MRAP accidents prompt warnings
Associated Press
In this March 7, 2008 file photo, U.S. soldiers secure the area next to a damaged U.S. mine resistant, ambush protected vehicle (MRAP), after a roadside bomb explosion during an operation in the area of Al-leg, some 40 miles south of Baghdad.
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U.S. envoy doubts Iraqis will revert to violence
BAGHDAD, 7:45 a.m. July 24 (AP)
Iraqis, having lived through years of sectarian warfare, are unlikely to revert to mass violence as they sort out their future, the top U.S. diplomat to Baghdad told The Associated Press on Thursday.
Ryan Crocker, a veteran Middle East diplomat who intends to finish his tour in the Iraqi capital in January, said it may take decades for the country to settle its many political, economic and social problems.
BAGHDAD, 7:29 a.m. July 24 (AP)
Gunmen kill 3 U.S.-allied fighters in Sunni area in northern Baghdad: Gunmen killed three guards from a U.S.-allied Sunni group Thursday in drive-by shootings in northern Baghdad, an official said.
BAGHDAD, 7:45 a.m. July 24 (AP)
U.S. envoy doubts Iraqis will revert to violence: Iraqis, having lived through years of sectarian warfare, are unlikely to revert to mass violence as they sort out their future, the top U.S. diplomat to Baghdad told The Associated Press on Thursday.
KABUL, 7:28 a.m. July 24 (REUTERS)
Afghan army says kills 'dozens' of insurgents: Afghan soldiers killed 'dozens' of militants, including foreigners, in a clash on a highway in southern Zabul province on Thursday, the defence ministry said.
BAGHDAD, 7:21 a.m. July 24 (REUTERS)
U.S. to give thousands of Iraqis visas : Thousands of Iraqis who fear being killed because they worked for the American government or military in Iraq will be awarded visas allowing them to settle permanently in the United States, the U.S. embassy said.
ANKARA, Turkey, 12:27 a.m. July 24 (AP)
Turkish warplanes bomb Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq: Turkish warplanes bombed 13 Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq, the military said Thursday.
BAGHDAD, 1:09 p.m. July 23 (AP)
Iraqi presidential council rejects elections law: Iraq's presidential council on Wednesday rejected a draft provincial elections law and sent it back to parliament for reworking – a major blow to U.S. hopes that the vote can be held this year.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 2:27 p.m. July 22 (AP)
British say Taliban leader gives up, another slain: A senior Taliban leader has surrendered to Pakistani authorities and another insurgent commander was killed by a British airstrike in southern Afghanistan, British officials announced Tuesday.
BAGHDAD, 1:45 p.m. July 22 (AP)
Iraqis cast doubt on regional elections this year: Iraq's parliament pushed through a law Tuesday meant to pave the way for U.S.-backed provincial elections that will redistribute regional power. But the measure was clouded by a Kurdish boycott, and critics predicted the ballot won't be held this year.
BAGHDAD, 6:50 a.m. July 22 (REUTERS)
Iraq's parliament passes poll law, Kurds walk out: Iraq's parliament passed a provincial elections bill on Tuesday, but a walkout by Kurdish lawmakers over the disputed oil city of Kirkuk could mean the law may not ratified by the presidency.
BAGHDAD, 5:06 a.m. July 22 (REUTERS)
Iraqi journalist shot dead in Kirkuk: Gunmen shot dead an Iraqi journalist working for a Kurdish magazine in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, police and the publication said on Tuesday.
AMMAN, 8:17 a.m. July 22 (REUTERS)
Obama says Afghanistan situation 'perilous': U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Tuesday described the situation in Afghanistan as 'perilous and urgent' and said al Qaeda and the Taliban were planning more attacks on the United States.
WASHINGTON, 1:10 p.m. July 21 (AP)
White House irked by Iraq support for Obama plan: The White House expressed unhappiness Monday about Iraqi leaders' public backing for Barack Obama's troop withdrawal timetable. And it said that Baghdad may be trying to use the U.S. presidential election as leverage in talks about the future of American's military presence and obligations in the war.
BAGHDAD, 1:13 p.m. July 21 (AP)
Obama in Iraq: Withdrawal support but no timetable: Face to face with Iraq's leaders, Barack Obama gained fresh support Monday for the idea of pulling all U.S. combat forces out of the war zone by 2010. But the Iraqis stopped short of actual timetables or endorsement of Obama's pledge to withdraw American troops within 16 months if he wins the presidency.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 8:36 a.m. July 20 (AP)
Obama meets Afghan president Karzai: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama pledged steadfast aid to Afghanistan in talks Sunday with its Western-backed leader and vowed to pursue the war on terror “with vigor” if he is elected, an Afghan official said.
BAGHDAD, 12:45 p.m. July 20 (AP)
Iraqi panel proposes delay in key election: Iraq's election authority proposed Sunday to delay important provincial balloting in an apparent sign of frustration over a political impasse that has stalled preparations for voting planned for this fall.
AMMAN, Jordan, 8:12 a.m. July 20 (AP)
Analysis: Confident Iraq rides U.S. political tides: Confusion over the Iraqi prime minister's seeming endorsement of Barack Obama's troop withdrawal plan is part of Baghdad's strategy to play U.S. politics for the best deal possible over America's military mission.
BERLIN, 4:23 a.m. July 19 (REUTERS)
Iraqi PM said to back Obama troop exit plan: Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki told a German magazine he supported prospective U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's proposal that U.S. troops should leave Iraq within 16 months.
BAGHDAD, 5:22 a.m. July 20 (AP)
U.S. troops kill relatives of Iraq governor in raid: The U.S. military says American soldiers have killed two armed relatives of a provincial governor during a raid against al-Qaeda in Iraq.
WASHINGTON, 7:50 a.m. July 20 (AP)
Mullen worries about troop withdrawal timeline: A fixed timetable for withdrawing U.S. combat troops from Iraq could jeopardize political and economic progress, the Pentagon's top military officer said Sunday.
