Middle Orient

Turkey’s prime minister denied on Wednesday carrying out aerial strikes this week against Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq, but the government reaffirmed its readiness for a cross-border operation if deemed necessary.

Iran’s intelligence minister accused a former nuclear negotiator on Wednesday of supplying information to Britain in violation of the Islamic Republic’s security interests, an Iranian news agency reported.

NATO said on Wednesday it had no evidence of systematic torture of detainees it had handed to Afghan authorities after a rights group accused the force of breaking its own rules by not ensuring prisoners’ safety.

Prosecutors said on Wednesday they had charged seven Polish soldiers over the shooting to death of six Afghan civilians.

Following are security developments in Iraq at 9:30 a.m. EST on Wednesday.* denotes new or updated item. * ISKANDARIYA – At least two people were killed and six wounded when a suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives infiltrated a meeting of Sunni Arab tribal sheikhs in Iskandariya, a …

Pakistani troops backed by helicopter gunships killed up to 10 militants on Wednesday in a northwestern tourist region where pro-Taliban rebels have been infiltrating and expanding their influence.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said on Wednesday he would offer a $500 million aid package to the Palestinian West Bank and Gaza Strip if U.S.-led talks this month make progress towards Middle East peace.

Israel’s parliament gave preliminary approval on Wednesday to legislation that would make it more difficult to give up parts of Jerusalem in any peace deal with the Palestinians.

At least two people were killed and six wounded when a suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives attacked a gathering of Sunni Arab tribal sheikhs south of Baghdad on Wednesday, police sources said.

Two U.S. soldiers were killed and four wounded when they were hit by a roadside bomb in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad on Tuesday, the U.S. military reported.Another U.S. soldier was shot and killed near Mosul, 390 km (240 miles) north of Baghdad.