Topic: Basra

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Taliban tunnel: Five militant escapes under US watch

Taliban sympathizers must surely be heartened by today's spectacular escape of some 500 inmates from a Kandahar prison through a 1,180-foot tunnel. Here's a short list of recent jail breaks (and one near-escape) in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Pictures: Spring equinox celebrations
In Pictures: Just for fun 2010
In Pictures: Christians in Iraq
In Pictures: York Pennsylvania

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Iraq's unity tested by rising tensions over oil-rich Kurdish region

As Iraqi Kurdistan ramps up oil production that could soon surpass Libya's output, Kurdish leaders have warned they may seek independence if disputes over oil revenues, power-sharing aren't resolved.
Global News Blog
At work in Iraq with Anthony Shadid

Naseer Mehdawi, Anthony Shadid's closest Iraqi friend and journalism colleague, recalls their friendship and how together they told the story of Iraq.
Terrorism & Security
Northern Iraq bomb follows a deadly Iraqi weekend

A 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.
Backchannels
The Iraq war death toll? At least 162,000 and counting

Most concerning in a new report's analysis of the Iraq war death toll is evidence of the high level of violence that's persisted since the civil war ended.
Iraq after US pullout – not a doomsday scenario

President Obama met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki today in Washington to discuss the US-Iraq relationship after the final US combat troop pullout this December. Worried pundits foresee the return of rampant terrorism and insurgency, and an Iranian takeover. They're wrong.
US military officials in Iraq warn of growing Iranian threat

American military officials say the upcoming US withdrawal has emboldened Iranian-backed militias, which they blame for recent deadly attacks and allege are stockpiling weapons.
Taliban tunnel: Five militant escapes under US watch

Taliban sympathizers must surely be heartened by today's spectacular escape of some 500 inmates from a Kandahar prison through a 1,180-foot tunnel. Here's a short list of recent jail breaks (and one near-escape) in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Pictures: Spring equinox celebrations
At the salon, Egyptians plan their future

Egyptian novelist Alaa Al Aswany's weekly salon provides a crucial space for discussion during this time of flux. Ousted President Hosni Mubarak had suppressed such events.
Are brothels and bikinis signs of progress for Arab women?

No. So why has the Western media used them as a gauge of social freedoms? Sexual exploitation isn't sexual liberation. Women in the emerging democratic movements in the Middle East stand between the twin dangers of Islamist and secular fundamentalism. They deserve better.
Iraqis stage 'day of rage' despite government lockdown

Iraqi protesters burned or tried to storm government buildings from the southern port of Basra to the northern cities of Mosul and Huwaijah, where at least five were killed.
Attacks on US forces still an option, says Muqtada al-Sadr upon return to Iraq

In his first public address in Iraq since leaving the country almost four years ago, fiery Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr this weekend led thousands of followers in chants of 'No to America.'
In Pictures: Just for fun 2010
Global News Blog
Iraqi Christians face a somber Christmas

Iraqi Christians are canceling services or scaling back celebrations out of concern for safety. Baghdad's Our Lady of Salvation church, which was brutally attacked on Oct. 31, is now surrounded by blast walls.
In Pictures: Christians in Iraq
Iran's supreme leader meets Maliki, heralds a post-US era in Iraq

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is struggling to form a new Iraqi government, visited Iran today as part of a tour that highlights regional influence in Iraq.
Maliki: Iraq within days of ending political stalemate

In an interview with the Monitor, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki says Iraq could announce a new coalition government next week.
Iraq election breakthrough?

A popular anti-American cleric may have thrown his weight behind incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to retain his post, but Iraq's election deadlock hasn't been broken yet.
One less skill for soldiers to master at boot camp: bayonet training

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling opted to discontinue bayonet training for Army recruits. After all, the last US bayonet charge was in 1951. But in the weeks since that decision, Hertling has had some pushback.
Maliki marks end of US-Iraq combat operations

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki welcomed a 'new stage' in US-Iraq relations today, amid trepidation over the US pulling out before Iraq forms a new government.
Iraq road map: the new US ambassador explains hurdles

Iraq's new US ambassador has been welcomed by Iraqi political leaders, who criticized his predecessor for not being actively engaged in the political process.
Wave of Iraq suicide bombings target police

A wave of Iraq suicide bombings and other attacks largely targeted the police on Wednesday, leaving at least 41 Iraqis dead in 7 different provinces. A poll shows that a majority of Iraqis say the US is withdrawing combat troops too soon.
Troops withdraw, but US work in Iraq war unfinished and fragile

The last US combat troops leave Iraq Thursday, shifting the American role in the Iraq war from the Pentagon to the State Department, which faces a potentially unprecedented task.
Iraq attacks likely to increase during Ramadan, says US

With temperatures of 120 degrees, little electricity, and an expected increase in politically linked religious fervor around the Muslim holy month, Ramadan could bring a spike in Iraq attacks.
Iraqi forces ready for US pullout, says Army's Odierno

Attacks such as Saturday's bombing in Basra will not stop the US's planned drawdown of troops in Iraq, the commander of US forces in Iraq said Sunday.