Death by treachery, part 2 (07/16/07) Feb 9, 2008
Khalid speculated the Iranians wanted to get hostages to trade for five suspected Iranian intelligence officers seized by U.S. troops in the northern Iraq city of Irbil on Jan. 11. Khalid conducted his own investigation for the Iraqi police and determined that police officers "were involved in the plot," the report said. (Anchorage Daily News)
Tragic protestAlarming trend of self-immolation by Kurdish Iraqi women Feb 9, 2008
By Crispin Thorold BBC News, Irbil, Iraq. Like their colleagues across Iraq, the doctors and nurses at the Emergency Management Centre in Irbil work relentlessly. (BBC News -- Africa)
Waiting for battleIraqi residents prepare for major assault on al-Qaeda Feb 8, 2008
He has since had one of his legs amputated and is still in the intensive care unit of a hospital in Irbil ... He narrowly avoided being killed and is now in a hospital in Irbil with shrapnel wounds to his legs and one of his arms. (BBC News -- Africa)
New Iraqi flag hailed as symbolic break with past Feb 6, 2008
Last month the National Assembly agreed to adopt the new flag in a move to head off potential embarrassment at a summit of Arab legislators in the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, later this month ... However, a new design could not be agreed in time for the Irbil conference and so the temporary flag was chosen. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Turkish planes bomb Kurdish rebel hideouts Feb 5, 2008
Senior Iraqi Kurdish officials confirmed earlier Monday that Turkish jets bombed areas near the towns of Khnera, Khwakurd and Sidakan in Irbil province. No casualties, official saysThere were no civilian or Peshmerga Kurdish fighter casualties in the mostly abandoned area, said Jabbar Yawar, an undersecretary at the ministry governing the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan regional government. (MSNBC -- International)
Turkey Says 70 Kurdish Rebel Targets Hit Feb 4, 2008
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) _ Five Turkish fighter jets bombed suspected Kurdish rebel hideouts in northern Iraq Monday, a senior Kurdish official said ... The area includes the towns of Khnera, Khwakurd and Sidakan in Irbil province, he said. (CBS News -- World)
Turkey Bombs Kurdish Area In Iraq Feb 4, 2008
IRBIL, Iraq, Feb. 4, 2008 ... The area includes the towns of Khnera, Khwakurd and Sidakan in Irbil province, he said. (CBS News -- World)
Iraq ends cooperation with Austria OMV over its Kurdish oil deals Feb 2, 2008
Last November, OMV signed two production-sharing contracts with the self-ruled Kurdistan regional government for two exploration blocks, Mala Omar and Shorish, in Irbil. Irbil, located about 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Baghdad, is the capital of the Kurdish region, which is made up of three northern Iraqi provinces. (International Herald Tribune -- Sports)
Sadrists seek to end cease-fire Jan 28, 2008
This undated photo provided by Gema Art Group shows an aerial view of the citadel in Irbil, Iraq. Towering above the bustling markets and painted blast walls of modern Irbil, the citadel's narrow alleyways and dusty courtyards stand almost deserted. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Kindness in conflictExperiencing hostility and hospitality in the Muslim world Jan 27, 2008
It was late at night in Irbil, and there was a problem with the fare. Sometimes it is the taxi driver who wants to keep down the fare. (BBC News)
Some Sunni Muslims won't salute Iraq's new flag Jan 26, 2008
It was rushed through parliament before a pan-Arab parliament meeting that's planned for March in Irbil, in the Kurdish north, because the Kurdish Regional Government prohibits flying Iraq's Saddam-era flag. The Kurds consider that flag a symbol of Saddam's oppression. (AZCentral -- News)
Rescuing Iraqi citadel offers a beacon of hope Jan 25, 2008
APTowering above the bustling markets and painted blast walls of modern Irbil, the citadel's narrow alleyways and dusty courtyards stand almost deserted ... IRBIL, Iraq - Towering above the modern streets and buildings of Irbil, the citadel's narrow alleyways and dusty courtyards stand almost deserted ... Irbil's citadel, claimed to be one of the longest continuously inhabited urban areas on Earth with a history of more than 8,000 years, is in danger. (MSNBC -- Environment)
