Kathleen Ridolfo

Also by Kathleen Ridolfo

• March 18, 2006

  Three Years After Operation Iraqi Freedom

  Iraqis mark another milestone in their long journey toward a democratic state on March 20 -- the third anniversary of the start of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Progress has come in fits and starts, measured most notably on the political front.

• March 13, 2006

  Has Tehran Crossed The Line?

  There is increasing belief within Iraqi and U.S. circles that Iranian agents have permeated the Iraqi security apparatus, as well as the extra-governmental militias that engage in armed conflict with Iraqi police, army units, and multinational forces.

• March 02, 2006

  Kurdish Politician Discusses Political Standoff

  RFE/RL spoke with Kurdish parliamentarian Mahmud Uthman about political developments in Iraq following a decision by Sunni, Kurdish, and secular political groups to ask the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi Alliance to withdraw Ibrahim al-Ja'fari's nomination as prime minister.

• March 01, 2006

  Iraq: Parliamentarian Discusses Al-Sadrist View Of Government

  Muqtada al-Sadr's influence in Iraq only seems to grow (epa) RFE/RL interviewed Iraqi parliamentarian Qusay al-Suhail on February 27 to ask about rising political tensions in Iraq following the February 22 bombing of Samarra's Golden Mosque. Al-Suhail also discussed the al-Sadrist perspective in negotiations over the composition of the incoming Iraqi government. Al-Suhail is a Shi'ite parliamentarian and supporter of cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

• February 28, 2006

  Al-Sadr Ascendant?

  Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has been widely praised for his role in staving off a major sectarian split in Iraq since the 22 February bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra. While the cleric has played a leading role calling for calm, he has also rallied Iraqis to demonstrate against the presence of multinational forces in Iraq.

• February 23, 2006

  Acrimony And Accusations

  Political and religious leaders across Iraq have condemned the 22 February attack on two Shi'ite shrines in Samarra. As they grappled to come to terms with what is seen as a heinous assault on all of Islam, leaders began laying blame on their co-religionists and on the U.S. military.

• February 23, 2006

  Parties Call For Calm After Golden Mosque Bombing

  The 22 February bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra, one of Shi'ite Islam's most holy sites, has profoudly shaken Iraq's sensitive Shi'ite-Sunni fault line. Political leaders from across the country have been scrambling to call for calm, even as a wave of anti-Sunni retaliatory violence swept over the country. The unrest comes as political leaders continue to try to forge a government more than two months after the country's December legislative elections.

• February 22, 2006

  Analysis: On The Brink Of Civl War?

  Sectarian tensions in Iraq took a catastrophic turn on 22 February when armed men detonated explosives inside the Golden Mosque in Samarra, home to a revered Shi'ite shrine, blowing the roof off the building. Iraqi leaders have scrambled to contain the ensuing retaliatory attacks by Shi'a, amid rising fears that the country could be on the brink of civil war.

• February 17, 2006

  Britain Faces Predicament In South

  Following weeks of mounting tension, Al-Basrah's local council cut ties with British forces after a videotape surfaced in the British media that appears to show British soldiers beating Iraqi youths.

• February 15, 2006

  Questions Arise Over PM Nomination

  Kurdish and Sunni Arab political parties have raised concerns about the shape of the next government after the Shi'ite-led United Iraqi Alliance nominated Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Ja'fari to retain his position.

• February 10, 2006

  Cartoon Protests Spur Wider Debate

  Protests against the publication of the caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad have broken out across Iraq in the last two weeks, as Iraqis vent their fury against the West, including the United States.

• February 08, 2006

  Oil And Insurgency

  A new scandal has focused attention on the problem of corruption in the Iraqi oil industry -- but corruption is just one of many problems hampering the sector that many feel could be driving Iraq's recovery.

• February 06, 2006

  Officials Scramble To Prepare For Bird Flu

  The confirmation late last month of the arrival of bird flu to Iraq has raised concerns about the government's ability to handle an outbreak of the disease.

• January 26, 2006

  Sunni Insurgents Turning Against Al-Zarqawi

  Six armed groups in Iraq have tentatively agreed to enter talks aimed at ending the insurgency, amid reports of growing conflict between nationalist-oriented resistance groups and Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaeda-linked group.

• January 20, 2006

  Abkhazia Complains About Georgian Intransigence

  Abkhazia has asked to send a delegate to the UN Security Council for talks on its conflict with Georgia, and attacked Georgia's unwillingness to rule out the use of force

• January 16, 2006

  Hussein Trial Chief Judge Answers Criticism

  Rizgar Muhammad Amin tells RFE/RL that defendants must be allowed the opportunity to speak, even if their comments disrupt the proceedings.

• January 13, 2006

  Shi'ite Leader Says No Negotiations On Core Principles

  The stance could threaten recent attempts to bring Sunni Arab parties into a national unity government.

• January 12, 2006

  Kurds Agree To Unify Administrations

  The agreement between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan on the joint administration of the Kurdistan regional government is being hailed by Kurdish leaders as an historic accord.

• January 05, 2006

  Sunni Front To Back Unity Government, Others Remain On Fence

  Sunni Arab leaders from the Iraqi Accordance Front have reached a tentative agreement with Kurdish leaders on the formation of a national unity government.

• January 04, 2006

  Oil Woes Continue

  The outgoing Iraqi government placed Oil Minister Ibrahim Bahr al-Ulum on mandatory leave after he resisted a major domestic price hike.

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