Iraq

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Cheney makes unannounced visit to Baghdad to press reconciliation among rival Iraqi factions...

Reuters

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday on an unannounced visit, at a time when pressure from Washington is growing on the Iraqi government to meet political benchmarks aimed at healing sectarian divisions. John Roberts, the U.S. embassy information officer in Baghdad, said Cheney would meet with senior Iraqi officials. He gave no further details. Cheney is on a tour of the Middle East.

'Victory' in Iraq Proves an Elusive Pursuit

FoxNews.com

WASHINGTON — Coalition forces succeeded years ago in toppling the government of Saddam Hussein, but a declaration of "victory" in Iraq has proven elusive. With U.S. troops still in the country fighting Al Qaeda in Iraq and other insurgents, few can agree on how to define success. Administration officials and military analysts suggest that a U.S. victory in Iraq would mean leaving behind a country that can maintain a functioning democracy rather than serve as an incubator for terrorism. "Victory is a stable, Iraqi government and democracy," said FOX News military analyst and retired Col. David Hunt, who added that Americans need to get over their "World War II armistice on the battleship idea of victory" because it just doesn't fit this war.

Iraq exit could spell disaster, experts warn

CNN.com

(CNN) -- Pulling U.S. forces from Iraq could trigger catastrophe, CNN analysts and other observers warn, affecting not just Iraq but its neighbors in the Middle East, with far-reaching global implications. Sectarian violence could erupt on a scale never seen before in Iraq if coalition troops leave before Iraq's security forces are ready. Supporters of al Qaeda could develop an international hub of terror from which to threaten the West. And the likely civil war could draw countries like Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Iran into a broader conflict. President Bush vetoed a war spending bill Tuesday precisely because the Democrat-led Congress required the first U.S. combat troops to be withdrawn by October 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later.

Will Bush veto 'thought police'?

WorldNetDaily

The nation's largest public policy women's group is asking President Bush to commit to a veto of a "hate crimes" plan that, as WND has reported, opponents fear would target Christians and be used to demolish both freedom of speech and religion in the United States. "Last week the House Judiciary Committee, egged on by radical homosexual groups, passed what can only be called a Thought Crimes bill," said former White House insider Chuck Colson in his Breakpoint commentary. "It's called the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. But this bill is not about hate. It's not even about crime. It's about outlawing peaceful speech – speech that asserts that homosexual behavior is morally wrong."

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Showdown looms after Bush veto

CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Four years to the day after standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier and declaring "major combat operations" in Iraq were over, President Bush on Tuesday vetoed a war-spending bill that calls for the start of a withdrawal of American combat troops from the conflict. "It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars. ... Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure, and that would be irresponsible," Bush said in a televised address after the veto.

Unconfirmed reports say al Qaeda in Iraq leader dead

CNN.com

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Unconfirmed reports Tuesday indicated that Al Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri had died in fighting between rival militant groups north of the Iraqi capital, according to an Interior Ministry spokesman. "We received intelligence reports of al-Masri getting killed in clashes between al-Qaeda in Iraq and other militant groups, at dawn today, in al-Niba'ie in Taji, north of Baghdad," Brig. Gen. Abdul Karim Khalaf said. According to Khalaf, the reports are based on "very strong intelligence," but he added al-Masri's body has not been seen and stressed that the reported battle was an internal fight between rival militant groups -- no Iraqi troops were involved.

Congress Clears Iraq Bill; Veto Awaits

Time

(WASHINGTON) — In a bold wartime challenge to President Bush, the Democratic-controlled Congress cleared legislation Thursday to begin withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by Oct. 1 with a goal of a complete pullout six months later. The White House dismissed the legislation as "dead before arrival." The 51-46 Senate vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage a day earlier it underscored that the war's congressional opponents are far short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a Bush veto.

Was Tehran Behind an Iraq Raid?

Time

When unknown gunmen abducted and killed five American soldiers from a joint U.S.-Iraqi base in Karbala in January, suspicion immediately fell on an elite Iranian paramilitary outfit called the Quds Force. The attack certainly bore signs of elaborate planning and professional execution: Nine to twelve fighters wearing U.S.-style military uniforms slipped onto the base driving sport utility vehicles, apparently duping guards at the gate. Once inside, the gunmen opened fire and threw grenades, killing one American soldier before seizing four others and speeding away. The entire operation was completed in roughly 20 minutes.

Senate Iraq vote would push showdown with Bush

CNN.com

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate is expected Thursday to follow the lead of its defiant counterparts in the House, who in the face of a threatened presidential veto, passed a bill calling for U.S. combat forces in Iraq to be withdrawn next year. Senate passage would set the stage for a showdown between President Bush and congressional Democrats, who do not appear to have the necessary two-thirds support to override a veto. The House of Representatives late Wednesday approved a $124 billion funding bill for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that includes a timetable for withdrawing troops. The bill requires the "redeployment" of troops to begin October 1 and be complete by April 1, 2008.

Cheney, Reid Spar Over Iraq Policy

Time

(WASHINGTON) — Vice President Dick Cheney accused Democratic leader Harry Reid on Tuesday of personally pursuing a defeatist strategy in Iraq to win votes at home — a charge Reid dismissed as President Bush's "attack dog" lashing out. The particularly harsh exchange came just hours after Bush said he would veto the latest war spending bill taking shape in Congress, which includes a timetable for withdrawing from Iraq.