Flag waves goodbye to Saddam Hussein in sign of unity Jan 23, 2008
The vote was precipitated by a meeting of the pan-Arab parliament in Irbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish north of Iraq, scheduled for March 10, with the Kurds refusing to fly the present Iraqi flag over their public buildings. The present flag was first flown after the Baath Party seized power in a coup in 1963. (Times Online)
Divisions remain as Iraqi MPs battle over new flag Jan 23, 2008
The president of the Kurdistan regional government, Massoud Barzani, banned the Iraqi flag in 2006, and Kurds have threatened not to fly it during a meeting of parliament members from Arab countries scheduled for March in Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region. "The majority of Shiites and Kurds refused the former flag because under this flag, Saddam Hussein killed members of every single family among them," Mr Barwari said. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
Army sergeant earns Bronze Star Jan 22, 2008
Marbut faced a unique challenge in providing ODA 121 with an accurate intelligence picture of Al Qeada and anti-Iraqi forces in the area of operations, the Army says, as well as the presence of Iranian infiltration and clandestine activity in Irbil, Iraq. Marbut, the Army says, was directly responsible for ODA 121 s ability to find, fix and detain 15 high-value individuals operating in the area. (Missoulian, MT)
Iraq's Sunnis reclaim lost ground Jan 15, 2008
Barzani visited him in Baghdad to demand more action on the issue of Kirkuk, but returned to Irbil empty handed. Commenting on the failed meeting, he said; "Sadly, the Kurdish delegation returned without achieving any results.". (Asia Times Online)
Rice praises Iraq progress Jan 15, 2008
A woman grieves over the coffin of a victim of the Anfal Campaign during a burial service in Irbil, 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 14, 2007. The bodies of 365 victims of Operation Anfal, the 1980's crackdown that killed nearly 200,000 Kurdish civilians and guerrillas, were buried Monday in Irbil, after being excavated from mass graves around the country ... Members of the Iraqi Kurdish security forces carry the coffins of victims of the Anfal Campaign during a... (Fresno Bee -- Local)
Kirkuk referendum needed, Kurdish leader says Jan 15, 2008
"There is no turning back," Barzani said in Irbil. "The referendum must be conducted in the next six months.". (Los Angeles Times)
Beneath the facadeCorruption widens the gap between rich and poor in Iraqi Kurdistan Jan 11, 2008
Flying into the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Irbil and its glitteringly new international airport, it is difficult to believe you are entering Iraq ... Irbil looks like a boom town ... "I see some of the officials who, 20 years ago, were with us in the mountains," said Ari Harsin, another former peshmerga, who is now the Irbil bureau editor of the independent Awene newspaper. (BBC News -- Africa)
S Korea extends Iraq deployment Dec 28, 2007
South Korea first sent troops to Iraq in 2003, to do reconstruction work in the northern town of Irbil. Since then troop levels have been cut from 3,600, amid mounting public opposition in South Korea to the presence of their troops in Iraq. (BBC News -- Asia-Pacific)
Kurds approve delay of vote on Kirkuk's fate Dec 27, 2007
Sardar Harki, a member of parliament in Irbil, the Kurdistan capital, said the Iraqi government as well as Kurdistan leaders "should exert more efforts . . . to get this issue over and done with.". A parliament member who opposed the delay, Ghafour Makhmouri, said he does not trust the Iraqi government to organize the referendum "in six months, nor in the future.". (Boston Globe)
Cautious but hopeful Dec 27, 2007
Kirkuk is an especially coveted city for both the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government in Baghdad and the Kurdish one in Irbil, largely because of much of Iraq's oil wealth lies below it. Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. (USA Today)
Iraqi Kurds delay Kirkuk vote Dec 27, 2007
Sardar Harki, a member of parliament in Irbil, the Kurdistan capital, said the Iraqi government as well as Kurdistan leaders "should exert more efforts . . . to get this issue over and done with." ... Nawzad Hadi Mawlood, the governor of northern Iraq's Irbil province, which is in the Kurdistan region, said four civilians had been killed in the earlier raids. (Los Angeles Times)
