LONDON (Reuters) — London’s former ambassador to Washington says the war in Iraq fuelled homegrown terrorism in Britain, in comments likely to cause further problems for Prime Minister Tony Blair at the end of turbulent political week. Sir Christopher Meyer, who was heavily involved in the planning that led up …
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Iraq offensive targets Al Qaeda
BAGHDAD (Reuters) — US forces mounted their biggest offensive in a year against Sunni Arab insurgents in western Iraq on Saturday, saying they would make the lawless area on the Syrian border safe for voters in next month’s elections. An assassination attempt in Baghdad on a Sunni leader whose group …
Read More »Statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic
Oct 29,2005 In the Name of God, the Almighty Statement by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The statement issued by the President of the UN Security Council on the International Day of Qods upon the proposal of the Zionist regime was aimed to cover up …
Read More »New pressure to end corruption as World Bank cuts support
SANAA — Taxi driver Mohamed Abdul Karim swears under his breath as he swings past the giant, multimillion dollar mosque being built to honour Yemen’s president. “I don’t make enough money to feed my family every month, and we go and spend millions of dollars on another mosque,” said Abdul …
Read More »Ahbash group at centre of Hariri probe
BEIRUT — The Lebanese Sunni Muslim group Ahbash, which describes itself a charitable organisation promoting Islamic culture, is at the centre of the UN probe into the murder of former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. The UN inquiry probing the assassination has named Ahmad Abdel-Al, believed to have been a top …
Read More »2,000 companies made illicit payments to Iraq — report
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — More than 2,000 companies paid about $1.8 billion in illicit kickbacks and surcharges to Saddam Hussein’s government through extensive manipulation of the UN oil-for-food programme in Iraq, according to key findings of a UN-backed investigation obtained by the Associated Press. The report — to be released …
Read More »Troops block smuggling routes with Syria
SULTAN YACOUB (AP) — Commandos manned positions near Palestinian bases in this rugged region Thursday and soldiers blocked smuggling routes along the Syrian border as Lebanon beefed up efforts to control its territory amid heightened tensions with Syria. The tense standoff with the pro-Syrian Palestinian groups, which started Wednesday, demonstrated …
Read More »Arms still flowing to Lebanon from Syria — UN
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) — Arms are still flowing across the Syrian border to Palestinians in Lebanon, a UN report said on Wednesday, adding further pressure on Damascus after threats of sanctions by France and the United States. Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a report to the UN Security Council, said …
Read More »World dismay over Iranian remarks
LONDON (AP) — Governments around the world expressed shock and scorn Thursday at the Iranian president’s call for Israel to be “wiped off the map,” and several summoned Tehran’s envoys in their capitals for a reprimand. However, Israeli calls for Iran to be suspended from the United Nations over the …
Read More »Shiite and Sunni lines drawn for Iraq vote
BAGHDAD (Reuters) — Iraq’s ruling Shiite Islamist parties struck a last-minute deal to patch up differences on Thursday and agreed to register as a united bloc for December 15 polls where they face a new Sunni Arab alliance. But in a flare-up likely to fuel mistrust between Iraq’s two main …
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