Shia Sunni In Iraq

Iraq's parliament on Saturday voted to accord full legal status to government-sanctioned Shia militias as a "back-up and reserve" force for the military and police and empower them to "deter" security and terror threats facing the country, like the Islamic State group.

A wave of attacks across Iraq killed at least 15 civilians today as government forces pressed on with their offensive to dislodge ISIS militants from a major city west of Baghdad, officials said.

Millions of people across the globe are risking their lives this year to reach Karbala, in Iraq, to mark "Chehlum" - the 40th day after the death of Imam Hussain - even as threats from terror group Islamic State (IS) loom large.

Attacks overnight in two Iraqi cities killed at least 16 people, officials said Monday as authorities struggle to stop the Sunni militants' offensive that has left huge areas in northern and western Iraq outside of government control.

Complexities well-handled, writes Kumar Ketkar.

Muslims in India are signing up to defend Iraq's holy shrines and, if need be, fight Sunni Islamist militants in the country where the civilian death toll from the Sunni insurgents' advance is estimated at least 1,300.

US Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Baghdad on Monday to meet with Iraq's leaders and personally urge the Shiite-led government to give more power to political opponents before a Sunni insurgency seizes more control across the country and sweeps away hopes for lasting peace.

Joe Biden was a US senator from Delaware in 2006 gearing up for a presidential campaign when he proposed that Iraq be sliced up into three semi-independent regions for Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. Follow his plan, he said, and US troops could be out by early 2008. Ignore it, he warned, and Iraq would devolve into sectarian conflict that could destabi...

Iraqi officials say a Shiite and a Sunni mosque in Baghdad have been targeted in bombings that killed at least nine people.

At least 26 people were killed today when Iraqi forces and Sunni Muslim protesters clashed after troops raided their anti-government demonstration camp near Kirkuk, military sources said.

Iraq's parliament on Saturday voted to accord full legal status to government-sanctioned Shia militias as a "back-up and reserve" force for the military and police and empower them to "deter" security and terror threats facing the country, like the Islamic State group.

A wave of attacks across Iraq killed at least 15 civilians today as government forces pressed on with their offensive to dislodge ISIS militants from a major city west of Baghdad, officials said.

Millions of people across the globe are risking their lives this year to reach Karbala, in Iraq, to mark "Chehlum" - the 40th day after the death of Imam Hussain - even as threats from terror group Islamic State (IS) loom large.

Attacks overnight in two Iraqi cities killed at least 16 people, officials said Monday as authorities struggle to stop the Sunni militants' offensive that has left huge areas in northern and western Iraq outside of government control.

Complexities well-handled, writes Kumar Ketkar.

Muslims in India are signing up to defend Iraq's holy shrines and, if need be, fight Sunni Islamist militants in the country where the civilian death toll from the Sunni insurgents' advance is estimated at least 1,300.

US Secretary of State John Kerry flew to Baghdad on Monday to meet with Iraq's leaders and personally urge the Shiite-led government to give more power to political opponents before a Sunni insurgency seizes more control across the country and sweeps away hopes for lasting peace.

Joe Biden was a US senator from Delaware in 2006 gearing up for a presidential campaign when he proposed that Iraq be sliced up into three semi-independent regions for Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds. Follow his plan, he said, and US troops could be out by early 2008. Ignore it, he warned, and Iraq would devolve into sectarian conflict that could destabi...

Iraqi officials say a Shiite and a Sunni mosque in Baghdad have been targeted in bombings that killed at least nine people.

At least 26 people were killed today when Iraqi forces and Sunni Muslim protesters clashed after troops raided their anti-government demonstration camp near Kirkuk, military sources said.