IRAQ: Iranian shelling of Iraq’s Kurdistan region kills 2 Iraqis as hundreds forced to flee homes

Sameer N. Yacoub | The Washington Post | July 25, 2011

SULAIMANIYAH, Iraq — Iranian forces shelled suspected rebel outposts in Iraq’s semiautonomous Kurdish region, killing two Iraqi civilians, officials said Monday, in the latest in a string of cross-border attacks that have forced hundreds of residents to flee.

The artillery fire hit the small Iraqi town of Sidkan, about 12 miles (20 kilometers) from the Iraq-Iran frontier, said Sidkan mayor Ahmed Qadir. He added that three residents were wounded in the four hours of shelling. Kurdish border guard Capt. Ahmed Saleh confirmed the casualties.

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SYRIA: 32 killed in Syria protests, Damascus moves-activists

REUTERS | Khaled Yakoub Oweis | July 15, 2011

 

Syrian forces killed at least 32 civilians on Friday, including 23 in the capital Damascus, in an intensifying crackdown on protests against President Bashar al-Assad, activists said.

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IRAQ: Will Iran’s Influence In Iraq Wax Or Wane? – Analysis

Eurasia Review, By David Clark

May 3, 201

On 27 November 2008, the Iraqi Parliament ratified the final Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the United States. Under SOFA, U.S. combat forces would withdraw from Iraqi cities by 30 June 2009, and all U.S. forces will be completely out of Iraq by 31 December 2011, but allowing for further negotiation if Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s Prime Minister, believes the country is not stable enough.

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IRAQ: U.N. confirms 34 dead at Iranian camp in Iraq

Reuters, By Louis Charbonneau

April 14, 2011

UNITED NATIONS, April 14 (Reuters) – The United Nations on Thursday confirmed 34 people have been found dead at an Iranian dissident camp in Iraq after Iraqi security forces moved against the camp last week.

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IRAQ: Iraq far behind in mine clearance

By PATRICK QUINN – 18 hours ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi government’s failure to grasp the scope of its land mine and bomb problem has derailed efforts to clear what is considered one of the world’s most contaminated countries, two United Nations agencies said Wednesday.

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