Dec 28 AP fact check: Trump makes false claim to troops about pay By Lolita C. Baldor, Associated Press In his first visit to U.S. troops in a conflict zone, President Donald Trump drew cheers when he told troops he won them their first raise in 10 years and suggested it was a whopping one. Neither is true. Here's… Continue reading
Dec 27 Iraqi lawmakers demand U.S. troops to withdraw after Trump visit By Philip Issa, Associated Press Iraqi lawmakers were smarting after the U.S. president left three hours after he arrived without meeting any officials, drawing unfavorable comparisons to the occupation of Iraq after the 2003 invasion. Continue reading
Dec 27 Trump is the third American president to visit Iraq President Donald Trump made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Wednesday to meet U.S. troops. It's the sixth time that a U.S. president has visited Iraq. Continue reading
Dec 27 White House and congressional Democrats see no deal on shutdown By Juliet Linderman, Darlene Superville, Associated Press Chances look slim for ending the partial government shutdown any time soon. Continue reading
Dec 26 Watch 2:26 Making first war-zone trip, Trump surprises U.S. troops in Iraq President Trump and the first lady have come and gone from Iraq, after a surprise post-Christmas visit to greet U.S. troops stationed there. The president spent about three hours on the ground, meeting with commanders and posing for photos with… Continue watching
Dec 26 Watch 6:51 Trump’s failure to meet with Iraqi officials during surprise visit prompts criticism President Trump traveled secretly to Iraq late on Christmas night. But he met with no Iraqi officials during the brief trip, prompting criticism from some Iraqi politicians. Laith Kubba, advisor to the Iraqi prime minister, and special correspondent Jane Ferguson… Continue watching
Dec 26 Visiting troops in Iraq, Trump defends Syria withdrawal By Darlene Superville, Associated Press The U.S. presence in Syria was not meant to be "open-ended," the president said, adding that other wealthy nations should pay for rebuilding the country. Continue reading
Dec 25 Watch 8:37 Despite oil wealth, Iraq’s Basra plagued by broken infrastructure, poverty and violence By Jane Ferguson Basra, in southern Iraq, contains much of the country’s oil wealth -- yet residents there are struggling just to survive. The city lacks basic services like clean water and reliable electricity, and jobs are rare. But people taking to the… Continue watching
Dec 24 Pope Francis leads Christmas Eve Mass at Vatican By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press "An insatiable greed marks all human history, even today, when paradoxically a few dine luxuriantly while all too many go without the daily bread needed to survive," Francis said. Continue reading
Dec 20 Watch 8:27 Why Iraq’s biblical paradise is becoming a salty wasteland By Jane Ferguson In addition to recovering and rebuilding after a brutal war with ISIS, Iraq is facing a dire water shortage. Levels in the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers have plummeted, in part because neighboring Turkey built a dam upstream that restricts the… Continue watching