USA Today - 38 minutes ago

Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for a "botched joke" that suggested U.S. troops in Iraq are uneducated, as Republicans continued to assail him and one Democrat returned a political contribution.

Boehner: Let's not blame Iraq woes on Rumsfeld

CNN.com - 1 hour, 25 minutes ago

House Majority Leader John Boehner's call for critics to lay off Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld because the generals are responsible for the conduct of the war in Iraq has sparked outrage among Democrats.

Kerry sorry for 'stuck in Iraq' remarks

AP via Yahoo! News - 1 hour, 35 minutes ago

Fearful of damaging his own party in next week's elections, Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday to "any service member, family member or American" offended by remarks deemed by Republicans and Democrats to be insulting to U.S. forces in Iraq.

With Iraq Driving Election, Voters Want New Approach

New York Times - 2 hours, 21 minutes ago

A substantial majority of Americans expect Democrats to reduce or end American military involvement in Iraq if they seize control of Congress next Tuesday.

Analysis: Iraq war dominates campaign

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 5:50 PM

Iraq has dominated the 2006 campaign and could end up costing Republicans control of Congress. The GOP once viewed the war as a political asset. Now, Republicans are hastily distancing themselves from President Bush as Democrats fiercely challenge the administration's policies amid signs that voters trust them more than the GOP on Iraq.

Iraq war is top issue for voters

International Herald Tribune - Nov 01 4:51 PM

According to a new poll voters cite Iraq as the most important issue affecting their decision in next Tuesday's elections.

Kroll to stay in Iraq as it looks to sell UK unit

Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 5:31 PM

U.S. security company Kroll has not pulled its staff from Iraq or Afghanistan but is looking to sell a UK-based subsidiary that operates in the two countries, Kroll's chief executive said on Wednesday.

First lady: World listening to Iraq talk

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 5:56 PM

First lady Laura Bush cautioned Wednesday that Americans discussing the war in Iraq especially politicians should be careful what they say because other countries are paying attention.

Discontent over Iraq drives US election agenda: pundits, poll

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 3:53 PM

Widespread dissatisfaction about Iraq gives Democrats their best chance in years of winning back Congress, according to a poll, although party leaders cautioned against over-optimism ahead of next week's midterm elections.

Poll finds Iraq, terrorism top issues with voters

CNN.com - Nov 01 4:19 PM

Iraq and terrorism top the list of issues that Americans consider "extremely important" as the country heads into the November 7 mid-term elections, a CNN telephone poll released Wednesday found.

In reversal, Kerry apologizes for remarks on Iraq soldiers

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 3:46 PM

Top Democrat John Kerry apologized for remarks widely seen as a slight against US troops in Iraq, as the clock ticked on the Democrats' push to win control of Congress in next week's vote.

Iraq invasion increased extremist threat: Iran's Khatami

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 3:21 PM

The US-led invasion of Iraq has increased the threat to the world from extremists, while Washington's attempts to impose Western-style democracy there have been a "joke", former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami said.

U.S. military deaths in Iraq at 2,817

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 3:45 PM

As of Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at least 2,817 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes seven military civilians. At least 2,259 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.

Cuban diplomat warns of U.S. plot modeled on Iraq to topple Castro

USA Today - Nov 01 12:53 PM

Cuba's ambassador in Venezuela accused the U.S. government on Wednesday of planning to overthrow President Fidel Castro and install a puppet regime using the invasion of Iraq as a model.

Kerry says sorry for "botched joke" on Iraq

Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 12:34 PM

Democratic Sen. John Kerry said on Wednesday he was sorry for a "botched joke" about Iraq, but Republicans and some Democrats demanded he apologize directly to U.S. troops as a bitter fight for control of Congress entered the final stretch.

White House dismisses chart of Iraq sliding toward 'chaos'

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 12:18 PM

The White House dismissed a leaked military chart that shows Iraq sliding toward "chaos" as an outdated snapshot of sectarian violence at the height of Ramadan that has since dropped sharply.

Military sees Iraq edging toward chaos: report

Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 10:54 AM

U.S. military commanders assessed two weeks ago that Iraq was edging toward chaos, according to a classified military chart published in the New York Times on Wednesday.

Military chart shows Iraq sliding toward "chaos"

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 11:39 AM

The Pentagon expressed regret over the leaking of a classified military briefing slide that shows sectarian violence in Iraq moving toward "chaos" on a color-coded scale.

