Topic: Iraq

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Briefing
Chemical weapons 101: Six facts about sarin and Syria’s stockpile

President Obama said Assad's use of chemical weapons would be a 'red line' for US. Did he use sarin or any other chemical weapon against his own people?
CSMonitor editors share their favorite people to follow on Twitter

Twitter turned 7 this week. In celebration of the social network's birthday, The Christian Science Monitor compiled a list of favorite Twitter accounts. Each is informative and useful in its own way. Find out what each section recommends for you.
When dictators fall, so do their banknotes

The following now defunct or possibly soon-to-be defunct banknotes are imbued with the symbols and iconography of their leaders, past and present.
5 big losers in press freedom: Mali and ... Japan?

The annual World Press Freedom Index released today shows gains for Myanmar and others. Japan tumbled due to an informal ban placed on independent coverage of the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. Here are five of the notable winners and losers on this year’s list.
Inauguration 2013: 10 highlights from previous second-term addresses

Barack Obama will be the 17th American president to deliver two inaugural addresses. Here are 10 highlights from such speeches by previous two-term presidents, including the shortest one ever.

All Content

Meet the Wisconsin teen behind today's Doodle 4 Google (+video)

Doodle 4 Google featured 'Coming Home,' an emotional piece of art by a Wisconsin teenager.
London street slayer references British wars, not Nigerian insurgency

Reports say the suspects in yesterday's butchering of a British soldier have Nigerian ancestry. However, they appeared to be driven by UK involvement in other Muslim nations.
Backchannels Iraqi government still using bomb detectors it knows are faulty

James McCormick was sentenced in Britain weeks ago for selling the same fake bomb detectors in Iraq during the war.
Backchannels Are tit-for-tat sectarian killings enough to tilt Iraq back to war?

Bouts of sectarian fighting have worried observers many times over the past few years, but so far the worst has not come to pass.
Obama to detail terrorism policy including drone attacks and Guantánamo Bay prison

In a national security speech, President Obama will explain his policies dealing with terrorism, the use of drone aircraft, Al Qaeda, and the military prison at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
With Hezbollah's help, Syrian troops push to regain Lebanese border areas

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 30 people, including 16 rebel fighters and one woman, were killed in Qusair in morning fighting, but that the death toll was expected to rise.
Red Moon

Benjamin Percy's supernatural novel is audaciously complex and hauntingly composed.
Robert Reich The problem with Obama's second term

President Obama is allowing the controversies that typically arise in a second term dominate his presidency because he has failed to define his core agenda. Is it a grand bargain on the budget deficit, gun control, jobs, or immigration reform? It's hard to tell.
Christianophobia

British journalist Rupert Shortt documents and examines the persecution of Christians around the world – a problem of which many Westerners are unaware.
Energy Voices How will the US capitalize on its oil boom?

Oil production is surging in the US, sending supply shockwaves through world markets. The US could become the world leader in more ways than one, Graeber writes, but only if it opens its oil spigot.
USA Update Boston bombing suspect reportedly wrote on boat: how it helps prosecution (+video)

The note on the walls of the boat where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found reportedly gives Boston bombing investigators both a confession and a motive: retribution for US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Global News Blog Good Reads: From Chinese dreams, to the Tsarnaevs, to a QWERTY challenger

This week's round-up of Good Reads includes a vague dream for the Chinese, the Boston bombers' connection to radical Islam, why Obama has been so slow to respond to Syria's civil war, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere not seen since the Pliocene era, and a new keyboard configuration for mobile phones.
Terrorism & Security Syrian rebel's video surfaces amid intensified pressure for action on Syria

The gruesome video shocked the international community. With concerns about arming the rebels, attention is turning to greater humanitarian aid as a way to help in the increasingly violent war.
Decoder Wire Why does Prince Harry make Washington swoon? (+video)

Prince Harry, making a visit to the US, interrupted a congressional hearing without attending it. Even Michelle Obama sounded a tad breathless announcing his appearance at a White House Mother’s Day tea.
The Monitor's View: Glint of a Mideast peace as Turkey-Kurd pact plays out

A peace deal to end a long, violent Middle East conflict between Turkey and its minority Kurds began Wednesday when PKK rebels began a retreat into Iraq under a cease-fire. Now Turkey must deliver its part of the bargain. Both sides recognize a new reality in the region.
Terrorism & Security US and Russia team up to make fresh diplomatic push on Syria

US Secretary of State Kerry and Russia's Foreign Minister Lavrov say they hope to convene an international conference on Syria later in May. The US has also stepped up humanitarian aid.
Energy Voices Genel Energy capitalizes on Kurdistan, Africa oil finds

New and increased oil production in Northern Iraq and Africa has come as good news to Genel Energy. The latest feather in its cap is the securing of a rig contract for offshore drilling in its Africa portfolio.
PKK militants start withdrawal from Turkey, fueling optimism for peace process

Kurdish militants have battled Turkey's government for decades. Once interested in independence, the PKK is now pressing for limited autonomy, broader language rights, and full political equality for Kurds.
Opinion: Syria – another sign that US needs to recalibrate Middle East policy

As the US backs into Syria and other Mideast crises, China is proactively and strategically engaging in the region. Its actions point out what America has to lose if it continues to hesitate in the Middle East.
Natalie Maines's first solo album is polished, adult rock

Natalie Maines's album 'Mother' is her first recording since the Dixie Chicks' 2006 album 'Take the Long Way Home.' Maines sets aside the playfulness that often marked her country music work in 'Mother.'
Energy Voices As Kurds gain power, Baghdad may be ready for oil deal

The Iraqi central government and authorities of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government put together a seven-point deal last week that could see the Kurds resume oil exports to Iraq in return for a revision of the Iraqi 2013 budget, Alic writes.
Israeli airstrike in Syria brings Iran onstage, raising risk of proxy war

Iran dismissed Israeli claims that yesterday's airstrike in Syria targeted Iranian weapons destined for Hezbollah, accusing Israel of looking for an excuse to hammer the 'Axis of Resistance.'
Opinion: US intervention in Syria must be legitimate in eyes of international law (+video)

Israeli air strikes on Damascus and the conflicting reports on the use of chemical weapons (sarin gas) may complicate President Obama's decision on intervention in Syria. The US must consider the international laws of war before taking any action.
Suicide bomber targets a Qatari delegation's convoy in Somalia

The suicide bomber detonated a car filled with explosives near the convoy in Mogadishu on Sunday morning, killing seven. The Qataris were unharmed.
Opinion: Thinking through options on North Korea

As history shows, new nuclear states such as North Korea usually probe the limits of their power and test how other international actors respond. But consider this: Once escalation starts, it can be extremely difficult to control.