Gourt > Regional > Middle East > Iraq (49)
Iraq (Arabic: العراق () al-‘Irāq, Kurdish: عيَراق), officially the Republic of Iraq, is a Middle Eastern country in southwestern Asia encompassing most of Mesopotamia as well as the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range and the eastern part of the Syrian Desert. It shares a border with Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the west, Syria to the northwest, Turkey to the north, and Iran (Persia) to the east. It has a very narrow section of coastline at Umm Qasr on the Persian Gulf. It is considered the place where a settled society to have manifested all the features needed to qualify fully as a "civilization" first appeared in the world - the civilization known as Sumeria.
Name
There are several suggestions for the origin of the name of Iraq; one dates back to the Sumerian city of Uruk (or Erech). Another suggestion is that Iraq comes from the Aramaic language, meaning "the land along the banks of the southern rivers."
Under the Sassanid dynasty, there was a region called "Iraq Arabi" which referred to the southern part of modern Iraq. Al-Iraq was the name used by the Arabs themselves for the land since the 6th century.
More on [ Iraq ]
Asia
Iraq :: Specific Conflicts
Arabic
The Economist: Iraq's troubles
Baghdad's Green Zone goes dry: Stop that naughty Western habit
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
Life for Westerners in Iraq’s capital becomes less bearableRESIDENTS of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where nearly all Western civilians in the capital still live in around 100 compounds, along with several thousand soldiers, have long enjoyed a relatively privileged life. Unlike just about everyone else in Iraq, they have electricity that keeps them permanently cool, lights their rooms, plays their music, and runs their fridges around the clock. Their water is clean; loos flush. Above all, suicide-bombers and other insurgents are generally kept out by a maze of high concrete walls and stringently checked entry points, though the occasional lethal bomb has gone off and in bad times rockets and mortars have rained down. Compared with the rest of Baghdad, fatalities have been rare.Now, however, the residents of the Green Zone are taking a big hit. Many of its diplomats, security people, lobbyists and aid workers have been used to whiling away their evenings at cocktail parties or in bars. But the Iraqi government is banning the transport and sale of alcohol inside the zone even though alcohol will remain legal in other parts of the country. Liquor stores must close after selling off their stock. Restaurants have been told to go dry. ...
Iraq's coming election: The region's liveliest system
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
Amid the bickering and chicanery, people are engaging in democracySOMETIMES it seems as if Iraqi politicians cannot agree on anything. Parliament has taken months debating a bill to pave the way to elections on January 16th, though at least 296 parties have declared their intention to compete at the polls. Yet outside the chamber many members say they want the same things. The era of sectarian division, they all insist, is over. Shias and Sunnis embrace at press conferences as they present electoral alliances. In the name of reconciliation, politicians disavow the militias that once killed on their behalf. Banners proclaim the goal of “national unity”. Is there any sign that such fine dreams might ever come true?For all the backbiting, progress is plain. After months of negotiations, six main electoral blocks have emerged to meet a looming deadline for registering alliances. The three that look most genuinely post-sectarian may well be the strongest. The rest sport fig-leaves of diversity but are tainted with past sectarian violence. ...
Bombs and politics in Iraq: No end in sight
Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:53:57 -0000
Another “spectacular” raises doubts about American troop withdrawalsTWO car bombs that exploded on October 25th in the centre of Baghdad claimed the lives of at least 155 people and injured more than 700. The main targets were the Ministry of Justice and the office of the governor of Baghdad province. Almost simultaneously the explosions blew windows and their frames several hundred metres along Haifa Street, near the fortified Green Zone. Burst water mains flooded parts of the area, washing over charred bodies and through burned cars. This was the second such attack in two months and the bloodiest in two years. On August 19th bombs destroyed several government buildings, including the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, killing about 100 people. Since then, a new sense of crisis has enveloped the Iraqi capital. The overall number of attacks has decreased in the past year, but spectacular assaults are on the rise. This is affecting politics. Elections are due in January and security is now a big issue. Within hours of the bombings, some politicians were pointing fingers. “Voters know these are manipulations by the Saddamists,” says Ammar al-Hakim, the new leader of the largest Shia party. Many other Iraqis blame the same Sunni insurgents, including al-Qaeda and members of Saddam Hussein’s former regime. On October 27th a group calling itself Islamic State in Iraq, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying it had attacked “dens of infidelity” in the capital. ...
