Free Republic

Eight dead bodies hang from a metal frame in the Iraq's Kirkuk province in Islamic State's latest public display of barbarity. The gruesome images which emerged on social media show the men's limp bodies suspended from their feet off a tall structure in the town of Hawija. The notorious black flag used by Islamist groups like ISIS is displayed above them as horrified onlookers inspect the scene. Some of the deceased men appear to be wearing military fatigues but it is not known if they were Iraqi soldiers. An ISIS fighter believed to be Abu Al-Rahman poses triumphantly in one...

KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - Three men trying to plant a bomb outside local government offices in northern Iraq (news - web sites) were killed when it exploded prematurely, the mayor of Hawija and police said on Friday.   Subhan Khalaf Ali, said the bomb exploded early on Friday morning in nearby Riyadh, which is part of his constituency and 50 km (30 miles) south west of Kirkuk. He said the attackers identities had not been confirmed. Insurgents fighting the occupation have increasingly targeted local government officials as well as Iraqi security forces and civilians working with the occupation authorities....

BAGHDAD, Iraq - A massive U.S. raid in a northern Iraq village led to the arrests of 34 people and the confiscation of dozens of guns, the American military said Wednesday. Residents accused soldiers of excessive force. Initial reports said the troops were hunting for Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, a top ally of Saddam Hussein who is considered a key planner of recent attacks. U.S. officials, who have posted a $10 million bounty for al-Douri, suspect he could also be working with the al-Qaida-linked militant group Ansar al-Islam. Although U.S. forces have been searching for al-Douri, "we did not come here...