Topic: Al Qaeda in Iraq
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Top 4 threats against America: the good and bad news
America’s top spy chiefs and intelligence experts come together every year to share their best guesses about the biggest threats that will face the country in the year ahead. Here are the top four pieces of good and bad news to come out of the annual threat-assessment hearing in Congress Tuesday.
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The world in 2011: Trends and events to watch in every region
Monitor staff writers and correspondents in each of the world's regions share what they expect to be top headlines in 2011.
All Content
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Syrian moderates fear being edged out of uprising
Some of Syria's moderate opposition members worry they are losing a place in the fight against the regime as better-armed, more experienced hard-line groups proliferate.
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Jihadis bankroll aid efforts in Syria to win followers
Among those with money to throw around in the scrum for influence are groups like Jabhat al-Nusra, which the State Department says has ties to Al Qaeda in Iraq.
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For newly recognized Syrian rebel coalition, a first dispute with US (+video)
In Morocco, the 'Friends of Syria' recognized the new rebel coalition. But the day was marred by reports of Scud fire by the Assad regime and by a dispute with the US over designating a group as terrorist.
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Terrorism & Security
Will US recognition of Syrian opposition group open channels for weapons support? (+video)The US has refused Syrian rebels weapons because of the presence of jihadi groups fighting there. Could recognition of the Syrian Opposition Coalition change this?
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US draws line in Syria: aligns with moderate rebels, labels others terrorists
On the verge of formally recognizing a rebel coalition as representing the Syrian people, the US designated the al-Nusra Front as a terrorist organization that is an arm of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
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Jihadist-backed Syrian rebels seize military base (+video)
The base's capture comes just days after the US blacklisted the Jabhat al-Nusra militia, members of whom were involved in the operation, as a terrorist organization.
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Backchannels
US designates Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra front a 'terrorist' group at lightning speedThe US State Department designated Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra, one of the militias fighting Bashar al-Assad, a foreign terrorist organization.
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Opinion: Threat of chemical warfare in Syria means it's time for US, NATO no-fly zone
The threat that Bashar al-Assad may use chemical weapons against opposition forces in Syria means it is time for President Obama and America's NATO allies to intervene and establish a no-fly zone. That's a far better option than directly arming the divided rebel forces.
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Backchannels
War crimes and the fantasy of 'controlling' Syria's rebelsAn atrocity in the strategic Syrian town of Saraqeb is a reminder that the landscape of that country's civil war is a place where angels fear to tread.
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Terrorism & Security
Syria: Little hope for Eid ceasefire as conflict spills across borders (+video)An Arab League official indicates a cease-fire is unlikely as Syrian President Assad has signaled little support. Meanwhile, the conflict is showing signs of spilling into Lebanon and Jordan.
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Al Qaeda-style strikes on Shiites in Iraq kill at least 26
The attacks across Iraq appeared coordinated and included car bombings, a favored tactic of Al Qaeda in Iraq.
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White House pressured to tell more about Benghazi attack
Nearly two weeks after the attack in Libya that killed the US ambassador, it remains unclear what prompted it or the degree to which Al Qaeda or some other terrorist organization was involved. Critics say President Obama needs to explain and respond more fully to what happened.
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By fearing rise of Al Qaeda in Syria, US ignores greater threat: inaction
Focusing on Al Qaeda’s potential for exploiting the Syrian conflict distracts from the rapidly mounting costs of US inaction. If the US continues to sit on the sidelines as the human toll rises, it could face a decidedly anti-American government in Damascus, jihadists in power or not.
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Libya attack: US doubts that Al Qaeda planned ahead (+video)
UN Ambassador Susan Rice said Sunday she doubts the deadly attack on the US consulate in Benghazi, Libya, was a pre-planned Al Qaeda operation that could have been detected. As protests to an anti-Islam video continued, some knowledgeable lawmakers aren't so sure.
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Insurgent attacks in Iraq result in over 20 deaths
A wave of bombings in northern and central Iraq also wounded dozens. Over 100 people have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the month.
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Is the Taliban wearing out its welcome in Afghanistan?
Tuesday marked the most violent day in Afghanistan this year, while Afghans are starting to show that they're tired of violence and fed up with the Taliban.
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Opinion: Will Al Qaeda cement its foothold in Syria?
The massacre in Houla, Syria, over the weekend pushed Russia to finally denounce the atrocities there. But Moscow also warned that the regime of Bashar al-Assad faces threats from Al Qaeda. Al Qaeda's future in Syria depends on how Sunnis there respond to foreign jihadi fighters.
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Why Bin Laden disapproved of Al Qaeda in Yemen, Iraq, and Somalia
Osama bin Laden held some of the Al Qaeda franchises in disdain, according to the 17 letters released. Bin Laden also ordered an attack in 2010 on Air Force One, Obama's plane.
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As Al Qaeda moves fight to Syria, violence in Iraq drops sharply
After Al Qaeda-affiliated fighters left Iraq to join the Syrian rebellion, violence has dropped in Iraq, in some areas by as much as 50 percent in just a few months.
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Top US official: Al Qaeda in Iraq joining fight against Syria's Assad
Director of National Intelligence James R. Clapper's comments marked the first time a top official publicly confirmed the involvement of AQI in Syria's uprising.
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Terrorism & Security
After UN condemns Syria abuses, Assad rains artillery down on HomsSyrian leader Bashar al-Assad redoubled his assault on the city of Homs after a symbolic UN General Assembly vote calling on him to step down.
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Top 4 threats against America: the good and bad news
America’s top spy chiefs and intelligence experts come together every year to share their best guesses about the biggest threats that will face the country in the year ahead. Here are the top four pieces of good and bad news to come out of the annual threat-assessment hearing in Congress Tuesday.
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Terrorism & Security
Northern Iraq bomb follows a deadly Iraqi weekendA bomb killed eight people near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul today following a deadly weekend that raised concerns that sectarian tensions are on the rise once again.
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Al Qaeda in Iraq claims responsibility for Baghdad bombings
Al Qaeda in Iraq, the group responsible for many of the deadliest attacks in the Iraq war, claimed responsibility for last week's bombings in Baghdad that killed 69.
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Backchannels
Iraq war: Predictions made, and resultsA look back at some of the predicted US outcomes for the Iraq war, and what happened.
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