Iraq

Mortar Shells Fired into Baghdad Green Zone During VP’s Visit
On a visit to Iraq to facilitate self-sufficiency after U.S. troops leave, Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Baghdad right before four mortars were fired into a heavily guarded part of the city.

George W. Bush Shoe Attacker Released from Iraqi Prison
The enraged journalist who threw both of his shoes at George W. Bush during a press conference has been released from prison early.

Iraq’s National Security Forces May Have Aided Bombers
The attacks that rocked Baghdad last week may have been the result of Iraq security forces working together with the bombers, though an investigation is still under way.

Spate of Blasts Kill at Least 95 in Baghdad
In the wake of U.S. troops leaving urban areas in Baghdad, multiple bombs went off in the city yesterday, leading to speculation of enhanced security efforts in the region.

Alleged Talks Between U.S. and Iraq Insurgents Being Investigated
Some members of the fledgling Iraqi government are alleging secret talks between U.S. officials and Sunni insurgents, but it has come to light that the talks were well publicized, and common knowledge to Iraqi leaders.

Angelina Jolie Visits Iraqi Refugee Camp
Angelina Jolie made a one-day visit to a refugee camp in Iraq for citizens who have been displaced by the war.

U.S. Troop Withdrawal in Iraq Seen as a Turning Point
U.S. Troops are beginning their withdrawal from urban areas in Iraq, with all troops set to be out of the major cities, including Baghdad, by June 30.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Wants to Strengthen Iraq Intelligence
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a critic of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and troop increases in 2007, now wishes to enhance intelligence gathering and sharing measures in that country.

Clinton Assures Iraq that U.S. Won’t Abandon the Country
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has gone out of her way to reassure the Iraqi people that the U.S. will stand with them, even as plans for withdrawal will soon go into effect.

80 Killed and Many More Wounded in Iraq Suicide Bombings
Three separate suicide bombings in Iraq have left at least 80 dead and over 100 more wounded.

Iraq and China Team up on New Oil Field
Iraq and Chine have made good on a 1997 deal to open a new oil field, inaugurating the first foreign oil development project since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Iraqi Shoe Thrower Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison
Muntadhar al-Zeidi, the Iraqi reporter who famously threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush, was sentenced to 3 years in Iraqi prison for assault.

American Troops to Leave Iraq in 18 Months
The Obama administration is expected to announce soon that it will be calling back all U.S. combat troops from Iraq by August of 2010.

Iraq Sees Journalist, Shoe Thrower as a National Hero
The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at President Bush over the weekend has warmed the hearts of many Iraqis, becoming a cult hero in his home country.

President Bush Goes on Farewell Tour, Has to Dodge Flying Shoes
President Bush, making a final visit to Iraq before handing over the reins to President-elect Barack Obama, ducks shoes thrown by an Iraqi reporter and claims that the "war is not over."

Military Leaders Did Nothing about Known Bomb Threats in Iraq
A Pentagon report indicates that the Marine Corps was negligent in failing to provide more heavily-armored vehicles in Iraq that could have saved the lives of many soldiers.

Amidst Iraq Violence, Iraqi Soldier Kills Two American Allies
U.S. and Iraqi allies engaged in a deadly confrontation on Wednesday as the country endured a flurry of bombings.

Chalabi, RAND and the Iraq War
Article on the pre 9/11 plans for war in Iraq by Alex Abella, author of, Soldiers of Reason: The RAND Corporation and the Rise of the American Empire, the first-ever popular history of the secretive RAND corporation that has been a driving force behind US government and military policy for sixty years.

Petraeus Reports on Progress in Iraq
Military Commander Petraeus Reports on Progress in Iraq in front of Senate Panel.

‘The Republicans Own This War,’ Senate Can’t Pass Troop Rest Bill
Republicans and Democrats fail to come together to support a bipartisan bill to allow American troops serving in Iraq more time at home.

Iraqi Ally to the U.S. Killed in Bombing; Supporters Vow Revenge
In a significant blow to the United States’ efforts in Iraq, U.S. ally Sheikh Sittar, also known as Abu Risha, was killed in Iraq this week.

Sen. Chuck Hagel and Sen. John McCain Square Off on Iraq
Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Sen. John McCain of Arizona, both former combatants in Vietnam and both possible contenders for the U.S. presidency, split on policy in Iraq.

Soldier Gets 100 Years for Raping Iraqi Teen, Killing her Family
A U. S. solder was sentenced to 100 years in prison Thursday for participating in the gang rape of an Iraqi girl and the murder of her family.

Soldiers in Iraq Save Lives with Silly String
A New Jersey mother is leading a campaign to send thousands of cans of Silly String to Iraq, to help soldiers detect trip wires that might kill them.

Suicide Truck Bomber Kills Two U.S. Troops in Iraq
The U.S. military is reporting that a suicide truck bomb killed two American soldiers and wounded twenty five more at a U.S. Army outpost in Baghdad on Thursday.

Three Iraq Veterans Become Citizens
A citizenship ceremony took place Monday granting citizenship to three soldiers who were injured in Iraq.

Mother Fights for Removal of Dead Son’s Name from Anti-War Shirts
A woman whose son died two years ago in Iraq is fighting to keep a man selling anti-war t-shirts from using her dead son’s name to sell his anti-war message.

Walter Cronkite Tells Reporters: "We Should Get Out Now"
Former CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite told reporters on Sunday that he thinks it’s time for the U.S. to withdraw from Iraq.

Video Shows Execution of Helicopter Crash Survivor
An Internet video created by the Islamic Army was posted on Islamic websites Thursday showing the aftermath of a helicopter crash for which they have claimed responsibility.

Bodies of 70 Slain Iraqi Hostages Found
Two grisly discoveries were made Wednesday when Iraqi forces found more than 50 dead bodies in the Tigris River and 20 Iraqi soldiers shot to death in a soccer stadium.

Russia feels US presence in Iraq a threat to its security
The war in Iraq has prompted Russia to act on the words of the Czar Alexander III that Russia has only two allies – its army and the navy – and master up its defense resources and intensify combat training of the armed forces.

How Britain helped Iraq set up nerve gas plant: a 'dirty secret' exposed
Find out how the so-called defender of the world had helped those who are supposed to destroy the world.

Iraq: Iraqis Demonstrate in Wake of Bombing
Much of the world, as well as thousands in Iraq, have voiced displeasure over the U.S. and British bombing of Iraqi military installations.

Iraq's Cabinet Launches London Investment Drive to Compensate for Falling Oil Price
Drop in value of commodity forces Iraqi government to look abroad for foreign money

Iraq: Dozens Killed Following Al-qaida Leader Capture
At least 83 people dead after suicide bombings following apparent arrest of Abu Omar al-Baghdadi

Iraq: the Legacy - Ill Equipped, Poorly Trained, and Mired in a 'bloody Mess'
A look at the Iraq war from an intelligence and political perspective, as British troops prepare to leave

Iraq: the Legacy - Basra's Failed Oil Bonanza
As the pressure to get the oil pumping proved unrealistic, Iraq is still struggling to benefit from its own wealth

Iraq: the Legacy - Basra Six Years After the British Arrived
Martin Chulov reports on Basra's infrastructure – and the challenges the Iraqi city now faces

Iraq War: Gordon Brown Aims to Delay Inquiry Report Until After Election
Wide-ranging investigation to focus on conduct of Iraq war and breakdown of law and order afterwards

Brown to Consider Iraq Inquiry
Senior military figures said to be angry their officers will be called to give evidence

British Captives in Iraq Alive, Officials Say, As Video Released
Revelation comes after British embassy in Baghdad received tape of one hostage, the first in eight months

Full Disclosure on the Iraq War
George Monbiot: Labour must release the Iraq cabinet minutes and launch a full independent inquiry to regain the trust of the electorate

Iraqi Shoe Thrower Trial Resumes
Muntadher al-Zeid stands trial inside Baghdad's Green Zone at the central criminal court, an area normally reserved for terrorist cases

Iraq's Former Deputy Prime Minister Jailed for Role in Executions
Apologist for Saddam Hussein regime, Tariq Aziz, sentenced to 15 years

Family of Iraqi Shoe Thrower Calls for His Release on Eve of Trial

Muntadhar al-Zeidi faces up to 15 years in jail if found guilty of assaulting George Bush

Female Suicide Bombings in Iraq Over the Last Year
Latest attack was on pilgrims at shrine in northern Baghdad

Gay Iraqi Could Face Death Penalty If Deportation Goes Ahead
Asylum seeker would become seventh gay Iraqi to be returned from the UK to country where homosexuality is punishable by death

Iraq Forces Arrest Suspected Recruiter of Female Suicide Bombers
Video shows woman nicknamed 'mother of believers' describing how she would persuade recruits to carry out missions

Boost for Maliki As Party Appears to Sweep Election
Iraq's prime minister dominates weekend elections in which his candidates reportedly swept the Shia provinces

Iraqis Turn Out in Record Numbers for Crucial Elections
Voter turnout beyond expectations with monitors reporting little violence or overt signs of interference

In a Man's World, is Iraqi Politics Ready to Embrace Women?
Thanks to Iraqi's provincial election rules, women make up 30% of candidates but many keep a low profile

Q&A: Iraq Elections
What is being contested ? and who is standing?

Violence and Intimidation Mark Run-up to Iraqi Elections
Two candidates killed and widespread reports of threats and bribery as country goes to the polls

US Security Firm Loses Licence to Work in Iraq
Decision prompted by guards' 'improper conduct and excessive use of force'

Government Must Release Cabinet Minutes on Lead-up to Iraq War
Information tribunal orders publication of minutes following battle by campaigners

Cabinet Ordered to Reveal Minutes on Iraq Invasion
Government subject to order from Information Tribunal to disclose minutes of two meetings in 2003

New Admission Over Legal Advice on Iraq Invasion
Government fails to provide proof that the former attorney general was not pressured to change his initial opinion that 2003 invasion could be illegal

Iraq Victims Sue Uk Security Firm
Hampshire-based company accused of attacking unarmed Iraqi civilians leaving them with severe injuries

HRW Report on Iraq Reveals the Failings of Iraq’s Central Criminal Court
The only place in Iraq where one can find Justice is the tomb.

Wicked Larceny of Natural Resources, Deliberate Diffusion of Chaos: the Only US Target in Iraq
HRW Report on Iraq: revelation of the evilness and inhumanity of the Bush administration – those who promised to bring the Paradise of Earth, but delivered the worst version of Hell.

Iraq - Monstrous Tyranny Imposed by Pseudo-Kurds on Christians and Turkmen in Erbil
Today, there are very few Aramaeans in Erbil because, according to the Freemasonic UK / USA plans, Christianity in Iraq has been mercilessly persecuted.

Obliterating Humanity, US / UK-occupation of Iraq is Worse than Saddam Hussein’s Tyranny
The HRW Report sheds light on an impossible situation ensued from the calamitous mismanagement of the country by the biased US administration.

Post-Saddam Iraq: the Prevalence of Injustice and Inequity
This 42-page HRW Report documents how thousands of defendants in Iraq wait months or even years before facing a judge and hearing charges against them in the Central Criminal Court (CCCI), and cannot pursue a meaningful defense or challenge evidence against them.

Arbitrary Detention of Iraqi Turkmen by Kurdish Islamic Terrorists
A dramatic U-turn has to take place in Iraq before the ‘Kurdish’ mask of Al Qaeda falls and dozens of millions of innocent people throughout the Middle East are sacrificed in the next Holocaust.

Polygamy Dictatorially Imposed in Iraq, by Al Qaeda Agents, Pseudo-Kurds Barzani, Talabani
Behind their fallacious mask, Talabani and Barzani are remorseless terrorists and merciless thugs of the worst sort.

Iraq, India, Israel and the MV FAINA Piracy Crisis – Across-the-board Updates by Ecoterra
The MV FAINA piracy crisis is about to complete 3 months of terrible suffering fro the crew members.

Denunciation of Atrocities Committed by "Kurdish" Terrorists in Iraq and Abroad
Recent atrocities committed in Kerkuk and outside Iraq by the terrorist militias of the pseudo-Kurdish "leaders’ Talabani and Barzani

Kerkuk - Capital City of Turkmeneli (Iraqi Turkmenia) and the Pseudo-Kurdish Claims
A new contribution by Mofak Salman Kerkuklu

Devastating Criticism of the Anti-Christian Policies of the Evangelicals and their Puppets in Iraq
The hateful and malicious (spiritual) terror campaign of the Evangelical Broadcasting Channel against the Christian Aramean nation continues undiminished.

US Cooperation with Asayish – the Al Qaeda "Kurdish" Cell in Iraq
The longer Talabani and Barzani are allowed to fallaciously represent a territory that is not theirs and a population that in its outright majority rejects them with the utmost resignation, the better for the Asayish it is.

US Iraq Invasion’s Only Success: Extermination of Aramaean Oriental Christianity
The outright majority of the Iraqi Christians, who are ethnic Aramaeans, have left abroad in order to escape the massacre that the Satanic administrations of pseudo-Christian Western countries mercilessly planned and delivered to them.

Turkey Tasked to Remove Talabani’s and Barzani’s Pseudo-Kurdish Thugs Out of Kerkuk
Kerkuk belongs to the Turkmen, and this is what all the Europeans and the English said by themselves, when they crossed the Ottoman Empire during the last two centuries of its existence.

Denunciation of the Lies Diffused by Anglo-French Colonials and "Kurdish" Terrorists About Iraq
In fact, Kerkuk belongs to the Turkmen, and this is what all the Europeans and the English said by themselves, when they crossed the Ottoman Empire during the last two centuries of its existence.

Devastating Refutation of the UK-promoted Fallacy about ‘Kurdish’ Historical Presence in Kerkuk
All the Western travelers reveal to all of us today that Kerkuk was never "Kurdish".

What the Ominous ICG Report Did Not Say about the Fabrication of the so-called Nation of Kurds
When a document focused on the Iraqi North that totals 19100 words mentions the Yazidis only once, then you can just call the document a "trash".

Devastating Refutation of the ICG Report on Northern Iraq by the Turkmen
Oil for Soil’ ICG Report: A Misinterpretation, a Misperception or Imposition of the Fait Accompli?

Inconsistencies of US Foreign Policy - Deputy U.S. Secretary of State John Negroponte’s Inertia
When the declared values of a country are in striking opposition with that country’s evident practices, the country is discredited, distrusted and disregarded.

Massacres of Christians in Iraq Prove Need for Independent Aramaean Christian State in Iraq, Syria
The concept of the Aramaean Christian independent state in Mesopotamia (parts of Iraq and Syria) is key to issues of nation-building throughout the plagued land that has been the Cradle of the Mankind.

ICG Recommendations for Iraq: Chaos and Wars to Serve Evil Freemasonic Messianic Plans
Turkey cannot and does not recognize the Kurdish terrorists Talabani and Barzani who happen to have had contacts with the Turkish state only due to US and EU pressure.

Iraqi Turkmen Targeted by Pseudo-Kurdish Terrorists Talabani and Barzani
"The Turkmen City of Tuz Khormatu" by Mofak Salman Kerkuklu - last chapter and appendix

Genocidal Practices of Al Qaeda-led ‘Kurdish’ Leaders Talabani and Barzani Against Turkmen
Talabani and Barzani, who have been maintained in life through continuous colonial interference and French diplomatic concern, turned out to be death squads' leaders and unrepresentative, tyrannical rulers.

Turkmen Ethnic Cleansing in Iraq, Perpetrated by "Kurds" Connected with Al Qaeda
The fully exposed and well-documented criminality of the Talabani and Barzani death squads only underscores the need for their immediate elimination.

Freemasonic Journalism and Western Mass Media Misinformation About "Iraq"
The colonial entity "Iraq", as created as a fake state by the English colonials in order to be part of the great Anti-Turkish, Anti-Ottoman, and Anti-Islamic project that was unfolded in the Middle East and Northeastern Africa.

Saddam Hung for Cruel Arabization – Talabani, Barzani to Be Impeached for Murderous Kurdification
The worst colonial method is the creation of fake nations into which the colonial paranoid and inhuman gangsters compress and squeeze many different nations.

Iraqi Turkmen – Racist Colonial Projects of Arabization and Kurdification Progress Denounced
Through an overview of Mesopotamia’s Modern History, one understands that all the problems of the various local peoples and ethno-religious groups derived from the evil colonial plans of the Apostate Freemasonic Lodge that totally controls the political establishments of England and France.

Iraqi Turkmen History Reveals Evil Freemasonic Plan to Create a Bogus - Kurdish Nation
All the English colonials’ puppets – rulers have been killed by the same way, namely rulers’ subordinates who were also employed by the colonials as agents against their local masters.

Protect Iraq’s Turkmen Cultural Heritage from Barbaric "Kurdish" Terrorists
Several Turkmen, Aramaean (mistakenly called ‘Assyrian’), Yazidi and Mandaean sites should be immediately included into the World Heritage List of the UNESCO.

Turkmen Culture and Literature in Northern Iraq – True Identity vs. Fake Kurdish Propaganda
The Turkmen historicity of many lands falsely claimed as ‘Kurdish’ will be one of the obstacles to the evil plans of the Apostate Freemasonic Lodge to set up a bogus-state called Kurdistan that will be the Hell-on-Earth.

William Guthrie's Turcomania: the Correct Name for Inexistent Kurdistan
The Turkmen historicity of many lands falsely claimed as "Kurdish" will be one of the obstacles to the evil plans of the Apostate Freemasonic Lodge to set up a bogus-state called Kurdistan that will be the Hell-on-Earth.

Unilateral Turkish Intervention in Northern Iraq, Demanded by All Local Populations
The time for Turkey to intervene in Iraq is now.

PKK Real Leaders, ‘Kurdish’ Terrorists Talabani and Barzani, Exposed
The thugs-in chief Talabani and Barzani do not understand that with their terrorist acts they only dig – only too well – their own tombs.

UN, Ban Ki-Moon Flooded with Protests Against ‘Kurdish’ Terrorists’ Anti-Christian Pogroms
Protestations sent to the UN Secretary General against the Christian exodus from Northern Mesopotamia (Iraq), which was perpetrated by the Kurdish terrorists Talabani and Barzani.

US – EU Use ‘Kurdish’ Terrorists Talabani, Barzani, and Al Qaeda to Eliminate Oriental Christianity
Call for an all-Aramaean awakening which is in fact the only means to avert the ominous Freemasonic plans of eschatological and messianic dimensions that have been promoted at the unbeknownst of the entire Mankind.

How US – EU Academia, Politicians and Mass Media Create a Fake Kurdistan with False Data
What Dr. Jerjis comprehensively analyzes and entirely unveils is in fact a Western machination to create of bogus-Kurdish state.

Kurdish Terrorists’ Dreams Predestined to Doom because of Kerkuk’s Turkmen Determination
Speech given by Ali Mehdi Sadeq, Member of Kerkuk City Council, who focused on the Kirkuk region project

Save the Tyrannized Yazidis of Iraq from Al Qaeda and Gangsters Talabani – Barzani!
Al Qaeda hates the Yazidis.

Kerkuk Belongs to Turkmen, and Will Never Become "Kurdish"
Speech given by Rakan Saeed, Member of Kerkuk City Council

Kerkuk Turkmen Took to the Streets Against Article 140 of the Permanent ‘Constitution’ of Iraq
Criticism on Article 140, expressed by Tahsin Kahya, Member of Kerkuk City Council

Iraqi Turkmen Appeal to the European Union
Turkmen Message to the European Union by Muzaffer Arslan

Turkmen Kerkuk Says No to Arabization, and No to Kurdification
Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives - The Views of Kerkuk´s Turkmen and Arabs, a Conference Report

Turkmen: Fighting for Freedom, National Independence, and Cultural Integrity in Occupied Iraq
It is essential that the Iraqi Turkmen launched since the early days of the colonization numerous organizations that served as canvas of national authenticity, cultural continuity, and historical integrity.

Kerkuk belongs to Turkmen
Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives - Conference Report

Kerkuk and the Turkmen of Iraq
Kerkuk Problem and Article 140: Defining Alternatives - The Views of Kerkuk’s Turkmen and Arabs: Conference Report

Freedom for the Forgotten Turkomans (Turkmen) of Iraq
Victims of the colonial projects of arabization, launched by the evil English colonials since the 1920s, the Turkomans have long been targeted as a ‘disturbing’ and ‘undesired’ element.

US $ 13 million to Atone the US for the Destruction of the World’s Supreme Heritage – Mesopotamia
The historical fallacy ‘Iraq’ helped diffuse a false, ‘Arabic’, identity among Sunni and Shia Arabic speaking Aramaeans.

Draft Agreement Promises Troop Withdrawal By 2011
Baghdad officials outline departure plans for US and UK troops after months of fraught negotiation

Britain Plays Down Iraqi Pm's View That Troops Not Needed
Ministry of defense argue that 800 soldiers necessary for training and security purposes

Christian Aramaeans: Top Victim of the US Policy in Mesopotamia (Fake, Colonial Iraq)
For the evil plans of the Freemasonic colonial elites of Europe, the Nestorian Aramaeans have to disappear totally, and if this is not possible, to emigrate from their homeland and get dispersed.

Iraqi Government Fuels 'war for Oil' Theories By Putting Reserves Up for Biggest Ever Sale
Unprecedented 40bn barrels of recoverable reserves on offer to Western oil companies

Iraq is 'safer Than Wall Street'
Investing in Iraq is safer than investing in the stock market, says the investment minister for Kurdistan

Two Us Helicopters Crash in Iraq
US military says one Iraqi soldier was killed when two Black Hawk helicopters collided on landing in Baghdad

BBC to Screen Iraq Drama
Hard-hitting series will be corporation's first on invasion, after earlier projects controversially pulled

SAS Man Was Killed in Iraq By Bullet Used By British Troops
Inquest hears that none of the Iraqis detained had weapons capable of firing 5.56mm bullet

Shell's $4bn Iraq Breakthrough Could Boost Britain's Natural Gas Supplies
Anti-war campaigners and senior Iraqi figures question secrecy surrounding joint venture

US and Uk Failing to Monitor Flood of Arms Into Iraq, Amnesty Warns
Availability of small arms has contributed to torture, executions and arbitrary detentions, report says

Progress is Fragile, Says New American Commander in Iraq
David Petraeus to oversee all US forces in the Middle East and his deputy steps up to lead Iraq troops

American soldiers and War crimes in Iraq
I don't know "" Why do American and British soldiers in Iraq kill innocent Iraqi civilians?!!! """

Iraq: Arrests of Sunni Tribal Leaders Risk Giving Al-qaida a Way Back, Says Iraqi Vice-president
Government dragging its feet on pledge to take fifth of al-Sahwa members into the security forces

Iraq: Al-qaida Intensifies Its Stranglehold in the World's Most Dangerous City
Insurgents turn de facto northern capital into war zone by exploiting divisions between Arabs and Kurds

General David Petraeus Warns of Long Struggle Ahead for Us in Iraq
Outgoing commander of country's troops in Iraq says recent security gains are not irreversible

Victims or Villains?
There have already been 30 suicide bombings by women and girls in Iraq this year - almost four times as many as in the whole of 2007. The increase has been put down to their ability to evade security checks. But, reports Jonathan Steele, the reasons go much deeper

War in Iraq: Bush Announces 8,000 Us Troops to Be Out of Iraq By February
The scope and pace of the US troop withdrawals are smaller than long anticipated

Bush Limits Iraq Troop Withdrawal to 8,000 and Orders 'quiet Surge' in Afghanistan
Barack Obama says president's move 'comes up short' in recognizing urgency of situation

Inmates Tell of Sexual Abuse and Beatings in Iraq's Overcrowded Juvenile Prison System
Children held in appalling conditions in Baghdad's prisons and convicted without fair trial

Iraq: Iraqi Army Readies for Showdown With Kurds
Most serious threat of clashes since fall of Saddam Hussein hangs over city of Khanaqin

US Hands Back Control of Anbar to Iraqi Forces
President George Bush praises achievement saying province has been 'transformed and reclaimed by the Iraqi people'

Anbar Back in Iraqi Hands As Al-qaida Ousted
Increase in Iraqi police numbers credited with helping to bring stability to formerly dangerous province

Iraq Claims Success in Push for Early Us Troop Withdrawal
Negotiations continue on military presence after UN mandate expires, but remaining troops face restrictions on movement

Iraqi Police Disarm Girl Sent on Suicide Mission
Video pictures show her handcuffed to a metal frame as officers tried to cut away the bomb

No Deal Reached Over Future of Us Troops in Iraq
US negotiators have not yet succeeded in getting Iraqi officials to agree to keep US troops well into the next US president's first term, says US Secretary of State

Rice Denies Date for American Troop Withdrawal From Iraq Has Been Agreed
Secretary of state says reports that a draft deal on pulling out combat troops from Iraq are premature

The Crimes of America in Abu Ghraib
I don't need your sympathy but I need your conscience.

Suicide Bomber Strikes Shia Pilgrims in Iraq
A female suicide bomber has struck a group of Shia pilgrims south of Baghdad, killing at least 18 people and wounding dozens more, say Iraqi police

US Sailors Charged With Abusing Inmates at Iraq Detention Centre
Six sailors have been charged with abusing Iraqis under their guard in the huge desert prison in southern Iraq used by the US military as a detention center for thousands of prisoners

Staff Revolt at Baghdad Museum
Iraq's national museum, home to many priceless artifacts which were thought to have been looted after the fall of Baghdad, has been plunged into a new crisis because of a revolt by staff.

Jordan's King in Flying Visit to Iraq
First Arab head of state to visit Baghdad since 2003 invasion in bid to normalize ties with Iraqi government

Iraqi Militia Leader to Order Followers to Lay Down Their Arms
Army behind much of the violence since the 2003 invasion but forces have maintained ceasefire since May

Mahdi Army Deal: Iraq Deployment Was Not Affected, Says Mod
British defence officials deny secret deal with Shia militia kept UK forces out of March offensive in Basra

Iraq Abuse Claims: British Troops 'made Muslim Commander Hear Porn Videos'
Fresh damning allegations emerge against the conduct of UK soldiers in Basra

Bombers in Iraq Kill at Least 57, Dashing Hopes of Improved Security
US military and Iraqi officials blame al-Qaida for attacks that targeted Kurdish rally and Shia pilgrims

MPs 'misled' on Iraqi Treatment
Senior officers failed to ensure soldiers knew what interrogation techniques were illegal, committee finds

MoD Plans Raid on Landmine Removal Fund to Keep Tornados Flying in Iraq
Money to clear landmines and remove arms from conflict zones used to pay BAE Systems

Iraq: Alarm at Forced Transfer of Basra Union Activists
Lives of eight men said to be at risk for their opposition to foreign control of oil exploration and production

Brown Indicates End is in Sight for Britain's Occupation Role in Iraq
PM not clear on whether Britain seeks permanent base and how many soldiers will stay behind

Iraq Withdrawal Likely By 2010, Pm Hints
Report says 'high degree of security' and conditions for political progress restored to Basra

Iraq Hostages: Brown Urges Iraqi Kidnappers to Release Britons As One Hostage is Reported to Have Killed Himself
Foreign Office investigating video passed to newspaper that claims hostage has taken his own life

Further Anguish for the Families As Kidnappers Claim British Hostage in Iraq Has Killed Himself
Video reports proof of death will be provided if government begins negotiating release of prisonners

British Hostage 'killed Himself'
One of the five British hostages seized in Baghdad in 2007 has committed suicide, according to videotaped statement

Iraqi Militants Claim British Hostage Kidnapped in Baghdad Has Committed Suicide
Claim comes in a video message passed from a group purporting to have seized five Britons in 2007

Brown Sets Out Plan for Uk Pull-out From Iraq
Prime Minister declares aim to hand Basra over to local military forces as early as next year

Gordon Brown Hints at Troop Withdrawal During Trip to Iraq
Prime minister praises progress made in Basra but refuses to set fixed timetable for bringing troops home

Gordon Brown Visits Iraq for Military Talks
Prime minister makes surprise visit to Baghdad for talks with Iraqi leaders and US commander ahead of Commons briefing on troop withdrawal

MoD Faces Legal Action After Teenage Iraqi Claims Sexual Humiliation By Soldiers
Lawyers allege there are ten other Iraqi victims that suffered from beatings and abuse

Iraq Teenager Accuses Uk Soldiers of Sexual Assault
Royal Military Police investigate allegation that British soldiers sexually assaulted a 14-year-old Iraqi boy

Priceless Treasures Saved From Looters of Baghdad Museum
It is known as one of the worst episodes of the war in Iraq: one of the world's greatest archaeological collections ransacked while American troops stood by, unable or unwilling to act. But now a different picture is emerging of the looting of the National Museum in Baghdad.

Rules of Engagement
Abuse of Iraqis by British soldiers was caused by a failing in leadership, says army director

MoD Pays £3m Over Abuse of Iraqis in Custody
Compensation for father of Baha Mousa, a hotel receptionist, who died in the custody of British troops

Jordan Appoints Ambassador to Iraq After Five-year Absence
Jordan appoints ambassador to Iraq for first time in five years

What is the Real Death Toll in Iraq?
No one knows how many Iraqis have been killed in the five years since the invasion, and now a bitter war of numbers is raging. Jonathan Steele and Suzanne Goldenberg report

151,000 Civilians Killed Since Iraq Invasion
Figures up to June 2006 from household survey · Government accepts new estimate on death toll

Iraq: Vaccinations Did Not Cause Gulf War Illness, Says Study
Soldiers' post-2003 Gulf war syndrome not due to vaccinations according to research

British and Us Companies Win Iraq Oil Contracts
Contracts fuel speculation that Iraq invasion was about oil

US Army Blames Leaders Over Post-war Iraq
Too much focus on getting rid of Saddam without looking towards making a stable society, says study

Iraqi Mps Stall Deals on Bush Benchmarks
Three key US-backed measures on oil, provincial elections and future of US troops are mired in Iraqi parliament

Iraq Report: Job Prospects Would Combat Insurgency
Iraq needs a job surge to deprive the insurgency of recruits and less debate on whether US forces should stay or leave, a thinktank said today

Iraqi Suicide Bomber Kills 12 at Meeting of Sheiks
Attack on government meeting is third in one week in or near Baghdad

Oil Giants to Sign Contracts With Iraq
Iraq's oil ministry in talks with BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell and Total about renewing exploitation of vast reserves

Gunned-down Iraqi Journalist Wins Amnesty Uk Media Award
Amnesty International has posthumously awarded its new media award to Iraqi journalist Sahar al-Haideri. By Stephen Brook

Baghdad Car Bomb Death Toll Rises to 63
Explosion at market in Shia neighborhood was deadliest in Iraqi capital for three months

Baghdad Insists on Right to Veto Us Operations
Iraq wants the right to say no to US under agreement currently being negotiated with Washington

No Exit From Iraq
It is quite probable that many Americans are laboring under the optimistic assumption that, if Barack Obama becomes President, the US will make a speedy exit from Iraq; and the troops will come home in a few months. This may turn out to be wishful thinking.

Books, Tears and Blood
Saad Eskander, director of Baghdad's national library, tells Stuart Jeffries how he wants to help Iraqis 'build their future' through education

Families Seek Redress for Turkish Incursions
British lawyers seek compensation for deaths and damage inflicted in northern Iraq upon Kurds

British Troops Needed Us Help to Quell Basra, Brigadier Admits
UK commander says that army in Iraq could no longer conduct large-scale operations on its own

The Road to Peace in Iraq Runs Directly Through Tehran
Jonathan Steele: Hysteria over this week's arms report is misplaced, and US attempts to cast Iran as the villain of the region can only backfire

Risky Business
Hay Festival 2008: Rory Stewart offers a very different vision from the certainty that led to war in Afghanistan and Iraq

Basra: A Harsh and Conservative City
Large numbers of deeply conservative rural migrants and the leniency of the local police have allowed honor killings to thrive in Basra

Divorces Inflict Home Front Damage on Us Troops As Iraq War Drags on
As successive combat tours become the norm, many exhausted soldiers are returning to be faced with a broken marriage

CIA Chief Claims Al-qaida Essentially Defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Upbeat assessment from Michael Hayden comes less than a year after US intelligence reported that al-Qaida had rebuilt its strength around the world

Pleas for Iraq Hostages Mark Year in Captivity
Families of five kidnapped Britons make emotional appeal to Shi'ite captors for their release

Iraq Calls for Debt Relief From Neighbours
Iraq appeals to wealthy Gulf Arab states to forgive debt and war reparations incurred by Saddam Hussein

The Road to Peace in Iraq Runs Directly Through Tehran
Jonathan Steele: Hysteria over this week's arms report is misplaced, and US attempts to cast Iran as the villain of the region can only backfire

Minister Admits Cluster Bomb Tally Unknown
Government does not know how many unexploded weapons remain in Iraq, Kuwait, Serbia and Kosovo

Hearts, Minds ... and Muscle
US troops have restored a sense of normality to some areas but David Smith can't help wondering what will happen when they leave

Baghdad Predicts Blue Skies Ahead for Struggling Inshallah Airways
Forlorn flag-carrier to spend billions on new fleet but could run into turbulence

Back to Baghdad
David Smith reflects on the blend of war-torn aberrance and everyday normality of his second embed with US troops in Baghdad

MoD Agrees Public Inquiry Into Death of Iraqi
Pressure from the courts sees independent public inquiry into the death of Baha Mousa, a hotel receptionist

US Pins Hopes on Un to Bolster Iraq Force
The US is shaping a fresh United Nations resolution to persuade more countries to provide peacekeeping troops in Iraq after gaps in security were exposed by the devastating attack on UN headquarters in Baghdad this week.

Dreamers and Idiots
George Monbiot: Britain and the US did everything to avoid a peaceful solution in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Arrogance of Empire
Paul Foot: For a fleeting moment, likely to be repeated in the future, the citizens of Iraq and the US simultaneously became victims of the reckless greed of corporate America.

Defiance of Global Will
Gary Younge: This war is not only about Iraq, but about who runs the world and how to make them accountable to us.

Give Iraqis Control of Security, Leader Tells Us
Responsibility for the internal security of Iraq should be handed over to Iraqis as soon as possible, a key member of the Iraqi governing council urged yesterday.

Security Council Backs Us on Iraq
The UN security council today gave its unanimous approval to a US-drafted resolution authorizing its occupation of Iraq.

US Urges Backing for Resolution
The US and its allies today asked the UN security council to approve a resolution lifting 12-year-old sanctions on Iraq and giving them control over the country's oil revenue.

'I Wanted to Report on Where the Silence Was'
Stephen Moss talks to the DIY journalist who went to Iraq to find out what was really happening in the country

Ex-Guantánamo Prisoner Took Part in Iraq Bombing, Says Us
Suicide attack by Kuwaiti will make it harder for civil rights lawyers to fight for release of prisoners

Luxury Hotels and Golf: Welcome to the Green Zone
Pentagon airs plan to turn Baghdad military redoubt into a chic urban oasis

Operation Pet Rescue By Warzone Cat Woman
Woman aims to give Baghdad strays a better life by relocating them to Midlands town

In Weary Baghdad, Reopening of Bridge Would Mean Peace Had Come to Stay
The Americans' new Sunni allies are restoring confidence, but for now a vital link remains shut

Kurdish Father-to-be Set for Deportation to Iraq
Asylum seeker who has been living in Britain for eight years and whose wife is expecting their first baby is due to be deported today

Suicide Bomber Kills at Least 50 at Iraqi Funeral
Attack strikes funeral of two Sunni Arab militia members amid upsurge of violence against anti al-Qaida security groups

Invest in Iraq and You Repeat Past Mistakes, Investors Tell Bp Board
Board comes under fire from shareholders at the annual meeting in London

Iraqi Commanders Recalled After Failed Basra Mission
The Baghdad government today recalled the top military and police commanders in the southern city of Basra, after a botched offensive against Shia militias

US Forces Release Iraqi Photographer After Two Years Without Charge
Reason for arrest emerges as US forces suspicions of photographer aiding insurgents highlighting dangers facing war zone media

Bomb Attacks Kill at Least 50 People As New Wave of Violence Hits Iraq
Bus blast leaves 40 dead and 70 hurt in day of widespread violence blamed on Sunni Islamist groups

THE COST OF WAR: Steep and Irreversible
After five years, at a cost approaching a trillion dollars, with 4036 dead American soldiers, tens of thousands wounded and as many or more than a million Iraqi dead, with apologies to General David Petraeus, "fragile and reversible" is no progress at all. A JAZZMAN CHRONICLE BY JACK RANDOM.

'Thank You - I'm Looking Forward to Seeing My Family': Iraqi Troops Free Kidnapped British Journalist
Freelance photographer kidnapped in Basra more than two months ago has been freed

Iraq War Could Expand Into Iran By Election Day
Article on the war in Iraq and the 2008 Presidential election.

Refugees Fight Forced Return to Iraq War Zones
United Nations accuses government of holding a 'sword of Damocles' over the heads of Iraqi refugees

Baghdad Battle After Al-sadr Aide's Death
Heavy fighting between American and Iraqi forces and fighters sees at least 13 people killed

Shot and Killed Iraq
My best friend died in Iraq...

Law Lords Reject Plea for Inquiry From Mothers of Two Teenagers Killed in Iraq
Rose Gentle and Beverley Clarke argue that ministers failed to exercise 'due diligence'

The Future of the War in Iraq
What will be America's next steps in Iraq?

Dozens Killed in Iraq As Suicide Bomber Strikes at Funeral
Explosive vest detonated amid mourners at funeral of Sunni policeman kills at least 12, and injures many more

Sadr Calls for Protests to Mark 5th Anniversary of Fall of Baghdad
Moqtada al-Sadr today called for hundreds of thousands of his followers to take to the streets in protest against US occupation, to mark the fifth anniversary of the fall of Baghdad.

Seven Dead As Us Jets Target Basra
An air strike destroyed a house in Basra, killing one militant, the US military stated today, but Iraqi police said six civilians were among the dead

Iraqi Forces Move Into Shia Stronghold
Iraqi government forces entered a Shia militant stronghold in the southern city of Basra today, which has been rocked by fierce internecine clashes in recent weeks

Shia Cleric Orders Followers to End Iraq Clashes
Hopes of a halt to internecine clashes with government forces but Browne expected to freeze troop cuts

Anger As 50 Iraqi Refugees Are Sent Back
Home Office criticised for forcibly returning 50 failed asylum seekers to Iraq

American Warplanes Join Iraqi Troops in Taking the Fight to Shia Militia
Sadr stronghold in capital comes under attack as intense battles continue

Bush Likely to Delay Planned Withdrawal of Troops From Iraq
George Bush likely to suspend withdrawal of US troops from Iraq this summer because of fears of violence

Bush Signals Summer Withdrawal of Iraq Troops Unlikely
President George Bush signaled today that he is likely to halt the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq this summer because of a fear of a return to the levels of violence seen last year

Maliki Vows There Will Be 'no Retreat' Against Shia Militias in Basra
The Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, vowed to keep up the fight against Shia militias in Basra today despite deadly clashes killing 200 people across the oil-rich south and Baghdad, according to reports

Bombers Attack Basra Oil Pipeline
Attack on pipeline seven miles south of Basra comes as clashes between Iraqi security forces and Shia fighters in port city enter third day

Maliki Gives Basra Gunmen 72 Hours to Disarm
Shia cleric urges talks with Iraq PM to end army siege as fierce street battles continue for the second day running

British Soldier Killed in Iraq Firefight
Casualty brings the total number of UK troops killed in Iraq to 176

SAS Soldier Killed in Iraq Gunfight
SAS soldier killed in Iraq in gunfight early yesterday during covert operation in the Baghdad area, sources say

British Hopes Rest on Crucial Showdown
The battle for Basra is a crucial test of the ability of Iraqi forces to defeat Shia militia

Iraq Still in the Balance, Says Foreign Secretary
Government admits that the aftermath of the Iraq invasion had gone 'much worse' than expected

Q&A: The Battle for Basra
Who is in control of Basra?In the wake of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Shia majority in Basra drove out Sunni and Christian minorities

British Exit Strategy Rests on Basra Battle
The heavy fighting between Iraqi forces and Shia militias in Basra is part of a long-planned showdown, according to the Iraqi government and British military commanders

Sadr Urges 'civil Revolt' As Battles Erupt in Basra
Ceasefire in danger after 22 killed as Iraqi forces launch crackdown against rival Shia militia groups in southern Iraqi city

The Battle for Basra: Iraqis Fight Mahdi Army As British Troops Remain at Base
Battle for Iraq's second city could have huge repercussions for the continuing US occupation

Gun Battles Erupt in Basra
Four civilians killed after Iraqi forces launch crackdown against rival Shia militia groups in southern Iraqi city

Four Killed As Clashes Erupt in Basra
Fierce street battles break out after Iraqi forces launch crackdown against rival Shia militia groups in southern Iraqi city

Not Yet Time for Iraq Inquiry, Says Straw
The justice secretary, Jack Straw, said today that an inquiry into the Iraq war would have to wait until British troops had "finished their work" in the country

Airlift Will Bring 2,000 Hand-picked Iraqis to New Life in Britain
Sanctuary offered for those who worked for British forces with fortnightly flights beginning next month

Building Peace in Iraq Harder Than Expected, Says Miliband
Foreign secretary does not blame the US for allowing the insurgency to flourish in Iraq

Five Years on
Leader: Next US president must set date for withdrawal from Iraq and end the occupation

Trade in Stolen Iraqi Treasures 'fuels Al-qaida'
A flourishing underground trade in antiquities is helping fund insurgents in the war-torn country

Love In A Time Of War
Sean Blackwell was little more than a fresh faced young soldier, when he arrived in Baghdad at the start of the invasion. There he met an attractive young Iraqi doctor, named Ehda’a. They fell in love. That was the easy part.

What is the Real Death Toll in Iraq?
No one knows how many Iraqis have been killed in the five years since the invasion, and now a bitter war of numbers is raging. Jonathan Steele and Suzanne Goldenberg report

Pentagon Admits Postponing Brain Screenings
The Pentagon delayed introducing a routine screening of troops returning from Iraq because it feared the problem could mushroom to the scale of the Gulf War syndrome

Opposition Mps Put on New Pressure for Iraq War Inquiry
Commons motion calls for public inquiry into the conduct of the war in Iraq and the level of pre-war planning

Chaos in Iraq Sparks Surge in Eu Asylum Applications
Number of Iraqis applying for asylum across the EU almost doubled last year rising from 19,375 to 38,286

Five Years On, the Hard Lessons That We Must Learn From Iraq
Leader: The war was a blow to the idea of 'liberal intervention' but not necessarily a fatal one

Body of Kidnapped Archbishop Found in Iraq
Pope leads outcry as Catholic archbishop abducted last month is found dead in shallow grave

Archbishop Kidnapped in Iraq Found Dead
Body of Chaldean Catholic archbishop recovered near Mosul, where he was abducted last month

All the Troubles in the World
Leader: Victory has been declared before in Iraq. Notoriously, George Bush landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier six weeks after the opening air strike on Baghdad and announced the end of major combat operations

'The Treatment is Humiliating'
Refugees who fled violence in Iraq claim conditions in UK detention center were so 'inhuman' it made them contemplate suicide

Iraqi Asylum Seekers Given Deadline to Go Home or Face Destitution in Uk
Government says Iraq is now safe, and is to give more than 1,400 rejected asylum seekers from the country three weeks to join return program

Treasury to Pay Extra £2bn for Surging Cost of War
Treasury will spend 'over £2bn more' in the coming financial year to support troops 'on the front line' in Iraq and Afghanistan

White House Denies Fallon Was Forced Out
Bush administration plays down divisions within Pentagon over Iraq and Iran policy exposed by Fallon's departure

White House Denies Rift With Pentagon
The Bush administration today moved to downplay divisions within the Pentagon over its Iraq war strategy

UN Heading for Iraq-style Disaster in Darfur, Warn Officials
Sudanese officials accuse the US of plans to overthrow the Islamic government and the EU of providing money and arms to rebels

Sudan Warns West of 'iraq-style Disaster' in Darfur
UN peacekeeping troops are heading for "another Iraq or Afghanistan disaster" in Darfur as long as talks between the government and rebel groups remain stalled and the US maintains its hostile stance, Sudanese officials and regional experts warned today

Eight Us Soldiers Killed in Iraq Attacks
US forces suffer deadliest day in Iraq for six months and 16 Iraqi civilians die in bus bombing

Cost of Iraqi and Afghan Wars Has Doubled
Combined cost of conflicts almost doubles to more than £3bn over past year, mainly due to equipment prices say MPs

Five Us Soldiers Killed in Baghdad
Five American soldiers on a foot patrol were killed today in an apparent suicide bomb attack

MoD Plans Raid on Landmine Removal Fund to Keep Tornados Flying in Iraq
Money to clear land mines and remove arms from conflict zones used to pay BAE Systems

Highest Number of Military Crosses Awarded Since Second World War
184 members of armed forces to receive medals for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq

Patrolling Al-qaida's Last Baghdad Stronghold
David Smith on the three weeks he spent embedded with the US military in al-Hadar, in southern Baghdad

Blair's Man in Basra Tells How Coalition Failures Provoked Iraqis
Sir Hilary Synnott publishes indictment of Whitehall and Washington failures following invasion of Iraq

Eight Killed in Iraq Helicopter Crash
US military says victims included at least one US soldier

Turkey Withdraws Troops From Northern Iraq, Military Says
Ankara says it has pulled military out of Kurdish Iraq after achieving its objectives in conflict with PKK separatists, not due to international pressure

The True Cost of War
In 2005, a Nobel prize-winning economist began the painstaking process of calculating the true cost of the Iraq war. In his new book, he reveals how short-sighted budget decisions, cover-ups and a war fought in bad faith will affect us all for decades to come. Aida Edemariam meets Joseph Stiglitz

Turkey to Pull Out of Iraq in Days As Us Calls for Swift End to Conflict
Military operations against Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq will last another three or four days

UK and Iraq Voice Anger at Hostage Video
Gordon Brown and the Iraqi prime minister today denounced the parading of a British hostage on a video and agreed to push for the release of the five men seized last May

Turkey Refuses Timetable on Iraq Incursion
Turkey resists US pressure for quick end to fighting with Kurdish guerrillas in northern Iraq

Public Fury, Private Accord
Leader: If everyone keeps their word then the future of Turkey's relationship with the Kurds of northern Iraq may not prove to be as bleak as was first feared

British Hostage Pleads for Release of Iraqi Shia Militants
British hostage appeals to UK government to release members of armed group holding him and four others

Video Shows British Hostage Held in Iraq
Arabiya satellite TV channel based in Dubai airs video of one of five Britons held in Iraq for eight months

Iraq Demands Turkey Withdraw From Border Conflict With Kurds
Government calls for dialog to end Turkish conflict with Kurd separatists and denounces incursion and 'military interference'

Former Sas Man Condemns British Role in Torture Tactics
Joint US-UK task force responsible for detaining 'thousands of individuals' in Afghanistan and Iraq

British Museum and Army Team Up in Move to Rescue Iraq's Heritage
Hope is to leave positive legacy by attempting to restore shattered cultural heritage after troops go

Fighting in Northern Iraq Enters Fifth Day
Iraqi government criticizes ongoing campaign against Kurdish militants

Fighting in Iraqi Kurdistan Enters Fifth Day
Iraqi government criticizes ongoing campaign against Kurdish militants

Turks Send More Tanks Into Iraq Against Pkk
Fierce fighting along border territories continues for a fourth day while death toll claims vary

Turkish Onslaught Paves Way for Major Assault on Iraq Kurds
News agencies report troops moving towards remote border area after fierce fighting

Hopes of Uk Troop Cuts in Basra Dashed
Plans to reduce British forces in Iraq are shelved as security forces fear final showdown

Turkish Barrage Paves Way for Major Assault on Iraqi Kurds
News agencies report troops moving towards remote border area after fierce fighting

Turkish Forces Stage Raid Into Iraq
Ankara says it gave US warning of incursion as thousands of Turkish troops pursue Kurdish rebels

Q&A: Turkey and the Kurds
Mark Tran and Louise Radnofsky look at the crisis in northern Iraq, where Turkey is targeting Kurdish fighters blamed for an upsurge in violent attacks

Channel 4 Unveils Happy Birthday Iraq Plans
Channel 4 is to launch its Happy Birthday Iraq season with a week of programs examining the devastating fallout from the war for Iraq. By Tara Conlan

BAE Systems Profits From 'urgent Orders' From Iraq and Afghanistan
Defense group today posted sharply higher profits for 2007 and a £2bn rise in sales to £15.7bn

Stop Blair: Ambition to Lead Europe Hits Fierce Opposition
EU track record and in Iraq seen as obstacles to Blair getting new post of president

Kidnappers Threaten to Kill Us Hostage
Kidnappers threatened to kill the abducted US journalist Jill Carroll unless the Bush administration ordered the release of Iraqi women prisoners within 72 hours, according to a report on al-Jazeera television yesterday. By Colin Blackstock.

ABC Reporter Fights Sacking
A US foreign correspondent yesterday launched a £2.3m claim for unfair dismissal at a London tribunal, claiming that he had been sacked for refusing to cover the war in Iraq.

Coroner Urges Action on Armoured Vehicles
Coroner investigating deaths of four British soldiers killed in Iraq will press government to improve protection of vehicles

Iraq Weapons Dossier Draft Reveals Role of 'spin Doctor'
Government press officer closely involved in drawing up discredited Iraq weapons dossier, despite denials

Fixing the Facts
Leader: The Iraq dossier's publication is a sign of the difference the freedom of information legislation can make

Democrat Plans Will Not Work, Says Iraq Envoy
Ryan Crocker warns that security improvements could be jeopardised by setting a timetable for a pull-out

Life in the 'triangle of Death'
Guardian photographer Sean Smith, embedded with US soldiers near Baghdad and on his fifth trip to Iraq, describes the huge gap between government rhetoric and reality on the ground.

In Praise of ... the Iraq War March
Leader: The march was the biggest protest in British history, a glorious exercise of democratic rights

Kidnapped Reporter to Be Released 'within Hours'
The British CBS journalist and Iraqi interpreter kidnapped in Basra will be released later today, according to news wire reports. By Stephen Brook

CBS Journalists Kidnapped By Gang of Masked Men in Basra
British reporter and his Iraqi interpreter were abducted from their hotel

British Reporter Kidnapped in Basra
Security forces in Basra hunt for British reporter and Iraqi interpreter abducted from their hotel by armed gang

Unanswered Questions
Leader: Miliband is either brave or foolhardy to say Iraq and Afghanistan shouldn't cloud the moral imperative to intervene

CBS Staff Kidnapped in Iraq
Two employees of US broadcaster CBS News, one reportedly a British journalist, have been kidnapped in Iraq. By Jason Deans

Mothers Ask Lords to Order Iraq Inquiry
Law lords asked to order inquiry into the death of two soldiers in Iraq

Miliband: Uk Has Moral Duty to Intervene
Foreign secretary says mistakes in Iraq must not derail efforts to spread democracy

US to Delay Iraq Troops Reductions
Defense secretary calls for 'period of consolidation and evaluation' before any cut in numbers

Attacks in Iraq As Arrest Made
Insurgent attacks killed at least 50 people and wounded more than 40

Patrolling Al-qaida's Last Baghdad Stronghold
David Smith on the three weeks he spent embedded with the US military in al-Hadar, in southern Baghdad

Cholera Crisis Hits Baghdad
Iraqi capital fears an epidemic if stricken sewerage system collapses as the rainy season arrives

US Troops Surge Ends As Violence in Iraq Falls
The American troop surge in Iraq was effectively declared over yesterday, when officials announced that 5,000 soldiers will this week begin pulling out in response to declining violence

Murder Trial Sniper Says Us Used 'bait' for Suspect Iraqis
A trial opening in Baghdad today will shed new light on a secret Pentagon program in which US snipers allegedly planted fake weapons as 'bait' to lure their Iraqi enemies to their deaths.

Two Children Die As Iraqi Poison Plot Recalls Saddam's Assassination Method of Choice
Cakes laced with thallium left at popular sports club · Britain sends antidote to Basra base and hospitals

Captured Videos Show 'al-qaida Children' Training to Kidnap and Assassinate, Says Us
'Disturbing trend' to exploit children in Iraq · Coalition forces admit holding 600 juveniles

New Iraqi Flag Hailed As Symbolic Break With Past
Iraq's controversial new flag, shorn of its perceived Ba'athist associations, was raised over parliament in Baghdad for the first time yesterday in what Iraqi leaders hailed as a symbolic break with the past

Prince Andrew Rebukes Us Over Iraq War
The Duke of York has criticized the Bush administration for failing to listen to Britain on post-invasion tactics during the Iraq conflict

Bombs Strapped to Down's Syndrome Women Kill Scores in Baghdad Markets
Deadliest day in Iraq since start of US surge a year ago · Mobile phones used to set off devices, say military

Female Suicide Bombers Kill 72 People at Baghdad Markets
More than 150 injured in coordinated attacks· One of deadliest days since US troop surge

Iraqi Cleric Threatens to End Militia Freeze Unless Attacks Stop
Senior aides to the powerful Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr yesterday warned the US and the Iraqi government that a six-month freeze on the activities of their militia may not be extended unless the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, takes steps to halt attacks on Sadr's followers

MP Lobbies Home Secretary to Bring Iraqi to Eastlands
Soccer: Keith Vaz calls on home office to grant Nashat Akram work permit as it 'can heal divisions in Iraq'

The Iraq Timeline
we are less then a month away from the 6th anniversray of the Iraq war. This article is long, and was actually written about this time last year. So I would like to update only one thing in the article and it is this: Death toll of Amercian troops in Iraq -- 3940

Police Chief Killed By Suicide Bomber in Iraq
Two officers also killed after ambush in Mosul by bomber disguised as Iraqi policeman

Ahmadinejad to Challenge Us Influence With Visit to Iraq
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to become the first Iranian leader since the revolution to visit Baghdad after the Iraqi foreign ministry announced he had accepted an invitation, at a time of high tension in the Gulf

Seven Iraqis Killed in Mosul Explosion
Seven Iraqis were killed in a bomb attack on a residential building in Iraq's northern city of Mosul today.

Only a Full Inquiry Can Avert Another Disaster Like Iraq
Jonathan Steele: The government must open up to find out why it could not foresee - and barely considered - the outcomes of occupation

Britain 'as Inept As Us' in Failing to Foresee Postwar Iraq Insurgency
Revelation undermines British blaming Rumsfeld · Experts stressed danger of tribalism to Blair in 2002

Guys, I'm Afraid We Haven't Got a Clue ...
In the run-up to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, experts warned Tony Blair that occupying the country and trying to impose a western-style democracy was doomed to failure. He dismissed their objections, convinced that victory was a formality. In the first of three extracts from his new book, Jonathan Steele looks at how Britain went to war unbriefed, unprepared and with no idea of the fallout that would ensue

Iraq's Economic Future Looks Bright, Says Imf
Oil output could rise by 7% if country remains stable· News comes as 10 Shias killed by suicide bomber

Iraq's Healthcare Left in Disarray After Invasion
Experienced staff emigrate due to lack of protection· Bribery is part of system, says independent report

Rice Visits Iraq for Maliki Talks
US secretary of state arrives in Baghdad for unannounced talks with the prime minister aimed at encouraging political progress

US Drops 18 Tonnes of Explosives on Al-qaida 'safe Havens' in Iraq
American planes yesterday mounted the biggest recent air strikes of the Iraq war, pounding what the US military called al-Qaida 'safe havens' south of Baghdad

Blair 'owes It to the Middle East'
Tony Blair is determined to dedicate 10 days a month to his unpaid role as Middle East envoy because of the strong sense of obligation he feels following the Iraq war, it emerged today.

US Targets Al-qaida Insurgents With Massive Air Strikes
Planes drop 40,000lb of explosives during 10-minute blitz on 40 targets on the southern outskirts of Baghdad

151,000 Civilians Killed Since Iraq Invasion
· Figures up to June 2006 from household survey · Government accepts new estimate on death toll

Nine Soldiers Die in Two Attacks
Nine US soldiers have been killed in two attacks in the first two days of a fresh American offensive against al-Qaida fighters who regrouped following the 'surge' around Baghdad, the US military said last night

Six Things to Watch for in Tonight's Caucus....
1. Ron Paul...The Republican congressman who favors an immediate pullout from Iraq and an end to income tax claims he is written off by the US media as an eccentric.

UK Drug Firms Told to Hand Over Files in Iraq Investigation
The Serious Fraud Office has ordered the British drug companies GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca to hand over confidential emails and files relating to dealings in Iraq under the UN oil-for-food program

The Dangers for Turkey in Iraq
Turkish army must invade Dahuk, Mosul, Arbil, Suleymaniyeh and Kirkuk. A multicultural Mesopotamia should then be launched, with Aramaic, Turkmen, and three ‘Kurdish’ dialects officially accepted. The Oil of Kirkuk belongs to Turkey.

'Bosses Didn't Want to Expose Iraqi Police Corruption'
ArmorGroup employee attacks security operation· Company denies staff told to keep army in the dark

Iraq Cover-up Claims: Mps Call for Inquiry
UK security firm accused of failing to pass on intelligence to army in Basra

Pentagon Reports Drop in Iraq Violence
Progress continues to be hampered by Iranian-supported militias, says latest quarterly update

Judge Rebukes Home Office Over Iraqi Boy Seeking Asylum
A 15-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker deported to Austria is to be returned to the UK after a high court judge condemned the Home Office's 'total lack of humanitarianism' in the case

Patient Shows a Steady Improvement
World briefing: If Iraq were a hospital patient, the Bush administration would be tempted to take it off the critical list and send it home for Christmas, writes Simon Tisdall

A Surge of Their Own: Iraqis Take Back the Streets
Attacks plummet as Shias join Sunnis in neighborhood patrols to tackle militants and reunite communities

US Pleads for Calm After Turkish Troops Pursuing Pkk Enter Iraq
Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq in pursuit of Kurdish guerrillas yesterday, as the US warned against any action that could further destabilize the region

EU Calls on Turkey to Halt Strikes in Northern Iraq
The European Union today called on Turkey to show restraint after it launched the biggest attack on Iraq since the US invasion in 2003, sending more than 50 warplanes to bomb suspected Kurdish insurgent bases inside Iraqi territory

Reconciliation, Sealed With a Bombing Run
Weekend air raids aimed at Kurdish PKK separatists were the biggest Turkish incursion since the US seized Baghdad in 2003. But their significance is more political than military

Turkey Launches Biggest Bombing Raid on Kurdish Rebels in Iraq
· Woman killed as 50 planes target PKK guerrilla bases· Prime minister warns of further military action

All the Troubles in the World
Leader: Victory has been declared before in Iraq. Notoriously, George Bush landed on the deck of an aircraft carrier six weeks after the opening air strike on Baghdad and announced the end of major combat operations

Handover in Basra As Killings Go on
Today the British army formally transfers command in the province to the Iraqis, but the toll of factional warfare is still growing

Iraq Can Handle Policing, Army Says Before Handover
Iraqi security forces are now capable of policing the entire south of their country without British help, senior defense and Foreign Office officials said yesterday

'I Believe in the War, But Being Here Sucks'
In the latest installment of his embed diary, David Smith recalls a few of the sentiments expressed by US troops during his stay in Baghdad

Godfathers of the Nation
David Smith reflects on a meeting between US troops and the hard men of Baghdad

Apprehensive? Oh Yes
In the second of his reflections, David Smith conveys the tension and nervousness of his first day out on patrol with US troops in Baghdad

Inside the Green Zone
David Smith shares his reflections on being out on patrol with the US 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad.

Murder Trial Sniper Says Us Used 'bait' for Suspect Iraqis
A trial opening in Baghdad today will shed new light on a secret Pentagon program in which US snipers allegedly planted fake weapons as 'bait' to lure their Iraqi enemies to their deaths.

Iraqi Fighters 'grilled for Evidence on Iran'
Interrogator says US military seeks evidence incriminating Tehran.

Cholera Crisis Hits Baghdad
Iraqi capital fears an epidemic if stricken sewerage system collapses as the rainy season arrives

US Troops Surge Ends As Violence in Iraq Falls
The American troop surge in Iraq was effectively declared over yesterday, when officials announced that 5,000 soldiers will this week begin pulling out in response to declining violence

Up to 40 Killed and 125 Wounded in Iraq Blasts
Three car bombs exploded in southern Iraq today, killing up to 40 people and wounding around 125 others

Brown Tells Iraq Troops Military Role Nearly Over
Gordon Brown tells troops British military control in Iraq will end within two weeks

It's Time for Power to Shift
British military commanders are expected finally to hand over to the Iraqis responsibility for the security of Basra province, the last of four controlled by British troops after the 2003 invasion

New Economic Plan As Brown Flies to Iraq
Gordon Brown yesterday announced the creation of a new economic plan for south-east Iraq, as he flew in to meet troops days ahead of the British military handover of control

Four Years After Its Compound Was Bombed, Un Renews Mission to Bring Peace to Iraq
· Deadly 2003 attack prompted move to Jordan· Special envoy aims to settle Kirkuk dispute

Female Suicide Bomber Kills 16 in Iraq
Attack carried out on former Sunni Arab insurgents who have turned against al-Qaida

US Says the Flow of Jihadists Into Iraq Has Been Staunched
Country's neighbors have taken action, Petraeus says· Insurgent attacks at 2005 levels since October

The Surge is a Sideshow. Only Total Us Pullout Can Succeed
Jonathan Steele: When resistance leaders are given an assurance that the Iraq occupation will end completely, real negotiations can begin

Families Urge Iraq Kidnappers to Free Hostages
The families and friends of the five Britons being held hostage in Iraq yesterday made a direct appeal to their Shia kidnappers to free them

Previous Hostage Cases
Before the capture of the five British citizens in May, several other Britons had been taken hostage in Iraq

UN Promises Aid As Displaced Iraqis Head Home
Relief for 5,000 vulnerable families in $11.4m scheme· Tensions likely to rise in land and property disputes

Doubts Cast Over Soldier's Iraq Accounts
Hostilities between right- and left-wing journals and blogs over the coverage of the Iraq war have claimed a fresh scalp after the New Republic magazine retracted a series of articles from a US soldier, saying it could no longer stand by his accounts

Iraqi Insurgents Regrouping, Says Sunni Resistance Leader
Iraq's main Sunni-led resistance groups have scaled back their attacks on US forces in Baghdad and parts of Anbar province in a deliberate strategy aimed at regrouping, retraining, and waiting out George Bush's "surge", a key insurgent leader has told the Guardian

'I Believe in the War, But Being Here Sucks'
In the latest installment of his embed diary, David Smith recalls a few of the sentiments expressed by US troops during his stay in Baghdad

US Security Firm Runs Into New Trouble - and This Time It's Closer to Home
Rural community opposes expansion by company at center of Iraq allegations

Female Suicide Bomber Wounds Seven Us Troops in Iraq
A female suicide bomber has wounded five Iraqi civilians and seven US troops in an attack north-east of Baghdad, military officials say

Refugees Celebrate First Bus Back to Iraq
Convoy leaves Damascus as officials say return is safe· But for many, conditions in Syria leave them no choice

US Pledges Long-term Presence in Iraq
The Bush administration today formally committed America to a long-term military presence in Iraq by entering into a strategic partnership with the authorities in Baghdad.

US Troops Surge Ends As Violence in Iraq Falls
The American troop surge in Iraq was effectively declared over yesterday, when officials announced that 5,000 soldiers will this week begin pulling out in response to declining violence

New Polish Prime Minister to Loosen Ties With Us
Poland's newly elected prime minister moved yesterday to distance his country from America, raising questions about plans to site a US missile defense system on Polish soil and announcing the withdrawal of Polish troops from Iraq next year

Saudis Make Up 41% of Foreign Fighters in Iraq
US raid on insurgent camp finds treasure trove of data· Bombings and border crossings fall after seizure

Iraq Helicopter Crash Dead 'were Sas'
Two British military personnel who died when their RAF Puma helicopter crashed in Iraq were members of the SAS, it was reported today

Godfathers of the Nation
The Americans are at last getting the hard men of Baghdad to sit down together and take part in the political process, reports David Smith

Iraqi Refugees Start to Head Home
After exodus of 4.2m since 2003, government says 1,600 a day are returning

Two Sas Soldiers Die As Raf Helicopter Crashes in Iraq
An inquiry was under way last night into why an RAF Puma helicopter crashed, killing two SAS soldiers and seriously injuring two others, in an anti-insurgency mission on the outskirts of Baghdad

British Helicopter Crash in Iraq Kills Two
Two British military personnel died yesterday when an RAF Puma helicopter crashed near Baghdad, the Ministry of defense said today.

Iraqi Footballers Abandon Team to Seek Asylum
Three players have absconded from the Iraqi Olympic football team to seek asylum in Australia

Military Feeling Iraq Fatigue, Warns General
British troops feel 'devalued, angry' and are 'suffering from Iraq fatigue', according to the head of the army, who warns that Britain's military covenant is under strain.

US Officials Under Investigation Over $730m Cost of Iraq Embassy
The US justice department is investigating the soaring bill for building a huge new American embassy in Baghdad.

British Officials Hold Talks With Mahdi Army
The British commander in southern Iraq confirmed yesterday that UK officials have been holding talks with supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army in the hope they would be drawn into the political process

Inquiry Begins Into Soaring Cost of Us Embassy in Iraq
The US justice department is investigating the soaring building costs for a huge American embassy in Baghdad. Postponing its scheduled opening last month, the state department said it didn't "have an answer" as to when it would be finished.

Democrats Tie Iraq Funding to Troop Withdrawal
Congressional Democrats have again challenged the White House over its Iraq policy by tying troop withdrawals to a funding bill for the war.

Soldier Took Overdose on Eve of Iraq Deployment
Soldier took overdose on eve of Iraq deployment

Blackwater Promises Action After Fbi Report
The US security company Blackwater promised today that any of its guards complicit in wrongdoing will be held to account after FBI investigators were reported to have concluded the fatal shooting of 14 Iraqis was unjustified.

Blackwater Promises to Hold Guards to Account
Security firm offers pledge over shooting of Iraqis · Report claims FBI will find 14 of 17 deaths unlawful

Inside the Green Zone
David Smith shares his reflections on being out on patrol with the US 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad.

Afghanistan and Iraq Wars Cost $1.6trillion
The financial toll of America's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq was laid bare yesterday when a congressional committee estimated the cost of both conflicts at $1.6 trillion (£771bn) and rising - $20,000 for every family of four in the US

Inside the Green Zone
David Smith shares his reflections on being out on patrol with the US 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad.

Packed Classes Hint at Peace in Battered Iraq
The pupils who had been too scared to attend class are now returning. It's one small sign that Iraqis are eager for a return to normality - and that the 'tipping point' might not be far away.

Murder Trial Sniper Says Us Used 'bait' for Suspect Iraqis
A trial opening in Baghdad today will shed new light on a secret Pentagon program in which US snipers allegedly planted fake weapons as 'bait' to lure their Iraqi enemies to their deaths.

Iraqi Fighters 'grilled for Evidence on Iran'
Interrogator says US military seeks evidence incriminating Tehran.

2007 is Deadliest Year for Us in Iraq
The Pentagon today reported five US troops and a sailor killed in Iraq on Monday, making this year the deadliest since the 2003 invasion.

Turkish Troops Freed to Head Off Attack on Iraqi Kurdistan
Eight Turkish soldiers captured last month by Kurdish rebels were freed yesterday in an attempt to divert Ankara from attacking northern Iraq.

The Iraq War Has Become a Disaster That We Have Chosen to Forget
Madeleine Bunting: With the media subdued, governments have not been held to account for the biggest political calamity of our time.

Iraqi Kurds Braced for Turkish Sanctions
Officials reportedly considering restricting the flow of traffic and goods across key border crossing and cutting off vital electricity provision.

Turkey Bans Flights to Northern Iraq
Turkey bans flights to northern Iraq as Ankara gets tough with pro-Kurdish groups.

Immunity Offer to Blackwater Security Guards Causes Outrage
The Bush administration faced intense criticism yesterday after it emerged that the state department had offered immunity to Black water security guards allegedly involved in a shooting spree in Baghdad that left 17 dead.

Kerbala Handed to Iraqi Forces As Us Continues Power Transfer
The Iraqi government now formally controls eight of the country's 18 governorates, after US commanders yesterday transferred responsibility for security in the troubled province of Kerbala, home to one of Shia Islam's most sacred shrines.

Turkey Refuses to Back Down on Its Threat to Invade Iraq
Turkey sharpened its threat to invade northern Iraq yesterday when the Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, declared its army ready to attack Kurdish rebels 'when needed', regardless of international opposition.

THE SCATTERING: How the Left was Undone
Many generations before us have thought theirs was the ultimate challenge. This time it may be real. If we cannot find common ground we will lose any chance of altering the course of the nation as it urges the world to a state of permanent war. A Jazzman Chronicle by Jack Random.

With the Kurdish Rebels in Northern Iraq
Despite the odds stacked against them, the leaders of the Kurdistan Workers' party remain surprisingly buoyant.

Iraq Meeting 'final Chance' for Diplomacy, Says Turkey
Iraqi delegation travels to Turkey amid reports of further clashes between Kurdish fighters and Turkish troops.

Iraq Tries to Stop Turkish Attack With Vow to Crack Down on Pkk
Iraq vowed yesterday to do all it could to disrupt the PKK fighters sheltering near its borders with Turkey, as pressure intensified on Ankara and Baghdad to find a way of avoiding a Turkish invasion.

Chief in Blackwater Row Quits
The state department security chief yesterday stepped down from his post as the United States and Iraq tried to impose new standards of accountability.

Turkey Kills 34 Kurdish Fighters in Northern Iraq
Turkey has carried out air sorties and shelling against Kurdish positions inside northern Iraq.

12 Reasons for Turkey to enter in Northern Iraq
- Are the US ‘national interests’ … holier than Turkey’s?

Diplomacy Staves Off Turkish Incursion
Iraqi president says PKK set to announce ceasefire· Ankara intensifies military operations near border

Turkey, Armenians. Kurds, Iraq and the US
The best way for Turkey to act is to act now, before November 5, and before the snow covers the mountainous Zagros mountains that consists in the subterfuge of the abundantly subsidized PKK.

Turkey Holds Back From Northern Iraq Invasion
Prime minister agrees to give US time to act against Kurdish separatists.

Turkey Bombards Northern Iraq After Ambush
Fears of incursion grow as troops killed and captured · Iraqi Kurdish leaders tell rebels to disarm or get out

Iraqis Who Fled Homes in Fear Face New Terror As Turkey Targets Pkk Rebels
Refugees from across the country found peace in the Kurdish north, but are now threatened by shelling and cross-border raids.

Iraqi Kurds March for Peace As Raids By Turkey Loom
Direct talks urged to avert army strike on PKK rebels · Turkish leaders defiant amid foreign criticism

Turkey's Mps Back Attacks on Iraqi Kurds
PM gets blank check for raids on rebel bases· Leaders in Baghdad appeal for restraint on both sides

Lawyers Take Mod to Court Over Iraqi Mutilation Claims
Calls for independent inquiry into allegations of abuse in aftermath of ferocious gun battle.

Iraq Promises Hard Line Against Rebel Attacks on Turkey
Iraq has confirmed it will take a hard line against Kurdish rebels attacking Turkey from the north, as Turkey prepares to launch cross-border raids.

Iraq to Crack Down on Foreign Security Guards
Foreign firms will be made liable under Baghdad law· Minister's pledge follows shootings of civilians

Top Us General Hits Out at Lack of Planning Behind Iraq War
A retired general who led US forces in Iraq at the start of the insurgency has indicated that he may name and shame the individuals in the Bush administration he blames for a "catastrophically flawed, unrealistically optimistic war plan".

PKK Claims It Has Left Iraq As Erdogan Talks Tough on Invasion
The main Kurdish rebel group, the PKK, tried to deflect a Turkish attack on its bases in northern Iraq by claiming yesterday it was redeploying into Turkey.

Turks Threaten to 'play Hardball' With Us After Genocide Vote
Armenians row could hit supply links to Iraq· Bill may come before full house today

Iraqi Provinces Shut Out Internal Refugees
One in six forced to flee homes since 2003 invasion· Syria and Jordan also tighten entry restrictions

Turkish Government Taking Unilateral Action In Iraq
Turkey has apparently broken ranks with UK and US forces by launching rocket attacks across the Iraq boarder at Kurdish rebel camps.

Turkish Pm Agrees to Raids Into Northern Iraq
Limited action allowed against Kurdish insurgents· Government yields to pressure from generals

Private Security Guards Accused of Killing Two Women in Car
Private security firms in Iraq were under fresh scrutiny last night after two women died in a hail of bullets, apparently because their car had got too close to a security convoy traveling through central Baghdad.

Turkish Pm Clears Way for Iraq Assault
Erdogan gives go-ahead for a possible military operation into northern Iraq after a spate of deadly attacks by separatist Kurdish guerrillas.

Foreign Security Guards Kill Two Iraqi Women
Guards working for US firm were escorting four vehicles through central Baghdad when fatal shootings happened.

Iraq Demands Blackwater Pay £4m to Each Victim's Family
An Iraqi government report into the recent Black water shootings in Baghdad leads to calls for compensation of £4m per family.

Upsurge in Kurdish Attacks Raises Pressure on Turkish Prime Minister to Order Iraq Invasion
Bomb brings death toll of soldiers in one day to 15· Erdogan caught between public opinion and US

US Blames Tehran for Escalating Iraq Violence
Petraeus says Iran's envoy is in Revolutionary Guard · Allegations could be part of build-up to attack

Iran's Envoy in Iraq 'is Revolutionary Guard'
Gen Petraeus says force is behind US soldiers' deaths · Allegations could be part of lead-up to attack

US Marines Likely to Avoid Murder Charges Over Killing of Iraqi Civilians
The case against US marines involved in one of the most infamous incidents of the Iraq war, the killing of civilians at Haditha in 2005, appeared to have fallen apart last night.

Beating the Retreat
Leader: Britain must not make the same mistake as it did when it invaded Iraq. Withdrawal must be accompanied by political dialog, otherwise only warlords will triumph.

Iraq Security Firm Denies Trigger-happy Charge
Black water charges unfair, Congress committee told· Details emerge of killing of vice-president's guard

Brown Should Listen to the Military and Quit Iraq Now
Jonathan Steele: The best way to improve Britain's standing in the Middle East is to admit to a terrible blunder and withdraw.

Amnesty Criticises Britain Over Forced Returns of Iraqi Refugees
Britain has forcibly returned more Iraqis than any other European nation and is not doing enough to help Iraq's neighbors cope with more than 2 million refugees displaced by the war, says an Amnesty International report.

Maliki Insists Blackwater Must Pay for Shootings
The Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, showed an unexpected streak of stubbornness yesterday in his stand-off with the US over the Black water shootings, insisting that action had to be taken against the private security firm.

Blackwater Security Firm Resumes Baghdad Work
US guards start work after civilian deaths· Iraq to end immunity for security firms

Iraq's Hired Hands Under Fire As the Pot of Gold Starts to Run Low
Security boom ends amid complaints about civilian killings and immunity.

Refugees in Their Own Land: 2m Iraqis Forced to Flee Their Homes
Many move several times in search of safety and jobs· Ethnic map redrawn, says Red Crescent report

Joint Inquiry Could Resolve Blackwater Standoff
The US and Iraqi governments were yesterday planning to announce a joint investigation into Sunday's shooting of eight civilians in Baghdad.

Soldiers Sold Weapons From Iraq for Cocaine, Court Martial Hears
Two soldiers who smuggled guns and ammunition out of Iraq to sell to other members of their unit accepted cocaine as payment for a pair of pistols, a court martial heard yesterday.

US Agrees Further British Withdrawal From Iraq
Petraeus and UK officials give upbeat assessment· Announcement could come next month

Iraq Orders Expulsion of Us Security Firm
· Decision taken after killing of Iraqi civilians · Rice tries to overturn ban on Blackwater guards

Iraq Conflict Has Cost 1.2 Million Lives, Claims Civilian Survey
A startling new household survey of Iraqis released last week claims as many as 1.2 million people may have died because of the conflict in Iraq - apparently lending weight to a 2006 survey in the Lancet that reported similarly high levels.

Belfast-style Peace Walls Recommended for Baghdad
Belfast should be used as a policing model in the battle to secure Baghdad and reduce sectarian slaughter across the city, a new report for the US Congress seen by the Guardian has recommended.

Iraq Bomb Attack Kills Key Us Ally
Sunni tribal leader opposing al-Qaida dies in blast· Bush speech to plead for more time

US Troops Who Criticised Iraq War Strategy Killed in Baghdad
· Article claimed Bush's policy was total failure· Deaths reported on eve of presidential address

Rice Warns of Long Us Involvement in Iraq
Secretary of state says lower numbers of US forces will 'turn to other responsibilities'.

War Chiefs Tell Congress There is Still No End in Sight to Us Military Presence in Iraq
· General and ambassador offer bleak assessments· Senators criticize strategy on 6th anniversary of 9/11

Petraeus Upbeat Over Reducing Us Troop Levels
America's top officials in Iraq yesterday claimed the surge strategy had produced real gains, and that 30,000 troops could be withdrawn by the summer of 2008, beginning with a modest redeployment this year.

The Teflon General With a Liking for the Limelight
Suzanne Goldenberg profiles the commander of US forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus.

Iraqi Pm Calls for Foreign Troops to Remain
Iraqi forces are not ready to take over security from the US military across the country, Iraq's prime minister says.

Iraq Inspires Surge of Protest Art
Young painters and sculptors join the Vietnam generation to produce works following in the footsteps of Goya and Picasso.

Families Issue Plea for Britons Held in Iraq for Over 100 Days
The families of five Britons kidnapped in Iraq more than 100 days ago broke their silence yesterday to call for the men's release, describing them as "ordinary men" without political views or power.

US Commander Hints at Iraq Rollback Next Year
· Surge may be reversed by next March, says Petraeus · Announcement made before report to Congress

Iraq Violence Remains High, Says Us Report
A damning US Congressional report today claimed little political progress had been made in Iraq, despite President Bush's troop build up this year.

It is Not the End, But the First Chapter of the War in Iraq is Drawing to a Close
Jonathan Freedland: The British exit from Basra palace, remarks by the US defence chief and fledgling peace talks are all telling signs of change.

Beating the Retreat
Leader: If commanders now accept that the occupation is one of the sources of the conflict, not its solution, the troops should be removed altogether.

The Road From Basra: to Some a Handover, to Many a Retreat
After the gratitude of 2003, the people of Basra are now counting down the days to a life free from British occupation says Peter Beaumont.

British Forces Withdraw From Basra Palace Base
British troops began pulling out of Basra Palace last night and expect to hand control of the base to Iraqi forces within days, amid new Anglo-American recriminations about the aftermath of the Iraq war.

MoD Denies Deal Over Withdrawal From Basra
British forces have released more than two dozen Iraqi prisoners over the last three months in the run-up to their now imminent withdrawal from the UK base at Saddam's Hussein's former palace compound in Basra, though the government denies doing a deal with Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army to stave off last-minute attacks.

US Failing to Meet Most Benchmarks in Iraq, Says Study
· Congressional report says 13 out of 18 goals not met · Pentagon suggests changes to leaked draft.

Mahdi Army Calls Six-month Truce After Fighting Leaves 50 Dead
The Iraqi militia leader Moqtada al-Sadr, called a six-month truce yesterday after fighting with a rival Shia Muslim group in the holy city of Kerbala left more than 50 dead.

Al-Sadr Declares Ceasefire in Iraq
The Iraqi militia leader, Moqtada al-Sadr, called a six-month truce today after fighting with a rival Shia Muslim group in the holy city of Kerbala left more than 50 dead.

US Forces Free Iranians Held in Iraq
US troops have released a group of Iranians who were detained in a raid on a hotel in Baghdad.

Displaced Iraqis Double Despite Us Military Surge
The number of Iraqis who have fled their homes but remained in the country has more than doubled to 1.14 million.

America Divided Over Iraq Surge
Clinton and Obama say that new tactics are showing signs of working.

US Military Chief Warns Against Iraq Withdrawal
An American military commander in Iraq today said a senior Republican senator's call for a troop withdrawal would represent "a giant step backwards" in one of the country's most precarious regions.

