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WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2008 – Iraqi citizens of Babil province yesterday led U.S. soldiers to the seizure of a huge amount of components suitable for the construction of deadly explosively formed penetrator-type bombs, military officials reported. Acting on a tip from local Iraqi citizens, the U.S. soldiers discovered more than 2,500 bomb-making components at three separate locations in an area southeast of Samrah Village in Babil province. Officials believe this discovery will significantly disrupt explosively formed projectiles attacks within central Iraq. U.S. soldiers found the cache after a group of local Iraqi citizens informed them of a suspected cache location...

For years, when she approached Iraqi Army checkpoints and produced an identification card for soldiers to study for clues about her sect, Nadia Hashim used a simple formula to signal the mostly Shiite Muslim force that she, too, is a Shiite. "I am one of you," she'd say. The soldiers would harass Sunnis, but they'd simply wave Hashim through. Now her pat line gets her an official reproach. When a relative used it recently, a soldier admonished the driver and the passengers. "'We are Iraqis, and you shouldn't say such a thing,' " recalled Hashim. The 35-year-old mother of three...

'The war in Iraq is over. We won. Which means the Iraqi people won." When I wrote this on my Web site a few days ago, I set off a mini-firestorm. Perhaps because I have spent more time embedded with combat troops in Iraq than any journalist I know - and have interviewed countless Iraqis and members of the coalition military. But I stand by my words, just as I stood by my assertion of February 2005 that Iraq was in a state of civil war, and later understood that Al Qaeda was its proximate cause. Those statements went against...

Winning Hearts and Minds July 7th, 2008 Way back at the beginning of this war, and continuing through tomorrow, we have debated how to win the hearts and minds of the people of the Middle East. I have always viewed this discussion as important, but perhaps ultimately unknowable, because as Machiavelli loves to remind us, these things are all about winning and losing. The war, not the debate. During the Cold War there was an endless discussion about our enemy, just as there is today. Back then, the main question was: are we fighting a global movement (international communism), and...

Sgt. Joseph Quirarte, a non-commissioned officer from Pacifica, Calif., takes a moment to hold an Iraqi child while on patrol in a neighborhood near the forward operating base, May 31. Quirarte serves with Military Police Platoon, Brigade Special Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division-Baghdad. Photo by Spc. Grant Okubo. FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY — Patriot Brigade Soldiers of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, exuded a genuine, vested interest for the community as they patrolled neighborhoods surrounding Forward Operating Base Loyalty, May 31. Soldiers assigned to Military Police Platoon, Headquarters...

Iraqis Fear Rapid US Withdrawal Would Cause 'Chaos and Anarchy,' Says Iraqi Parliamentarian (CNSNews.com) - Most Iraqis support the U.S. troop presence in Iraq and think a rapid withdrawal would lead to "chaos and anarchy," said Adnan Pachachi, a member of the National Assembly of Iraq and a former president of Iraq's Governing Council (IGC), on Friday. He also said that the best policy now lies somewhere between the strategies outlined by Sen. John McCain (r-Ariz.) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "There is very widespread support for an American presence in the short and intermediate term," said Pachachi, who spoke...

/29/2008 - ALI BASE, Iraq (AFPN) -- A single doctor, a retired Air Force colonel, arrived here without much fanfare May 18 and left four days later. He left in his wake improved sight for many Iraqis and priceless training for Nasiriyah General Hospital physicians in Nasiriyah, Iraq. He traveled with a few bags and a 50-pound box containing a microscope. A specialized, portable, eye-surgery microscope he used to treat people who may not have otherwise afforded it. He also carried 200 prescription glasses and 300 sunglasses to hand out freely to those in need. He performed his wonders at...

BAGHDAD – Local residents in the Sadr City district of Baghdad gathered for a peaceful prayer demonstration May 16. An estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people, some carrying Iraqi flags, joined together for a peaceful prayer meeting coordinated by the tribal leaders of Sadr City. One large group of people marched to the office of the Martyr Sadr Mosque for prayer service. The timing of the gathering corresponded with mosque services and the crowd dispersed at the end of prayer service. A second large group met peacefully near al-Habibiyah by al-Hamza Square and was organized by tribal leaders of Sadr City....

FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — Approximately 120 men of the Chalabi tribe returned to their homes recently in the Sayafiyah region, about 25 kilometers southeast of Baghdad, more than a year after being driven out by al-Qaeda in Iraq extremists. Escorted by Sons of Iraq leader Jumah al-Kazarji and Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Company C, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), a large convoy of cars and trucks ushered the Chalabi men back to their abandoned village. Their reclamation of homes signaled the hopeful beginning of a new era of peace and...

KARMA, Iraq — A convoy of humvees, 7-ton trucks, and mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles pull up to a sheik’s home. As they arrive, local citizens, already lined up, wait outside the gate to receive aid through the teamwork of the local government, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition forces. On April 12 and 13, Marines of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, alongside Iraqi doctors, conducted a cooperative medical engagement to provide medical care to Iraqi civilians in the Gnather and Lahib villages. On the first day, Iraqis eagerly waited as Marines from Company F admitted them one at...

"Awakening" movements across Iraq are helping to rid Sunni neighbourhoods of extremist influence, writes Colin FreemanKhalil Mohammed Abbas, a haggard, chainsmoking ex-Iraqi army officer, has good reason to puff on every cigarette as if it were his last. After helping his neighbours in Baghdad rise up against the al-Qa'eda thugs who have terrorised them, he lives in constant expectation that the threats text-messaged to his mobile phone may one day come real. "They are from al-Qa'eda, and they tell me I am a mercenary," he says, reading out the latest missive to bleep into his inbox. "They ask how I...

The Baghdadis caught between these extremes know that the only thing standing in the way of another sectarian conflagration is the U.S. military. This may explain why every Iraqi who offers me a view on American politics seems to be praying for a McCain victory.

More than 50% of Iraqis think their lives are good, more than at any time in the last three years, a survey says. The poll for the BBC, ABC, ARD and NHK of more than 2,000 people also suggests that a majority believe that security in their area has improved since 2007.

BAGHDAD, March 4, 2008 – With the security situation here improving every day, Iraqi and coalition forces increasingly are helping displaced families move back into their old neighborhoods. A sheik addresses displaced Iraqi families returning to their homes, appealing for adherence to the local reconciliation agreement, during a ceremony welcoming families back to Baghdad’s Aamel neighborhood, Feb. 9, 2008. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Soldiers from the 1st Infantry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, in cooperation with Iraqi security forces, the local reconciliation committee, and local and civic...

WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2007 – The Iraqi people increasingly are siding with the coalition against extremists in their country, a unit commander there said. Army Col. Daniel Ball, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade, is on his third rotation to Iraq and said he is seeing increased trust among the Iraqis. “They’re starting to realize that we’re here to make their life better, and because of that they’re starting to take our side,” he said in a teleconference with online journalists and “bloggers” Dec. 20. Ball believes the shift is due, at least in part, to the...

Iraqi citizens march together while playing music during a Peace March in the Karkh District of Baghdad, Dec. 19. Approximately 1,000 Iraqi citizens, both of Shia and Sunni religions, gathered to march with one another to bring the two sects together as one. Photo by Sgt. James Hunter, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA) Public Affairs. BAGHDAD — Approximately 1,000 Iraqi citizens, of both Shia and Sunni religions, joined together on the sectarian fault line in Rawaniyah, the Karkh District of Baghdad, to march with one another in what they called a “Peace March�, Dec. 19. It was...

A Concerned Local Citizen pulls back part of an armchair revealing unknown bulk explosive inside the cushion, Dec. 4, in an insurgent safehouse in Arab Jabour. The building was destroyed by a joint direct attack ammunition bomb once it was found to be booby-trapped. Photo by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs. FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU — An insurgent safehouse in Arab Jabour was rendered useless, Dec. 4, by two joint direct attack ammunition bombs. Although dropped by an Air Force F-16 Falcon jet, the operation was a combined effort conducted on the ground...

