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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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Syrian activists: scores of bodies found in Aleppo
Intense clashes between rebels and government troops have raged since opposition forces launched an offensive on Aleppo in July. Between 60 and 80 bodies were reportedly found in a contested neighborhood there.
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Focus Why combat role for US women could reverberate worldwide
In many countries, women have historically served in combat when demographics demanded it. But the US move is based on equal opportunity for women – and could become a model for others.
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Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present
Max Boot's entertaining history teaches valuable lessons, but sometimes draws shaky conclusions.
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Czech Republic's new president is former prime minister
For the first time, the Czech Republic directly elected a president, choosing former Prime Minister Milos Zeman. Zeman took office as prime minster in 1998, and has taken favorable positions toward the European Union.
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Women in combat units: Could it reduce sexual assault in the military?
Ending the ban on women in combat removes a barrier to gender equality and could create more respect for women within the ranks, some say. Sexual assault is a major problem for the military.
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Russia's Vladimir Putin says West is fomenting jihadi 'blowback'
Moscow is criticized for weak support of the Arab Spring, and for actively backing Bashir al-Assad in Syria. But the Kremlin says its policies are consistent and the West is exporting revolt.
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Jessica Lynch, ex-prisoner of war, on women in combat
Lynch was 19 when she was captured in Iraq after her Army unit took a wrong turn and came under attack in 2003. She was rescued after nine days.
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Tax VOX Budget crisis: five ways the parties increasingly disagree
Republicans and Democrats are setting out fiscal goals that are light-years apart, Gleckman writes. Here are five stumbling blocks to a budget deal:
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Women could serve in combat in Afghanistan
The plan to let women serve in combat does not have any firm timeline. But it's possible implementation could begin before the Afghanistan war ends, one official says.
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Pentagon lifting ban on women in combat, opening new opportunities
Chiefs of the individual service branches are being told to submit a plan to implement the new policy to the secretary of Defense by May.
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Inauguration 2013: How Obama is different from four years ago (+video)
Inauguration 2013 is different from the 2009 version in many ways – not least the president himself. He's learned some tough political lessons, but he still seems to have ambitious plans.
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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.
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Islamists promise fight across Sahara, but response disjointed (+video)
Foreign military intervention in Africa looked impossible - until last week. French launched airstrikes in Mali. Then European and American oil workers got kidnapped in Algeria.
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Chapter & Verse New book 'Unhitched' puts writer Christopher Hitchens on trial
The book by political activist and writer Richard Seymour was released today.
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French public backs Mali intervention, but for how long?
Experts say that while President Hollande's decision to send troops to Mali has been backed across the political spectrum, the public could sour if the campaign's initial successes don't last.
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War crimes in Syria: Time to appeal to International Criminal Court?
Fifty-seven countries on Monday urged the UN Security Council to ask the International Criminal Court at The Hague to investigate possible war crimes in Syria. The call comes as other groups report a spike in sexual violence in Syria.
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Back in Afghanistan, Karzai shifts tone on US troop immunity (+video)
Failure to agree on an immunity deal in Iraq ensured that US forces pulled out completely by the end of 2011, further diminishing America's influence there.
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Senate 'old boy' network is misfiring on Hagel nomination (+video)
While senators typically support their own in confirmation hearings, that is not the case for former Senator Hagel, whose nomination to be secretary of defense is under heavy fire.
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Afghanistan: The challenge of 'good' vs 'bad' militias
Gunmen in northern Afghanistan want the Karzai government to make their local unit an official part of the security force that will take over after US withdraws.
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US 'fully committed' in Afghanistan, Panetta says. But no troops after 2014?
Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets with President Obama Friday in the wake of a 'zero option' being floated for US troops. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Mr. Karzai met at the Pentagon Thursday.
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Three women 'executed' as 'dark forces' at work in Paris, says Kurdish official (+video)
Three women 'executed': No clear suspects after three Kurdish female political figures were assassinated in Paris early Thursday. Kurdish leaders say the attack on three women is an effort to block moves toward peace.
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Terrorism & Security Kurdish leader's murder in Paris threatens tentative Turkish-PKK peace deal
The killings of PKK founder Sakine Cansiz and two others could be an attempt to derail negotiations between Ankara and the PKK to peacefully end the militant group's separatist campaign.
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Obama administration not ruling out complete troop withdrawal from Afghanistan
'We wouldn't rule out any option,' including zero troops [beyond 2014], Ben Rhodes, a White House deputy national security adviser, said Tuesday.
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Chuck Hagel, Vietnam vet: Would time as a 'grunt' be a plus at Pentagon?
If confirmed by the Senate, Chuck Hagel would become the first Vietnam veteran – and the first enlisted soldier – to hold the post of Defense secretary. To many military veterans, that matters.
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Karzai meets Obama: How will they shape a post-2014 Afghanistan?
Few appear to believe the Taliban can regain power after 2014, when the US withdraws most of its troops. What's key, some say, is developing a US-Afghan partnership that will survive.
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