Topic: Nouri al-Maliki

US 'offering' to keep troops in Iraq? More like begging for permission to stay.

The US appears desperate to keep troops in Iraq beyond this year's deadline. The Iraqis? Not so much.

Democracy protesters sexually assaulted, beaten in Iraq

The takeaway for Iraq's leaders: the authoritarian tactics seem to be working.

Iraq combat operations over?

June has been the worst month for US troops in two years. And violence is surging in Afghanistan.

5 US soldiers killed in Iraq. What does it mean for the withdrawal?

The attack, the deadliest on US troops in Iraq in more than two years, comes months before US forces are slated to exit. The Pentagon has signaled time is short for Iraq to request that troops remain.

Sadr followers send message to US: Don't try to stay

US troops are scheduled to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, but Prime MInister Maliki said he is considering seeking an agreement that would allow them to stay longer.

Iraq's Arab Spring: Protests rise against persistent poverty in oil-rich nation

Iraq claims to have the world's second-largest oil reserves, but 1 in 6 Iraqis live in poverty. Protests have already forced three provincial governors to resign.

US troops in Iraq: US, Maliki weigh possible extension

Amid the volatile Arab Spring and ongoing security threats in Iraq, top US military officials have expressed openness to keeping troops on the ground past the Dec. 31 deadline for withdrawal.

Iraq's Maliki signals he may let US troops extend their stay

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he may extend the Dec. 31 withdrawal deadline if at least 70 percent of Iraq's political leadership back the idea.

UN calls for Iraqi probe of attack on Iranian opposition group

A United Nations statement issued late Saturday said it expected an Iraqi government inquiry into the Iraqi military's deadly April 8 raid on a People’s Mujahideen Organization of Iran (PMOI) camp to be independent.

On anniversary of Saddam's fall, Iraq's Sadr issues warning on US presence

Hardline Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr rallied thousands of followers Saturday. Their message: United States civilians as well as troops must leave by the end of the year.

Iraqis stage 'day of regret' one year after celebrated elections

Iraq's coalition government has yet to fulfill Iraqi hopes and is on increasingly shaky ground. Iyad Allawi pulled out of a powersharing deal this weekend.

After Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia, what comes next?

Pro-democracy warriors in Middle Eastern countries such as Libya, Egypt, and Tunisia push through barriers of fear only to find a constellation of needs, demands, and problems on the other side.

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.

Iraqi officials bend to protesters' demands

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he would personally oversee food rationing for the poor, while Baghdad's provincial chief promised to fire corrupt officials. A major rally is planned for Friday.

Iraqis stage Valentine's Day protest over government corruption, poor services

The Valentine's Day protest came amid reports of a man in northern Iraq killing himself in an apparent copycat self-immolation – the same dramatic act that galvanized popular discontent in Tunisia.

Iraq swirls with rumors of Egypt-like protests to come

With their televisions set to 24-hour coverage of the turmoil in Egypt, Iraqis have mounted a number of modest protests in recent days against power, water, and food shortages.

Pentagon fears Iraq is becoming 'forgotten war'

Despite progress in Iraq, the Pentagon cautions that security in the country remains fragile. Military and civilian officials hint that the US could stay past 2011.

Report: Secret prison in Iraq raises fresh concerns over torture

Human Rights Watch issued a report Tuesday that says Iraqi forces linked to Prime Minister Maliki are running a secret prison for terror suspects.

Meanwhile, in Iraq...

Karbala and the surge of Iraq attacks

Suicide attacks on Shiite pilgrims. Mass murders of police. It's not 2006 in Iraq anymore, but sometimes it feels like it.

Morning roundup: Iraq, Tunisia, and the Arab soul

Kuwaiti PM visits Baghdad for the first time since Gulf war

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki embraced his Kuwaiti counterpart with kisses on both cheeks, a marked departure from the hostile relations both countries seek to put behind them.

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.'

The Monitor's View: Iraq Prime Minister Maliki must set priorities for the new government

The challenges in Iraq are endless, and they all seem urgent. That's why it's important for Maliki and his new unity government to focus on the most important ones.

Killing of Iraq police chief highlights security struggles as US draws down

The suicide attack that murdered an Iraq police chief today is a sign that political violence remains. But such attacks are unlikely to change US plans to leave by the end of 2011.