Bush Seeks to Minimize Burden of Iraq on Republican Candidates

Bloomberg.com - 12 minutes ago

Nov. 2 (Bloomberg) -- President George W. Bush sought on several fronts yesterday to minimize what he acknowledged was the political burden of Iraq on Republicans in the Nov. 7 congressional elections.

Iran's Khatami says Iraq invasion increased extremist threat

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 11:42 AM

Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami criticised the US-led invasion of Iraq, saying it had only increased the threat from extremists, while efforts to impose Western-style democracy there were a "joke".

Kroll pulls security teams out of Iraq

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 10:22 AM

Security company Kroll has withdrawn its bodyguard teams from Iraq and Afghanistan after it lost four workers in Iraq, its parent company said Wednesday.

Canada welcomes 63 Palestinians stranded between Iraq, Jordan

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 9:41 AM

Canada will accept a third of some 150 Palestinian refugees stranded in a camp in "no man's land" on the Iraq-Jordan border for three years, a UN Refugee Agency spokeswoman said.

Kerry, Bush Spar Over Iraq Remarks

CBS News - 1 hour, 43 minutes ago

President Bush said Sen. John Kerry owes an apology to troops after he said that those unable to navigate the country's education system "get stuck in Iraq." Kerry defended his statement as a botched joke about Bush, not the troops.

More than 20 die in new Iraq attacks

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 8:35 AM

Bombs struck a police patrol, a market and a bridge in Baghdad Wednesday as violence across Iraq left more than 20 people dead, while police searched for dozens of Shiites abducted by suspected Sunni gunmen along a dangerous highway north of the capital.

China, Japan keen to develop Iraq oilfields: minister

Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 7:27 AM

China and Japan have staked their claim to develop Iraq's vast oil reserves with Tokyo offering billions of dollars in loans and Beijing agreeing to renegotiate a deal signed with Saddam, Iraq's oil minister said Wednesday.

27 are killed in new attacks in Iraq

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 7:56 AM

At least 27 people were killed in new attacks in Iraq Wednesday, as police searched for at least 40 Shiites abducted along a notoriously dangerous highway just north of Baghdad by suspected Sunni gunmen.

After slip-up on US Iraq troops, Kerry retreats from campaign trail

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 7:49 AM

US Senator John Kerry said he is pulling back from campaigning ahead of next week's midterm elections to avoid the continued distraction created by his remarks that Americans who neglect their education would "get stuck in Iraq."

Kerry apologizes for "botched" Iraq joke

Reuters via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 7:47 AM

Democratic Sen. John Kerry said on Wednesday he was sorry about a "botched joke" that drew election-year fire from President George W. Bush and other Republicans who accused him of insulting U.S. troops in Iraq.

Hadley travels to Afghanistan after Iraq

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 7:42 AM

President Bush's national security adviser arrived in Afghanistan Wednesday after wrapping up two days of meetings in Iraq aimed at soothing tension with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

Who?s The Boss In Iraq?

CBS News - 2 hours, 28 minutes ago

Iraq's premier recently acted in defiance of the U.S. after citizens protested a security clampdown. Harry Smith writes that to stem the insurgency, it's best that he and the U.S. listen to the Iraqi people.

Kerry, economy bolster Bush but Iraq still key election issue: poll

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 6:11 AM

A faux pas by 2004 presidential candidate John Kerry energized President George W. Bush's Republicans six days before key Congressional elections, but a new poll showed voters still fault them for mismanaging the war in Iraq.

Blair admits new probe could be held on Iraq war

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 6:23 AM

Tony Blair has admitted that another inquiry could be held into his government's handling of the Iraq war as he sought to defuse a row after winning a crunch vote.

Iraq war has distorted the global balance of power, experts warn

EurekAlert! - 23 minutes ago

The emergence of the United States as the sole superpower after the end of the Cold War distorted the structural balance in the UN scheme, according to the editors of a book published this month "The Iraq Crisis and World Order: Structural, Institutional and Normative Challenges" (United Nations University Press).

Bechtel Ends Perilous Iraq Work

AP via Yahoo! Finance - Nov 01 4:31 PM

Wrapping up more than three years of work that cost the U.S. government $2.3 billion, Bechtel Corp. is leaving Iraq with a subdued sense of accomplishment after suffering through a spree of violence that killed 52 workers.

Black Watch rejoins Iraq mission

BBC News - Nov 01 2:39 PM

The Black Watch battalion is redeployed to Iraq to assist coalition forces in protecting the country's border.