BAGHDAD - The number of Iraqis killed last month fell to 718, an Associated Press tally showed, the lowest monthly death toll since just before the 2006 bombing of a Shiite shrine provoked a vicious cycle of retaliatory sectarian violence. The figures come as the military says violence has fallen to levels not seen in nearly two years, while acknowledging that Iraqis are still dying in unacceptable numbers. An expert on the effect of conflicts on civilians agreed,...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2007 – Captures of al Qaeda operatives and seizures of weapons caches in Iraq are up, and casualties are down, a senior military official in Baghdad told online journalists and “bloggers” today. Air Force Col. Donald Bacon, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, attributed a large part of this success to the surge of operations, the increase in activity among Iraqi security forces, and most recently, the formation of concerned local citizens groups, known as CLCs. Since surge operations began in June, Bacon said, al Qaeda attacks are down 55 percent, civilian deaths are down 60 percent, coalition...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7, 2007 – Decreased violence in Iraq is the result of ongoing U.S. surge operations and Iraqi citizens’ increasing willingness to confront al Qaeda insurgents, a senior U.S. military officer said here today. Army Lt. Gen. Carter F. Ham, the Joint Staff’s director for operations, provides an operational update during a news conference at the Pentagon, Nov. 7, 2007. Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Molly A. Burgess, USN  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. “No matter how you categorize it, you cannot deny that multinational force operations against al Qaeda in Iraq have had significant effect,”...

HUSSEINIYAH, Iraq – A citizen of Husseiniyah led Coalition Forces to a building where explosively formed penetrators and improvised explosive devices were being constructed Oct. 31.Soldiers of Battery A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery, 4th Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, from Fort Lewis, Wash., discovered a large cache of explosives at the home, including about 10 fully assembled EFPs of various sizes including one 12-inch EFP – the largest found in Iraq – approximately 90 copper plates of various sizes, more than 200 pounds of C-4 explosive, other explosive materials including TNT and numerous other materials used in...

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces saw a possible glimpse of the future in Hawr Rajab recently, when they observed Concerned Local Citizens (CLC) at a checkpoint come under attack from insurgents, defend themselves, and then receive reinforcements from Iraqi Army troops, Oct. 31. Paratroopers of Troop A, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska, currently attached to 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div., Fort Stewart, Ga., observed the event from a rooftop. Everything kicked off with a bang. Paratroopers were en route to the concerned citizens’ southern-most checkpoint just outside of Hawr Rajab,...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 2007 – Iraqi citizens are increasingly coming together to voluntarily battle al Qaeda in Iraq, thereby saving American lives and reshaping military operations in the country, a coalition commander said today. “The willingness of the Sunni population to turn on (al Qaeda) has been a watershed in this war; there’s no other word for it,” Army Col. Martin Stanton told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call from Baghdad. Stanton is chief of reconciliation and engagement for Multinational Corps Iraq. “The ‘concerned local citizens’ are responsible for a significant drop in U.S. casualties,” he said. For...

October 28, 2007 -- This week, the U.S. announced that military deaths in Iraq had fallen dramatically, to the lowest levels since March 2006, a sign that the surge of troops is working. Officers say increased cooperation from Iraqi civilians - who are tired of the terrorism and violence - has helped stem attacks. This comes as no surprise to Michael Yon, a writer who has blogged from Iraq since 2004. Yon, who is supported by donations to his Web site (michaelyon-online.com), writes about his own observations on the ground this year, embedded with U.S. troops. Statistics in reports about...

A day after a taped message, purported to be from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, chided insurgents in Iraq for their failure to unite, American troops struck another blow against terrorist in that country. That strike was based on information provided by Iraqis. U.S. and Iraqi forces also were clearing the way in the Anbar provincial capital of Ramadi to protect a celebration to commemorate Sheik Abdul-Sattar Abu Risha, the founder of the first anti-al-Qaida group of Sunni tribal leaders who was assassinated by a bomb Sept. 13. Abdul-Sattar's brother, who has taken over the movement, said it was important...

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq - Improvised explosive devices posed a daily threat to U.S. Soldiers along Route Wild until one Sheik stepped forward, rallying concerned citizens to retake their community.  Lt. Col. Jack Marr, from Minneapolis, Minn., commander of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, met with Sheik Nouri in Al-Jaara Oct. 17 to show his appreciation of the Sheik's cooperation. The two leaders discussed potential operations to further decrease violence in the area, and projects to assist the local government with essential services.     Sheik Nouri leads the Al-Jaara Concerned Citizen Program that has provided assistance to the...

