Iraq's Assyrian Christians find temporary home in Kurdistan Aug 9, 2009
In Ainkawa, a city of 40,000 on the outskirts of the main city of Irbil, there's sanctuary: castlelike churches that dominate entire city blocks. Liquor - a trade that Christians dominated in Baghdad - also is for sale openly in Ainkawa. (Fresno Bee -- Local)
* Backpackers beware Aug 8, 2009
Its capital is Irbil, locally known as Hawler. The Irbil citadel is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world, having been peopled since 6,000 BC. TRAVEL WARNING ... Devoted travelers even share information on a blog called Backpacking Iraqi Kurdistan, which locates cheap hotels and rates a German-style bar in the regional capital, Irbil. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Arrest Of US Hikers Mars Iraqi Kurd Tourism Boom Aug 5, 2009
Devoted travelers even share information on a blog called "Backpacking Iraqi Kurdistan," which locates cheap hotels and rates a German-style bar in the regional capital, Irbil ... Kurdish immigration officials generally allow Americans to enter with a visa granted at the airports in major cities such as Irbil and Sulaimaniyah ... The three detained Americans came into the Kurdish area from Turkey on July 28, and the next day went to Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region, spending a night... (CBS News -- World)
A Look At Travel In Iraq's Kurdish Region Aug 5, 2009
Its capital is Irbil, locally known as Hawler. The Irbil citadel is the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the world, having been peopled since 6,000 B.C.. (CBS News -- World)
* Iraqi PM meets leaders in Kurdistan Aug 4, 2009
US officials have warned Arab-Kurdish tensions could jeopardize security gains and US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates offered US help to mediate during his visit to Iraq last month in which he traveled to Baghdad and the Kurdish city of Irbil. Shiite lawmaker Ali al-Adeeb insisted there was no US pressure to hold the meeting but said: There is a will and a wish to solve all the problems between the region and the central government before the US withdrawal from Iraq. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)
Iraq's Kurds and Arabs work to defuse tensions Aug 3, 2009
U.S. officials have warned that Arab-Kurdish tensions could jeopardize security gains, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates offered U.S. help to mediate during his visit last month to Iraq in which he traveled to Baghdad and the Kurdish city of Irbil. advertisement. (MSNBC -- International)
Iraq’s Kurds and Arabs struggle to defuse tensions Aug 3, 2009
Gates traveled to Baghdad and the Kurdish city of Irbil on his trip. Shiite lawmaker Ali al-Adeeb insisted that there was no US pressure to hold the meeting but conceded that there is a will and a wish to solve all the problems between the region and the central government before the US withdrawal from Iraq. (Boston Globe)
Iran Detains 3 Americans Aug 2, 2009
They visited the Kurdish cities of Irbil and Sulaimaniyah on Wednesday. The next day, three of them took a taxi to Ahmed Awaa where they told their companion that they planned to stay at a nearby resort, the official said. (CBS News)
Iran holds American tourists Aug 2, 2009
They visited the Kurdish cities of Irbil and Sulaimaniyah on Wednesday. The next day, three of them took a taxi to Ahmed Awaa, a Kurdish security official said. (Athens Banner-Herald)
Modesto apparel maker hits its mark in Iraq Aug 1, 2009
IRBIL, Iraq -- Shoppers in a street market in the shadow of Irbil's ancient citadel can pick up texts on Islam, cloth banners woven with images of Kurdish heroes and light sandals ideal for Iraqi heat ... Irbil is a safer place for Westerners than the streets of Baghdad, where Americans have to take precautions to protect themselves from kidnappings or violence. (Modesto Bee, CA)
Report: Iranians arrest 3 from U.S. near border Aug 1, 2009
They visited the Kurdish cities of Irbil and Sulaimaniyah on Wednesday. Type Size. (AZCentral -- News)
AP: Ruling Parties Win Majority in Kurdish Elections Jul 31, 2009
Iraq's election commission said the two ruling parties - Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and Iraqi Vice President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan - took a solid majority of the votes. But it said the opposition party called Gorran, Kurdish for "Change," marked significant gains in the polls, which were for the regional president and 111-seat parliament. (Missourian Publishing, MO)
Bombings kill 12 in Iraq, reflect depths of political, ethnic gulfs Jul 31, 2009
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of Iraq will visit the capital of the semiautonomous Kurdish region, Irbil, on Sunday, a little over a week after the Kurds held important presidential and parliamentary elections, state TV reported. Yesterday s first blast hit Baqouba, the provincial seat of Diyala that lies northeast of Baghdad, killing at least seven and wounding 10 people, said Major Ghalib al-Karkhi, a spokesman for the Diyala police. (Boston Globe)