Blair admits new probe could be held on Iraq war

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 5:58 AM

Tony Blair has said that another inquiry could be held into his government's handling of the Iraq war -- but insisted now is not the time for such a probe.

108 members of Reserve back in Valley after Iraq tour

Houston Chronicle - 43 minutes ago

About 108 members of the U.S. Army Reserve 812th Quartermaster Company were greeted with American flags, cheers and tears today as they returned to the Rio Grande Valley after a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq.

Kerry Apologizes for Comment on Iraq After Criticism (Update4)

Bloomberg.com - Nov 01 4:09 PM

Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts apologized for a ``poorly stated joke'' about the Iraq war and U.S. troops that he said was directed at President George W. Bush.

Iraq parliament speaker, lawmaker feud

AP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 4:23 AM

Frustration over poor turnout in Iraq's parliament flared Wednesday, with house speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani having to be physically restrained from attacking a fellow Sunni lawmaker.

Ex-Army chief in Iraq retires, blames Abu Ghraib scandal

Houston Chronicle - 43 minutes ago

Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who served a tumultuous year in Iraq as 5th Corps commander in 2003-04, retired from the Army today and pointed to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal as the key reason for his departure.

Monthly death toll for U.S. in Iraq worst since early 2005

International Herald Tribune - Nov 01 8:40 AM

About two-thirds of the deaths of American troops in Iraq in October occurred outside Baghdad, even with a sharp increase in combat deaths in the capital that made it the fourth-deadliest month of the war for the United States.

GOP Says Kerry Remark Signals Dem Wasteland on Iraq

Fox News - Nov 01 2:01 PM

Though Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for earlier remarks in which the Democrat suggested U.S. troops are 'stuck in Iraq' because of a lack of education, many Republicans aren't about to let the gaffe go.

Analysis: Iraq War Dominates Campaign

Los Angeles Times - Nov 01 1:23 PM

WASHINGTON -- Iraq has dominated the 2006 campaign -- and could end up costing Republicans control of Congress. The GOP once viewed the war as a political asset.

Blair still on the rack on Iraq war probe

AFP via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 2:58 AM

Tony Blair is facing fresh pressure to hold a new inquiry into the Iraq war despite winning a crunch vote, after a key minister suggested a probe will be held after all.

Kerry Sorry for 'Stuck in Iraq' Remark

San Francisco Chronicle - Nov 01 4:53 PM

Kerry Events Cut as Democrats Criticize Iraq Remark (Update5)

Bloomberg.com - Nov 01 1:24 PM

Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts canceled campaign appearances with congressional candidates after Democrats and Republicans criticized remarks he made about the Iraq war and U.S. troops that he said were a ``botched joke'' directed at President George W. Bush.

Condemnation of Kerry's Iraq remark comes from both parties

The Virginian-Pilot - 36 minutes ago

The Massachusetts senator's comments about U.S. troops serving in Iraq hit a nerve Wednesday with local military families, veterans, politicians and educators.

Free Flow: Help is on the way for railroads in Iraq

International Herald Tribune - Nov 01 5:51 AM

Iraq's railroad system, afflicted by war and employee assassinations since 2003, has also suffered major looting along its 1,200 miles.

Neither voters nor political leaders are satisifed with Iraq

The Christian Science Monitor via Yahoo! News - Nov 01 12:00 AM

In the last days of an election campaign that many will interpret as a referendum on the Iraq war, both the president of the United States and the prime minister of Iraq say they are dissatisfied with the state of things in that violence-beset country.

U.S. gauge on Iraq near 'chaos'

International Herald Tribune - Nov 01 12:51 AM

A classified briefing portrays Iraq as edging toward chaos, in a chart that the military is using as a barometer of civil conflict.

Iraq and race headline Tennessee's close Senate duel

Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune - 1 hour, 36 minutes ago

NASHVILLE, TENN. - The Iraq war and racism form the raw bookends of the tight U.S. Senate race in Tennessee, which could be historically significant and could make or break the Democrats' campaign to take over the upper chamber of Congress. Iraq is the dominant issue, voters told a recent McClatchy-MSNBC poll. And the Democratic candidate, U.S. Rep. Harold Ford Jr., 36, would be the first black

Joseph A. Palermo: Iraq is Now Vietnam

HuffingtonPost - Nov 01 12:10 PM

On Monday, October 30th, the lead article in The New York Times reported the United States government had lost track of huge numbers of arms going to Iraq. The case "involv[ed] 19 different contracts and 142 delivery orders," and out of 505,093 individual weapons only 12,128 were "properly recorded," that is, their serial numbers were written down. In addition, some 13,000 weapons were

Kerry Events Cut as Democrats Criticize Iraq Remark (Update3)

Bloomberg.com - Nov 01 11:33 AM

Nov. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts canceled campaign appearances with Democratic congressional candidates after members of his own party criticized his remarks about the Iraq war and U.S. troops that he said were a ``botched joke'' directed at President George W. Bush.

