Iraq

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Iran Fires Missile Barrage Near US Facility in Iraq

It's seen as an escalation of tension between Washington and Tehran

(Newser) - Iran has claimed responsibility for a missile barrage that struck early Sunday near a sprawling US consulate complex in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil, saying it was retaliation for an Israeli strike in Syria that killed two members of its Revolutionary Guard. No injuries were reported in the attack,...

Iraq Is Done Paying Reparations to Kuwait

It paid out $52B over 3 decades

(Newser) - Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, and its forces were ousted by 1991. In the more than 30 years since, it has been paying reparations to Kuwait, a process that has finally officially finished. The UN commission set up to review the compensation demands and obtain and pay out the money...

Saga of Looted Gilgamesh Tablet Comes to an End

3,500-year-old tablet bearing portion of Epic of Gilgamesh now in Baghdad

(Newser) - A small clay tablet dating back 3,500 years and bearing a portion of the Epic of Gilgamesh that was looted from an Iraqi museum 30 years ago was formally returned to Iraq on Tuesday, following a September repatriation ceremony in Washington, DC. The AP reports the $1.7 million...

In Iraq, an Assassination Attempt Via Armed Drone

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi is OK after assault on his home

(Newser) - Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with an armed drone that targeted his residence early Sunday, and officials said he was unharmed. The attack in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone marks a major escalation of tensions sparked by the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept...

Gilgamesh Dream Tablet Is Finally Returned to Iraq

It was looted years before Hobby Lobby bought it in 2014

(Newser) - Update: A 3,500-year-old clay tablet looted from an Iraqi museum 30 years ago and bought by Hobby Lobby in 2014 is now officially Iraq's property again. The Gilgamesh Dream Tablet was formally returned at a repatriation ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution Thursday, CNN reports. Fareed Yasseen, Iraq's...

Biden, Iraqi Leader Announce Change of US Mission

Combat troops to be withdrawn, but nations will work together against ISIS

(Newser) - President Biden said Monday the US combat mission in Iraq will conclude by the end of the year, an announcement that reflects the reality on the ground more than a major shift in US policy. Even before Biden took office, the main focus had been assisting Iraqi forces , not fighting...

US to Pull Combat Troops From Iraq
US to Pull
Combat Troops
From Iraq
Jul 22, 2021 4:08 PM CDT

US to Pull Combat Troops From Iraq

By the end of the year, under the agreement, the American role will have shifted to advisory

(Newser) - The US and Iraq expect to announce next week that American combat troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the year. The countries are working on a plan that would keep Americans there in an advisory role, to help with the fight against ISIS. "We don'...

50 Dead After Fire Breaks Out in Coronavirus Ward in Iraq

Country's hospitals suffer from widespread negligence and systemic mismanagement

(Newser) - A fire swept through a coronavirus ward in southern Iraq, killing at least 50 people and injuring dozens more, Iraqi medical officials said late Monday. The officials said all those who died suffered severe burns during the blaze at al-Hussein Teaching Hospital in the southern city of Nasiryah, the AP...

UNESCO's Plan to Rebuild From ISIS Doesn't Go Over Well

Critics of Mosul landmark getting rebuilt after ISIS destruction say plan ignores Iraq's heritage

(Newser) - A UNESCO competition to rebuild devastated landmarks in one of the world's oldest cities isn't going over well. The UN agency launched its "Revive the Spirit of Mosul" project after the Islamic State occupied the Iraqi city from 2014 to 2017, wreaking havoc on its heritage sites,...

Biden Orders Airstrikes in Iraq, Syria

Targeting Iran-backed militias

(Newser) - The US military, under the direction of President Biden, has conducted airstrikes against what it said were “facilities used by Iran-backed militia groups” near the border between Iraq and Syria. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the militias were using the facilities to launch unmanned aerial vehicle attacks against...

Senate to Vote on Repealing 2002 Iraq War Authorization

'The Iraq War has been over for nearly a decade,' Chuck Schumer says

(Newser) - In 2002, Chuck Schumer and Joe Biden were among the 29 Democratic senators who voted to authorize the use of military force in Iraq. Almost 20 years later, they support repealing the authorization. Schumer said Wednesday that he supports repealing the measure and the Senate will hold a vote on...

Oxygen Tank Blast, Fire Kill 82 in Hospital

Iraq says at least 200 people were rescued

(Newser) - An explosion and fire in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Baghdad killed 82 people and injured 110, the Iraqi government said. The unit treats severe cases of COVID-19, and at least 28 of the patients killed were on ventilators, CBS reports. At least 200 people were rescued...

Pope Joins Historic Appeal for Coexistence in Peace

'We need one another,' Francis says after meeting in Iraq

(Newser) - After a historic private meeting with a senior Shiite cleric in Iraq, Pope Francis appealed for religious tolerance. "We need one another," the pope said later in a speech on the desert plain of Ur, believed to be the birthplace of Abraham. "Hostility, extremism and violence are...

Iraq Prepares for First-Ever Papal Visit

It's Francis' first overseas trip since pandemic began

(Newser) - Pope Francis heads to Iraq on Friday to urge the country’s dwindling number of Christians to stay put and help rebuild the country after years of war and persecution, brushing aside the coronavirus pandemic and security concerns to make the first-ever papal visit to the country. Iraqis were keen...

Rockets Hit Iraqi Base Holding US Troops

No casualties or damages reported as Pope prepares for visit

(Newser) - At least 10 rockets were fired Wednesday at an Iraqi military base hosting troops of the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS, including US troops, according to statements from the coalition and military, per ABC News . The rockets struck Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province at 7:20am local time, coalition...

US Airstrike Hits Syria Target Tied to Iran-Backed Militias

Attack is first military action taken under Biden

(Newser) - President Biden ordered an airstrike in Syria on Thursday, after recent rocket attacks launched on US forces in Iraq. The target was a structure thought to be used for smuggling weapons by two Shia militias backed by Iran, CNN reports. The goal of the US attack was to hurt the...

A Once-Common Scourge Returns to Baghdad

Twin suicide bombings kill more than 30 at market

(Newser) - Maybe Baghdad residents would have been more wary a few years ago. Authorities say a suicide bomber drew a crowd around him at a busy marketplace Thursday morning by pretending to be ill, then detonated his explosives, reports CNN . Soon after, a second suicide bomber struck nearby. The AP puts...

Across the Globe, an Arrest Warrant for Trump

Iraqi court charges US president with premeditated murder

(Newser) - An arrest warrant was issued Thursday for outgoing President Trump in connection with the killing of an Iranian general and a powerful Iraqi militia leader last year, Iraq's judiciary said, per the AP . The warrant was issued by a judge in Baghdad's investigative court tasked with probing the...

Saddam's 'Red Devil' Is Reportedly Dead

Ba'ath Party announces death of Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri

(Newser) - Saddam Hussein's former right-hand man and one of the most wanted men in the world has been reported dead. Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the former vice chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council who was promoted to head of the Ba'ath Party after Hussein's execution and evaded capture even...

US Announces Major Drawdown in Iraq

Just 3K troops will remain at the end of this month

(Newser) - The Trump administration is pulling nearly half of its troops out of Iraq. The US commander in the Middle East said Wednesday that troops would be reduced this month from 5,200 to 3,000—about the number that were in the country in 2015, during the early phase of...

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