Moral Outrage at Camp Ashraf Jul 30, 2009
Earlier this month, in yet another demonstration of abasement to the ayatollahs, the U.S. released Qods Force commanders who d been captured and held in Irbil, Iraq since January 2007, when they were caught red-handed planning, coordinating, and executing attacks with Iranian-trained Shi ite Special Groups terror militias that have killed hundreds of U.S. forces. This is an administration that simply has no moral compass. (Human Events Online)
Kurdish ruling parties win majority Jul 30, 2009
IRBIL, Iraq - President Massoud Barzani's ruling party and its coalition partner in Iraq's Kurdish region won a majority in weekend elections, while the opposition, tapping into voter frustrations, made strong gains, according to election results released Wednesday. Iraq's election commission said the two ruling parties Barzani's Kurdistan Democratic Party and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan took a solid majority of the votes. (MSNBC -- International)
Gates: Some Troops May Come Home Early Jul 30, 2009
Gates met with Barzani, who claimed victory in a re-election vote last weekend that also saw large gains by an opposition slate, in Irbil, seat of the regional government. Morrell said the U.S. military has advisers already serving as go-betweens for the Kurdish militia and Iraq's armed forces. (Newsmax)
Gates: Some GIs may leave Iraq early Jul 30, 2009
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates signs a guest book before his meeting with Kurdish regional President Massoud Barzani, background right, in Irbil, Iraq, on Wednesday ... Gates met with Barzani, who claimed victory in a re-election vote last weekend that also saw large gains by an opposition slate, in Irbil, seat of the regional government. (MSNBC -- Terrorism)
Ruling bloc wins Iraqi Kurd poll Jul 30, 2009
Change alleged there had been systematic voting irregularities in Dahuk province and in Irbil ... US Defence Secretary Robert Gates met Mr Barzani in Irbil on Wednesday, after meeting the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday. (BBC News)
New Kurdish Party Could Destabilize Northern Iraq Jul 28, 2009
Supporters of Kurdish regional President Massoud Barzani hold an impromptu street party to celebrate early projections of a victory in the regional election in Irbil, Iraq Khalid Mohammed / AP. MORE.. (Time.com)
Kurd-Arab Conflict Intensifies in Iraq Jul 28, 2009
Maliki has dispatched two delegations to Irbil, the Kurdish capital, ostensibly to break the deadlock in relations between the Baghdad government and the Kurdish government ... Others resent the heavy-handedness of Kurdish security, which residents say has hauled away scores of people in the past few years to prisons in Irbil and, farther north, in Aqrah. (CBS News -- US)
Reform Party Makes Gains Among Iraq Kurds Jul 28, 2009
The group also enjoyed minor success in the two other provinces of Dahuk and Irbil, according to the unofficial returns, but Barzani and his party appeared to maintain their hold on the areas. Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission said nearly 80 percent of 2. (CBS News -- World)
Iraqi Kurds hope election brings change Jul 26, 2009
Electoral workers counted ballots following voting in the presidential and parliamentary elections yesterday in Irbil, a Kurdish-ruled city in northern Iraq ... Security measures were tightened in the region s three northern provinces - Irbil, Dahuk, and Sulaimaniyah - for yesterday s election, and the 2 ... There were a few reports of problems at the polls, said Hindren Mohammed Salih, head of the electoral commission in Irbil. (Boston Globe)
Iraqi Kurds seek change in regional elections Jul 26, 2009
I do believe that we will see a more activist parliament because of the active role of the opposition party, said Hewa Ahmed Hussein, a 34-year-old merchant in Irbil ... (The Associated Press) Election workers sort ballots after voting in the Kurdish regional elections in Irbil, Iraq, 217 miles north of Baghdad, Saturday. (Sierra Vista Herald, AZ)
Iraqi Kurds look for change at the polls Jul 26, 2009
Easing tensions with BaghdadSecurity measures have been tightened in the region's three northern provinces Irbil, Dahuk and Sulaimaniyah for Saturday's election, and the 2. 5 million eligible voters are only allowed to walk or take government authorized buses to polling centers. (MSNBC -- International)
Iraqi Kurds cast ballots for president, parliament Jul 25, 2009
5 million eligible voters in the region's three northern provinces _ Irbil, Dahuk and Sulaimaniyah _ will elect their 111-seat parliament and next president on Saturday. (AP Photo/Yahya Ahmed) An Iraqi man chants anti-U.S. slogans after Friday prayers in the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 24, 2009. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- World)
Kurdish city far different from bombs of Baghdad Jul 25, 2009