Analysis: Iraq war dominates campaign

Boston Globe - Nov 01 1:42 PM

Iraq has dominated the 2006 campaign -- and could end up costing Republicans control of Congress.

Along Iraq-Syria Border, a Struggle to Cover the Terrain

Washington Post - Oct 31 10:13 PM

RABIYAH, Iraq, Oct. 31 -- A convoy of U.S. Humvees streamed through the midnight darkness, following the border as soldiers scanned the endless flats with night-vision goggles. The thin earthen berm separating northern Iraq from Syria lay just a few hundred yards to their right, but what was out...

Iraq veteran fights mid-term battle

BBC News - Nov 01 7:24 AM

Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq veteran and Democrat hopeful, takes the fight to Republican rival Peter Roskam in Illinois.

Iraq Not Lost Yet by Donald L. Kerrick UPI Outside View Commentator Washington (UPI) Nov 02, 2006

Space War - Nov 01 5:13 PM

News of late from Iraq continues to show that the current U.S. security policy is ineffective. But the war is not lost yet. Casualties are higher then ever for U.S. forces, and the daily drumbeat of Iraqi police and civilian injuries and deaths never seem to subside.

Bush, Iraq And Terror by Martin Walker UPI Editor Emeritus Washington (UPI) Nov 02, 2006

Space War - Nov 01 5:13 PM

With less than a week before the mid-term elections for the United States Congress, the most intriguing question arising from the UPI-Zogby poll is how to define the difference between Iraq, terrorism and foreign policy.

U.S. Should Increase Troops in Iraq, Military Historian Says

The Online NewsHour - Nov 01 5:35 PM

As part of a series of conversations about U.S. strategy in Iraq, Frederick Kagan of the American Enterprise Institute argues for sending more U.S. troops to Iraq amid heightened violence in the country.

Along Iraq-Syria Border, a Struggle to Cover the Terrain

Washington Post - Oct 31 9:45 PM

Iraq dominates mood ahead of US elections--poll

INQ7.net - 39 minutes ago

NEW YORK -- With President George W. Bush's approval ratings for his management of the Iraq war at an all-time low, Americans appear to want a new approach, The New York Times said Wednesday, citing its latest poll.

Skokie native killed in Iraq

Chicago Tribune - Nov 01 9:24 AM

A Chicago-area soldier has died while serving in Iraq, his family said.

Kerry apologizes, says Iraq remarks misinterpreted

Market Watch - Nov 01 8:34 AM

WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Seeking to defuse a controversy surrounding a "botched joke" about President Bush's handling of the Iraq war, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., offered an apology Wednesday to those offended by his remarks but argued that his words had been misinterpreted as an insult to U.S. troops serving in Iraq.

Iraq Gunmen Kidnap Blind Coach, Official

Southern Illinoisan - 44 minutes ago

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted a top Iraqi basketball official and a blind athletic coach, both Sunnis, on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Iraqi forces lifted a blockade on Baghdad's Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City.

More Than 20 Die in New Iraq Attacks

ABC News - Nov 01 8:18 AM

Violence Kills More Than 20 in Iraq As Police Investigate Abductions of at Least 40 Shiites

White House Dismisses Chart Of Iraq Sliding Toward Chaos

Space War - Nov 01 5:13 PM

by Staff Writers Washington (AFP) Nov 01, 2006 The White House Wednesday dismissed a leaked military chart that shows Iraq sliding toward "chaos" as an outdated snapshot of sectarian violence at the height of Ramadan that has since dropped sharply.

Iraq says it needs $100 billion in aid

AP via Yahoo! News - Oct 31 7:16 PM

War-ravaged Iraq needs around $100 billion in the next four to five years to recover and rebuild its infrastructure, a government spokesman said Tuesday at the opening of an international aid meeting.

