Iraqi troops take control of Anbar province Sep 4, 2008
The other provinces that have transitioned to Iraqi security control are Duhuk, Irbil and Sulaimaniya in the Kurdish region, and Karbala, Najaf, Qadisiya, Muthanna, Thiqar, Basra, and Maysan in the Shiite south. Share this on. (CNN -- World)
Iraq takes over security control of Anbar Sep 2, 2008
The other 10 Iraqi provinces handed over by U.S. forces to date are Qadisiyah, Maysan, Muthanna, Basra, Dhi Qar, Najaf, Karbala, and the three Kurdish provinces of Duhuk, Sulaimaniyah and Arbil. BAGHDAD, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said that the United States asked Iraq to keep its troops in the war-torn country until 2015, but negotiations set 2011 as a dead line, website of Talabani's party posted on Wednesday. (Xinhuanet, China)
Should Iraq Prosecute US Soldiers? Aug 30, 2008
US soldiers unload projectiles as they are set-up to be detonated on the outskirts of Karbala, Iraq. Mohammed Sawaf / AFP / Getty Article Tools. (Time.com)
Flogging ritual Aug 28, 2008
Husayn - the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad - and members of his family were slaughtered during the battle of Karbala in Iraq 1,400 years ago. Ever since that day devout Shia Muslims have commemorated the tragedy with a month-long period of mourning called Muharram. (BBC News -- UK)
Iraqi figures back U.S. view on low spending for reconstruction Aug 21, 2008
We are planning to build a refinery in Nasiriya and the other in Karbala; each one needs at least $4 billion. 1. (International Herald Tribune)
Confident Iran sings its own tune Aug 20, 2008
Maliki boasted of grand security measures to protect Shi'ite pilgrims in Karbala, speaking of 40,000 men, checkpoints at every corner, airplanes hovering nearby, and teams of female police to body search women suicide bombers. Thanks to these measures, over 220 Iraqi refugees living in Egypt (out of a total 100,000) were invited to return home by the prime minister, as testimony to how safe Maliki's Iraq had become. (Asia Times Online)
15 killed in blast near Iraq bazaar Aug 18, 2008
Hundreds of thousands of Shi'ite pilgrims left Karbala yesterday and headed home after an annual religious celebration concluded without the sectarian violence that broke out last year. Material from the Associated Press was included in this report. (Boston Globe)
* Attacks against Shiites continue Aug 18, 2008
DETERMINED: The latest attack against Iraqs religious majority group took place at 9am when a car bomb exploded as pilgrims were boarding a bus bound for Karbala AP, BAGHDAD Monday, Aug 18, 2008, Page 7 ... The attacks have targeted pilgrims headed for the Shiite city of Karbala, where hundreds of thousands of people have gathered for festivities that culminated yesterday morning ... The latest attack occurred about 9am on Saturday when a car bomb exploded in the north Baghdad neighborhood of... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Shiites mark pilgrimage Aug 18, 2008
More than three million Shiites marked a revered annual pilgrimage to the Iraqi holy city of Karbala amid tight security to thwart attacks, officials said on Sunday. Shiite worshippers from across the Muslim world had converged on Karbala over the past week to celebrate Shabaniyah, the birth anniversary of the eighth century Imam Mahdi, who vanished as a boy and whom Shiites believe will return one day as the messiah ... The celebrations culminated overnight on Saturday with more than three... (iAfrica.com)
Bombers hit Iraq pilgrims; 6 killed Aug 17, 2008
BAGHDAD - A car bomb struck Shiite pilgrims boarding minibuses Saturday in Baghdad, killing at least six people, officials said, as extremists targeted travelers en route to the holy city of Karbala for the third consecutive day ... It was the latest in a series of bombings targeting Shiites heading to Karbala for a major religious festival that culminates this weekend ... In Karbala, pilgrims filed through metal gates to be searched before approaching the city's golden domed mosques. (MSNBC -- International)
Millions of Shiites mark Iraq pilgrimage Aug 17, 2008
More than three million Shiites marked the annual pilgrimage to Karbala amid tight security and attacks on the way to the holy city that killed dozens of people, officials said on Sunday. Shiite worshippers from across the Muslim world converged on Karbala over the past week to celebrate Shabaniyah, the birth anniversary of the eighth century Imam Mahdi, who vanished as a boy and whom Shiites believe will return one day as the messiah ... The celebrations culminated overnight on Saturday with... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Shiite pilgrims die in blast at bus station Aug 16, 2008
