Hundreds of Palestinians thronged two major West Bank checkpoints, trying to reach a key Islamic shrine in Jerusalem on the first Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, despite tight Israeli restrictions.Â
Read More »Iraqi envoy sees long-term U.S. presence
 U.S. forces probably will not be a visible presence on Iraq’s streets five years from now, but the United States will remain a force in the country for years to come, Iraq’s ambassador to the U.S. predicted.
Read More »Saudi Arabia prevails with OPEC output hike
 OPEC exporters agreed Tuesday to pump an extra 500,000 barrels of oil a day to cool near-record crude prices in an apparent victory for Saudi Arabia over its reluctant partners. The cartel is to open the taps from the beginning of November to ensure adequate supplies to the market …
Read More »Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Attend Iraq Neighbors Conference in Istanbul
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend an international conference of Iraq’s neighbors and others in Istanbul at the end of October. The meeting being organized by Turkish and Iraqi officials will be a follow-up to a similar ministerial-level meeting held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in May. VOA’s David Gollust …
Read More »US general grilled over Bush’s Iraq strategy
The top US commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, faced a tough challenge on Tuesday from both Republicans sceptical about war strategy and Democrats who want a swifter withdrawal of American troops.
Read More »S. Arabia says visit by Syrian FM cancelled
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem called off a visit planned for Tuesday to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the first since a public row between the two countries, a Saudi official said.
Read More »Wife of Islamist leader insists he is dead
The wife of Fateh Al Islam chief Shaker Abssi has insisted that her husband is dead and that a body she viewed at a morgue was his, despite DNA tests that have proved otherwise.
Read More »Israel prepares response to rocket attack on military camp
THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT came under increasing pressure Tuesday to respond harshly to rocket fire from the Gaza Strip after an overnight barrage wounded dozens of soldiers as they slept in their tents at an Israeli army base.
Read More »Syria complains of Israel ‘aggression’
Syria complained to the United Nations about “aggression and violation of sovereignty” after Israeli warplanes reportedly conducted an airstrike in the country’s north, the country’s ambassador to the U.N. said Tuesday.
Read More »Dayton recommends expanding PA forces to strengthen Abbas
The US security coordinator in the Palestinian territories wants five new Palestinian battalions deployed across the West Bank in an effort to bolster Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to a report published Thursday.
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