BAGHDAD, 7:16 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Iraqi Sunni bloc rejoins government: Iraq's largest Sunni Arab political bloc ended a nearly yearlong boycott of the Shiite-led government Saturday in another step toward healing the sectarian rifts that once brought almost daily bloodshed.
KHIDR, Iraq, 12:05 a.m. July 19 (AP)
Iraqi village shows hope for wider stability: Brick by brick and one cinderblock at a time, the residents of this Euphrates River village about 45 miles southwest of Baghdad are rebuilding homes that the U.S. military says al-Qaeda destroyed while they occupied the area in 2006.
WASHINGTON, 10:14 a.m. July 18 (AP)
U.S., Iraq seek 'general time horizon' on troop cuts: The United States and Iraq have agreed to seek “a general time horizon” for deeper reductions in American combat troops in Iraq despite President Bush's once-inflexible opposition to talking about deadlines and timetables.
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, 8:47 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Crackdown focuses on arms smuggling from Iran: U.S. forces in Iraq are launching a new crackdown on weapons smuggling from Iran, in part by tighter monitoring of vehicles at official border crossings, a U.S. commander told The Associated Press on Friday.
KABUL, 6:44 a.m. July 18 (REUTERS)
NATO force denies Afghan civilian casualty report: The NATO-led international force in Afghanistan rejected on Friday reports from Afghan officials that it killed more than 50 civilians in air strikes the previous day in the west of the country.
SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq, 8:43 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Kurdish rebels: Turkish jets bomb empty camps in northern Iraq: Kurdish rebels say Turkish warplanes have bombed abandoned guerrilla camps in northern Iraq. They say there were no casualties.
GENEVA, 5:25 a.m. July 18 (AP)
IOM says Iraqi displacement slowed, but 2.8M uprooted, living in dire conditions: The International Organization for Migration says the displacement of people in Iraq has slowed to a trickle this year and that some of the country's 2.8 million uprooted have been encouraged to go home.
BAGHDAD, 4:16 a.m. July 18 (AP)
Iraqi army patrols Sadr City: Iraqi troops deployed in large numbers during Friday prayers in the Baghdad district of Sadr City, where Shiite militiamen used to control the streets. There were no reports of violence.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan, 11:38 a.m. July 17 (AP)
Al-Qaeda draws more foreign recruits to Afghan war: Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign that al-Qaeda is regrouping on what is fast becoming the most active front of the war on terror groups.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 11:48 a.m. July 17 (AP)
15 insurgents killed in a raid in western Afghanistan: U.S. Special Forces and Afghan troops called in airstrikes during a raid on a militant cell in western Afghanistan on Thursday, killing 15 insurgents while freeing 15 hostages, officials said.
BAGHDAD, 11:33 a.m. July 17 (AP)
Kuwait names 1st ambassador to Iraq since 1st Gulf War as Lebanese lawmaker visits Baghdad: Kuwait named its first ambassador to Iraq since the 1991 Gulf War on Thursday, a major step toward healing the two countries' painful past.
COMBAT OUTPOST COPPER, Iraq, 11:17 a.m. July 17 (AP)
Iraq's al-Qaeda fighters now 'furtive terrorists': It's quiet around here in farm country, south of Baghdad where al-Qaeda once held sway. Just months ago U.S. foot patrols through the wheat fields nearby would regularly draw fire – if the soldiers managed first to elude al-Qaeda-planted roadside bombs.
BAGHDAD, 10:57 a.m. July 17 (AP)
Paring down high unemployment is Iraq's next task: They fan out across Baghdad in summer's scorching heat – men in blue overalls picking up trash, mowing the sparse grass in parks, and standing on ladders to paint highway underpasses and prune palm trees.
GENEVA, 10:04 a.m. July 17 (REUTERS)
World Health Organisation staff return to Iraq: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has for the first time since 2003 redeployed expatriate staff to Iraq, the United Nations agency said on Thursday.
BAGHDAD, 6:12 a.m. July 17 (AP)
Iraq: 1-year limit on no-bid contracts: An Iraqi Oil Ministry official says the government plans to limit no-bid contracts with several major oil companies to one year.
WASHINGTON, 3:05 p.m. July 16 (AP)
Cases against Iraq IG, deputy, end without charges: The government has cleared the top U.S. watchdog of Iraq reconstruction projects and his deputy of fraud and abuse allegations lodged by former employees, officials said Wednesday.
WASHINGTON, 2:42 p.m. July 16 (AP)
More U.S. troops may go to Afghanistan this year: Pentagon leaders on Wednesday signaled a surge in U.S. forces in Afghanistan “sooner rather than later” – a shift that could come later this year as they prepare to cut troop levels in Iraq.
BAGHDAD, 12:27 p.m. July 16 (AP)
Car bomb in Iraq kills 18, including children: A car bomb killed at least seven children and 11 other people in a northern city, providing a reminder that militants still can cause casualties despite security improvements that led U.S. troops to return a southern province to Iraqi control Wednesday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 11:35 a.m. July 16 (AP)
U.S. abandons Afghan outpost where 9 troops died: U.S. troops abandoned a remote outpost in eastern Afghanistan where militants killed nine of their comrades this week, officials said Wednesday, in another sign of the struggle facing foreign and Afghan security forces strung out along the mountainous border.
KABUL, 8:41 a.m. July 16 (REUTERS)
Afghan NATO force hits targets inside Pakistan: NATO forces in Afghanistan hit targets inside Pakistan with artillery and attack helicopters after coming under rocket fire from across the border, the alliance said on Wednesday.
