Iraqi government has taken strides to help refugees displaced by the violence in the country over recent years return home, but still "needs to do a heck of a lot more," a U.S. official said Saturday.

A former U.S. ambassador who served as a private advisor to Kurdish leaders in Iraq defended his financial stake in oil fields in the country's north, insisting Saturday there was no conflict of interest.

Iraq's Baghdad Trade Fair ended Tuesday, six years and a trillion dollars after the American invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, and one country was conspicuously absent.

A Palm Springs man who prosecutors say wore military uniforms and medals but never served in the armed forces has been charged with unauthorized wearing of military medals, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

There are two tried and disproved methods for dealing with insurrection in a non-Western country.

An investigation has been launched into allegations that British soldiers tortured Iraqi civilians, Britain's Ministry of Defence says.

When David Hare's hit political play "Stuff Happens" had its Canadian premiere in March 2008, it was showered with praise but the comical bits were often met with nervous laughter from audience members.

Hundreds gathered tonight in Las Vegas to remember a man who was shot and killed point blank after a confrontation at an intersection.

How America's wars are systematically destroying our liberties. - By Alfred W. McCoy Thu November 12, 2009 9:36 AM PST This story first appeared on the TomDispatch website.

Obama administration officials breathed a collective sigh of relief Sunday when Iraq's parliament, after weeks of delays, approved a law to hold national elections in January, very likely permitting a major post-election withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from Iraq.

Ryan Conklin, currently in Iraq, appeared on 'The Real World: Brooklyn.' Just after he appeared on MTV 's "The Real World: Brooklyn ," Ryan Conklin 's life got a bit too real.

In the aftermath of the Fort Hood shootings, some commentaries have examined the damage to the U.S. Army from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Peter W. Galbraith, an influential former American ambassador, is a powerful voice on Iraq who helped shape the views of policy makers like Joseph R. Biden Jr.

four corners area residents recognized local veterans today--months after losing two soldiers from their community. erisa nakano attended a ceremony in shiprock today.... and is live in our farmington bureau tonight. erisa? military officials say there are currently thousands of veterans from the four corners area. today -- members of the navajo nation came together to honor them in their own way. drums and marching marked punctuated a ceremony recognizing proud members of two nations ...navajo and american. "i want to thank every one of the people that went into the military and sacrificed their limbs and their lives." "it brings pride and recognition to us all veterans even here or around the country or around the world." the new mexico minute thumbnail 06:15 pm national guard says several hundred veterans currently live on the navajo reservation. many of them attended the veterans day ceremony at dine college. "she's serving in iraq right now. it's her second time." kimberly kuhn represented her sister today. she said today's ceremony gave her the opportunity to come together with her community -- and sister's service. "i have a lot of respect for the veterans who showed up today, and they helped me realize how much respect i should have for my sister." the navajo nation recently mourned two losses from the war in afghanistan. troy tom was killed there in august. last month--they mourned the loss of shiprock-native sergeant fir class kenneth westbrook. about 200 active service men and women are from the four corners area. reporting live in farmington, erisa nakano, eyewitness news 4.

"Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials.

An Iraqi court has ordered the Guardian to pay Nouri al-Maliki damages of 100m dinar after supporting a complaint by the Iraqi prime minister's intelligence service that he had been defamed by a Guardian story in April describing him as increasingly autocratic.

Disputing an assertion by the top U.S. general in Iraq, Syria's ambassador to Washington on Wednesday denied that his government allows foreign fighters to cross the Syrian border into Iraq.

For veterans looking to continue their education, the College of William and Mary can be the academic equivalent of shock and awe.

Babylon, Sinbad, the Garden of Eden -- war-scarred Iraq touted its attractions for tourists, as it sent a delegation to a major industry fair for the first time in a decade.