"Driving through Irbil is like driving through Fresno.". That quote struck me as odd last winter when I spoke with a member of a Modesto-based National Guard unit that was deployed in northern Iraq, making convoy runs to safe cities like Irbil and not-so-safe cities like Kirkuk ... I'm also reminded of several Western reporters who told me visiting Irbil feels as if you're leaving Iraq. (Modesto Bee, CA)
Iraqi Kurds head to the polls Jul 25, 2009
5 million eligible voters in the Kurdish region's three northern provinces of Irbil, Dahuk, and Sulaimaniya will elect their 111-seat parliament and next president. Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Kurdish regional government, voted along with his wife when polls opened at 8 a.m. (1 a.m. ET), the official said. (CNN -- International)
Early Voting Begins in Key Iraqi Elections Jul 24, 2009
5 million eligible voters in the region's three northern provinces Irbil, Dahuk and Sulaimaniyah will on Saturday elect their 111-seat parliament and next president. Prison inmates, sick people in hospitals and members of the Kurdish security forces known as "peshmerga" were among those allowed to vote early. (Fox News)
Voting begins in key Kurdish elections Jul 24, 2009
5 million eligible voters in the region's three northern provinces Irbil, Dahuk and Sulaimaniyah will elect their 111-seat parliament and next president. Prison inmates, sick people in hospitals and members of the Kurdish security forces known as "peshmerga" were among those allowed to vote early. (USA Today -- News)
U.S. Holding Iranians Hostage? Jul 22, 2009
The Times reported that Iran s ambassador to Iraq, Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, maintained that the three men were consular officials who were arrested illegally in an office long used by the Iranians in Irbil, a city in the Kurdish region of Iraq. According to one of the American officials who talked to the Times, they were held for more than two years even though they had not been involved in anti-U.S. activities and were functioning as diplomats at the time. (Human Events Online)
US diplomacy leaves Kurds adrift Jul 17, 2009
"We proposed a grand bargain on this issue in our most recent report that combines territory with oil and sharing powers between Baghdad and Irbil [the Kurdish capital]," said Hiltermann, referring to a July 8 ICG report. "These issues cannot be resolved in isolation, they have to be combined as they are really on the ground.". (Asia Times Online)
Iraq Soccer Team Wins In Return To Baghdad Jul 15, 2009
On Friday, Iraq played its first home game since 2002, beating Palestine 3-0 in the northern city of Irbil. Iraq's last home game before that was July 22, 2002, when it beat Syria 2-1 in Baghdad. (KFOXTV.com, TX)
Freed Iranians highlight US-Iraq conflict Jul 14, 2009
Three of the five Iranian detainees, who had been grabbed in a January 2007 raid, were working in an Iranian liaison office that had been operating in the Kurdistan capital of Irbil ... Kurdish Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari tried to get the US officials to understand that the Iranians seized in Irbil were not part of a "clandestine network" but were working on visas and other paperwork for travel by Iraqis to Iran. (Asia Times Online)
* Five officials held by US in Iraq return to Tehran Jul 14, 2009
The Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil in January 2007. At the time US authorities said the men included the operations chief and other members of Irans elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World Business)
5 Iranian Officials Released by U.S. Jul 13, 2009
The Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil in January 2007. At the time U.S. authorities said the men included the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. (CBS News -- World)
5 Iranian officials released by US return to Iran Jul 13, 2009
The Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil in January 2007. Iran denied they were involved in militant activity. (Lompoc Record, CA)
* Iraq fans celebrate first home soccer match since 2002 Jul 12, 2009
AP , IRBIL, IRAQ Sunday, Jul 12, 2009, Page 18. An Iraq fan smiles and gestures before his team plays a friendly match against Palestine at the Fransou Hariri Stadium in Irbil, Iraq, on Friday ... The holding of this match in Irbil gives a clear message to the world that Iraq is recovering and security is prevailing, Hussein Saeed, head of the Iraqi Football Federation, told the crowd before the game. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- World)
Back on side Jul 12, 2009
Forced by violence at home to play all its games abroad, the Iraqi national side ended its six-year exile on Friday in the northern city of Irbil ... At the game in Irbil, no Iraqi fans commented on the footballing disparity between the two teams ... In Irbil, capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, Hawar is a local hero. (BBC News -- Africa)
Iraqi footballers win on return Jul 11, 2009