The blast happened a day after a female suicide bomber struck Shiite pilgrims traveling to Karbala for a major religious festival, killing at least 18 people and wounding 75 ... Hundreds of thousands of Shiites from throughout Iraq have been traveling by foot or vehicle to Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, for the religious festival ... Earlier Friday, a roadside bomb struck a minibus beginning the pilgrimage from Baghdad to Karbala, killing at least one passenger and wounding 10 others, a... (New Haven Register, CT)
Shiite Iraqi cleric asks his followers to sign a blood pledge of loyalty Aug 16, 2008
Only a few hundred people turned up Friday at Sadrist offices in Sadr City and Najaf to sign the covenant, as millions of Shiites were already heading by foot, car and minibus to the Shiite holy city of Karbala to celebrate the birthday of Muhammad al-Mahdi, a ninth-century saint and the last of 12 imams revered by Shiites ... It was during this holiday last year that Sadr's forces fought a turf war on the streets of Karbala, amid millions of Shiite pilgrims, drawing widespread criticism from... (International Herald Tribune)
Three killed in Iraq attack against Shiite pilgrims Aug 16, 2008
BAGHDAD (AFP) - Three people were killed in a car bombing in Baghdad on Saturday targeting Shiite pilgrims heading to the holy city of Karbala for a major religious festival, police and hospital officials said ... More than 40,000 soldiers and police have been mobilised, including 2,000 female security workers, to boost security in and around Karbala ahead of a festival on Sunday commemorating an eighth century imam. (Yahoo! Asia News)
Female Suicide Bomber Kills 26 In Iraq Aug 15, 2008
It was the deadliest in a series of attacks on travelers heading to the holy city of Karbala for a major religious festival ... Authorities have fortified the capital and Karbala, 50 miles to the south, to prevent extremists from infiltrating the main areas where the rituals are performed ... Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, the chief military spokesman for Baghdad, issued several regulations designed to defuse sectarian tensions during the journey to Karbala. (CBS News)
Suicide bomber kills at least 17 in Iraq Aug 15, 2008
The pilgrims were marching to the Shi'ite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, to celebrate the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th Shi'ite imam ... In Karbala, police deployed about 2,000 additional troops. (Boston Globe)
Woman Sets Off Blast in Gathering Of Shiite Pilgrims Aug 15, 2008
BAGHDAD, Aug. 14 -- A female suicide bomber detonated explosives among a group of Shiite pilgrims heading to a religious festival in the holy city of Karbala on Thursday, killing at least 18 people and wounding 68, police said ... The pilgrims were heading to Karbala to attend the Shabaniyah celebration, which commemorates the birth of Shiite Islam's 12th imam, Muhammad al-Mahdi, who vanished in the 9th century ... Iraqi security forces have fortified Karbala, including dispatching hundreds of... (Washington Post)
* UN taking on a new role in Iraq Aug 15, 2008
In Baghdad, two roadside bombs went off in separate locations, killing one policeman and wounding 17 people, including 14 Shiite pilgrims headed on foot to Karbala for a major religious festival, police said. The first bomb, in the southeastern district of Zafaraniyah, killed the policeman and wounded nine others X six pilgrims and three policemen, a police official said. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Bomber kills Shiite pilgrims Aug 15, 2008
The pilgrims were marching to the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, to celebrate the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th Shiite imam. New Haven Register 2008. (New Haven Register, CT)
Iraq suicide blast kills pilgrims Aug 15, 2008
Thousands of pilgrims are heading to the holy city of Karbala for a major religious festival this weekend marking the birthday of the 12th Shia imam ... " Iskandariya had seen a recent decline in violence due to an influx of US troops and a Sunni backlash against al-Qaeda. Tens of thousands of Shia pilgrims are expected to flock to Karbala this weekend. Bookmark with: SERVICES E-MAILED UK firms face migrant work fees Nigerian advises against 86 wives Man banned from sex at love nest Ear... (BBC News -- Africa)
18 dead after Iraq suicide bombings Aug 15, 2008
Pilgrims en route to festival in Karbala south of Baghdad ... The pilgrims were traveling to Karbala, about 60 miles southwest of the Iraqi capital. (CNN -- World)
Rash of Iraq bomb attacks kill five Aug 14, 2008
