ISW News Roundup - March 20, 2009

Iraq

Washington Post - New Alliances In Iraq Cross Sectarian Lines, by Anthony Shadid

Christian Science Monitor - Six years in Iraq: three American stories, by Howard LaFranchi

Voice of America - Protests, Questions Mark 6th Anniversary of Iraq Invasion

New York Times Baghdad Bureau - Leaving Iraq: An Iraqi Christian, by Sahar S. Gabriel

RFE/RL - Iraq Urges Foreign States To Accept Iranian Rebels

RFE/RL - Iraq Recruiting English-Speaking Students As Pilots

Voice of America - US Returns Reconstruction Money to Iraq

RFE/RL - UN Asks Europe To Copy Germany, Take Iraq Refugees

Associated Press - AP Impact: Many Iraqis held by US to go free, by Lara Jakes

LA Times - Baghdad's pet shop owners are back in business, by Usama Redha

 

Afghanistan and Pakistan

Reuters - U.N. says fears of unfair Afghan poll well-founded, by Louis Charbonneau

RFE/RL - Afghan Leader Says More U.S. Forces 'Too Late'

Christian Science Monitor - Key Afghan insurgents open door to talks, by Anand Gopal

RFE/RL - Afghan Peace Jirga Calls For Talks With Taliban

LA Times - Afghanistan strategy: Lure fighters away from Taliban, Julian E. Barnes

New York Times - Afghan Legislator Killed in Bomb Attack, by Abdul Waheed Wafa

Reuters - Afghan and U.S. -led troops kill 30 Afghan militants

New York Times - Pakistan Accused of Link to Kabul Attacks, by Sangar Rahimi and Carlotta Gall

Associated Press - Official: Taliban chief Mullah Omar in Afghanistan

Washington Post - Civilians to Join Afghan Buildup, by Karen DeYoung

CNN - Families find little comfort at Afghan children's hospital, by Paula Newton

Reuters - France proposes European gendarmes for Afghanistan, by David Brunnstrom

Reuters - Taliban chief Omar "not in Pakistan's Baluchistan", by Gul Yousafzai

CNN - Rocket attack kills at least 11 in Pakistan, by Zein Basravi

 

Region

Iran

Reuters - Obama offers new start with Iran, by Matt Spetalnick and Parisa Hafezi

CNN - U.S. Navy vessels collide near Iran

Associated Press - US Navy: 2 vessels collide in Strait of Hormuz

Washington Post - Obama Reaches Out to Iran With Holiday Video Message, by Debbi Wilgoren and Thomas Erdbrink

Reuters -Iranian official's response to Obama appeal

Reuters - Iran leader says world can't stop nuclear progress, by Zahra Hosseinian

North Korea

Washington Post - U.S. Could Hit N. Korean Missile, Says Commander

Somalia

Reuters - Somali Islamists behead two sheikhs: group, by Abdi Sheikh and Abdi Guled

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