Iraqi Christians pack churches for Mass Dec 26, 2007
In northern Iraq's much safer Kurdish autonomous region, worshipers headed to the town of Ain Kawa, near Irbil. Some 1,600 Arab Christian families from Baghdad and nearby regions have settled there, said the local mayor, Fahmi Sulafa. (San Diego Union-Tribune)
Baghdad Churches Packed For Christmas Dec 26, 2007
But in Irbil, a city in northern Iraq's much safer Kurdish autonomous region, thousands packed the Mar Yusef church at night, with people overflowing outside into the freezing mountain air. MMVII, CBS Interactive, Inc. All Rights Reserved. (CBS News)
* Turkish jets bomb more targets in Iraq Dec 25, 2007
Jabar Yawar said the jets bombed an area about 85km north of Irbil near the border with Turkey on Sunday for about an hour-and-a-half. He said there were no civilian casualties because the area was deserted because of a fear of Turkish attacks. (Taipei Times, Taiwan)
News in brief Dec 24, 2007
The jets bombed an area about 50 miles north of Irbil near the border with Turkey for about an hour and a half. The spokesman said there were no civilian casualties, but did not know whether any Kurdish rebels had been killed. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)
Turkish Warplanes Bomb Kurdish Positions Dec 24, 2007
The spokesman, Jabar Yawar, said the jets bombed an area about 50 miles north of Irbil near the border with Turkey for about an hour and a half. He said there were no civilian casualties because the area was deserted due to a fear of Turkish attacks. (CBS News)
Turkey continues raids into Iraq Dec 24, 2007
An Iraqi Kurdish official said there were no casualties in Sunday afternoon's air raid, which targeted a mountainous area north of Irbil and lasted for more than three hours. The Turkish military did not confirm the attack, but had said on Saturday that it planned to continue its operations against separatist Kurdistan Workers' party (PKK) fighters which have bases across the border in Iraq. (Aljazeera.Net)
Turkish jets continue assault on Kurdish rebels Dec 24, 2007
Jabbar Yawar said three planes bombed positions in a mountainous area north of Irbil for about an hour. There were no civilian casualties, since civilians had abandoned the area due to fear of Turkish attacks, Yawar said, adding that he did not know whether any Kurdish rebels were killed. (CNN -- World)
Brothers in arms?The other Kurdish rebels in Iraq, fighting not Turkey but Iran Dec 20, 2007
Back in Irbil, I repeated the commander's denial to Ahmed Chawsheen, a university academic who is a former peshmerga and keeps a close eye on the movement. "We got help from many a quarter but always denied it," he said. (BBC News -- Africa)
Iranian in U.S. custody in Iraq released Dec 20, 2007
Detentions of Iranians in Iraq by the U.S. remains a sensitive issue after the brief August detention by U.S. troops of eight Iranian nationals in a central Baghdad hotel and the January arrest of five Iranians during a U.S. raid in the northern city of Irbil. Two of those taken in the January raid were released in November along with seven other Iranian detainees. (MSNBC -- International)
Turkish troops conduct limited incursion into northern Iraq Dec 19, 2007
Jabar Yawar, a spokesman for Kurdistan's Peshmerga security forces in Irbil, Iraq, told the AP that "today's Turkish military operation was a limited one, and the troops withdrew from Iraqi territory." ... In Tuesday's ground raid, Yawar said the Turkish forces crossed into an area near the border with Iran, about 75 miles north of the city of Irbil ... Kirkuk is an especially coveted city for both the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government in Baghdad and the Kurdish one in Irbil. (North County Times)
All Iraqi groups blame U.S. for discord Dec 19, 2007
Participants, in separate groups of men and women, were interviewed in Ramadi, Najaf, Irbil, Abu Ghraib and in Sunni and Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad. The report does not mention how the participants were selected. (MSNBC -- International)
Turkish soldiers cross border into northern Iraq Dec 19, 2007