A rash of bomb attacks in Iraq, two targeting pilgrims headed to the holy city of Karbala for a Shi'ite religious festival, killed five people and wounded 18, security officials say. A Shi'ite pilgrim was killed and seven others wounded by a roadside bomb in Baghdad's commercial district of Karrada as they set off towards Karbala, 110 km south of Baghdad, the officials said ... Tens of thousands of Shi'ites are expected to flock to Karbala to venerate Imam Mahdi, an eighth century imam who... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Sadr to split Iraq militia into 2 groups Aug 9, 2008
Sadr declared a cease-fire a year ago after an outbreak of fighting between Mahdi army units and Iraqi forces in Karbala during a major religious festival, which provoked widespread anger within the Shiite community. It also intensified accusations from Sadr's critics that he had lost control of Mahdi army splinter groups infiltrated by criminal elements or factions responding to instructions from Iran, known to U.S. forces as "special groups.". (International Herald Tribune)
Reconciliation at Iraq's Ground Zero Aug 6, 2008
"Each commander has his own people who he has already picked . . . They bring their own people from Najaf, Balad, and Karbala." Others blamed the security forces for involvement in a "conspiracy" to deny the people the electricity and water needed to run their shops. "Listen to me, if you're angry about power, just know there are some other areas where people are buying their water," said Mohammed, trying to calm the crowd. (Time.com)
Baghdad Warns Against Tensions in Disputed Kirkuk Aug 2, 2008
Sheik Abdul-Mahdi Al-Karbalai, an aide to Iraq's Shiite spiritual leader Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, urged political parties Friday to find a formula to approve provincial elections and secure the rights of all ethnic groups in Kirkuk. "We hope all political forces place the interests of the Iraqi people and the residents of Kirkuk above their narrow interests," al-Karbalai said during his Friday sermon in the holy Shiite city of Karbala. (Newsmax)
U.S. troops kill Iraqi editor's son, 14 Jul 26, 2008
In violence Friday, a bomb left in a plastic bag exploded on a minibus in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, wounding nine people, including a woman, police said, raising security concerns as authorities prepare for a Shiite pilgrimage next month ... Security concernsPilgrims are expected to begin pouring into Karbala next week for a festival marking the birth of Mohammed al-Mahdi, the 12th and last Shiite imam, who is known as the Hidden Imam because he disappeared in the 9th century ... Security... (MSNBC -- International)
Motorcycle trip honors fallen soldiers Jul 26, 2008
(AP) On Jan. 20, 2007, a group of U.S. paratroopers was ambushed at Karbala, Iraq ... According to the U.S. Department of Defense, Chism, 22, a 2003 St. Amant High School graduate, was one of four soldiers abducted in a sneak attack at the provincial headquarters in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, then shot to death. (Nola.com -- Sports)
As violence declines, Iraqi officials launch effort to draw tourists Jul 24, 2008
Hundreds of hotels in the holy cities of Najaf and Karbala are usually packed, but tourism officials say the buildings badly need upgrading. War has reduced places like Babylon, where the Hanging Gardens were located, to decrepit, virtually inaccessible outposts of ancient culture. (Boston Globe)
Perfecting McCain's op-ed pitch Jul 24, 2008
For example, if you add to your plan the notion that the NBA should relocate its Seattle team to Karbala, you might sell the piece to Sports Illustrated. Or, if you could come up with some tempting recipes favored by Marines in Mosul, you could submit the column to Martha Stewart Living. (Boston Globe)
Wounded vet lets scars aid charity's work Jul 24, 2008
He remembered seeing flames on his flesh in the Humvee after it hit an anti-tank mine near the Iraqi city of Karbala in the early days of the war. He spent agonizing months at Brooke Army Medical Center, the Army's top burn treatment facility in San Antonio. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Metro)
Letter: Bellavia family says thank you Jul 24, 2008
Wakefield - To the editor: On behalf of the entire Bellavia family, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the West Side Social Club for dedicating this year s fireworks display in honor of my son Staff Sargent Joseph P. Bellavia, who, in October 2003, made the supreme sacrifice in Karbala, Iraq. A special thank you is extended to WSSC president Carol Nicastro, and the singing state trooper Dan Clark for a beautiful and moving tribute to one of Wakefield s fallen heroes. (Wakefield Observer, MA)
