Middle Orient

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A senior Iraqi official on Thursday explicitly backed U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s plans to withdraw combat troops from the country by mid-2010, Baghdad’s clearest endorsement yet of Obama’s exit strategy.

LARNACA, Cyprus (Reuters) – Eleven European politicians sailed to Gaza from Cyprus Friday after saying attempts to get to the Palestinian territory via Egypt failed.

The Israeli military is investigating a video in which a Palestinian detainee appears to be humiliated by a group of Israeli soldiers.

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Zionist regime urged Washington not to rule out military option in Iran, and showed much fearful of a peaceful US dialogue with Tehran.

SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria will withdraw its 155 troops from Iraq at the end of the year, the defense ministry said Thursday.

GAZA (Reuters) – Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah group said Hamas forces arrested dozens of its activists in the GazaStrip on Thursday, undermining Egyptian efforts to reconcile the rival factions.

Four people have been killed in twin bomb attacks at a checkpoint in a Sunni area of Baghdad, Iraqi police say.

The Iraqi government says it is confident that US President-elect Barack Obama will not jeopardise the country’s improving security by hastening the withdrawal of American troops.

TEHRAN (FNA)- Israel says it does not support any US talks with Iran, calling dialogue a sign of ‘weakness’ in efforts to end Tehran’s nuclear activities.

 DAMASCUS, Nov. 5 – Exiled Hamas politburo leader Khaled Meshaal said here on Wednesday that his group is ready to deal with a new U.S. administration led by president-elect Barak Obama.