The troops crossed into an area near the border with Iran, about 120 kilometres north of the city of Irbil, said Jabar Yawar, a spokesman for Kurdistan's Peshmerga security forces ... Kirkuk is an especially coveted city for both the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government in Baghdad and the Kurdish one in Irbil. (Globe and Mail -- International)
Turkish military claims PKK losses Dec 19, 2007
The U.N. refugee agency expressed concern over those displaced by the bombardment, citing witness accounts that 10 villages had been affected in Sulaimaniya and Irbil provinces, and that bridges, a local school and livestock were destroyed. The Turkish military said the airstrikes were "planned very sensitively and executed carefully," attributing reports of civilian casualties to "panic.". (CNN -- World)
* The crumbling rights of Iraqi women Dec 18, 2007
In Irbil, the emergency management center had reported 576 burns cases since 2003 that resulted in 358 deaths ... A UN human rights officer has relayed to me the words of one judicial investigator in Irbil: "The woman is unhappy, or there is domestic abuse, but the family doesn't listen. So she does it because she wants to draw attention to herself." ... Three days later, I was printing out the first local reports of the massacre at a ramshackle business center in Irbil when the manager... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Women in Iraq Dec 13, 2007
In Irbil, the emergency management centre had reported 576 burns cases since 2003, resulting in 358 deaths ... A UN human rights officer has relayed to me the words of one judicial investigator in Irbil: "The woman is unhappy, or there is domestic abuse, but the family doesn't listen. So she does it because she wants to draw attention to herself." ... Three days later, I was printing out the first local reports of the massacre at a ramshackle business centre in Irbil when the manager approached... (Guardian Unlimited)
Baghdad Christians pack church for Sunday Mass by Iraq's first cardinal Dec 10, 2007
Delly presided over other services this week in Baghdad and the northern Kurdish city of Irbil, spreading his message of unity and forgiveness among Iraq's Christians. "We are of one family, everyone should work for the progress of this country," he said during his sermon. (North County Times)
Agency: 25,000 return to Iraq from Syria Dec 5, 2007
The hajj flights have been a priority for Mosul authorities since last year when 750 pilgrims from the area were stranded at the nearest international airport in Irbil, part of the autonomous Kurdish region just north of Mosul, and missed the annual journey altogether. Hajj flights are chartered and paid for by the government, and the faithful win participation through a lottery. (MSNBC -- International)
Leave Iraq, kidnappers tell Britain Dec 5, 2007
Damien McElroy in Irbil, IraqDecember 6, 2007. KIDNAPPERS holding five Britons in Iraq have threatened to kill one of them unless British troops leave the country. (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)
White House squabble on releasing Iranians Nov 29, 2007
The issue of releasing the five Iranians kidnapped by US troops in Irbil in January has divided the Bush administration since last spring ... The cases of the "Irbil five" were scheduled to be reviewed again in October, and the issue was so sensitive that it was understood that the decision would be made by the White House, as reported by the Washington Post on October 3 ... During September and October, officials of the Shi'ite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki were pressing... (Asia Times Online)
US wages covert war on Iraq-Iran border Nov 28, 2007
SIDIKAN and IRBIL, northern Iraq - The United States-led war in Iraq has hardly affected the residents of Sidikan, a small Kurdish town nestled in the mountains where the borders of Iraq, Iran and Turkey converge, but the surrounding area has fast become the frontline of another conflict ... As the KRG is delicately trying to please the Turks by cutting off links with the PKK (listed as a terrorist group by the United States and Turkey), the PJAK is feeling the heat as well because of its... (Asia Times Online)
How to Avert a Wider Regional War with Iran Nov 26, 2007