Iraqi panel proposes delay in key election Jul 21, 2008
Airport expected to boost tourismHundreds of thousands of pilgrims, mostly Iranians, travel to Iraq every year to visit Shiite shrines in Najaf and another holy city, Karbala. The new $250 million airport is expected to boost the numbers of pious tourists. (MSNBC -- International)
A talk with Orit Bashkin Jul 20, 2008
There were Shi'ites in Najaf saying, "we have contributed to Arab culture, look at our fantastic poetry, look at the contributions of the cities of Najaf and Karbala, look at how many Shi'ites participated in the rebellion of 1920, fighting for independence." There were Iraqi Jews saying, "we are the descendants of Abraham, who came from Iraq, so we are an ancient Iraqi community.". I realize ethno-religious identities are very important right now, but I wanted to say they are changing over... (Boston Globe)
Tillman Probe Hindered By Fuzzy Memories Jul 16, 2008
He was killed by fire from U.S. or Polish soldiers in Karbala after a dump truck hurtled through a checkpoint and crashed into the armored vehicle in which he was riding. Buryj's parents accepted an invitation to meet Bush at a July 2004 campaign rally. (CBS News -- US)
Police: Iraq suicide bombers kill 28 army recruits Jul 16, 2008
March 17: A female suicide bomber strikes Shiite worshippers in the holy city of Karbala, killing at least 49 people. March 6: A pair of bombs detonate in a crowded shopping district in the central Baghdad district of Karradah, killing 68 people and wounding about 120. (USA Today)
A Gentle Descent To Baghdad's Airport Jul 15, 2008
Many things are the same in Iraq: the blast wallsthat crisscross Baghdad in a maze of concrete, the military signs that say "Use of Deadly Force is Authorized," the checkpoints, including 48 alone on the road to Karbala, 60 miles south of the capital. The same kind of passengers as always flew for 90 minutes from Amman to Baghdad last week. (CBS News -- World)
Hezbollah link to Iraq militia alleged Jul 2, 2008
The three Iraqis claim the Lebanese Shiites were also involved in planning some of the most brazen attacks against U.S.-led forces, including the January 2007 raid on a provincial government compound in Karbala in which five Americans died. The allegations, made in separate interviews with The Associated Press, point not only to an Iranian hand in the Iraq war, but also to Hezbollah's willingness to expand beyond its Lebanese base and assume a broader role in the struggle against U.S. influence... (MSNBC -- Race)
Iraqi Officials: Hezbollah, Iran Training Shiite Terrorists Jul 2, 2008
The three Iraqis claim the Lebanese Shiites were also involved in planning some of the most brazen attacks against U.S.-led forces, including the January 2007 raid on a provincial government compound in Karbala in which five Americans died ... The two Iraqi lawmakers said Hezbollah operatives planned and supervised both the Karbala attack and the brazen daylight kidnapping of five British nationals from a Finance Ministry compound in Baghdad in May 2007 ... In the Karbala attack,... (Fox News)
Iraq province handover postponed Jul 1, 2008
The nine provinces handed over to Iraqi security control, five years the US-led invation of Iraq, are Maysan, Muthanna, Basra, Dhi Qar, Najaf, Karbala, and the three mainly Kurdish northern provinces Dohuk, Suleimaniya and Arbil. Bookmark with. (BBC News -- Africa)
Suicide Bomber Gunned Down In Iraq Jun 30, 2008
But the ongoing crackdown backfired when a relative of the prime minister was killed early Friday in a raid on Hindiyah, about 12 00004000 miles east of Karbala, local officials said ... Asked to comment on the death, a U.S. military spokesman said troops were going after Shiite extremist groups in the Karbala area when a security guard left a building "while brandishing an AK-47 rifle" held against his shoulder "as if to fire." ... Meanwhile, Karbala Gov. Aqil al-Khuzaie said in a statement... (CBS News)
Iraq guards kill female suicide bomber, foiling blast Jun 30, 2008
But the ongoing crackdown backfired when a relative of the prime minister was killed early Friday in a raid on Hindiyah, about 12 miles east of Karbala, local officials said. Ali Abdul-Hussein, reportedly a cousin of Maliki, was shot dead in a raid conducted by 60 US soldiers supported by four helicopters and a fighter jet, the provincial police chief, Raed Shakir, said. (Boston Globe)
In Iraq: Truck bomb kills 7 people north of Baghdad Jun 30, 2008
