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Baghdad bombings kill at least 56 on Iraq War anniversary

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:24:00 +0000

A wave of bombings tore through Baghdad on Tuesday morning, killing at least 56 people in a spasm of violence on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion.

The attacks show how dangerous and unstable Iraq remains a decade after the war — a country where sectarian violence can explode at any time. And though attacks have ebbed since the peak of the insurgency in 2006 and 2007, tensions simmer and militants remain a potent threat to Iraq's security forces.

Tuesday's attacks were mostly by car bombs and targeted mainly Shiite areas, small restaurants, day laborers and bus stops in the Iraqi capital and nearby towns over a span of more than two hours.

Along with 56 killed, over 200 people were wounded in the attacks, officials said.

The bombings came 10 years to the day that Washington announced the start of the invasion on March 19, 2003 — though by that time it was already the following morning in Iraq.

Also on Tuesday, Iraq's Cabinet decided to postpone upcoming provincial elections in two provinces dominated by the country's minority Sunnis for up to six months. The decision followed requests from the political blocs in the provinces, according to the prime minister's spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi.

Defiant Gadhafi threatens attacks in Europe

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 18:43:00 +0000

A defiant Moammar Gadhafi threatened Friday to carry out attacks in Europe against "homes, offices, families," unless NATO halts its campaign of airstrikes against his regime in Libya.

The Libyan leader, sought by the International Criminal Court for brutally crushing an uprising against him, delivered the warning in an audio message played to thousands of supporters gathered in the main square of the capital Tripoli.

It was one of the largest pro-government rallies in recent weeks, signaling that the embattled Libyan leader can still muster significant support. Gadhafi addressed the mass gathering in Green Square, speaking from an unknown location in a likely sign of concern over his safety.

Addressing the West, Gadhafi said Libyans might take revenge.

"These people (the Libyans) are able to one day take this battle ... to Europe, to target your homes, offices, families, which would become legitimate military targets, like you have targeted our homes," he said.

"We can decide to treat you in a similar way," he said of the Europeans. "If we decide to, we are able to move to Europe like locusts, like bees. We advise you to retreat before you are dealt a disaster."

NATO admits airstrike went astray in Libya

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Libya's government said NATO warplanes struck a residential neighborhood in the capital Sunday and killed nine civilians, including two children. Hours later, NATO confirmed one of its airstrikes went astray.

The incident gave supporters of Moammar Gadhafi's regime a new rallying point against the international intervention in Libya's civil war. The foreign minister called for a "global jihad" on the West in response.

Early Sunday morning, journalists based in the Libyan capital were rushed by government officials to the damaged building, which appeared to have been partly under construction. Reporters were escorted back to the site during the day, where children's toys, teacups and dust-covered mattresses could be seen amid the rubble.

In a statement issued late Sunday at Brussels headquarters, the trans-Atlantic alliance said air strikes were launched against a military missile site in Tripoli, but "it appears that one weapon did not strike the intended target and that there may have been a weapons system failure which may have caused a number of civilian casualties."

"NATO regrets the loss of innocent civilian lives and takes great care in conducting strikes against a regime determined to use violence against its own citizens," said Lt. Gen. Charles Bouchard, commander of the anti-Libya operation.

Libya says NATO airstrike hits residential area

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 13:23:00 +0000

The Libyan government accused NATO of bombing a residential neighborhood in the capital and killing civilians early Sunday, adding to its charges that the alliance is striking nonmilitary targets. At least four people, including two children, were reported killed.

It was not possible to independently verify the government's account of what happened and NATO said it was investigating. The alliance has repeatedly insisted it tries to avoid killing civilians.

Whether they are eventually confirmed or not, the allegations are likely to provide supporters of Moammar Gadhafi's regime a fresh rallying point against the international intervention in Libya's civil war.

Shortly after the strikes early Sunday, journalists based in the Libyan capital were rushed by government officials to the destroyed building, which appeared to have been partially under construction.

Government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim wasn't immediately able to provide the number of casualties, but said there were no military facilities anywhere near the damaged building.

Journalists at the scene were later taken to a hospital, where they were shown at least four people said to have been killed in the strike, including the two young children. Foreign reporters in Tripoli are not allowed to travel and report freely and are almost always shadowed by government minders.

Journalist detained in Syria released by Iran

Wed, 18 May 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Missing journalist Dorothy Parvaz, who was held by Iranian authorities after being detained in Syria, arrived in her company's home base of Qatar on Wednesday after winning her freedom.

Parvaz's fiance, Todd Barker, said she called him early Wednesday from Qatar as she was clearing customs. Her employer, Al Jazeera, confirmed the release, saying she is "safe and well and back with us" in the capital Doha.