Pelosi Won't Attend Petraeus Briefing

ABC News

WASHINGTON, Apr. 24, 2007— As the House and Senate prepare to vote this week on the final conference report on the $124 billion troop funding bill — which would also mandate that U.S. combat troops begin withdrawing from Iraq on Oct. 1 at the latest — Gen. David Petraeus is scheduled to come to the Hill tomorrow to brief lawmakers on the progress of the recent troop escalation. ABC News has learned, however, that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will not attend the briefing.

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9 U.S. Soldiers Killed in Suicide Bombing in Iraq

New York Times

BAGHDAD, Tuesday, April 24 — A devastating suicide car bombing on Monday killed nine American soldiers near a patrol base in Diyala Province, the military announced early Tuesday morning. Today, The Islamic State of Iraq, an insurgent group that includes Al Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the attack, The Associated Press reported, citing a Web statement.

Iraqi PM Orders Halt To Baghdad Wall

CBS News

(CBS/AP) The U.S. ambassador to Iraq said Monday that the American military will "respect the wishes" of the Iraqi government regarding a barrier being built around a Sunni enclave in Baghdad, but he stopped short of saying construction would stop. Ambassador Ryan Crocker made his comments a day after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said he had asked that the building of the barrier in Azamiyah to stop after the project drew strong criticism from residents and Sunni leaders.

Analysis: Iraq Surge May Be Extended

ABC News

WASHINGTON Apr 21, 2007 (AP)— The Pentagon is laying the groundwork to extend the U.S. troop buildup in Iraq. At the same time, the administration is warning Iraqi leaders that the boost in forces could be reversed if political reconciliation is not evident by summer. This approach underscores the central difficulty facing President Bush. If political progress is not possible in the relatively short term, then the justification for sending thousands more U.S. troops to Baghdad and accepting the rising U.S. combat death toll that has resulted will disappear. That in turn would put even more pressure on Bush to yield to the Democratic-led push to wind down the war in coming months.

U.S. Kills 5 Suspects, Capture 30 in Anbar Province Raid

FoxNews.com

BAGHDAD — Two explosions rocked Baghdad at midday Wednesday, killing at least 15 people and wounding 19, police said. Meanwhile, U.S. troops killed five suspects and captured 30 others in a raid in Iraq's western Anbar province, a day after police uncovered 17 decomposing corpses beneath two school yards in the provincial capital. The U.S. military also announced a discovery made nearly a week earlier — 3,000 gallons of nitric acid hidden in a warehouse in downtown Baghdad. U.S. forces found the acid — a key component in fertilizer but also explosives — during a routine search operation last Thursday, the military said.

Iraq truck bomb attack thwarted

CNN.com

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A dump truck loaded with a nitric acid and explosives overturned before carrying out an attack on a joint U.S.-Iraqi post in a small village north of Baghdad Monday, according to the U.S. military. The coalition patrol captured the driver, who confessed he had been paid to detonate a truck bomb at the Joint Security Station in the village of Mashada, 30 miles north of Baghdad, the military said in a statement released Tuesday. The coalition patrol found eight containers of nitric aid, eight explosives and two large rounds of ordnance while trying to help the driver who had wrecked the vehicle.

Al-Sadr Followers to Quit Iraq Cabinet

Time

(BAGHDAD) — Radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ordered his followers to withdraw from Iraq's coalition government on Monday, the head of his parliamentary bloc said. Al-Sadr's ministers will "withdraw immediately from the Iraqi government and give the six Cabinet seats to the government, with the hope that they will be given to independents who represent the will of the people," said Nassar al-Rubaie, head of al-Sadr's bloc, reading a statement from the cleric. The Cabinet withdrawal, while unlikely to topple Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government, would deal a significant blow to the U.S.-backed leader, who also relied on support from the Sadrists to gain office.

Red Cross: Iraq situation 'ever-worsening'

CNN.com

GENEVA, Switzerland (AP) -- The situation for civilians in Iraq is "ever-worsening," even though security in some places has improved as a result of stepped-up efforts by U.S.-led multinational forces, the international Red Cross said Wednesday. It is difficult to determine the numbers of people killed in shootings, bombings and military operations, but the overall picture of what is happening the country has been steadily deteriorating, with numbers of refugees swelling, medical staff fleeing and other problems growing, a key official said. "It is clear that the security situation has improved in certain instances," especially in southern Iraq, said Pierre Kraehenbuehl, director of operations of the International Committee of the Red Cross, or ICRC.

Officials: Iraqi Prime Minister Barred From Iranian Airspace

FoxNews.com

BAGHDAD — Iran refused to allow the Iraqi prime minister to fly across its airspace as he was traveling to Tokyo, members of the delegation traveling with Nouri al-Maliki told The Associated Press early Sunday. The delegation members said al-Maliki's plane was diverted on Saturday night to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where al-Maliki stayed in the airport for more than three hours while his government aircraft was refueled and a new flight plan was filed. Two members of the delegation told AP about the incident by telephone from Dubai. A government official in Baghdad confirmed their account. All spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the information.

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