Iran Remains Defiant, Nuclear Agency Says

Tue, 07 Sep 2010 06:10:09 GMT

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had banned two of its top inspectors and still refused to answer questions about its nuclear program.

Thin Line for Group of Muslims in Egypt

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:40:57 GMT

The most influential of Egypt’s dissident groups is caught between fighting and placating the government.

Attack Shows Lasting Threat to U.S. in Iraq

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:27:17 GMT

A coordinated attack on one of the main military commands in Baghdad punctuated a sharp rise in violence as the United States declared an official end to its combat mission.

Mideast Leaders Hopeful After Opening of Talks

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:40:57 GMT

Palestinian and Israeli leaders expressed hope in their first public utterances since last week’s round of peace talks in Washington.

23 Accused of Coup Plot in Bahrain

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:50:12 GMT

Bahraini officials announced that they were charging 23 people, most of them activists from the Shiite majority, with coordinating a violent campaign to overthrow the minority Sunni government.

Iranian Woman Said to Be Lashed Over Photo

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 16:28:51 GMT

A mix-up over a photograph led to a sentence of 99 lashes for the Iranian woman whose earlier death sentence by stoning caused an international outcry, a lawyer said.

Diplomatic Memo: In Middle East Peace Talks, Clinton Faces a Crucial Test

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 14:30:43 GMT

The talks could cement the legacy of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton as a diplomat, or pose risks to any political ambitions she may harbor.

Pessimism Permeates Mideast Media on Talks

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:20:29 GMT

Many Palestinian and Israeli commentators described this week’s talks in Washington as mere political theater.

Syria’s Solidarity With Islamists Ends at Home

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 08:10:11 GMT

The country, which had sought to allow religious figures a greater role in public life, has reversed course.

World Briefing | Middle East: Lebanon: Hezbollah Chief Rejects Demand From U.N. Prosecutor

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:10:13 GMT

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah said that he would not hand over all information relevant to the killing of Lebanon’s former prime minister Rafik Hariri.

World Briefing | Middle East: Israel: Atomic Agency Seeking Signature on Nonproliferation Pact

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:10:13 GMT

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency asked Israel last month to consider signing the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

World Briefing | Middle East: Iran: Opposition Beginssatellite Television Channel

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:20:31 GMT

Iranian opposition activists have started a new satellite TV channel, RASA TV, from Belgium as an alternative to Iran’s increasingly state-controlled media.

World Briefing | Middle East: Iraq: U.N. Asks Europe to Halt Deportations

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:20:30 GMT

The U.N. refugee agency called on European governments to halt deportations of Iraqis, after what it said was at least the third coordinated round of forced returns since April.

30 False Fronts Won Contracts for Blackwater

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:29:57 GMT

The security firm created shell companies to obtain U.S. contracts after it was criticized for its conduct in Iraq, investigators said.

Special Report: Business of Green: Multiplying the Yield of an Oasis

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:49:51 GMT

The government of Abu Dhabi, with the help of a German consultant, is working on a plan to extend its emergency freshwater reserves from 48 hours to 90 days.

Settlements in West Bank Are Clouding Peace Talks

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:24:12 GMT

Middle East negotiators agreed to keep talking, but the issue of West Bank settlements threatens to derail the negotiations.

Wiesenthal Worked for Israeli Spy Agency, Book Alleges

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:20:37 GMT

Simon Wiesenthal, who ran a one-man Nazi-hunting operation, worked for Israel’s spy agency, a new biography claims.

World Briefing | Middle East: Gaza: Militant Groups Promise More Attacks

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:20:37 GMT

Thirteen militant groups in Gaza vowed Thursday to step up attacks on Israeli targets to foil peace negotiations.

Experts Fear Mideast Talks Are Too Ambitious

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:40:41 GMT

Some veteran peace process practitioners say Israel and the Palestinians should first aim for a partial solution because the gaps between the positions are too wide.

Attackers Strike Home of Iranian Opposition Leader

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 06:20:37 GMT

Attackers smashed windows and damaged security cameras at the home of Mehdi Karroubi a day before a rally that the authorities worry might reignite antigovernment protests.

Gates, in Iraq, Takes the Long View

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:20:47 GMT

Marking the formal end of combat operations, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said history would judge if the war was worth it.

In Baghdad, U.S. Officials Take Note of Milestone

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:44:07 GMT

Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates inaugurated the post-combat phase.

Leaders Call for Peace as Mideast Talks Begin

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:31:58 GMT

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel and President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority appeared together with President Obama.

Palestinians Hunt the Killers of 4 Israelis

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:20:54 GMT

Palestinian troops rounded up dozens of men suspected of ties to Hamas as Israeli settlers held a mass funeral for two women and two men who were shot dead in their car on Tuesday night.

Israeli Peace Effort Rests on Netanyahu

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:36:35 GMT

The Israeli prime minister believes that only someone like himself, with his hawkish credentials, has the will and support to produce lasting peace with the Palestinians.

Scantily Clad Dancers Are Nowhere to Be Found When Turkey Plays

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:45 GMT

A dance squad from Ukraine, known as the Red Foxes, was pulled to avoid performing in front of Turkish government officials, but no one can agree as to why.

United States 88, Iran 51: Opponents for a Game, but No Rivalry Here

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 06:00:45 GMT

The United States easily beat Iran at the FIBA world championships in a game that was overshadowed by a political rivalry.

Punk’d, Iraqi-Style, at a Checkpoint

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 17:03:43 GMT

The show "Put Him in [Camp] Bucca" has drawn protests but has stayed on air throughout Ramadan, broadcasting pranks on Iraqi celebrities.

Analysis: Iraq's Military Needs After 2011

Sat, 04 Sep 2010 10:28:08 GMT

The third phase, from the end of 2016 to the end of 2020, is the "completion phase" by which time the Iraqi army will be a "real power," able to deal not only with internal, but also external threats.

Martyrs in the Valley of Peace

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:45:32 GMT

In the Cemetery of the Martyrs of the Army of the Imam Mahdi, death is not mourned. The men here have died as martyrs, and sacrifice is exalted.

Passengers Still Fly Above Unscreened Cargo

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:24:31 GMT

An aviation security loophole that remains unclosed: not all of the cargo loaded onto passenger jets that fly into the United States from abroad is screened.

Iranian Newspaper Says Carla Bruni-Sarkozy 'Deserves to Die' for Objecting to Stoning

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:36:37 GMT

An Iranian newspaper with close ties to the country's leader has called Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, a "prostitute" who "deserves to die" for to joining a campaign to save the life of an Iranian woman sentenced to die by stoning.

The World Watches America's Heated Mosque Debates

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:14:26 GMT

From Taiwan to Abu Dhabi to Afghanistan, there is anecdotal evidence that attention is being paid to the furious debate over mosque-building projects in American cities.

Inside Corrupt-istan, a Loss of Faith in Leaders

Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:10:12 GMT

A belief by Westerners that Afghans expect misrule and malfeasance could make Afghans’ contempt for their leaders as much a threat as the Taliban.