3:00 a.m. July 16 (REUTERS)
Last U.S. 'surge' brigade set to leave Iraq: July 16 – The U.S. military said on Wednesday the last of five extra combat brigades deployed to Iraq last year would complete its departure next week. That will leave 140,000 troops in Iraq. Following are facts about the so-called surge:
BAQOUBA, Iraq, 3:05 p.m. July 15 (AP)
28 killed in twin suicide attacks in Iraqi city: Scattered sandals and overturned bicycles were all that remained hours after suicide bombers struck the Saad military camp.
FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, 5:52 a.m. July 16 (REUTERS)
Iraq security developments: Following are security developments in Iraq at 1245 GMT on Wednesday. {PI:84} denotes a new or updated item:
FACTBOX-Security developments in Afghanistan, 1:54 a.m. July 16 (REUTERS)
Afghanistan security developments: Following are security developments in Afghanistan at 0830 GMT on Wednesday. KUNAR – U.S. troops pulled out of a remote outpost in northeastern Afghanistan, NATO-led forces said on Wednesday, three days after Taliban militants tried to overrun the base and killed nine U.S. soldiers.
CAIRO, Egypt, 2:06 p.m. July 15 (AP)
Fugitive Saddam aide sees U.S. troops gone by 2008: A fugitive former deputy to Saddam Hussein predicts U.S. troops will leave Iraq by the end of next year, according to an audio recording broadcast Tuesday by Al-Arabiya television.
KABUL, 8:40 a.m. July 15 (REUTERS)
Afghan army kills seven militants in clashes: Afghan soldiers killed seven militants in the northeastern province of Nuristan in clashes close to where nine U.S. soldiers were killed a day before, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 12:30 p.m. July 14 (AP)
Deadly attack on U.S. base sends worrying signal: An insurgent raid that penetrated an American outpost in eastern Afghanistan, killing nine soldiers, has deepened doubts about the U.S. military's effort to contain Islamic militants and keep locals on its side.
BAGHDAD, 6:35 a.m. July 15 (REUTERS)
Iraq elections law delayed over Kirkuk dispute: Iraq's parliament failed to approve a draft provincial elections law on Tuesday because of disagreement over what to do about voting in the disputed oil city of Kirkuk, lawmakers said.
BAGHDAD, 6:46 a.m. July 15 (REUTERS)
Multiple bombings kill 40 in northern Iraq: Bombers killed around 40 people and wounded scores in several attacks in northern Iraq on Tuesday, days after the government vowed to expand a crackdown against militants in a region where al Qaeda retains influence.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 11:13 a.m. July 14 (AP)
Afghanistan says Pakistan supports Taliban, causes death and destruction in the country: Afghanistan lashed out at neighboring Pakistan on Monday alleging that its intelligence service and army are behind the bloody Taliban-led insurgency, calling the security forces the “world's biggest producers of terrorism and extremism.”
BAGHDAD, 10:30 a.m. July 14 (AP)
A gentle descent to Baghdad's airport: The corkscrew landing is a rite of passage for travelers to Iraq, who feel the pull of gravity as their airplane makes a rapid, spiraling descent to avoid ground fire.
BAGHDAD, 7:46 a.m. July 14 (AP)
4,800 cadets graduate from Iraqi military academies in ceremony attended by Petraeus: Some 4,800 cadets from four military academies in Iraq have graduated in a ceremony that underlines what U.S. officials say is the growing self-sufficiency of Iraqi forces.
6:16 p.m. July 13 (AP)
U.S. military deaths in Iraq war at 4,118: As of Sunday, July 13, 2008, at least 4,118 members of the U.S. military have died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.
BAGHDAD, 11:30 a.m. July 13 (AP)
U.S. pleased, worried, by newfound Iraqi confidence: Wajih Hameed is an Iraqi general with an attitude. With a satisfied look, he listened as a subordinate officer explained to the deputy commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad how he plans to reposition his troops in the coming weeks.
BAGHDAD, 4:59 p.m. July 13 (AP)
Kurdish rebels say abducted Germans in good health: Kurdish rebels say three German climbers who were abducted last week in eastern Turkey are in good health and will be released when Turkey halts military operations in the area.
RAWALPINDI, Pakistan, 1:14 p.m. July 13 (AP)
AP IMPACT: Pakistan militants focus on Afghanistan: In early June, about 300 fighters from jihadist groups came together for a secret gathering here, in the same city that serves as headquarters to the Pakistani army.
AL ABARA, Iraq, 12:56 p.m. July 13 (AP)
First group of Iraqi women security volunteers join program in Diyala: Around 70 women clad in black abayas fanned themselves in a courtyard at a police station Sunday as Iraqi officials and U.S. troops gathered to celebrate the graduation of the first Daughters of Iraq group in this volatile area.
BAGHDAD, 8:59 a.m. July 13 (AP)
U.S. military: Gunmen kill 2, injure 3 in attack on soccer game north of Baghdad: Gunmen attacked a soccer game north of Baghdad on Sunday, killing a policeman and a Sunni Muslim allied with the U.S. against al-Qaeda, the U.S. military said.
BAGHDAD, 10:57 a.m. July 12 (AP)
Iraq handing out cash to people on the streets: It is a politician's dream: Handing out cold, hard cash to people on the street as they plead for help. Iraq's prime minister has been doing just that in recent weeks, doling out Iraqi dinars as an aide trails behind, keeping a tally.
BAGHDAD, 8:15 a.m. July 12 (AP)
Police: Gunmen kill 2 policemen in northern Iraqi city of Mosul: Iraqi police say gunmen have killed two policemen and injured another in the northern city of Mosul.
COMBAT OUTPOST RADWANIYAH, Iraq, 7:24 a.m. July 12 (AP)
Iraqi tribal chief wants more aid from Baghdad: In the rural outskirts of Baghdad, where the war seems distant in Iraq's new period of relative calm, a prominent Sunni tribal chief makes no bones about what is lacking in the drive to turn security improvements into lasting economic and political reform.