Baghdad bombs: Bloodbath in Baghdad
Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:39:00 -0000
At least 155 die in the worst bombings in Iraq of the past two yearsTWO car bombs turned Baghdad into a killing field on Sunday October 25th, claiming the lives of at least 155 people and injuring hundreds more. The main targets were the ministry of justice and public works and the office of the governor of Baghdad province. Almost simultaneously the explosions sent windows and their frames several hundred metres along Haifa Street, near the fortified Green Zone. Burst water mains flooded parts of the area, washing over charred bodies and through burned cars. This was the second such attack in two months, but the bloodiest in two years. On August 19th bombs destroyed several government buildings including the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, killing perhaps 100 people. The new attack has heightened the sense of crisis in the Iraqi capital. The past two years have seen fewer bombings and fewer people killed than in the years before. But insurgents are now focusing on spectacular assaults in an effort to affect the political situation. Elections are due in January and security is a big issue. As in Afghanistan, where the Taliban stepped up attacks during the election campaign, more bombings are likely in the coming months. Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, had been claiming credit for ending the descent into civil war and is therefore vulnerable. Voters might also punish political parties with their own militias, if they are seen to be associating with terrorists. ...
Iraq's fragile security: Jangling nerves
Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:43:08 -0000
As the Americans prepare to go and an election looms, anxiety is rising againTHE outlook remains far rosier than two years ago. Violence has dropped to the level of a few months after the American invasion in 2003. Voters are likely to turn out in large numbers for a general election scheduled for January 16th. So far, the main electoral alliances are being drawn from across the sectarian spectrum. It has yet to be determined whether Iraq will be Islamist, federal or centralised in character and constitution. But most politicians seem sincere in insisting that this will be decided by parliament and not by force. The insurgents are too weak to overthrow the newly emerging order. They control no swathes of Iraq, as they once did. There are some dangerous areas, but the Iraqi forces can go more or less where they please.Even so, the continuing presence of 120,000 American soldiers still underpins security, though they stopped patrolling the streets in July. But Barack Obama this week reassured Iraq’s prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, who was visiting Washington, that all American combat troops would be out by the end of next August and that all troops would have left by the end of 2011. ...
Afghanistan and Iraq: Blood and treasure
Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:01:37 -0000
The costs of the Afghanistan and Iraq warsEIGHT years after the toppling of the Taliban, the prospects for the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan seem worse than ever. Battered by mounting casualties, Western support for the war has been further dented by a wildly rigged presidential election in favour of the incumbent, Hamid Karzai. But against this gloomy backdrop it is worth remembering that in 2006, before the American surge, prospects in Iraq looked far bleaker than they do now in Afghanistan, even though the allies had many more foreign and local troops. America still spends more on Iraq but it is decreasing as the focus switches to Afghanistan. Barack Obama is faced with a request from the American and NATO commander in the country, General Stanley McChrystal, for large numbers of extra soldiers. ...
NPR Topics: Iraq
Smugglers In Iraq Have A New Trade: Corpses
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:11:00 -0500
Stalled for 30 years by invasion, war and rebellions, the flow of corpses from outside Iraq to the Shiite holy cemetery in Najaf has resumed. But plenty of risk remains as traffickers share the country's borders with drug smugglers and other criminals — a price they're willing to pay for the hefty compensation.
Dissident Iranians Live In Limbo In Iraq
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:15:00 -0500
A group of Iranian dissidents living in Iraq since the 1980s poses a dilemma for the U.S. government. The Mujahedeen-e Khalq organization was given U.S. military protection in 2003 after the American-led invasion of Iraq, but now the Iraqi government wants it out. The trouble is that the Iranians don't want to leave.
Iraq Reconstruction Program Needs Its Own Rebuild
Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400
The U.S. government established the "CERP" fund — Commander's Emergency Response Program — to win hearts and minds in Iraq by building schools, roads and water purification facilities that the country needs. Today, almost two years later, the program is still marred by allegations of corruption and waste. Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, is leading the battle to clean up CERP. He joins host Scott Simon to talk about the progress he's made and where he'd like to see improvement.
Iraqis Fear New Enemy: H1N1 Virus
Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:43:00 -0400
Fewer than 500 cases of H1N1 have been reported in Iraq, but it's not uncommon to see schoolchildren walking home wearing surgical masks. Fear of the virus has caused a rash of school closures, and is even preventing some Iraqis from making this year's pilgrimage to Mecca.
