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Even in Iraq, All Politics Is Local 
New York Times - 2 hours, 44 minutes ago
A great many of the failures in Afghanistan and Iraq arise from a single problem: the American-led coalitions lack of trust in local politicians.Rumsfeld says unity important to Iraq AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 4:03 PM
Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday that political reconciliation between Sunnis and Shiites is as important as the military effort in establishing security in Iraq, where thousands more U.S. troops have been summoned to Baghdad to quell an upsurge in violence.A look at U.S. military deaths in Iraq AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 2:15 PM
As of Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at least 2,545 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 2,011 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.US contractor Parsons loses another Iraq contract AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 11:19 AM
The US military agency responsible for much of Iraq's reconstruction program has terminated another contract of a US company due to cost overruns and incompetency, it said.General: 2 sides attacking Iraq civilians AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 10:35 AM
The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Wednesday that "terrorists and death squads" are mainly responsible for a surge in sectarian violence in the capital, and he pledged to provide whatever U.S. forces are needed to avert civil war.Shiites massacred as Rumsfeld arrives in Iraq AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 10:48 AM
Blindfolded, hands tied behind them, and most shot in the head, 22 bodies of kidnapped Shiites have been found as US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq to review worsening security in Baghdad.Army to rebid Halliburton's Iraq logistics work Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 9:43 AM
The U.S. Army said on Wednesday it has decided to end a Halliburton Co. unit's multibillion-dollar contract to provide logistical support to soldiers in Iraq, and will rebid the contract later this year.Rumsfeld told death squads fuelling Iraq conflict Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 9:36 AM
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld met Iraq's Shi'ite-led government on Wednesday after his top general in the country told him Shi'ite "death squads" were fuelling a surge in communal bloodshed.US general says Shiite 'death squads' fanning Iraq unrest AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 8:58 AM
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met Iraqi leaders over the surging sectarian violence in Baghdad, as his top commander in Iraq vowed to go after what he called Shiite "death squads."US general says Shiite 'death squads' fanning Iraq unrest AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 8:47 AM
The top US commander in Iraq has said that Shiite "death squads" had now joined Al-Qaeda militants as the prime movers in a wave of sectarian violence and vowed to go after them.US to rebid Halliburton unit's Iraq support deal Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 8:45 AM
The U.S. Army said on Wednesday it has decided to end a Halliburton Co. unit's multibillion-dollar logistics contract in Iraq, and will rebid the contract later this year.GIs in Iraq Could Be Stripped of Immunity After Rape-Murder Allegations OneWorld.net via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 6:35 AM
SAN FRANCISCO, Jul 12 (OneWorld) - Iraq will ask the United Nations to end immunity from local law for U.S. troops, the country's human rights minister said on Monday, as the military named five soldiers charged in a rape-murder case that has outraged Iraqis.Iraq Faces More Massacres by Martin Sieff UPI Senior News Analyst Washington (UPI) Jul 12, 2006 Space War - 2 hours, 25 minutes ago
The latest eruption of sectarian violence in Iraq Sunday confirms the grim diagnosis we made in these columns on April 10. The new Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is powerless in its own capital. The nation has fragmented. Beirut and Belfast rules now apply in Iraq.Rumsfeld in Iraq to review deteriorating Baghdad security AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 5:00 AM
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has landed in Iraq unannounced to review the deteriorating security in Baghdad where dozens have been killed on an almost daily basis despite a massive troop crackdown.Every pile of trash can be deadly to GIs in Iraq International Herald Tribune - Jul 12 10:15 AM
When U.S. soldiers take to the road, most pray they avoid the roadside bombs that seem to explode every day in Iraq.Pentagon Will Change Bidding for Iraq Contracts NPR - Jul 12 3:12 PM
The Pentagon says it will change the way it lets companies bid on multi-billion-dollar contracts for logistical support for troops in Iraq. Under the plan, Halliburton will no longer be the exclusive holder of the contracts. The Pentagon says the changes should save the taxpayers money.Rep. Jim McDermott: Transfer Secretary Rumsfeld to Iraq HuffingtonPost - Jul 12 1:34 PM
