Irak
Aktuelle Einsätze
UNAMI
UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UN-Peacebuilding)
Beginn: 08/03
Link zum Einsatz
EUJUST LEX
European Union Integrated Rule of Law Mission for Iraq (EU)
Beginn: 03/05
Link zum Einsatz
USF-I
United States Forces - Iraq (UN-Mandatiert)
Beginn: 01/10
Link zum Einsatz
Hussein appeals death sentence (03.12.2006)
(Quelle: RFE / RL) Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's lawyers today appealed the death sentence handed down to him on November 5. Hussein and two other senior members of his regime were sentenced to death by hanging for the 1982 killings of 148 people in Al-Dujayl, north of Baghdad. Under Iraqi law, death sentences are automatically appealed before a higher court within 10 days of being handed down. But defense lawyers must file a formal appeal within 30 days.
Saudi Will Intervene in Iraq if U.S. Withdraws: Aide (29.11.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) Using money, weapons or its oil power, Saudi Arabia will intervene to prevent Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias from massacring Iraqi Sunni Muslims once the United States begins pulling out of Iraq, a security adviser to the Saudi government said on Wednesday. Nawaf Obaid, writing in The Washington Post, said the Saudi leadership was preparing to revise its Iraq policy to deal with the aftermath of a possible U.S. pullout, and is considering options including flooding the oil market to crash prices and thus limit Iran's ability to finance Shi'ite militias in Iraq.
Iran offers to help in Iraq amid warnings of civil war (28.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, during talks with his Iraqi counterpart, said Iran would do whatever it could to help provide security to Iraq amid warnings that the country was on the brink of civil war. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said Monday that bloodletting had pushed Iraq closer to civil war as he prepared to hold a telephone conference with a US panel considering alternatives for Iraq including direct talks with Iran and Syria.
Allies not waiting for new strategy to announce Iraq withdrawals (28.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) A debate over whether to set a timetable for a phased withdrawal of US forces from Iraq is being preempted by key US allies who have announced plans to scale back their own forces over the next year, analysts say. The latest and most important to announce was Britain, whose defense minister said Monday the 7,100-member British contingent will be scaled back 'by a matter of thousands' by the end of next year.
UN renews mandate for Iraq troops (28.11.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) The 15-member United Nations Security Council has unanimously voted to extend the mandate of the multinational force in Iraq until the end of next year. The move was requested by the Iraqi government, which said the troops were needed for a further year while it built up its own security forces. The mandate will be reviewed by 15 June, or earlier if Iraq requests it.About 160,000 foreign troops, the majority of them from the US, operate in Iraq under the UN mandate.
Over 3,700 civilians killed in October in new monthly high, UN reports (21.11.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) The number of Iraqi civilians killed in October reached a new high of 3,709, the influence of armed militias is growing, and torture continues to be rampant despite the Government’s commitment to address human rights abuses, according to the latest United Nations rights report on the strife-torn country. The report paints a grim picture virtually across the board, from attacks on journalists, judges and lawyers and the worsening situation of women to displacement, violence against religious minorities and the targeting of schools.
US sets deployments to maintain Iraq troop levels (17.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) The Pentagon on Friday announced a major rotation of U.S. forces to replace existing units in Iraq, to help maintain current force levels as the troops try to stem deadly sectarian violence. A year ago, U.S. commanders hoped to have substantially fewer soldiers in Iraq at this point, but they have opted to keep around 140,000 troops in the country due to what they have described as an unacceptably high level of violence.
Sectarian strife in Iraq imperils entire region, analysts warn (16.11.2006)
(Quelle: Washington Post) While American commanders have suggested that civil war is possible in Iraq, many leaders, experts and ordinary people in Baghdad and around the Middle East say it is already underway, and that the real worry ahead is that the conflict will destroy the flimsy Iraqi state and draw in surrounding countries. Whether the U.S. military departs Iraq sooner or later, the United States will be hard-pressed to leave behind a country that does not threaten U.S. interests and regional peace, according to U.S. and Arab analysts and political observers.
General warns of risks in Iraq if G.I.'s are cut (16.11.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) The top American military commander for the Middle East said Wednesday that to begin a significant troop withdrawal from Iraq over the next six months would lead to an increase in sectarian killings and hamper efforts to persuade the Iraqi government to make the difficult decisions needed to secure the country. The commander, Gen. John P. Abizaid, made it clear that he did not endorse the phased troop withdrawals being proposed by Democratic lawmakers. Instead, he said the number of troops in Iraq might be increased by a small amount as part of new plans by American commanders to improve the training of the Iraqi Army.
Bush will mit neuer Offensive und noch mehr Soldaten siegen (16.11.2006)
(Quelle: Die Welt) Der US-Präsident plant, 20.000 zusätzliche Soldaten in das Land zu schicken, um doch noch erfolgreich zu sein. Für das Vorgehen im Irak hätte er auch gern noch mehr Geld zur Verfügung. Mit einem Truppenrückzug 2007 würde es dann wohl nichts.
