BAGHDAD — The soldiers serving at Joint Security Station Aqur Quf had a problem: They had a hitting mat and tens of thousands of golf balls, but only two clubs.

Thanks to the kindness of News Tribune readers, that's not a problem anymore.

The donors are people such as Zoeanne Hondle of Tacoma, who sent numerous clubs and a hard-top bag. Vic Peterson of Tacoma shipped clubs including a Callaway Big Bertha, plus a note saying his distance record with the driver was 325 yards. » read more

BAGHDAD — Two car bombs killed up to 40 people and wounded at least 140 more during the culmination of the Shiite pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala Friday, making this year's commemoration the bloodiest since Saddam was toppled.

At least 90 people have now been killed in attacks this week aimed at the millions of Shiites who have headed to Karbala to mark Arbaeen — the commemoration of the 40th day of mourning for the killing of Imam Hussein in battle in 680 AD.

There were conflicting reports about the number and the nature of the explosions but ministry of interior officials said two car bombs detonated after they were parked on a bridge on the outskirts of the city. » read more

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi appeals commission Wednesday lifted a ban on more than 570 mostly Sunni Muslim candidates in Iraq's March 7 parliamentary elections, allowing them to run and possibly averting a sectarian showdown that had threatened to disrupt the elections.

Senior Sunni politicians had threatened to boycott the election after a controversial Shiite-led Accountability and Justice Commission banned more than 500 people for everything from membership in Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to alleged links to Saddam's intelligence agency.

The ban threatened to damage the credibility of the elections, and the United Nations and the Obama administration, which sent Vice President Joe Biden to Iraq to discuss the issue, both warned that it could trigger another round of sectarian violence as the administration begins to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. » read more

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi appeals commission Wednesday lifted a ban on more than 570 mostly Sunni Muslim candidates in Iraq's March 7 parliamentary elections, allowing them to run and possibly averting a sectarian showdown that had threatened to disrupt the elections.

Senior Sunni politicians had threatened to boycott the election after a controversial Shiite-led Accountability and Justice Commission banned more than 500 people for everything from membership in Saddam Hussein's Baath Party to alleged links to Saddam’s intelligence agency.

The ban threatened to damage the credibility of the elections, and the United Nations and the Obama administration, which sent Vice President Joe Biden to Iraq to discuss the issue, both warned that it could trigger another round of sectarian violence as the administration begins to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. » read more