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld arrived on an unannounced visit to Iraq today and proclaimed: "Each time I come to Iraq I see progress." Iraq is a nation disintegrating into homicidal chaos. It is a country whose leaders acknowledge is on the brink of all-out civil war. But, the President's Pentagon appointee, the man controlling the fate of 129,000 U.S. soldiers in Iraq, stands up and Halliburton Iraq Contract Won't Be Renewed, Army Says (Update4) Bloomberg.com - Jul 12 1:35 PM
July 12 (Bloomberg) -- Halliburton Co.'s multibillion-dollar contract to feed and care for U.S. troops in Iraq and transport war supplies won't be renewed, an Army spokesman said.Road to victory in Iraq 'unclear,' US auditors conclude AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 1:17 AM
The investigative arm of the US Congress has openly questioned if victory in Iraq can be achieved without a significant overhaul of President George W. Bush's strategy, arguing the outcome of the war was presently "unclear".Rumsfeld in Iraq for talks on security AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 12 1:31 AM
US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq with security top of his agenda, after sectarian violence saw scores of civilians killed in the capital in recent days.Brazen Attacks Across Iraq Kill 47 CBS News - Jul 12 11:58 AM
Attacks in Baghdad and northern Iraq killed at least 47 people and wounded more than 65. This comes as the largest Sunni bloc in parliament said it will lift a legislative boycott after a call for unity by a radical Shiite cleric. Halliburton Iraq Contract Won't Be Renewed, Army Says (Update1) Bloomberg.com - Jul 12 11:21 AM
July 12 (Bloomberg) -- Halliburton Co.'s multibillion-dollar contract to provide logistics support to U.S. troops in Iraq won't be renewed, an Army spokesman said.Rumsfeld arrives in Iraq CNN.com - Jul 11 11:34 PM
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq Wednesday morning on an unannounced visit.Rumsfeld makes surprise visit to Iraq International Herald Tribune - Jul 11 11:35 PM
Security in Iraq now depends as much on the Iraqi government's political success as it does on beating the insurgency militarily, the U.S. defense secretary said Wednesday.Rumsfeld Arrives in Iraq to Discuss Baghdad Security New York Times - Jul 11 11:16 PM
BALAD, Iraq, July 12 - U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq on Wednesday on a visit that comes amid waning support in the United States for the war and questions about when U.S. troops might start returning home.Pentagon Will Change Bidding for Iraq Contracts NPR - Jul 12 3:11 PM
All Things Considered , July 12, 2006 · The Pentagon says it will change the way it lets companies bid on multi-billion-dollar contracts for logistical support for troops in Iraq. Under the plan, Halliburton will no longer be the exclusive holder of the contracts.Rumsfeld Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq Washington Post - Jul 11 11:41 PM
BALAG, Iraq -- Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said Wednesday on an unannounced visit to an air base north of Baghdad that the new Iraqi government is not yet ready to decide on security issues that will determine the pace of U.S. troop reductions this year.Rumsfeld visits Iraq Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 11:06 PM
Security in Iraq now depends as much on the Iraqi government's political success as it does on beating the insurgency militarily, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Wednesday.Sectarian Fights Pose Risk to Iraq Washington Post - Jul 11 10:14 PM
America's top envoy in Baghdad yesterday denied that Iraq is now embroiled in a civil war but acknowledged growing concern that sectarian clashes could derail the new government if violence is not brought under control. Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad also said the new security crackdown in Baghdad has...Rumsfeld arrives in Iraq, to discuss Baghdad security Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 10:41 PM
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq on Wednesday on a visit that comes amid waning support in the United States for the war and questions about when U.S. troops might start returning home.Halliburton's Iraq Contract Won't Be Renewed, U.S. Army Says Bloomberg.com - Jul 12 10:26 AM
July 12 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Army won't renew Halliburton Co.'s multibillion-dollar contract to provide logistics support to U.S. troops in Iraq, an Army spokesman said.Critical Report Stokes Iraq Debate in Congress NPR - Jul 12 7:56 AM
A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds serious shortcomings in how the Iraq war is being handled, and estimates the costs at about $3 billion per week. The report adds fuel to a rancorous Capitol Hill debate over Iraq.Retired general says Iraq not in civil war Knoxville News Sentinal - 35 minutes ago