“The al Qaeda that’s here is not guys … from Syria or Somalia. They are local people who grew up here,” Adgie said. “They were bad, bad teenagers who stole cars, and (with) the lure of fast money from al Qaeda … they joined al Qaeda, and they carry out al Qaeda’s bidding.” These home-grown terrorists employed “ultra-violence” against their fellow villagers to “strike fear in their hearts,” the colonel explained. Coalition forces from the final phase of the U.S. troop surge streamed into the region earlier this summer.

ARAB JABOUR — In the seven weeks since its inception, the concerned citizens group here has made a significant impact on its community. Former Iraqi army Brig. Gen. Mustafa Kamil Hamad Shabib al-Juburi, more commonly known as Gen. Mustafa, and Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, organized the concerned citizens group to establish a local security force responsible for protecting the community’s critical infrastructure. In the process of defending the town’s mosques, vital roads, water pump stations and electric infrastructure, concerned citizens have also had success in combating al-Qaeda. In the past...

WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2007 – Iraqi citizens are helping coalition forces hunt down al Qaeda terrorists in a vast rural area south of Baghdad, a military commander said today. “As the summer went along, we started building the confidence of the people,” Army Lt. Col. Ken Adgie told online journalists and “bloggers” from Patrol Base Murray, which is situated beside the Tigris River in the mostly agricultural region of Arab Jabour. With its desolate location, rugged terrain, thick palm groves and almost-exclusively Sunni population, the region is a perfect breeding ground for terrorism, Adgie said. “There is no Iraqi army...

LOGISTICS SUPPORT AREA ADDER — Nearly a year ago, 28-year-old Army Sgt. Virgil Swisher, 82d Sustainment Brigade, knew he would be deploying here. What he did not know was that he would be working outside the scope of his military occupational specialty. “I came out here to do my job as a wheeled mechanic. I heard so many different things about Iraq and I expected to see what we in America see on T.V., but I was surprised,” Said Swisher. Since arriving at Logistics Support Area Adder in southern Iraq, Swisher along with other Soldiers throughout the installation were tasked...

"President Bush has set out his response to the extensive analysis presented earlier this week by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker," said Mr Brown. "I agree that we must meet our obligations to the Iraqi people, to our allies and to the international community, and I pay tribute to our armed forces, who are playing their part with courage and professionalism. "In southern Iraq, the UK has trained over 13,000 Iraqi soldiers, who are now increasingly taking on responsibility for security in the region. As General Petraeus explained, this is why we were able to hand over control of Basra...

I feel like America is the most giving country ever. I'm wondering is it would be possibe in Iraq for Americans willing to adopt and help support Iraq familys. I know a few extra dollars a month less wouldn't mean much to me personally but it could change the lives of some Iraqi familys and think what it would do for Americas image to those helped. Please comment

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2007 – Iraqis who once aligned themselves with militants are now taking up arms against al Qaeda, a top commander in the Iraqi capital said during a conference call today. Likening members of terrorist organizations to “street gangsters,” Army Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, commander of Multinational Division Baghdad and 1st Cavalry Division, said Iraqis are becoming tired of price gouging on staples such as gasoline and ice when militant groups move in and take over neighborhoods. “We have found that throughout the city there is increasing distrust, fatigue and disillusionment by the population with al Qaeda and...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24, 2007 – As the U.S. troop surge has taken effect in areas of Iraq, Iraqi citizens are shifting away from extremist groups and stepping forward to assist coalition and Iraqi security forces and secure their communities, a U.S. commander in Iraq said today. (Video) The increase in troops allows the coalition to move into areas that previously had no coalition or Iraqi security force presence and get rid of extremist elements, Army Maj. Gen. Rick Lynch, commander of Multinational Division Center, told reporters at the Pentagon via videoconference. As soon as locals see that the security...

