Loveday Morris
Thursday, January 15, 2015 - 06:31
The Iraqi police and special forces officers practice drills next to a cluster of tents that constitute their base. They have a grand aim: to drive Islamic State fighters out of one of their strongholds, the city of Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh.
Friday, January 9, 2015 - 06:12
Years after the U.S. military tried to create a new army in Iraq, American trainers have returned to help rebuild the country’s fighting force. But this time, things are different. With the Iraqis dependent on their own logistics, there is a shortage of weapons and ammunition, and the U.S. training is focused on the will to fight.
Monday, December 1, 2014 - 06:39
The Iraqi army has been paying salaries to at least 50,000 soldiers who don’t exist, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Sunday, an indication of the level of corruption that permeates an institution that the United States has spent billions equipping and arming.
Monday, November 10, 2014 - 06:17
The mass killings of Sunni tribesmen battling the Islamic State have added urgency to Iraqi government efforts to support pockets of resistance against the insurgents. But distrust, a lack of financing and corruption threaten to slow the process, tribesmen and officials say.
Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - 08:59
Intra-Shiite violence breaks out in Karbala between supporters of Shiite leader Mahmoud al-Sarkhi and security forces.
Thursday, July 3, 2014 - 10:52
Security forces backed by helicopters battled supporters of a radical cleric in the Shiite holy city of Karbala on Wednesday, as spreading violence threatened to pull more areas of the country into turmoil.
Monday, June 30, 2014 - 06:25
Frustrated with the pace of U.S. jet and attack helicopter deliveries, the Iraqi government has resorted to negotiating the return of decades-old planes from Iran as it desperately tries to cobble together air power to turn the tide against al-Qaeda-inspired insurgents.
Thursday, June 26, 2014 - 13:22
Iraq’s presidency announced Thursday that the first session of the country’s newly elected parliament will be held July 1, starting the difficult process of forming a new Iraqi government in the midst of a raging insurgency that threatens the country’s unity and the entire Middle East.
Friday, May 9, 2014 - 12:55
The fight has proved tougher than expected. Hundreds of soldiers have died, and the military is facing mass desertions. The government says it is incapable of stemming the flow of hardened militants, who are often better equipped than Iraqi forces, across the border from Syria.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014 - 08:10
As the Syrian army steps up its bombardment on the last rebel-held areas of Homs, those holed up inside say they fear the city, once dubbed the capital of the revolution, is close to slipping completely from their grip.