Iraq PM Vows to Prosecute US Troops After Fatal Raid

(NEWSER) - The rift between American and Iraqi forces got a lot wider after a shooting incident in Baghdad this week, the Washington Post reports. When insurgents attacked their convoy Tuesday, US forces pursued them through alleys, and raided several houses, killing two men and a boy. An Iraqi commander ordered the men to be arrested for shooting at civilians. US commanders avoided that for now by insisting their men were acting in self-defense, but arrests may still be made. More»

US widens its airstrikes, and Sadr tells followers to keep their weapons

(NEWSER) - As the Iraqi army struggles to combat militias in Basra, British troops for the first time directly joined the fight, and American forces expanded their bombing beyond the militia stronghold. The Brits, who had previously provided only logistical and air support to the Iraqis, fired on an insurgent mortar team in Bosra, the Telegraph reports. Moqtada al-Sadr, meanwhile, told his soldiers not to surrender their weapons. More»

Leaders' virtual meetings produce few concrete results

(NEWSER) - Across thousands of miles, President Bush remains a close adviser to Iraqi PM Nuri al-Maliki. At least every 2 weeks, the politicians confer over a satellite uplink, usually for more than an hour of discussion about the civil war, Iraq's future, and even their shared religious devotion. "They talk about the challenges they face," a source tells the Times. More»

Unarmed drones will watch over Persian Gulf

(NEWSER) - Iraq is looking to America to help it monitor its oil interests—sort of. The country is buying unarmed surveillance drones from the US that will scour Iraq's Persian Gulf waters, which Iran has spoken of blockading in the past and which the majority of Iraq's oil exports flow through, USA Today reports. There's no word on how many drones it's buying, or at what cost. Iraq's oil production has jumped from 2.5 million barrels a day before the US invasion to 3 million today; it's aiming for 10 million within six years. More»

First major violence after US troop pullout rattles Iraq

(NEWSER) - At least 63 people have been killed as powerful explosions ripped Baghdad early today in the first major violence in Iraq since US troops left. Nearly 200 people were wounded as bombers believed linked to Al-Qaeda in Iraq targeted schools, grocery stores and government buildings, reports the New York Times . The attacks come amid increasing upset in Iraq's fledgling government as Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki threatens to abandon a government power-sharing arrangement. Observers fear that worsening relationships among the ethnic groups will inspire further terrorism that will plunge the country into chaos. More»