The Advocates of Partition in Iraq Only Make Things Worse
Jonathan Steele: However misguided were Bush's remarks this week, at least he didn't further fuel ethnic conflict by calling to split the country.

US Military Braced for Tet-style Offensive to Destabilise Iraq Surge
· Attack would be timed to increase pressure on Bush· Security gains still modest, warns intelligence report

US Increases Pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister
Embattled Maliki faces mounting criticism from Washington.

Third Trial of Saddam Officials Begins
Saddam Hussein's cousin and 14 other former regime officials go on trial in Baghdad for crimes against humanity for their role in the brutal suppression of a Shia revolt in 1991.

Roadside Bomb Kills Governor in Iraqi Province Lauded for Progress
· Attack comes days after Bush hails political climate · Victim is second regional leader to die in eight days

Kurds Flee Homes As Iran Shells Villages in Iraq
· Guerrillas in clashes with Revolutionary Guards · Conflict threatens stability of Kurdistan region

Grim Search for Bodies Continues As Death Toll From Iraqi Suicide Bombings Tops 250
· Blasts estimated to be bloodiest since war began · Attacks bear hallmark of al-Qaida, say US officials

Death Toll in Iraq Suicide Blasts Passes 250
Minority sect targeted in deadliest insurgent attack since US-led invasion.

Curfew Imposed After Suicide Bombers Kill 200 in Iraq
Attackers target minority sect in one of the deadliest incidents since the US-led invasion of the country in 2003.

Bombers Kill 175 in Attacks on Minority Sect in Iraq
At least 175 people from a minority sect in northern Iraq were killed last night and more than 200 others injured when suicide bombers detonated fuel tankers in remote villages near the Syrian border, in one of the deadliest incidents since the US invasion in 2003.

Anti-Mafia Police Uncover Arms-to-iraq Plot
· US kept in dark over 105,000 rifles deal · Revelation highlights Baghdad weapons chaos

Military Families Live in Dread, While the Rest of America is Busy Shopping
Gary Younge: With the army stretched by Iraq to the brink of restoring the draft, US politicians rely on the distraction of a tax cut.

Fatigue Cripples Us Army in Iraq
Exhaustion and combat stress are besieging US troops in Iraq as they battle with a new type of warfare. Some even rely on Red Bull to get through the day. As desertions and absences increase, the military is struggling to cope with the crisis.

Four British Soldiers Die in Iraq in a Week
· Soldiers who died in roadside blast are named· Veteran says Basra must be retaken or abandoned

UN Agrees to Expanded Role in Rebuilding Iraq
· Mandate paves way for political involvement· But suspicion among Iraqis over sanctions

Two British Troops Killed By Roadside Bomb Near Basra
Two British soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the early hours of yesterday as they traveled in a convoy to oilfields west of Basra. Two other soldiers were seriously wounded in the attack. In a bad week for British troops in southern Iraq, four servicemen have now been killed in as many days.

Looting Fear As Iraqi State Library Seized
· Soldiers occupy building to shield pilgrims· Respected director fears attacks on restored archive

Baghdad on High Alert for Shia Festival
Security was tightened around a Shia shrine in northern Baghdad today as tens of thousands of pilgrims converged to honor an eighth-century Shia saint.

No Peace in Iraq without the Aramaeans
Uttered before a year, and inconsiderately disregarded by the US administration, the words of Gabriel Sengo herald the forthcoming, ominous developments that we all have to expect as regards Mesopotamia.

US Uneasy As Britain Plans for Early Iraq Withdrawal
Americans would prefer UK troops to remain in position as long as they do.

The Struggle for Iraq's Oil Flares Up As Kurds Open Doors to Foreign Investors
Baghdad is trying to reassert central control of reserves run by Kurdish authorities.

The Us Arsenal Lost in Iraq
· 110,000 AK-47s· 80,000 pistols· 135,000 bits of amour

Pressure for Expanded Un Mandate in Iraq
Security council considers proposal by US and Britain Mission would have more credibility than coalition.

UN Must Dance to Own Tune Over Iraq
Any expansion of the United Nations' role in Iraq needs to be done independently of the United States, writes Mark Tran

UN Pushed to Take More Diplomatic Role in Iraq
Britain and the US presented a proposal to the United Nations security council today to expand the UN's mandate in Iraq, giving it more of a role in political reconciliation.

Good News From Baghdad at Last: the Oil Law Has Stalled
Jonathan Steele: The panic and distraction of the security crisis should not be used as cover for handing Iraq's wealth to foreigners.

Baghdad Blasts Kill 67
At least 67 people were killed in two bomb attacks in Baghdad today.

Iraq's Biggest Sunni Block Quits Government
Attempts at political reconciliation hit as six Iraqi Accordance Front cabinet members submit resignations.

Guns for Sale - Just Point Them at Iran
America's decision to arm its allies in the Middle East is being seen by many regional experts as a last resort, in anticipation of failure of Washington's policies on both Iraq and Iran.

Army Major in Court Over $9m Bribery Claim
A US army major is scheduled to appear in court today charged with what a Congressional investigator describes as the biggest bribery case to come out of Iraq since the US took over four years ago.

Leaders Bond, Iraq Splits
Leader: The reality in Iraq will not be finessed by cleverly worded answers at press conferences.

Children Hardest Hit By Humanitarian Crisis in Iraq
· One in three people in need of emergency aid· Basic services collapse as professionals flee country

Brown's Us Agenda Balances Praise for Alliance With Hopes of an Early Pull-out From Iraq
· Review of conflict could provide excuse for exit · PM stresses personal enthusiasm for America

In Praise of ... the Iraqi Football Team
Leader: So little good news comes out of Iraq that even those who are not football fans should cheer the victory by the country's national team in the final of the Asian Cup.

Iraqis Savour Rare Taste of Unity As Lions of Mesopotamia Triumph
· Squad of Sunnis, Shias, Kurds and Turkomans · Fans defy gunmen to celebrate in city streets

Amputations Bring Health Crisis to Iraq
Iraq is facing a hidden healthcare and social crisis over the soaring number of amputations, largely of lower limbs, necessitated by the daily explosions and violence gripping the country.

US Accuses Saudis of Telling Lies About Iraq
· First time administration has made concern public · Claims royal family is financing Sunni groups

Iran Fist-in-glove With Iraqi Rebels: America Builds Its Case
World briefing: US military spokesmen, officials and analysts are gradually adding flesh to the bones of allegations of official Iranian collaboration with Shia and Sunni insurgents in Iraq, including elements linked to al-Qaida.

Despite Calls By Soldiers, Diplomats, Only a Handful of the Iraqis That Help Us Forces Are Granted Refugee Status in America
Despite calls by soldiers and diplomats, only a handful of the Iraqis that help US forces are granted refugee status in America.

Saved By the Bonds of War, 'lucky' Iraqis Trickle Into Us
Refugees of the post-Saddam chaos need friends with influence to get into America.

US Ambassador Says Iraqi Aides Will Quit Unless Granted Asylum
The United States ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Cocker, has called for all Iraqis working for the US government to be granted refugee status in recognition of the dangers they face.

Middle East or Iraq or Africa Explode- Not a Potter Trailer
Gads what is all the huff about? People fretting over the message of Harry Potter and creating Harry Potter rumors. Get over it! What I wonder about though is why not stand in line for things that are more important as well? Stand in line for human rights when there is news that the Middle East or Iraq or Africa explode.

Fledgling Sunni Alliance 'might Reduce Iraq Bloodshed'
The emergence of a fledgling political alliance between Sunni insurgents in Iraq could illustrate a big change that might eventually reduce the bloodshed, the Middle East head of a leading defence thinktank said today.

US and Iran Agree to Hold More Talks on Stabilising Iraq
The US and Iran confirmed yesterday that they are to hold a second round of talks on the future of Iraq.

Maria Made Me Cry
I took an emotional bullet to my heart when I read the obituary of a remarkable Army nurse killed in the senseless Iraq War.

What Demon Chases the US with such Perseverance and such Passion?
It is difficult to believe that, in so little time, America could lose that much!

Congress Split Deepens Over Exit Plan for Iraq Troops
The Bush administration yesterday slapped down a proposal, by two senators seen as the elder statesmen of the Republican party, which would have started the process of planning for an eventual exit from Iraq.

Violence Ebbing. Wealth Returning. Can This Be Iraq?
The clamor is growing in America and Britain for troops to be brought home. Violence grips large parts of the country. But elsewhere the green shoots of recovery are showing through the rubble.

Iraq's Future Now Depends on How It Plays in Omaha
It matters little what any of us, Douglas Alexander included, say: the fate of this war rests on political wrangling in Washington. By Martin Kettle

Iraq Civilian Deaths Down But Political Reforms Stalled, Says White House
Report to Congress highlights Baghdad government's lack of political progress in mixed review for Bush 'surge' strategy

Iraq 'surge' Gets Mixed Report Card
Civilian deaths declining but political deadlines not being met, says White House assessment.

Iraq Warns of Collapse If Us Troops Withdraw
The Iraqi foreign minister today warned against 'leaving a security vacuum' in the country, following reports that the Bush administration is debating the withdrawal of US forces under pressure from its congressmen.

US Forces in Iraq Are Now in Such a Preacarious Position They Face Extreme Danger Whether They Expand, Pull Back or Even Do Nothing.
US forces in Iraq are now in such a precarious position they face extreme danger whether they expand, pull back or even do nothing.

Republicans Revolt Against Iraq Surge
The White House is reviewing its Iraq strategy earlier than planned because of a growing revolt by Republicans who have run out of patience and want US troops brought home.

How Us Troops Can Treat From Iraq
The last good options in Iraq evaporated long ago, and getting out is likely to be more complicated and bloodier than going in. By Julian Borger

Scores Die in Iraq Violence
Suicide attack in a market town kills 105 Iraqis and wounds 250 - Two British soldiers killed during major operation

Sectarian Row Stalls Iraq Oil Bill
Prime minister faces objections from all sides over draft law to centralise ownership of reserves.

For Most Americans the War in Iraq is Already Lost
The president's attempt to avoid a September showdown with Congress looks likely to fail. What the upshot of that showdown will be is still in doubt. By Simon Tisdall

Turkey Warns of Plans to Invade Northern Iraq
Call for US to move against Kurdish guerrillas - PKK behind bombings in Ankara, say authorities

Love Among The Ruins
It’s not easy being in love in Baghdad these days. Asking a girl out and getting her to agree may not be too difficult, but arranging the actual date can be a bummer.

Basra Bomb Kills Three British Soldiers in Iraq
Three British soldiers have been killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, the military said.

Suicide Bomber Kills 12 in Baghdad Hotel Attack
A suicide bomber blew himself up in the lobby of a high-rise hotel in Baghdad today, killing 12 people and injuring 18 others.

Bomber Targets Sunnis at Baghdad Hotel, Killing 12
A suicide bomber blew himself up yesterday in the lobby of a Baghdad hotel, where Sunni leaders opposed to al-Qaida in Iraq were gathered for talks with government officials.

Suicide Bomber Kills Seven in Baghdad Hotel Attack
A suicide bomber blew himself up in the lobby of a high-rise hotel in Baghdad today, killing seven people and injuring at least 12 others.

Thinktank Berates Iraq Policy and Warns of Country's Collapse
Iraq can only survive if a functional and legitimate state is rebuilt from the ruins of war and occupation, drawing on the lessons of the collapse of British-ruled Basra, an influential thinktank warns today.

Iraq History - From the Beginning of Man to the Fall of Saddam
Iraq exists in an area of the world that has a long history. In fact, the two rivers that run through Iraq, Euphrates and Tigris are mentioned in the Bible…

Troops Cracking Under Strain of Combat in Iraq, Pentagon Told
US defence secretary Robert Gates pledged yesterday to improve healthcare for growing numbers of troops with psychological injury in Iraq and Afghanistan

Iraq Attacks Kill 14 Us Troops in Three Days
Latest fatalities raise the death toll of American soldiers this month to 68.

Iraqi Politicians Agree Deal on Sharing Oil, Says Kurd Minister
Iraq's Kurdish leaders said last night they had struck an important deal with the central government in Baghdad over a law to divide up Iraq's oil revenues, which is seen by the Bush administration as one of the benchmarks in attempts to foster national reconciliation.

US to Increase Iraq Tours Despite Trauma Warnings
The Pentagon is making plans to extend combat tours to Iraq despite a study showing troops who have undertaken at least one war zone deployment are experiencing serious psychological problems.

Mental Stress of Troops in Iraq No Bar to Longer Duty, Us Says
The Pentagon could extend combat tours in Iraq despite an official report showing that hundreds of thousands of US troops who have been involved in at least one war zone in Iraq or Afghanistan are experiencing serious psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder.

Patrol Discovers Horrific Abuse of Iraqi Orphans
Three members of staff are on the run and two security guards have been arrested after US troops uncovered horrific evidence of systemic abuse of special needs children at a state-run orphanage in central Baghdad.

Iraqi Orphans Found 'naked and Covered in Own Waste'
Three staff are on the run and two security guards were arrested after US troops uncovered horrific evidence of abuse of special needs children at a Baghdad orphanage.

Baghdad Mosque Bombing Kills 75
At least 75 people died today when a car bomb exploded near a Shia mosque in a busy commercial district of Baghdad, Iraqi police said.

10,000 Us Troops Attack Sunni Insurgents
Military surge in north and south of Iraq - 75 people reported killed in mosque bomb

Kurdish Rebel Leader Warns Turkey Against Iraq Incursion
Concern grows over army build-up on border - PKK man predicts political and military disaster

Kidnapped Iraqi Athletes Found Dead
The remains of members of a martial arts team, missing for a year, have been discovered in a ditch.

Blair Knew Us Had No Post-war Plan for Iraq
PM committed troops despite chaos fears - Bush 'offered to fight without UK'

US Authority Accused of Ignoring Allies in Iraq
CPA was dysfunctional, says British official - UK 'complicit' in failing to prepare postwar plan

All the Fun of the Fair - It Must Be Iraq
Regional chiefs hope new resort will help kick-start holiday industry.

British Trader Arrested in Iraq Kickbacks Case
A British trader accused of paying millions of dollars in kickbacks to Saddam Hussein's regime in an international oil scam was arrested today.

HARD TRUTHS: America in the World
Nothing could be more absurd that the notion that we have done our part in Iraq and now it is time for the Iraqis to step up. The hard truth is: We are singularly responsible for this bloodbath and our first responsibility toward reparations is withdrawal.

How the Us Has Shifted Its Policy in Dealing With Violence in Iraq.
How the US has shifted its policy in dealing with violence in Iraq and an evolving set of enemies.

Pentagon Arms Its Enemy's Enemies in Iraq
The US military has embarked on a new and risky strategy in Iraq by arming Sunni insurgents in the hope that they will tackle al-Qaida operatives in Iraq.

Turkey: America’s only Honorable Exit from Iraq
America failed in Iraq; this conclusion is irreversible. The pathetic and ignorant leadership of the – statistically only taken as – superpower failed to escape from the traps its supposed British ally had long prepared for them.

Fake Loos, Baghdad Holidays and Birdmen
One work of art causing just the teensiest bit of confusion has been Lars Ramberg's sculpture Liberté. The work consists of three real French-style public loos, marked Liberté, Fraternité and Equalité. From them can be heard recordings of great speeches by statesmen such as de Gaulle, Roosevelt, and, er, King Haakon VII of Norway.

General 'sacrificed' to Clear Decks on Iraq
Chairman of joint chiefs of staff to stand down - Senate hearings would have been controversial

British Military Death Toll in Iraq Reaches 150
The number of British military personnel to have died in Iraq since the invasion in March 2003 reached 150 yesterday with the shooting of a soldier who was on routine patrol.

Where Does The Money Go?
A couple of months ago, an AP article discussed how the Pentagon was proposing to spend one billion dollars, just to entice army soldiers and marines to stay in the military, after four years of war in Iraq.

UK and Us Must Quit Iraq Quickly, Says Former Ambassador
The British and American military presence in Iraq is worsening security across the region and should be withdrawn quickly, the UK's former ambassador to Washington warned yesterday.

Soldiers Seized in Baghdad Ambush Are All Dead, Says Video
The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella group of insurgents that includes al-Qaida in Iraq, released a video yesterday in which it claimed to have killed all three American soldiers who went missing in the country last month.

Warning of More Us Casualties As 14 Soldiers Reported Killed in Iraq
America yesterday endured one of its deadliest days in Iraq since President Bush ordered more troops into the war zone, with the Pentagon announcing the deaths of 14 US soldiers.

Web Leak Puts Us Embassy at Risk
It was a short-lived but spectacular breach of security at the new US embassy in Baghdad.

US Anger After New Baghdad Embassy Plans Go on Internet
Master plan of the most heavily fortified embassy in the world posted on the website of the architectural company that designed it.

Fear and Luxury Lure Foreign Legions in Iraq
In the week five British expatriate workers were seized in Baghdad, a look at a shadowy world where risk and reward can be equally high.

US Embassy Plans Appear Online
Computer-generated images of the heavily defended site in Baghdad turn up on the internet.

Turkey Moves Forces to Iraq Border
A Turkish military build-up on the northern Iraq border is fueling fears of a confrontation between Ankara and Kurdistan's semi-independent government that could further destabilize the region as US forces begin to pull back.

UK May Seek Iranian Help in Finding Iraq Hostages
Britain is considering a direct approach to Iran for help in discovering the whereabouts of four British security guards and a financial consultant abducted in Iraq and who was responsible for seizing them.

25 Die in Falluja Suicide Blast
A suicide bomber killed at least 25 people and injured 50 more in the Iraqi city of Falluja today after blowing himself up in a queue at a police recruitment center, officials said.

Troops Search Sadr City for Kidnapped Britons
Hundreds of Iraqi and US troops carry out raids in Shia neighborhood of Baghdad.

Baghdad Lockdown As Troops Hunt for Britons
Clerics differ on who was responsible for kidnapping - US accused of jeopardizing negotiations with raids

Al-sadr is Back and He Means Business
World Briefing: Claims that Moqtada al-Sadr's Jaish al-Mahdi militia is behind the kidnapping of five Britons in Iraq rest principally on events in Basra last week, when the killing of a Mahdi army commander by Iraqi and British forces prompted vows of swift revenge. By Simon Tisdall

'Outside the Gate, It's the Wild West. We Are Basically a Taxi Service With Guns'
Four of the five British hostages kidnapped in Iraq worked for a private security firm. A former special forces soldier who returned from Baghdad earlier this week tells Audrey Gillan about his life as a 'private security detail' operating in one of the most dangerous cities in the world. He is 42 and lives in Surrey. He has asked to remain anonymous.

Another Iraq War to help the Turkish Islamists?
As the tension rises in the borders between Turkey and Iraq, Turkey continues a military build up, and the pathetic Turkish premier refuses refused to rule out action, we have to view the events in the light of the recent internal strife that brought in Turkey the secularist majority and establishment to a frontal opposition with the villainous plans of the Erdogan – Gul clique.

'Iraqi Police Cannot Control Crime'
Mark Tran explains the problems plaguing the Iraqi police force.

Five Britons Seized in Central Baghdad
The Foreign Office today confirmed the kidnapping of five Britons in Iraq, as the government's top-level emergency committee, Cobra, met to discuss the incident.

Kidnappings Continue in Iraq But Fewer Are Murdered
Thousands of Iraqis, and more than 200 foreigners, have been kidnapped in Iraq since March 2003. Mark Oliver reports.

The Security Firms Active in Iraq
There are about 2,000 contractors working in Iraq for British security firms. It's a big source of revenue, writes David Pallister.

Iran and Us See 'positive' Steps in First Formal Talks Since Hostage Crisis of 1980
Tehran urged to stop arming Iraqi militias- Qomi proposes trilateral forum to discuss security

Iran and Us See 'positive' Steps in First Formal Talks Since 1980
Tehran urged to stop arming Iraqi militias - Qomi proposes trilateral forum to discuss security

Talks Between Us and Iran on Iraq War Marred By Claims of Spy Ring
Tehran official complains of American infiltration - Troops free 42 from al-Qaida hideout in Diyala

Iraqi Special Forces Kill Militia Leader in Basra As Radical Cleric Resurfaces in Iraq
Senior leader of the Mahdi militia army shot dead by Iraqi special forces, on day that Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shia cleric, reappears.

The Mahdi Army
The Mahdi army, also known as the Mahdi Militia, is an Iraqi militia group created by the Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003.

Iraqi Police Claim Body is Abducted Us Soldier's
The body of one of three US soldiers kidnapped in Iraq two weeks ago was found today in the Euphrates, according to the Iraqi police.

Body of Kidnapped Us Soldier Found in River, Say Iraqi Police
Victim 'was shot and showed signs of torture' - Democrats cave in over withdrawal timetable

Democrats Back Down Over Iraq Withdrawal
The Bush administration is set to receive $120bn (£60bn) in funding for the war in Iraq after Democrats backed off from their insistence on a withdrawal date....

Iraq Is Not Our Enemy
A poem about the true enemy in war…

Iran's Secret Plan for Summer Offensive to Force Us Out of Iraq
Iran is secretly forging ties with al-Qaida elements and Sunni Arab militias in Iraq in preparation for a summer showdown with coalition forces intended to tip a wavering US Congress into voting for full military withdrawal, US officials say.

One Building That's Been Built on Time and on Budget in Iraq: America's Fortress Embassy
Vatican-sized bomb-proof structure to cost £300m <- Builders in Green Zone already insurgent targets

Amid the Bombs, Blair Remains Upbeat on Farewell Tour in Iraq
Relaxed PM uses unannounced visit to pay emotional tribute to British troops as fighting continues.

Report Warns of Iraq's Collapse
Iraq in danger of becoming failed state facing possibility of collapse and fragmentation, thinktank says.

Iran and Us to Hold Iraq Talks
Iran and the US are to hold ambassadorial level talks on Iraq, the Iranian foreign minister said today, in the first substantive contacts between the countries for years.

Two Killed in Attack on Baghdad Green Zone
US embassy official says around nine mortar rounds believed to have exploded in high-security compound.

Chlorine Bomb Blamed for Up to 45 Deaths in Iraqi Shia Town
Iraq's latest horror weapon - the chlorine bomb - killed up to 45 people and wounded 60 others in a Shia town, police said yesterday, as a hail of mortar bombs hit the heavily guarded, US-controlled, "green zone" in the heart of Baghdad for the second consecutive day.

Journalists Removed From Iraq Bomb Site
Iraqi police removed photographers from the site of bomb blasts that killed at least seven people in central Baghdad yesterday in the first use of a controversial new policy restricting media access.

Iraq Veteran Wins Blog Prize As Us Military Cuts Web Access
Literary award for former soldier's online dispatches - Critics brand Pentagon's new rules 'self-defeating'

'More Troops' Call As Iraq Murders Soar
In the first 11 days of this month, there have already been 234 bodies - men murdered by death squads - dumped around the capital, a dramatic rise from the 137 found in the same period of April.

Talabani: Iraq Still Needs Coalition Forces
US and British troops need to stay in Iraq for another one to two years, the Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, said today.

US General Asks for More Troops in Northern Iraq
The commander of US forces in northern Iraq said yesterday that he did not have enough troops to bring stability, sharpening the debate in America about the effectiveness of George Bush's war plan.

The Reality on the Ground in Iraq
Guardian photographer Sean Smith, embedded with US soldiers near Baghdad and on his fifth trip to Iraq, describes the huge gap between government rhetoric and reality on the ground.

Four Iraqi Journalists Shot Dead
Four Iraqi print journalists have been killed in a drive-by shooting near Kirkuk, according to local police. By Jason Deans.

Cheney to Call for Greater Political Efforts in Iraq
Unannounced visit to Baghdad comes as at least 19 people die in Irbil suicide truck bombing.

Suicide Blast Kills 16 in Southern Iraqi City
A suicide car bomber struck a market in the southern Iraqi city of Kufa today, killing at least 16 people and wounding 70, according to police and hospital officials.

Republican Candidates Unite Over Iraq, Divide Over Values
A week after the Democrats staged their first full debate of the presidential primary season, 10 Republican candidates gathered on a stage at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, north of Los Angeles.

UK and Us Must Admit Defeat and Leave Iraq, Says British General
A retired British army general says Iraq's insurgents are justified in opposing the occupation, arguing that the US and its allies should 'admit defeat' and leave Iraq before more soldiers are killed.

PETRAEUS BETRAYS US: The Lies of War
General Petraeus, the anointed savior of the Bush war strategy, betrayed us from the moment he ascended to his post as director of the Baghdad theatre of blood. He is not so much a commander as an illusionist, not so much a strategist as a front man for a magic act.

Iran to Tell Coalition Forces to Leave Iraq at Summit in Egypt
Both sides unofficially express need for dialogue - Tehran believes security is a regional concern

Hoon Admits Fatal Errors in Planning for Postwar Iraq
A catalogue of errors over planning for Iraq after the invasion, and an inability to influence key figures in the US administration, led to anarchy in Iraq from which the country has not recovered, the British defence secretary during the invasion admits today.

US Report Blames Iraqis for Failing Reconstruction
Projects hailed as success found to be falling apart - Security fears contribute to neglected maintenance

The Iraq War is Over. It is the Moment for Democrats to Show Real Leadership
If President Bush's veto is not challenged tomorrow, thousands of Iraqis and hundreds of US troops are certain to perish. By Gary Younge

Suicide Car Bomb in Iraq Kills 60
A car bomb killed 60 people and wounded 170 in the Iraqi city of Karbala yesterday, the second such attack in two weeks. Sectarian tensions are likely to be inflamed after a suicide bomber detonated the device on a crowded street close to a Shia shrine in the holy city of Karbala 70 miles south-west of Baghdad.

US Senate Backs Iraq Withdrawal Date
The US Senate today passed a motion requiring US troops to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq on October, paving the way for a major showdown with George Bush who will now have to veto the measure.

US Soldier Charged With 'aiding the Enemy'
Former commander of US detention centre in Baghdad allegedly gave unmonitored mobile phone to detainees.

UN Claims Iraq Underplays Civilian Death Toll
The UN today criticised the Iraqi government for failing to provide civilian casualty figures and rejected the accusation that it is using the information in "inappropriate fashion".

Congress Set to Back Iraq Troops Withdrawal Bill
Legislation calling for US troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq by October 1 set to be backed as Bush promises veto.

UN Accuses Iraq of Covering Up Rise in Civilian Deaths
Maliki office calls report on sectarian toll inaccurate - UK denied transit visa to co-author of Lancet study

British Soldier Killed in Iraq Named
The British soldier killed yesterday in Iraq was tonight named as Kingsman Alan Joseph Jones of the 2nd Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment.

Nine Us Soldiers Killed in Iraq Suicide Blast
Car bomber kills nine US soldiers and injures more than 20 in single deadliest attack on American ground forces in Iraq for more than a year.

Iraqi Pm Calls for Halt to Baghdad Wall
Washington says it will 'respect' opposition to construction of barrier sealing off Sunni neighbourhood.

Roadside Bomb Pierces Challenger Tank in Iraq
A Challenger 2 tank - the army's heaviest weapon - has been penetrated by a roadside bomb in Iraq, leaving the driver with serious injuries, the Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday.

Iraqi Premier Calls on Us to Halt Construction of Baghdad Wall
Iraq's premier, Nouri al-Maliki, yesterday called for a halt to the US military's construction of a three-mile wall in Baghdad separating Sunni and Shia Muslims.

Soldiers Killed in Iraq Bombing Named
The MoD today named two British soldiers killed when their armoured vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb blast during a routine patrol in south-east Iraq's Maysan province.

US Builds Baghdad Wall to Keep Sunnis and Shias Apart
US soldiers building three-mile barrier to separate Sunni enclave from surrounding Shia neighbourhoods.

US Says Withdrawal in Iraqi Politicians' Hands
Washington today said it would take political reconciliation in Iraq into account when it decides this summer whether to reduce troop numbers.

Baghdad Wall Deepens Balkanisation Fears
US soldiers building three-mile barrier to separate Sunni enclave from surrounding Shia neighbourhoods.

Amnesty Condemns Rise in Iraqi Executions
Iraq is now the fourth highest user of the death penalty in the world, an Amnesty International report said today.

Iraq Helicopter Crash Blamed on Mechanical Failure
Coroner conducting inquest into deaths of eight British servicemen says crash 'arose out of a mechanical failure'.

We Need to Focus on This Week's Deaths in Iraq - They Belong to Us
Any sense of proportion about fear and death has been lost as this age of individualism demands me-me mourning. By Polly Toynbee

Coroner Rejects Us Pilot Error Claim in Iraq Crash
Mechanical failure blamed for deaths of eight Britons - Fresh row over American lack of cooperation

Iraq Fourth in Death Penalty League, Amnesty Says
Iraq is condemned by Amnesty International today for becoming the world's fourth highest user of the death penalty, with a rapid acceleration in executions since 2004, when the US handed control to the newly elected government.

Baghdad Blasts Kill 160
Wave of car bombings in one of the worst days of violence to hit Iraq's capital.

We'll Be in Control By End of 2007 Says Maliki. In Baghdad, Carnage Continues
At least 140 dead in market blast - 41 killed by checkpoint bomb - Three further attacks claim 17 lives

Sadr Loyalist Ministers Quit Iraq Government
Political movement of radical Shia cleric orders its six cabinet ministers to quit Iraqi government.

Take More Iraqi Refugees, Un Tells Britain
Britain is being urged to play a leading role in tackling the grave humanitarian crisis of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi refugees by resettling some in the UK and by stopping the deportation of asylum seekers.

Sadr Loyalist Ministers Quit Iraq Government to Protest Lack of Timetable for Us Troop Withdrawal
The political movement of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has ordered its six cabinet ministers to quit the Iraqi government.

Two Killed in Iraq Midair Collision
Two British military helicopters carrying special forces to missions inside Iraq in the hunt for al-Qaida and other high-value targets apparently crashed into each other on a night mission, killing two people, it was confirmed yesterday.

PROPHECIES OF A DREAMER: Keeping the American Promise
The role of a prophet requires sifting out what will impact the future from what will not. A Senator's walk in Baghdad, a Speaker's trip to Damascus and a shock jock's racist misspeak are not important. Global warming and the deteriorating situations in Iraq and Afghanistan are.

Suicide Car Bomber Kills Dozens Near Shia Shrine
A suicide car bomber may have killed up to 50 people at a bus station near the Shia shrine in Kerbala yesterday at the end of a week that saw the Iraqi parliament bombed and one of Baghdad's bridges destroyed.

Caterers Suspected in Iraqi Parliament Bombing
A catering company that only recently took over the franchise at the Iraqi parliament was yesterday at the centre of the investigation into yesterday's bombing, as police detained three food workers for questioning and MPs said there had been prior complaints about the new service.

Green Zone Bomb Probe Looks at Caterers
A catering company that recently took over the franchise at the Iraqi parliament was yesterday at the centre of the investigation into Thursday's bombing.

Iraq Mps Attempt Show of Defiance After Attack
Iraq's parliament today held a special session intended to show defiance and solidarity following the bomb attack yesterday that is believed to have killed two MPs.

Baghdad Explosions Hit Parliament and Bridge
Three MPs killed as major blast rips through Green Zone building.

Iraqi Mps Killed By Green Zone Bomber
American and Iraqi officials were last night conducting an urgent investigation into security at the Iraqi parliament after a suicide bomber executed the most brazen attack yet on the country's new democratic institutions, detonating a bomb that killed at least eight people including three MPs.

US Compensation Payments to Iraqi Civilians Made Public
The US army memo about the killing of an Iraqi woman in a taxi at a checkpoint in Iraq is terse and matter-of-fact.

Major Bridge Bombed in Baghdad
A massive bomb blast severely damaged one of the main road bridges in north Baghdad today, killing at least 10 people and sending cars plunging into the Tigris river below.

Top Us Generals Reject War Tsar Role for Iraq and Afghanistan
Three retired generals approached by the White House about a new high-profile post overseeing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and reporting directly to the president have rejected the proposed post, leaving the administration struggling to find anyone of stature willing to take it on.

Red Cross Details 'unbearable Suffering' of Iraqi Civilians
Iraqi civilians are experiencing "immense suffering" because of a "disastrous" security situation, deepening poverty and a worsening humanitarian crisis, according to a report by the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Police Station Bombing in Iraq Kills 14
Suicide bomber, reported to have been female, detonates explosive belt in crowd of recruits.

Keep Your Quarrels Out of Iraq Talks, Rivals Told
Foreign minister calls for security to be only subject - US forces suffer 10 fatalities in two days

Keep Regional Quarrels Out of Talks, Says Iraq
Foreign minister calls for security to be only subject - Fierce fighting by Mahdi militia in southern city

'I Am So Proud of My Action Girl'
Mother pays tribute to army nurse who died in Iraq roadside bomb.

Basra Blast Kills Four Uk Troops
Four British soldiers and a civilian translator were killed by a roadside bomb attack in southern Iraq last night, the Ministry of Defence said today.

Iraq Funding Row May Harm Military, Warns Pentagon
Troop preparations under threat, say army chiefs - President and Democrats blame each other for delay

SCHIZO SCHERZO: Blood Money for Peace
The Senate has joined the House in passing a war appropriations bill with benchmarks and a deadline for withdrawal of combat troops. Thus we are presented a dilemma of the first order: How can a war appropriations bill be considered a stand against the war?

Brown Should Take His Lead on Iraq From the Democrats
US resolve has leapfrogged beyond Britain's in a way that Labour seems not to have taken on board. By Jonathan Steele

Reports of Police Involvement in Tal Afar Killings Spark Investigation
Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, ordered an urgent investigation into the behaviour of government security forces in the north-western city of Tal Afar yesterday, after reports that a gang of Shia gunmen who killed scores of Sunni residents in revenge for two huge truck bombs in a Shia area had included a number of off-duty police officers.

Iraqi Police Shoot Sunnis in 'revenge Attack'
Security and police officials said off-duty Shia policemen in Tal Afar shot dozens of Sunnis dead today in an apparent revenge attack.

Senate Sets Deadline for Withdrawal of Troops From Iraq
Vote brings showdown with White House closer - Pressure on Bush to change tack on war

Departing Us Envoy Warns Iraqi Mps
Ambassador calls for national reconciliation - Khalilzad admits talks with insurgent groups

It's a Disaster, Says Iraqi Hawk
Kanan Makiya, an Iraqi exile under Saddam and a key intellectual inspiration for the US policy of 'regime change' in Iraq, has admitted he failed to foresee the consequences for his country of the invasion four years ago.

Democrats to Vote on Iraq Withdrawal Bill
Congressional Democrats to mount most forceful challenge yet to George Bush on the Iraq war.

Iraq Deputy Pm Injured in Suicide Bombing
Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie was today wounded during an attack in Baghdad's heavily fortified green zone.

UN Chief Shaken By Baghdad Explosion
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon was left shaken but unhurt on his first visit to Baghdad today after a rocket landed yards from where he and Iraq's prime minister were holding a press conference.

US Struggles to Avert Turkish Intervention in Northern Iraq
Ankara claims Kurdish rebels preparing attacks - Operations could wreck American peace strategy

UN Chief Flies Into Iraq for Talks
First visit by new secretary general Ban Ki-moon - Baghdad holding discussions with insurgents

Iraqi Insurgents Blow Up Car With Children Inside
Youngsters used as decoy to get through checkpoint - Concern over increasing use of hardline tactics

Baghdad Reaches Out to Insurgents to End Violence
The Iraqi vice-president, Tariq al-Hashimi, today described violent extremists as "just part of the Iraqi communities" and said he was willing to talk to them to bring peace.

The Solemn Streets of Protest: Four Years after Shock and Awe
On the fourth anniversary of the war, we have arrived at a critical conclusion: The war will not end with a Democratic congress. The war will not end with the election of the next president. The dominant parties have struck a deal to continue the war indefinitely.

In Iraq, Public Anger is at Last Translating Into Unity
For four years, Britain and the US have aimed to encourage sectarianism, but ultimately they will fail to divide the country. By Sami Ramadani

Iraq Explosions Kill at Least 12
At least 12 people were killed today in Kirkuk, in a wave of near-simultaneous bomb blasts around the northern Iraqi city.

Former Iraqi Vice President 'to Hang at Dawn'
Iraqi officials request transfer of Taha Yassin Ramadan from US custody for execution tomorrow.

Four Years On, Insurgent Strikes Claim More Us and Iraqi Lives
Seven US soldiers died in Iraq at the weekend, bringing to 3,217 the number of American combat fatalities since the invasion four years ago tomorrow.

Suicide Chlorine Bombers Hit Iraq
Baghdad security faces new threat as rebels' gas weapon is unleashed against coalition forces.

Democrats Defeated in Iraq Timetable Vote
Democratic party hopes of tying George Bush to a timetable for US troop withdrawal from Iraq suffered a setback yesterday when they were defeated in the Senate.

BURY MY HEART IN SADR CITY: Blood for Corporate Oil
The siege of Baghdad is not new. It is the strategy of Fallujah in a city of six million people. It failed in Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosul, Tal Afar, Samara and it will fail in Baghdad.

EU Calls on Syria to Help in Lebanon and Iraq
The EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, today urged Syria to help stabilise Lebanon and Iraq during a visit that marked a thaw in EU relations with Damascus.

US Congress Set for Full Debate on Iraq Withdrawal
The way was opened today for a full congressional debate on Iraq when Republicans in the Senate ended their blocking tactics.

Soldiers Cleared Over Ill-treatment of Iraqi Prisoners
Courts martial questioned after latest acquittals - 'Overzealous officialdom' accused by colonel

The Legacy of Iraq is That the World Stands By While Darfur Burns
An unprecedented plea from 14 UN humanitarian bodies on behalf of the people of western Sudan has been roundly ignored. By Jonathan Freedland

US Army Surgeon General Quits in Hospital Row
A scandal over hospital treatment of wounded US soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan yesterday claimed the biggest scalp yet when the army surgeon-general, Lieutenant-General Kevin Kiley, was forced into early retirement.

US Plans Iraq Withdrawal If 'surge' Fails
The United States has begun planning to gradually withdraw combat soldiers from Iraq and place a greater emphasis on training if the current troop increase fails, it was reported today.

Senior Democrats Unveil Iraq Pullout Plan
Senior congressional Democrats today threw down the gauntlet to the Bush administration by unveiling legislation setting a timetable for a US troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Surge - or Huge Muddle?
Senior advisers to US commander General David Petraeus say George Bush's last-chance, fingers-crossed 'surge' to secure Baghdad has hardly begun and is evolving every day. By Simon Tisdall

Democrats Demand Troops Out of Iraq By 2008
Bold new strategy would veto war funding - Bush faces dilemma over withdrawal timetable

2,200 Us Military Police to Join Iraq 'surge'
The Pentagon is to send an extra 2,200 military police to Iraq to help deal with an anticipated increase in detainees during US forces' latest security crackdown.

Pupils and Pilgrims Defy Iraqi Bombers
Violence in Iraq has become an everyday occurrence: yesterday a suicide bomber killed more than 30 people and wounded dozens in a cafe north-east of Baghdad, while a car bomb in the suburb of Saidiya killed seven Shia pilgrims and a policeman.

At Least 100 Pilgrims Die in Suicide Attacks As Us Admits Extra 7,000 Troops May Go to Iraq
Army says more soldiers needed for Baghdad surge - Latest assault echoes attack on Samarra shrine

Petraeus is America's Last Best Hope in Iraq
The top US commander in Iraq has the final chance to make the conflict a success for the White House.

SAS Rescue Attempts
Previous raids to free hostages, from Somalia in 1977 to Baghdad in 2006.

A Warrior and a Scholar - America's Last Best Hope for Salvation in Iraq
With a failure of political will in Washington, 'King David' could have just six months to make difference.

Raid at Iraqi Compound Finds Signs of Torture
37 prisoners freed from intelligence agency centre - British forces gave back-up in controversial operation

Sects Slice Up Iraq As Us Troops 'surge' Misfires
An endless cycle of displacement continues despite moves to end sectarian violence.

Iran Gives Cautious Nod to Iraq Talks
Tehran today gave a guarded welcome to a newly-announced US plan to invite Iran, Syria and others to discuss ways to stablise Iraq.

Military Chiefs Give Us Six Months to Win Iraq War
Violence expected to rise after UK withdrawal - Troop numbers too low - Coalition is 'disintegrating'

Safety Fears Force Save the Children to Pull Out of Iraq
The last major British charity working in Iraq is pulling out today as the worsening security situation makes it impossible to safeguard staff. Save the Children UK has announced that - after 15 years in the country - it is to shut its office because it can no longer reach the Iraqi...

