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Kidnapped Italian agents freed in Afghanistan

KABUL (Reuters) – Two Italian military intelligence officers kidnapped in Afghanistan were freed on Monday during a raid by NATO-led troops in which nine kidnappers and an Afghan hostage were killed, Italy’s defense minister said.The officers were wounded during the raid to free them in southwestern Farah province and were …

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Key Arab nations invited to peace talks

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Sunday that key Arab nations, including Syria, would be invited to President Bush’s planned Mideast peace conference this fall and expressed hope they would attend. Formal invitations haven’t been issued yet but Rice said it “would be natural” for Syria, Saudi Arabia and 10 …

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Ahmadinejad seeks to soothe critics

In his outward persona at least, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad came to this country to lessen hostility toward himself and to defend Iran, not to rabble-rouse and provoke hatred. Whether he succeeded remains an open question.

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Afghanistan under scrutiny at UN-sponsored meeting

UNITED NATIONS (AFP) – Eighteen countries meet here Sunday to review six years of efforts to spur reconstruction and good governance in Afghanistan at a time when the restive country is beset by a resurgent Taliban insurgency and soaring opium output.Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN chief Ban Ki-moon are …

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Iranian, Egyptian FMs Likely to Meet in New York

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and his Egyptian counterpart Ahmed Ali Aboul Gheit are likely to meet each other on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York this week, a senior Egyptian official said Saturday.

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