a suspected case of road rage in las vegas leaves one man dead and puts a national guard soldier behind bars for murder. santa fe bureau minute thumbnail 06:00 pm chief gadi schwartz just got back from las vegas with details on a case that once again rais questions about the difference between murder and self-defense. gadi. the criminal complaint goes like this... national guardsman richard baca was stopped at a light in las vegas last night. baca says benito lemos got out of the car behind him and started punching him -- saying baca cut him off. the complaint says baca then pulled out a gun and killed lemos... police tell us baca then tried to help lemos after shooting him 3 times point blank. "according to reports when the officers arrived mr. baca was there providing aid type of aid i'm not to sure... " witnesses -- who know lemos -- paint another picture... they say they never saw lemos punch baca -- and tell us after the shooting -- baca started cussing and yelling at the victim's wife and the couple's 2 young children who were in the back seat of the lemos's car... they also say baca didn't start minute thumbnail 06:01 pm trying to give lemos c-p-r until after he saw police. "cold blooded murder i mean that's how it happened i mean even if he is trying to say it was self defense or whatever my friend benito didn't even have shoes and socks on he was out here taking his family out to get some dinner." we just stood there over benito he wasn't even breathing we saw him take his 2 last breaths and it was horrible its horrible its like a nightmare..." baca is currently on leave from iraq is now facing an open count of murder. the las vegas police chief tells us that it will be up to the d.a. to decide whether this is a case of self defense. live in santa fe, gadi schwartz, eyewitness news 4.//

An Idaho soldier has been killed in Iraq, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Former top executives at Blackwater Worldwide say the U.S. security contractor sent about $1 million to its Iraq office with the intention of paying off officials in the country who were angry about the fatal shootings of 17 civilians by Blackwater employees, The New York Times reported Tuesday.

Gov. Ted Kulongoski has made another surprise trip to Iraq to visit Oregon National Guard troops.

A A A' Iraq's prime minister on Tuesday denied reports he will form an alliance with the nation's leading Shiite parties ahead of national polls in January.

This image made from a July 29, 2009 video released Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 by Shon Meckfessel and the families of Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal, shows Fattal in the Kurdish city of Irbil, Iraq.

The first Gold Star license plates issued in Nevada were presented by Gov. Jim Gibbons to families of fallen soldiers.

Army Spc. Paul E. Andersen On paper, Paul E. Andersen was a devoted military man who spent about 25 years with the Army Reserve.

A former British soldier admitted today for the first time that he saw two of his colleagues kicking and hitting a handcuffed Iraqi prisoner minutes before he died.

FORT RILEY, Kansas a ' A Soldier assigned to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Riley, has died from wounds sustained in Iraq.

Katrina Hodge: The 22-year-old soldier has already served in Iraq but said she was hoping to join the effort in Afghanistan after stepping down as Miss England in July next year.

Defense Technology News - By Agence France-Presse on November 9, 2009 at 1:35 am Loading ... Baghdad: A top US army officer said on Sunday he did not have confidence in a hand-held device used by Iraq's security forces to detect explosives and stop suicide bombers passing through checkpoints.

Iraq's parliament ended weeks of debate Sunday and passed a long-delayed law paving the way for the planned January election to go forward, sidestepping a crisis that could have delayed the U.S. troop withdrawal.

October 2007: 170,000 at peak of troop buildup. --Oct. 31, 2009: 117,000 CASUALTIES: --Confirmed U.S. military deaths as of Nov.

BAGHDAD: The Baghdad International Fair opened its doors on Sunday for the first time since 2002 as Iraq searches for investors to rebuild its moribund economy after years of violence and sanctions.

The 82nd Airborne Division's The 3rd Brigade will start arriving home this week after a year in Iraq.

Those taken into custod9 include Army Sunday's bombings caused outrage among many Iraqis and raised questions abou4 the abilit9 of Iraq's government to protec4 its people.

Last week we told you about a woman facing deportation to Guatemala. She came to America illegally at the age of six and eventually married an Iraq war vet who now suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.

US President Barack Obama led his nation in mourning Friday as shocked Americans struggled to understand why a Muslim army doctor unleashed a massacre at a US military base, killing 13.

Golden Valley High graduate dies in Humvee rollover. By CORINNE REILLY creilly@mercedsun-star.com Pfc.

As Iraqis who fled their homes to escape sectarian violence are returning, many face high unemployment and poor access to electricity and water, according to a new report by the International Organization of Migration, a nongovernmental group operating in more than 100 countries.

Australia has ended its combat role in Iraq, but Aussie troops remain in Baghdad protecting diplomats in what has become an increasingly benign security environment compared with the dark days of not long ago.

Iraqi security forces arrested five suspected terrorists today in two security operations.

Iraq's foreign minister has reiterated his country's request for a high-level international envoy to investigate the extent of foreign involvement in recent bombings of government institutions.

Perhaps the most depressing aspect of Thursday's shoot-out at Fort Hood is that none of the 12 people who died in the melee will be counted as casualties of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Iraq's electoral authorities have called for polls due next January to be delayed after parliament failed once more to agree on how to hold the vote.