US Invites Iran and Syria to Talks on Iraq in Reversal of Bush Policy
Initiative ends isolation of Tehran and Damascus - Plan seen as attempt to limit criticism of war

Radical Shia Cleric Withdraws Backing for Iraq Security Drive
America's security surge in Baghdad was dealt a double blow yesterday when the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr abruptly withdrew support for the crackdown, and a female suicide bomber killed at least 40 people at a Baghdad college.

Harry Must Learn How to Read Iraq's Deadly Roads
As Britain prepares to send in a prince and bring out troops, conflict flares over who will control the south. Peter Beaumont reports from Baquba.

US Soldier Sentenced to 100 Years for Iraq Rape and Murder
A US soldier was sentenced to 100 years in prison yesterday for one of the worst known cases involving US troops in Iraq - the gang rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl and the killing of her father, mother and sister.

No Special Favours As Prince Gets His Iraq Orders
Cornet Wales to lead troop of 12 men on armed patrols - No SAS protection but an eye might be kept on him

Iraqi Security Forces Face New Sex Assault Allegations
Iraq's security forces were yesterday facing fresh allegations of brutal sexual assault after four soldiers were accused of raping a 50-year-old Sunni Turkomen woman.

PM: Troops Could Be Sent Back to Iraq
The prime minister today refused to rule out the possibility that British troops would have to return to Iraq if trouble broke out.

Eighth Us Helicopter Downed in Iraq
Insurgents shot down an eighth US helicopter in Iraq yesterday in what the Pentagon acknowledges is a change of tactics, as well as the use of more sophisticated weaponry.

UK Troop Reduction a Welcome Catalyst, Says Iraqi President
The Iraqi president, Jalal Talabani, today told the Guardian that Tony Blair's statement on phased troop withdrawal in the southern city of Basra was "a welcome catalyst for Iraqi security forces in the south and elsewhere to stand on their own feet".

This is Driven By Poll Ratings, Not By Conditions in Iraq
British troops could and should have left in 2005. Their departure has been led by political, not military, priorities. By Jonathan Steele

HIDING BEHIND THE TROOPS: A Coward's Last Refuge
"Support our Troops" has become an empty slogan that does not translate into protective equipment, medical care, mental health services or support for military families. It is a cover for cowardly politicians wishing to obscure their complicity in the moral and literal bankruptcy of the nation.

Iraq: the British Endgame
1,000 troops out by May, all gone by end of 2008 - Pace of pullout much slower than anticipated

McCain Derides Rumsfeld's Iraq 'mismanagement'
One of the worst secretaries of defence in history, Arizona senator says.

Families of Iraq Soldiers Killed By Mob Call for Suspects' Arrest
The father of one of six Red Caps murdered by an Iraqi mob while holed up in an isolated police station is to demand that the British government arrest the men it suspects of his son's killing, or admit it will not do so and explain why.

Second Day of Baghdad Bombings Kill 25 As Us and Iraqi Forces Struggle to Quell Violence
More than 25 people were killed today in a series of bombings in and around Baghdad, as US and Iraqi forces struggled to quell violence in the city despite a major new security drive.

Can The USA Abandon The Refugees It Creates?
The war in Iraq has caused two million Iraqis to flee their country and become refugees. A few hundred thousand of these have requested asylum in the USA. America has accepted 466.Opinion among Americans as to whether America has any moral obligation towards the refugees is divided.

60 Killed in Iraq As Leaders Hail Fall in Violence
Car bombs hit precinct not known as 'hot' area - Security clampdown cuts toll of street shootings

Teachers Are the Quiet Heroes of Baghdad
Despite the daily horror around them, those who run the schools in Iraq's capital are determined that life should continue as normal for children.

EU Braces Itself for Influx of Iraqi Refugees
Tens of thousands could flee in coming weeks - UN asks for countries to share burden on Sweden

Iraq Closes Borders With Iran and Syria
Iraq has closed its borders with Iran and Syria as part of a security crackdown to block fighters and weapons from entering the country, US commanders said today.

US to Welcome 7,000 Iraqi Refugees
The Bush administration is to increase the official quota of Iraqi refugees who will be allowed to settle in the United States from 500 to 7,000 over the next year, in a response to the growing refugee crisis in Iraq.

Cleric Sadr 'in Iran' Ahead of Iraq Crackdown
The radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr is said to have fled Iraq and sought shelter in Iran ahead of a US crackdown aimed at ending the violence in the country.

Visions of Darkness and Light: Iraq, Iran and Perpetual War
As surely as the sun will rise and another mother’s son will die, the Bush White House is planning an attack on Iran. With CNN and Fox working point, the table is being set and the president is poised with his finger on the trigger.

Iraq Announces New Security Measures
Government to close borders with Syria and Iran and extend night curfew in Baghdad as part of latest plan.

House of Representatives Begins Iraq Debate
Discussion expected to lead to vote of no confidence in George Bush's conduct of the war.

Iraq Closes Borders As New Security Plan Kicks in
Iraq will close its land borders with Syria and Iran and extend the night-time curfew in Baghdad as part of the much-heralded security plan aimed at stifling violence in the capital and the volatile Anbar province to the west.

Scores Killed in Iraq Blasts
At least 80 people were killed and nearly 165 wounded in car bomb attacks on markets in Baghdad today on the first anniversary of an attack on one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines, Iraqi officials said.

Ahmadinejad Puts His Faith in the 'wise People in Us' to Avoid Conflict
Iranian leader says Bush trying to find scapegoats - Blair backs claims that arms are going to Iraq

US Accuses Highest Levels in Iran of Supplying Deadly Weapons to Iraqi Insurgents
Military officials provide 'evidence' of arms - Ahmadinejad refuses to stop uranium work

Pentagon Report Condemns Misleading Iraq Intelligence
The row over the use - or misuse of intelligence - in the run-up to the Iraq war reignited today when a watchdog concluded that top Pentagon officials wrongly insisted on a link between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida.

Roadside Bomb Kills British Soldier in Basra
A British soldier was killed and three others were wounded today when a roadside bomb exploded just outside Basra, in southern Iraq, military officials said.

Pentagon Unit Defied Cia Advice to Justify Iraq War
'Alternative' agency set up to link Saddam to al-Qaida - Mainstream intelligence was cast aside, Senate told

Senatorial Waltz while Baghdad Burns
As the last chance assault on Baghdad begins in stops and starts, as war with Iran moves ever closer, the regal members of the United States Senate, enthralled by the sound of their own voices, debate parliamentary procedure.

Fifth Helicopter Crash in 2 Weeks As Us 'surge' in Baghdad Begins
The new US operation to pacify Baghdad began yesterday as American forces suffered a fresh blow when another helicopter crashed, killing seven.

How the Us Sent $12bn in Cash to Iraq. And Watched It Vanish
Special flights brought in tonnes of banknotes which disappeared into the war zone.

MoD Names Soldier Killed in Iraq Blast
The British soldier who became the 100th to die in action in Iraq when he was killed in a roadside bombing was today named as Second Lieutenant Jonathan Carlos Bracho-Cooke.

Gates Faces Senate Grilling Over Iraq Cash Request
Democrats today plan to vent their grievances on Iraq when the US defence secretary, Robert Gates, appears at the Senate a day after Republicans blocked a debate about the conflict.

Leaked Cockpit Tape Details Fatal Us Attack on British Convoy in Iraq
A US jet cockpit videotape leaked today appears to show a catalogue of errors leading up to a strike on British troops in Iraq that killed Lance Corporal Matty Hull.

Children of War: the Generation Traumatised By Violence in Iraq
Growing up in a war zone takes its toll as young play games of murder and mayhem.

British Soldier Killed in Basra Blast
A British soldier has died in a roadside bombing in the southern Iraqi city of Basra today, the Ministry of Defence said.

Iraq: An Outsider’s Perspective
Probably the most controversial political issue in the USA today is Iraq. This was probably the most important and divisive issue in the 2006 United Stated Congressional election. The Democrats portrayed it as a political and military misadventure of gigantic proportions. For the Republicans, it’s a moral crusade.

Iraq Report Pessimistic Over Us Role
The US has little control of events in Iraq and there is a strong possibility of further deterioration, an intelligence assessment was expected to say today.

Shoppers Among 62 Killed in Iraq
Two suicide bombers hit early evening shoppers in the Shia city of Hilla yesterday, killing 45 people, wounding 150 and accelerating the steep rise in the number of Iraqis killed in sectarian atrocities during the Muslim holy month of Muharram.

Admiral Says Us Needs New Approach to Iraq
The US underestimated the persistence of insurgents in Iraq, Washington's prospective top commander in the Middle East said today.

Attacks Kill 36 Iraqi Shia Pilgrims
A mortar barrage later struck a Sunni neighbourhood in Baghdad, killing at least 17 people and injuring 72.

Najaf 'under Control' After Iraqi Forces Defeat Mystery Fighters
The Iraqi government yesterday declared an end to major combat operations near Najaf, where US and Iraqi forces had fought hundreds of fighters from an obscure Islamic splinter group suspected of planning attacks on the Shia clerical establishment during today's Ashura celebrations in nearby Kerbala.

US and Iraqi Forces Claim 250 Dead in Attack on Najaf Insurgents
Cult was plotting to kill Shia pilgrims and clerics - US helicopter shot down killing two servicemen

US and Iraqi Forces Kill 250 Gunmen in Day-long Battle
US and Iraqi forces killed 250 gunmen in a battle involving US tanks and helicopters on the outskirts of the Shia holy city of Najaf yesterday, a senior Iraqi police officer said.

US Troops Authorised to Kill Iranian Agents in Iraq
Washington fears growing influence of Tehran - Tougher stand risks escalating conflict

US Contractors in Iraq Shot in Back of Head
Four of five American private security contractors who died when their helicopters were attacked had been shot in the back of the head, US and Iraqi officials have revealed.

Democrats Go on Attack Over Iraq
Despite much talk of bipartisanship, there was little sign of unity in the response to Bush's state of the union address, reports Suzanne Goldenberg.

Rich or Poor, a Million Iraqi Refugees Strain the Hospitality of Jordan
Hosts worried about importing Baghdad's sectarian violence.

Over 70 Killed in Baghdad Blasts
Two nearly simultaneous bombings in a mostly Shia commercial area in central Baghdad killed at least 72 people and wounded at least 134, Iraqi officials said today.

Iraq Bombings Claim at Least 100 Lives
A double car bombing wrought more carnage in Baghdad's commercial centre yesterday, killing at least 88 people and injuring more than 150 in an attack that highlighted the task facing President Bush's US troop reinforcements.

The Golden Deception & The Drums Of War
The path to war in Iraq was paved with executive lies and deception. Four bloodstained years later, the Bush administration is at it again -- this time its war with Syria and Iran. Will congress and the media abdicate as they did before?

Roadside Bomb Kills British Soldier on Basra Patrol
The British casualty list in Iraq lengthened yesterday after a roadside bomb attack on an army patrol killed one soldier and wounded four others, one of them seriously, in the southern city of Basra.

Sadr Fears for Life in Security Crackdown
Moqtada al-Sadr has moved his family to a secure location because of fears he will become the target of a security sweep of Baghdad, it was reported today.

From Hostility to Diplomacy: The Way Out of Iraq
The people have wised up. Refusing to follow the same neocon warlords who have been wrong at every juncture, we demand a way out. A responsible withdrawal requires shifting from hostility to diplomacy.

Many Killed in Baghdad Blasts
Two bombs explode near a university in eastern Baghdad, killing up to 65 people, police say, as UN says 35,000 Iraqi civilians died last year.

UN Clashes With Iraq on Civilian Death Toll
The UN said yesterday that the civilian death toll in Iraq last year was 34,452 - much higher than previous estimates - as an explosion outside a Baghdad university killed a further 65 people.

Libby Perjury Trial Will Drag in Iraq Policy
Vice-president's aide in dock over CIA leak inquiry - Judge seeks jurors' views on Bush administration

Troops Raid Iranian Offices in Iraqi City
US soldiers raided Iranian government offices in the Iraqi city of Irbil today, hours after George Bush pledged to "seek out and destroy" Iran's networks in Iraq.

The New Plan: Fight the Mahdi Army Toe to Toe, Hope Iraqi Army Holds
White House talks tough but plan to deploy 17,500 extra troops fails to dispel doubts over strategy, morale, equipment and the role of Iraqi forces.

Fears of Shia Backlash Against Hardline Tactics
Britain's ministers and military commanders are seriously concerned that attempts to rein in Shia militia, notably Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi army, in Baghdad could provoke his supporters in the Shia-dominated south, where British troops are based.

There is No Military Solution for Iraq, Only a Political One
Shia and Sunni leaders could still reach a national consensus - and they alone can end the violence. By Jonathan Steele

US and Iraqi Forces Kill 50 in Baghdad
US and Iraqi forces backed by American helicopter gunships and warplanes killed 50 people in clashes in central Baghdad, the Iraqi defence ministry said today.

UN Launches £30m Iraq Refugees Appeal
One in eight Iraqis have left their homes in what is the largest long-term population movement in the Middle East since the displacement of the Palestinians in 1948.

US Sets Fresh Targets for Iraqi Government
The Iraqi government will have to meet a series of "benchmarks" as part of the Bush administration's revamped, troop-boosting strategy for the country, according to reports.

Rising Iraqi Deaths Loom Over Bush Announcement
'Troop surge' expected to be confirmed in TV speech - Iraqi PM faces deadline to rein in sectarian fighting

More Troops Will Not Solve Crisis in Iraqi Leadership, Experts Warn
Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is due to unveil his rescue package for the country next week. The question, though, is whether Mr Maliki's heart is really in it, and whether he can make much difference.

Iraq to Go Ahead With Hangings Despite Un Call to Halt Them
The Iraqi government said yesterday it will execute two of Saddam Hussein's henchmen despite a call from the UN to refrain from hanging them.

Watada Iraq Court Martial Hearing Threatens to Backfire on Bush
Already bogged down in Iraq, the US military must now deal with a court martial hearing that threatens to put the invasion itself in the dock, writes Mark Tran.

Iraqi Pm Rules Out Second Term
Maliki: I wish I could step down - Man held over Saddam video - Co-accused 'to be executed on Thursday'

US Criticised for Limiting Iraqi Refugee Intake to 500
Humanitarian groups have criticised the United States administration for failing to pull its weight in providing for up to 3 million Iraqis displaced from their homes, with the official quota for the number of Iraqi refugees to be allowed into the US this year standing at just 500.

Basra Death Raises Toll to 127 As Archbishop Says He Might Have Done More to Stop War
A British soldier was killed yesterday when his vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in Basra, southern Iraq.

What Has Long Been a Catastrophic Tragedy is Also Now a Horrific Farce
The British occupation army's assault on its own police force in Basra confirms Iraq as a far greater disaster than Suez. By Roy Hattersley

Four Us Marines Charged With Iraq Murders
Eight face life sentence over Haditha killings - Court hearing follows admission of cover-up

US Marine Faces 13 Iraq Murder Charges
A Marine Corps sergeant was charged with 13 counts of murder yesterday in an episode involving the killing of 24 Iraqi civilians that has come to be known as the Iraq war's My Lai - the notorious massacre of civilians in the Vietnam war.

Mahdi Army Biggest Threat to Iraqi Security, Report Says
Shia militias linked to the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr pose the greatest threat to Iraq's stability, a Pentagon report concluded yesterday.

Powell: Us Army Almost Broken
The former US secretary of state Colin Powell has warned that the US army is "almost broken" and cast doubt on a plan George Bush is reportedly considering to increase troop numbers in Iraq for a "last push".

'Americans' Helped Iraqi Ex-minister Escape Jail
The US launched an investigation yesterday after a former Iraqi minister was reported to have escaped from jail in Baghdad with the help of plainclothes Americans.

Football Final Brings Iraq's Warring Factions Onside
The bombs in Iraq didn't stop but nothing could distract millions of football-mad Iraqis as their team battled for gold in the Asian Games.

Iraqis Can't Be Blamed for the Chaos Unleashed By Invasion
Only those who live there can solve Iraq's problems, but Bush and Blair must bear prime responsibility for igniting them. By Jonathan Steele

If Us Leaves Iraq We Will Arm Sunni Militias, Saudis Say
Fears of massacre prompt king's warning to Cheney - Iranian influence across region adds to concern

Iraq War Not Worth It, Americans Say
George Bush was today consulting US military commanders in Iraq as part of his own policy review even as a new poll showed most Americans favour a quick withdrawal.

Baghdad Blasts Kill 57
At least 57 people were killed and 151 injured when two bombs exploded in a central Baghdad square today.

Talabani Lashes Out at 'dangerous' Baker Report on Us Role in Iraq
Report 'wrong medicine for wrong diagnosis' - President urges return of Saddam-era army officers

Iraq Study Group: A Skillfull Deception
The plan of the Iraq Study Group is not what it pretends to be. Far from ending the war, it is designed to affect a holding pattern until events overtake us or the next president takes office.

After Baker, What Next for the War in Iraq?
He is under intense pressure after last week's damning report on Iraq. But George Bush is likely to disappoint his critics by pouring in more troops.

Rumsfeld's Final Message: We'll Succeed in Iraq
Defence secretary rejects study group's proposals - Emotional and defiant farewell to troops

Warning Over Spiralling Iraq Refugee Crisis
The spiralling violence in Iraq has created what is becoming the biggest refugee crisis in the world, a humanitarian group said today.

Iraq Study Group Urges Troop Withdrawal
George Bush comes under increased pressure to change course on Iraq as bipartisan committee urges White House to 'chart a new way forward'.

30 Killed in Baghdad Attacks
Fifteen Shia government workers were shot dead by gunmen in Baghdad today as two car bombs in another area of the Iraqi capital killed the same number.

Rumsfeld: Us Failing in Iraq
A leaked memo shows that the former Defence Secretary thinks a major change in strategy is needed, focusing on a staged pull-out of troops.

Welcome to Loudon, Usa, Where Rebuilding Has Sparked a Goldrush
Some of the billions of dollars that Congress earmarked to be spent on Iraq have ended up much closer to home, in the plush Washington suburbs of northern Virginia.

Iraq is Already Enduring Two Wars. Could It Survive a Third?
The competing claims of Arabs, Turkomans and Kurds in the oil-rich Iraqi north are an explosion waiting to happen. By Jonathan Steele

US Iraq Panel 'to Urge Withdrawal'
George Bush today praised Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, as a "strong leader" and said the US would be in Iraq "so long as the government wants us there".

Colour-coded Perception Defies Dangerous Reality in Mosul
Mosul is Iraq's second city, with a population of 1.7 million people. Yet unlike Baghdad and Basra it receives minimal media coverage. Car bombs and suicide attacks are relatively rare, but a more complex war is under way.

American Military Concedes Daily Toll of Civilians Likely to Rise Far Above 100
Violence against Iraqi civilians, which is already taking between 60 and 100 lives a day, is likely to rise still further, Major General William Caldwell, the US military spokesman in Baghdad, conceded yesterday.

Iraq Study Group Splits Along Party Lines
As the Iraq Study Group meets in Washington to discuss future US military strategy in the Middle Eastern country, cracks are appearing within the panel, mirroring divisions in Congress.

Browne Predicts Cut in Iraq Troop Numbers
There will be thousands fewer British troops in Iraq in a year's time, the defence secretary, Des Browne, predicted today.

Embattled Iraqi Pm in Television Plea for Unity
Angry Shias throw stones at Maliki motorcade - Curfew lifted as Baghdad mourns bomb victims

They Lied Their Way Into Iraq. Now They Are Trying to Lie Their Way Out
Bush and Blair will blame anyone but themselves for the consequences of their disastrous war - even its victims. By Gary Younge

US Attempt to Pull Iraq Back From the Brink
Cheney asks Saudis to rein in Sunni insurgents as Iran increases its stake in the diplomatic game.

Shias Retaliate Over Baghdad Bombings
Shia militiamen today burned six Sunni Muslims alive, razed four mosques and several homes, and killed 12 other Sunni residents in a once-mixed neighbourhood of Baghdad.

Iraq to Hold Reconciliation Talks
Iraq is to hold a twice-postponed national reconciliation conference next week in the latest move to stem the sectarian violence engulfing the country, it emerged today.

Baghdad's Day of Sectarian Death: Five Car Bombs, 160 Killed
An indefinite curfew was imposed on Baghdad last night and its international airport closed after the city was convulsed by the deadliest sectarian violence since the US led war began in March 2003.

Iraq's Leaders Appeal for Unity After Attacks Claim 161 Lives in Baghdad's Bleakest Day
Airport closed and curfew imposed after bombings - Troops foil daring assault on health ministry

Only Iraqis Can Overcome This National Catastrophe
Iran and Syria want to be seen as a stabilising force in Iraq, in contrast to the the failure of the US, but there is little they can do. By Jonathan Steele

Out By Spring - a Timetable Emerges for Iraq
Beckett says Iraqis will be ready to take over in Basra - Clearest sign of UK pullout by time Blair leaves office

Who does not want Turkey in Iraq?
A vicious force of confusion in the decision making, and deterioration in the world’s status quo seems to gain momentum. Only sheer paranoia could make people speak of US negotiating an exit from Iraq with the murderous tyrants of Syria and Iran, instead of bringing in the US strongest NATO ally, Turkey!

Civilian Death Toll Climbs in Iraq
The number of Iraqi civilian deaths reached a new high of 3,709 in October and torture continues to be rampant, a UN report said today.

Iraq and Syria Resume Diplomatic Ties
Regional efforts to contain the violence in Iraq gathered pace as as Baghdad and Syria today agreed to restore full diplomatic relations after a 24-year break.

Ahmadinejad Invites Iraq and Syria to Summit on Insurgency
Move designed to boost Iranian leader's standing - Talks could be forerunner to meeting involving US

Thousands of Iraqis Displaced By Sectarian Rage That is Destroying Multi-ethnic Communities
Kurdistan on aid front line for terrorised families - Border towns struggle to cope with huge numbers

Rice Warns Iraqis: 'unite or You Don't Have a Future'
The US Secretary of State gives a stark warning as London and Washington hunt for a solution to the Middle East's deepening crisis.

Iraq and the Misery Index
America's "Happiness Index" at new low. The other day it occurred to me that during Ronald Reagan’s run for the Presidency he created a "Misery Index".

Iraq Rape Soldier Given Life Sentence
A US soldier has been sentenced to 90 years in prison for conspiring to rape a 14-year-old Iraqi and kill her and her family.

Marine Sentenced Over Iraq Civilian Killing
A US marine has been sentenced to 18 months' jail in a Californian military court over his role in the kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi man in April.

Some Iraq Hostages Tortured and Killed, Official Says
Kidnappers who abducted scores of Iraqis from an education ministry building in Baghdad have tortured and killed some of them, a government official said today.

Marine Gets Reduced Sentence for Iraq Civilian Killing
A US marine has been sentenced to 18 months' jail in a Californian military court over his role in the kidnapping and murder of an Iraqi man in April.

Iraqi Government Says 70 Released After Baghdad Kidnap
Government officials in Iraq today said around 70 people kidnapped from a scientific research institute in Baghdad yesterday had been released.

Syria Ruled Out of Iraq Solution As State Department Looks to Iran
The US state department's top official on Iraq policy said yesterday that America had ruled out negotiations with Syria on curbing the violence in Iraq, but was considering talks with Iran.

US Plans Last Big Push in Iraq
Strategy document calls for extra 20,000 troops, aid for Iraqi army and regional summit.

Nine Killed in Baghdad Car Bomb
A car bomb killed nine people and wounded 33 at a petrol station in central Baghdad today as violence continued to rage in Iraq.

Five Iraqi Police Officers Held Over Baghdad Kidnappings
Five senior Iraqi police officers were arrested tonight after gunmen in police uniforms seized scores of people at a prominent scientific research institute in Baghdad in an audacious operation that underlined the lawlessness permeating the Iraqi capital and the threat it poses to the country's tottering education system.

Up to 150 Kidnapped From Baghdad Institute
Gunmen today kidnapped up to 150 scientists and staff members from a Baghdad research institute.

Investigation Into Boat Blast That Killed Uk Soldiers
The Ministry of Defence today named the units that lost soldiers in the bombing of a boat patrol in Iraq as experts analysed the attack in 'minute detail' to find out how it happened.

Huge Death Toll in Day of Iraq Violence
Iraqi security forces found 75 dead bodies in Baghdad and Baquba yesterday on a day of violence exceptional even by the country's grim standards.

Beckett Signals Change on Iraq
Britain signalled that it would take a fresh look at its Iraq policy yesterday in the wake of the Democrat victory in the congressional elections.

Soldier's Death in Iraq Brings Uk Military Toll to 121
A British soldier has been killed in an attack on an army base in Iraq, bringing the total number of UK service personnel killed since the invasion to 121.

Iraq Key Issue in Early Exit Polls
The Democrats are benefiting from the unpopularity of the Iraq war and antipathy towards the president, George Bush, early exit polls in the US midterm elections indicated today.

Soldier Killed on Sentry Duty is Third to Die at Iraq Bases Within Five Weeks
· 19-year-old hit by machine gun fire from building · Commander praises victim's 'fearless spirit'

US Construction Giant Pulls Out of Iraq
The Bush administration was accused of 'cutting and running' from the Iraqi reconstruction effort after it emerged that Bechtel Corp, one of the biggest construction firms in the world, was leaving the country after coming to the end of its last government contract.

US Iraq policy: from mistake to disaster?
The US Iraq policy was not bad; if anything, it was badly conceived and lamentably implemented. Current discussions and rumours about a forthcoming partition of Iraq to Shia, Sunni and Kurds reveal that, misguided, the US Middle East policy has become a major threat to the US global interests.

Iraq a 'work of Art in Progress' Says Us General After 49 Die
An American general in Baghdad called Iraq a "work of art" in progress yesterday in one of the most extraordinary attempts by the US military leadership to put a positive spin on the worsening violence.

US Army Names Soldier Kidnapped in Iraq
A US soldier who was visiting his Iraqi wife when he was kidnapped has been named today by the US military as Ahmed Qusai al-Taayie.

Pentagon Admits Extent of Iraq Disorder
The US military has confirmed Iraq is close to chaos, in a classified briefing prepared just two weeks ago, which gives a stark assessment of the country.

US Tries to Mend Fences As Violence Soars
Thirty-three people, most of them labourers queuing in hope of a day's work, were killed in a bomb explosion in Baghdad's Sadr City yesterday as the US tried to patch up differences with the Iraqi government.

Fears Over Huge Growth in Iraq's Unregulated Private Armies
· Mercenaries 'outnumber UK soldiers three to one' · Security companies are unaccounable, say critics

31 Killed in Baghdad Blast
At least 31 people were killed when a bomb exploded in the mainly Shia Sadr City suburb of Baghdad today.

The Inquest on Iraq Cannot Be Left to the Absolutists
We need to hang on to reality as we take the opportunity to recalibrate foreign policy in the light of this pure failure. By Martin Kettle

As Violence Grows, Oil-rich Kirkuk Could Hold Key to Iraq's Future
Tribal chiefs call for return of Saddam while Kurds eye a new federal state.

Iraqi Pm Condemns Us Raid on Shia Stronghold
The Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, today denounced a US raid against a Shia militia position and denied that his government had agreed to a timetable to crack down on violence.

US Soldier to Voice Iraq Conflict Opposition
A US marine will today go public with his opposition to the war in Iraq as part of a campaign to petition Congress to bring US troops home.

Iraqi Pm Dismisses Talk of Us Timeline
Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, under pressure from US and Britain as well as ordinary Iraqis to stem the rampant violence, today renewed his pledge to rein in militias and death squads.

US Ambassador Denies Cause is Lost in Iraq
Success in Iraq is still possible and can be achieved in a "realistic timetable", the US ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad, said today.

US Poll Shows 58% Believe Iraq Was a Mistake
Polls today showed that Iraq is the most important issue in the US midterm elections, with voters deeply pessimistic about the war - a mood that spells trouble for the Republicans.

Bush Tells Maliki Government to Tackle Militias or Face Penalties
The White House confirmed yesterday that it had set "benchmarks and milestones" for the Iraqi government to disarm militias and take other concrete steps to stabilise the country.

UK Scientists Attack Lancet Study Over Iraq Death Toll
A study which found that more than 650,000 Iraqi people have died since the US-led invasion was attacked yesterday by scientists in the UK, who claimed that the households interviewed tended to be located in violence-hit streets.

Spin Doctor Alberto Fernandez Apologises for Talking of Us Arrogance and Stupidity in Iraq
Washington's top foreign affairs spin doctor today apologised for accusing the US government of "arrogance" and "stupidity" in its policy on Iraq.

US Tells Iraqi Pm to Disarm the Militias and Take Control
· Sanctions threat if al-Maliki fails to meet timetable · Move reflects US frustration

How Iraq Came Home to Haunt America
For months doubts over Iraq have risen along with the death toll. Last week a tipping point was reached as political leaders in Washington and London began openly to think the unthinkable: that the war was lost.

Iraq Mayhem Triggers Hunt for Exit Strategy in Us and Uk
Foreign Office urges talks with Syria and Iran, as militia seize city left by British.

Shia Fighters Seize Iraqi City
· Mahdi Army storm Amara · At least 15 dead, dozens wounded · British troops on standby

The Genteel Revolt That is Remaking Us Policy on Iraq
A 'polite rebellion' is under way among previously loyal allies of President Bush aimed at persuading him to change course in Iraq and quietly abandon the foreign policy doctrine he had hoped would be the centrepiece of his legacy.

Iraq Mayhem Launches Hunt for Exit Strategy in Us and Uk
Foreign Office urges engagement with Syria and Iran as officials review options.

Bloody Month Saps Us Morale in Iraq
An upsurge in violence in Iraq was "disheartening", an American general said today, as attacks in Baghdad jumped in the first three weeks of the holy month of Ramadan.

We've Lost Battle for Baghdad, Us Admits
· President concedes war may be at turning point · Mounting death toll brings comparison with Vietnam

No Magic Bullets for Iraq, Bush Strategist Warns
James Baker, the Bush family confidant charged by Congress with devising a new strategy for the war on Iraq, has warned there are no quick fixes to the rapidly deteriorating situation.

Bush Confidant Prepares Way for Radical Shift By Us on Iraq
·Talks with Iran and Syria seen as way to end chaos · Report leaked before crucial November polls

Iraq War Cost Years of Progress in Afghanistan - Uk Brigadier
The invasion of Iraq prevented British forces from helping to secure Afghanistan much sooner and has left a dangerous vacuum in the country for four years, the commander who has led the attack against the Taliban made clear yesterday.

Navy Seal dies the hero’s death in Iraq
Our leaders should be as brave as Heroic Navy SEAL...

US Policy in Iraq is Not Working
US policy in Iraq is not working and George Bush should consider radical changes, according to a top-level panel backed by the president, it emerged today.

In Iraq, the Worst is Still to Come
Like sailors long missing at sea, the fate of ordinary Iraqis three years after the country was driven on to the rocks grows increasingly remote from those who precipitated the disaster. By Simon Tisdall

Iraq Cancels Peace Talks After Scores More Die
· Indefinite delay is blow to credibility of government · Militia kills 46 Sunnis after 17 Shia found beheaded

Forget Iraq and Guantánamo; This is About the Bottle and the Zipper
The Democrats look set to make significant gains in next month's US elections. But they've got little to say on the big issues. By Gary Younge

Army Chief: British Troops Must Pull Out of Iraq Soon
General attacks government policy that has 'exacerbated' security risks.

Journalist Seized in Iraq
An Iraqi journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad amid concerns at the rise in the number of reporters being abducted and killed in the country. By Julia Day

'655,000 Iraqis Killed Since Invasion'
The death toll among Iraqis as a result of the US-led invasion has now reached an estimated 655,000, a study in the Lancet medical journal reports today.

Aura of Fear and Death Stalks Iraq
As the Lancet releases shocking figures on the death toll in Iraq, Peter Beaumont describes the daily carnage across Baghdad.

One in 40 Iraqis 'killed Since Invasion'
US and Britain reject journal's finding that death toll has topped 650,000.

Iraqi Vice-president's Brother Assassinated
The brother of the Iraqi vice-president was today shot dead at his home in Baghdad, a government spokesman said.

33 Points for US Victory or Defeat in Iraq
What is at stake in Iraq today is the continuity of 6000 years of Human Civilization, which is being challenged by the most elaborate barbaric and Satanic threat the Mankind has ever faced: the impending appearance of a bogus-messianic leader of 1.2 billion ignorant and misled Muslims must be averted at once.

Hidden Victims of a Brutal Conflict: Iraq's Women
Abduction, rape and murder are the punishments for any woman who dares to hold a professional job. A month-long investigation by The Observer reveals the terrible reality of life after Saddam.

Iraq's Universities and Schools Near Collapse As Teachers and Pupils Flee
Iraq's school and university system is in danger of collapse in large areas of the country as pupils and teachers take flight in the face of threats of violence.

Iraqi Education System on Brink of Collapse
Iraq's school and university system is in danger of collapse in large areas of the country as pupils and teachers take flight in the face of threats of violence.

Nine Us Soldiers Killed in Baghdad
The US military today announced that nine of its soldiers had died in Baghdad in the last three days, with the news coming as authorities said at least 13 people had been killed in new outbreaks of violence.

New Plan to Curb Iraqi Violence
Iraqi leaders were meeting today to try to flesh out a new four-point plan aimed at curbing sectarian violence in Baghdad. The plan, drafted under pressure from the United States and anounced late last night by the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, is aimed at ending the deepening crisis...

Soldiers Shot After Ambush in Iraq Killed Unlawfully, Coroner Rules
· Failure to warn of dangers 'contributed to fatalities' · Inquest begins into death of journalist killed in area

White House in Crisis Over 'iraq Lies' Claims
Watergate journalist's new book threatens to demolish Bush's credibility and boost Democrats ahead of mid-term elections.

Over 800 Attacks Every Week in Iraq
· Woodward and Pentagon clash over war toll · Colonel says only pullout will end insurgency

Take Uk Troops Out of Iraq, Senior Military Told Ministers
Army chiefs wanted to move forces to Afghanistan but were prevented for political reasons.

US: Iraq Failing to Tackle Death Squads
Senior US officials have accused the new Iraqi government - which they previously championed - of failing to deal with the scourge of sectarian death squads, which are dragging the country into civil war.

Iraqi Tells of Beating By British Soldiers
An Iraqi hotel owner told a court martial today that he thought he was going to die when he was repeatedly beaten and kicked by British soldiers after being arrested.

Army Chief Tells Bush: There's Not Enough Money for Iraq War
· 'Bungling' Rumsfeld must go, say retired officers · British troops kill al-Qaida leader in Basra shootout

Torture in Iraq 'worse Than Under Saddam'
Torture in Iraq is worse now than it was under the regime of Saddam Hussein and "is totally out of hand", says a UN investigator.

Colonel 'failed to Stop His Men Abusing Iraqis'
· Court martial told of duty to protect prisoners · Killing of military police raised tensions in camp

British Soldier Admits War Crime As Court Martial Told of Iraqi Civilian's Brutal Death
· 'Systematic' abuse meted out at detention centre · Commanding officer denies neglecting duty

Iraqi Insurgents Launch Wave of Sectarian Attacks in Kirkuk
· Simultaneous explosions 'aim to destabilise city' · Government changes tactics to tackle violence

Inside Baghdad: Last Battle of a Stricken City
For two weeks Peter Beaumont, foreign affairs editor, has travelled across Baghdad with the US military. In this remarkable dispatch he describes a desperate struggle to stop a brutal sectarian conflict from ripping the city apart.

Two More Journalists Killed in Iraq
Two journalists have been killed by unidentified gunmen in Iraq, just three days after an editor at the country's state-run newspaper al-Sabah was murdered. By Julia Day.

US Patrols to Weed Out Militias Posing As Iraqi Police
The police in Baghdad and multinational forces are cracking down on militias posing as police amid continuing accusations that members of the Iraqi police service are involved in kidnappings, torture and extra-judicial killings.

Violence Rocks Baghdad on Day of Power Transfer
Six bomb attacks in Baghdad killed at least 17 people and wounded more than 50 today, hours before a highly anticipated ceremony in which the US-led coalition was to hand over control of the country's armed forces command to Iraqi authorities.

US Hands Some Military Control Back to Iraq
The US handed over formal command of Iraq's armed forces to the government of the prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, yesterday, but only a minority of troops were put under direct Iraqi control.

Britain Forced to Send More Troops to Iraq
· Beckett admits very slow progress on security · President claims all UK troops could leave in 2007

Beckett Visits Iraq to Discuss Handover
Margaret Beckett said today that Iraq was making "very slow" progress on security, speaking on her first visit to the country as foreign secretary.

'Security of the Civilised World Depends on Victory in Iraq'
President Bush yesterday vowed the US would not leave Iraq until 'victory is achieved' in the form of a stable democratic US ally established in Baghdad, arguing that the alternative was facing terrorists 'in the streets of our own cities'.

The Us View of Iraq: We Can Pull Out in a Year
The view on the ground: unbridled savagery. The top US general in Iraq yesterday predicted that Iraqi forces would be able to take over security in the country with "very little coalition support" within a year to 18 months.

25 Iraqi Soldiers Killed Amid Nationwide Violence
A suicide car bombing today and clashes between Shia militia and Iraqi security forces have left up to 50 people dead.

Saviour of Iraq's Antiquities Flees to Syria
· Violence and Sadrists drive away archaeologist · Looting fear as funds run out to pay protection force

UK Troop Levels in Iraq Could Halve By Next Summer
UK troops in Iraq could be cut from their current level of 7,000 to between 3,000 and 4,000 by the middle of next year, a senior military commander said today.

Iraq
Leader: While our eyes have been fixed on Lebanon, the situation in Iraq has been deteriorating. The death toll in Lebanon and Israel during the recent fighting was appalling, but three times as many people were probably killed in Iraq in the same period, UN figures suggest.

25 Die in Baghdad Blasts
At least 25 people have been killed in three separate bombings in Baghdad over the last 24 hours, it was reported today.

Kurds Flee Homes As Iran Shells Iraq's Northern Frontier
Turkey and Iran have dispatched tanks, artillery and thousands of troops to their frontiers with Iraq during the past few weeks in what appears to be a coordinated effort to disrupt the activities of Kurdish rebel bases.

Base to Be Handed to Iraqi Force
British troops are moving out of a base in southern Iraq where they faced some of the fiercest fighting encountered by UK forces.

Baghdad Death Toll Increases to 60 a Day
Deaths from sectarian strife in Baghdad are reaching unprecedented levels, with the central morgue reporting a sharp rise in the number of corpses it received during July.

Iraqi Pm Attacks Heavyhanded Us Tactics
Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, has angrily charged American forces with undermining national reconciliation after a US-led raid in eastern Baghdad reportedly caused the death of three people.

Iraqi Pm Attacks Us Tactics in Baghdad
· Mother and child among dead after raid in Sadr City · Use of strike aircraft to detain suspects criticised

Boys Make Peace in Game Without Frontiers
From Baghdad to Hackney as Iraqi youngsters play peaceful games with their English counterparts. By Simon Hattenstone

Lieberman Defends Iraq War Support
Leading Democrat Joe Lieberman, facing a battle for his political survival sparked by his support for the war in Iraq, finally took the advice of his campaign staff and defended his position.

13 Killed in Mosul Street Fighting
At least 13 people died in street battles between Iraqi security forces and gunmen in Mosul today after a suicide bomber attacked a police patrol, officials said.

Journalists Call for Inquiry Over Iraq Deaths
The International Federation of Journalists has called for an inquiry following what it believes are 'targeted attacks' on journalists in Iraq this week. By Julia Day.

Journalists Call for Inquiry Over Iraq 'assassinations'
The International Federation of Journalists has called for an inquiry following what it believes are 'targeted assassinations' of journalists in Iraq this week. By Julia Day.

Iraq Shaken By Fresh Wave of Violence
Bombings and shootings across Iraq killed at least 58 people today, while a spokesman for a coalition of political parties has been kidnapped.

British Soldier Killed in Iraq
A British soldier has been killed during a mortar attack on a coalition military base in the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

At Least 63 Dead in Iraq After Roadside Bombings and Suicide Attack
The war of attrition in Iraq continued its bloody course yesterday with at least 63 people killed, including a busload of soldiers who died when a roadside bomb exploded in the northern city of Beiji.

Four Marines Killed in Rebel Iraqi Province
Four US Marines were killed in action in the western Iraqi province of Anbar over the weekend in a clear sign that while American troops are being increasingly concentrated in Baghdad, the rest of the country is far from pacified.

Oh, By the Way, They Found WMD in Iraq
You won't find this in the mainstream media but the facts check out.

CNN Chief: Lebanese Conflict 'different to Iraq'
The head of CNN International said that journalists covering the conflict in Lebanon have more freedom of movement and are not targeted as they are in Iraq. By Jason Deans.

US Sends More Troops to Help Quell Baghdad Violence
Bush tells visiting Iraqi PM America will be 'strong partner' for unity government.

Iraqi Pm Admits Failure to Contain Growing Violence
The Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, conceded yesterday that the country's security situation had worsened in the two months since he took office.

Iraqi Pm Admits Failure to Contain Spiralling Violence
The Iraqi prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, conceded yesterday that the country's security situation had worsened in the two months since he took office.

Maliki Flies Out for Talks As Bombs Kill 60
· PM to discuss security with Bush and Blair · More troops for Baghdad to boost clampdown

Sectarian Violence is a Catastrophe for Iraq, Says Un
· Senior official speaks of looming 'national tragedy' · Death toll now averages at least 100 civilians a day

Suicide Bomber Kills 53 in Attack on Labourers
A suicide car bomber detonated explosives in a crowd of workers near a Shia shrine in southern Iraq yesterday, killing at least 53 people and wounding more than a hundred.

Car Bomb Kills 59 Near Shia Shrine
A car bomb exploded today among a crowd of labourers in southern Iraq, killing up to 59 people and sparking clashes between protesters and police, officials and witnesses said.

'Saddamist' Gunmen Kill 50 Civilians at Busy Market
Gunmen yesterday killed more than 50 people and wounded dozens more in an attack near a crowded market in Mahmudiya, south of Baghdad, in one of the most violent incidents in Iraq in recent months.

Gunmen Open Fire in Iraq Market 'rampage'
Up to 55 people were reported killed near Baghdad today after gunmen fired on people at a busy market in a suspected sectarian attack, with some residents saying mortar rounds had also been fired.

US Halts Halliburton's Exclusive Iraq Deal
· Servicing contracts could be split between bidders · Move hits shares in Cheney's old firm

Two Us Soldiers Mutilated and Killed in Iraq 'in Revenge' for Girl's Rape
A group linked to al-Qaida has released a gruesome video purporting to show the bodies of two US soldiers who were captured and killed in Iraq.

More Us Troops Charged With Iraqi Girl's Rape and Murder
Four more soldiers have been charged with the rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman and her family, the most explosive of the five war crimes investigations currently under way in Iraq.

Former Us Private Charged With Rape and Killing Victim's Family in Iraq
· Soldier was discharged with personality disorder · Four men involved in attack, according to FBI

Zarqawi Buried at Secret Site Inside Iraq, Says Security Chief
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, has been buried at a secret location in the country, thwarting calls for his body to be repatriated to Jordan.

62 Die in Car Bomb Blast in Bloody Day Across Iraq
A car bomb tore through a crowded morning market yesterday in a poor Shia district of Baghdad, killing 62 people and wounding 114 in the bloodiest attack in Iraq for three months, writes Tracy McVeigh.

Five Us Soldiers in Iraq Rape and Murder Inquiry
· Pentagon pursues fourth war crime investigation · Woman's body burnt and family killed in home

History Fuels Tehran's Vision for Iraq
Vast war cemeteries on the outskirts of Tehran bear silent witness to Iran's complex relationship with neighbouring Iraq. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians died in the 1980-88 war with Saddam Hussein's regime.

Iraqi Leader Unveils Reconciliation Plan But No Clear Path to Disarming Militias
Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, unveiled a plan yesterday for national reconciliation but left details vague on an amnesty for insurgents, a timetable for foreign troops to withdraw, and laws disqualifying former members of the Ba'ath party from important jobs.

If Wanton Murder is Essential to the Us Campaign in Iraq, It's Time to Leave
The reported atrocities by American soldiers are not isolated incidents but the inevitable offshoots of occupation. By Gary Younge

Iraq Pm's Plan to Bridge Rift With Sunnis
Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, will unveil his much-vaunted blueprint for national reconciliation on Sunday, which he hopes will draw the sting out of the Sunni-Arab led insurgency and help to bridge the country's deepening communal divisions.

Iraq Pm Set to Unveil Blueprint for Peace
· Plan includes provisions for reaching out to Sunnis · Government imposes curfew in Baghdad

Baghdad Under Curfew After Insurgent Attack
· Gunmen open fire on joint US-Iraqi patrol · Peace plan to offer amnesty for militants · Timetable to be set for coalition withdrawal

Pimping Ignorance on the War in Iraq
The president claims the Iraqis must be assured that we will not "cut and run" but an inconvenient truth emerged from his clandestine visit to Iraq. The elected leaders went on record requesting a deadline for withdrawal. In this they reflected the overwhelming disposition of the Iraqi people.

Iraqi Insurgents Fuel Sectarian Divide With Kidnap of 85 Baghdad Factory Workers
Scores of factory workers were seized at gunpoint as they finished their shift at an industrial complex north of Baghdad today, in what appeared to be the latest mass kidnapping by insurgents bent on fomenting sectarian strife.

Tales of Iraq War comics
Comics strips about illegal and brutal U.S. occupation of Iraq.

UK Troops to Leave Second Iraqi Province
Speaking in London, Iraq's foreign minister said the handover of Maysan province would follow the al-Muthanna region.

Japan to Pull Troops Out of Iraq
Japan on Tuesday became the latest member of the US-led "coalition of the willing" to announce its withdrawal from Iraq, bringing to an end Tokyo's biggest and most controversial overseas military deployment since the second world war.

Kidnapped American Soldiers Found Dead
Two American soldiers who disappeared in Iraq on Friday have been found dead south of Baghdad, a US military spokesman said yesterday after an intensive hunt involving thousands of troops.

Woman Soldier Refuses Return to Iraq, Claiming Sexual Harassment
A female soldier in the US military has refused to serve in Iraq, accusing some of her superiors of using the war zone as a pretext for sexual harassment.

Tortured Bodies of Us Marines Found Dumped Near Baghdad
· Al-Qaida in Iraq claims it beheaded captured men · Uncle of victim lashes out at Bush's 'lack of plan'

Woman Soldier Claims Sex Harassment in Iraq
A female soldier in the US military has refused to serve in Iraq, accusing some of her superiors of using the war zone as a pretext for sexual harassment.

US Soldiers Charged Over Iraqi Deaths
The US army has charged three soldiers in connection with the murders of three Iraqi men who were in military custody in Iraq in early May, military officials said tonight.

Three Us Soldiers Charged With Murdering Iraqi Prisoners
Three US troops have been charged with murder for shooting three Iraqi prisoners and threatening to kill a fellow soldier who wanted to report the incident, the Pentagon said yesterday.

Desperate Search Under Way for Two Us Soldiers Kidnapped By Iraqi Rebels
· Men missing after driver dies in attack on Humvees · Troops mass near Ramadi to cut off supply lines

Washington Votes Against Date for Iraq Withdrawal
The US house of representatives voted today against setting a timetable for pulling American troops out of Iraq, passing a resolution that rejects an "arbitrary date" for withdrawal and explicitly links the conflict to anti-terrorism efforts.

Iraqi Province Sees First Security Handover
Foreign troops, including British soldiers, will for the first time hand over responsibility for the security of an Iraqi province to local forces under an agreement expected to be announced next week.

Handover to Iraqi Forces Begins
Iraq will take over security responsibilities from British and other coalition troops in part of the country's south next week, paving the way for the withdrawal of overseas forces, its deputy prime minister said today.

Baghdad Mosque Bomb Kills 10
Imam turned MP blames al-Qaida in Iraq: 'They are trying to regain respect after Zarqawi's death'

Iraqi Province to See First Security Handover to Local Forces
Foreign troops, including British soldiers, will for the first time hand over responsibility for the security of an Iraqi province to local forces under an agreement expected to be announced next week.

Beginning of the End for Zarqawi Group, Says Iraq
· Death yields trove of data on local insurgency · Militants 'aimed to foment war between US and Iran'

The Battle for Cairo is Just As Vital As the One for Baghdad
If the US were serious about democracy in the Middle East, it would be slashing its funding for the Mubarak dictatorship. By Jonathan Steele

Troops 'out of Iraq in Two Years'
A senior Iraqi official today raised the prospect that the last coalition soldiers could leave the war-torn country within two years, with a significant cohort returning home in the next six months.

The Risks of Raising Hopes
Bush's surprise visit to Baghdad on Tuesday was Mission Accomplished in a business suit. By Sidney Blumenthal

Iraq War Seen As Biggest Threat to Peace
The US occupation of Iraq presents a bigger danger to world peace than Iran's alleged nuclear ambitions, according to a worldwide survey published on Wednesday.

US Costs for Iraq War Top $320bn
America has spent more on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan than on all its foreign wars up to 1939, following the passage of a bill allowing $66bn (£35.8bn) in new funding for the Pentagon.

Iraq Bombers Hit Kirkuk, Killing 22
A coordinated wave of suicide attacks and remote-controlled bombs rocked the contested northern oil city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, leaving at least 22 people dead and wounding 43.

US Releases Zarqawi Autopsy in Attempt to Counter 'baloney'
· Tests show militant lived for hour after bombing · Al-Qaida in Iraq releases name of new leader

Iraqi Government Names New Ministers
The Iraqi parliament today approved new ministers of defence, the interior and national security, ending a three-week stalemate among sectarian and ethnic parties.

At Least 26 Killed in Baghdad Bomb Attacks
Bomb attacks in Baghdad showed no sign of abating yesterday. Three separate explosions in the Iraqi capital killed at least 31 people, with dozens more injured.

Italian Forces to Leave Iraq By December
The new Italian administration today confirmed all Italian troops would withdraw from Iraq by the end of the year.

Baghdad Has Bloodiest Month As 1,400 Targeted Killings Add to Toll
Nearly 1,400 Iraqi civilians were murdered in targeted killings last month in Baghdad alone, and many more died in indiscriminate bomb blasts, making May the bloodiest month in the capital since the war began, Iraq's health ministry said yesterday.

50 Iraqis Abducted By Baghdad Gunmen
Fears are growing for the lives of 50 Iraqis plucked off the streets of Baghdad yesterday by what senior Iraqi and US military officials described as "rogue elements" in the security forces.

US Soldiers Cleared of Murdering Iraqi Civilians in Raid
· Army finishes inquiry into alleged cover-up · Other troops to be called to account over killings

Iraq Pressures Us to Cooperate on Haditha Killings
Iraq will demand access to investigators' files about the alleged massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians by US troops in the town of Haditha, Iraq's prime minister Nuri Maliki said today.

US Troops Ordered to Undergo Ethical Training After Killing of Iraqi Civilians
· Senior officers failed to scrutinise Haditha reports · Bush promises 'world will see full investigation'

Moral Training for Us Troops in Iraq
US soldiers in Iraq have been ordered to take extra training in moral and ethical standards, it emerged today.

CBS Reporter in Baghdad Bomb Attack 'critical But Stable'
CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier remains in a critical but stable condition after being injured by the car bomb in Iraq that killed two of her colleagues and prompted a bout of soul searching in the US media. By Julia Day.

Iraq Declares State of Emergency in Basra After Month of Heavy Losses
· PM vows to strike warring factions with 'iron fist' · Gangs vying for power blamed for rise in violence

Iraqi Civilians 'executed' By Us Marines
American soldiers involved in the killing of 24 civilians in the Iraqi town of Haditha may face charges after a report found that almost all the victims had suffered gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

Bush Sends 1,500 More Troops to Iraq and Dashes Hopes of Withdrawal
· 'Short-term' deployment aimed at unruly province · Forty-six more die in car bomb attacks

Simpson Challenges Iraq Danger Claims
BBC journalist John Simpson insisted today that reporting in Iraq was not 'too dangerous' despite the bomb blast that killed two British journalists and seriously injured a CBS correspondent in Baghdad yesterday. By Chris Tryhorn.

Two British Soldiers and Two Journalists Killed in Iraq Violence
· Troops hit by roadside bomb on patrol in Basra · TV crew caught up in attack on US convoy

Roadside Bombs Kill Two British Journalists and Two Soldiers
Four Britons were killed by roadside bombs in Iraq yesterday during another day of widespread violence.

Fresh Evidence of 'executions' By Rogue Us Marines in Iraq
New photographs lend weight to allegations of revenge killings by US unit under attack in which 24 unarmed civilians died.

Marines May Face Trial Over Iraq Massacre
· Report likely to say troops shot 24 unarmed civilians · Murder charges likely after killings and cover-up

Why Wheelbarrows, Scythes and Seeds Could Be the Key to a Peaceful Handover
In a small farming community 50 miles south of Baghdad, five Iraqi soldiers fan out across a field of aubergines, followed by a small group of American soldiers.

Troop Pull-out From Iraq to Be Speeded Up
Handover to local security forces will begin in July, Blair says in Baghdad.

'Maximum Force.' How Iraq's New Pm Says He Will End the Chaos
Tony Blair is flying to Washington for talks with George Bush about the viability of Iraq's fragile new national unity government.

New Dawn for Iraq Marked By Bloodshed
A government of national unity offers the US and Britain an exit strategy, but divisions and violence remain a threat.

Iraq: 'we Are Running Out of Time,' the Officer Said
Iraq is on a knife-edge. You feel it when the pilot of the Puma helicopter suddenly banks and automatically fires decoys in response to the threat of an attack from the ground.

Prodi Signals Early End to Italian Role in Iraq 'occupation'
· Invasion was grave error, says new prime minister · 2,600 troops to pull out in consultation with allies

MoD Names British Soldiers Killed in Iraq Roadside Blast
One was from Fiji, the father of a seven-year-old daughter. The other lived with his mother when not stationed with his regiment. Together they died as brothers in arms in Basra, taking the total number of British military deaths in Iraq to 111.

US in Secret Gun Deal
Small arms shipped from Bosnia to Iraq 'go missing' as Pentagon uses dealers.

New Iraqi Government 'within Days'
The Iraqi prime minister-designate said today he expected to form the country's first full-term government since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime within the next two days.

Barriers to New Iraqi Government 'overcome', Says Al-maliki
The Iraqi prime minister-designate said today he expected to form the country's first full-term government since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime within the next two days.

British Soldiers Die As Helicopter is Shot Down. Then Basra Erupts in Bloody Gun Battles
Bloody battles were fought on the streets of Basra last night after a British helicopter crashed in the city, reportedly killing four airmen and drawing an Iraqi crowd shouting 'Victory to the Mahdi army'.

Court Martial Hears of Drowned Iraqi's Final Moments
The final moments of an Iraqi teenager who was allegedly forced by British soldiers to wade into a canal where he drowned were described to a court martial yesterday.

US Softens Tactics in Iraq After British Claims of Trigger-happy Troops
US forces are switching tactics in Iraq to take a less confrontational approach to civilians in response to criticism from British military commanders that they have been too tough.

Iraq Crash Deaths 'could Have Been Prevented'
The deaths of 10 British servicemen in an air crash in Iraq could have been prevented if a fuel safety device had been fitted to their plane, it was reported today.

Senior Democrat Pushes for Ethnic Federation in Iraq
· Bosnia-style system 'may allow troop withdrawal' · White House rejects plan unwanted on the ground

Billions Wasted in Iraq, Says Us Audit
· Projects behind schedule despite massive outlay · Roadside bomb kills 3 contractors, wounds 2

US Admits Iraq Could Become Haven for Terror
The US state department acknowledged yesterday that there is a risk of Iraq becoming a safe haven for terrorists three years after the invasion of the country.

Meet Bush's Latest Enemy in the War on Iraq: the Raging Grannies of Tucson, Arizona
· 'Peace grannies' part of growing anti-war network · Elderly women tried to enlist in place of young

Rice and Rumsfeld Bury the Hatchet for Iraq Visit
· Show of unity aimed at bolstering PM-designate · Fox radio host is Bush's new press secretary

Zarqawi Shows Face for First Time Since Start of Iraq Insurgency
A man believed to be al-Qaida's leader in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, yesterday showed his face publicly for the first time since the insurgency began three years ago.

The Problem Is: Iran Does Pose a Threat in Every Way Iraq Did Not
The G8 leaders can exploit Tehran's fear of international isolation to get a nuclear deal, but only if they are united. By Jonathan Freedland

Iraq's Pm-designate Gets Warm Welcome
· Relief as parliamentarians end leadership stalemate · Maliki to unveil 33-point plan to rebuild country

Profile: Jawad Al-maliki
Jawad al-Maliki is not a household name in Iraq, but that may work in his favour as he embarks on the task of forming a government of national unity that will satisfy the main Shia, Sunni and Kurdish communities, analysts said yesterday.

Bush Ignored Intelligence on Iraqi Weapons, Says Ex-cia Officer
A former leading CIA official said yesterday that the White House deliberately ignored intelligence that showed that there were no weapons of mass destruction in the run-up to the war in Iraq.

Iraq's Political Paralysis Ends As Shia is Chosen As New Prime Minister
The paralysis that has crippled Iraq's government for the past four months eased dramatically yesterday when the Baghdad parliament finally agreed on a new Prime Minister.

Senior Tory Calls for Withdrawal From Iraq
A senior Conservative MP has gone against party policy to call for British troops to withdraw from Iraq before they become "part of the problem" and conceded that his original decision to back the war in 2003 was a mistake.

15 Years for Briton Convicted in Iraq
· Trial for passport offences 'lasted less than an hour' · Family condemn lack of help from UK government

Baghdad Mosques Become Vigilante Forts As Sectarianism Divides Suburbs
· Shrines store arms and host weapons training · Fears grow that fiefdoms could turn against US

Revolt of the Generals
The denunciation of the administration's handling of Iraq by former US army chiefs is unprecedented. By Sidney Blumenthal

Briton Jailed for 15 Years in Iraq
A British student who claims he was on a humanitarian mission to Iraq when he was arrested by US forces has been jailed for 15 years for passport violations.

US Refuses to Discuss Iran's Nuclear Plans in Face-to-face Talks on Iraq
· New photos of plant add to fears over Tehran's goal · Halt aid to militias over border, US to warn

Bomb Kills British Soldier in Iraq
A British soldier was killed in Iraq on Saturday night following an attack involving an improvised explosive device.

Michael Howard in Kirkuk on Iraq's Hospital Murders
Doctor provided first aid for insurgents - and went on to kill police and soldiers brought in for treatment.

General Joins Attack on Rumsfeld Over Iraq War
· Fourth retired officer calls on defence chief to resign · Rift between military and civilian leaders deepens

White House Admits Iraq Wmds Error
The White House has acknowledged for the first time that a key moment in post-war Iraq, the declaration by George Bush that "we have found the weapons of mass destruction", was based on intelligence known in Washington to be false.

Iraqi Pm Clings to Political Life
The embattled Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, was clinging to his political life today after a meeting of the country's governing Shia coalition failed to agree a replacement candidate.

Iraqi Journalist Wins Martha Gellhorn Prize
Ghaith Abdul-Ahad, who reports on the conflict in his native Iraq for the Guardian, has won this year's Martha Gellhorn prize for journalism. By Stephen Brook.

Iraqi Pm on Brink of Climbdown After Sunnis and Kurds Refuse to Work With Him
Ibrahim Jaafari's chances of staying on as Iraq's prime minister were dramatically reduced last night after Sunni and Kurdish leaders announced they would not budge from their refusal to work with him.

Leaked Report Reveals Us Concerns on Iraq
· Document gives grim assessment of stability · Six out of 18 provinces are 'serious', and one 'critical'

US Admits to Talks With Iraqi Insurgents
The US ambassador in Iraq today admitted that US officials had held meetings with some insurgent groups, and claimed the tactic had led to a decline in attacks.

Bush Implicated in Leak on Iraq Intelligence
· Scooter Libby told to brief journalist on Saddam · Court documents point to White House role

Ten Killed and 40 Wounded By Najaf Car Bomb
The holy city of Najaf was rocked by a car bomb yesterday that killed at least 10 people and wounded 40, threatening to increase tensions between Iraq's Shia and Sunni Arabs.

I Will Not Be Forced Out By Us and Uk, Says Iraqi Pm
Leader's first interview since Rice and Straw's move to break deadlock.

I Will Not Be Forced Out By Us and Britain - Iraqi Pm
Leader's first interview since Rice and Straw's move to break deadlock.

Iraq's Interior Ministry Refusing to Deploy Us-trained Police
· Plans for non-sectarian force under threat · Rice insists that power of militias must be curbed

Straw and Rice Try to Break Iraqi Deadlock
· Surprise visit used to urge end to political squabbling · Shia bloc rebels call for prime minister to quit

American Hostage Released in Baghdad
· Jill Carroll survived two deadlines in 82-day ordeal · No deal made to secure release, says ambassador

Iraqis Face a More Brutal Life With Each Passing Month
Terror and chaos reign, and the titanic challenge of ensuring political stability has barely begun to be addressed. By Jonathan Steele

Iraqi Kidnappers Release Us Journalist
US journalist Jill Carroll, held hostage in Iraq since January 7, has been freed, according to an Italian news agency report confirmed by her newspaper. By Julia Day and agencies.

Rival Shia Groups Unite Against Us After Mosque Raid
· Baghdad officials end link with coalition in protest · Minister claims 37 victims were tied up and killed

America Puts Talks With Tehran on Hold
The promised talks between the US and Iran on the situation in Iraq have been put on hold after Iraq's president and other ministers demanded that no negotiations take place over their heads, American officials in Baghdad have disclosed.

US Troops Accused After Crackdown on Iraqi Militia Leaves 20 Dead at Mosque
· America denies soldiers killed worshippers · Interior ministry guards arrested at secret prison

18 Killed As Us Troops Clash With Militia at Iraqi Mosque
At least 18 Iraqis were killed yesterday in an apparent clash between US troops and a Shia militia at a mosque in eastern Baghdad.

Iraq Hostages 'were Saved By Rift Among Kidnappers'
· Guards 'got cold feet' after American was shot · Kember looks forward to homecoming today

The Iraqi Brain Drain
As hundreds of Iraqi doctors, professors and teachers are being murdered in what some see as a deliberate campaign, Jonathan Steele meets the ones who managed to escape.

Heroes of Basra Riot Among 70 Honoured for Bravery in Iraq
Three soldiers involved in an incident in Basra in which undercover SAS men were arrested and Warrior armoured vehicles and their crew were set on fire are among 70 armed forces personnel honoured today for their bravery on operations in Iraq.

SAS Frees Kember and Canadian Hostages
The British hostage, Norman Kember, and his two Canadian colleagues were free last night after a rescue mission led by the SAS into one of the most dangerous parts of Baghdad.

Iraqi Insurgents Kill 21 in Police Station Attacks
Gunmen stormed a police station south of Baghdad shortly before dawn yesterday, killing four police officers and wounding five others in the second attack on a well-protected security building in two days.

Khamenei Backs Talks With Us Over Iraq
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has given his backing to proposed talks between Tehran and Washington over Iraq.

US Troops in Iraq for Another Three Years
George Bush has raised the vision of an American troop presence in Iraq that would extend for the next three years, an admission that a US withdrawal was unlikely during his term in the White House.

Dozens Killed As Rebels Storm Iraqi Jail
Armed insurgents freed all the inmates of an Iraqi prison today in a raid that left at least 17 police and 10 attackers dead.

Iraqi Police Claim Us Troops Executed Family
· Women and children shot in raid, says official report · Marines accused after 15 died in separate incident

World Marks Three Years for Iraq
The third anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq was marked this weekend with two days of anti-war marches and rallies across the world, including the first co-ordinated demonstrations in the US, Britain and Iraq.

Rumsfeld Singled Out As Crisis Deepens in Iraq
· Defence chief attacked on war's third anniversary · Ex-PM Allawi says conflict is tantamount to civil war

THE IRAQI RESISTANCE: Three Years after Shock & Awe
Three years after the invasion of Iraq, we are more shocked than awed. The truth about Iraq: We were wrong at its inception. We have been wrong for three years and we continue to be wrong today.

US Launches Biggest Iraq Air Assault Since 2003
· Troops target Samarra to combat threat of civil war · Operation Swarmer likely to last for several days.

Revisiting The Balkans On The Death Of Milosevic
Only George W. Bush and The Neocons could transform the Butcher of the Balkans and the Beast of Baghdad into sympathetic characters. It is history that loses when the voices of the vilified are silenced. When history is tainted, all of human kind is impoverished.

800 Uk Troops to Leave Iraq But Start of Full Pullout Denied
The government yesterday announced the withdrawal of 800 British troops from Iraq - one in 10 of the troops deployed there - but said the move did not signal the start of a complete pullout.

More Than 40 Die As Car Bombs and Mortar Attacks Cause Havoc in Baghdad
Iraq suffered one of its bloodiest days of violence yesterday after attackers struck two markets in a Shia area of Baghdad.

Three Years on From the Invasion of Iraq
Three years on from the invasion of Iraq, how Blair and Bush got us into this mess matters as much as how we get out of it. By Madeleine Bunting

Washington's Man in Baghdad is Pulling Off a High-risk Balancing Act
On the morning of September 11 2001 Condoleezza Rice was chairing a meeting of the national Security Council in the...

Gunmen Abduct 50 Baghdad Security Workers
Unidentified gunmen today abducted 50 employees of a security firm in Baghdad.

US Envoy to Iraq: 'we Have Opened the Pandora's Box'
· 80% of Americans think civil war likely · Rumsfeld accuses Tehran of fomenting conflict

A Dispute With All the Hallmarks of Iraq
Yemen has freed more than 600 Shia rebels as part of an amnesty that it hopes will end three years of fighting in the north of the country, writes Rory McCarthy.

Pressure Grows to Oust Iraq's Prime Minister
Pressure mounted on Iraq's prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, yesterday to give way to a less divisive figure, as factions sought to bring the Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani into the power struggle.

Civil Strife is Not the Only Conflict for Iraq's Shias
An internal struggle for power has put the cleric Moqtada al-Sadr back at center stage - and the Americans won't like it. By Jonathan Steele

Pat Howard, the Leicester Coach, Has Said Englan
· Ex-dictator ordered Dujail farms to be destroyed · Actions were not a crime he tells Iraq court

Baghdad Official Who Exposed Executions Flees
Faik Bakir, the director of the Baghdad morgue, has fled Iraq in fear of his life after reporting that more than 7,000 people have been killed by death squads in recent months.

Two British Soldiers Killed in Iraq Bombing
· Patrol hit in town where video showed beatings · Troops stoned by youths after roadside attack

Kidnapped Journalist Still Alive, Say Iraqis
The Iraqi government believes the kidnapped American journalist Jill Carroll is still alive, despite Sunday's deadline set by her captors for killing her having expired. By Julia Day.

'1,300 Dead' in Iraq Sectarian Violence
As many as 1,300 people could have died in the wave of sectarian violence that swept Iraq following the bombing of a gold-domed shrine in Samarra, it was reported today.

Secret Papers Reveal German Spies Passed Intelligence on Iraq to Us Before Invasion
· Berlin denies claim but faces calls for inquiry · Documents cast cloud over anti-war stance

Sunni-Shia Schism 'threatening to Tear Iraq Apart'
· Samarra bombing exposes widening religious gaps · Bush calls on party leaders to unite against violence.

Iraq Curfew Cuts Violence As Religious Leaders Call for Calm
· Shia and Sunni leaders put on show of solidarity · US claims national unity government will go ahead

Journalists 'must Resist Call to Carry Arms'
Journalists in Iraq are being asked not to arm themselves in the wake of the murder of al-Arabiya news journalist Atwar Bahjat and two colleagues. By Julia Day.

Iraqi Shia Leader Appeals for Unity
Iraq's most influential Shia political leader today called for unity between Shia and Sunni Muslims in a bid to calm sectarian tensions that risk plunging the country into civil war.

Iraq Curfew Imposed in Attempt to Halt Violence
Iraqi police and soldiers today enforced a curfew in Baghdad and three provinces in an attempt to stem the sectarian violence that has killed around 120 people.

All at Sea in the Middle East's Perfect Storm
World Briefing: Sectarian revenge attacks and widening divisions in the wake of the Samarra mosque bombing have intensified fears of irreversible descent into all-out civil war in Iraq...By Simon Tisdall

More Than 130 Dead in Iraq Reprisals
The death toll from violence sparked by the bombing of a Shia shrine rose to more than 130 today, heightening fears that Iraq was sliding towards civil war.

TV Journalists Killed in Iraq
Gunmen have kidnapped and killed three journalists in Iraq from the al-Arabiya network. By John Plunkett.

At Least 78 Dead in Iraq Reprisals
The death toll from violence sparked by the bombing of a Shia shrine in Samarra rose to at least 78 today, heightening fears that Iraq is sliding towards civil war.

Dozens of Bodies Discovered in Baghdad
Iraqi police recovered the bodies of dozens of people in Baghdad today as violence spread across the country following the bombing of a Shia shrine in Samarra.

Shia Shrine Blasts Spark Reprisal Attacks
Insurgents detonated bombs inside one of Iraq's holiest Shia shrines today, destroying its golden dome and prompting dozens of reprisal attacks on Sunnis and their mosques.

Straw Denies Shrine Bombing Will Derail New Government
The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, condemned a bomb attack that destroyed the golden dome of a Shia shrine in Iraq today as a "criminal and sacrilegious act" but denied Iraq was descending into civil war.

Blast Destroys Shia Shrine
A bomb attack destroyed the golden dome of one of Iraq's holiest Shia shrines today, sparking demonstrations and calls for revenge amongst the protestors.

Blast Kills 22 As Straw Calls for End to Sectarianism
A car bomb at an outdoor market in Baghdad yesterday killed 22 and injured 28, one of the worst attacks in recent weeks.

Iraqi Pm Hits Out at Us Warnings
The Iraqi prime minister today reacted angrily to warnings that the country risked losing US support unless it shunned sectarianism in its new government.

Baghdad Bomb Kills 22
At least 22 people were killed and 28 wounded when a car bomb exploded in a busy outdoor market in the Iraqi city of Baghdad today.

Straw Visits Baghdad for Iraqi Government Talks
The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today visited Baghdad to urge Iraqi leaders to form a new government that was not dominated by any one religious or ethnic group.

US Envoy Claims Iran is Stirring Iraqi Strife
· Neighbour accused of arming militants · At least 19 killed in three bomb attacks

Moqtada Al-sadr Throws Iraqi Unity Talks Into Disarray
· Cleric rejects constitution and calls for troops to go · Election success enables Shias to 'flex muscles'

Torturers' Iraq Link
Criminals who tortured and killed a young hostage, keeping him naked and hooded and burning him repeatedly before throwing him from a train, were inspired by images from Iraq, according to a French prosecutor.

Abu Ghraib Leaked Report Reveals Full Extent of Abuse
Nearly two years after the first pictures of naked and humiliated Iraqi detainees emerged from Abu Ghraib prison, the full extent of the abuse became known for the first time yesterday with a leaked report from the US army's internal investigation into the scandal.

Iraqi Minister Calls for Us to Hand Over Prisoners
An Iraqi minister has said that the Iraqi government is "very worried" about the detainees in Abu Ghraib prison following the publication of new images of apparent abuse.

Two More Held Over Iraq 'abuse' Video
Military police today arrested two more soldiers in connection with the video showing the apparent abuse of Iraqi civilians by ...

Jaafari Wins Narrow Vote to Head Iraq's New Government
Almost two months after Iraq's elections, the winning Shia alliance yesterday chose the prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, to head the first full-term government since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Army's Image in Iraq Under the Spotlight
· Video apparently shows civilians beaten by troops · Concern at damage caused by string of allegations

Bush Ignored Cia Advice on Iraq, Says Former Spy
The CIA official in charge of intelligence on the Middle East until last year has accused the Bush administration of ...

Iraq Invasion Deception Increasingly Shapes Coverage of Occupation
The deception that launched the invasion of Iraq now increasingly shapes media coverage of the occupation. By Sami Ramadani

US General Maps Out Strategic Refit for Iraq, Middle East and Asia
· Number of troops 'may be contributing to instability' · Public profile of ground forces to be lowered

British Soldier Killed in Iraq Road Accident
A British soldier has been killed in a road traffic accident in Iraq, the third serviceman to die in four days, the Ministry of Defence said today,

100th British Military Death in Iraq
A British soldier was killed in southern Iraq today, taking the total death toll of UK military personnel in the country to 100 since the US-led invasion began in March 2003.

Iraqi Insurgents Kill British Soldier in Multinational Patrol
A British soldier serving in Iraq was killed by gunfire from insurgents yesterday, becoming the 99th serviceman or woman to die since the conflict began.

TV Anchorman Seriously Injured
One of America's best-known broadcasters and his cameraman were seriously injured yesterday in a roadside bomb attack on an Iraqi army unit they were travelling with north of Baghdad.

US to Release Iraqi Women
Following a week of speculation, the US military confirmed today that it would release five Iraqi women detainees but denied it was capitulating to demands by the kidnappers of an American journalist. The women would be set free today and tomorrow as part of the release of 419 Iraqis...

German Engineers Taken Hostage on Way to Work
Two German engineers en route to work in Baiji, 110 miles north of Baghdad, were kidnapped yesterday. The victims, identified locally as Thomas Wischke and Rebiti Draba, were forced into a car boot by up to six gunmen and driven off.

Halliburton Accused Over Iraq Water Supplies
Halliburton, the vast Texan oil and military services corporation, was accused by former employees yesterday of supplying contaminated water to American troops and Iraqi civilians at a marine base in Ramadi.

US Officer Guilty of Killing Iraqi General During Questioning
A US army officer was guilty of negligent homicide in the death of an Iraqi general during an interrogation, a military court ruled on Saturday.

Shia Majority Cut in Iraqi Poll As Negotiations Begin for New Pm
Sunni Arab parties have tripled their seats in Iraq's parliament, according to final results of last month's election announced yesterday, but the country's next prime minister is almost certain to be a Shia Islamist, with Adel Abdel Mahdi, a former finance minister well-regarded in Washington, as the favoured candidate.

Shia Alliance Wins Iraq Elections
An alliance of Shia parties won 128 of Iraq's 275 parliamentary seats in the country's first democratic elections - 10 short of a majority, it was confirmed today.

Italy Says It Will Pull Last of Troops Out of Iraq By End of Year
The Italian government is to withdraw 1,000 of its 2,600 troops in Iraq by June and the remainder of them by the end of the year, Antonio Martino, the Italian defence minister, said yesterday.

Iraqi Official Calls for Release of Women Prisoners
An Iraqi government official today urged the US military to release women prisoners but denied the plea was part of attempts to free a kidnapped journalist.

Official Us Agency Paints Dire Picture of 'out-of-control' Iraq
· Analysis issued by USAid in reconstruction effort · Account belies picture painted by White House

Iraq Accuses Tehran of Seizing Coastguards
The improving ties between Iran and Iraq appeared in jeopardy yesterday as officials in Baghdad accused Iranian security forces of seizing nine of its coastguards in an armed clash in the Shatt-al-Arab waterway, a historic source of tension between the two countries.

Reuters Journalists Freed in Iraq
Two journalists working for Reuters in Iraq have been freed by the US military after being held without charge for several months. By Claire Cozens.

Americans Save British Hostage No One Knew Was Missing
A British man kidnapped in Iraq and held for five days by armed men who threatened to behead him was rescued last week by American special forces and astonished to discover that no one had noticed he was missing.

Iraq War 'could Cost Us Over $2 Trillion'
· Economists say official estimates are far too low · New calculation takes in dead and injured soldiers

130 Iraqis and Seven Us Soldiers Die in One of Iraq's Worst Days
· Murder of 60 Shia pilgrims will inflame tensions · Bush says he will 'take to heart' comments on policy

More Than 100 Killed in Iraq Violence
Two suicide bombers killed more than 100 in Iraq today, as extreme violence continued for a second consecutive day.

Iraq Suicide Bombers Kill 80
Two suicide bombers killed at least 80 people in Iraq today as extreme violence continued for a second consecutive day. The first bomber detonated his explosives near one of Iraq's holiest Shia sites in central Kerbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad. The blast near the Imam Hussein shrine...

Bomber Kills More Than 40 Near Iraq Shrine
More than 40 people were killed in Iraq today when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives near one of the holiest Shia sites. The blast near the Imam Hussein shrine in central Kerbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, killed 41 and injured 16, said Adel al-Azawi, the deputy director of...

Suicide Attack at Iraqi Funeral Kills 36, Wounds 40
A suicide bomber caused carnage at a Shia funeral and gunmen ambushed a vital fuel convoy outside Baghdad in a series of attacks that killed more than 50 people yesterday, the deadliest day in Iraq for weeks.

US Schoolboy to Reveal Details of Trip to Iraq
The Florida teenager who travelled to Iraq to help research a school project was expected yesterday to share further details about his bizarre and dangerous solo journey.

US Warplane Used to Target Iraqi Family Home
Between six and 14 members of an Iraqi family were reported dead yesterday after US warplanes obliterated a house in the northern oil town of Baiji.

Bush Pulls the Plug on Iraq Reconstruction
The Bush administration has scaled back its ambitions to rebuild Iraq from the devastation wrought by war and dictatorship and does not intend to seek new funds for reconstruction, it emerged yesterday. In a decision that will be seen as a retreat from a promise by President George Bush...

Iraq Suicide Bomber Kills Seven
A suicide car bomber today targeted a bus carrying police recruits to Baghdad, killing seven people, police said.

Leaving Iraq now is the West's Ultimate Suicide
Instead of leaving Iraq, the US should cooperate with Turkey, Israel and India in invading Syria and Iran. Either a Great Alliance will achieve the extermination of the Doomsday's sheikhs or the Western domino will ultimately collapse.

US Boy's Answer to a School Essay on Iraq: Take a Trip to Baghdad
Most teenagers would have settled for a visit to the local museum. But Farris Hassan had greater plans for his latest school trip - running away to Baghdad for a first-hand look at one of the world's most dangerous cities.

Thousands of Us Troops to Oversee Iraqi Police
· Militia infiltration of units prompts Pentagon action · Advisers meant to help end prisoner abuse

Nine Killed in Baghdad Prison Breakout Attempt
· Insurgents among most dangerous in custody · French engineer abducted in separate incident

Thousands Protest Over Iraq Election
An inmate at a Baghdad prison today killed at least eight people and injured three others when he grabbed an assault rifle from a guard and opened fire.

Eight Killed in Baghdad Prison Shooting
An inmate at a Baghdad prison today killed at least eight people and injured three others when he grabbed an assault rifle from a guard and opened fire.

Allegations of Ill-treatment After Protest By Iraqi Detainees
Detainees held by the British army in Iraq have been involved in disturbances this week in protest at being held without charge or trial, the Guardian has learned.

Stars Turn Backs on America's Troops in Iraq
· Danger and anti-war stance keep celebrities away · Shows now depend on Christian hip-hop groups

Sunni and Secular Parties Seek Iraq Election Rerun
· Ruling party accused of blatant fraud in polls · Opposition threatens protests and boycott

Religious Parties Deal Blow to Us Hopes for Iraq
· Bush favourite trails as Shias dominate poll · Kurds may get more seats than larger Sunni blocks

Rise in Poll Complaints Troubles Iraq Vote Monitors
Suspected polling violations on voting day last week far exceeded the number in Iraq's first election in January, local and international monitors said yesterday.

US Calls for Sacking of Iraq's Interior Minister Over Sunni Prisoner Abuse
The US is pressing for the sacking of Bayan Jabr, Iraq's Shia interior minister, whose staff have been discovered to be torturing Sunni prisoners.

Iraqis Flock to Polls As Insurgents Urge Sunnis to Vote
· Few fraud claims despite gunmen at polling stations · Estimated 70% turnout hailed by Blair and Bush

Snipers and Sandbags - Iraq Votes
Yesterday, the day of Iraq's first full-term parliamentary elections, there was an unusual sight on Tal Afar's streets: queues of Sunni Muslims waiting to vote.

