Al Qaeda in Iraq "never closer to defeat": U.S. envoy

Here's some progress."The U.S. ambassador to Iraq praisedPrime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Saturday for cracking down onShi'ite militias and Sunni Arab militants and said al Qaeda inIraq had never been closer to defeat."You are not going to hear me say that al Qaeda...

Cheney makes surprise visit to Iraq

As the deadline for the Iraq progress report looms closer, the Bush administration is refocusing attention on the conflict. "Vice President Dick Cheney landed in Baghdad today on an unannounced trip for meetings with U.S. military commanders and Iraqi officials before a...

Maliki orders security forces to crush foes

News from Iraq:"BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al- Maliki told his security forces on Tuesday to show no mercy toward insurgents in a security crackdown in Baghdad. Iraqiya state television showed Maliki, a Shi'ite Islamist leader, talking to an Iraqi soldier...

Iraq PM warns critics of Saddam's hanging

"Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has threatened to review relations with countries that have criticised the bungled execution of former president Saddam Hussein. Mr Maliki says the hanging was an internal matter and was conducted for the benefit of Iraq's unity. A...

Bush cancels meeting with Iraq PM; "Unheard of development" says AP

This was supposed to have been a big deal, until the New York Times reported a secret White House memo leaked Nov. 28, just a day before the meeting was to have taken place. Now Pres. Bush has cancelled the "Iraq summit meeting" with Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki....

Iraq's Violence Spins Beyond Anyone's Control

"t has been clear for some time that the U.S. is not in control of events in Iraq. But the latest sectarian bloodshed suggests that even help from Iran and Syria may not be enough to stop the slide into chaos. If this week's announcement that President Bush is to meet Iraq's...

Iraqi prime minister asserts independence - Christian Science Monitor

" Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered the dismantling of US checkpoints in Bagdhad, prompting boasts from Shiite militants. By Scott Peterson | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor BAGHDAD – Shiites from the crowded Baghdad district of Sadr City are reveling...

Baghdad bombs kill 21

U.S. officers have warned that Iraq could descend into civil war unless violence was curbed. "Security forces battled armed gangs and insurgents in two Iraqi cities on Wednesday as bomb attacks killed 21 in the capital, highlighting the precarious task facing U.S.-led forces...