WASHINGTON, 12:12 p.m. July 11 (AP)
Former KBR electricians criticize contractors work: KBR Inc. used employees with little electrical expertise to supervise subcontractors in Iraq and hired foreigners who couldn't speak English to do the work, former KBR electricians told a Senate panel investigating the electrocutions of 13 Americans.
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq, 7:58 a.m. July 11 (AP)
Progress seen against Iraq insurgents' 'lob bombs': U.S. forces have captured a man who may help unravel an elite, highly skilled insurgent group whose rocket-propelled bombs have emerged as the biggest threat to U.S. troops, the top commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad said Friday in an Associated Press interview.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 4:58 a.m. July 11 (AP)
47 Afghan civilians killed by U.S. bombs, group says: A U.S. military airstrike this week killed 47 civilians traveling to a wedding, the head of an Afghan government commission investigating the incident said Friday.
BAGHDAD, 4:01 a.m. July 11 (AP)
U.S. military detains 9 suspected militants in Iraq: The U.S. military says it has detained nine people suspected of involvement in the al-Qaeda in Iraq group.
BAGHDAD, 6:18 a.m. July 11 (AP)
Iraq: Followers of radical Shiite cleric demonstrate against U.S.: Hundreds of followers of a radical Shiite cleric in Iraq have taken to the streets to protest a proposed security agreement between Iraq and the United States.
WASHINGTON, 4:53 p.m. July 10 (AP)
Senate OKs promotions of Iraq generals: Notwithstanding months of partisan wrangling in Congress over the Iraq war, the Senate on Thursday handily confirmed Gen. David Petraeus as the top commander in the Middle East and Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno to replace Petraeus as the chief military officer in Iraq.
WASHINGTON, 12:09 p.m. July 10 (AP)
Great Guns! Stray arms at Baghdad embassy: Trying to escape Baghdad's sweltering summer with a quick Green Zone dip? Don't forget your poolside weapons etiquette if you work at the U.S. Embassy there.
LONDON, 12:07 p.m. July 10 (AP)
Nine British soldiers injured by 'friendly fire' in Afghanistan: Britain's Ministry of Defense says nine soldiers have been injured by friendly fire in Helmand province in Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON, 9:28 a.m. July 10 (AP)
British Minister sees 'long haul' in Afghanistan: Iraq is headed in the right direction in struggling against insurgents, while it will be a longer haul to achieve success in Afghanistan, British Defense Minister Des Browne said Thursday on a visit for talks at the Pentagon and White House.
WASHINGTON, 11:35 a.m. July 9 (AP)
Iraqi forces estimated to become proficient in '09: Iraqi ground forces should become proficient by the mid-2009, possibly as early as April, an Army general told Congress on Wednesday.
BAGHDAD, 2:05 p.m. July 9 (AP)
Iraq reports drop in violence, but attacks kill 21: Bombs and bullets took a bloody toll Wednesday, killing 20 Iraqis and a U.S. soldier, even as military officials reported a sharp fall in attacks over the past year – a decline reflected in a steep decrease in violent deaths tallied by The Associated Press.
BAGHDAD, 2:48 p.m. July 9 (AP)
U.S. has released thousands of detainees in Iraq: The United States has released more detainees in Iraq so far this year than in all of 2007, the U.S. military said Wednesday.
CAMP VICTORY, Iraq, 10:29 a.m. July 9 (AP)
U.S. braces for possible surge in insurgent attacks: The second-ranking U.S. commander in Iraq said Wednesday he is preparing for the possibility that insurgents will try to spoil Iraq's parliamentary elections this fall by stepping up violence.
BAGHDAD, 9:24 a.m. July 9 (AP)
U.S.-funded effort to win over Sadr City residents: Hundreds of women in black abayas crowd outdoor food markets, snapping up groceries and fresh vegetables. Stores are open again. Children play soccer on dirt fields until dusk – or later, when there's electricity.
WASHINGTON, 9:11 a.m. July 9 (REUTERS)
U.S. ground troops mostly done in Iraq in '09-general: U.S. ground troops in Iraq will be mostly finished with combat operations by the middle of 2009, the senior U.S. Army officer in charge of training Iraqi forces said Wednesday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 4:55 a.m. July 9 (AP)
Indian Embassy bomber hoped to destroy Kabul embassy, ambassador says: The suicide bomber who detonated his vehicle at the gates of the Indian Embassy in Kabul intended to destroy the embassy itself, the Indian ambassador to Afghanistan said Wednesday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 2:56 a.m. July 9 (AP)
U.N., Afghanistan launch $400 million food appeal to overcome drought, poor harvest: The United Nations and Afghanistan's government launched a $400 million food aid appeal Wednesday to help feed 4.5 million vulnerable Afghans.
MOSUL, Iraq, 12:13 a.m. July 9 (AP)
The story of Mosul: Few jobs, lots of trouble: Five years ago this month, Paul Wolfowitz, then the Pentagon's second-ranking official, dropped in on this northern city to take its temperature. He walked the streets, chatted with locals and came to a quick conclusion: The people here had grown impatient with post-invasion chaos.
BAGHDAD, Iraq, 4:04 p.m. July 8 (AP)
Review board orders AP journalist held: An Associated Press television cameraman who was detained by U.S. and Iraqi forces in early June was ordered held for at least six more months Tuesday for “imperative reasons of security,” the U.S. military said.
COMBAT OUTPOST RABIY, Iraq, 2:18 p.m. July 8 (AP)
U.S. chief: Iraq needs time to stabilize after fight: Even in the chin-high piles of roadside rubble, the crumbled cinderblock and the eerily empty streets of this neighborhood in western Mosul, America's top military officer sees hope. But he also sees peril and an urgent need to get the economy going – jobs, services, some semblance of regular life.
BAGHDAD, 7:34 a.m. July 8 (AP)
Iraq insists on withdrawal timetable: Iraq's national security adviser said Tuesday his country will not accept any security deal with the United States unless it contains specific dates for the withdrawal of U.S.-led forces.