France says timetable for Iraq withdrawal needed (15.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) The international community must come up with a timetable for troop withdrawal from Iraq but removing forces immediately would be a bad idea, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said on Wednesday. France opposed the 2003 U.S.-led war to topple Saddam Hussein but has since repaired relations with Washington and promised to help the Iraqi government, although it has not sent troops there.
Another billion dollars available for Baghdad reconstruction (14.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) More than one billion dollars has been made available to Iraqi authorities for reconstruction projects over the coming months, a top US official said Tuesday. 'The biggest challenge is how to spend the money,' said Daniel Speckhard, deputy chief of mission at the US embassy, on the sidelines of a workshop on Iraq's reconstruction. Speckhard said more than one billion dollars has been spent in a slew of projects in Baghdad over the past three years, however the city still has poor services and on average only a few hours of electricity a day.
Get out now? Not so fast, experts say (14.11.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) One of the most resonant arguments in the debate over Iraq holds that the United States can move forward by pulling its troops back, as part of a phased withdrawal. If American troops begin to leave and the remaining forces assume a more limited role, the argument holds, it will galvanize the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for securing and rebuilding Iraq. This is the case now being argued by many Democrats, most notably Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who asserts that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq should begin within four to six months. But this argument is being challenged by a number of military officers, experts and former generals, including some who have been among the most vehement critics of the Bush administration’s Iraq policies.
Germany says no troops to Iraq, Afghan hot-spots (13.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) A German government spokesman was quoted on Monday as saying Berlin could expand its programme of training Iraqi border guards, but he gave no indication it would consider sending troops to Iraq. Last week U.S. Democrats wrested control of Congress from President George W. Bush's Republican Party, partly because of dissatisfaction with his handling of the Iraq war. Afterwards, German President Horst Koehler said Germany and Europe should do more to help rectify the situation in Iraq, which he said had become a disaster. 'We are also ready to do more,' government spokesman Thomas Steg was quoted as saying by the Berliner Zeitung newspaper. 'We could also imagine doing this by expanding the training of border guards.'
Blair under renewed pressure to deliver exit strategy from Iraq (13.11.2006)
(Quelle: The Independent) Tony Blair is facing renewed and angry demands to set out a timetable for the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in the wake of yesterday's deaths in Basra. MPs from across the political spectrum will attempt to force the Government to disclose its exit strategy in the Commons next week. They are furious that Mr Blair, who gives evidence tomorrow to the Iraq Study Group reassessing US policy, has so far failed to provide any details of plans to pull British soldiers out.
Bush considers dialogue with Iran among 'fresh options' for conflict (13.11.2006)
(Quelle: The Independent) Amid new mayhem and political turmoil in Iraq, President Bush meets a key panel of advisers today to find a way out of the crisis, with his aides saying everything is on the table - including an overture to Iran. A 'fresh approach' was needed, Josh Bolten, the White House chief of staff said yesterday, adding that all options were on the table. Among the ideas floated by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, chaired by the former Secretary of State James Baker, are not only a phased withdrawal of US forces, but also the notion of bringing Iran and Syria into a deal on the future of Iraq. Today's session at the White House is especially significant as it comes just five days after the ousting of Donald Rumsfeld, the Defence Secretary and a principal architect of the débâcle, and the promise by the President of a sweeping rethink of strategy.
Military team undertakes a broad review of the Iraq war (10.11.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) Senior military leaders have begun a broad review of strategy in Iraq and other crisis areas in the Bush administration’s campaign against terrorism, according to Pentagon officials. In a closely held effort, Gen. Peter Pace, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has assembled a team of some of the military’s brightest and most innovative officers and told them to take a fresh look at Iraq and Afghanistan, among other flashpoints.
Stage set for Iraq policy shift (09.11.2006)
(Quelle: Washington Post) Democratic control of the House and possibly the Senate, combined with the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, has set the stage for a dramatic shift in the Bush administration's policy toward the Iraq war, lawmakers and experts said. The contours of a new policy are not clear, but there is likely to be more pressure on the Iraqi government to rein in sectarian violence and a growing clamor from Democrats to begin a drawdown of U.S. troops.
Iraq Baathists ban 'to be eased' (07.11.2006)
(Quelle: BBC) A senior Iraqi official has said plans have been drawn up to allow former members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to return to government jobs. Supreme National Council for De-Baathification head Ali al-Lamy said the plans could mean the reinstatement of more than a million ex-activists. The activists were sacked immediately after the US-led invasion in 2003. Most of them were from Iraq's Sunni minority and the Americans hope the move will contribute to reconciliation. The most senior former Baath officials, who were close to Saddam Hussein, will remain excluded.
Hussein trial was flawed but reasonably fair, and verdict was justified, legal experts say (06.11.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) The yearlong trial that ended yesterday with a sentence of death by hanging for Saddam Hussein had serious legal flaws that left doubts about whether he was allowed to present a full defense, international legal experts said. Lawyers and human rights advocates broadly agreed that the Iraqi tribunal’s proceedings frequently fell short of international standards for war crimes cases. But even critics of the trial said the five Iraqi judges who heard the case had made a reasonable effort to conduct a fair trial in the face of sustained pressure from Iraqi political leaders for a swift death sentence.