"I looked at my phone, saw it was her number and God, it was ... unreal," Barker told The Canadian Press.

The Iranian-born Parvaz, who also has Canadian and American citizenship, was detained in Syria while on assignment for the Doha-based Al Jazeera's English-language channel.

Parvaz, 39, went missing after leaving Qatar on April 29 for Damascus to cover the anti-government uprising in Syria. Syrian authorities said Parvaz was deported to Iran shortly after her arrival.

Iran had not commented on Parvaz until Tuesday, when its foreign ministry spokesman said she had attempted to enter Syria with an expired Iranian passport and without proper press clearance. However, the Iranian official, Ramin Mehmanparast, stopped short of admitting she was being held in Iran.

Hamid Karzai: NATO reconstruction bases must go

Tue, 08 Feb 2011 19:23:00 +0000

Afghanistan's president pushed his case for greater sovereignty, saying he wants international bases that run reconstruction and development programs to shut down as Afghan forces start to take the lead in securing the country.

The announcement is the latest attempt by President Hamid Karzai to assert his power in the face of Western allies, following efforts to curtail the reach of private security companies and limit the visibility and intensity of U.S.-led military operations.

He has repeatedly criticized the so-called provincial reconstruction teams, or PRTs, for undermining the Afghan central government by offering alternative sources of funding and public works.

Karzai's comments appeared to set a timetable for their dissolution fairly soon.

The Afghan government has pledged to take over security gradually, on a province by province basis, starting this year with the goal of overseeing the entire country by 2014. Karzai plans to announce the first provinces that will shift to Afghan oversight next month.

He said Tuesday he wants the development bases to close as part of the transition in order to eliminate "parallel" government structures.

Saudi Arabia calls for Blackberry ban this week

Tue, 03 Aug 2010 22:35:00 +0000

Saudi Arabia is ordering its mobile operators to halt BlackBerry services throughout the kingdom this week, heightening tensions between device maker Research in Motion Ltd. and governments demanding greater access to data sent on the phones.

The Saudi state news agency SPA said in a report late Tuesday that the country's telecom regulator has informed mobile service providers in the country that they must halt BlackBerry services starting Friday.

The regulator, known as the Communications and Information Technology Commission, couldn't immediately be reached for comment to provide details of the ban or say how it would be enforced.

It said the suspension of service was being implemented because BlackBerry service "in its present state does not meet regulatory requirements," according to the SPA report.

RIM could not immediately be reached for comment.

Word of the ban comes just days after the neighboring United Arab Emirates announced it was planning to shut down e-mail, messaging and Web browsing on BlackBerrys starting in October.

India is also in talks with RIM over how information is managed on the devices. Like the UAE, it has cited security concerns in pushing for greater access to encrypted information sent by the phones that gets routed through the Canadian company's computers overseas.

Iraq’s tight race prompts warnings of violence

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 19:09:00 +0000

Iraqi election results Friday will likely show a virtual tie between the two top vote-getting blocs led by the prime minister and his chief rival, a political equation that could add up to bitter political wrangling and risk re-igniting violence.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, a Shiite who enjoys wide support with the Shiite majority, is neck and neck with former prime minister Ayad Allawi, who's popular with Iraq's Sunni minority.

If neither camp emerges with a clear mandate to lead Iraq's fragile democracy, many fear a drawn-out political debate to form a government could spill over into violence and complicate American efforts to speed up troop withdrawals in the coming months.

The country's interior minister, himself a candidate, Thursday called on Iraq's electoral commission to hold off releasing the tally Friday because he fears rivalries between the various political blocs could erupt into violence. That concern has also been echoed by many members of al-Maliki's State of Law coalition, who say they fear the country's Shiite majority could react in outrage if they feel the results aren't what they expect.

Facebook looks to capitalize on Arab world growth

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:01:00 +0000

Facebook Inc. said Wednesday it is teaming with a Middle Eastern digital advertising company as the online meet-up site looks to capitalize on rapid growth in the Arab world.

Facebook said it hopes the deal with Connect Ads will give it better exposure to advertisers in a socially conservative region where online marketing is in its early stages. The Cairo-based advertising booker already handles sales for Microsoft Corp.'s MSN regional portals and other local sites.

"They have the reach and ... they have the connections," said Trevor Johnson, Facebook's head of strategy for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

The tie-up with an outside ad sales provider mirrors a strategy Palo Alto, Calif.-based Facebook has used in other emerging markets, such as Eastern Europe and Asia, Johnson said in an interview.

It also signals the potential the social networking site sees for the young and growing Arab market, where it counts 10 million regular users.

The company expects Mideast user numbers to shoot significantly higher in the coming months, as it has in other markets, as more members follow their friends onto the site.