The final score in the match played in the northern town of Irbil against a Palestinian team was 3-0 ... Neil Arun, the Iraq editor for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) who was at the game in Irbil, said many football fans had travelled from southern and central Iraq to watch the match. (BBC News -- Africa)
U.S. reportedly frees Iranian diplomats Jul 11, 2009
The men were picked up in Irbil, a city in Iraq's Kurdish region, on January 11, 2007. The U.S. military said they were thought to be connected to Iran's Islamic Quds Force, a group believed to be providing funds, weapons, roadside bomb technology and insurgent training. (CNN -- World)
Iraq tops Palestine in 1st home match in 7 years Jul 11, 2009
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) -Iraq celebrated its first home football match since 2002 by defeating Palestine 3-0 in a friendly on Friday. About 25,000 fans, many waving Iraq and Palestine flags and chanting "Iraq, Iraq,'' packed Fransou Hariri Stadium for a game that was as much about the nation's struggle for stability as it was about sports. Some fans sat on the roofs of nearby buildings to catch a glimpse of the match in the capital of a Kurd-ruled region that was safer than many other parts of Iraq.... (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- Soccer)
U.S. releases 5 Iranian officials in Iraq Jul 10, 2009
The Iranians were detained in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil and at the time U.S. authorities said the men included the operations chief and other members of Iran's elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. Iran denied the claim. (MSNBC -- International)
US releases five Iranians in Iraq Jul 10, 2009
US forces seized the five in the northern city of Irbil on suspicion of arming and funding Shia militias ... The Iraqi authorities said at the time the five Iranians had been in Irbil with official approval, but that their office had not yet been granted full consulate status. (BBC News -- Africa)
Bomb kills 9 at Iraqi wedding party Jul 9, 2009
The Kurdish parliament planned to discuss the issue Thursday in the regional capital, Irbil. More from msnbc. (MSNBC -- International)
Iraq Car Bombs Kill 16 Jul 9, 2009
The Kurdish parliament planned to discuss the issue Thursday in the regional capital, Irbil. . (CBS News -- World)
Iraq to play Palestine, first home game since '02 Jul 8, 2009
The Iraqi players have flown to the northern city of Irbil, the capital of Iraq's self-governing Kurdish region that will host the first match, Ahmed said. Ahmed said Iraqi coach Nathem Shaker will take charge of the Iraq team against Palestine. (SportsIllustrated.CNN -- Soccer)
Lochte swims to 400 IM title Jul 8, 2009
Tareq Ahmed, a senior official in the Iraqi Football Federation, said Tuesday that the teams will play two exhibitions -- the first Friday in Irbil in northern Iraq and the second next week in Baghdad. "This is another sign that the security situation is getting better," Ahmed said in a telephone interview. (News & Observer -- Sports)
Iraqi Kurds begin exporting oil Jun 5, 2009
A worker at the oil refinery near the village of Taq Taq in the province of Irbil ... The oil is being exported from the Taq Taq field in the province of Irbil. (CNN -- World)
Iraq's Kurdish region starts exporting oil Jun 3, 2009
(06-02) 04:00 PDT Irbil, Iraq ... "It is an important and historic day for Iraq when its people make use of their natural resources properly," Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said during a ceremony in the regional capital, Irbil ... About 40,000 barrels per day will initially be sent from Taq Taq, which is in a remote area of Irbil, with another 60,000 barrels a day from the Tawke field in nearby Dahuk province. (San Francisco Chronicle)
Kurdish Oil Begins Flowing to International Market Jun 2, 2009
IRBIL, Iraq -- Iraq's self-ruled Kurdish region officially started pumping crude oil to the international market on Monday, a development that will boost Iraq's cash-strapped economy ... "It is an important and historic day for Iraq when its people make use of their natural resources properly," Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, said during a ceremony in the regional capital, Irbil ... About 40,000 barrels per day will initially be sent from Taq Taq, which is in a remote area of Irbil, with... (Newsmax)
Kurds start oil exports from Iraq Jun 2, 2009
Kurdish President Massoud Barzani called a "giant step" at a lavish ceremony in Irbil ... Oil will be transported by lorry from the Taq Taq field to Irbil at a rate of 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) and then pumped along to Iraq-Turkey pipeline to the Turkish port of Ceyhan. (BBC News -- Africa)
Displaced Iraqis lead fractured lives May 27, 2009
"Local authorities were not welcoming them," said Charles Lynch, head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Irbil, capital of the Kurdish region. "They did not want them there.". (Boston Globe)
Iranian appeals court frees U.S. journalist May 13, 2009