Despite worsening violence in Iraq, the war-torn nation has not erupted into civil war because most of the bloodshed is sectarian-generated in and around Baghdad, said retired Gen. Carl Stiner.Soviet-Style Rule in Iraq Ludwig von Mises Institute - 1 hour, 57 minutes ago
by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr. So you thought that the US went into Iraq to uproot a dangerous dictator and establish democracy? Well, the US military has taken on a job a bit more difficult than that.Iraq PM warns TV stations AME Info - 24 minutes ago
Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki warned television stations they will be shutdown for reports that incite violence, according to agency reports.101st troops killed in Iraq honored as homecoming approaches WREG-TV Memphis - 1 hour, 9 minutes ago
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. Families and colleagues of troops in the 101st Airborne Division gathered today (Wednesday) to honor soldiers killed in Iraq.Parsons Global Services loses second Iraq contract Stars and Stripes - Jul 12 4:12 PM
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Joint Contracting Command-Iraq and Afghanistan have terminated another reconstruction contract with Parsons Global Services Inc., this one for the building of a prison in Nasiriyah, military officials said Wednesday.Battalion working to stop flow of oil into Iraq s black market Stars and Stripes - Jul 12 4:12 PM
BEIJI, Iraq An Iraqi riddle: In a country soaked in petroleum deposits, where the roads are thickly clustered with gas stations and waiting customers, why can t most Iraqis get enough oil?US halts Halliburton's exclusive Iraq deal Guardian Unlimited - Jul 12 4:15 PM
The tap was turned off for Halliburton yesterday after the US army said it had decided to suspend the exclusive multi-billion dollar servicing contract awarded to the Texas oil services giant in Iraq.Sectarian violence kills about 60 in Iraq AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 5:08 PM
Suicide bombers struck Tuesday across the street from the heavily guarded Green Zone, killing up to 16 people the deadliest attack in a wave of bombings and shootings that threatened to shatter confidence in Iraq's new government.Lt. Watada explains why he refuses to go to Iraq KING 5 Seattle - Jul 12 6:34 PM
First Lt. Ehren Watada threw himself into the international spotlight when he publicly refused to go to Iraq, risking prison time. The Military has officially charged him and now he speaks out for the first time since charges were filed. KING 5's Mimi Jung reportsIEA Says 90% of Iraq Still Unexplored Rigzone - Jul 12 6:02 PM
Only 10 percent of Iraq has been explored for oil and 60 percent of proven reserves are in undeveloped fields, the International Energy Agency said in a report that assessed the opportunities for development in the country.Hoekstra: U.S. overclassifying Iraq papers AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 3:48 PM
The government is classifying too many documents confiscated since the 2003 Iraq invasion that might help rewrite the history on Saddam Hussein's rule, the House Intelligence Committee's Republican chairman said Tuesday.More Vermont Soldiers Get Ready To Go To Iraq WCAX 3 - Jul 12 4:31 PM
Sergeant Brian Smith from St. Albans is heading back to Iraq soon. He'll be leaving behind his fiancee and four children. "Mine are 21 and 18, my girlfriends are 10 and 7," said Smith.Violence continues as Rumsfeld visits Iraq USA Today - Jul 12 8:42 AM
Gunmen in Iraq have killed 20 people and spared four after storming a bus station near Baghdad. Maj. Gen. Ahmed al-Awad of the Iraqi army said that the attackers killed all the Shiites among the kidnapped passengers while sparing the... Fort Wayne Soldier Dies In Iraq Fort Wayne News Channel 15 - Jul 12 2:57 PM
(WANE) INDIANAPOLIS - Governor Mitch Daniels and the Adjutant General of Indiana, Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, have received notification that a soldier from the Indiana National Guard was killed while on deployment in Iraq.Critical Report Stokes Iraq Debate in Congress NPR - Jul 12 6:11 AM
Morning Edition , July 12, 2006 · A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds serious shortcomings in how the Iraq war is being handled, and estimates the costs at about $3 billion per week.Rumsfeld in surprise Iraq visit BBC News - Jul 11 11:22 PM
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld pays an unannounced visit to Iraq for meetings with the new government.Rumsfeld told death squads fuelling Iraq conflict Stuff - Jul 12 10:14 AM
BAGHDAD: US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld has met Iraq's Shi'ite-led government after his top general in the country told him Shi'ite "death squads" were fuelling a surge in communal bloodshed.Iraq Bus Passengers Abducted, Gunned Down phillyburbs.com - Jul 12 9:43 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen pulled two dozen Shiites from the early morning crowd at a bus station northeast of Baghdad on Wednesday, took them to a nearby village and killed most of them, authorities said.SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO / S.F.'s first Iraq war casualty laid to rest San Francisco Chronicle - Jul 12 5:49 AM