A collection of stamps to be auctioned in Iraq. The Philatelic and Numismatic Society of Iraq, established in 1951 at the time of the King, has come to life again following the 2003 US-led invasion Photo: AFP On that day the 56-year-old chemical engineer takes off his white coat and raises his auctioneer's gavel.

Iraqi lawmakers blew another deadline Thursday as they continued haggling over an election law that's crucial to the country's political stability and to the Obama administration's plans for a speedy withdrawal of U.S. troops.

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During a ceremony held at Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, on Nov 3, Maj.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki met with a top U.N. envoy in Baghdad to address defense and sovereignty issues relating to a string of deadly attacks.

The U.S. military says two American soldiers have died in Iraq - one in combat and one of noncombat-related injuries.

Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said Wednesday that economic and political cooperation between Iran and Iraq is expanding, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Concern over crucial Iraqi elections grew on Monday as parliamentarians here considered a new United Nations proposal aimed at breaking a two-month deadlock over how to conduct the vote, slated for January. Negotiations over the election law have remained stalled over one of the most emotional issues in the country - the disputed city of Kirkuk.

The United States and the UN, concerned that a further delay would require postponing elections past January, have issued unusually pointed statements in the past week urging the Iraqi factions to try to settle their differences. US Vice President Joe Biden telephoned Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish Regional government, on Sunday to urge him to agree to an election law, Kurdish officials say.

Bombings in central and western Iraq killed at least seven people and wounded 45 others on Sunday, the Interior Ministry said.

Iraq's stock exchange on Sunday moved to electronic trading every day of the business week for the first time, in a step towards embracing the modern world of international finance.

Despite major bombings that have rattled the nation, and fears of rising violence as American troops withdraw, Iraq 's security forces have been relying on a device to detect bombs and weapons that the United States military and technical experts say is useless.

BAGHDAD: British oil major BP plc and China's CNPC signed Iraq's first major new oil deal since the 2003 US invasion yesterday, snapping up a development contract for the Rumaila oilfield, one of the world's biggest.

The bloodshed comes as Iraqi lawmakers intensify negotiations over a new election law that many hope will hasten the end of political gridlock over control of oil-rich Kirkuk - an old dispute between Arabs and Kurds that has threatened Iraq's fragile stability as U.S. troops prepare to leave the country.

The International Organization for Migration says nearly 350,000 displaced Iraqis have returned to their homes but are now suffering from widespread unemployment and lack of resources.

Family and friends of an Army paratrooper from Merced are mourning his death in a Humvee crash outside Baghdad.

Violent deaths in Iraq more than doubled in October compared to the previous month, with 410 people killed across the country, official figures show.

The number of civilians killed by violence in Iraq jumped higher in October after two huge suicide bombings in Baghdad while the two U.S. soldiers killed in combat in October was the lowest monthly number this year, data showed.

Members of the Montana National Guard's 143rd Military Police Company are back in Montana after a yearlong tour in Iraq.

Iraq -Eni sign Zubair oil deal Eds: APNewsNow. . BAGHDAD Iraq's oil ministry has signed an initial deal with a consortium led by Italy's Eni SpA to develop a prized southern oil field.

Nearly half of all Iraqis who died in October perished in a single coordinated attack against government offices in Baghdad, a tally by The Associated Press showed Monday.

DAMASCUS: Iraqi refugee Leila Johanna Isho is determined to make this her last year in Syria.

A police officer in Baghdad has been killed by his own pistol, after it was grabbed by a suspect in last Sunday's bombings.

For Vivienne Pacquette, being a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder means avoiding phone calls to her sons, dinner out with her husband and therapy sessions that make her talk about seeing the reds and whites of her friends' insides after a mortar attack in 2004.

In Iraq, four weekend bombs killed at least eight people and wounded more than 50 others.

Iraqi politicians are dueling with new hostility over the fate of Kirkuk, the oil-rich city that both self-ruled Kurds in the north and Iraq's central government want to control.

A bicycle loaded with explosives killed five people and wounded 37 at a market in Mussayab, south of Baghdad, on Sunday and a bomb on a bus killed at least three more further south in Kerbala, police and health officials said.

A SPATE of bombings across Iraq, including two suicide attacks and a bicycle bomb, has killed seven people and wounded more than 40, according to police.

BAGHDAD An Iraqi police spokesman says a bomb attached to a bicycle has killed five people and wounded 0 0 0 0 05 5 5 near the southern cit9 of Hillah.