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