The Iranians, accused of spying, were arrested during a raid at what Iran says was its consulate in the northern Iraqi city of Irbil. U.S. forces said the office was used by members of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. (San Francisco Chronicle)
3 SKorean soldiers convicted of bribery in Iraq May 6, 2009
One of the three, a captain identified by his surname Park, was sentenced last month by a South Korean military court to three years in prison for taking $25,000 and a digital camera worth $800 from a local firm involved in construction projects in the northern city of Irbil in return for administrative favors, said an official at South Korea's Defense Ministry ... They belonged to a South Korean contingent stationed in Irbil from 2004 to 2008 as part of U.S.-led multinational forces ... The... (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
U.S. journalist in Iran sentenced Apr 19, 2009
Iran sentences U.S. journalist to 8 years - CNN.com. Iran sentences U.S. journalist to 8 years. (CNN -- Law)
Iraq war deaths: Executions leading cause Apr 16, 2009
AnIraqiwoman, shown in a 2008 photo,weeps over the coffin containing her relative, one of 150 victims from a mass grave that were returned to Irbil, 217 miles north of Baghdad. A new study shows that execution-style killings have been the leading cause of death of Iraqi civilians during the Iraq war. (MSNBC -- International)
U.N. to seek power-sharing for divided Kirkuk Apr 1, 2009
3 million people will be run by Baghdad or by Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region in northern Iraq ... -- Making Kirkuk a "special status" province where both Iraq's Shiite-led central government and the Kurdish government in Irbil could have power. (San Francisco Chronicle)
photo: Hugh Sykes" border="0" vspace="0" hspace="0"> Mar 23, 2009
Page last updated at 16:44 GMT, Sunday, 22 March 2009. No frills tourism - in Iraq. (BBC News -- Africa)
P.S.: Wish You Were Here Mar 22, 2009
They said they made it from the northern city of Irbil to the southeastern tip of Basra - about 560 miles with side trips in between - without directly encountering the violence that has been a hallmark of Iraq's daily life for so many years ... Roberta Wong, a 58-year-old former librarian from Vancouver, said she counted 40 blockades from the southern city of Basra to Baghdad, a 340-mile trip, and 24 on the 217 miles from the northern Kurdish city of Irbil to the capital. (CBS News)
Determination led her out of the land that claimed her family Mar 16, 2009
"Freedom was a relative term for Rita.The Kurdish provinces were much safer than Baghdad, where sectarian gangs murdered residents every day. Kurdish political parties had their own militias to limit violence, a benefit from protection they received from the U.S. military after the 1991 Persian Gulf War.The poor economy made job prospects slim. Men often made aggressive advances toward her because she was single without a brother or father to defend her, a vulnerable position for an Iraqi... (Modesto Bee, CA)
Iraqis cheer the return of soccer Mar 12, 2009
Irbil won two titles, its first ever, in back-to-back years. It was the fall of Baghdad teams, however, that raised the most eyebrows. (News & Observer)
Iraqi Kurds dread US troop withdrawal Mar 5, 2009
"I restate that the role of the United States should be to help resolve the problems in Iraq such as Article 140, the oil law, and the law on the distribution of its oil wealth," Barzani told reporters in the northern city of Irbil, tallying the list of contentious issues between Kurds and the Iraqi government. Article 140 refers to a constitutional provision to settle the critical issue of disputed territories between Kurds and Iraqi Arabs, including the gold-prize contested city of Kirkuk... (Asia Times Online)
Iraqi Kurds want U.S. help Feb 20, 2009
IRBIL, Iraq (AP) -- The closest U.S. allies in Iraq -- the Kurds -- feel abandoned by Washington these days and say war with the Arab-dominated central government is likely without American pressure to resolve disputes that predate even the era of Saddam Hussein. Tension between the Arabs and Kurds is multifaceted, but one of the major flashpoints is the status of Kirkuk, an area that contains 13 percent of Iraq's proven oil reserves. (Pocatello Idaho State Journal, ID)
German FM begins first Iraq visit Feb 18, 2009
Economy ministry officials in Berlin said Germany would open an economic information offices in Baghdad and Irbil, in the mainly Kurdish north, to help German firms do business in Iraq. Gemany is Europe's largest economy and Iraq has some of the largest proven oil reserves in the world. (BBC News -- Europe)
German foreign minister meets with Iraq officials Feb 18, 2009
One of Germany's initiatives to improve ties with Iraq will be to set up an economic office in Baghdad, with a branch in the northern city of Irbil, said the German Economic Ministry. "The office will contribute to reviving the once-intensive economic relations between Germany and Iraq," Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg said in a statement. (WSVN-TV Miami, FL)
