July, 2008

• 15 July

  Fresh Iraq troop cuts hinge on security: Petraeus

  BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Monday that security conditions would determine whether he makes recommendations for further troop withdrawals in the coming months.

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• 15 July

  Obama to deliver speech on Iraq ahead of trip

  CHICAGO (Reuters) – White House hopeful Barack Obama will outline his views on Iraq and U.S. national security in a speech Tuesday before a planned trip there, his campaign said. “He will focus on the global strategic interests of the United States, which includes ending our misguided effort in Iraq,” …

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• 15 July

  Basra still faces Shi’ite militant threat: general

  WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Iraq’s southern city of Basra likely will face new threats of violence from Shi’ite militants who battled Iraqi security forces there during a March government crackdown, a British general said on Monday.

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• 15 July

  “Lost” small arms aid Iraq, Afghan militants: study

  UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Every year hundreds of thousands of small arms go missing and many wind up in the hands of insurgents in countries like Iraq, Colombia and Afghanistan, a new survey published on Monday said.

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• 15 July

  U.S. troops died in Taliban attempt to storm base

  KABUL (Reuters) – A Taliban attack that killed nine U.S. soldiers, the biggest single American loss in Afghanistan since 2005, was a well-planned, complex assault which briefly breached the defenses of an outpost near the Pakistan border.

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• 15 July

  Medvedev approves Russia state asset consolidation

  MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has approved a plan to hand control of hundreds of state-owned assets to a single Kremlin corporation despite resistance from inside his government.

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• 15 July

  Russia denies U-turn on Zimbabwe sanctions

  MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia made no commitment at last week’s Group of Eight summit to back U.N. sanctions against Zimbabwe so it cannot be accused of a U-turn, a senior Russian diplomat said on Monday.

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• 15 July

  Middle East envoy Blair prepares Gaza visit: sources

  JERUSALEM (Reuters) – Middle East envoy Tony Blair is preparing to travel to the Gaza Strip this week in what would be the highest-level visit by a Western official since Hamas took control a year ago, Palestinian and Western officials said.

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• 15 July

  Turkish prosecutor unveils coup plan indictment

  ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Eighty-six people were indicted on charges of plotting the violent overthrow of Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan’s government, which is accused by militant secularists of Islamist subversion.

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• 15 July

  Karzai says Pakistan behind Indian embassy bomb

  KABUL (Reuters) – Afghan President Hamid Karzai said on Monday Pakistani agents were behind the Indian embassy bombing in Kabul last week, the first time he has directly accused Pakistan of involvement in the suicide attack that killed 58 people.

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