WASHINGTON, 7:06 a.m. July 8 (AP)
Pentagon putting more air power on Afghanistan: Worried about increasing insurgent attacks in Afghanistan, the U.S. military says it is sending extra air power there by shifting an aircraft carrier away from the Iraq war.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 5:48 a.m. July 8 (AP)
1 NATO soldier killed in Afghan blast: NATO says a roadside bomb blast in eastern Afghanistan killed one of its soldiers and wounded four others.
BAGHDAD, 12:06 a.m. July 8 (AP)
Iraq: U.S. military says roadside bomb kills 4 contractors, injures 8 others near Mosul: The U.S. military says a roadside bomb has killed four contractors and injured eight others in northern Iraq.
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, 7:53 a.m. July 6 (AP)
United Arab Emirates cancels $4 billion in debt owed by Iraq, names ambassador to Baghdad: The United Arab Emirates canceled all its Iraqi debt Sunday and moved to restore a full diplomatic mission in Baghdad by naming a new ambassador.
6:17 a.m. July 7 (AP)
Major insurgent attacks in Afghanistan since 2001: Some of the deadliest insurgent attacks in Afghanistan since the U.S.-led offensive began on Oct. 7, 2001:
6:27 a.m. July 7 (REUTERS)
FACTBOX-Iraq's thorny security negotiations with U.S.: July 7 – Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday raised the prospect of setting a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. troops as part of negotiations over a new security deal. Following are key facts about the talks:
KABUL, Afghanistan, 3:21 a.m. July 6 (AP)
Afghanistan orders investigation into U.S. attack: Afghanistan's president has ordered an investigation into allegations that missiles from U.S. helicopters struck civilians, though the Ministry of Defense said Sunday that the attack killed or wounded 20 militants.
BAGHDAD, 6:43 a.m. July 6 (AP)
Iraq: Coalition forces say electricity production up over 10% but capacity still not enough: Iraq's electricity production jumped more than 10 percent in roughly the first six months of 2008 compared to the same period a year ago, the director of energy operations for coalition forces said Sunday.
BAGHDAD, 11:24 a.m. July 5 (REUTERS)
McGuinness urges Iraq to learn from N. Ireland peace: Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, a former top IRA guerrilla, urged Iraqis on Saturday to learn from the experience of his homeland, which suffered decades of sectarian conflict then found peace.
11:04 a.m. July 5 (AP)
U.S. removes uranium from Iraq: The last major remnant of Saddam Hussein's nuclear program – a huge stockpile of concentrated natural uranium – reached a Canadian port Saturday to complete a secret U.S. operation that included a two-week airlift from Baghdad and a ship voyage crossing two oceans.
BAGHDAD, 10:44 a.m. July 5 (AP)
Iraqi boy's first swim hopeful sign of progress: Muntadhar al-Sharify stood shivering Saturday in Baghdad's searing heat, a smile on his young face.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, 12:07 a.m. July 5 (AP)
10 Taliban killed while planting bomb: Gunmen in a dangerous part of southern Afghanistan assassinated an Afghan lawmaker, while a roadside bomb militants were planting detonated prematurely, killing 10 Taliban, officials said Saturday.
FARGO, N.D., 3:26 p.m. July 3 (AP)
Obama says Iraq trip could refine his policy: Democrat Barack Obama struggled Thursday to explain how his upcoming trip to Iraq might refine, but not basically alter, his promise to quickly remove U.S. combat troops from the war.
WASHINGTON, 1:33 p.m. July 3 (AP)
State denies it pushed for Texas-Iraq oil deal: The State Department on Thursday denied charges by a House committee that it inappropriately encouraged a Texas-based oil company to strike an exploration deal with the Kurdish government in Iraq.
WASHINGTON, 11:14 a.m. July 3 (AP)
Pentagon extends tour of Marines in Afghanistan: The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time.
AMMAN, Jordan, 6:57 a.m. July 3 (AP)
Iraqi officials: Jordan's king to be first Arab head of state to visit since 2003 war: Jordan's King Abdullah II plans to visit Iraq soon in the first trip by an Arab head of state since Saddam Hussein was deposed in 2003, Iraqi officials said Thursday.
Security developments in Afghanistan, 5:21 a.m. July 3 (REUTERS)
Afghan developments: Following are security developments in Afghanistan reported until 1200 GMT on Thursday: LOGAR – Five Afghan soldiers were killed on Wednesday when a roadside bomb hit their vehicle, which was part of a convoy in Logar province to the south of Kabul, police said.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 2:42 a.m. July 3 (AP)
5 Afghan soldiers killed in blast: A police chief says a roadside blast has killed five Afghan soldiers in central Afghanistan.
WASHINGTON, 11:46 p.m. July 2 (REUTERS)
U.S. officials condoned Hunt-Kurd oil deal-documents: U.S. officials condoned Hunt Oil Co efforts to obtain an exploration deal with Iraq's Kurdish regional government, contrary to public statements discouraging it, according to documents cited by a congressional committee.
WASHINGTON, 3:35 p.m. July 2 (AP)
Bush says U.S. to send more troops to Afghanistan: Grappling with a record death toll in an overshadowed war, President Bush promised Wednesday to send more U.S. troops into Afghanistan by year's end. He conceded that June was a “tough month” in the nearly seven-year-old war.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 7:35 a.m. July 2 (AP)
Gunfire downs coalition helicopter in Afghanistan, suicide bomber targets Afghan governor: A suicide bomber targeting an Afghan governor killed four people Wednesday, while a U.S.-led coalition helicopter crew escaped without serious injury after being shot down south of the capital, officials said.
BAGHDAD, 6:16 a.m. July 2 (AP)
Iraqi forces arrest 2 Sadrists leaders: Iraqi security forces arrested two locally prominent supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr on Wednesday as part of their crackdown against Shiite militias in the southern city of Amarah, police and an al-Sadr spokesman said.
