Maliki Butts Heads With Sunni Clerics

Staff / Truthdig Jan 5, 2007 Tensions in Iraq were already running high with the execution of Saddam Hussein and the ongoing violence there. Now Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has scolded Sunni clerics for warning that militias were planning to attack Sunni neighborhoods in Baghdad. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Sadr Considers Cease-Fire

Staff / Truthdig Dec 21, 2006 Muqtada al-Sadr may call for a monthlong unilateral cease-fire amid the formation of a new political coalition in Iraq. Sadr is set to meet Thursday with key Shiite political leaders and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to discuss his role, or lack thereof, in the changing political landscape. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

A Bid to Ostracize Moqtada al-Sadr

Staff / Truthdig Dec 12, 2006 Iraqi politicians have been meeting, with help from the Bush administration, to see if they can form a new coalition in Parliament to sideline the troublemaking Moqtada al-Sadr. The new group of Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites would have to attract moderates to find a way to handle Sadr's militia, with its estimated 60,000 men. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Lebanon on the Brink

Staff / Truthdig Dec 12, 2006 Hezbollah has threatened an escalation in its campaign against Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Saniora unless he resigns. Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah supporters took to the streets on Sunday, but Christian and Sunni leaders appear unlikely to bow to the pressure. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Saudi Links to Iraq Insurgency

Staff / Truthdig Dec 8, 2006 Private Saudi Arabians have allegedly donated millions of dollars to Sunni insurgents in Iraq, according to the Iraq Study Group and Iraqi officials. It's an open secret that Iran has supported Shiite militants, causing some to worry that Iraq's sectarian strife could develop into a regional quagmire. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraqi Pols Respond to Elections

Staff / Truthdig Nov 9, 2006 Americans weren't the only ones watching election returns late into the night. Iraqi politicians, dependent on America for money, power and protection, held a meeting to debate the impact of a Democratic Congress. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Chris Hedges: Bush and Israel, Midwives to Radical Islam

Chris Hedges / Truthdig Nov 6, 2006 The former New York Times Mideast bureau chief argues that America's failure in Iraq and Israel's humiliation in Lebanon have emboldened and empowered those in the Arab world who seek to topple U.S.-backed regimes in the Middle East and cripple the Jewish state. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Possible U.S. Troop Increase in Baghdad

Staff / Truthdig Oct 24, 2006 Gen. George W. Casey announced that he is considering sending more U.S. troops to Iraq in order to help quell the violence. This is a major reversal of the military withdrawal that started last December. The reductions stopped in June when the violence in Baghdad showed no signs of abatement. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Can You Tell a Sunni from a Shiite?

Staff / Truthdig Oct 19, 2006 Many of the elected officials and law enforcement heads playing leading roles in America's counter-terrorism fight still don't know the difference between Iraq's two main religious groups. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Hiding in Plain Sight

Staff / Truthdig Sep 6, 2006 Iraqis have been taking great pains to conceal their identities in order to avoid sectarian violence. Because personal information, such as a name and province of origin, can hint at whether they are Shiite or Sunni, the fake ID trade is booming and worried Iraqis sometimes even change their license plates. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Iraq Report: Civilian Casualties Up by 50%

Staff / Truthdig Sep 2, 2006 Civilian casualties in Iraq rose by 50% during the last three months, according to a report released by the Pentagon. The report on security and stability in Iraq examined the sectarian violence that grips the country, saying ?Conditions that could lead to civil war exist in Iraq? but that the fighting does not meet the ?strict? definition of a civil war. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Civil War Leaves No Sanctuary for Wounded

Staff / Truthdig Aug 30, 2006 Shiite militias have been conducting death raids on Iraqi hospitals, signaling an escalation in the sectarian violence that plagues the country. Many Sunnis, some seriously wounded, have been forced to seek medical attention at home, or in illegal clinics. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )