A proposed election law could hurt the popular political movement of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- whose Mehdi Army militia followers have been battling U.S. and Iraqi troops in Baghdad's Sadr City.
An Iraqi delegation that arrived in Tehran on Wednesday confronted Iranian officials with "evidence" that Iran is smuggling weapons and explosive devices into Iraq and training Iraqi militants, charges that the Iranians vehemently denied, an Iraqi politician said Saturday.
The creation of a moderate political alliance in Iraq appeared to have made no progress Friday and was further complicated by the Shiite leadership claims that radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr must not be excluded.
The powerful Shiite-led political bloc in Iraq's Parliament will meet with the country's lead ayatollah and the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to promote Shiite unity and persuade al-Sadr followers to rejoin the government, a member of the Alliance said.
The Shiite Muslim politician tapped as Iraq's prime minister said Monday that he thinks U.S. troops could begin withdrawing in 18 months or less if his country's security forces get up to speed.
Iraq's Shiite coalition agreed Friday to nominate a new candidate to replace interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a move that could jump-start the nation's stalled political process, two members of a top Shiite party said.
Facing mounting pressure to bow out, Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said Thursday that he would step down if members of his Shiite bloc say they want a new candidate.
Iraq's parliament will convene Thursday, a government spokesman in Baghdad said Wednesday, in an effort to come to some agreement on the make-up of the government.
On the third anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraqi authorities found the bodies of five men who appeared to be the latest victims of sectarian violence, and four civilians died in insurgent bomb blasts.
Shiite mourners carrying dozens of coffins filled Baghdad's streets Saturday, as families buried victims of the massive suicide bomb attack at a Shiite mosque a day earlier.
A proposed election law could hurt the popular political movement of anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr -- whose Mehdi Army militia followers have been battling U.S. and Iraqi troops in Baghdad's Sadr City.
An Iraqi delegation that arrived in Tehran on Wednesday confronted Iranian officials with "evidence" that Iran is smuggling weapons and explosive devices into Iraq and training Iraqi militants, charges that the Iranians vehemently denied, an Iraqi politician said Saturday.
The creation of a moderate political alliance in Iraq appeared to have made no progress Friday and was further complicated by the Shiite leadership claims that radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr must not be excluded.
The powerful Shiite-led political bloc in Iraq's Parliament will meet with the country's lead ayatollah and the anti-U.S. cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to promote Shiite unity and persuade al-Sadr followers to rejoin the government, a member of the Alliance said.
The Shiite Muslim politician tapped as Iraq's prime minister said Monday that he thinks U.S. troops could begin withdrawing in 18 months or less if his country's security forces get up to speed.
Iraq's Shiite coalition agreed Friday to nominate a new candidate to replace interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, a move that could jump-start the nation's stalled political process, two members of a top Shiite party said.
Facing mounting pressure to bow out, Iraqi interim Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said Thursday that he would step down if members of his Shiite bloc say they want a new candidate.
Iraq's parliament will convene Thursday, a government spokesman in Baghdad said Wednesday, in an effort to come to some agreement on the make-up of the government.
On the third anniversary of the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraqi authorities found the bodies of five men who appeared to be the latest victims of sectarian violence, and four civilians died in insurgent bomb blasts.
Shiite mourners carrying dozens of coffins filled Baghdad's streets Saturday, as families buried victims of the massive suicide bomb attack at a Shiite mosque a day earlier.
Three suicide bombers -- two of whom were disguised as Shiite women -- struck a Baghdad mosque affiliated with a major Shiite political party Friday, killing at least 74 people, according to the Iraqi Health Ministry.
Three months after its members were elected, Iraq's parliament met briefly Thursday, but a major stumbling block to the creation of a national unity government remains for the legislative body.
It was the same room I'd waited in for Ibrahim al-Jaafari shortly before he was announced interim prime minister a little over a year ago. It was a large semicircular book-lined office set out with sumptuous gold covered armchairs and settees.
Iraq's prime minister said Monday that he has the support of the Iraqi public and gave no indication that he would step aside despite strong opposition from some Iraqi political parties.
As violence across Iraq claimed at least 15 lives Friday, President Jalal Talabani issued an official statement for the new parliament to hold its first session on March 19.
Iraq's new parliament, faced with the difficult task of selecting the nation's leaders, will hold its first session this weekend, President Jalal Talabani said Monday.
With the release of certified results in last month's parliamentary elections, Iraqi officials face renewed pressure to form a new government amid a fresh outbreak of apparent sectarian violence Friday.
Iraq's most powerful Shiite Muslim alliance, led by religious parties, won the most seats but not a clear majority in the nation's first constitutional parliament, election officials said Friday.
The United Iraqi Alliance and Kurdish alliance -- the Shiite-led and Kurdish coalitions that prevailed in the January 30 elections -- are considered front-runners in Thursday's parliamentary elections.
Iraqis started the year with a historic transitional assembly election. They voted for a constitution in October. And on Thursday they will cap their tumultuous year when many are expected vote for a full four-year parliament.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Vice President Dick Cheney have met with Iraqi leaders to accelerate formation of a new Iraqi government, two senior State Department officials and a Bush administration official said Monday.
After weeks of political deadlock, Iraq's Transitional National Assembly on Sunday took a step towards forming a new Iraqi Government nine weeks after the country's historic elections, electing a Speaker and two deputies.
Iraq's transitional National Assembly moved toward forming a new government Sunday by electing a Sunni Muslim as speaker, and a Kurd and Shiite as deputy speakers.
At least 20 U.S. soldiers and 12 detainees were wounded when an estimated 40 to 60 insurgents attacked the infamous Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad on Saturday.
Calling for democracy and freedom in the midst of insurgent attacks, the leaders of Iraq's interim government Wednesday challenged the country's new National Assembly to strive for "national unity."
One day before the first meeting of Iraq's transitional National Assembly, representatives of major parties reached an agreement "in principle" on formation of a new government, officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. military said Friday the latest reports indicate Thursday's suicide bombing in Mosul killed at least 50 Iraqi civilians and wounded nearly 80 others.
Iraqi Shiites and Kurds have agreed in principle on how to form a new government, officials said Thursday, but details of that agreement were not released.
One of the leading contenders for Iraq's prime minister post told reporters on Friday that he had picked up the backing of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the senior Shiite cleric in Iraq.
In a sign that political jockeying for the job of Iraqi prime minister isn't over, Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi on Wednesday named a new coalition to challenge Ibrahim al-Jaafari for the post.
With an endorsement from Iraqis who participated in last month's election, the Shiite-backed United Iraqi Alliance won the right to nominate the country's next prime minister.
The United Iraqi Alliance, Iraq's main Shiite political coalition, has nominated Ibrahim al-Jaafari to be the country's next prime minister, a top political official has said.
Iraq's minority coalitions have a chance to strongly influence formation of the nation's new government, two key members of the U.S. Senate said on Sunday.
Iraqis vote Sunday in the country's first multiparty elections in almost 50 years. About 13 million residents are eligible to vote at 30,000 polling stations across Iraq. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Iraqi expatriates also are eligible to vote, with the largest group in Iran.
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