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NEWS ABOUT: Nouri al-Maliki

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US Suspects al-Qaeda Behind Syria Bombings

Group may be looking to exploit the chaos

(Newser) - Al-Qaeda's Iraq branch is moving into the chaos in Syria, and is responsible for two recent bombings and most likely yesterday's bombing in Aleppo , US officials tell McClatchy . Intelligence reports seem to back up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad assertions—disputed by the opposition—that al-Qaeda has been involved... More »

With US Gone, Iraq Explodes

Violence rampant thanks to political crisis

(Newser) - Iraq has experienced a surge in violence since US troops left the country last month, with 327 people dying in explosions or assassinations by the Iraqi Ministry's official count. Bombings have hit Baghdad neighborhoods , Shiite pilgrims , and Sunni police, among other targets. "They are not arbitrary attacks. They... More »

Another Iraq Suicide Blast Kills 53 Shiites in Basra

Victims were marking a holy day

(Newser) - Iraq's Sunni-Shiite tensions worsened yet again today when a suicide bomber killed at least 53 Shiite pilgrims marking a holy day, reports Reuters . The bomber, dressed as a police officer, struck at a checkpoint in Basra. No claims of responsibility yet, but it bears the hallmarks of Sunni-dominated al-Qaeda,... More »

Despite Maliki Crackdown, US Still Selling Arms to Iraq

Iraqi PM hasn't followed through on his end of agreement

(Newser) - The US is charging ahead with an $11 billion arms deal with Iraq, and has even delivered some of the promised fighter jets, tanks, and weapons—even though Nouri al-Maliki has blatantly failed to follow through on an agreement intended to ensure he would not marginalize his Sunni rivals. Indeed,... More »

Biden Tells Iraqis to Mend Fences —Like, Now

VP urges Maliki to strengthen coalition with Kurds, Sunnis

(Newser) - Joe Biden called Iraqi officials today, urging them to calm rising sectarian tensions after a bombing killed at least 63 people there earlier this week, the AP reports. Biden and other US officials have been phoning Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as well as Sunni and Kurdish leaders all week, asking... More »

VP: Maliki Pushing Iraq Toward Sectarian War

Tariq al-Hashemi accuses Shiite PM of eliminating rivals

(Newser) - Sunni VP Tariq al-Hashemi today openly accused Nouri al-Maliki of trying to eliminate his political rivals and run Iraq like a "one-man-show," a move that Hashemi says is pushing the country toward sectarian war. The comments came during an interview with the AP, which notes that the escalating... More »

63 Dead as Explosions Rip Baghdad

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... More »

Iraqi VP: I'm No Terrorist

Tariq al-Hashemi says Maliki forced his guards to confess

(Newser) - Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi vigorously denied the terrorism charges leveled against him yesterday , saying that Shiite-led security personnel had forced false confessions out of his personal guards. "I swear by God I didn’t do this disobedience against Iraqi blood, and I would never do this," he... More »

Maliki Orders Iraq VP Arrested

Shiite government accuses Sunni leader of terrorism

(Newser) - Nouri al-Maliki's government ratcheted up sectarian tensions in a big way today by issuing an arrest warrant for Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, Iraq's top-ranking Sunni official, on terrorism charges, the AP reports. Hashimi is accused of running a death squad that assassinated government and security officials, authorities said... More »

Maliki Moves Against Foes as Crisis Deepens

Opponent says Maliki could send Iraq into 'abyss'

(Newser) - Just hours after the last US troops left Iraq, the country's political crisis has deepened seriously, with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki moving against several major rivals, reports the Wall Street Journal . Yesterday Maliki tried to get parliament to take up a non-confidence motion against Vice Premier Saleh al-Mutlaq, a... More »

Political Crisis Flares in Iraq

Sunnis walk out of parliament, demand more power

(Newser) - Iraq's political structure already seems to be unraveling. Before the last US troops have left , Sunni politicians are walking out of parliament and threatening to quit altogether, the Washington Post reports. Ministers in the Sunni Iraqiya bloc are demanding more political power and greater control of Iraq's Shiite-dominated... More »

West Worried About Heavy-Handed Iraq PM

Maliki crackdown may herald return to authoritarian rule

(Newser) - As the US prepares to depart Iraq, some in the West see worrying signs that the country may be sliding back toward authoritarian rule. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who met with President Obama in Washington yesterday, has been moving swiftly to consolidate power as the Americans head for the door.... More »

Obama: 'Our War in Iraq Ends This Month'

President promises US will still have 'strong presence'

(Newser) - As the last 6,000 American troops prepare to leave Iraq by Dec. 31, President Obama today heralded the end of the divisive war—but issued a warning to the country's neighbors: The US will continue to have a "strong presence in the Middle East." He added,... More »

Pentagon Denies Jan. 1 Iraq Pullout

Discussions with Baghdad 'are ongoing': spokesman

(Newser) - The Pentagon threw cold water on a story today that US troops are leaving Iraq by year's end, MSNBC reports. "Suggestions that a final decision has been reached about our training relationship with the Iraqi government are wrong," a Pentagon spokesman said. "Those discussions are ongoing.... More »

Infamous Iraqi Prison Still Open: Red Cross

Critics blame Maliki, who controls the elite units running the prison

(Newser) - A notorious Baghdad prison run by security forces controlled by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki continues to operate months after it was supposed to have shut down amid allegations of torture, says the Red Cross, which is demanding access to prisoners. Though the government denies the allegation, the situation at Camp... More »

Iraq Wants US to Sell It 36 F-16s

Expanded deal is under discussion

(Newser) - As the Dec. 31 US troop withdrawal deadline looms, Iraq is looking to purchase as many as 36 US fighter jets and other air-defense systems. The purchase, which will cost billions, could help cement ties between Iraq and the US and, Washington hopes, keep Iran at bay. The move comes... More »

Panetta to Iraq: Decide on US Troop Extension

Defense secretary makes unannounced visit to Baghdad

(AP) - Fresh from his visit to Afghanistan, the AP is reporting that Leon Panetta made a surprise appearance in Baghdad today. The newly minted defense chief is looking to press the Iraqis to get off the fence on whether they want residual US forces to remain in the country after... More »

Iraqis Hold 'Day of Regret'

Protesters commemorate election with red-fingered mockery

(Newser) - Iraqi protesters offered a new spin on the “day of rage” meme that’s been sweeping the Middle East. It was one year ago today that the Iraqis elected their leaders, so they instead held a “day of regret,” the Christian Science Monitor reports. Hundreds of protesters... More »

Iraq's Maliki: I Won't Run Again, Either

He also cuts his own $360,000 salary in half

(Newser) - His spokesman says this has nothing to do with Egypt-Tunisia-Yemen-etc., in which case the timing sure is a happy coincidence: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki promised today that he won't run for a third term in 2014 and will push for a constitutional amendment to limit his successors to two... More »

Abuse, Awful Conditions Reported at Green Zone Jail

Concerns persist despite Nouri Maliki's promises of reform

(Newser) - Beatings, sexual violence, cells that stink of human waste, prisoners jammed six to a cell and suffering from skin rashes: These are the stories coming out of an Iraqi detention center where detainees are said to be held for months without a trial—despite Prime Minister Nouri Maliki’s promises... More »

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