Kurds Flock to Polling Stations to Back De Facto Independence
There was not an Iraqi flag in sight across the Kurdish self-rule region yesterday as Kurds went to the polls, many saying they were voting to preserve their de facto independence from Baghdad.

High Turnout, Low Level of Violence As Iraqis Vote
Iraqis of all ethnic groups turned out in large numbers yesterday to elect a four-year parliament with the encouragement of local insurgents in at least one major Sunni city.

High Turnout in Iraqi Elections
· Sunnis vote in large numbers · Scattered reports of attacks · Shia alliance set to win most seats

The Purple Finger of Freedom: The Lies of War & The Lies of Occupation
As the parliamentary election gets under way, truth be told, the common people of Iraq have little choice in anything at all, yet they will proudly display the purple finger of freedom for they know how American cameras clamor for them. They are the people of an ancient land, the cradle of civilization, and they remain proud despite it all.

Iraq Intelligence Wrong - But I Was Right to Take Us to War, Bush Insists
· President accepts full responsibility for invasion · Pentagon to plant pro-US stories in global media

Sunni Toll Rises in Iraqi Election Campaigning
· Party leader blames latest killings on government · Voting boycott lifted but turnout uncertain

Curfew Imposed to Stop Insurgent Attacks in Iraq
US-led coalition soldiers and the Iraqi security forces last night imposed a nation-wide curfew to try to stop insurgents disrupting tomorrow's general election.

The Region Will Wrest Back Control When the Us Stumbles Out of Iraq
This costly intervention has exposed the myth of America as conductor of a grand democratic Middle Eastern orchestra.

The Balance Shifts in the Battle Between Secular and Islamist Iraq
The divide between Sunnis and Shiites is only the most visible political faultline

Wait Goes on for Kember Family As Kidnappers' Deadline Passes
Family, friends and colleagues of the kidnapped British peace activist Norman Kember were last night waiting and praying as his captors remained silent in the face of mounting appeals from the Muslim world for them to release the retired professor and three other Christian campaigners seized in Baghdad.

Fears Grow Over Fate of British Hostage in Iraq
Hopes for the safe release of the British hostage Norman Kember appeared to be fading last night after an Egyptian hostage was killed by Iraqi militants and leading figures trying to secure the peace campaigner's release admitted that they had no contact with the kidnappers.

Kidnappers Extend Deadline for British Hostage in Iraq
British men freed from Guantánamo Bay plead for mercy to be shown, urging the release of peace activist Norman Kember.

Suicide Bomber Kills 30 in Baghdad Bus Station Attack
A suicide bomber jumped on to a moving bus and blew himself up, killing at least 30 people in the second huge attack in the Iraqi capital in the past three days.

Iraq Bombers Kill 43 at Police Academy
At least 43 people were killed and 73 injured today when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a police academy classroom in east Baghdad.

Iraq Bombers Kill 27 at Police Academy
At least 27 people were killed today when two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in a police academy classroom in east Baghdad.

Ulster's Ex-police Chief to Report on Iraq
The former chief constable of Northern Ireland is to assess the new Iraqi police force in the British-controlled south of the country.

General Investigated Over Death of Soldier in Iraq
One of the army's most senior officers is being investigated over his role in what the attorney general has called "a concerted attempt" to block an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the controversial death of a British soldier in Iraq.

From Belgian Cul-de-sac to Suicide Bomber in Iraq
· Troubled life of woman who converted to Islam · Mother grieves for 'brainwashed' daughter

New Yorkers favor Bush’s Iraq strategy while Washingtonians don’t
Reacting to the strategy that Bush and his government outlined on Wednesday of focusing on increasing training of Iraqi forces so that they could take on the mantle of protecting their country and enable American forces to leave eventually, the New Yorkers spoken to generally agreed with this course of action.

Lofty Goals for Iraq As White House Declares Failure is Not an Option
· Paper predicts 'change of military posture' next year · No timetable given for withdrawal of troops

Pentagon Pays Iraqi Papers to Print Its 'good News' Stories
Faced with suicide bombings, claims of Iraqi death squads, and kidnappings, the Pentagon has come up with an innovative solution to solving the problems in Iraq: buying good news.

Hostage Video Accuses Snatched Peace Activists of Spying on Iraq
· Unknown insurgent group releases tape of captives · Supporters appeal for British pensioner

Al-Jazeera Shows Video of Iraq Hostages
A video showing the kidnapped British activist Norman Kember and three other western hostages was tonight broadcast by Arab satellite channel al-Jazeera.

Iraqi Official Predicts Us Troop Reductions
Up to 30,000 US troops could be withdrawn from Iraq as early as next year, Iraq's national security adviser said today.

Third Briton Dies After Baghdad Bus Attack
A third British Muslim has died from injuries sustained in a weekend gun attack on a minibus in Baghdad, the Foreign Office said today.

The Damage Done By Iraq Now Seeps Into Fraud Trials
If this key piece of legislation fails, it will be a further sign of slippage in the prime minister's authority.

Two British Muslims Killed in Ambush While Returning From Iraq Pilgrimage
· London group attacked hours before flying home · Choice of Baghdad route questioned

Two Britons Reported Killed in Iraq
At least two Britons were today reported killed and three injured in a gun attack on a bus carrying Shia pilgrims in Iraq.

US May Use Planes As Substitute for Troops in Iraq
The Bush administration is considering a plan to put America's awesome airpower at the disposal of Iraqi commanders, as a way of reducing the number of US troops on the ground.

Abuse Worse Than Under Saddam, Says Iraqi Leader
· Allawi in damning indictment of new regime · Bush prepares way for US troop pull-out

Iraq: Global Debate-Part 3: What Have We Accomplished?
In spite of unrelenting media coverage of the bombings and other terror related activity in Iraq, much that is positive remains hidden.

Suicide Bombers Kill 30 As Soldiers Give Out Sweets
A car bomb brought carnage to another Iraqi town yesterday, killing at least 30 people and wounding 35, as government officials warned of more violence to come before the elections on December 15.

40 Killed in Iraq Car Bombings
At least 30 people were killed today and 35 injured, among them four US soldiers, in a suicide car bomb attack in central Iraq, Iraqi officials said.

Suicide Attack Kills 30 in Iraq
At least 30 people were killed today and 35 injured, among them four US soldiers, in a suicide car bomb attack in central Iraq, Iraqi officials said. The blast took place outside a hospital in Mahmoudiya. The victims included four police, three women and two children, doctors at the...

PM 'was Double-crossed' Over Iraq, Says Diplomat
The former diplomat who claimed the name of his CIA agent wife was leaked by the White House in an attempt to smear him today said Tony Blair had been "double-crossed" by Bush aides in the run-up to the Iraq war.

Up Close: the Reality of Iraq's Hidden War
Sean Smith on his time embedded with the US army in Iraq.

STRANGE HEROES: Second Thoughts About The War
Congressman John Murtha's modest call for a measured, conditional withdrawal of forces from Iraq set off a firestorm in the halls of Congress. Republicans called the question and Democrats wrested defeat from the jaws of victory. How do we respond?

White House Changes Tactics in War Over Iraq
· Attempt to limit damage of attacks on Democrat · Cheney says calls for withdrawal 'an illusion'

Iraq: A Global Debate: Part One
Part One of a three part series looking at the Iraq Debate, takes a look at the historical beginnings of this conflict.

Suicide Bombers Kill 77 in Attack on Mosques
· Fathers and sons among Shia worshippers targeted · Assault on Baghdad hotel leaves two children dead

Iraqi Minister Plays Down Bunker Torture Reports
The US embassy in Iraq today clashed with the Iraqi interior minister after he described reports of torture in a government bunker as "inaccurate".

Bush and Cheney Hit Back at Iraq Critics
The White House today continued its counter-attack over the Iraq war as George Bush backed Dick Chenmey's claims that Democratic critics of the conflict were "opportunists".

Guardian Scales Down Iraq Presence
The Guardian has decided to no longer keep a permanent correspondent in Iraq in the wake of reporter Rory Carroll's abduction last month. By Stephen Brook.

173 Prisoners Found Beaten and Starved in Iraq Government Bunker
· PM's deputy leads inquiry into torture allegations · Reports of corpses among malnourished inmates

US Sweep of Arrests After Iraq Invasion Leads to Few Convictions
More than 35,000 Iraqis have been detained by American troops since the invasion of the country but only a tiny fraction have been convicted of wrongdoing, the Guardian has learned.

US Used Chemical Weapons in Iraq, Then Lied
Now we know napalm and phosphorus bombs have been dropped on Iraqis, why have the hawks failed to speak out?

Iraq's President Predicts Troops Out Next Year
· Talabani suggests British handover by end of 2006 · UK defence secretary more cautious on pullout

Jordan Reaps Reward - and Pays a Price
· Amman Support for US brings a booming economy · Bombings wreck image of safe haven from Iraq

'Couple Among Jordan Suicide Bombers'
A husband and wife were among four Iraqis who bombed hotels in the Jordanian capital Amman on Wednesday, according to a statement from the militant group, al-Qaida in Iraq. "A group of martyrdom-seekers carried out the planning and implementation. They comprised three men and a woman who...

40 Dead in Iraq Suicide Bombings
Suicide bombers killed at least 33 people and injured 19 in an attack on a Baghdad restaurant today, Iraqi police officials said.

The Media Are Minimising Us and British War Crimes in Iraq
The reporting of the Iraqi death toll - both in its scale and account of who is doing the killing - is profoundly dishonest.

Paratroopers Cleared of Murdering Iraqi
· Investigation by military police criticised · Witnesses branded seekers of blood money

Soldiers Cleared of Iraq Murder Charge
The military trial of seven British soldiers accused of murdering an Iraqi teenager collapsed today after a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction.

Car Bomb Kills 20 Near Mosque
A suicide car bomb exploded close to a mosque in the mostly Shia town of Musayyib today, killing at least 20 Iraqis and wounding 46.

Secret Senate Session Keeps Up Pressure on Bush Over Iraq War
· Media and staff forced out for first time in 25 yearsr · Democrats accuse rivals of colluding on WMD reports.

Pentagon Reports 26,000 Iraqi Casualties in 2 Years
New Pentagon figures show that the number of Iraqis killed or wounded has risen sharply in recent months, and that the toll has reached 26,000 since the beginning of 2004.

23 Dead As Shia and Sunni Militia Clash After Raid to Free Hostage
At least 23 people died when supporters of the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr clashed with Sunni militants near Baghdad yesterday, an interior ministry official said.

Bush vows not to back down as US toll in Iraq war crosses 2000
"We face a brutal enemy that has got an ideology and a strategy to impose their view on the world. They believe that they should dictate religion... That they ought to control the lives of all people."

VOW OF SILENCE: A Number & A Name
On the same day Rosa Parks died, the military conceded that the death toll for American soldiers in Iraq reached 2000. Supporters of the war proclaimed the number arbitrary and insignificant. It was significant, however, to the families of George Alexander and 1,999 others who have paid the ultimate price.

Iraqi Constitution Yes Vote Approved By Un
Iraqi voters adopted the country's new constitution in spite of heavy opposition in Sunni Arab areas, Iraqi and United Nations officials announced yesterday.

Iraqis Say Yes to Constitution
Iraq's constitution was today passed as the final results from the country's 18 provinces were announced.

20 Killed By Three Explosions at Baghdad Hotels
· Cement mixer used as bomb breaches defences · Journalists the target, says Iraqi security chief.

Blasts at Journalists' Hotel in Baghdad
Two rockets and a car bomb this afternoon rocked a Baghdad hotel used as a base by many foreign journalists.

British Forces Arrest Nine Iraqis As Poll Shows Hostility to Troops
Soldiers arrested the nine men following an investigation into those "organising and conducting terrorist activities", including attacks against British troops, the army said.

Killing of Lawyer Casts Doubt on Iraqi Justice, Rights Groups Say
The murder of a defence lawyer in the trial of Saddam Hussein and other former Ba'athist leaders casts doubt on the fairness of the US-backed court, human rights groups and international lawyers said yesterday.

'The Door Clanged Shut and a Lock Turned'
The Guardian's Baghdad correspondent, Rory Carroll, was abducted by gunmen in the capital on Wednesday. Here he tells the story of the terrifying 36 hours before his release last night. You can read Rory's full story of his kidnap, incarceration and release in Saturday's Guardian.

Abducted Guardian Journalist is Freed
Rory Carroll, the Guardian journalist kidnapped in Baghdad on Wednesday, was freed tonight. Carroll phoned the Guardian to confirm that he had been released from an underground cell.

Guardian Journalist Abducted in Baghdad
The Guardian's Iraq correspondent, Rory Carroll, was last night missing after being kidnapped by gunmen in Baghdad. Carroll had been conducting an interview in the city with a victim of Saddam Hussein's regime preparing an article for today's paper. By Ewen MacAskill.

Rice: US ready to stay 10 years in Iraq
Rice refused to rule out US troops still being in Iraq in 10 years or the possibility that the United States could use military force against neighboring Syria and Iran.

British Soldier Killed By Roadside Bomb
A British soldier died last night from injuries sustained in a roadside bomb attack in Basra, southern Iraq, the Ministry of Defence said today.

War in Iraq Putting Off Recruits, Says Army
The army is facing a recruitment crisis triggered partly by its operations in Iraq, senior officers admitted yesterday. They are so concerned they are launching the first campaign in 10 years to attract young officers. "We are beginning to see the warning signs," one officer who asked not to be...

War in Iraq Putting Off Recruits, Says Army
The army is facing a crisis in recruitment triggered in part by its operations in Iraq, senior officers admitted yesterday.

Dictator on Trial for His Life As Iraqi Court Faces Ultimate Test
7 other Ba'athists charged with killing of 143 villagers · Criticism of decision to try case in Iraq

CONSTITUTIONAL REFERENDUM: Iraq, Venezuela, Florida & Ohio
Somewhat obscured by the latest revelations in the Plame case, accusations of fraud in the Iraqi constitutional referendum were distinctly under reported. To the beleaguered Karl Rove, it must have brought back memories of the good old days in Florida and Ohio.

US Air Strikes Kill Civilians in Iraq, Say Witnesses
American air strikes have killed more than 70 people in western Iraq, including dozens of women and children, witnesses said yesterday.

The Carve-up of Iraq Will Spawn a Redivision of the Middle East
The adoption of a weak Iraqi federal constitution is likely to unleash an ethnic and sectarian crisis across the region.

US Airstrikes 'kill 70'
The US military said today that strikes by US warplanes and helicopters on two villages west of Baghdad had killed 70 militants, while witnesses claimed there were many civilians among the dead.

Straw Warns Iran Over Insurgents
Britain and Iran traded new accusations of meddling in each other's affairs yesterday, as London warned Tehran to stop helping Iraqi insurgents and the Iranian president accused British forces of involvement in weekend bombings in Iran.

First Results Show Victory for Iraqi Constitution
· Sunnis end boycott to challenge Shias and Kurds · Fears of backlash as defeat increases resentment

Iraqis in Their Millions Defy Terror to Vote on Constitution
Millions of Iraqis went to the polls yesterday, defying sporadic violence, as Sunnis, Shias and Kurds decided to use the ballot box, rather than the bullet - for a day at least - in a historic attempt to shape Iraq's future.

Fear and Hope on the Bloody Road to Iraq's Vote
Poll on constitution marked by increasing dread over violence and sectarianism

POLICE LAWLESSNESS: Iraq & New Orleans
The brutal beating of a retired school teacher in New Orleans has renewed a long overdue debate on the excesses of law enforcement. The government's advocacy of military takeover in times of crisis should be a wake up call: Will the police state we have handed Iraq come home to roost?

Bush Was Thinking Beyond Iraq
Bush was willing to go beyond Iraq in dealing with the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq's New Constitution
Opinion is divided in Iraq and beyond on whether its new constitution, to be voted on tomorrow, will help to hold the country together - or accelerate its disintegration into three separate, mutually antagonistic statelets.

Top Cleric Boosts Chances of Yes Vote in Iraq Referendum
· Grand ayatollah urges Shias to vote in favour · Security clampdown for ballot on constitution

Former Un Ambassador Arrested in Iraq Inquiry
A former French ambassador to the UN and special adviser to its secretary general was yesterday taken before an investigating magistrate in an increasingly embarrassing inquiry into the oil-for-food programme in Iraq.

Iranian Troops 'training Iraqi Insurgents'
Fresh details of alleged Iranian help for insurgents attacking British troops in southern Iraq emerged today.

Deal Raises Hope of Agreement on Iraq Constitution
Iraq's parliament is today meeting in a special session to discuss eleventh hour changes to the proposed constitution that could see it gain wider support among under-represented Sunni Arabs. The deal - made late last night - comes ahead of a referendum on Saturday that some of the...

Voices of Iraq: Baghdadis Tell Their Stories
Two and a half years of relentless bloodshed has convinced the outside world that Baghdad is not so much a city as an event, a maelstrom of violence.

Iraq Blasts Kill Dozens Ahead of Referendum
Nearly 45 people were killed in a series of attacks in Iraq today amid signs that an expected insurgent campaign to destabilise the country ahead of Saturday's constitutional referendum had begun.

Iraq Prepares for Polls With Security Clampdown
Thousands of soldiers and police were deployed in Iraqi cities yesterday to prepare for a nationwide security clampdown in the run-up to Saturday's referendum on a new constitution.

Sunni Leadership Pulls Back From Boycott of Iraq Poll
Sunni leaders yesterday failed to agree on a boycott of this week's referendum on a new constitution, a move that would have exacerbated Iraq's political and security crisis.

Iraqi Police Are Among 12 Seized By British Forces in Basra Raid
· Strategy targets militias suspected of bombings · Iran rejects Blair's claim that it is arming attackers

Iraq Centre of Fight Against Extremism, Says Bush
George Bush today told the US public that Iraq was the main front in a global battle with extremists as he attempted to shore up falling support for the war.

Iraq Backs Down After Un Condemns Voting Changes
Iraq's parliament yesterday bowed to pressure from the United States and United Nations and reversed its decision to change voting rules for next week's referendum on a constitution.

UK Accuses Iran Over Killings of Soldiers
Britain and Iran clashed openly last night after a senior British official directly accused Tehran of supplying Iraqi insurgents with sophisticated roadside bombs that have killed eight British soldiers and two security guards since May.

Iraq Cedes to Un on Referendum
Iraq's national assembly backed down today from controversial and possibly illegal plans to change the counting method for next week's referendum.

UN Calls for Review of Changes to Referendum Rules in Iraq
The UN expressed concern yesterday over the legality of this month's Iraq referendum after Sunnis accused the Kurds and Shias of attempting to rig the outcome.

Detained Briton Freed By Iraq Police
A British engineer arrested after allegedly carrying weapons and surveillance equipment into Iraq from Saudi Arabia, has been released, it was reported tonight. The Briton, identified by his business card as Colin Peter Wanley, was with 10 Iraqis arrested yesterday near the southern Shia...

Foreign Fighters Leaving Iraq to Export Terror, Warns Minister
Foreign fighters who have used Iraq as a combat training ground are returning home with plans to mount similar attacks throughout the Muslim world, Iraq's interior minister said yesterday.

Iraq Suicide Bomber Brings Death Toll to 200 in Five Days
A suicide bomber brought more carnage to Iraq yesterday when he struck at a bustling market in the mainly Shia town of Hilla, south-west of Baghdad, killing at least 10 people and wounding 47.

THE WAR PARTY: The Next Step in the Antiwar Movement
On September 24, hundreds of thousands once again took to the streets in protest to the war and occupation of Iraq. Once again, the leaders of both mainstream parties ignored them. It is time to take the next step by entering the political arena in earnest.

Iraqi Bombers Kill 60 While Us Senate Told of Troop Shortfalls
A volley of evening suicide bombs devastated the centre of the mainly Shia town of Balad, killing at least 60 people and injuring 70 others, as American top brass admitted there were fewer Iraqi troops capable of fighting insurgents than previously claimed.

Seven Killed in Iraq Suicide Bombing
A female suicide bomber attacked an army recruitment centre in the north of Iraq today, killing at least seven people and wounding 36, police said.

Iraqi Insurgents on the Back Foot After America Kills Zarqawi's Deputy
· Gunbattle after tip-off traps al-Qaida leaders · Warning of fresh violence ahead of referendum

Zarqawi Aide Killed in Iraq
The second-in-command of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Azzam, has been shot and killed by US-led forces in Baghdad, the US military confirmed today.

US Soldier Guilty of Abusing Iraqi Prisoners
The US soldier pictured taunting naked prisoners at Abu Ghraib was yesterday found guilty of abusing inmates at the Iraqi jail on the western outskirts of Baghdad.

Gunmen Kill Schoolteachers in Iraq
· Hundreds of Abu Ghraib prisoners freed· 10 killed at police checkpoint

Britain Refuses Apology and Compensation for Iraqis Caught Up in Basra Riots
· Judge's arrest warrant for soldiers still in force · Local authorities suspend cooperation with British

Ghaith Abdul-ahad on the Deadly Danger of Working As a Journalist in Iraq
Last week Fakher Haidar al-Tamimi became the 36th Iraqi journalist to be killed since the start of the war. His friend Ghaith Abdul-Ahad explains how, in the postwar carnage, his fellow countrymen have become the softest targets.

An Incredible Juncture in 'Iraq': the Zarqawi menace
Almost totally dedicated to the preservation and reconstruction challenges in the aftermath of the Katrina shock, the US administration seems to miss an excellent opportunity offered by the murderous Jordanian terrorist in 'Iraq'.

Reid Defends Uk Troops' Role in Iraq
The defence secretary, John Reid, is meeting the Iraqi prime minister, Ibrahim Jaafari, today to smooth over relations following a British army raid on an Iraqi jail on Monday.

Military Anger at Delay to Iraq Pull-out Plan
Defence officials admit that security situation in Basra may get worse.

Reid Defends Basra Jail Raid
The government today defended British troops' action in storming an Iraqi jail to free two colleagues amid strong criticism from Iraqi officials of yesterday's dramatic raid. The defence secretary, John Reid, said the army had been "absolutely right" to break into Basra's Jamiat jail to...

Ex-Iraqi Defence Minister Wanted Over $1bn Fraud
· Warrant issued after army left with old weapons· Allawi regime blamed for lack of checks on ministry

21 Killed As Iraq Violence Flares Again
At least 21 people were killed in further outbreaks of violence in Iraq today as Sunni insurgents continued their "all out war" on the country's Shia population.

31 Killed in New Iraq Violence
A fresh wave of attacks in Iraq today left at least 31 people dead, a day after suicide bombings in Baghdad killed more than 150.

Scores Killed in Baghdad Blasts
· More than 100 die in minibus bombing · Series of explosions shake Baghdad · Al-Qaida in Iraq claims responsibility

Dozens Killed As Iraqi and Us Forces Capture Insurgent Stronghold
· Rebels escape through network of tunnels · British soldier dies in roadside bomb attack

Iraqi Troops Storm Into Insurgent Stronghold
US and Iraqi troops swept into the insurgent stronghold of Tal Afar early yesterday in the biggest assault since the retaking of Falluja.

Iraq Rebuilding Under Threat As Us Runs Out of Money
Key rebuilding projects in Iraq are grinding to a halt because American money is running out and security has diverted funds intended for electricity, water and sanitation, according to US officials.

200 Suspected Insurgents Arrested in Iraq
US and Iraqi forces have arrested 200 suspected insurgents in a city close to the Syrian border that has been a centre of resistance and tribal fighting since the fall of Saddam Hussein. The operation in the city of Tal Afar rooted out around 150 foreign Arab fighters including people...

American Freed in Raid on Baghdad Farmhouse
An American contractor held hostage in Iraq for almost a year has been rescued during a raid on a farmhouse outside Baghdad, it emerged yesterday.

What Has Hussein Al-tahaan Got to Smile About?
There are easier jobs than being mayor of Baghdad. Almost any, in fact. But Hussein al-Tahaan, a militiaman turned bureaucrat, pledges civic order, and better pavements, for Iraq's chaotic capital. Rory Carroll spent a day watching Mr Delivery at work.

Rebuilding May Cost As Much As War in Iraq
New Orleans Roads, sewers and pipes will have to be replaced as draining of city reveals huge task.

British Soldier Cleared Over Checkpoint Shooting
A British soldier who shot dead an Iraqi civilian at a checkpoint will not face any charges, it was confirmed today. Murder or manslaughter charges had been considered against Lance Corporal Barry Singleton but the case has been dropped after a two-year army investigation. L/Cpl...

Two Soldiers Killed By Iraq Bomb
A roadside bomb killed two British soldiers travelling in an armoured Land Rover in southern Iraq yesterday, bringing to 95 the number of British military fatalities since the 2003 invasion.

Brutal Attack By Soldiers Left Innocent Iraqi Dead, Court Told
Seven paras accused of murder at court martial.

Sunni Teenager Who Died Saving Shias Hailed As Hero
A Sunni Arab teenager who died saving Shias during last week's stampede disaster in Baghdad has been hailed as a hero whose sacrifice should unify Iraq.

Estonian Troops Relish Iraqi Patrols
US allies are quitting Iraq in droves but the coalition of the willing is not quite dead: 40 Estonian soldiers hope their corner of Baghdad will remain forever Baltic.

Constitution May Exacerbate Sectarian Conflict in Iraq
Iraq's draft constitution, to be voted on in a national referendum on October 15, aims to turn Saddam Hussein's old fiefdom into a modern state. But as the al-Aima bridge tragedy demonstrated, Iraq is never far from a state of panic. Simon Tisdall

Pilgrims Buried As Death Toll Grows
Funerals for hundreds of victims as Baghdad tragedy is blamed on insurgents and poor crowd control.

Baghdad's Shias Start Burying Their Dead
Thousands of people today attended the first funerals of the hundreds of Shia pilgrims killed in a stampede across a Baghdad bridge. Panic spread through the crowd packed on to the al-Aima bridge during a religious procession yesterday when a shout was apparently heard that a suicide...

A Cry of Suicide Bomber, and 700 Perish in Iraq Stampede
Iraq was shrouded in mourning last night after more than 700 Shia pilgrims died in a stampede across a Baghdad bridge, in the deadliest incident since the March 2003 invasion.

'800 Dead' in Baghdad Bridge Disaster
More than 800 people were killed and over 320 injured in Baghdad today when Shia pilgrims panicked amid reports that a suicide bomber was in their midst.

'1,000 Dead' in Baghdad Bridge Disaster
Up to 1,000 people are believed to have been killed and more than 250 injured in Baghdad, after Shia pilgrims panicked amid reports that a suicide bomber was in their midst.

US to Hold Reuters Cameraman for Six Months
A Reuters cameraman being held without charge in Baghdad's notorious Abu Ghraib prison is to be detained for a further six months while the US military reviews his case. By Claire Cozens.

'600 Dead' in Baghdad Stampede
Up to 600 people were reported to have been killed and more than 250 injured in a stampede in Baghdad today.

US Launches Air Strikes on Iraqi Insurgent Stronghold
American warplanes bombed suspected insurgent bases in western Iraq yesterday close to where fighting flared between rival tribes, leaving dozens dead, according to witnesses.

Sunnis in Crisis Over Iraqi Constitution
Thousands of Arab Sunnis took to the streets of Iraq yesterday to demonstrate against the country's draft constitution - but a moderate Sunni group hinted it might back the constitution in a referendum due in October.

Iraq Gamble As Sunnis Left Out of Constitution Deal
Iraq took a historic gamble yesterday when the ruling Shia and Kurdish coalition bulldozed over the objections of Sunni Arabs to finish a new constitution. Frantic efforts to reach a consensus collapsed when a blueprint for a new democratic state which lacked the support of Sunni leaders...

Iraq Crisis Deepens As Sunnis Reject Deal
Last-ditch attempts to rescue Iraq's political process appeared to have collapsed yesterday when negotiations over a new constitution acceptable to all three major communities ended in failure and disarray.

Final Struggle for Deal on Iraq Constitution
US alarm grows that draft will go to voters without Sunni approval.

No Special Treatment for Journalists in Iraq, Says Us
The US military has told journalists working in Iraq they will be given no special consideration, as a Reuters cameraman remained imprisoned in the country's notorious Abu Ghraib. By Chris Tryhorn.

Hopes Fade for Deal on Iraqi Constitution
Deadline missed as Sunnis reject compromise.

America: Do Not Commit Suicide in Iraq!
The draft text for the future ‘constitution’ of ‘Iraq’ bears witness to a complete American failure that risks taking the form of the most comprehensive defeat of the Modern West. If Islam is accepted as official religion in 'Iraq', which is islamically wrong, the way opens for the terrorist sheikhs to impose as 'New Caliph' the Mahdi, the bogus-Islamic Messiah who will call for a final assault on the West.

Confusion Over Iraq Constitution
There was confusion today over the status of Iraq's draft constitution after rival sides gave opposite accounts of the document's readiness to be put to the country in a referendum in October.

CIVIL DIVIDE: An End to the Occupation
The solution to the Iraq crisis is not a prolonged American occupation. It is not federalism or a democracy subordinated to Islamic decree. It is not western style governance nor the iron fist of a foreign power. Let the will of the Iraqi people decide, even if it means civil divide.

'Realism' in 'Iraq'? A Confederation named Aram Nahrain - Mesopotamia
Iraq never existed otherwise than as a Hell. To achieve a successful exit, the Americans must first get rid of their dreams and misconceptions. Nazi and Postwar Germany can give an excellent example: punishment of a group (in Germany political, i.e. the Nazis - in 'Iraq' ethnic, i.e. the Sunnis) is necessary for going ahead.

Iraqi Talks Head for Deadlock
Constitution may face referendum in teeth of opposition from Sunnis.

New Deadline on Iraq Constitution
Iraqi leaders tonight put off a vote on a the country's new constitution in order to gain time to try to win over the Sunni Arab minority.

Iraqis Divided on Constitution As Deadline Looms
Sunni and Shia delegates were tonight divided over the Iraqi consitution as a second deadline for the completion of the text approached.

America's Shifting Mood is Inadequately Expressed in Congress
The mood in America is shifting against the Iraq war, but it has found inadequate expression in Congress. Gary Younge

Millions Embezzled at Iraqi Ministry
British officials are seriously concerned about the level of corruption in the Iraqi defence ministry, after the embezzlement of vast amounts of money earmarked for the country's security forces.

Iraqis Allege Abuse By British Soldiers
British soldiers are facing fresh allegations of abusing Iraqi prisoners, according to an investigation by BBC's Newsnight programme.

Iraq Extends Constitution Deadline
Iraq's parliament extended a deadline for a new constitution last night after marathon talks failed to bridge differences between the main ethnic and sectarian groups.

Iraqi Leaders Fail to Agree on Constitution
Iraq's parliament tonight agreed to allow an extra week for negotiators to finalise a draft constitution after delegates failed to meet a midnight deadline.

Iraqi Leaders 'sign Draft Constitution'
Iraqi leaders today signed a draft constitution but left two unspecified issues to be resolved later by the full parliament, two Shia officials said tonight.

Iraq Constitution Talks Delayed
A special session of Iraq's national assembly to discuss whether it should adopt a draft of a new Iraqi constitution was today delayed by two hours.

Iraq's Constitution Talks Go to the Wire
Negotiators from all sides predict eleventh-hour breakthrough as deadline nears.

New dark age for Iraqi women
Earlier this year I was in Iraq's second city, Basra, lunching with a group of Iraqi women professionals. It was the time of the elections, and the conversation turned to women's rights.

US Steps in to End Iraq Deadlock
Ethnic and religious groups still haggling over constitution - and a new name.

Suspect Held in Iraq Loses High Court Plea
A terror suspect being held without trial by British forces in Iraq has lost a high court test case against his detention.

As Politicians Wrestle With Iraq's Future, Citizens Worry About the Present
Iraq's leaders were racing to complete a draft constitution last night just two days before the deadline - but the political drama bypassed most Iraqis, who were concentrating on the daily quest for electricity, clean water, jobs and security. While politicians - tracked hour by hour in...

Sunnis Reject Calls for Federal Iraq
Sunni Arab leaders today rejected Shia calls for a federal Iraq, saying the proposal would fracture the country along religious and ethnic lines.

Clerics Push for Shiastan in Southern Iraq
Sunni dismay at power pitch in constitution countdown.

Iraq Shias Demand Autonomy
Iraq's Shia Muslims should have their own autonomous region across the south of the country, a leading Shia spokesman said today. Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, head of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCRI), made his demands at a rally in the Shia holy city of Najaf just...

Iranian Arms Intercepted at Iraqi Border
Britain warns Tehran about weapons smuggling.

Deadline Looms for Iraqis
Iraq's political leaders are due to resume marathon talks today to try to resolve outstanding disagreements over a nascent constitution just six days before the deadline.

Elusive Sniper Saps Us Morale in Baghdad
Commanders weigh their options as 'Juba' notches up more kills.

Iraqi Minister Incensed By Airport Display Bans Alcohol
The Iraqi transport minister has issued an order banning alcohol at Baghdad International Airport after apparently becoming incensed at the bottles of drink and women's perfume on the shelves of the duty free shop.

Why America risks failing in Iraq
An anti-colonial country like America needs an anti-colonial perception of the historical developments in the Middle East. In addition, to be successful in Iraq, the Bush Administration needs to come up with a plan that will ultimately destroy the colonial scheme - in Iraq first.

Fourteen Us Troops Die in Iraq Blast
Fourteen US marines and a civilian interpreter were killed in action today in western Iraq when a roadside bomb engulfed their amphibious assault vehicle.

Constitution Talks Still on Track, Iraq's President Insists
Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, insisted yesterday that the August 15 timetable for finalising the country's constitution would be met, despite the fact that the committee responsible for writing it is considering asking parliament for an extra 30 days to complete its work.

Two Britons Die in Iraq As Bomb Blasts Convoy
A roadside bomb blew up beside a British consulate convoy in the southern Iraq city of Basra yesterday, killing two men working for a private security firm.

America Hints at Early Start to Iraq Withdrawal
General admits security situation must improve.

Iraqi Pm Urges Speedy Withdrawal of Us Troops
Iraq's prime minister today called for a speedy withdrawal of US troops, and the top US commander in the country said he believed a "fairly substantial" pull-out could take place next spring and summer. Both men's hopes were, however, conditional on curbing the insurgency, which US...

Iraqi Police Recruits Not Up to Scratch, Says Us Report
The vetting of recruits to Iraq's police force is so poor that many who join up have criminal records, are barely literate, or are members of the insurgency, a new US government report has concluded. The report, compiled by Pentagon and state department officials and quoted in this week's...

Hanoi Jane Takes on Iraq War With Us Bus Tour
Hollywood star accused of using stance to boost book sales, but applauded by some veterans groups.

Freedom at Heart of New Iraq, Says Talabani
Up to 40 people were killed yesterday in a suicide bombing in Baghdad as violence continued to undermine efforts to draft Iraq's first constitution.

Baghdad Truck Bomb Kills 22
A suicide truck bomber struck today outside a police station in Baghdad, killing at least 22 people and wounded 25 more, Iraqi police and interior ministry sources said.

Iraq Phone Chief Tries to Tempt Investors
London played host to one of its more unusual investment roadshows yesterday as representatives of the Iraqi telecommunications regulator came to town to look for investors in the country's fledgling mobile phone industry.

Iraqi Forces Nowhere Near Being Able to Fight Insurgency on Their Own, Senate Told
Assessment suggests US occupation has a long future.

25,000 Iraqi Civilians Killed Since Invasion
US military 'responsible for one-third of deaths'.

It's Not Only About Iraq
The animating ideology of the caliphate helps explain al-Qaida actions that otherwise make no sense. Jonathan Freedland

Press Review: London Bombings
The Iraq war contributed to the threat to Britain, says a report.

25,000 Civilians Killed Since Iraq Invasion, Says Report
The number of Iraqi civilians who met violent deaths in the two years after the US-led invasion was today put at 24,865 by an independent research team.

Iraqi Courts Resort to Rushed Justice
With Saddam Hussein's trial looming, Rory Carroll spent a day in court in Baghdad and found it to be secretive, overloaded and quick.

Bush Tried to Aid Iraqi Parties
President George Bush approved a plan to channel covert aid to Iraqi parties and candidates in the run-up to the January elections, it was reported yesterday.

Huge Tanker Bomb Kills 60 Iraqi Shias
Three British troops die in separate attack on day of carnage.

Five suicide car bombings kill civilians and troops
Five car bombs targeted US and Iraqi troops in Baghdad today, killing at least 10 Iraqi civilians and security personnel.

Civilians Bear Brunt of Iraqi Insurgency
Iraqi civilians and police officers are being killed by insurgents at a rate of more than 800 a month - one an hour, according to new figures released by the interior ministry.

Children Are Main Victims of Iraq Blast
At least 27 people, most of them children, were killed and up to 25 wounded when a car packed with explosives targeted a convoy of US soldiers on a community relations mission in a Shia area of east Baghdad.

Ten Iraqis Suffocate in Police Lorry
Iraq's leading Sunni Muslim groups reacted angrily to reports that 10 Sunni Arab men suffocated to death in the back of a police truck in Baghdad's sweltering summer heat.

AGAINST THE WIND: The Inevitable End of the Iraqi Occupation
The question that paralyzes our politicians is: What happens when we leave Iraq? Unless we intend to remain there in perpetuity, it is the wrong question. We will leave when the cost in life, limb and treasure finally becomes too great to bear and, when we do, there will be an explosion of violence. The end is inevitable as the wind.

Reid Plays Down Iraq Troop Withdrawal Report
The defence secretary, John Reid, today said British forces would remain in Iraq "for as long as is needed," after a leaked report detailed plans to cut the number of British troops from 8,500 to 3,000.

Link Between the London Bombs and the War in Iraq
Of course those who backed the Iraq war refute any link with the London bombs - they are in the deepest denial. Gary Younge

UK Plans to Slash Iraq Force Over the Next Year
Memo gives timetable for pullout of most British and US troops.

For Once, Families in Baghdad Phone to Check on Loved Ones in Britain
Hadi Ali never thought it would be his turn to phone. Whenever a particularly bad bomb shook Baghdad, his sister would ring from London to check he was all right.

Italy Sets Date to Pull Troops Out of Iraq
Speculation over terror fears as 300 to leave in September.

One Woman's Death Brings Iraq War Home to Small-town America
It is the weekend when Americans wrap themselves in the flag, but on this Fourth of July the stars and stripes in the gardens and on the porches of Marshall Circle remain at half-mast.

UK Aid Funds Iraqi Torture Units
British and American aid intended for Iraq's hard-pressed police service is being diverted to paramilitary commando units accused of widespread human rights abuses, including torture and extra-judicial killings.

Bush Asks Us: Stay With Me on Iraq
As casualties and criticism mount, the President warns of more violence ahead and pleads for 'resolve and faith'.

Iraq Insurgents Snatch Victory From Defeat
Massive police station assault alarms locals despite retreat.

RAF Joins Us Forces in Iraq Assault
British warplanes joined an American offensive against insurgents holed up in a desert town on Iraq's border with Syria at the weekend.

US Troops Launch Big Iraq Offensive
Tanks and helicopters fan across desert in crackdown on foreign insurgents crossing border with Syria.

Iraq and Us Draft Amnesty for Insurgents
At least two dozen bodies from a spate of ambushes and assassinations were taken to a Baghdad morgue yesterday, while a suicide bomber killed at least 19 people waiting outside a bank in northern Iraq.

US in Talks With Iraqi Insurgents
American diplomats and army commanders have held indirect talks with insurgents in Iraq, the first officially sanctioned contact between the two sides in two years of violence.

Straw Visits Baghdad for Talks
The foreign secretary, Jack Straw, today arrived in Baghdad for talks with the Iraqi president and prime minister.

Marines 'beat Us Workers' in Iraq
A group of American security guards in Iraq have alleged they were beaten, stripped and threatened with a snarling dog by US marines when they were detained after an alleged shooting incident outside Falluja last month.

19 Dead As Insurgents End Lull in Iraq Violence
Insurgents in Iraq ended a brief spell of peace yesterday with a wave of attacks that killed at least 19 people and wounded dozens more.

US Troops Uncover Bunker Network in Iraq
American troops have found a vast network of bunkers beneath the Iraqi desert which insurgents used as a base, complete with kitchen and air conditioning, the US military said at the weekend.