WASHINGTON, 10:30 a.m. July 1 (AP)
New Iraq report: 15 of 18 benchmarks satisfactory: No matter who is elected president in November, his foreign policy team will have to deal with one of the most frustrating realities in Iraq: the slow pace with which the government in Baghdad operates.
BAGHDAD, 10:30 a.m. July 1 (AP)
Hezbollah said to train Shiite militiamen in Iraq: Hezbollah instructors trained Shiite militiamen at remote camps in southern Iraq until three months ago when they slipped across the border to Iran – presumably to continue instruction on Iranian soil, according to two Shiite lawmakers and a top army officer.
BAGHDAD, 11:41 a.m. July 1 (AP)
Iraqi foreign minister urges deal with U.S.: Iraq's foreign minister told lawmakers Tuesday the U.S. made major concessions in talks on a new security agreement, urging them to approve the deal to keep U.S. troops here after the U.N. mandate expires at the end of the year.
PITTSBURGH, 5:51 a.m. July 1 (AP)
13 Americans, not 12, electrocuted in Iraq: Gen. David Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, says 13 Americans were electrocuted in Iraq since September 2003 and a contractor has been ordered to inspect the facilities it maintains there for electrical safety hazards, a Pennsylvania senator said.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 12:14 a.m. July 1 (AP)
Coalition: 33 militants killed in Afghanistan: Helicopters and a bomber attacked insurgents massing in eastern Afghanistan under cover of darkness, killing an estimated 33 people, the U.S.-led coalition said Tuesday.
BAGHDAD, 11:49 a.m. June 30 (AP)
Wave of attacks threatens Iraqi judges: Five Iraqi judges escaped assassination Monday in a series of small bomb attacks that police believe may be part of a Shiite extremist campaign to force them to free jailed militants or reduce their sentences.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 1:42 p.m. June 30 (AP)
U.S., NATO deaths in Afghanistan pass Iraq toll: Militants killed more U.S. and NATO troops in Afghanistan in June than in Iraq for the second straight month, a grim milestone capping a run of headline-grabbing insurgent attacks that analysts say underscore the Taliban's growing strength.
BAGHDAD, 1:33 p.m. June 30 (AP)
Iraq opens bidding on 8 oil and natural gas fields: Iraq opened international bidding for eight enormous oil and gas fields Monday, paving the way for investment in a nation with some of the world's largest petroleum reserves.
HAGERSTOWN, Md., 2:18 p.m. June 30 (AP)
Abu Ghraib inmates sue contractors, claim torture: Three Iraqis and a Jordanian filed federal lawsuits Monday alleging they were tortured by U.S. defense contractors while detained at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq in 2003 and 2004.
WASHINGTON, 8:18 a.m. June 30 (AP)
Bush signs $162 billion war spending bill:
 President Bush on Monday signed legislation to pay for the war operations in Iraq and Afghanistan for the rest of his presidency and beyond, hailing the $162 billion plan as a rare product of bipartisan cooperation.
WASHINGTON, 8:08 a.m. June 30 (AP)
Army, Marine units heading to Iraq in 2009: Army brigades from Texas, New York and Pennsylvania, and two Marine units from North Carolina have been ordered to deploy to Iraq early next year, the Pentagon announced Monday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 6:10 a.m. June 30 (AP)
Official: 28 militants killed in southern Afghanistan: U.S.-led troops backed by warplanes battled militants in southwestern Afghanistan, killing 28 rebels including several Taliban leaders, an Afghan official said Monday.
RADWANIYAH, Iraq, 12:50 p.m. June 29 (AP)
Program in Iraq against al-Qaeda faces uncertainty: Capt. David N. Simms wanted the tribal sheiks to have no doubts – the $500,000 his unit spends every month to pay and equip local tribesmen to keep peace here will soon run out and they had better be ready when it's gone.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 9:45 a.m. June 29 (AP)
U.N. official: Afghan civilian deaths up 60 percent: The number of civilians killed in fighting between insurgents and security forces in Afghanistan has soared by two-thirds in the first half of this year, to almost 700 people, a senior U.N. official said Sunday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 5:20 a.m. June 29 (AP)
Land mine kills British soldier in southern Afghanistan: Taliban militants killed at least two policemen in an assault in western Afghanistan, while a land mine killed a British soldier at an airfield in the south, officials said Sunday.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 9:03 a.m. June 28 (AP)
U.S.-led coalition: 32 militants killed in southern Afghanistan amid intensifying struggle: Troops fought gunbattles and called in airstrikes against insurgents in southern Afghanistan, killing 32 militants, the U.S.-led coalition said Saturday.
KHYBER AGENCY, Pakistan, 4:06 a.m. June 28 (AP)
Pakistan launches strike at Taliban: Pakistani forces bombarded suspected militant hideouts with mortar shells Saturday as the government launched a major offensive against Taliban fighters threatening the main city in the country's volatile northwest, officials said.
WASHINGTON, 2:32 p.m. June 27 (AP)
Pentagon: Taliban a resilient force in Afghanistan: The Taliban has regrouped after its initial fall from power in Afghanistan and the pace of its attacks is likely to increase this year, according to a Pentagon report that offers a dim view of progress in the nearly seven-year-old war.
BAGHDAD, 11:45 a.m. June 27 (REUTERS)
U.S. C-130 makes emergency landing in Baghdad field: A U.S. Air Force C-130 transport plane made an emergency landing in a barren field northeast of Baghdad's international airport on Friday, the Air Force said.
WASHINGTON, 2:26 p.m. June 27 (AP)
Officials: 30,000 troops heading to Iraq in 2009: The Associated Press has learned that the Pentagon is preparing to send roughly 30,000 troops to Iraq early next year. The move would replace troops in Iraq and allow the U.S. to maintain 15 combat brigades in the country through 2009.
