Iraqi Kurds Wrangle Over Islam

ARBIL - Disputes have arisen within Kurdistan over the role Islam should play in a new constitution. The Iraqi national constitution asserts Islam as the country's official religion and a major source of legislation. But not everyone wants that for a Kurdish...

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Kurds Want More Convictions Over Massacres

ARBIL - Polishing the picture of her husband hanging on a wall, Samira Jabbar, 44, was euphoric after an Iraqi judge handed the death sentence to several men for the massacre of tens of thousands of Kurds in the late 1980s. Samira lost her husband and four other close...

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Is Iraqi Kurdistan a Good Investment?

ARBIL - A huge building complex is rising above Arbil's ancient citadel and mosques, for long the outstanding features of this city in Iraqi Kurdistan. Once complete, Arbil's Modern Market with its four 33-floor towers will accommodate more than 5,000 shops and...

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What Next After Samarra Bombing?

ARBIL - Iraq is again haunted by the ghosts of Samarra, with last week's attack on the Shia-revered al-Askari mosque raising fears that it could touch off a new wave of sectarian violence in a country already crippled by large-scale violence and political crisis. In a...

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Anxiety in Wake of US-Iran Talks

ARBIL, Iraq - US-Iranian talks about Iraq have been received with skepticism and some foreboding here, with some calling for limitations on the extent of issues that the two countries can negotiate regarding Iraq. The ice-breaking ambassador-level talks Monday between...

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The Surge: From Worse to Worst?

ARBIL - More than four months after the launch of the U.S. government's new Iraq strategy aimed at curbing violence in this war-torn country, the situation here shows no clear signs of improvement. Indeed, a recent report by a British think-tank warns [.pdf] that Iraq...

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Journalists Face Repression on All Sides in Iraq

ARBIL - The working environment for Iraq's journalists is becoming increasingly dangerous and difficult, with 31 killed since the start of this year, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The dire situation has prompted both international and...

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Kurds Fear a New War

QANDIL MOUNTAINS (Iraq-Iran-Turkey) - The fragile quiet in this no-man's-land is broken by a young fighter shooting into the air at a regular morning ceremony to "commemorate martyrs." The firing is more than ceremonial. A new threat of war is looming in this mountain...

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Kirkuk: Sparks Rise From a Time Bomb

ARBIL - The security situation in Iraq's northern oil rich-city Kirkuk has deteriorated over the past few weeks as a constitutional deadline approaches to determine the fate of the city. The city is home to a mix of Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs, with the population of...

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Randolph Bourne Institute