BAGHDAD - After five months, we are seeing the benefits of the surge. Our Division Headquarters, our Second Brigade Combat Team, our Third Brigade Combat Team, and our Combat Aviation Brigade were all brought to Iraq for the that purpose. The last of the units arrived in May, and, as the summer winds down, we see the tremendous success these soldiers are contributing to securing Iraq. Successive and successful combat operations followed our arrival and now the Iraqis are gaining confidence to take a stand on their own. They are showing that they want to remove the extremists and they...

More bad news for defeatists: FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — A group of Iraqi citizens in al Arafia, near Jisr Diyala, are taking steps to secure their own homes and neighborhoods. Tips from the group helped lead Company D, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment to a weapons cache on Aug. 15 in an area outside Al Arfia. Soldiers from Company D discovered seven 107 mm rockets and 10 anti-tank mines. They also detained two individuals for questioning. The Concerned Citizens is a group of local residents who have begun a reconciliation campaign with various extremist groups, according to 1st Lt....

FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER — A group of Iraqi citizens in al Arafia, near Jisr Diyala, are taking steps to secure their own homes and neighborhoods. Tips from the group helped lead Company D, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment to a weapons cache on Aug. 15 in an area outside Al Arfia. Soldiers from Company D discovered seven 107 mm rockets and 10 anti-tank mines. They also detained two individuals for questioning. The Concerned Citizens is a group of local residents who have begun a reconciliation campaign with various extremist groups, according to 1st Lt. Mark Mendes, of Westchester, N.Y.,...

As the summer grinds on, the war of words over the real war in Iraq is growing hotter every day. Critics of the war are saying that the American people are fed up and want the troops to come home; that the Iraqi government needs to step up and take responsibility for the growing violence; that the war is straining our military—and our soldiers—to the breaking point. Meanwhile, the war’s defenders are claiming that if the troops leave now, the enemy will have won. Instead of fighting terrorists in Iraq, we’ll be fighting them here in our homeland. Leaving now...

COMBAT OUTPOST CLEARY — Using a school in the city of al Wahida, Soldiers from a Fort Bragg, N.C., Civil Affairs battalion attached to the 3rd Infantry Divsion set up a one-day clinic for Iocal residents July 28. Known as a cooperative medical engagement, the operation requires Coalition and Iraqi forces to come together and provide medical treatment in prescribed areas, said Staff Sgt. Patrick R. Weston, special operations medical noncommissioned officer, Civil Affairs Team Alpha 712th, Company A, 97th Civil Affairs Battalion. Physician assistants and unit medics out of COP Cleary diagnosed and provided medicine to those in need....

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Civilians helped coalition and Iraqi forces conduct a massive raid on an al Qaeda hideout in the town of Sherween, leaving 20 suspected terrorists dead and 20 more in coalition custody, the U.S. military said Wednesday. The militants were caught off guard when U.S. aircraft dropped eight 2,000-pound bombs and 14 quarter-ton bombs on river crossings and a bridge in the town northeast of Baghdad, said Staff Maj. Gen. Abdul Kareem. Kareem, who commands the Iraqi Security Forces in Diyala province, said the bombings isolated the terrorists who had infiltrated Sherween. The town's residents fought alongside...

BAGHDAD — U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Kevin J. Bergner, spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq held an operational update on al-Qaeda in Iraq Wednesday at the Combined Press Information Center. Bergner named al-Qaeda in Iraq as the principal near-term threat to Iraq. “The government of Iraq, Iraqi security forces and Coalition forces are engaged in a tough fight against al-Qaeda and in particular it’s extremist ideology and leadership,” said Bergner. However, Bergner said both Iraqi and Coalition forces are making progress in the fight against al-Qaeda. “We are pursuing those who run those networks, and we are enabled by increasing amounts of...

Qarghuli village residents lead troops to caches Sunday, 08 July 2007 Multi-National Corps – Iraq Public Affairs Office, Camp Victory APO AE 09342 Qarghuli village residents lead troops to caches 2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. PAO Multi-National Division – Center PAO QARGHULI VILLAGE, Iraq — Residents of a village south of Baghdad, long a terrorist hot spot, led U.S. forces to major weapons caches near their town July 6. Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., were taken to a series of 12 caches –...