The parents of Army Spc. 4 Christopher D. Rose slowly placed the medals he earned in Iraq on top of his casket one by one: two Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star, a Good Conduct Medal. It was part of a day meant to honor the life of the 21-year-old soldier... Khalilzad: Iraq sect violence not civil war Army Times - Jul 12 9:44 AM
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq expressed concern Tuesday about growing sectarian violence in the region but said withdrawing U.S. troops precipitously almost certainly would make it worse.US Army ends Halliburton Iraq contract The Australian - Jul 12 12:15 PM
THE US Army said it has decided to end a Halliburton unit's multi-billion dollar contract to provide logistical support to soldiers in Iraq.City leader returns from tour of duty in Iraq KFVS12 - 2 hours, 40 minutes ago
Sikeston, MO - Michael Harris is a city council member, a teacher, a pastor, husband and father. For the past year, Harris left those hats behind, and put on another one as Master Sergeant in Iraq.Parents protest Iraq war after children are killed WPRI 12 Providence - Jul 12 2:13 PM
NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) -- Stephany Kern of Westerly lost her 26-year-old son in Iraq. Now she says the US should bring its troops home so other parents don't lose their children as well.Rumsfeld, U.S. Commander In Iraq Say More Troops Could Curb Violence WLBZ Bangor - Jul 12 2:23 PM
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the "enemies are not going to quit." And the top U.S. commander in Iraq says more American troops may be needed there to fight them.SRI International to test translating machines in Iraq San Francisco Business Times - Jul 12 10:23 AM
SRI International said Wednesday it has shipped 32 interpreting systems to be tested by the U.S. military in Iraq.US, Iraq joint panel will study troop levels: Khalilzad AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 1:09 PM
The United States and Iraq plan to set up a commission to study conditions for a reduction of US-led troops in Iraq, the US ambassador to Baghdad, Zalmay Khalilzad, said.Stryker soldier killed in Iraq Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Jul 12 6:38 PM
A Fort Wainwright soldier was killed Wednesday in Iraq, according to U.S. Army Alaska officials. The soldier, assigned to the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, was killed by small-arms fire while conducting a mounted patrol in Mosul, said U.S. Army Alaska Public Affairs spokesman Maj. Kirk Gohlke.Reed says U.S. could bring home thousands of troops from Iraq WPRI 12 Providence - Jul 12 2:12 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Senator Jack Reed says the US might be able to withdraw 30-thousand troops from Iraq in coming months. There are 130-thousand troops there now.Should we still be in Iraq? Southwest Daily News - Jul 12 6:18 PM
With everything that's been going on in our country, should we still be trying to save Iraq or should we be concentrating on saving our selves?Growing violence in Iraq concerns envoy AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 12:53 PM
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq on Tuesday expressed concern about growing sectarian violence but said suddenly withdrawing U.S. troops would almost certainly make it worse.22 bodies turn up as Rumsfeld arrives for review of Iraq's security situation The Daily Star Lebannon - Jul 12 2:20 PM
Blindfolded, hands tied behind them, and most shot in the head, 22 bodies of kidnapped Shiites were found Wednesday as US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq to review the worsening security in Baghdad.Rumsfeld Makes Unannounced Visit to Iraq The Salt Lake Tribune - Jul 12 7:28 AM
Posted: 7:44:27 AM- BAGHDAD, Iraq - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Gen. George Casey said Wednesday that coalition forces in Iraq are focusing on ways to stem the sectarian violence that has claimed the lives of many civilians here in recent days, both saying that the best solution is a combination of stronger Iraqi security forces and more robust political efforts to pull the nation Gunmen Seize 24 People From Iraq Bus Station, Kill 20 WLBZ Bangor - Jul 12 2:08 PM
All but four of two dozen people kidnapped by gunmen from a bus station in Iraq have been killed. The gunmen attacked the bus station Wednesday in a volatile town about 60 miles northeast of Baghdad.A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq The Daily Comet - Jul 12 2:22 PM
As of Wednesday, July 12, 2006, at least 2,545 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.Iraq PM Again Talks of Revisiting Immunity phillyburbs.com - Jul 12 7:58 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Laws that give foreign troops immunity from domestic prosecution should be reviewed because U.S. soldiers sometimes act knowing that they are protected from punishment, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said Wednesday.U.S.-Iraq group would mull troop reduction Newsday - Jul 12 6:39 AM