As Tehran Times has reported, last week, nine detained Iranian members of the Revolutionary Guards Corps who had been arrested by American forces from the Iranian consulate in Irbil for smuggling weapons into Iraq were freed and were allowed to return to Iran. These deals and agreements happened at a time that the U.S. Congress, at the instigation of Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, designated the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organization. (Human Events Online)
US tripped up over Iranian captives Nov 20, 2007
And the US quietly released nine Iranian detainees last week, two of whom were seized in the Kurdish city of Irbil in January, saying they were "of no continuing intelligence value" ... The January 10 raid was on an Iranian liaison office that had been operating in the Kurdistan capital of Irbil for 10 years with official Iraqi government approval. (Asia Times Online)
Tokyo has a mission in the Iraqi desert Nov 20, 2007
On August 30, 2006, Japan and the United Nations signed a formal agreement, and expanded transport flights to Baghdad and to Irbil in northern Iraq began shortly thereafter. From the point of view of the conservative Yomiuri Shinbun, this made the ASDF a "key player" in Japan's policy in the Iraqi arena. (Asia Times Online)
Iraqi parliament probes Kirkuk vote Nov 18, 2007
Kirkuk is an especially coveted city for both the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government in Baghdad and the Kurdish one in Irbil. Much of Iraq's vast oil wealth lies under the ground in the Kirkuk region, as well as in the Shiite-controlled south. (Nola.com -- Sports)
Some Kurds find rebels 'annoying' Nov 15, 2007
Like other Kurds in northern Iraq, these men in a cafe in Irbil have blood ties to the Kurdish rebels fighting Turkey ... IRBIL, Iraq - Kurdish guerrillas watch the border for any signs that Turkey's military will carry out threats to sweep across ... To decrease their political isolation, Kurds are reaching out to other countries, said Zayer, who runs his newspaper from Irbil after repeated attempts on his life in Baghdad. (MSNBC -- International)
DoD News Briefing with Press Secretary Morrell at the Pentagon Briefing Room, Arlington, Va. Nov 15, 2007
MR. MORRELL:Well, I think we made it clear that the Irbil five -- once numbered five, and I think we've released -- (to staff) -- three ... MR. MORRELL:-- three, three of the Irbil five, I believe, so we're down to the Irbil two. (DOD DefenseLINK -- News)
Officials: Turkey Strikes Inside Iraq Nov 13, 2007
"These are only abandoned villages ... and the PKK has no outposts there," Tamir told The Associated Press by phone from Irbil. A spokesman for the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, corroborated Tamir's account. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
U.S. frees 9 Iranians in Iraq Nov 10, 2007
The group included two men - identified by the military as Brujerd Chegini and Hamid Reza Asgari Shukuh - who were among five captured when U.S. forces stormed an Iranian government office in the northern city of Irbil in January ... Iran said the five were diplomats preparing the Irbil site as a consular office. (AZCentral -- News)
Reducing Tensions Over Iran? Nov 10, 2007
Mousa Chegini, center, and Hamid Reza Asgari Shukuh, back left, who were among five people captured when U.S. forces stormed an Iranian government office in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil in January, are carried on the shoulders of relatives, after arriving at Tehran's Imam Khomeini airport, Iran ... Rhetoric doesn't always match reality in the realm of foreign affairs, and in what may be a further sign that steps are being taken to dial down tensions with Iran, the U.S. military in Baghdad on... (Time.com)
U.S. released nine Iranians held in Iraq Nov 9, 2007
Among them are two men who were among five captured last January when U.S. forces raided an Iranian government office in the northern city of Irbil (ur-BEEL'). The U.S. had accused them of being members of Iran's elite Quds (kuhdz) force, part of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, which the U.S. considers to be a terrorist organization. (WSJA.com, AL)
9 Iranians released in Iraq Nov 9, 2007
The nine included two men identified by the military for the first time as Brujerd Chegini and Hamid Reza Asgari Shukuh who were among five people captured when U.S. forces stormed an Iranian government office in the northern city of Irbil in January. At the time, U.S. officials accused them of being members of Iran's elite Quds Force, an arm of the Revolutionary Guards. (Nola.com -- Sports)