But the ongoing crackdown against Shiite extremists may have backfired when a relative of the prime minister was killed early Friday in a raid on Hindiyah, about 12 miles east of Karbala, local officials said ... Karbala Gov. Aqil al-Khuzaie said in a statement Saturday that the raid was a violation of an agreement signed with the U.S. last year that transferred Karbala to the control of Iraqi security forces. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Crisis grows in Iraq over U.S. raid that killed Maliki relative Jun 29, 2008
Handing over security in provinces doesn't mean anything to the American troops," said Mohamed Hussein al Musawi, a senior Najaf-based member of the prime minister's Dawa Party. "We condemn these barbaric actions not only when they target a relative of Maliki's, but when any Iraqi is targeted in the same way. "Outrage over the mysterious operation has spread to the highest levels of the Iraqi government, which is demanding an explanation for how such a raid occurred in a province ostensibly... (Anchorage Daily News)
Al-Qaida front claims suicide bombing Jun 29, 2008
The raid was carried out shortly after midnight in the town of Hindiyah, 50 miles southwest of Baghdad in Karbala province. Haider al-Ebaidi, a senior member of parliament from Dawa, the prime minister's party, described Maliki as "very angry." Ebaidi said Maliki had asked an Iraqi judge to investigate the raid. (Cleveland.com -- News)
Suicide attack west of Baghdad; at least 12 dead Jun 26, 2008
Iraqi men inspect a burned minibus after a car bomb detonated near the holy shrine of Imam Al-Abbas in central Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, on Wednesday, June 25, 2008. Two civilians including a ten-year-old boy were killed and 14 other were wounded from the blast, the police said. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt Donate to International Rescue Committee Programs for Iraqi Children Jun 26, 2008
The funding will help the IRC rehabilitate three rundown and overcrowded schools in Najaf and Karbala that are struggling to accommodate influxes of displaced Iraqi children. The gift will also be used to provide catch-up classes for children who have missed schooling due to violence and safe recreational areas for children to play. (AlertNet)
Attacks Mount On Iraqi Government Jun 26, 2008
Iraqi men inspect a burned minibus after a car bomb detonated near the holy shrine of Imam Al-Abbas in central Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, Iraq, on June 25, 2008. A suicide bomber struck a municipal building in Mosul on June 26, 2008, killing at least 18 people, according to the provincial governor. (CBS News -- 60 minutes II)
Clashes with U.S. forces kill 9 civilians in Iraq Jun 26, 2008
And two people were killed and four people were injured in Karbala when a bomb detonated in a microbus. In Washington, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani met with President Bush in the White House. (Yahoo News -- Iraq)
Iraqi military to take control of Anbar province Jun 26, 2008
At present, the other provinces that have transitioned to Iraqi security control are Duhuk, Irbil and Sulaimaniya in the Kurdish region, and Karbala, Najaf, Muthanna, Thiqar, Basra, and Maysan in the Shiite south. The other province to change over to Iraqi security control this year is Qadisiya in the south. (CNN -- World)
U.S. Forces Face Spike in Deadly Violence in Iraq Jun 26, 2008
South of Baghdad, a bomb exploded on a minibus near one of the most revered Shiite shrines in the holy city of Karbala. At least two people including a young boy were killed, and 14 were wounded, police said. (Newsmax)
Iran alleges assassination plot Jun 21, 2008
During the two-day visit, President Ahmadinejad cancelled a scheduled trip to the cities of Najaf and Karbala, citing security reasons. An American spokesman in Iraq said the United States was unaware of any threats to the president's life. (BBC News -- Africa)
Ahmadinejad says "enemies" tried to kill him Jun 21, 2008
During the first visit by an Iranian leader to Iraq since the neighbours fought an eight-year war in the 1980s, Ahmadinejad cancelled his scheduled visit to Shi'ite holy cities of Karbala and Najaf in southern Iraq. Today in Africa & Middle East. (International Herald Tribune)
Iraqis begin crackdown in southern city Jun 20, 2008
In August 2007, Sadr announced a freeze on his militia's activities after his followers clashed with a rival militia in Karbala. The freeze was renewed in February, but unraveled when Maliki ordered his Basra offensive. (Boston Globe)
Sadr Launches his Election Campaign Jun 16, 2008