Iraq Election Delays Threaten U.S. Troop Withdrawal
Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:35:00 -0400
The deadlock over Iraq's election law is threatening to become a full-blown crisis. Without a deal by this weekend, Iraq will run out of time to organize an election before the government's term expires. A long delay might even trip up the pace of American troop withdrawal.
Battle Against IEDs Spreads From Iraq To Afghanistan
Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:00 -0400
Homemade bombs are the biggest killer of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, one idea that has worked to protect troops from the bombs is called Task Force ODIN. Now, that strategy, which relies on aerial surveillance video, is heading to Afghanistan.
Alsumaria TV Iraq, Iraq news | Iraq News | RSS feed
Christians call to investigate attacks against them
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:33:00 -0000
The visit of UN Chief’s special envoy to Iraq Oscar Fernandez spurred calls to include other incidents of violence in the international investigation. Christians stressed the necessity to include attacks against them in the investigation commission when formed. MP Yunadim Kanna told reporters ...
Larijani’s visit to Baghdad subject to criticism
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:15:00 -0000
Head of Iran’s Shura Council Ali Larijani’s visit to Baghdad was subject to great criticism by some political parties. Parties argued that Larijani’s visit is driven by political agendas namely unifying some alliances to engage in parliamentary elections, they said. For more details, click ...
Al Maliki submits evidence to UN Chief envoy
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:48:00 -0000
UN Chief’s special envoy to Iraq Oscar Fernandez appointed to review Iraq’s demand to form an investigation commission into Baghdad recent bombings received from Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki in addition to a number of ministers and security chiefs evidence on the implication of some ...
Kurdistan alliance accepts Kirkuk proposal
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0000
Kurdistan Alliance MP Abdul Bari Zebari told Al Hayat Newspaper that his party has accepted the legal committee’s proposal over the elections law which gives Kirkuk a special status. The federal court is likely to refuse the proposal as it would deem it unconstitutional, Zebari said. He ...
Iraq election law comes to decisive juncture
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:45:00 -0000
Today is expected to be decisive over Iraq’s elections law after the Independent High Electoral Commission has warned to delay elections if the law is not ratified today. Head of political parties and Parliament intensified talks and discussions to unify their stands hoping to reach a ...
US base in Iraq shelled with mortars
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:34:00 -0000
Police and US Army sources said that 5 mortars fell on the biggest US base near Baghdad International Airport. However, no further details were delivered. A police source said that the 5 mortars were launched from Al Jihad neighborhood towards the US base at 7:30 Tuesday night. US Army spokeswoman ...
Subscribe to Iraq RSS feed 
Baghdad's Green Zone goes dry: Stop that naughty Western habit
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
Life for Westerners in Iraq’s capital becomes less bearableRESIDENTS of Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone, where nearly all Western civilians in the capital still live in around 100 compounds, along with several thousand soldiers, have long enjoyed a relatively privileged life. Unlike just about everyone else in Iraq, they have electricity that keeps them permanently cool, lights their rooms, plays their music, and runs their fridges around the clock. Their water is clean; loos flush. Above all, suicide-bombers and other insurgents are generally kept out by a maze of high concrete walls and stringently checked entry points, though the occasional lethal bomb has gone off and in bad times rockets and mortars have rained down. Compared with the rest of Baghdad, fatalities have been rare.Now, however, the residents of the Green Zone are taking a big hit. Many of its diplomats, security people, lobbyists and aid workers have been used to whiling away their evenings at cocktail parties or in bars. But the Iraqi government is banning the transport and sale of alcohol inside the zone even though alcohol will remain legal in other parts of the country. Liquor stores must close after selling off their stock. Restaurants have been told to go dry. ...
Iraq's coming election: The region's liveliest system
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:01:12 -0000
Amid the bickering and chicanery, people are engaging in democracySOMETIMES it seems as if Iraqi politicians cannot agree on anything. Parliament has taken months debating a bill to pave the way to elections on January 16th, though at least 296 parties have declared their intention to compete at the polls. Yet outside the chamber many members say they want the same things. The era of sectarian division, they all insist, is over. Shias and Sunnis embrace at press conferences as they present electoral alliances. In the name of reconciliation, politicians disavow the militias that once killed on their behalf. Banners proclaim the goal of “national unity”. Is there any sign that such fine dreams might ever come true?For all the backbiting, progress is plain. After months of negotiations, six main electoral blocks have emerged to meet a looming deadline for registering alliances. The three that look most genuinely post-sectarian may well be the strongest. The rest sport fig-leaves of diversity but are tainted with past sectarian violence. ...
