In battle for Iraq’s Mosul, many forces with many motives
By SUSANNAH GEORGE and LEE KEATH An unlikely array of forces is converging on the city of Mosul, lining up for a battle on the historic plains of northern Iraq…
Shia Islam
On surprise Iraq visit, Biden urging end to political crisis
By JOSH LEDERMAN Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Iraq on Thursday to implore the country’s leaders to resolve a crippling political crisis that has hindered efforts…
Kerry backs Iraqi leader, no planned increase in US troops
By BRADLEY KLAPPER and SUSANNAH GEORGE U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry backed Iraq’s prime minister on Friday in his efforts to resolve a mounting political crisis, underlining the importance…
Saudi allies scale back ties with Iran as tensions soar
By ALI AKBAR DAREINI and JON GAMBRELL Allies of Saudi Arabia followed the kingdom’s lead and began scaling back diplomatic ties to Iran on Monday after the ransacking of Saudi…
Iraq launches operation to retake Tikrit from Islamic State
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN Backed by allied Shiite, Sunni and Iranian fighters, Iraqi security forces launched a large-scale military operation Monday to recapture Saddam Hussein’s hometown from the Islamic State extremist…
Aides: Rebels hold Yemen’s president ‘captive’ at his house
By AHMED AL-HAJ Shiite rebels in control of Yemen’s capital now hold the country’s president “captive” at his home, his aides said Wednesday, putting in question who actually rules the…
Heavy clashes as Shiite rebels seize Yemen state media
By AHMED AL-HAJ Heavy clashes erupted near the presidential palace in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Monday as Shiite rebels battled soldiers and seized control of state-run media in a move…
UN, EU concerned at arrest of top Bahrain Shiite leader
By REEM KHALIFA The UN human rights chief on Tuesday called on Bahrain’s government to immediately release the leader of the country’s main Shiite opposition group and the European Union…