Topic: Iraq

Top galleries, list articles, quizzes

10 best books of May, according to Amazon

Amazon's editors picked these 10 books as the best for the month.
Briefing
Top 3 reasons why Al Qaeda is more dangerous than ever

On the one-year anniversary of Osama bin Laden’s death, defense analysts say that there are plenty of reasons to think that a resurgence of the perniciously resourceful Al Qaeda is not out of the question.
Who are the Taliban and what do they want? 5 key points

While Pakistani and Afghan insurgents often get labeled as the 'Taliban,' in reality there are several groups that often act independently and have distinct command structures, ideologies, and strategies.
Six reasons to keep America as No. 1 superpower

Many around the world say American decline would preserve global stability through a better balance of power. They’re wrong, says Steve Yetiv, a political science professor at Old Dominion University. It’s not that other countries or international institutions can’t play vital roles. They do. But they can't yet do what Washington does around the world, Yetiv says. Here he gives six examples.
International Women's Day: How it's celebrated around the globe

International Women's Day has served for more than a century as a day to honor the achievements of women globally. Here are some ways people are celebrating:

All Content

Beyond Kony 2012, child soldiers are used in most civil wars

Kony 2012 campaign calls for plastering posters everywhere tonight. But the use of child soldiers goes far beyond warlord Kony and his LRA. It is the norm in most civil wars. Governments, too, use children to fight. One way to stop it: Deny military aid to these governments.
Panetta says US ready on Syria if required

The Secretary of Defense insisted, however, that diplomacy was the best option.
Containing Syria's chemical weapons

Little-noticed amid the fighting and attempted cease-fire in Syria are the stockpiles of chemical weapons. The US and others are trying to check their use or theft. Russia also needs to pressure Assad into ensuring they are safely stored.
The Bard's bash goes global

As the anniversary of Shakespeare's birth arrives, chances are there's a festival devoted to the playwright near you.
The firing of Brooke Harris: a teachable moment about free speech

Last month, Michigan teacher Brooke Harris was fired for allegedly helping students organize a 'hoodie' fundraiser for the family of Trayvon Martin. By all means, give Harris her job back. But let’s also support the free-speech rights of all of our teachers, not just the ones we agree with.
Tarek Mehanna: Punishing Muslims for free speech only helps Al Qaeda

Tarek Mehanna’s political speech was controversial and offensive. But the prosecution did not show that he was willing to actually engage in violence. Terrorists win hearts and minds when the US government prosecutes Muslims in America with little regard for the Constitution.
Dozens killed in Iraq bomb blasts Thursday

Multiple bomb explosions across the country also injured over 100 people.
Panetta apologizes over latest military scandal
Brigade that posed with dead Afghan bombers showed signs of trouble

Newly published photos show US soldiers posing with dead Afghan insurgents, trophy-like. In 2009, before that brigade had left for Afghanistan, its commander was uneasy.
Backchannels
When Assange meets Nasrallah, you learn the most about Assange (+video)

Julian Assange, the embattled Wikileaks leader, started his new chat show with an interview of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Amid threats to cease-fire, 'Friends of Syria' seek new ways to press Assad

At a meeting in Paris, the 'Friends of Syria' countries supporting the opposition are looking at further cuts in Syria's oil exports. But Russia says the group is undermining the cease-fire.
Change Agent
Karen Armstrong argues for practical compassion

The historian has helped world religions unite behind the idea of a worldwide charter for compassion. Can it become more than just a nice idea?
Pulitzer Prize for history, but not for fiction

The late Manning Marable won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for history, honored for a Malcolm X book. But no Pulitzer Prize was awarded for fiction.
AP wins Pulitzer Prize for series on New York City police spying on Muslims

The Associated Press won a Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting. The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., won for breaking the Penn State sexual abuse scandal. The Huffington Post received its first Pulitzer for reporting about American vets.
Artful diplomacy with Syria and Iran

Kofi Annan and Catherine Ashton each relied on delicate diplomacy to bring some fragile hope to two big security issues – Iran's nuclear program and the civil war in Syria.
Militaries vie for Arctic edge as ice cap melts

By Arctic standards, the region is already buzzing with military activity, and experts believe that will increase significantly in the years ahead.
Student loans: What will you owe? Check here.

Students loans online calculator is being tested by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Users can compare grant and scholarship offers to see what they will owe in student loans.
JetBlue pilot indictment offers view from cockpit: Osbon gave 'a sermon'

An indictment of Clayton Osbon, the JetBlue pilot restrained by passengers, reports erratic behavior in the cockpit, such as telling air traffic control to be quiet and gabbling nonsensical numbers. Osbon will undergo a mental competency exam.
Iran nuclear talks: Why the trust gap is so great

Part of the reason for Iran's distrust lies in the CIA's infiltration of a UN weapons inspection team in Iraq in the 1990s.
How bravery on the ground won controller an Air Force Cross

Capt. Barry Crawford receives the rarely awarded Air Force Cross for coordinating airstrikes and medical evacuations while in the middle of a 14-hour Afghan firefight.
The danger that Saudi Arabia will turn Syria into an Islamist hotbed

A tentative UN-brokered ceasefire does not settle Western concerns over Saudi intervention in Syria. While the US and its allies are wary of seeing Syria become a sectarian battleground, the power brokers in Riyadh seem to have been hurtling toward it – with a form of state-sponsored jihad.
Consumer Energy Report
Top 15 sources of US crude oil imports

Here's where the US is really getting its oil, plus a look at how imports have changed over the past decade.
Decoder Wire
Michelle Obama on 'The Colbert Report': Did she get the best of him? (+video)

In an appearance on 'The Colbert Report,' Michelle Obama scored points for military families and her husband's presidency, while lobbing gentle zingers at Stephen Colbert.
Political dynasties (Romney, Bush, Kennedy) betray basic American values

Families like the Kennedys, Bushes, and Romneys will likely ever seek political power – and the public may well respond with a certain star-struck awe. But hereditary ambition and home-grown royalty run counter to the American Revolution premise ‘that all men are created equal.
The Vote
Ron Paul: Rick Santorum exit could provide opening

With Rick Santorum's exit Tuesday, the GOP race is down to three, and Ron Paul becomes Mitt Romney's biggest threat. Paul can't win, but he could stop Romney from beating Obama.