Middle Orient

Suicide bomber kills 13 in Baghdad

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – A suicide bomber killed at least 13 people in an attack aimed at a senior Iraqi police officer in Baghdad on Wednesday and gunmen shot dead three U.S. soldiers in northern Iraq, officials said. The U.S. military said separately that at least 10 decaying bodies had been …

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Israel halts Gaza fuel after depot attack

GAZA (Reuters) – Israel suspended fuel deliveries to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip on Wednesday after a mortar fired by Palestinian militants struck the territory’s only fuel depot, wounding a Palestinian worker. Israel blamed Islamist Hamas, which opposes coexistence with the Jewish state, for the attack on Nahal Oz border crossing. …

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Peace in 2008 would be miracle-Palestinian envoy

RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) – Impediments in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks mean a “miracle” would be required to meet the U.S.-set goal of an accord by the end of 2008, the chief Palestinian negotiator said on Wednesday. “All the issues were discussed with the Israeli side and there has been no …

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Iraq sends teams to study other U.S. military pacts

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq, negotiating an agreement on keeping U.S. forces in the country, has sent teams to study military pacts Washington has with other nations, Iraq’s Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said on Sunday. The United States, which invaded Iraq in 2003 to oust Saddam Hussein, is negotiating an agreement …

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U.N. envoy to raise Afghan, Iraqi killings with U.S.

GENEVA (Reuters) – A U.N. human rights investigator making an official visit to the United States later this month said on Wednesday that he would raise allegations of American troops killing Afghan and Iraqi civilians. Philip Alston, United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, said he would …

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FACTBOX: Military and civilian deaths in Iraq

(Reuters) – Three U.S. soldiers were killed by small-arms fire near the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Wednesday, the U.S. military said. The attack took place in the town of Hawija, 210 km (130 miles) north of Baghdad. Following are the latest figures for soldiers and civilians killed since the …

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Syria says wants nuclear energy under Arab umbrella

DUBAI (Reuters) – Syria is not seeking nuclear weapons but wants to have access to atomic energy for peaceful purposes through a collective Arab project, President Bashar al-Assad said in remarks published on Tuesday. The Dubai-based Gulf News also quoted Assad as saying that the United States should have sought …

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FACTBOX: Security developments in Iraq

(Reuters) – Following are security developments in Iraq at 1530 GMT (11:30 a.m. EDT) on Tuesday: *denotes new or updated item *BAGHDAD -Iraqi security forces and multinational soldiers killed four militants in operations on Monday, the U.S. military said.

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Iraqi families returning to parts of Baghdad: agency

GENEVA (Reuters) – Iraqi families who fled recent sectarian violence and military operations are returning in numbers to certain areas of Baghdad where security has improved, an international aid agency said on Tuesday. An estimated 4,000 families or 24,000 Iraqis who fled fighting between security forces and Shi’ite militiamen during …

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