Bombs and politics in Iraq: No end in sight
Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:53:57 -0000
Another “spectacular” raises doubts about American troop withdrawalsTWO car bombs that exploded on October 25th in the centre of Baghdad claimed the lives of at least 155 people and injured more than 700. The main targets were the Ministry of Justice and the office of the governor of Baghdad province. Almost simultaneously the explosions blew windows and their frames several hundred metres along Haifa Street, near the fortified Green Zone. Burst water mains flooded parts of the area, washing over charred bodies and through burned cars. This was the second such attack in two months and the bloodiest in two years. On August 19th bombs destroyed several government buildings, including the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, killing about 100 people. Since then, a new sense of crisis has enveloped the Iraqi capital. The overall number of attacks has decreased in the past year, but spectacular assaults are on the rise. This is affecting politics. Elections are due in January and security is now a big issue. Within hours of the bombings, some politicians were pointing fingers. “Voters know these are manipulations by the Saddamists,” says Ammar al-Hakim, the new leader of the largest Shia party. Many other Iraqis blame the same Sunni insurgents, including al-Qaeda and members of Saddam Hussein’s former regime. On October 27th a group calling itself Islamic State in Iraq, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda in Iraq, claimed responsibility for the bombings, saying it had attacked “dens of infidelity” in the capital. ...
Baghdad bombs: Bloodbath in Baghdad
Mon, 26 Oct 2009 07:39:00 -0000
At least 155 die in the worst bombings in Iraq of the past two yearsTWO car bombs turned Baghdad into a killing field on Sunday October 25th, claiming the lives of at least 155 people and injuring hundreds more. The main targets were the ministry of justice and public works and the office of the governor of Baghdad province. Almost simultaneously the explosions sent windows and their frames several hundred metres along Haifa Street, near the fortified Green Zone. Burst water mains flooded parts of the area, washing over charred bodies and through burned cars. This was the second such attack in two months, but the bloodiest in two years. On August 19th bombs destroyed several government buildings including the ministries of finance and foreign affairs, killing perhaps 100 people. The new attack has heightened the sense of crisis in the Iraqi capital. The past two years have seen fewer bombings and fewer people killed than in the years before. But insurgents are now focusing on spectacular assaults in an effort to affect the political situation. Elections are due in January and security is a big issue. As in Afghanistan, where the Taliban stepped up attacks during the election campaign, more bombings are likely in the coming months. Iraq's prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, had been claiming credit for ending the descent into civil war and is therefore vulnerable. Voters might also punish political parties with their own militias, if they are seen to be associating with terrorists. ...
Iraq's fragile security: Jangling nerves
Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:43:08 -0000
As the Americans prepare to go and an election looms, anxiety is rising againTHE outlook remains far rosier than two years ago. Violence has dropped to the level of a few months after the American invasion in 2003. Voters are likely to turn out in large numbers for a general election scheduled for January 16th. So far, the main electoral alliances are being drawn from across the sectarian spectrum. It has yet to be determined whether Iraq will be Islamist, federal or centralised in character and constitution. But most politicians seem sincere in insisting that this will be decided by parliament and not by force. The insurgents are too weak to overthrow the newly emerging order. They control no swathes of Iraq, as they once did. There are some dangerous areas, but the Iraqi forces can go more or less where they please.Even so, the continuing presence of 120,000 American soldiers still underpins security, though they stopped patrolling the streets in July. But Barack Obama this week reassured Iraq’s prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, who was visiting Washington, that all American combat troops would be out by the end of next August and that all troops would have left by the end of 2011. ...
Afghanistan and Iraq: Blood and treasure
Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:01:37 -0000
The costs of the Afghanistan and Iraq warsEIGHT years after the toppling of the Taliban, the prospects for the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan seem worse than ever. Battered by mounting casualties, Western support for the war has been further dented by a wildly rigged presidential election in favour of the incumbent, Hamid Karzai. But against this gloomy backdrop it is worth remembering that in 2006, before the American surge, prospects in Iraq looked far bleaker than they do now in Afghanistan, even though the allies had many more foreign and local troops. America still spends more on Iraq but it is decreasing as the focus switches to Afghanistan. Barack Obama is faced with a request from the American and NATO commander in the country, General Stanley McChrystal, for large numbers of extra soldiers. ...
