Mideast News

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Fri, 9 May 2008 11:41:00 GMT

Israel's alternative independence day

Ben White reports on how some of Israel's Palestinian citizens marked the beginning of the country's 60th anniversary celebrations Mothers with prams mixed with old men leaning on sticks, and groups of teenagers sang boisterously alongside those walking
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:41:00 GMT

Hezbollah routs pro-government gunmen; controls Beirut

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah took control of the Muslim part of Beirut on Friday, tightening its grip on the city in a major blow to the U.S.-backed government. Security sources said at least 11 people had been killed and 30
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:41:00 GMT

US military denies Iraq report of al-Qaida arrest

Kurdish families displaced by the conflict between Turkey and Kurdish rebels are seen at a refugee camp in the Qandil region, northern Iraq, Friday, May 2, 2008. Turkish warplanes bombed a key Kurdish rebel base deep inside Iraq for three hours
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:40:00 GMT

Hezbollah takes control of west Beirut

Clashes between Hezbollah-led militants and Sunni pro-government supporters have come to an end after the Shia fighters seized control of west Beirut. The army and police had spread out throughout the areas in mainly Muslim west Beirut now controlled by
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:40:00 GMT

Eleven dead as gun battles rage over control of Beirut

GUN battles are continuing to rage between groups fighting for control of Beirut in clashes that have killed 11 and wounded more than 20 in the past three days. Shia opposition gunmen backed by Iran and Syria seized control of several neighbourhoods from
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:39:00 GMT

Honest broker needed to bring Middle East peace

IT is a sad reflection of the failure to resolve the ongoing crisis in the Middle East that as Israel celebrates its 60th birthday a majority of people in the Jewish state believe war is inevitable at some point over the next five years. It is equally
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:39:00 GMT

Renewed clashes break out in Beirut

Fierce gunfire between pro and anti-government movements broke out yesterday in several districts in Beirut, local New TV reported. Assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade were used during the clashes, which raged Msaitbeh, Mazraa, Ras Nabaa, Beshara
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:37:00 GMT

3,500 US troops set to leave Iraq

American soldiers who were part of last summer's troop 'surge' are scheduled to leave Iraq in the coming weeks, the US military said. The reduction is part of an overall plan to reduce the number of American troops in Iraq from its current level of
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Hezbollah 'seizes west Beirut'

At least 11 people are killed as clashes intensify in Beirut [Reuters] Hezbollah gunmen are reported to have taken control of large areas of Beirut, the Lebanese capital, in a third day of fighting, while fierce gun battles are raging in other mixed
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Turning 60, Israelis celebrate as Palestinians feel pain

REHOVOT: Like the state of Israel, Akram Al-Shamali and Moshe Feist both turn 60 this year. But that's about where the similarities end. For Feist, an Israeli, the anniversary is a chance to celebrate the Jewish state's hard-fought achievements and swap
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Top al-Qaida leader in Iraq captured

Iraqi security forces captured Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, head of al-Qaida in Iraq network, in northern Iraqi city Mosul, Iraqi official television reported yesterday. During an operation conducted by the Iraqi security forces in Mosul, 400 km north of
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Tehran calls off security talks with Washington over Iraq

BAGHDAD: Iran called off further Iraq security talks with Washington until US forces stop their crackdown on Shiite militias, but the US military brought more air power into the fight and escalated its accusations of Iranian backing for extremists. The
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Beirut cabinet challenges Hezbollah as tension rises

BEIRUT: The Western-backed Lebanese government yesterday accused Hezbollah of violating the country's sovereignty by operating its own communications network and installing spy cameras at Beirut airport. The challenge to Hezbollah, backed by Iran and
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:36:00 GMT

Iraq's secret war of widows deepens

BAGHDAD: Ducking bullets and dodging car bombs may be part of daily life for millions of Baghdadis but behind black veils yet another struggle is being waged - the battle of war widows - to keep young families alive. Iraqi housemaid Um Haidar wears a
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:35:00 GMT

Egypt blocks Islamist from seeking parliament seat

CAIRO: Egyptian authorities have blocked the opposition Muslim Brotherhood from submitting papers to contest a parliament seat left vacant due to the death of a Brotherhood politician, the Islamist group said yesterday. Mustafa Diab, who was hoping to
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:35:00 GMT