Kroll to sell Iraq and Afghan security unit

Financial Times - 2 hours, 58 minutes ago

Kroll, one of the big US names in the bodyguard business, said on Wednesday it would refocus its strategy in security and was looking to sell its subsidiary that provides security services in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Engineering firm ends Iraq building effort

UPI - 59 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- Bechtel Corp., a U.S. engineering firm that has spent the past three years working on rebuilding war-torn Iraq, is going home.

Ex-US commander urges new Iraq tactics

The Age - Nov 01 4:22 PM

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, former commander of US ground forces in Iraq has retired from the army, saying the military alone cannot secure a victory in Iraq.

LaPorte family notified that son killed in Iraq

Southern Illinoisan - 43 minutes ago

LAPORTE, Ind. - An Army sergeant who was awarded a Purple Heart last year was killed in Iraq when he was hit in the neck by a bullet or mortar, his family said.

New Musgrave Ad Features Iraq War Veteran

CBS4 Denver - 53 minutes ago

In the Nov. 1 Reality Check, Raj Chohan analyzed a new political attack ad from Marilyn Musgrave featuring a wounded Iraq War veteran. See Chohan's report and read his notes.

Soldier Organizes Bone Marrow Drives in Both Wheeling and Iraq

The Intelligencer/Wheeling News-Register - 1 hour, 4 minutes ago

WHEELING Ty Miller is fighting battles on two fronts in Iraq and in Wheeling. Miller, 35, is a soldier, holding the rank of chief warrant officer 3 with the 1/150th Aviation Unit of the Army National Guard.

Kroll to sell Iraq and Afghan security unit

Financial Times - Nov 01 6:23 PM

Kroll, one of the big US names in the bodyguard business, said yesterday it would "refocus its strategy" in security and was looking to sell its subsidiary that provides security services in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ex-US commander urges new Iraq tactics

AAP via Yahoo!7 News - Nov 01 4:12 PM

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, former commander of US ground forces in Iraq says the military alone cannot secure a victory in Iraq.

Iraq Commander Retires After 33 Years

KSAT San Antonio - 42 minutes ago

McALLEN, Texas -- Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who served a tumultuous year in Iraq as 5th Corps commander in 2003-04, retired from the Army on Wednesday and pointed to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal as the key reason for his departure.

Democrats keep their distance after Kerry's Iraq gaffe

Daily Telegraph - Nov 01 6:29 PM

Democratic candidates in marginal seats across America clamoured yesterday to distance themselves from Senator John Kerry's remark that suggested dim students would end up as soldiers in Iraq.

Kerry forced to apologize for mangled barb at Bush's mistakes in Iraq

CP via Yahoo! Canada News - Nov 01 3:43 PM

WASHINGTON (CP) - U.S. Senator John Kerry apologized Wednesday for his mangled barb about President George W. Bush's Iraq invasion and left the campaign trail, as seething Democrats assessed any damage to their expected midterm election gains next week.

Retired Gen. Batiste on New Approaches in Iraq

NPR - Nov 01 11:34 AM

Talk of the Nation , November 1, 2006 � Our "Rethinking Iraq" series continues with retired Maj. Gen. John Batiste, commander of the Army's First Infantry Division in both Iraq and Kosovo.

Kerry apologizes over Iraq comments

WABC-TV New York - 1 hour, 51 minutes ago

Senator John Kerry apologized Wednesday for his controversial comments on the Iraq war.

Former Iraq commander retires after 33-year military career

KGBT 4 Rio Grande Valley - 1 hour, 23 minutes ago

McALLEN, Texas Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez -- who served a tumultuous year in Iraq as 5th Corps commander in 2003 through 2004 -- retired from the Army today.

Bush Attacks Kerry for Remarks on Iraq Troops

New York Times - Oct 31 6:38 PM

President Bush had a chance to relive his victorious campaign of 2004 as he attacked Senator John F. Kerry over the war in Iraq.

Former Iraq commander retires after 33-year military career

ABC 7 El Paso - 1 hour, 39 minutes ago

McALLEN, Texas Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez -- who served a tumultuous year in Iraq as 5th Corps commander in 2003 through 2004 -- retired from the...

Bechtel ends perilous Iraq work

KBCI Boise - 1 hour, 56 minutes ago

SAN FRANCISCO Engineering giant Bechtel is leaving Iraq after more than three years of work that cost the government two-point-three billion dollars. Fifty-two Bechtel workers were killed and another 49 wounded.