Sadr has good reason to concentrate on the election his followers are poised to take the majority of open seats in southern Iraq and in large parts of Baghdad But two things threaten could derail a massive victory at the polls: One would be a public relations disaster like the bloody firefight Sadr's fighters sparked outside a venerated Shi'ite shrine in Karbala roughly a year ago, the episode that led Sadr to declare a cease-fire in the first place. Sadr's new humanitarian drive appears aimed... (Time.com)
Dead End Deal Jun 14, 2008
An aide to Iraq's pre-eminent Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged negotiators to protect the national interest during a Friday sermon in the holy city of Karbala ... Hundreds of followers of anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also rallied against the agreement in Karbala. (Fox News)
Obama's Plan for Defeat Jun 13, 2008
When Mahdi fighters rose up in support of their Basra brethren, the Iraqi army at Maliki's direction confronted them and prevailed in every town -- Najaf, Karbala, Hilla, Kut, Nasiriyah and Diwaniyah -- from Basra to Baghdad. 3. (Townhall.com)
LETTERS: NCT, June 9, 2008 Jun 10, 2008
Witness the most recent attempts by Bush, Petraeus, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mullen and other members of the war machine to drum up support for an attack by claiming that Iran was smuggling arms to the Mahdi army and planning to show off what they claimed were Iranian arms captured in Karbala. These attempts failed when Prime Minister al-Maliki refused to support the U.S. military's claim about Iranian arms being smuggled, and the plan to show off the supposed Iranian arms had to be canceled when... (North County Times)
At Odds Over Iraqi "Sovereignty" Jun 7, 2008
US soldiers unload projectiles as they are set-up to be detonated on the outskirts of Karbala, Iraq. Mohammed Sawaf / AFP / Getty Article Tools. (Time.com)
Flood threat to Iraq Shia shrines Jun 5, 2008
The Karbala shrines are a centre of pilgrimage for Shia Muslims. Officials in the Iraqi city of Karbala say the mausoleum of Shia Islam's most revered leader is threatened with structural damage from flooding ... Research in 2000 revealed damage to the drinking water and sewerage systems inflicted in 1991 when Karbala was bombed during a Shia uprising. (BBC News -- Africa)
Taking part in the process Jun 4, 2008
Snyder, a Mendon resident and Gold Star Mother, lost her son, Brian Freeman, 31, from injuries he sustained during an attack on Karbala s provincial headquarters. He was an Army Reserve captain. (Logan Herald Journal, UT)
* Iraq seeks more support from donors May 30, 2008
A US soldier of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team inspects munitions before destroying them outside Karbala, Iraq, on Wednesday. PHOTO: AP. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
US makes progress in Iraq's `triangle of death' May 28, 2008
A May 21, 2008, file photo shows the Iraqi police force displaying weapons and explosives discovered during a recent raid on a village just east of Karbala, Iraq. The U.S. military says violence across Iraq has reached its lowest level in more than four years, after successes this year in breaking al-Qaida and other Sunni insurgents' hold in western Iraq and government crackdowns in the southern city of Basra and northern city of Mosul. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
The Return of Iraq's Ayatollah May 26, 2008
"Sistani emphasized that everything should be done to get back total sovereignty on all levels," said Sheik Abdul Mehdi al-Karbala'e, who summed up Sistani's meeting with Maliki in a speech to Shi'ite follower attending Friday prayers in Karbala. The comment was a not-so-subtle warning by Sistani to Maliki and American leaders as they negotiate a long-term bilateral agreement that will spell out conditions for a U.S. presence in Iraq beyond next year, when the current U.N. mandate ends. (Time.com)
Their service we honor May 25, 2008
Army Cpl. Llythaniele Fender, 21, a 2004 graduate of West Monona High School in Onawa, died June 10, 2007, in Karbala, Iraq, of wounds suffered from an improvised explosive device. Army Pfc. (Ames Daily Tribune, IA)
Hyping the threat from Iran May 20, 2008
I well recall being told by an Iranian, as violence mounted in Iraq in 2006, "What do you expect? They killed our Imam Hossein." The reference was to the most emotional event in the history of Shiism: the murder of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson in 680 by the army of the Sunni caliph, Yazid, on the plains of Karbala. Iranians, with a long historical memory, also see their pre-Islamic culture as superior to that of the Arabs and bemoan the seventh century battle of Qadisiyya, when the Arabs... (San Francisco Chronicle -- Opinion)