BAGHDAD, 4:28 a.m. June 27 (AP)
U.S. delays Anbar handover due to weather: The U.S. military on Friday postponed a ceremony to hand over Anbar province to Iraqi security control, citing forecasts of sandstorms. The announcement came a day after a suicide attack in the western province killed more than 20 people, including three U.S. Marines.
RANDALLSTOWN, Md., 12:58 a.m. June 27 (AP)
Md. mom uses son's Iraq death to help change law: U.S. Army Spc. Kendell Frederick lost his life while trying to become a citizen of the country he was fighting for.
BAGHDAD, 1:21 a.m. June 27 (REUTERS)
Iraq tries to entice back doctors who fled violence: The Iraqi government is trying to entice back hundreds of doctors who fled the country because of rampant violence and says improved security is already leading some to return.
BAGHDAD, 12:32 p.m. June 26 (AP)
Bombings kill dozens, 3 U.S. Marines: A suicide bomber attacked a meeting of pro-government Sunni sheiks west of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 23 people, including three U.S. Marines. At least 18 more people died in a car bombing in the northern city of Mosul.
WASHINGTON, 1:49 p.m. June 26 (AP)
Gates voices worry over Afghanistan: Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Thursday he has “real concern” about a sharp rise in attacks in eastern Afghanistan, and he blamed the spike on Pakistan's failure to put pressure on insurgents there.
BAGHDAD, 1:28 p.m. June 26 (AP)
Iraq disbands national soccer team after loss: It was less than a year ago that Iraqis poured into the streets in a rare show of unity and celebration after the national soccer team won the prestigious Asian Cup.
WASHINGTON, 2:51 p.m. June 26 (AP)
Senate committee approves Petraeus nomination: The Senate Armed Services Committee has voted to promote Gen. David Petraeus to become the top commander in the Middle East.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 9:50 a.m. June 26 (AP)
Afghan blast kills 3 U.S. coalition members: Militants attacked troops from the U.S.-led coalition patrolling south of the Afghan capital on Thursday, killing three of them as well as an Afghan interpreter.
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, 1:19 p.m. June 25 (AP)
Pakistan vows to prevent attacks on Afghanistan: Pakistan's new government gave its strongest commitment yet on containing Islamic militancy, vowing Wednesday to prevent attacks on Afghanistan but insisting foreign forces would not be allowed to operate on Pakistani soil.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 9:16 a.m. June 25 (AP)
Afghanistan blames Pakistan in Karzai attack: An Afghan official on Wednesday accused Pakistan's premier spy agency of organizing a recent assassination attempt on Afghan President Hamid Karzai, the most serious in a string of allegations against Pakistan.
BAGHDAD, 2:53 a.m. June 25 (REUTERS)
Iraqis fret about food prices as violence falls: Iraqi housewife Najat al-Azzawi once lived in constant fear of car bomb attacks when she went shopping. Now, when she goes to the market in Baghdad her biggest concern is soaring food prices.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 2:30 a.m. June 25 (AP)
Afghan airstrike kills 22 militants: Coalition airstrikes killed 22 militants who were attacking two towns in eastern Afghanistan, and explosions killed two more foreign soldiers in the south, officials said Wednesday.
BAGHDAD, 8:34 a.m. June 24 (REUTERS)
Bomb kills 6 Iraqis, 4 Americans in Baghdad: A bomb killed 10 people including two U.S. government employees and two U.S. soldiers at a council meeting in the Baghdad stronghold of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday, officials said.
FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, 4:23 a.m. June 24 (REUTERS)
Latest security developments in Iraq: Following are security developments in Iraq at 1115 GMT on Tuesday: BAGHDAD – A bomb killed 10 people including two U.S. government employees and two U.S. soldiers at a council meeting in Sadr City, the Baghdad bastion of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, officials said. Six Iraqis were also killed.
BAGHDAD, 7:45 a.m. June 23 (REUTERS)
One U.S. soldier killed, five wounded in Iraq attack: One U.S. soldier was killed and five others were wounded by small arms fire southeast of Baghdad on Monday, the U.S. military said, quoting initial reports.
WASHINGTON, 2:24 p.m. June 23 (AP)
As U.S. military buildup in Iraq ends, what next?: The military buildup in Iraq is about to end. But as the last of the five additional combat brigades now heads home, it leaves the country far safer than it was a year ago. Yet Iraq is still not ready to stand alone.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 1:31 p.m. June 23 (AP)
Coalition: 55 militants killed in Afghan battle: U.S.-led forces rained fire for two days on militants near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, officials said Monday, killing about 55 insurgents and underscoring how fighting with Taliban insurgents is escalating.
BASRA, Iraq, 1:51 p.m. June 23 (AP)
Freed of militias, Basra has new problems: Men and women can openly study and party together for the first time in years at Basra University, free from the threat of Shiite gunmen enforcing extreme Islamic views.
HERAT, Afghanistan, 7:01 a.m. June 23 (REUTERS)
Suicide car bomber kills 5 Afghan civilians: A suicide car bomber killed five civilians and wounded 11 more on Monday in an attack apparently targeting an international troop convoy in western Afghanistan, the district governor said.
BAGHDAD, 9:46 a.m. June 22 (AP)
Police: Female suicide bomber kills 15 in Iraq: A female suicide bomber struck near a government compound northeast of Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 40, police said. At least 21 suicide attacks have been carried out this year by women.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 10:50 a.m. June 22 (AP)
NATO launches artillery twice across Afghan border: Militants in Pakistan fired rockets at NATO bases across the border in Afghanistan, killing three children in a village and prompting the alliance to launch a pair of retaliatory artillery strikes, officials said Sunday.
BAGHDAD, 4:41 a.m. June 22 (AP)
Talks on new Iraq oil law to resume this week: Officials from the Iraqi central government and the self-ruled Kurdish region in the north will resume talks this week in Baghdad to try to settle their differences over a proposed new oil law, a Kurdish spokesman said Sunday.