U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq at 2,817

AP via Yahoo! Asia News - Nov 01 3:45 PM

As of Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006, at least 2,817 members of the U.S. military have died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

Pilot Returns from Iraq

R News - 2 hours, 10 minutes ago

A local pilot returned home Wednesday night from the war in Iraq. Chief Warrant Officer Mark Vahey, a Pittsford native, served in Iraq for one year. His family, including his wife and two children, welcomed him home at the Rochester Airport.

Health club in Brick awarded American flag flown in Iraq

Asbury Park Press - Nov 01 4:24 PM

Brick Mayor Joseph C. Scarpelli will present a health club with an American flag that flew over Iraq tomorrow in appreciation for various items sent by the business to U.S. Marines serving there, according to township officials. Brick Work Out World collected and sent hygiene supplies and comfort items to Marines last year. The flag is one the Marines flew over their base and mailed to the

Gunmen abduct coach, basketball official in Iraq

Long Beach Press-Telegram - 1 hour, 41 minutes ago

Men taken from youth club by armed men in SUVs. BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen abducted a top Iraqi basketball official and a blind athletic coach, both Sunnis, on Wednesday, a day after U.S. and Iraqi forces lifted a blockade on Baghdad's Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City.

Kroll to stay in Iraq as it looks to sell UK unit

AlertNet - Nov 01 5:35 PM

Source: Reuters (Recasts, adds Kroll CEO interview, details) SAN FRANCISCO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - U.S. security company Kroll has not pulled its staff from Iraq or Afghanistan but is looking to sell a UK-based ...

Bush Iraq approval rating at 29 percent

UPI - 2 hours, 29 minutes ago

NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- A New York Times/CBS News polls says just 29 percent of Americans approve of the way President George W. Bush is handling the war in Iraq.

So was it a 'slip' over Iraq?

BBC News - Nov 01 4:08 AM

Defence Secretary Des Browne conceded a future Iraq inquiry just after Tony Blair defeated opposition demands for such a probe. What's going on?

Former Iraq commander retires after 33-year military career

KRIS-TV Corpus Christi - 1 hour, 59 minutes ago

McALLEN, Texas -- Lt. Gen. Ricardo Sanchez, who served a tumultuous year in Iraq as 5th Corps commander in 2003-04, retired from the Army on Wednesday and pointed to the Abu Ghraib...

The political battle over Iraq

Guardian Unlimited - Nov 01 4:10 PM

A Commons motion calling for an inquiry into the government's conduct over the war in Iraq and its aftermath fell by just 25 votes (Ministers hint at Iraq inquiry after withdrawal, November 1). That so many Labour MPs voted against this motion indicates just how far removed they have become from public opinion to protect their discredited leader.

U.S. Stands Apart from Talks by Iraq's Neighbors

NPR - Nov 01 6:21 AM

One of the many options for trying to stabilize Iraq is to include its neighbors in the process. Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, and Iran all have an interest in making sure the violence in Iraq doesn't spread across their borders. But the U.S. has refused to participate in talks with the group.

Blair dodges defeat in vote on Iraq war inquiry

AFP via Yahoo! News - Oct 31 5:43 PM

British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government survived a potentially damaging vote in parliament on whether he should order an inquiry into how Britain joined the war in Iraq.

Blair says now not time for Iraq inquiry

UPI - 2 hours, 14 minutes ago

LONDON, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- British Prime Minister Tony Blair is not ruling out a future inquiry into the invasion of Iraq, but he said now is not a good time for such an inquiry.

In reversal, Kerry apologises for remarks on Iraq soldiers

Channel NewsAsia - Nov 01 4:56 PM

WASHINGTON - Top Democrat John Kerry apologised for remarks widely seen as a slight against US troops in Iraq, as the clock ticked on the Democrats' push to win control of Congress in next week's vote.

Defeated Iraq vote hailed by SNP

BBC News - Nov 01 2:29 AM

An SNP MP is "delighted" to secure the support of 273 MPs in the bid to win an inquiry into the Iraq War.

Keep troops in Iraq: Houston

The West Australian - 2 hours, 37 minutes ago

Australian Defence Force chief Angus Houston is at loggerheads with his British counterpart Richard Dannatt, telling a Senate committee he does not agree with Gen. Dannatts grim assessment that foreign troops are exacerbating violence in Iraq.

Church calls for action over gruesome violence toward Christians in Iraq

Daily Mail - Nov 01 4:21 PM

Soaring violence against Christians in Iraq including the alleged crucifixion of a teenage boy in Basra - has prompted the Catholic Church to call for a safe haven to protect minority groups as the country slides toward civil war