Free Syrian Army claims capturing Iranian soldiers in Homs

A group of Syria’s opposition “Free Army” has released a video showing what it was said were seven Iranians, including five members of the Revolutionary Guards, captured in the city of Homs. (more…)

What Obama said about the world in the State of the Union

Where in the world did the State of the Union take us? Here are the highlights from what President Obama said about all things international in his prepared remarks Tuesday night:

For the first time in nine years, there are no Americans fighting in Iraq. (more…)

Suleimani’s remarks outrage March 14

March 14 leaders were outraged by the remarks made by the head of Iran’s Al-Quds Force of the Revolutionary Guards Corp, Brig. Gen. Qassem Suleimani who said on Friday that south Lebanon fell under Iran’s influence.

March 14 opposition leaders demanded that Hezbollah clarify Suleimani’s statement. (more…)

Britain urges tougher Syria sanctions

Britain called on Wednesday for harsher sanctions on Syria, where an Arab monitoring mission has failed to halt bloodshed in a 10-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. (more…)

Suicide blast targeting Shiite pilgrims in Iraq kills 43

A SUICIDE bomber has killed 53 people in an attack on Shiite devotees at a pilgrimage in Iraq.

The apparent sectarian attack in southern Iraq yesterday cast a pall over the climax of a Shiite pilgrimage that draws hundreds of thousands from around the world. (more…)

Bombings targeting Shias kill 72 in Iraq

A wave of bombings targeting Shias in Iraq killed 72 people on Thursday, deepening sectarian tensions that exploded just after the last American troops left the country in December. (more…)

Iran, Iraq funding Syrian crackdown, says former offical

Iraq and Iran are funding the Syrian regime crackdown on protests, a former official in President Bashar al-Assad’s regime alleged Thursday in a report on Al-Jazeera’s website.

Mahmud Suleiman Haj Hamad, the former inspector of the Central Office of Financial Control in Syria, (more…)

Maliki credits Iraqis with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein

Iraq’s prime minister hailed the end of the American military presence in Iraq as a new dawn for his country and urged Iraqis to preserve the unity of a nation still under attack by insurgents and beset by sectarian divisions.

At a televised celebration in Baghdad on Saturday, Nouri al-Maliki declared Dec. 31 a national holiday (more…)

Airstrike on Turkey-Iraq border kills 35 people, report

A Turkish airstrike on the border with Iraq killed 35 people who are now thought to have been smuggling cigarettes, a senior Turkish lawmaker said Thursday. (more…)

Al-Sadr’s bloc calls for dissolution of Iraqi parliament

A political crisis that threatens more sectarian strife in Iraq took another twist Monday as the bloc loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr called for the dissolution of Parliament and early elections. (more…)