State Dept. seeks $1.5B for Iraq Nov 8, 2007
The State Department budget document lists four teams in need of "adequate movement security." Each operates outside of Baghdad in towns such as Basra, a port city in the south where British forces are reducing their presence, and Irbil, an area in the north dominated by the Kurds. The document notes that aviation support, which allows security teams to respond quickly to hostile action or transport injured personnel, is a "major component of the security cost" for the reconstruction teams. (USA Today -- News)
Iraq: 2007 deadliest year for U.S. Nov 7, 2007
Two of them are from the "Irbil 5" detained in January. Irbil is the largest city in the Kurdish area of Iraq ... The U.S. military had accused the five Iranians arrested in Irbil of having links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard-Quds Force, a military unit accused of aiding insurgent activity -- including the distribution of roadside bombs. (CNN -- International)
Bush's Turkey shoot Nov 7, 2007
Flights from Istanbul to Irbil have already been cancelled. Electricity and food will become scarce. (Asia Times Online)
US 'to release' Iranians in Iraq Nov 7, 2007
They were among five Iranians who Tehran insists are diplomats seized in the Kurdish city of Irbil in January ... The Iranian consulate in Irbil was located in the same building that was raided by the US forces in January. (BBC News -- Africa)
U.S. to release 9 Iranian captives Nov 7, 2007
The U.S. military on Tuesday said it planned to release nine Iranian prisoners in the coming days, including two captured when U.S. troops stormed an Iranian government office in Irbil last January ... The Iranian offices there and in Irbil were shut after U.S. forces stormed the one in Irbil and took five Iranians prisoner last January ... Iran denied the allegation, saying the men were diplomats preparing to open the Irbil office as a full consulate. (International Herald Tribune)
2007 becomes deadliest year of the war for American troops despite recent downturn in violence Nov 7, 2007
Two of the Iranians who will be freed "in the coming days" were among five captured in January in a US raid on an Iranian government facility in Irbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region in the north of the country ... The positive moves toward Iran coincided with the opening of two Iranian consulates, the facility in Irbil that was shut by American forces after the raid, and a second in Sulaimaniyah, the largest city in the Kurdish zone ... Kurdish Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani... (Boston Globe)
Turkish Troops Poised on Iraq Border Nov 7, 2007
Associated Press Writers Paul Schemm in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, and Yahya Barzanji in Irbil, Iraq, contributed to this report. More from. (Time.com)
Bush, Turkish PM discuss Kurdish rebels Nov 5, 2007
Later Saturday, Iraqi Kurd authorities shut down the Irbil and Sulaimaniyah offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Solution party, an organization that allegedly had close ties to Kurdish guerrillas. But Turkey was still looking for more from the United States. (Nola.com -- Sports)
PKK frees Turkish soldiers Nov 5, 2007
"They left Irbil a little less that an hour ago [1030 GMT]. However, it is unclear where they will land whether it will be Ankara or in a military air base," she said. She confirmed that the troops were currently in Turkish air space. (Aljazeera.Net)
Kurds promise response to Turkish strike Nov 4, 2007
Under intense political pressure from Baghdad and the U.S., Iraqi Kurdish officials Saturday closed the Irbil and Sulaimaniyah offices of the Kurdistan Democratic Solution party, alleged to have close ties to the PKK. The two cities are the largest in Iraq's northern Kurdish region. Regional authorities have sought to prevent journalists from talking with the PKK leadership by closing roads into the Qandil Mountains, where various Kurdish rebel groups have historically sought shelter. (Nola.com -- Sports)
Mobile romanceHow a phone call could lead to marriage for two young Iraqi Kurds Nov 4, 2007
Ohmed is 28 and doing his Masters in Business Studies at the University of Kurdistan in Irbil. Like many Kurds of his generation, he is more interested in making money than pursuing a nationalistic ideal. (BBC News -- Africa)