US Lowers Standards in Army Numbers Crisis
The US military has stopped battalion commanders from dismissing new recruits for drug abuse, alcohol, poor fitness and pregnancy in an attempt to halt the rising attrition rate in an army under growing strain as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Suicide Bomber Strikes Baghdad Checkpoint
The violence in Iraq continued today as a suicide bomber attacked a key checkpoint outside Baghdad's main airport, injuring at least seven Iraqis.

Convoy Bomb Kills British Soldier
Bombings and ambushes kill 17 as Iraq insurgents hit back after Baghdad security clampdown.

Baghdad Matters More Than Eu Referendums
What is happening in Baghdad probably matters much more than any knife-edge referendums in Paris or The Hague. Ian Black

Iraqi Government Announces Crackdown
Iraq's Shia-led government today announced its biggest crackdown so far on the insurgency as speculation grew over the fate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the main militant leader.

Peace in Iraq 'will Take at Least Five Years to Impose'
It could take at least five years before Iraqi forces are strong enough to impose law and order on the country, the International Institute of Strategic Studies warned yesterday.

Six Dead in Baghdad Car Bombing
Six bystanders were killed today when a car bomb exploded near a secondary school for girls in Baghdad and, in a separate attack, one of Iraq's most prominent female politicians survived an assassination attempt.

Multiple Bombings Rock Iraq
At least three people were killed and more than 70 injured today when a car bomb exploded outside a busy restaurant in northern Baghdad at lunchtime.

Multiple Suicide Bombings Rock Iraq
At least 10 people were killed in a number of suicide bombings and attacks by insurgents across Iraq today that also left dozens injured.

US Military to Build Four Giant New Bases in Iraq
US military commanders are planning to pull back their troops from Iraq's towns and cities and redeploy them in four giant bases in a strategy they say is a prelude to eventual withdrawal.

Officers to Be Investigated Over Iraqi's Death
Lawyers acting for the family of the Iraqi hotel receptionist who died in the custody of British soldiers welcome reports that the army is to investigate the role allegedly played by senior officers.

British Lawyers to Pursue Iraqi Security Forces Over Killings
The families of 15 Iraqi Sunnis found in a mass grave north of Baghdad are to pursue the alleged perpetrators in a British court.

Italian Kidnapped in Kabul
Armed men abducted an Italian aid worker, Clementina Cantoni, in central Kabul last night, reviving fears of a wave of Iraqi-style kidnappings in Afghanistan.

US 'backed Illegal Iraqi Oil Deals'
The United States administration turned a blind eye to extensive sanctions-busting in the prewar sale of Iraqi oil, according to a new Senate investigation.

US Army Cuts Tour of Duty As Recruitment Declines
The US Army has begun offering 15-month active duty tours rather than the usual four-year enlistment as it struggles to halt a growing crisis in recruitment caused by the rising number of casualties in Iraq.

10 Killed in Baghdad Market Blast
At least 10 people were killed and more than 20 injured in a bomb attack on a market in a Shia district of Baghdad today.

One Month's Toll in Iraq: 67 Suicide Bombers
US losing battle to stem flow of foreign fighters prepared to die for cause.

US Claims Success in Iraq Border Offensive
American troops have killed about 75 insurgents in the first 24 hours of a large-scale offensive against the hideouts of foreign militants and arms smuggling routes in a remote border area of western Iraq, the US army said yesterday.

Discord as Iraqi cabinet is filled
More than three months after Iraq's elections and amid a ferocious escalation in the insurgency the prime minister, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, filled the final six vacancies in his cabinet yesterday.

58 die in car bombing at Iraqi market
At least 58 people were killed and 44 wounded yesterday when a suicide attacker exploded a car bomb near a vegetable market in a mostly Shia Muslim town south of Baghdad, hospital officials said.

Suicide Bombs Kill 23 in Iraq
Iraqi insurgents today carried out two suicide bombings that left at least 23 people dead and dozens injured after a new government was formed.

$100m Fraud Inquiry in Iraq
A criminal inquiry has been launched into a suspected case of embezzlement by US officials administering Iraqi construction money in the town of Hilla, where almost $100m (£52m) went missing in little more than a year.

They Were Lining Up to Join Iraq's Police - But in the Queue Was a Suicide Bomber
Scores killed and injured as insurgents hit Kurdish capital.

The Gates of Hell
The war in Iraq is more resembling the Battle of Algiers with every passing day. With the latest bombs in Baghdad and Kurdish Irbil, the death toll has reached an estimated 245 in six days. Welcome to Baghdad: The Gates of Hell are open for business.

Iraqi Ministers Sworn in
Iraq's first democratically elected government since Saddam Hussein's fall was sworn in yesterday, but continued haggling between political blocs left five ministries and two deputy prime minister posts unfilled.

British Soldier Killed in Iraq
· PM expresses condolences
· Australia: no hostage negotiations
· Baghdad car bomb kills 6

Hassan Murder Suspects Held in Iraq Raid
Breakthrough two years on from aid worker's abduction.

17 Bombs Greet New Iraqi Cabinet
Insurgents exploded at least 17 car bombs in Iraq yesterday, killing at least 50 people and injuring more than 100, just a day after the approval of the first elected government since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Death Sentence for Muslim Soldier
An American Muslim army sergeant has been sentenced to death by a military court for killing two fellow soldiers and wounding 14 others in the first days of the Iraq invasion.

Iraqi Cabinet Approval Ends Deadlock
Iraq's leaders yesterday ended almost three months of political deadlock by approving the first elected government since the fall of Saddam Hussein, although continued wrangling meant several key positions remain unfilled.

Full Iraq Legal Advice Released
The full 13 pages of the attorney general's formerly confidential advice on the legality of the Iraq war were today published as the prime minister, Tony Blair, battled accusations that he misled parliament and the cabinet over its contents.

the Government's Secret Legal Advice on Iraq War
Revealed: · Attorney general feared court challenge · Weapons evidence was crucial · Warnings never given to cabinet

Iraq Rebels 'as Strong Now As a Year Ago'
There was a three-fold increase in terrorist attacks worldwide last year and Iraqi insurgents have the same capacity to strike that they did 12 months ago, according to the US government and military.

Cabinet List May End Iraq Deadlock
Draft government of Shia, Kurd and Sunni ministers drawn up after almost three months of bickering.

Rory Carroll @ Baghdad
The green zone must die. On that point everyone agrees: the Americans who created it, the foreigners who shelter in it, the parliamentarians who sit in it and, not least, the insurgents who bomb it.

Mystery of Iraq's Alleged Oasis of Death
Deserted insurgent base yields few clues to the discovery of 57 corpses found downriver.

Top Us Officers Cleared of Abu Ghraib Abuse
The US army investigation into the torture of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib has cleared four out of five top officers of any responsibility for the scandal that shocked America and the world.

Video Shows Insurgents Shooting Survivor of Helicopter Crash in Iraq
A video purportedly showing the killing by insurgents of the only survivor of a helicopter crash north of Baghdad appeared on the internet yesterday.

11 Killed As Civilian Helicopter is Shot Down in Iraq
Insurgents in Iraq shot down a commercial helicopter chartered by the US defence department yesterday, killing all 11 people on board, including six American military contractors.

Iraq Prime Minister Escapes Assassination Bid
Iraq's interim prime minister, Ayad Allawi, last night escaped a suicide bomb assassination attempt, hours after officials said dozens had been killed in two separate massacres, raising fears of an escalation in the insurgency.

Love Lost in Baghdad
IN MEMORY OF MARLA RUZICKA: On Sunday, April 17, activist Marla Ruzicka was killed by car bomb targeting a motorcade of mercenaries on the road to the Baghdad Airport. She was there to chronicle civilian casualties and to fight for just compensation.

Coalition Raid to Free Shia Hostages
American and Iraqi security forces raided parts of a town near Baghdad yesterday where Sunni Arab gunmen allegedly held dozens of Shias hostage.

Another Bloody Day in Iraq As Bombs Kill 15
Rory Carroll in Baghdad on twin explosions which brought death to rush hour.

Video Shows Hostage Begging for Life and for Us to Quit Iraq
An American contract worker kidnapped in Baghdad on Monday appeared in a video last night begging for his life and for US troops to leave Iraq.

Democracy in Iraq Seems to Be on the Rise
World Briefing: Last weekend's peaceful demonstration in Baghdad was one of several recent signs that US-driven attempts to cultivate democracy in Iraq may be approaching a fork in the road, if not quite a turning point.

Don't Be Fooled By the Spin on Iraq
The US is failing - and hatred of the occupation greater than ever.

US Warns Iraq Not to Purge Arab Soldiers
The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, delivered a thinly veiled warning to Iraq's government yesterday not to purge the security forces or abuse its power for patronage.

US Accused of Seizing Iraqi Women to Force Fugitive Relatives to Give Up
American forces were yesterday accused of violating international law by taking two Iraqi women hostage in a bungled effort to persuade fugitive male relatives to surrender.

A Slow Rebirth for Baghdad the Beautiful
Two years after US tanks rolled in, Iraq's capital is part ruin, part building site. Now locals are trying to restore some colour to their city.

New Iraqi Pm Named
One of Iraq's leading Shia politicians, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, was today appointed as Iraq's next interim prime minister by the country's new presidential council.

Shia Jaafari 'is New Iraqi Pm'
One of Iraq's leading Shia politicians, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, said today he had been officially chosen as Iraq's next interim prime minister.

Talabani Sworn in As Iraqi President
The Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani was today sworn in as the interim president of Iraq as the country's new administration finally began to take shape after January's elections.

Iraq's New President Eyes Future
A former Kurdish guerrilla commander became Iraq's first democratically elected president in a parliamentary vote yesterday, bringing a new government a step closer.

Medal for Dead Us Soldier
The US president, George Bush, awarded the first Medal of Honor in the Iraq war yesterday to army Sergeant 1st Class Paul Ray Smith, who saved dozens of soldiers before he died in a firefight days before Baghdad fell.

Insurgents in Iraq Pushed on to Back Foot, Uk General Claims
Insurgents in Iraq have suffered a string of defeats and lost all their safe havens, putting them on the "back foot", Britain's senior military representative there said yesterday.

Iraq Crisis Ends As Speaker Elected
Iraq broke its political deadlock yesterday when parliament finally elected a speaker and paved the way for forming a new government nine weeks after the country's election.

Iraqi Insurgents Blow Top Off Historic Monument
Suspected insurgents yesterday blew up the top of a 9th-century Islamic minaret which is one of Iraq's most important heritage sites.

US Intelligence on Iraq Chaotic and Incompetent, Says Bush Commission
A presidential commission investigating the intelligence debacle that preceded the Iraq invasion reported yesterday that the damage done to US credibility would "take years to undo".

March the Least Deadly Month for Us in Iraq for More Than a Year
The monthly toll of American soldiers killed in Iraq has fallen to its lowest in more than a year, as insurgents increasingly target Iraqi security forces.

US Spies 'dead Wrong' on Iraq Wmd
US spy agencies were "dead wrong" in "almost all" of their judgments about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) capability, a commission appointed by the US president said in a final report today.

Iraq Wmd Report to Lay Blame on Cia
A final analysis of the intelligence fiasco over Iraq's non-existent weapons of mass destruction will today focus blame on the CIA.

Power-sharing Deal on Hold As Iraqi Mps Fail to Elect Speaker
Iraq's political deadlock deepened yesterday when the parliament failed to elect a speaker in a session marred by acrimony and farce, further delaying the formation of a government, two months after the election.

Liberals Hit Back at Iraq's New Islamists
Secular groups try to stop prime ministerial candidate with suspected links to Iran, as political gridlock worsens.

Tunnel Finds at Iraqi Prison Suggest Preparations for Mass Breakout
Inmates in Iraq's biggest prison had started digging a third escape tunnel in addition to the 180-metre (600ft) and 90-metre passages discovered by American guards last week, it emerged yesterday.

Iraqi Resistance Begins to Crack After Elections
The Iraqi resistance has peaked and is 'turning in on itself', according to recent intelligence reports from Baghdad received by Middle Eastern intelligence agencies.

Attacks Claims 15 Lives As Iraq Insurgents Strike Back
Insurgents have struck back after reversals in Iraq with a wave of attacks which killed 11 police commandos and four female translators who worked for the US military.

Iraqis Claim Big Victory in Terror Battle
Iraqi authorities yesterday claimed their biggest success for months in the campaign to quash the insurgency after special police raided a 'major terror training camp' in the Sunni triangle.

Shia Leaders Close to Deal on Iraqi Government
Agreement with Kurds could pave way for coalition.

Shia Leaders Proclaim Deal on Iraqi Government
Agreement with Kurds could pave way for coalition.

The Occupation of Iraq
Gary Younge: Two years on, the occupiers justify the war by embracing the irrelevant and ignoring the inconvenient, says Gary Younge.

Assassin Kills Iraqi Police Chief
The man in charge of the police anti-corruption unit in the northern city of Mosul was assassinated yesterday by a suicide bomber as insurgents marked the second anniversary of the US-led war against Saddam Hussein with a wave of violence across Iraq.

Some Us Troops Refusing to Return to Iraq
Two years after the war began, a growing number of US troops are refusing to return to Iraq.

Iraqi Power Blocs Fail to Agree on Government
A new Iraqi government may not be in place by the time the new parliament meets on Wednesday because the two main political blocs - the Shia and the Kurds - cannot agree on the programme and make-up of the country's first elected national administration in decades.

Iraq Allies Accused of Failing to Investigate Civilian Deaths
Experts in public health from six countries, including the UK, today castigate the British and American governments for failing to investigate the deaths of civilians caught up in the conflict in Iraq.

Shamed Us to Hand Over Abu Ghraib Prison to Iraqis
American forces have agreed to hand over control of the infamous Abu Ghraib prison to the newly elected Iraqi authorities in an attempt to draw a line under one of the most shameful episodes of the Iraq war.

New Inquiry Into Killing of Italian
The US command in Baghdad said last night it had asked Italian officials to join a new inquiry into the shooting incident in which an Italian intelligence officer was killed by American soldiers.

US Soldiers Accused of Sex Assaults
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Brigade - the same military unit whose troops fired on the car carrying the freed Italian hostage Giuliana Sgrena - were under investigation last year for raping Iraqi women, US army documents reveal.

Italians Honour Iraq Hostage Go-between
Italians yesterday bade a highly charged farewell to the senior intelligence officer killed by US troops in Iraq last week as officials in Rome and Washington tried to dampen smouldering resentment over his death.

Italian Hostage Accuses Us of Trying to Kill Her As Thousands Mourn Her Rescuer
The former Italian hostage who saw her rescuer shot dead at a US checkpoint in Baghdad said yesterday they may have been targeted because of US objections to Italy's policy of negotiating with kidnappers.

We Should Ask Whether the Iraq Invasion Was 'good', Not 'legal'
David Aaronovitch: We should not ask whether the Iraq invasion was 'legal' - we should ask whether it was 'good'.

US Troops Kill Rescuer As Italian Hostage is Plucked to Safety in Iraq
American soldiers in Iraq opened fire on a car carrying an Italian journalist who had just been freed by kidnappers last night, injuring the woman and killing an Italian secret service agent who tried to protect her.

Suicide Car Blast Kills 115 in Iraq
Insurgents mounted the bloodiest single attack since the fall of Saddam Hussein yesterday, killing at least 115 people when a suicide bomber drove a car at a queue of men waiting to take medical tests to join the Iraqi army and police.

Learning to Love the War
In the wake of the Iraqi elections, the antiwar movement was once again asked: What will it take to convert you? The converted become the acceptable mainstream opposition, while the true opposition is relegated to the fringe of civil society.

Iraq Looks for Light to Beat Dark Forces
US takes the brunt as power cuts play into the insurgents' hands.

Soldiers in Iraq Abuse Case Sent to Prison
Army apologises to victims after three dismissed in disgrace for treatment of prisoners.

Calls to Reopen Iraq Abuse Inquiry
Victims attack 'show trial' and call for more prosecutions.

Bomber in Uniform Kills 12 Iraqi Police
A suicide car bomber dressed as a police officer tricked his way into a police headquarters in Iraq yesterday and blew himself up, killing at least 12 people and wounding 22.

British Soldiers Found Guilty of Abuse
Two soldiers were yesterday convicted of the abuse of Iraqi prisoners in a case that has seriously undermined the standing of the British army and been dubbed the country's Abu Ghraib. Another pleaded guilty and a fourth was sentenced last month.

Rebels Confess to Beheadings on Iraqi Tv
Captured Iraqi insurgents who claim to have beheaded dozens of hostages were shown on television yesterday saying that they practised on chickens and sheep before moving on to people.

Two Soldiers Guilty of Iraqi Prisoner Abuse
Two British soldiers were today found guilty of charges of abusing Iraqi prisoners at the Camp Breadbasket aid camp near Basra, in southern Iraq.

Quiet Man Emerges As Iraq's New Pm
Shias nominate former London GP after Chalabi pulls out of race.

Suicide Bombers Target Iraq's Shia Mosques on Eve of Holiest Day
Suicide bombers turned the eve of a Shia holy day into a bloodbath yesterday when they infiltrated worshippers in Baghdad and detonated explosives, killing and maiming dozens of people.

Spot the Differences
On Sunday, George Bush arrives in Europe, seeking to build bridges after the Iraq conflict. But despite the charm offensive, several other issues divide the US and Europeans. Mark Tran explains.

Shias Secure Narrow Majority in Iraq
Iraq's clergy-backed Shia coalition secured a narrow parliamentary majority yesterday when the electoral commission certified results from last month's election.

Iraq's Shias in Landmark Poll Victory
Conciliatory promise to share power.

Lower The Flags: The Untold Casualties of War
The advocates of war dismissed the case of Andres Raya as an example of the untold casualties of the Iraq War. Will they also dismiss the tragic cases of Sergeants Curtis Greene, Matthew Denni and James Pitts?

Sectarian Massacres Shake Iraq
Violence swept Iraq yesterday as insurgents switched the focus of their attacks from the security forces to Shia civilians, killing at least 12 in a bombing outside a mosque and gunning down nine in a Baghdad bakery.

Iraqi Journalist and Son, 3, Shot Dead in Basra
Gunmen in the southern Iraqi city of Basra shot dead a correspondent working for a US-funded Arabic satellite television station yesterday, as more violence spread across the country.

Journalist Killed With Son in Iraq
An Iraqi journalist working for US-backed TV channel al-Hurra and his son were today killed by gunmen in Basra. By Jason Deans and agencies.

Suicide Bomber Kills 21 in Iraq
A suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives detonated himself outside an Iraqi army recruitment centre in Baghdad yesterday, killing at least 21 people.

27 Die As New Wave of Attacks Hits Iraq
Bombers and kidnappers bring worst day of violence since poll.

Shia 'poll Landslide' Set to Put Religion at Heart of Iraqi Power
Victory will end oppression of the poor south. Peter Beaumont, in Basra, on the election aftermath.

Radical Mps Call for Troop Withdrawal From Iraq
Newly elected MPs supporting Moqtada al-Sadr, the radical Shia cleric whose militias fought the US army in Najaf and part of Baghdad last year, will push for US and British troops to leave Iraq within a year, according to the deputy governor of Basra.

Italian Reporter Kidnapped in Iraq
An Italian woman journalist has been kidnapped in Baghdad as she interviewed local people on the street. By Dominic Timms.

Seven Paras Face Iraq Murder Charge
The reputation of the British army was dealt a fresh blow yesterday when it emerged that seven serving and former paratroopers are to be charged with murder and violent disorder in Iraq.

Meet the New Iraqi Police Cadets
Silence enveloped Baghdad's police academy yesterday as 2,000 cadets filed into classes to sit a mid-term exam of multiple-choice questions.

22 Killed in New Iraq Violence
The relative lull in violence in post-election Iraq came to a bloody end last night, with at least 22 people killed in a series of attacks.

20 Killed in New Iraq Violence
A relative lull in violence in post-election Iraq has come to a bloody end today, with at least 20 people killed in a series of attacks that began last night.

British Soldier 'threatened Naked Iraqi Prisoners With Metal Pole'
Iraqi prisoners were ordered to undress by a British soldier brandishing a pole, the court martial into alleged abuse at a humanitarian aid camp, dubbed "Britain's Abu Ghraib", heard today.

10 Dead in Iraq Plane Crash
The defence secretary, Geoff Hoon announced today that nine British service personnel and an Australian died in Sunday's RAF Hercules crash in Iraq.

10 Killed in Iraq Plane Crash
The defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, today announced that 10 British service personnel were killed when an RAF transport plane crashed in Iraq.

Iraqi Voters Defy the Bombers
· Turnout put at 57%
· Polls fail to open in some Sunni areas
· More than 40 die in blasts

Air Crash Kills Up to 15 British Personnel
An RAF Hercules transport aircraft crashed north of Baghdad yesterday afternoon, killing up to 15 British service personnel.

Lines In The Sand: The Iraq Election
The Promise Of The Iraq Election: While it is difficult to characterize the election in Iraq as anything but a sham, there is a chance it will mark an end to the occupation.

Destiny for the Taking As Iraq Braves Bombs to Vote
Rory McCarthy reports from Baghdad on a day that promises freedom.

Iraq Holds Its Breath
· Election bloodshed a certainty
· Baghdad becomes ghost city
· But in south mood is optimistic

Voting Begins in Iraqi Elections
Iraqi expatriates and exiles cast the first votes today in their country's first full election for half a century against a backdrop of continuing violence and intimidation at home.

Iraqi Expats Head to the Polls
Iraqi expatriates and exiles cast the first votes today in their country's first full election for half a century against a backdrop of continuing violence and intimidation at home.

Hoon and Rumsfeld Agree Iraq Exit Strategy
The US and Britain have privately agreed an exit strategy from Iraq based on doubling the number of local police trainees and setting up Iraqi units that would act as a halfway house between the police and the army.

Iraqi Democrats Can't Win in This Desperate Election
Jonathan Steele: Shias want to vote, but don't want to legitimise occupation. Stroll, if you dare, along the Shatt al Arab, the fast-flowing waterway which connects this city to the Persian Gulf, and you come across a sad looking park.

Iraq Election Curfew to Be Extended
· Travel between provinces banned
· Zarqawi 'aide' arrested
· US soldiers injured in bombing

Iraq Violence Continues in Election Run-up
Gunmen opened fire on the local headquarters of three political parties north of Baghdad today, killing an Iraqi policeman, a police official said.

Video Plea By Us Man Kidnapped in Iraq
Insurgents in Iraq released video footage yesterday showing an American contractor held hostage at gunpoint in an apparent attempt to put pressure on US authorities before the Iraqi elections at the weekend.

Iraq vote to bring security change, pledges leading Shia
Rory McCarthy meets a key candidate in Sunday's election. One of the most senior politicians in Iraq has promised a "radical change" in the country's security forces after this week's election and said officers with Ba'athist links would be removed.

Iraqis abusing detainees, says report
Iraqi security forces are committing systematic torture and ill-treatment of detainees who are denied access to their families, lawyers and healthcare, a leading human rights group says today.

End of Iraq's nightmare ... or the start
Violence threatens to plunge the country into civil war as the beleaguered Sunni minority prepares to boycott this month's polls.

New curfew after 15 Iraqi soldiers are shot dead
A militant group said it had killed 15 Iraqi soldiers yesterday as the government in Baghdad ordered the closure of the country's main airport and a broad new curfew for next week's elections.

US and UK look for early way out of Iraq
Private memos are circulating in Washington, Baghdad and London setting out detailed scenarios for withdrawal of US and British forces from Iraq as early as possible, a Foreign Office source said yesterday.

Iraqi Elections Go Ahead Despite Violence
Staff face death and intimidation but preparations for huge logistical challenge of Iraq elections go ahead.

26 Killed in Baghdad Suicide Bombings
A series of suicide car bomb attacks rocked Baghdad yesterday killing up to 26 people.

26 Killed in Baghdad Blasts
At least 26 people were killed in Baghdad today in a series of bombings ahead of the January 30 elections.

Borders to Be Shut During Iraqi Poll
Travel restrictions and curfews part of planned clampdown as 'ruthless campaign of terror' continues to take its toll.

Iraq to Close Borders and Impose Poll Curfews
Iraqi security forces fought running battles with masked gunmen in central Baghdad yesterday as the government announced a security clampdown in advance of elections on January 30.

Iraq to Close Borders During Elections
· Curfew to be imposed
· Shia candidate assassinated
· Kidnapped archbishop 'freed'

Iraq Violence Spreads to 'safe' Areas
Insurgents in Iraq intent on derailing elections due in less than two weeks stepped up a campaign of violence across the country yesterday, claiming dozens more lives in shootings and car bombings.

US to Try 20 More Troops for Iraq Abuse
The Pentagon plans to put at least 20 more US troops before military courts for abuse of detainees in the wake of last week's high profile trial of the ringleader in the Abu Ghraib scandal, military spokesmen said yesterday.

A Map for Aram Nahrain / Mesopotamia: the Key to Peace in Iraq
In the next few months, Americans will have the last chance to achieve peace in Mesopotamia. The only way for Peace in 'Iraq' is a real national name, Aram Nahrain / Mesopotamia, and the division of the country into five great regions - cantons for separate settlement of the Christian Aramaeans, the Turkmens, the Kurds, the Shia, and the Sunnis. Deportations must necessarily take place; it will be either this or chaos.

US Soldier Guilty of Iraq Jail Abuse
Reservist faces 15-year term for mistreatment of prisoners. The army reservist labelled the "primary torturer" of Abu Ghraib was convicted by a military jury yesterday of abusing Iraqi prisoners after a trial the Pentagon hopes will cleanse the reputation of the US military.

Aides to Iraqi Shia Leader Killed
Two aides to Iraq's most senior Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, have been assassinated, it emerged today.

17 Killed in Iraq Attacks
Seventeen people were today killed in three separate attacks in Iraq as insurgents continued their attempts to destabilise the country ahead of the scheduled January 30 elections.

The 27 Key Points for US Success in Iraq
The American administration must not seek impossible solutions in Iraq; as a non-colonial power, the US cannot just replace Britain or France in areas of the colonized Middle East. The US must bring down the colonial structures, and firstly the ominous Arabic nationalism. Mesopotamia is falsely called 'Iraq', and the local Arameans were never Arabs.

400 More Uk Troops to Be Sent to Iraq
An extra 400 British troops are to be sent to Iraq ahead of the planned January elections, the defence secretary, Geoff Hoon, announced today.

Investigation After Iraqi House Bombed By Mistake
US commanders ordered an investigation yesterday after they admitted mistakenly bombing a civilian house in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Democracy is Not Panacea in Iraq
Peter Preston: Democracy is no more a panacea in Iraq than in Northern Ireland. It is the direst of descants. Here, day after day, comes the rumble of guns from Iraq, a crescendo of destruction.

Pentagon to Rethink Its Tactics in Iraq
The Pentagon has ordered a comprehensive review of its Iraq strategy in the face of mounting casualties and an increasing strain on the US army and its reserve ranks, it was reported yesterday.

French Journalist Missing in Iraq
Fears are growing for the safety of a French journalist and her Iraqi interpreter who have gone missing in Baghdad just two weeks after two other French reporters were freed by kidnappers. By Julia Day.

Two Britons Held in Iraq
Two British nationals are being held in Iraq on suspicion of involvement in the insurgency, it emerged yesterday.

Allawi to Lock Down Iraq on Election Day
Iraq's government last night extended a state of emergency for another 30 days ahead of a major security lockdown for the first elections since the US-led invasion.

Iraqi Pm Insists Election Will Go on
The Iraqi prime minister, Ayad Allawi, insisted that the general election would go ahead as planned in three weeks' time, despite growing calls for a delay.

Pressure Mounts for Iraqi Election Delay
Interim president stirs debate over postponement as another day of violence claims lives of senior administrator, civilians and US troops.

26 Killed in Iraqi Suicide Blast
A suicide car bomber struck a bus carrying Iraqi national guardsmen north of Baghdad yesterday, killing 26 people and wounding six, as insurgents showed no signs of letting up in their campaign to wreck elections scheduled for the end of the month.

Attacks Target Iraqi Police
At least 28 people died in Baghdad last night after insurgents lured police to a house where they believed a militant was hiding and blew it up.

Bloody Attacks Claim 22 in Iraq
Security servicemen die in raids across Sunni triangle.

Main Sunni Party Pulls Out of Iraqi Election
Iraq's largest mainstream Sunni Muslim party pulled out of the election race yesterday, saying the violence plaguing areas north and west of Baghdad made a 'free and fair vote' on January 30 impossible.

US Ponders Election Pledge to Iraqi Sunnis
Government posts could be guaranteed for minority group.

Iraq Poll Hangs on Overseas Vote
UN launches £50m operation to reach four million expatriates.

PM Off to Middle East for Palestine and Iraq Talks
Tony Blair will visit the Middle East this week to explore ways of dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the upsurge in violence in Iraq.

France's Little Iraq
Richard Adams: After the violence meted out by its former colonial masters, Ivory Coast is looking to the Africa Union.

Iraq's Library Struggles to Rise From the Ashes
Remains of national history are slowly pieced together.

Red Cross Neutrality Jeopardised By Us Action in Iraq, British Chief Says
The chief executive of the British Red Cross has warned that the international movement's neutrality is fast becoming a casualty of the global 'war on terror'.

UK Must Investigate Iraqi Civilian's Death
The family of an Iraqi civilian allegedly beaten to death by British troops won a high court challenge today against the government's refusal to order an independent inquiry into his death.

Suicide Car Bomber Kills 13 in Baghdad
A suicide car bomber killed at least 13 people in Baghdad today, as Iraq's interim president cited the decision to disband Saddam's army and key ministries as a contributing factor to the violence over the last 18 months.

Iraq's Most Wanted Refuse Jail Food
More than 50 senior figures from Saddam Hussein's former regime have begun a hunger strike in their US military jail in Baghdad, according to an Iraqi lawyer.

CIA Fired Me for Not Toeing Iraq Line, Says Agent
A senior CIA analyst who was once decorated for his work on weapons proliferation in the Middle East has accused the spy agency of ruining his career as punishment for his refusal to adhere to official pre-war "dogma" on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

Iraq Faces Descent Into Chaos, Says Cia Chief
Report from departing CIA chief in Baghdad leaked as 1,000th US soldier dies in action.

Man Held Over Iraq Gas Deaths
A businessman wanted by the US for allegedly shipping thousands of tonnes of chemicals to Saddam Hussein has been detained by police in Holland and accused of complicity in the poison gas attacks that killed thousands of Kurds in the late 1980s.

US Soldiers Sue for Having to Stay in Iraq
Eight US soldiers serving in Iraq launched a legal challenge yesterday to stop their tours of duty from being extended. The lawsuit is the first of its kind by a group of American soldiers on active service in the country.

70 Die As Iraq Violence Escalates
Three days of organised attacks suggest violence is intensifying in run-up to January's election.

Fresh Doubts Over Iraq Elections
Iraq's security forces are unable to handle the challenge presented by the first elections since the fall of Saddam, even with extra American soldiers being deployed to help them, according to one of the US military's most senior officers.

Car Bomb Attack on Baghdad Mosque
Insurgents' show of strength raises spectre of sectarian clashes.

Mosque Bombed in Baghdad Attacks
Insurgents' show of strength raises spectre of sectarian clashes.

US Airborne Units Ordered to Iraq
The Pentagon ordered airborne reinforcements into Iraq yesterday to bolster its forces during the general election due in January, marking the end of Washington's hope that other countries would supply the extra soldiers.

Sistani Pulls Main Shia Parties Together to Dominate Iraq Poll
Iraq's Shia parties have built a powerful political alliance uniting moderates with extremists and seem likely to dominate next month's general election.

Seven Killed in Iraq Bombing
A suicide car bomber attacked a police checkpoint in western Iraq yesterday, killing at least seven people and injuring nine.

'Many' Police Killed in Iraq Suicide Attack
A suicide car bomber attacked a police checkpoint in western Iraq today, killing and injuring several members of the Iraqi security forces.

Shias Insist on January Poll in Iraq
Iraq's leading Shia politicians insisted yesterday that elections should go ahead in January despite spreading violence and calls for a six-month delay.

Four Gurkhas Die in Baghdad Green Zone Mortar Attack
Four Gurkhas who were working for a British security firm in Baghdad have been killed and another 15 injured in a mortar attack on their base in the capital's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Four Gurkhas Die in Mortar Attack on Green Zone
Four Gurkhas who were working for a British security firm in Baghdad have been killed and another 15 injured in a mortar attack on their base in the capital's heavily fortified Green Zone.

Shell Loses Out in Contest to Develop Iraq's Kirkuk Oil Field
Shell has failed in a controversial attempt to win the first post-war contracts to develop oilfields in Iraq.

Tehran Joins Outcry Against 'excessive' Us Force in Iraq
The Iranian, Egyptian and Syrian governments accused the US yesterday of using excessive force to quell rebels in Iraq.

SAS Joins Us Forces in Major Iraq Offensive
British special forces joined an offensive yesterday involving more than 5,000 US and Iraqi troops, backed by fighter bombers and helicopters, aimed at regaining control of insurgent strongholds in central Iraq.

Iran Joins Outcry Against 'excessive Force' in Iraq
The Iranian, Egyptian and Syrian governments accused the US yesterday of using excessive force to quell rebels in Iraq.

Iraq Pullout Deadline Ruled Out
America and Britain see off French push to set timetable to end occupation as military commander in Mosul voices concern.

Blow up the Comical Sharm ash Sheikh Conference on ‘Iraq’
America should go ahead in Iraq helping the various ethnic, linguistic and religious groups implement a non-Arabic, multi-cultural Democracy, disregarding the bogus-conference at Sharm ash Sheikh, where improper and malicious participants intend to promote illegitimate, colonial and/or tyrannical, interests at the prejudice of the non-Arabic peoples of Iraq. An insightful historical approach.

Iraq Vote to Be Held in Ten Weeks
Date set despite fears that violence will delay election.

Red Cross Condemns Iraq Abuses
The International Red Cross has made an unprecedented appeal for an end to human rights abuses in Iraq.

Iraqis Dying to Work for the West
Patriotism and financial need are leading ordinary Iraqis to risk their lives working for the US and UK military, explains Rory McCarthy.

Pressure Grows for Iraq Election Delay
Allawi aide says deadline looks more and more unrealistic.

British and Iraqi Forces Under Attack
US marines were today battling insurgents attempting to return to the southern Iraqi city of Falluja, killing three militants as violence continued to flare across the Sunni-dominated heartland.

Inquiry Into Shooting of Wounded Iraqi Shown in Television Footage
The Pentagon said last night it was opening an investigation into the shooting of an unarmed and wounded Iraqi in Falluja, following the release of television footage showing what appeared to be a close-range execution-style killing. The Iraqi was one of five wounded prisoners left in a...

Iraq Vote Could Be Delayed
Iraq's deputy prime minister has indicated for the first time that the much-heralded elections due in January could be derailed by the country's violent insurgency. Barham Salih said the authorities were determined to hold the vote, but admitted they would have to assess the security...

Democracy In Iraq: A Referendum on the Occupation
The White House has shown nothing but contempt for democracy at home and in the world at large. If the occupation is really about clearing the way for democracy, let the Iraqi people decide.

Civilian Cost of Battle for Falluja Emerges
The full cost of the battle of Falluja emerged last night as large numbers of wounded civilians were evacuated to hospitals in Baghdad, as insurgents stepped up retaliatory attacks in other cities. As the first Red Crescent aid convoy was allowed into Falluja, Iraq's Health Minister, Alaa...

Curfews As Iraq Rebellion Spreads
Iraq's government extended its security clampdown last night, imposing new curfews as the US military struggled to contain a spreading wave of militant attacks. It came as American troops in the assault on Falluja were locked in heavy fighting in the Joulan district, which they had...

Iraqi Pm Approves Falluja Assault
Ayad Allawi, the interim Iraqi prime minister, today said he had given US and Iraqi forces the authority to clear the city of Falluja of "terrorists who continue to use [it] as a base for their operations". The long-anticipated assault on the city appeared to be under way as US...

Iraq Rebels Launch Raids on Eve of Crucial Falluja Battle
Iraqi insurgents took the war to the US-led coalition yesterday, launching a devastating series of attacks across the centre of the country, even as American forces massed for an assault on the rebel-held city of Falluja. At least 20 US Marines were injured by a car bomb in the city of...

Deputy Governor of Baghdad Shot Dead
The deputy governor of Baghdad was shot dead on his way to work today, in the latest attack by insurgents against the US-backed Iraqi regime. Hatim Kamil was killed when gunmen opened fire on his car in the southern Doura neighbourhood, an interior ministry spokesman said. Two of his...

Iraqi Pm Threatens Assault on Rebel Town
A major assault by US forces to wrest control of the rebel-held town of Falluja loomed closer yesterday after Iraq's interim prime minister warned that his 'patience was running thin' with talks to find a peaceful solution.

Zarqawi Threatens Iraqi Election Staff
Militants' warning and absence of big UN presence raise safety fears.

Another Scottish Regiment 'to Be Deployed'
Another Scottish regiment may be deployed to the dangerous US-controlled area south of Baghdad when the Black Watch leaves there before Christmas, it emerged today. The Royal Scots have been told to prepare for a possible deployment to the so-called 'Triangle of Death' area, according to...

Three Un Workers Kidnapped in Kabul
Nato troops are hunting for three UN workers, one of them British-Irish, kidnapped in Afghanistan's first Iraqi-style abduction yesterday. Two Islamist groups, one a Taliban faction, claimed responsibility for the midday snatch, which involved up to seven armed men stopping a marked UN...

100,000 Iraqi Civilians Dead, Says Study
About 100,000 Iraqi civilians - half of them women and children - have died in Iraq since the invasion, mostly as a result of airstrikes by coalition forces, according to the first reliable study of the death toll from Iraqi and US public health experts. The study, which was carried out...

Islamist Group: We Have Iraq Explosives
A militant Islamist group today claimed to be in possession of a large portion of the explosives that went missing from a munitions depot facility in Iraq. The group, calling itself Al-Islam's Army Brigades, made the claim in a video broadcast today and warned that it will use the...

Massacre of 50 Iraqi Soldiers
Extremist group claims mass executions.

Plea for Iraq Kidnap Clues
British security officials hunting for Margaret Hassan are trying to contact the intermediary who acted as the conduit with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's group during the kidnapping of Kenneth Bigley. They want to ascertain whether it is Zarqawi's, or another group, that is holding the Iraqi-UK...

'Help Me. This Might Be My Last Hours. Ask Blair Not to Bring Troops to Baghdad'
Kidnapped aid worker in fear of her life makes video plea to British people and government.

Abducted Care Chief Refused to Walk Out on Iraq
Husband pleads for release as relief agency suspends work.

British Aid Worker Held in Iraq
Kidnappers release video footage of woman who opposed war.

Death Toll Climbs As Falluja Siege Continues
The death toll from suicide car bombings in Iraq continued to rise yesterday with at least 13 people killed in Baghdad and Mosul in the last two days, as the US and Iraqi army siege of Falluja continued unabated. A car bomb detonated on a bridge in the northern city of Mosul on Sunday...

Hoon: Us Troop Request 'not Political'
Britain will decide within days whether to grant a US request for troops to cover for the American army in Iraq, the defence secretary Geoff Hoon announced today, although he insisted that the US request was purely military and not political. To a clearly anxious House of Commons, Mr Hoon...

In Iraq, the Peaceful South Gets Deadlier With Every Day
Life is dangerous enough for British soldiers without redeployment. In the past three months, British forces in Iraq have been attacked more often than at any time since the invasion.

British Troops Face Role in Baghdad Action
British troops are likely to be deployed outside southern Iraq for the first time in support of US troops in some of the worst trouble spots in the country, including Baghdad, it emerged last night. The Ministry of Defence confirmed that contingency plans are being drawn up to deploy a...

Bombers Bring Chaos to Iraq's Safe Compound
Five killed as insurgents strike at the heart of US and Iraqi power in Baghdad on the eve of Ramadan.

Hundreds of Kurds Found Buried in Iraq Mass Graves
US investigators preparing war crimes trials against Saddam Hussein and his deputies have uncovered the bodies of hundreds of Kurdish men, women and children in the first forensic exhumation of a mass grave in Iraq.