Iran protests to Iraq over disputed islands

TEHRAN: Iran has protested to Iraq over reports that Baghdad had backed the United Arab Emirates' claim to three islands in the Gulf, the foreign ministry said yesterday. 'The Iraqi ambassador (Mohammed Majid Abbas al-Sheikh) was invited (to the foreign
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:35:00 GMT

Iraq urges Iran, US to talk

BAGHDAD: Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari urged Iran and the United States yesterday to stop trading accusations and sit down for a fourth round of talks to seek solutions to Iraq's security woes. Zebari said Iraq-hosted talks between the two
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:35:00 GMT

Hezbollah fighters take much of Beirut

BEIRUT The Shiite militia Hezbollah today handily took over much of the capital in a dramatic escalation of the months-long confrontation with the Western-backed government, security officials said. As Hezbollah swept through West Beirut, Lebanon's
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:35:00 GMT

Gunbattles Rage Overnight in Beirut

Running gunbattles raged in parts of Beirut on Thursday after the leader of Hezbollah accused Lebanon's Western-backed government of declaring war on his Shiite militant group. At least four people were killed and eight wounded in the capital. In a grim
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:34:00 GMT

Shiite gunmen seize control of Beirut neighbourhoods

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Shiite opposition gunmen seized control of several Beirut neighbourhoods from Sunni foes loyal to the U.S.-backed government on Friday, in street battles that left 11 dead, security officials said. In a sign of the collapse of the
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:34:00 GMT

Hezbollah Now Controls Much of Beirut

BEIRUT (Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah took control of the Muslim part of Beirut on Friday, tightening its grip on the city in a major blow to the U.S.-backed government. Security sources said at least 11 people had been killed and 30
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:33:00 GMT

No escape from Middle Eastern wars

The game-changing events in the 2008 campaign are issues of war and peace. Both may be in play between now and November, in ways that add extra volatility to the presidential race. Let's start with war: The United States is already fighting two of them,
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:32:00 GMT

John McCain and Iran

In our latest Fora video, Niall Fergusson argues that McCain is the only candidate strong enough to contain Iran. Watch here to find out why: If you can't see this video, click here
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:32:00 GMT

Lebanon: Hizbollah forces MPs out of capital

The Shia group seized control of large areas of Beiruts Sunni Muslim districts, which are loyal to the US-backed government on Friday. The pro-Western leadership was effectively besieged with top leaders Saad Hariri of the Sunnis and Walid Jumblatt of
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:32:00 GMT

Hezbollah gains control of western Beirut

BEIRUT, Lebanon, May 9 (UPI) -- Hezbollah militias took control of several western Beirut neighborhoods Friday, shutting down pro-government media outlets, military observers said. At least 11 people died in skirmishes around the city as forces loyal to
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:32:00 GMT

Powers say atom control treaty at risk and cite Iran

GENEVA (Reuters) - The five major nuclear-armed powers said on Friday the Non-Proliferation Treaty was under threat and cited Iran's uranium enrichment campaign in a rare joint call for action to shore up the NPT. North Korea's nuclear test blast in
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:31:00 GMT

Hezbollah routs pro-government gunmen; controls Beirut

(Reuters) - Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah took control of the Muslim part of Beirut on Friday, tightening its grip on the city in a major blow to the U.S.-backed government. Security sources said at least 11 people had been killed and 30 wounded in
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:30:00 GMT

Iraq was bungled, but the United States should promote democracy anyway

The question seems to me wrongly put in one aspect. To hurl curses and insults at the Bush administration is a worthy, right, and just thing to do; and yet there is no reason to trip all over ourselves in acknowledging that Bush and his administration
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:29:00 GMT

'...Namely the State of Israel'

Every time I hear the voice of David Ben-Gurion uttering the words â??Therefore we are gathered here...â? I think of Issar Barsky, a charming youngster, the little brother of a girlfriend of mine. The last time we met was in front of the dining
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:29:00 GMT

Olmert defies calls to resign over bribe probe

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert defied a barrage of calls to resign on Friday after he admitted taking cash from an American businessman at the centre of a police inquiry into allegations of bribery. Olmert, whose departure could
Fri, 9 May 2008 11:28:00 GMT