Tariq Aziz, ‘Chemical Ali’ sentenced by Iraq court

The top court in Iraq sentenced two of Saddam Hussein’s half-brothers to death Wednesday for crimes against humanity. The court also sentenced former Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz and a former senior official known as “Chemical Ali” — Ali Hassan al-Majeed — to 15 years in custody for crimes against humanity, an official with the Iraq High Tribunal told CNN. The men were sentenced for their roles in the 1992 execution of 42 merchants.

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Talking with the Taliban: Obama Idea Draws Skepticism

Seeking alliances with more moderate Taliban elements against al-Qaeda is not a new idea in the Afghanistan-Pakistan context, but until now it is one that has typically drawn a skeptical response — from U.S. officials who have regularly cast doubt on the wisdom of Pakistan pursuing such agreements

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Suicide car bomber kills seven in Pakistan

A suicide car bomber rammed his vehicle into a police car on the outskirts of Peshawar Saturday, killing seven security personnel. But two high-ranking officers are doing just that, hoping that by going public they can remove the stigma that many soldiers say keeps them from getting help for post-traumatic stress disorder.

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Blackwater founder, CEO resigns

Erik Prince, founder of the Blackwater Worldwide security firm, announced Monday he has resigned as head of the company, recently renamed Xe. Prince, in an e-mail to employees and independent contractors, said Danielle Esposito will become chief operating officer and executive vice president. Esposito has worked for the firm and its partners for nearly 10 years

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5 high-ranking Kurds leave Iraqi president’s party

The second-highest ranking official in Iraqi President Jalal Talabani’s political party resigned Saturday, along with four other high-ranking Kurdish politicians, officials said. Khosrat Rasul, the vice president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, resigned, along with four other members of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), according to Kurdish lawmakers

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France’s Sarkozy in Iraq to rebuild ties

French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a surprise visit to Baghdad Tuesday on a trip seen as aimed at raising his country’s stake in Iraqi reconstruction and easing frictions with Washington over the U.S.-led invasion of 2003. Sarkozy, the first French president to visit the country, met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki during the brief trip ahead of a tour of Gulf states. The French leader described his visit as a vanguard of French economic involvement in rebuilding Iraq and an attempt to strengthen European ties

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