NPR Topics: Iraq
Smugglers In Iraq Have A New Trade: Corpses
Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:11:00 -0500
Stalled for 30 years by invasion, war and rebellions, the flow of corpses from outside Iraq to the Shiite holy cemetery in Najaf has resumed. But plenty of risk remains as traffickers share the country's borders with drug smugglers and other criminals — a price they're willing to pay for the hefty compensation.
Dissident Iranians Live In Limbo In Iraq
Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:15:00 -0500
A group of Iranian dissidents living in Iraq since the 1980s poses a dilemma for the U.S. government. The Mujahedeen-e Khalq organization was given U.S. military protection in 2003 after the American-led invasion of Iraq, but now the Iraqi government wants it out. The trouble is that the Iranians don't want to leave.
Iraq Reconstruction Program Needs Its Own Rebuild
Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:00:00 -0400
The U.S. government established the "CERP" fund — Commander's Emergency Response Program — to win hearts and minds in Iraq by building schools, roads and water purification facilities that the country needs. Today, almost two years later, the program is still marred by allegations of corruption and waste. Stuart Bowen, the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction, is leading the battle to clean up CERP. He joins host Scott Simon to talk about the progress he's made and where he'd like to see improvement.
Iraqis Fear New Enemy: H1N1 Virus
Sat, 31 Oct 2009 06:43:00 -0400
Fewer than 500 cases of H1N1 have been reported in Iraq, but it's not uncommon to see schoolchildren walking home wearing surgical masks. Fear of the virus has caused a rash of school closures, and is even preventing some Iraqis from making this year's pilgrimage to Mecca.
Iraq Election Delays Threaten U.S. Troop Withdrawal
Thu, 29 Oct 2009 07:35:00 -0400
The deadlock over Iraq's election law is threatening to become a full-blown crisis. Without a deal by this weekend, Iraq will run out of time to organize an election before the government's term expires. A long delay might even trip up the pace of American troop withdrawal.
Battle Against IEDs Spreads From Iraq To Afghanistan
Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:01:00 -0400
Homemade bombs are the biggest killer of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, one idea that has worked to protect troops from the bombs is called Task Force ODIN. Now, that strategy, which relies on aerial surveillance video, is heading to Afghanistan.
Alsumaria TV Iraq, Iraq news | Iraq News | RSS feed
Christians call to investigate attacks against them
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:33:00 -0000
The visit of UN Chief’s special envoy to Iraq Oscar Fernandez spurred calls to include other incidents of violence in the international investigation. Christians stressed the necessity to include attacks against them in the investigation commission when formed. MP Yunadim Kanna told reporters ...
Larijani’s visit to Baghdad subject to criticism
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:15:00 -0000
Head of Iran’s Shura Council Ali Larijani’s visit to Baghdad was subject to great criticism by some political parties. Parties argued that Larijani’s visit is driven by political agendas namely unifying some alliances to engage in parliamentary elections, they said. For more details, click ...
Al Maliki submits evidence to UN Chief envoy
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:48:00 -0000
UN Chief’s special envoy to Iraq Oscar Fernandez appointed to review Iraq’s demand to form an investigation commission into Baghdad recent bombings received from Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki in addition to a number of ministers and security chiefs evidence on the implication of some ...
Kurdistan alliance accepts Kirkuk proposal
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:26:00 -0000
Kurdistan Alliance MP Abdul Bari Zebari told Al Hayat Newspaper that his party has accepted the legal committee’s proposal over the elections law which gives Kirkuk a special status. The federal court is likely to refuse the proposal as it would deem it unconstitutional, Zebari said. He ...
Iraq election law comes to decisive juncture
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:45:00 -0000
Today is expected to be decisive over Iraq’s elections law after the Independent High Electoral Commission has warned to delay elections if the law is not ratified today. Head of political parties and Parliament intensified talks and discussions to unify their stands hoping to reach a ...
US base in Iraq shelled with mortars
Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:34:00 -0000
Police and US Army sources said that 5 mortars fell on the biggest US base near Baghdad International Airport. However, no further details were delivered. A police source said that the 5 mortars were launched from Al Jihad neighborhood towards the US base at 7:30 Tuesday night. US Army spokeswoman ...
Frontline Endgame- Part 2: New Commander/New Strategies |