Shaken Saddam sentenced to hang, Iraqis divided (06.11.2006)
(Quelle: Reliefweb) An Iraqi court sentenced a shaken but defiant Saddam Hussein to hang on Sunday for crimes against humanity, sparking joy for Shi'ites he oppressed and resentment among his fellow Sunnis across Iraq's violent sectarian divide. As mortar rounds crashed on warring Baghdad neighbourhoods and police reported sporadic clashes despite a curfew on the capital, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called for unity after the ousted leader was handed 'the punishment he deserves'. U.S. President George W. Bush, whose forces set up the court three years ago, called it 'a milestone in the Iraqi people's effort to replace the rule of a tyrant with the rule of law'.
UN raps donor countries for response to Iraq crisis (04.11.2006)
(Quelle: Daily Star) The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned donors that it is 'distressed' at the lack of an international response to a growing humanitarian crisis in Iraq caused by alarming levels of violence, a spokesman said Friday. 'UNHCR officials who just returned from the region warned that we are now facing an even larger humanitarian crisis than we had initially prepared for in 2002 to 2003,' UNHCR spokesman Ron Redmond told reporters.
Iraqi demands pullback; U.S. lifts Baghdad cordon (01.11.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki demanded the removal of American checkpoints from the streets of Baghdad on Tuesday, in what appeared to be his latest and boldest gambit in an increasingly tense struggle for more independence from his American protectors. … The language of the declaration, which implied that Mr. Maliki had the power to command American forces, seemed to overstep his authority and to be aimed at placating his Shiite constituency.
UN-sponsored International Compact for Iraqi development winds up preparatory stage (31.10.2006)
(Quelle: UN News) The United Nations-backed International Compact with Iraq (ICI) held its final preparatory meeting in Kuwait today as it seeks to consolidate peace in the violence-torn country and pursue political, economic and social development over the next five years. The meeting was attended by representatives of 20 States, regional and multilateral institutions, the formal members of the preparatory group for the ICI, which has been developed by the Iraqi Government with UN and World Bank support, to tackle the challenges of security, good governance and the provision of basic services.
Timetables? Depends on who's talking (29.10.2006)
(Quelle: Washington Post) Recent discussion about Iraq has focused on the U.S. and Iraqi governments setting benchmarks for improving stability so the United States can eventually draw down troops, but public statements have made it difficult to determine who has agreed to what. … On Tuesday, U.S. ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad told a Baghdad news conference that the Iraqi government had agreed to benchmarks and timelines. … On Wednesday in Baghdad, however, Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki contradicted Khalilzad.
Seeking to ease rift, Bush confers with Iraq premier (29.10.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) The 50-minute conference between Mr. Bush and Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki took place after an acrimonious conversation late Friday between Mr. Maliki and the American ambassador, Zalmay Khalilzad. According to an aide to Mr. Maliki, the Iraqi leader said that he was “a friend of the United States, but not America’s man in Iraq.” The sharp remarks appear to be part of a growing schism between the Shiite-led Iraqi government and its American supporters, a division building for months that burst into full public view this week.
Idle contractors add millions to Iraq rebuilding (25.10.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) Overhead costs have consumed more than half the budget of some reconstruction projects in Iraq, according to a government estimate released yesterday, leaving far less money than expected to provide the oil, water and electricity needed to improve the lives of Iraqis. … The actual costs for many projects could be even higher than the estimates, the report said, because the United States has not properly tracked how much such expenses have taken from the $18.4 billion of taxpayer-financed reconstruction approved by Congress two years ago.
More U.S. troops may be Iraq-bound (25.10.2006)
(Quelle: Washington Post) The top American commander in Iraq said Tuesday that he may call for more troops to be sent to Baghdad, possibly by increasing the overall U.S. presence in Iraq, as rising bloodshed pushes Iraqi and American deaths to some of their highest levels of the war. The commander, Gen. George W. Casey Jr., also said he now believed Iraqi forces would be ready to take over security responsibility from the Americans no sooner than late 2007 or early 2008.
Don't panic, Iraq tells U.S. and UK (23.10.2006)
(Quelle: Reuters AlertNet) Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih warned against defeatism and panic on Monday as his U.S. and British allies came under growing pressure to change their Iraq strategy in the face of relentless bloodshed. Salih, in London for talks with Prime Minister Tony Blair and other British ministers, made clear his anxiety about the change in tone in London and Washington, where senior figures are questioning whether the current strategy in Iraq is viable.
U.S. to hand Iraq a new timetable on security role (22.10.2006)
(Quelle: New York Times) The Bush administration is drafting a timetable for the Iraqi government to address sectarian divisions and assume a larger role in securing the country, senior American officials said. Details of the blueprint, which is to be presented to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki before the end of the year and would be carried out over the next year and beyond, are still being devised. But the officials said that for the first time Iraq was likely to be asked to agree to a schedule of specific milestones, like disarming sectarian militias, and to a broad set of other political, economic and military benchmarks intended to stabilize the country.