The United States and Iraq are about to form a joint commission on withdrawal of U.S. troops, Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said yesterday. But he warned that leaving Iraq too abruptly could unleash a "regional conflagration" and create a new base for al-Qaida.Baghdad Needs More Troops, Top U.S. General in Iraq Says New York Times - Jul 12 6:47 PM
The remarks by Gen. George W. Casey Jr. came on a day in which 30 more people were killed in and around Baghdad.Halliburton loses army contract in Iraq India Daily - Jul 12 4:26 PM
The army has decided to end a controversial multibillion-dollar contract with Halliburton, the oil services company, to provide logistics support to US forces in Iraq.Rumsfeld visits Iraq amid raging sectarian violence Al Jazeera - Jul 12 12:11 PM
The U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday amid warnings that the war-torn country is sliding into an all-out civil war, Reuters news agency.Iraq PM shrugs off civil war fears as over 40 killed AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 11:44 AM
Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki shrugged off fears that Iraq was plunging into a civil war even as more than 40 people were killed, many of them in raging sectarian bloodshed.Rumseld visits Iraq as violence continues CBC via Yahoo! Canada News - Jul 12 7:50 AM
Sectarian violence in Iraq continued to mount Wednesday with separate attacks that killed at least 27 people, as U.S. Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said it's too soon to talk about reducing the number of American troops in the country.Area Soldier Wounded In Iraq WJAC 6 Johnstown - Jul 12 12:45 PM
The father of an Altoona soldier wounded in Iraq said his son has a long road to recovery. Wednesday's Altoona Mirror reported 23-year-old Jeffrey Reffner, an Army combat engineer, was badly injured one week ago when the Humvee he was riding in ran over a bomb in the ground.U.S. toll in Iraq San Francisco Chronicle - Jul 12 3:51 AM
As of Tuesday, at least 2,544 members of the U.S. military had died since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The latest identification reported by the military: - Marine Sgt. Justin L. Noyes, 23, Vinita,... Attacks across Iraq kill at least 47 AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 10:05 AM
Sunni Arab representatives said Tuesday they will end their boycott of Iraq's parliament following a call for reconciliation by a radical Shiite cleric and promises that a kidnapped colleague will be released.The U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made a surprise visit to Iraq on Wednesday amid warnings that the war-torn Al Jazeera - Jul 12 11:56 AM
Rumsfeld said he would hold talks with top U.S. commanders in Iraq as well as Iraq s Prime Minister Nouri Maliki, who told lawmakers today that the new government had one last chance to avert a slide to a broad civil war.US Army ends Halliburton Iraq contract The Advertiser - Jul 12 12:11 PM
THE US Army said it has decided to end a Halliburton unit's multi-billion dollar contract to provide logistical support to soldiers in Iraq. It will rebid the contract later this year.Iraq withdrawal follows EU 'logic': Romanian PM AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 10:00 AM
Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu has said his surprise proposal to withdraw the country's troops from Iraq, opposed by Romania's president, followed European Union "logic", citing withdrawals by EU countries.Gunmen raid Iraq bus station Albuquerque Tribune - Jul 12 11:09 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen attacked a bus station today in the volatile town of Muqdadiyah, kidnapping two dozen people and killing all but four, authorities said.US contractor Parsons loses another Iraq contract TODAYonline - Jul 12 11:24 AM
The US Army Corps of Engineers, Gulf Regional Division, ended its 82 million dollar contract with the second largest contractor in Iraq, Parsons Global Services, to build a prison in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah.Iraq: Gunmen kidnap 24 from bus station Coos Bay World Link - Jul 12 2:54 PM
BAGHAD, Iraq - Gunmen stormed a bus station northeast of Baghdad today, seizing 24 people and killing all but four of them, authorities said. An Iraqi general said the victims were Shiites, but police said their identities were unclear.US court asked for gag order in Iraq rape-murder Reuters via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 10:21 AM
A lawyer for a former U.S. soldier charged with killing a family of four in Iraq and raping one of them asked a judge on Tuesday for a gag order preventing officials from President George W. Bush on down from commenting on the case.Rumsfeld told death squads fuelling Iraq conflict Reuters via Yahoo! Asia News - Jul 12 5:36 AM