Rebuilding is Key to Peace in Baghdad Slum
If the new ceasefire is to hold, it will rely heavily on the speed and quality of US-led rebuilding projects.

There Were No Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq
1,625 UN and US inspectors spent two years searching 1,700 sites at a cost of more than $1bn. Yesterday they delivered their verdict.

Iraq Had No Wmd, Inspectors Conclude
Saddam Hussein destroyed his last weapons of mass destruction more than a decade ago and his capacity to build new ones had been dwindling for years by the time of the Iraq invasion, according to a comprehensive US report released yesterday.

Iraq Had No Wmd, Report Says
The Iraq Survey Group announced today that 15 months of searching have uncovered no evidence that Saddam Hussein possessed significant weapons of mass destruction before the Iraq war. The report contradicts claims made by Tony Blair and the US president George Bush before the war that...

Baghdad Looks Ahead - to Bid for the World Cup
Sports officials in Iraq are discussing a bid to host football's World Cup - and they are asking England for advice about how to go about it.

Children Among 26 Dead As Iraq's Cycle of Violence Continues
Iraq's cycle of violence claimed at least another 26 lives yesterday when three car bombs detonated in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul. In Falluja the US military launched two air strikes against what it said were suspected hideouts of the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi....

Bigley May Be in Hands of New Group
The British hostage Kenneth Bigley may have been handed over to another group of captors who are prepared to release him for money, his brother said today. Paul Bigley - who has given a series of high-profile interviews since his brother's kidnapping in Baghdad - told Sky News he had been...

Chaos Grips Bid to Free Hostages Held in Iraq
High-profile deal to liberate journalists held by Iraqi militants clashes with Chirac's diplomatic manoeuvres.

US Forces Battle for Iraqi Rebel City
Offensive in Samarra kills almost 100 insurgents as army begins pre-election pacification push.

Lost on the Road to Iraq
The prime minister's announcement that he will not go on and on sends out political shockwaves. All political careers end sometime - but in Britain the time of going is usually unknown.

Multiple Bomb Attacks Kill at Least 40 in Iraq
At least 40 people were killed today and 180 injured in a series of bomb attacks targeting US and Iraqi forces in and around Baghdad. The violence began with a suicide car bomb near a US checkpoint in the town of Abu Ghraib, west of the capital, at about 9.45am local time (0645 BST). Two...

Brother Says Bigley May Be Freed Soon
·Government tries to contact kidnappers
·Italy "pays $1m ransom" to free aid workers
·Hopes rise for French journalists
·Fresh clashes in Baghdad

Bombing 'hinders Bigley Release'
The British Muslim delegation that flew to Baghdad seeking the release of Ken Bigley yesterday called on Tony Blair to put pressure on George Bush to stop the bombing of Iraqi cities, which they had been told was hampering the Briton's release. The two-man delegation spent the weekend...

Italian Aid Workers Freed in Iraq
Two Italian aid workers held hostage in Iraq for three weeks returned home last night to an emotional welcome. News of their release came as British forces mourned the deaths of two soldiers killed in a Basra ambush - the worst attack for more than a year. In a separate...

Two Uk Soldiers Die in Basra Ambush
Two British soldiers were today killed in Basra, southern Iraq, when their patrol was ambushed by insurgents. An army spokesman said the forward vehicle in a convoy of two armoured Land Rovers had been hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. As soldiers from the second vehicle attempted to...

'If They Offered Me £10m to Travel Unescorted, I Wouldn't Do It'
British workers say Bigley should have had more protection. British contractors in the Basra area of Iraq are following the kidnapping of Kenneth Bigley with concern and sympathy, but have questioned the wisdom of living and working in Baghdad without security or personal protection.

Muslim Leaders Appeal to Captors
Two British Muslim leaders yesterday began in earnest their attempt to secure the freedom of the hostage Ken Bigley by meeting senior Iraqi political leaders in Baghdad. Afterward, Daud Abdullah, the assistant secretary general of the Muslim Council, said Mr Bigley's captors would be...

Muslim Leaders Fly to Iraq to Plead for Bigley's Life
Delegation hoping to meet British engineer's kidnappers.

The Hunt to Find Baghdad's Prisoner of Hate
As the kidnap ordeal of British hostage Ken Bigley enters its tenth day, The Observer reveals the desperate attempts around the world to save an 'ordinary working man' from a gruesome fate.

Kerry Hammers Home Attack on Bush Over Iraq
Domestic agenda put aside as analysts say election can only be won on national security and war.

UK Muslims Fly to Iraq in Bid to Save Hostage
A delegation of British Muslims was today preparing to fly to Baghdad to try and save the life of the hostage Kenneth Bigley, the Guardian has learned. The two will tomorrow meet with senior Iraqi religious leaders and ask them to do all they can to save the life of the British contractor...

Optimistic Allawi Paints Rosy Picture of Iraq
Congress applauds as visiting prime minister thanks US for liberating his country.

Humiliated and Impotent, Every Iraqi is a Hostage Now
The US authorities cannot let Dr Germ go - she knows too much. They sit in their solitary cells all day, uncharged with any crime. No family member, no friend, no lawyer may visit.

Iraq War Was Right, Bush Tells Un
President George Bush today used his speech to the United Nations general assembly to defend the US-led mission in Iraq as having "enforced the demands of the world". Mr Bush was speaking five days after the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, described the decision to go to war in Iraq...

Deadline for Briton Facing Iraq Execution
Hostages' families plead with kidnappers. Last-ditch attempts to save the life of a British man being held hostage by Iraqi militants were under way last night as a deadline set by his kidnappers loomed.

Britain to Cut Troop Levels in Iraq
The British Army is to start pulling troops out of Iraq next month despite the deteriorating security situation in much of the country, The Observer has learnt. The main British combat force in Iraq, about 5,000-strong, will be reduced by around a third by the end of October during a...

Iraq Had No Wmd: the Final Verdict
The comprehensive 15-month search for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq has concluded that the only chemical or biological agents that Saddam's regime was working on before last year's invasion were small quantities of poisons, most likely for use in assassinations.

Iraqis Want Elections
Yes, the invasion was illegal. But war crimes are still being committed. Kofi Annan's declaration that the US and British attack on Iraq was illegal will renew the pressure on Tony Blair over the war.

US Troops Face New Torture Claims
Allegations that American soldiers routinely tortured and maltreated detainees have emerged from a third Iraqi city, renewing fears that abuse similar to that inflicted in Abu Ghraib jail in Baghdad has been systematic and widespread. American soldiers in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul...

Thirteen Die in Us Attack on Baghdad Crowd
Allawi says Saddam trial will go ahead despite rising violence.

Iraqi 'ghost Detainees' Could Number 100
A US senate committee has been told that up to 100 "ghost detainees" could have been held at the notorious Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq because the CIA did not register all prisoners, it was reported today. Two US army generals who oversaw an internal investigation into detention facilities in...

Aid Agencies Say They May Pull Out of Iraq
The remaining international aid agencies in Iraq are considering pulling out of the country after the kidnapping of four humanitarian workers.

US Military Death Toll in Iraq Hits 1,000
The number of US military personnel killed in Iraq reached 1,000 yesterday, with no sign of an end to the insurgency amid the news that gunmen abducted two Italian aid workers and two Iraqis in Baghdad in a brazen attack that will alarm foreigners already on edge. The White House...

Italian Women Kidnapped in Baghdad
Gunmen abducted two Italian aid workers and two Iraqis in central Baghdad yesterday in a brazen attack that will alarm foreigners already on edge from widespread kidnappings. About 20 men with Kalashnikovs and pistols with silencers drove up to a private house belonging to the...

Iraq Extends Al-jazeera Ban and Raids Offices
Iraqi security officers stormed al-Jazeera's Baghdad offices and sealed the newsroom with red wax at the weekend after the US-backed interim government banned the Arabic television station from broadcasting in the country. The raid followed a decision by the prime minister, Ayad Allawi,...

French Journalists 'about to Be Freed'
The two French journalists held by Islamist militants in Iraq are safe and could be freed at any time, the most influential Sunni Muslim organisation in Baghdad said yesterday. Sheikh Abdel Salam al-Kobeissi, of the Committee of Ulema, was quoted by French radio as saying that Georges...

Kerry Struggles to Move Out of Shadow of Iraq
John Kerry's campaign will try today to fight back from the four-day battering of the Republican convention by trying to refocus the election on the faltering US economy.

Gunmen Attack Chalabi Convoy
A convoy carrying Ahmad Chalabi, the leader of the Iraqi National Congress, was today attacked in an apparent assassination attempt that left two of his bodyguards wounded. Unidentified gunmen opened fire on the convoy in the southern Baghdad district of Latifiya at around 7.30am local...

Iraq Rebels' Video Shows Murder of 12 Nepalese
An Islamist group yesterday released video footage showing 12 Nepalese workers dying in the worst mass killing of hostages since Sunni Islamist extremists embarked on a spree of kidnappings in April. News of the killings overshadowed international efforts to secure the release of two...

Soldiers Arrested After Iraqi Beaten and Drowned
Two Britons interviewed by special investigation branch.

Tackle Revolt or Sacrifice Future, Says Deputy Pm
Failure to defeat or defuse Moqtada al-Sadr's armed rebellion and "impose the rule of law" in Iraq would jeopardise national elections and have "dire consequences for the country and the region", Iraq's deputy prime minister, Barham Salih, said yesterday. "No one should underestimate the...

Forget Iraq, We Care About Our Pockets
As long as the economy is strong, voters will not turn against Blair. On the morning of polling day in the 1983 general election, I had a conversation in the local Labour committee rooms in Hackney.

Families of Squaddies Killed in Iraq Are Angry, But Are They Right?
The families of squaddies killed in Iraq are angry, but are they right? Lyndon Johnson's presidency was effectively ended by the anti-Vietnam chant: "Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did you kill today?"

Abu Ghraib Doctors Knew of Torture, Says Lancet Report
Army doctors at the Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad falsified medical records to cover up torture and human rights abuses perpetrated on Iraqi detainees, the British medical journal the Lancet reported today. It called for a full inquiry into reform of the military health system to...

US Forces Kill Two in Iraq Jail Riot
US forces shot dead two prisoners during riot at the Abu Ghraib prison yesterday, the worst violence for months at the notorious jail west of Baghdad. Military police intervened first vocally, then with rubber bullets and finally with deadly force after more than 200 inmates were drawn...

Sadr 'agrees Najaf Peace Terms'
An end to almost two weeks of fighting in Najaf today appeared to be in sight when delegates at a national convention in Baghdad said the radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr had agreed to their peace terms. A peace delegation was yesterday sent to Najaf to offer Mr Sadr a political role in...

Baghdad Tries New Najaf Peace Bid
A delegation from Iraq's first national conference will today travel to the holy city of Najaf in a bold attempt to broker a peace deal with the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. The group of Iraqi politicians will set off from Baghdad in a fleet of minibuses, pursuing an initiative...

US Troops 'ordered to Ignore Prisoner Abuse'
A unit of the Oregon national guard was ordered not to intervene on behalf of Iraqi prisoners who were being beaten and starved by their Iraqi jailers, it has emerged. The order, which compelled US forces to withdraw from a compound of Baghdad's interior ministry housing dozens of...

Blasts Shake Iraq Conference
Violence in holy city and capital threaten talks on democracy.

From London to Iraq - the Latest Recruits to the Mahdi Army
'It is dangerous but we have our belief.' Rory McCarthy in Najaf talks to the first Britons known to join the Shia rebels.

From London to Iraq - the Latest Recruits to the Madhi Army
'It is dangerous but we have our belief.' Rory McCarthy, in Najaf, talks to the first Britons known to join the Shia rebels.

Iraq Sabotage Fear Deepens Oil Crisis
Motorists and air travellers hit as crude prices reach new record. The price of crude on futures markets rose to record levels in both London and New York last night after the threat of sabotage by rebels forced Iraq to shut down production in its southern oilfields.

Tasmanian Governor Quits Amid Acrimony
The former UN arms inspector Richard Butler resigned as governor of Tasmania last night after a series of extraordinary rows encompassing royal protocol, US foreign policy and unseemly goings-on in a local underwear shop. Mr Butler, who led the Unscom programme in Iraq in the late 90s,...

Violence Spreads in Iraq
Cleric defiant as British soldier killed in clashes.

Iraqi Leaders Bid to End Bloodshed
Pardons plan excludes killers of US troops.

'300 Iraqis Dead in Najaf'
· Fierce fighting in several cities
· Four Lebanese drivers kidnapped
· Ayatollah in UK for heart treatment

US Helicopter Shot Down in Iraq
· US stands firm on kidnappings
· Ayatollah Sistani suffering heart problem
· Police station attacked

US Stands Firm Over Iraq Kidnappings
· Five killed in police station attack
· US helicopter shot down
· Fighting erupts in Najaf

Iraq Survey Group Ignores Scarlett's Wmd 'nuggets'
Official confirms MI6 head emailed suggestions for final report.

Iraqis Rush for Passports Denied Under Saddam
Mohamad Ghiath and his wife Yusir were outside the passport office at 5.30am, long before the sun was up. Both are doctors, and, with a small daughter to raise, the thing they most want is to get out of Iraq. "The office doesn't open until 8am but we couldn't face pushing and shoving in...

Civilians Killed in Mosul Crossfire
Police shoot dead eight armed insurgents carrying out a bank raid in Iraq's third largest city.

Jordanian Hostages Freed in Iraq
Four Jordanian hostages have been freed unharmed in Iraq, apparently after a tribal chief organised a raid on the house where they had been held for eight days, it was reported today. Meanwhile, two Turkish drivers being held hostage by a different militant group will be released, their...

Turkish Truck Firms Quit Iraq
An important supply chain for the US forces in Iraq was disrupted yesterday when Turkish lorry owners announced that they were suspending deliveries across the border in an attempt to secure the release of two drivers being held hostage. The decision to stop the 200 to 300 daily journeys...

Muslim Leaders Condemn Attacks on Iraqi Christians
Iraq's most influential Shia cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, yesterday denounced the recent wave of bomb attacks on churches in Baghdad and Mosul, saying they were criminal acts aimed at "Iraq's unity, stability and independence". Ayatollah Sistani's comments came as Iraqi Christians...

Turkish Truck Firms Pull Out of Iraq
An important supply route for the US military in Iraq was in jeopardy yesterday after Turkish lorry owners announced that they were suspending trips into the country in an attempt to secure the release of two drivers held hostage by armed kidnappers. The decision to stop the 200 daily...

Twelve Killed As Bombers Attack Christians in Iraq
Coordinated explosions in Baghdad and Mosul add to fears of beleaguered minority.

Iraq Violence As Puritans Ban Alcohol
Radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his army of devotees blamed for campaign of intimidation.

Threats Force Delay of Key Iraqi Congress
Iraq's fledgling political process hit another crisis yesterday when officials bowed to pressure from the UN and agreed to delay a political conference due to begin this weekend. The decision came just hours after a mainstream Sunni political party became the latest to withdraw from the...

Iraqi Witness Tells of Torture
Test case on deaths may curb British army abroad.

Suicide Bomb Havoc As Iraq Attacks Kill More Than 100
More than 100 people were killed in Iraq in a wave of attacks yesterday, as insurgents demonstrated that the interim government's honeymoon is well and truly over. In the deadliest single suicide bomb for a year, 70 people were killed and 30 wounded in Baquba, 40 miles north of Baghdad...

Gunmen Kill Two Iraqi Women
Gunmen killed two Iraqi women and seriously injured two others yesterday as they waited to travel to work as cleaners at the British military base in Basra airport. An interior ministry official was killed in Baghdad, while at Mosul airport, a suicide car bomber killed a woman and her...

Capital Letters
Iraq's poets of resistance are back with a new voice but an old message. Once a week, in a single-storey brick building off Saddoun Street, you may find the poets of Baghdad.

Marines Kill 25 Iraqis in Battle After Ambush
Attack in Ramadi signals escalation of violence as newly-captured hostages are paraded on television.

Filipino Hostage Freed in Iraq
A Filipino truck driver who was held hostage in Iraq for almost two weeks was today freed, 24 hours after Manila responded to his captors' threat that, unless the country pulled its troops out of Iraq, he would be beheaded. The Philippine president, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, said that...

Iraqi Police Say Bombers Are Killing Their Own
A senior Iraqi defence ministry official has become the latest government figure to be killed in Baghdad. A day after the attack, a suicide truck bomb claimed the lives of 10 Iraqis near a police station. Issam Jassem Qassim, a director general from the defence ministry, was shot dead...

Pro-Sadr Weekly Newspaper Reopens in Iraq
An Iraqi newspaper closed in March by the US occupation authorities, sparking protests and an armed uprising that led to hundreds of deaths, has reopened, it emerged yesterday. By Jonathan Steele.

Clinton Reopens Book on Iraqi Bid to Buy Uranium in Africa
Tony Blair's ally and former US president Bill Clinton yesterday reopened the sensitive issue of Saddam Hussein's attempts to buy uranium in Africa. Speaking on BBC1's Breakfast with Frost, Mr Clinton, who is promoting his memoirs, said there was "no evidence" the CIA had ever told George...

Pro-Sadr Paper Reopens in Iraq
An Iraqi newspaper closed in March by the US occupation authorities, sparking protests and an armed uprising that led to hundreds of deaths, has reopened, it emerged yesterday. The next edition of the weekly, which supports the radical Shia Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, could appear...

Iraqi Minister Survives Bomb Blast That Kills Four of His Bodyguards
The convoy of Landcruisers taking Iraq's Justice Minister, Malik Dohan al-Hassan, to work yesterday morning had just reached the end of his road and was turning under a flyover when a car coming in the opposite direction blew up. Four of his bodyguards died instantly, but the minister...

Gunmen Pick Off Baghdad Councillors
Gunmen have killed six Baghdad councillors in the two weeks since the US occupation formally ended, sending a wave of fear through Iraq's grassroots politicians. "I am not sure if I can continue," a member of the council in Mansour, the capital's wealthiest suburb, said yesterday. He had...

UK Blocks Us Plans to Spend Oil Fund on Museum
Britain has blocked an American plan for a memorial museum in Baghdad to document the atrocities of Saddam Hussein's regime. US officials described the $10m (£5.4m) project as a special commitment by Paul Bremer, the former US administrator of occupied Iraq. The money was...

The Iraqi Leader Seeking a Peaceful Path to Liberation
A new party unites Shias, Sunnis, Kurds and Christians. While the latest damning reports on intelligence provoke new argument in Britain and the US on whether the war made their countries and the world safer, here the debate is different.

Relatives of Murdered Iraqi Policemen to Get Wage for Life
The families of Iraqi policemen killed by insurgents are to receive a lifetime wage, on top of a one-off compensation payment. Iraq's prime minister, Ayad Allawi, announced the scheme yesterday following an opinion poll showing that Iraqi men are increasingly reluctant to join the...

Gunmen Kill Mosul Governor
Eleven die in Baghdad Green Zone suicide bomb.

Philippines Begins Iraq Withdrawal
The Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo caved in to demands of a militant group holding a Filipino truck driver hostage and announced early today that the withdrawal the country's 51-strong humanitarian contingent in Iraq had begun. The decision emerged after...

MI6 'still Using' Disputed Informer on Wmd
British intelligence has continued to maintain links with an Iraqi defector who made baseless claims about Baghdad's germ warfare programme and failed a lie-detector test, it was reported yesterday. Details of the role of the defector, named Red River, were included in a Senate report on...

Bulgarian Lorry Driver Executed in Iraq
Hostage crisis deepens but US asks Manila not to recall troops.

British Intelligence Still Talking to Iraqi Source Who Made False Claims
British intelligence has continued to maintain links with an Iraqi defector codenamed Red River, who made baseless claims about Baghdad's germ warfare programme and failed a lie-detector test, it was reported yesterday. Details of Red River's role were included in the Senate report last...

US Warns Philippines Over Iraq Troops
The US warned the Philippine government yesterday not to pull its troops out of Iraq early just to save a kidnapped Filipino truck driver. Islamist militants in Iraq had threatened to execute Angelo dela Cruz by last Monday night unless Manila brought forward by a month its withdrawal of...

EU Pledge on Aid to Baghdad
The European Union yesterday pledged to help build a stable democracy in Iraq but was rebuffed over its call to abolish the death penalty. Hoshayr Zebari, foreign minister in the new interim government, was given a warm reception in Brussels, where he was told significant aid would only...

Senior Iraqi Official Jailed for Corruption
Finance ministry aide with links to Chalabi made false arrests.

Join the Us Army - Because Iraq's Far Safer Than Miami
With 5,000 US soldiers wounded and more than 850 killed in Iraq, selling the army is also selling the prospect of going to war - and perhaps not coming back

US Opponents to Boycott Iraqi National Conference
Several of the most outspoken Iraqi opponents of the US occupation are refusing to take part in a nationwide congress this month aimed at broadening support for the Iraq government and curbing the insurgency. The three-day national conference was proposed by Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN...

Iraq War 'waged on False Intelligence'
· Committee lambasts CIA and Tenet
· President's role to be assessed later
· Senator: Bush team overplayed threat

Senate Report Condemns Cia's Iraq Intelligence
The American people were misled over the threat posed by Iraq in the run-up to war, according to a scathing US senate intelligence committee report released today. The bipartisan committee found the key US assertions leading to the March 2003 invasion of Iraq - that Saddam Hussein had...

Kerry Would Keep Us Troops in Iraq Far Longer Than Bush
The Democrat looks like the one with the long-term imperial agenda. Here's a dinner-party talking point that can run and run, certainly until November and, if the Democrats win the US presidency, for several months beyond.

Marine Thought Beheaded in Iraq Arrives in Beirut
A Lebanese-born US marine who disappeared in Iraq and was thought to have been beheaded by kidnappers has arrived safely at the American embassy in Beirut, a Pentagon official said last night. "He is safe, he appears to be healthy," the official told Reuters. Since Corporal Wassef Ali...

Iraq Errors Were Cia's Fault, Says Senate
A Senate report due to be published today will blame the CIA for the Bush administration's unfounded claims about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, and will not address White House responsibility for the debacle. The report by the Senate intelligence committee will admonish the outgoing...

Iraq Pm Given Sweeping Powers
Security law has built-in checks to stop dictatorship.

Straw Endorses Iraqi Amnesty
Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, yesterday gave his support to an Iraqi plan to offer an amnesty to insurgents who have fought the US occupation. Iraq's new government was due to declare the amnesty yesterday, but at the last minute cancelled the announcement. It was unclear why,...

Iraq Amnesty Announcement Delayed
Officials in the new Iraqi government today postponed the announcement of a limited amnesty for insurgents, although the foreign secretary, Jack Straw, indicated British support for the expected move. A news conference given by Iraq's justice minister, Malik Dohan al-Hassan, and the...

Amnesty for Iraqi Insurgents
Iraq's new government is expected to announce today an amnesty offer for Iraqi insurgents who have fought against American forces, in a striking attempt to draw a line under the US occupation of the country. Though the amnesty is aimed at the "footsoldiers" of the insurgency, it will...

Iraq Doubts Keep Bush's Popularity on the Slide
George Bush's popularity fell to a new low yesterday in a poll which suggests that there is an increasing level of scepticism about the motives for the Iraq invasion and rising concern about its consequences. Nearly 80% of the Americans questioned in the poll for the New York Times and...

US Military Police Raid Iraqi Detention Centre to Stop Abuse of Prisoners
Confusion over armed soldiers' intervention.

The View From the Baghdad Streets
Iraqis declare optimism, but security is still a prime concern.

The Dawn of a New Iraq - or a Return to Secrecy and Killing?
James Meek in Baghdad on the early, low-key handover of sovereignty. Something happened in Baghdad yesterday, but what exactly?

Iraq's Problems Passed on
The US handover of power to the Iraqis provides no guarantee that the security situation will improve, says Brian Whitaker.

US Hands Over Power in Iraq
The US-led coalition today transferred sovereignty to the interim Iraqi government, two days ahead of the scheduled June 30 handover date. The transfer of power took place in a ceremony in Baghdad's heavily guarded green zone, where outgoing US governor Paul Bremer signed over the country...

Bush Pleads for Unity Over Iraq
George Bush hailed an end to the 'bitter differences' between Europe and America over Iraq yesterday after the European Union approved a key role for Nato in rebuilding the country's security. Just four days before the handover of power in Baghdad, the President tried to draw a line under...

New Leaders in Desperate Bid to Curb Iraq Violence
Coalition forces yesterday set up a series of checkpoints inside and outside Baghdad as Iraq's new leaders admitted they were considering imposing a state of emergency in a desperate effort to tackle the rising tide of violence. The extra security was introduced amid mounting fears that...

Iraq War 'will Cost Each Us Family $3,415'
The United States has spent more than $126bn on the war in Iraq, which will ultimately cost every American family an estimated $3,415, according to a new report by two thinktanks. The report, published yesterday by the leftwing Institute for Policy Studies and Foreign Policy in Focus also...

Iraq Havoc As 100 Die in Attacks
Insurgents in Iraq signalled their determination to provoke havoc ahead of next week's handover of power by killing as many as 100 people in simultaneous attacks in five cities yesterday. The attacks appeared to be coordinated and showed a new level of planning and sophistication. Most of...

UN Raps Us Over Iraqi Oil Revenues
US-led authorities in Baghdad are to be sharply criticised over their use of Iraqi oil revenues in an upcoming UN audit, it was reported today. A leaked copy of an interim report by financial advisers KPMG into the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI), which collects and spends oil money, has...

Echoes of the Past
A Baghdad graveyard holds reminders of a previous British occupation of Iraq, as well a lesson for the present, writes Luke Harding.

UK Troops Accused of Mutilating Iraqi Bodies
Death certificates by Iraqi doctor claim evidence of torture.

3,000 More Uk Troops for Iraq
Nato force to be deployed to bolster new government
· Bloody career of al-Qaida's leader in Gulf

Baghdad Bomb Kills at Least 35
Iraqi PM vows tough action, but victims blame US.

Top Iraqi Diplomat Assassinated
Gunmen killed a top Iraqi diplomat yesterday in the first high-profile assassination in the country since an interim government took over on 1 June. Bassam Qubba, the foreign ministry's director-general, was murdered on his way to work from his home in Baghdad's mainly Sunni Muslim...

US Voters Reject Iraq War in Poll
Most American voters believe it was not worth going to war in Iraq and almost two-thirds believe the US is "getting bogged down", according to a Los Angeles Times poll. The poll, which shows that views on the Iraq war represent a divide between Republicans and Democrats, reveals that 53%...

Security Council Vote Backs Transfer of Iraq Sovereignty
Iraq's new government was given international legitimacy last night when the UN security council voted unanimously to support the transfer of sovereignty from the US-led occupation. George Bush and Tony Blair both welcomed the vote as the beginning of a new era of international consensus...

US Bans Cleric From Iraq Elections
Bremer vetoes radical Shia leader in order barring militia members from politics.

UN Draft Strengthens Iraq's Hand Over Troops
Jack Straw will today tell MPs that the UN security council is on the verge of agreeing on a resolution handing the Iraqi caretaker government full consultation and coordination rights over military action in the country. Talks are still under way at the UN in New York over the wording of...

Mercenaries in 'coup Plot' Guarded Uk Officials in Iraq
Shocked MP demands a rethink of the way government awards its security contracts. Special report by Antony Barnett, Solomon Hughes and Jason Burke.

Bush Takes a Tongue-lashing From the Pope Over Iraq
The Pope yesterday subjected George Bush to a very public, relentlessly critical assessment of the US administration's performance in Iraq, attacking "deplorable" abuses of prisoners and calling for an international solution to the country's crisis. During the president's visit to the...

Bombs Welcome New Iraqi President
The Bush administration last night attempted to regain the political initiative in Iraq after a day of high drama and backroom deals which started when the White House's preferred candidate for the post of the country's new president refused to accept the post. The surprise rebuff from...

25 Killed in Explosion As Iraqi President is Named
At least 25 people were today killed in an explosion in Baghdad, only minutes after the Iraqi Governing Council had announced the country's new interim government. The blast tore through the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, close to the Iraqi capital's heavily-guarded...

10 Killed in Explosion As Iraqi President is Named
At least 10 people were killed in an explosion near Baghdad's 'green zone' shortly after the Iraqi governing council named the country's new president. The blast tore through the headquarters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, close to the heavily guarded compound where the US-led...

Baghdad Car Bomb Kills Two
A powerful car bomb killed at least two people and injured more than 20 today in an area of Baghdad near the green zone headquarters of US-led forces. US troops fired into the air to disperse the crowds, as ambulances rushed to the scene of the explosion in the Harithiya district of the...

UN Sidelined in Choice of Iraqi Leader
White House struggles to defend the selection of candidate who is hardly known in his own country.

Iraqi Defectors Tricked Us With Wmd Lies, But We Must Not Be Fooled Again
Media coverage of Iraq is now the subject of fierce debate and last week the New York Times issued an extraordinary apology for some of its journalism. The Observer's David Rose, whose own stories have provoked controversy, argues that hidden agendas on all sides can still distort reporting.

Bush Silent on Iraq As He Lauds Heroes
Second World War forces 'showed the finest qualities'.

British-educated Surgeon is New Iraqi Prime Minister
A British-educated neurosurgeon who spent 30 years in exile in Britain, and who has close links with both the CIA and MI6, was named as Iraq's new interim prime minister last night. Ayad Allawi, 58, the head of the Iraqi National Accord (INA), emerged as Iraq's surprise new leader after...

Iraqi Politicians Secure Deal to End Najaf Crisis Fighting
A violent two-month standoff between the US military and the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr edged towards resolution yesterday, with both sides making concessions to defuse the crisis.

Bodies Found After Reporters Attacked in Iraq
Two bodies found in Iraq near where a pair of journalists were attacked last night have been identified as Japanese citizens, prompting Japan's government to urge journalists to leave the country. By Owen Gibson.

Iraqi Politicians Secure Deal to End Najaf Crisis
A violent two-month standoff between the US military and the radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr edged towards resolution yesterday, with both sides making concessions to defuse the crisis.

Bush Outlines Strategy for Iraq
George Bush tried last night to persuade an increasingly sceptical American public to rekindle its faith in his project for Iraq, promising he had a clear strategy for a handover of power. The speech was delivered at a time when Mr Bush is facing approval ratings in the dangerous 40%...

Two Killed in Baghdad Blast
Two Britons died when their car was destroyed by a rocket-propelled grenade as it approached a US-controlled checkpoint in Baghdad today, the US military said. The armour-plated car was attacked near the so-called "assassin's gate", one of the main entrances to the heavily-guarded green...

US Probes Deaths of 37 Afghan and Iraqi Detainees
American investigators are investigating the deaths of 37 detainees held in US custody in Iraq and Afghanistan, it emerged yesterday. The Pentagon said the list of deaths included at least eight unsolved murders, which may have involved assaults that took place during interrogation...

Iraqis Lose Right to Sue Troops Over War Crimes
Military win immunity pledge in deal on UN vote.

US Releases More Abu Ghraib Prisoners
As fresh claims of abuse by US guards in Iraq emerged today, the US military released more than 400 prisoners from Abu Ghraib, the prison at the centre of the scandal. Several buses carrying prisoners left the jail, on the western outskirts of Baghdad, and dropped them off in Baquba, to...

Iraq is Labour's Poll Tax
The economy is strong and life is pretty good. There's just one problem ...Michael Howard was just hitting his stride when the purple flour bomb aimed at Tony Blair from the gallery forced the speaker to clear the Commons yesterday.

Iraqi Leader Dies in Suicide Attack
US efforts to stabilise Iraq ahead of next month's transfer of sovereignty were dealt a huge blow yesterday when the head of Iraq's US-appointed governing council was killed by a suicide car bomber. Abdul Zahra Othman, a moderate Shia who had spent nearly 25 years in exile, was blown up...

Car Bomb Kills Head of Iraq Ruling Council
The head of the Iraqi Governing Council was today killed in a suicide car bombing as he waited in his vehicle at a US-controlled checkpoint. Abdel-Zahraa Othman, a Shia Muslim who was widely known as Izzadine Saleem, was among at least four - and perhaps as many as eight - Iraqis killed...

Withdrawal From Iraq
The case against US-British withdrawal doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Can the American occupation of Iraq be sustained any longer? In the wake of the prison horrors revealed at Abu Ghraib, has the time not come for a serious debate on the immediate withdrawal, not just of British forces, but of the 150,000 US forces as well?

Beheaded Hostage 'had Been Warned to Leave Iraq'
A US civilian hostage who was beheaded in Iraq had been warned to leave the country but refused to, US officials said today. The claim came as the prime minister, Tony Blair, added his voice to the chorus condemning the killing of 26-year-old Nick Berg, which was filmed by his captors...

Too Easy to Blame Bush
Forget the notion that Britain is a benign occupier. We must take responsibility for our army's actions. I confess I used it myself. For a while after the invasion of Iraq it became the smug cliche du jour: Britain, according to this little nugget of conventional wisdom, was the "gentle occupier".

Iraqi Families Win Right to Challenge Government
Relatives of 12 Iraqi prisoners who were allegedly killed by British troops in Iraq today won the right to challenge the government's refusal to hold independent inquiries into the deaths. The decision paves the way for the families to present their evidence at a judicial review of the...

British Quizzed Iraqis at Torture Jail
British military intelligence officers were interrogating prisoners in the notorious Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq even as the first reports of abuses at the prison came to light.

Being Right on Wmd is No Consolation to Iraqi Scientist
Chief link to UN weapons inspectors held in solitary confinement for year.

Court Battle Over Iraqi Deaths
Regiment in the dock as families challenge MoD.

Army Claims There is More Evidence Photos Were Fake
Senior army figures claimed yesterday they had more evidence to suggest that pictures showing troops 'torturing' an Iraqi prisoner were a hoax.

Shell Hopes Iraq Can Help to Plug Oil Leak
Troubled oil group Shell intends "to establish a material and enduring presence in Iraq" in an attempt to rebuild the firm's depleted reserves and foster the long term future of the country's energy sector. The vote of confidence from Shell, which is embroiled in controversy over...

Bush 'disgusted' at Torture of Iraqi Prisoners
George Bush today expressed his 'disgust' at pictures that emerged last night showing Iraqi prisoners being tortured and humiliated by American soldiers.

Falluja Violence Continues As Iraqi Force Arrives
Iraqi security forces were taking over positions from withdrawing US marines in the flashpoint city of Falluja today as the bloody month-long siege appeared to be nearing an end. But hopes of a significant increase in stability were immediately undercut by a suicide car bombing that...

US Troops Pull Back From Falluja
US troops have reportedly started to fall back from some of their positions around the besieged city of Falluja after a month of deadly clashes with Sunni insurgents. A new 1,000-strong local Iraqi force called the Falluja Protective Army, which is to be led by a former general of Saddam...

From Vietnam to Iraq in Search of the Big Picture
My last column - and still amazed by the obstinacy of human beings. Speaking very quickly, the Squire said that "the premises being thus settled, I am prompted to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate...

US Forces to Pull Out of Falluja
US forces today announced an end to their siege of Falluja, saying they will pull out immediately to allow a newly-created, Iraqi security force to secure the city. The new force, known as the Falluja Protective Army, will consist of up to 1,100 Iraqi soldiers led by a former general from...

Army Chiefs Resist Call for More Iraq Troops
British commanders fear getting sucked into US operations as Falluja battle rages.

Iraq Will Be His Legacy
History will remember Blair not for the Good Friday agreement or devolution, but for the Gulf war.

Huge Us Attack to Crush Iraq Rebels
Luke Harding from Najaf on a defining moment in the Iraq conflict. It was easy to spot the site that bore the brunt of American firepower.

Id Cards Could Be Blunkett's Iraq
There may be a case for this scheme, but saying 'trust me' isn't enough. What is the question to which identity cards are the solution? There is a genuine need for some public clarity here.

Attacks Halt Rebuilding of Iraq
Disaster facing power network as contractors pull out.

US Right's pet Iraqi to be frozen out
Chalabi set to be sidelined when interim government is named for 30 June handover. Ahmad Chalabi, the controversial leader of the Iraqi National Congress and one-time candidate of Washington's neo-conservatives as future leader of Iraq, appears set to be denied a senior role in the future government.

Suicide Bombers in Boat Attack on Iraq Oil Terminal
A series of explosions ripped through one of Iraq's main oil facilities yesterday in one of the most daring attacks by local insurgents or Islamic militants to date. Two coalition sailors were killed. The strikes mark a devastating new phase in resistance in the country. The...

BBC Cuts Back Iraq Staff
3pm: The BBC has dramatically scaled back its staff in Iraq and banned any further trips there amid the deteriorating security situation. By Claire Cozens.

Basra Buries Its Dead
· Blair defends UN role
· New resolution soon: Straw
· Foreigner killed in Baghdad

Kerry Fails to Gain From Iraq Crisis
George Bush emerged relatively unscathed from one of the worst months of his presidency yesterday, holding steady in opinion polls.

Deal With Sadr Near As Tension Eases
22 prisoners die in mortar attack on Baghdad jail.

Calm Before the Storm in Baghdad
Iraqi capital braces itself for mujahideen onslaught.

Security Firms Call for More Firepower in Iraq
Coalition forces do little to help as bodyguards protecting foreign workers are targeted by deadly insurgents.

Bush Ready to Send More Troops to Iraq
President vows to finish job as stand-off with Shias increases tension.

Roy Greenslade: Time to Judge the Iraq Pundits
The rightwing press were too quick to crow after Baghdad fell. A year ago today, with the toppling of Saddam Hussein's statue in Baghdad, the pro-war commentators couldn't stop crowing about the ease with which the coalition forces had won a swift and righteous victory.

David Aaronovitch: So This is Free Baghdad
A year ago today, US troops helped pull down a statue of Saddam in Baghdad. But should they have been there in the first place? David Aaronovitch thought so at the time; this week he travelled to Iraq to see if he was right.

Uprising in Iraq Could Derail Bush
As US forces suffer another bloody day, Republicans turn on president. President George Bush was yesterday struggling to prevent the escalating violence in Iraq from engulfing his re-election campaign, after his worst political week this year triggered bipartisan calls for a rethink of US strategy there.

Wanted Iraqi Cleric 'willing to Die'
Radical Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr said today that he was willing to die resisting any attempt to capture him, as US-led occupying forces struggled to contain insurgencies on two separate fronts. Faced with US vows to hunt him down on a day which saw at least 30 people die in clashes...

US Faces Iraqi Revolt
· Warrant issued for Shia cleric
· US seals off Falluja
· Worst unrest since Saddam fell

Deadline may slip for Iraq home rule
The Bush administration's June 30 deadline for turning over sovereignty of Iraq to Iraqis may need to be extended, a leading Republican said yesterday.

US vows to quash Shia uprising
· Bremer brands cleric an outlaw
· Fresh violence in Baghdad
· Troops seal off Falluja

Why an SUV is now the most dangerous vehicle in Iraq
It has become clear in the past few years that four-wheel-drive SUVs are some of the most dangerous vehicles on the road. Nowhere is this more true than in Iraq.

Americans Burned and Mutilated By Iraq Mob
The Bush administration last night condemned as "despicable" the killing of four American civilians working in Iraq.

Pentagon Counts Psychological Cost of Iraq War
There have been 24 soldier suicides in Iraq since the start of the war, according to the Pentagon's count.

US Will Tell Iraqi Council to Pick a Pm
As transfer of power looms, Bush sets hopes on Shia technocrat, in third strategy shift in six months.

Zapatero Holds Firm Over Iraqi Pullout
Blair joins incoming Spanish prime minister and mourners at state memorial service for victims of Madrid rail bombs.

Nine Iraqi Police Killed
Nine Iraqi police officers and trainees died yesterday when gunmen sprayed bullets into a minivan in which they were travelling south of Baghdad near the town of Mussayab. Mussayab's police chief, Major Kadhim Ajmi, said the killers were in a red Opel which drove past the car and shot...

Stop 'needless' Iraq Deaths, Says Reuters Boss
8am: The US government should do more to protect journalists after their safety in Iraq 'deteriorated significantly' over the past few months, a senior Reuters editor has warned. By Claire Cozens.

Hold Firm, Bush Urges Iraq Allies
Washington tries to stiffen resolve as Powell and Bremer warn that terrorists will step up attacks.

Seven Dead As Iraq Attacks Continue
·Four dead in Basra hotel bombing