IRAQ: ‘We’re Not Living, Just Not Dying’

Compared to most internally displaced Kurds in northern Iraq, Shamal Qadir is almost lucky. Since the Turkish army devastated his village, Kuzine, in a bombing raid Jul. 1, he's been living in a schoolhouse, where room temperatures are comfortable and basic amenities are accessible.

New Hardships Intensify Debate Over Iran-Iraq War

Ongoing factional disputes and mounting international sanctions have ignited heated debates among Iran's elites about another critical period in the country's post- revolutionary history - the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.

Obama Drops 2009 Pledge to Withdraw Combat Troops from Iraq

Seventeen months after President Barack Obama pledged to withdraw all combat brigades from Iraq by Sep. 1, 2010, he quietly abandoned that pledge Monday, admitting implicitly that such combat brigades would remain until the end of 2011.

Despite Iraq Withdrawal, Greater Mideast Not Looking Good

While President Barack Obama Monday touted the continuing U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq as a key marker in the success of his regional policies, the latest news from the Greater Middle East, as well as a new public opinion survey, is far less encouraging.

Families of Dead U.S. Vets Accuse Insurer of Massive Scam

Prudential cheated the families of dead U.S. soldiers and Marines out of more than 100 million dollars in interest on their life-insurance policies, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in a Massachusetts federal court.

Hearings Reveal Lapses in Private Security in War Zones

Jerry Torres, CEO of Torres Advanced Enterprise Solutions, has a motto: "For Torres, failure is not an option." A former member of the Green Berets, one of the elite U.S. Army Special Forces, he was awarded "Executive of the Year" at the seventh annual "Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards" in November 2009.

Fragile States Becoming More Fragile

Some of the world's weakest states are becoming ever more fragile, according to the 2010 edition of the annual "Failed States Index" (FSI) released here Monday by Foreign Policy magazine and the independent Fund for Peace (FFP).

Surge of Think Tanks Blurs U.S. Policy Lines – Part 2

There has been a growing tendency in recent years for think tanks and military brass to jointly pursue policy objectives, some of which are opposed by the public or the White House.

Surge of Think Tanks Blurs U.S. Policy Lines – Part 1

In early May, Gen. David Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, was awarded the American Enterprise Institute's Irving Kristol Award, which is given to individuals who have "made exceptional intellectual or practical contributions to improved government policy, social welfare, or political understanding".

U.S.: Do Armed Contractors Belong in War Zones?

Should private contractors like Blackwater be allowed to continue to provide armed security for convoys, diplomatic and other personnel, and military bases and other facilities in Afghanistan and Iraq? A bipartisan U.S. Congressional commission will spend two days cross-examining 14 witnesses from academia, government and the companies themselves to come up with an answer.

Draft U.N. Treaty Targets Security Firms in War Zones

A United Nations Working Group that monitors the activities of mercenaries worldwide is now trying to rein in the widespread human rights abuses by private military and security companies (PMSCs), which are being increasingly deployed in war zones and peacekeeping operations.

Iraqi Christians Cling to Their Faith in Jordanian Exile

As the 2003 United States-led invasion of Iraq began, the country’s Christians started streaming across the border into neighbouring Jordan. Today most of them continue to live here in abject poverty with no hope of ever returning to the land of their ancestors.

Pentagon Faces Battle in Effort to Reverse Military Contracting

Pentagon chief Robert Gates has called for a cutback of 15 billion dollars in wasteful military spending on contractors as well as government bureaucracy, or risk not being able to pay for its current force.

Zarqa Lives Up to al-Zarqawi’s Ideals

Infamous as the hometown of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the late al-Qaeda leader, Zarqa is dominated by Islamic parties.

IRAQ: Imam Assassination Sparks Fears of Violence

The assassination of Sheikh Ghazi Jabouri, a prominent Sunni Imam in the Al- Adhamiya district of Baghdad, has raised fears of renewed sectarian violence in the wake of the Mar. 7 elections.

Is Iraq’s Ultimate Survivor the Indispensable President?

While the question of who will become Iraq's future prime minister is still uncertain, when it comes to the presidency, incumbent Jalal Talabani stands the best chance of retaining the office.

POLITICS-EGYPT: Critics Question ElBaradei’s Promises of Change

Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), rocked Egypt's political arena last year by announcing his desire to contest the presidency. But while the idea has fired the imagination of political activists, many analysts remain sceptical.

IRAQ: Election Sets Off New Political Tussle

The March elections have only deepened political divisions, and brought more violence.

US-IRAQ: Lucrative KBR Contracts Unaffected by Troop Drawdown

Only one in nine hours billed by a contractor for running the giant military bases that house U.S. soldiers in Iraq in the first half of 2009 was for actual physical labour, according to new testimony by the Pentagon's auditors.

US-IRAQ: Leaked Video of Shooting Spurs Calls for New Probe

Journalist advocacy groups called for the reopening of an investigation into the 2007 killing of a Reuters photographer and his driver after the WikiLeaks website released classified video footage on Monday of a 2007 helicopter attack in Baghdad which killed 12 people.

IRAQ: Iran, Saudi Arabia’s Roles Play Out in Post-poll Crisis

While Iraq's election was largely a domestic affair, efforts there to form a new government in the weeks after the March poll have been bogged down by a flurry of contradictory pulls and pressures by several international actors.