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld met Iraq's Shi'ite-led government on Wednesday after his top general in the country told him Shi'ite "death squads" were fuelling a surge in communal bloodshed.Iraq Gunmen Seize 24 People, Killing 20 Sioux City Journal - Jul 12 9:08 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen stormed a bus station Wednesday northeast of Baghdad, seizing 24 people and killing all but four of them, authorities said. An Iraqi general said the victims were Shiites, but police said their identities were unclear.General: 2 Sides Attacking Iraq Civilians phillyburbs.com - Jul 12 4:43 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - The top U.S. commander in Iraq said Wednesday that terrorists and death squads are mainly responsible for a surge in sectarian violence in the capital.Rumsfeld Makes Surprise Iraq Visit Sky News via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News - Jul 12 5:28 AM
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has arrived in Baghdad on a surprise visit to Iraq. He flew in a day after suicide bombers killed 16 people outside the main entrance to the heavily-fortified Green Zone government compound.More than 40 dead as Iraq unrest rages on AFP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 9:15 AM
A new spate of bombings, shootings and gunbattles has left more than 40 people dead across Iraq, including 10 Shiites massacred in an apparent sectarian attack in Baghdad.Local Marine about to wrap up third tour of duty in Iraq Ridgecrest Daily Independent - Jul 12 2:19 PM
It's 138 degrees in the shade in Iraq and Cpl. Philip Krabbe is counting the days until he can come home. Krabbe, a Ridgecrest soldier, has 27 more days to complete his third tour of duty in Iraq - a total time of nearly two years.Army to rebid Halliburton's Iraq logistics work Reuters - Jul 12 10:01 AM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army said on Wednesday it has decided to end a Halliburton Co. HAL.N unit's multibillion-dollar contract to provide logistical support to soldiers in Iraq, and will rebid the contract later this year.Airman from Smyrna dies in Iraq Was a 2002 graduate of Smyrna High Smyrna Clayton Sun Times - Jul 12 1:45 PM
Airman First Class Carl Jerome Ware Jr., a class of 2002 graduate from Smyrna High School, died July 1 in Iraq at the age of 22 while serving in the Air Force.Iraq Gunmen Seize 24 People, Killing 20 phillyburbs.com - Jul 12 4:58 AM
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen ambushed a bus station Wednesday in a volatile town northeast of Baghdad, kidnapping two dozen people and killing all but four, authorities said, while a suicide bomber blew himself up in a restaurant in the capital.Wave of sectarian violence claims at least 60 lives in Iraq Seattle Times - Jul 12 12:27 AM
More than a dozen bombings killed about 60 people in Iraq on Tuesday, part of a recent surge in violence that prompted lawmakers to ask...U.S. Envoy Khalilzad Lays Out Iraq Strategy U.S. Department of State - Jul 12 12:22 PM
U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad said the most critical issue in Iraq now is controlling sectarian violence. The struggle for the future of Iraq is vital for the future of the world, he told a large crowd at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, July 11. Although Sunni Arabs are now full participants with proportional representation in Iraq s new government, Rumsfeld in Iraq for Security Talks Voice of America - Jul 12 4:47 AM
U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld is in Baghdad Wednesday, for talks with Iraqi and American officials. Rumsfeld flew into Iraq unannounced after an earlier surprise visit to Afghanistan.Sight for Sore Eyes: Videoconference brings soldier in Iraq closer to home Daily Chronicle - Jul 12 9:27 AM
ROCKFORD - Sycamore native Anthony Sosin, 22, an Army corporal stationed in Iraq, was about to see his 3-month-old daughter, Laynee, for the first time since she was 2 weeks old through a live video phone call connecting him with his family back in Illinois.Iraq's anti-American city gets vast US aid Manila Bulletin - Jul 12 9:21 AM
FALLUJAH, Iraq Clean water should flow to 80 percent of Fallujah s homes this fall, and by summer s end a planned wireless network will provide phone service and Internet access to thousands, a technological leap unimaginable just months ago.Shias massacred as Rumsfeld arrives in Iraq Middle East Times - Jul 12 6:37 AM
BAQUBA, Iraq -- Blindfolded, hands tied behind them, and most shot in the head, 22 bodies of kidnapped Shias were found on Wednesday as US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld arrived in Iraq to review worsening security in Baghdad.U.S. deaths in Iraq The Plain Dealer - Jul 12 4:39 AM
As of Tuesday, at least 2,544 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 2,010 died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers.Iraq Sunnis end boycott; attacks kill 39 AP via Yahoo! News - Jul 11 7:19 AM
Sunni Arab representatives said Tuesday they will end their boycott of Iraq's parliament following promises that a kidnapped colleague will be released and a call for reconciliation by a radical Shiite cleric.