Iraqi civilian deaths dropped to their lowest level since the start of the Baghdad security operation, government figures showed Sunday, suggesting signs of progress in tamping down violence in the capital. But American casualties are running high as U.S. forces step up pressure on Sunni and Shiite extremists in and around Baghdad. At least 1,227 Iraqi civilians were killed in June along with 190 policemen and 31 soldiers, an officer at the Iraqi Interior Ministry's operations room said. The officer spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the figures. That represented a 36 percent drop...

WASHINGTON, June 29, 2007 – Americans still face a tough fight inside Baghdad, but the trend lines are improving, the commander of Multinational Division Baghdad said today. Army Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., speaking from Iraq, told Pentagon reporters that the overall trend lines in the city are positive. “The number of attacks, first of all, has come down,” he said. “The effect of those attacks has come down significantly.” One example is in car bombs. While the number of car bomb attacks has remained relatively constant since November 2006, the effects of those attacks have dropped. “That's...

SULAIMANIYA, 30 May (IRIN) - Kurds, Turcomans and Christians from northern Iraq have established independent organisations that aim to reduce influence of sectarian militias operating in the area. Two of the organisations are the mixed Peace Union for Iraqis(PUI) and Kurdish Autonomous Freedom Organisation (KAFO). "Iraqis in the region have begun to unite, without consideration of ethnic background, to prevent sectarian violence from spreading," said PUI member Dorah Muhammad, 38, from a village in northern Kurdistan near the Turkish border. "And we're asking the government to take action to clamp down on the militias." The newly-formed organisations, whose members include...

AL QA’IM, Iraq (May 15, 2006) -- A 28-year-old Iraqi woman has told Marines and sailors in region of western Al Anbar Province that all she wants is to be able to walk again. The woman from Karabilah, Iraq, is missing both of her legs. But the Marines of the 3rd Civil Affairs Group – a U.S. military unit responsible for assisting Iraqi communities with rebuilding local government infrastructure, commerce and economies – are doing something about it. They’re jumpstarting the lengthy process of finding aid for the woman, who lost both of her legs during combat operations conducted by...

Abu Salah heard the screeching tires and gunfire outside his home in central Baghdad... He rushed from his house to see his neighbors - Shiite neighbors - on their roofs, in their windows, in their yards, firing at the attackers. In a trembling voice, he explained that at that moment he felt life change. He realized that his neighbors weren't going to stand by and let the bad guys win. "I prefer now to die among my friends and neighbors rather than leave my home," he said. "I felt thrilled to see them fighting, all my neighbors standing next to...

Abu Salah heard the screeching tires and gunfire outside his home in central Baghdad, and cowered. He'd feared this moment. He'd even plotted leaving the city, though he'd never followed through on his plan. Now invaders had entered his street, and he knew that as the only Sunni on a street filled with Shiites, he was probably their target, whomever the invaders might be - insurgents, kidnappers or sectarian death squads. "I was shaking; it was the fourth time in three days they'd invaded," he said. "I knew they were coming for me." Then he heard another sound: the gunfire...

JORDANIAN BORDER, Iraq (April 29, 2006) -- Near the Iraqi-Jordanian border, key leaders from the Iraqi Government and the United Nations met to figure out the fate of a growing number of Iraqis of Palestinian heritage who are trying to leave Iraq due to recent violence in Baghdad. The meeting between the two organizations came after more than 200 Iraqi men, women and children took up residence along the border here weeks ago, after being denied passage into Jordan by Jordanian border officials. The Iraqis left Baghdad to escape “violence and persecution” by insurgents, who targeted hundreds of Iraqi families...

Apr 29, 5:09 PM (ET) By ROBERT H. REID BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) - Sectarian violence has forced about 100,000 families across Iraq to flee their homes, a top Iraqi official said. At least 17 people, including an American soldier, were killed Saturday in fighting. Adil Abdul-Mahdi, one of the country's two vice presidents, estimated on Friday that 100,000 Iraqi families - 90 percent of them his fellow Shiites - had fled their homes to escape attacks by rival religious sects. Abdul-Mahdi's estimate was higher than any offered so far by Iraqi officials, who have placed the figure at about 15,000...