BAGHDAD, 9:07 a.m. June 21 (AP)
Battle shapes up over future of U.S. role in Iraq: The decisive battle of the Iraq war is shaping up – not in the streets of Baghdad but in the halls of government where the future of America's role across the region is on the line.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 11:23 a.m. June 21 (AP)
Bombs kill 5 foreign troops in Afghanistan: Roadside bombs killed five foreign troops and five government soldiers Saturday, part of a surge of violence that has made Afghanistan's battlefields deadlier for foreign forces than those in Iraq.
BAGHDAD, 10:43 a.m. June 21 (AP)
Sadrists accuse Iraqi gov't of targeting movement: Followers of Muqtada al-Sadr accused the government Saturday of targeting their political movement as security forces arrested 20 policemen linked to the anti-American cleric.
GARMSER, Afghanistan, 9:13 a.m. June 21 (AP)
Marines make headway in southern Afghan town: U.S. Marines are trading gunfire and artillery shells with Taliban militants in the volatile southern province of Helmand, the world's largest poppy growing region.
BAGHDAD, 7:36 a.m. June 20 (AP)
U.S. military: American soldier killed in Iraq: The U.S. military says an American soldier has been killed and five others wounded by roadside bombs northeast of Baghdad.
BAGHDAD, 5:43 a.m. June 20 (AP)
Hundreds of Shiites protest U.S.-Iraqi security deal: Hundreds of followers of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr took to the streets after Friday prayers in Shiite areas to protest plans for a longterm security pact between Iraq and the United States.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan, 3:55 a.m. June 20 (AP)
Officials: Suicide bomber kills 6 in Afghanistan: A suicide bomber attacked a military convoy as it drove through a town in southern Afghanistan Friday, killing five civilians and one soldier from the U.S.-led coalition, officials said.
ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, 8:46 p.m. June 19 (AP)
Afghan forces push Taliban militants from villages: Afghan and NATO troops backed by warplanes drove Taliban militants from villages within striking distance of southern Afghanistan's main city on Thursday, killing 56 of them, Afghan officials said.
BAGHDAD, 1:23 p.m. June 19 (AP)
Iraq, U.S. seek security compromise: Iraq's foreign ministry said Thursday that Iraqi and U.S. officials are seeking a compromise on the pending issues over a new security agreement between the two countries.
WASHINGTON, 2:26 p.m. June 19 (AP)
U.S. diplomat to visit Syria on Iraqi refugees: A senior American diplomat will make a rare visit to Syria next week in a bid to speed up the processing of Iraqi refugees for admission to the United States, the State Department said Thursday.
WASHINGTON, 2:40 p.m. June 19 (AP)
Senator questions Gates about GI electrocutions: A Pennsylvania senator sought assurance from the Pentagon on Thursday that it is taking action to prevent accidental electrocutions among U.S. troops in Iraq.
WASHINGTON, 2:54 p.m. June 19 (AP)
Democrats accuse KBR of negligence at Iraq plant: Senate Democrats are accusing defense contractor KBR of knowingly exposing its employees and U.S. troops to a potentially deadly chemical in Iraq in its rush to get the country's oil infrastructure up and running.
WASHINGTON, 2:14 p.m. June 19 (AP)
House to vote on war funds, unemployment benefits: The Democratic-led Congress finally appears ready to give President Bush $162 billion in long-overdue funds for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
BAGHDAD, 8:12 a.m. June 19 (AP)
Iraq nears first major oil service deals: Iraq is close to signing oil service deals with several major Western oil companies in an effort to boost its output capacity, the country's oil ministry said Thursday – the first major Iraqi contracts with big Western companies since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, 7:24 a.m. June 19 (AP)
Afghan official: Taliban routed near Kandahar: A swift offensive by Afghan and NATO forces has driven Taliban militants from a strategic group of villages outside southern Afghanistan's largest city and killed 56 insurgents, Afghan officials said Thursday.
WASHINGTON, 12:57 p.m. June 18 (AP)
Iraq foreign minister hails U.S. 'flexibity': Iraq's foreign minister on Wednesday said prospects for a new security agreement with the United States had brightened because of U.S. flexibility on the terms.
SARAJEVO, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 4:38 a.m. June 19 (AP)
Report: Bosnia to send 49 more troops to Iraq: Bosnia's army will send more troops to serve with the U.S.-led force in Iraq, Bosnian media reported Thursday.
ARGHANDAB, Afghanistan, 12:50 p.m. June 18 (AP)
Afghan, NATO troops kill 36 Taliban near Kandahar: Backed by helicopters firing missiles, hundreds of NATO and Afghan forces hunted Taliban militants in villages outside Kandahar on Wednesday, killing dozens of insurgents.
BAGHDAD, 12:54 p.m. June 18 (AP)
U.S.: Shiites behind deadly truck bombing in Baghdad: Faisal Mohammed stayed behind as his wife Zainab took their five children shopping at a market. Now they are gone – victims of a truck bombing that killed 63 people. Only Mohammed survived.
BAGHDAD, 6:56 a.m. June 18 (AP)
Iranian opposition criticizes Iraqi government: An Iranian opposition group said Wednesday that the Iraqi government's move to ban dealings with it reflected pressures on Baghdad by Iran.
KABUL, Afghanistan, 7:46 a.m. June 18 (AP)
U.S.: 4 helicopter engines worth $13M missing: The U.S. military says four helicopter engines worth $13 million are missing in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
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Sergeant was slated for mid-tour visit home: Alejandro A. Dominguez loved the Army so much that he listed “my tank manual” as his favorite book on his MySpace page.
House panel hears opposing views on gay ban in military: Opponents of the ban on gays openly serving in the military used the first hearing on the issue in 15 years to argue that times have changed and the nation no longer can afford to exclude anyone based on sexual orientation.
The Iraq Study Group report released Dec. 6, 2006 (PDF).
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