Topic - Shi'Ite

• 

  Bahrain: No arrest of opposition leader planned

  A government spokeswoman said Thursday a prominent opposition leader will not be arrested if he returns to Bahrain, but it remained unclear whether he was free to travel.

• 

  Bahrain king orders release of political prisoners

  Bahrain's king ordered the release of some political prisoners Tuesday, conceding to another opposition demand as the embattled monarchy tries to engage protesters in talks aimed at ending an uprising that has entered its second week.

• 

  Car bomb kills 8 pilgrims on way to Iraqi shrine

  A car bomb killed eight pilgrims Thursday on the road to one of Iraq's holiest Shi'ite shrines, a highly sensitive site still being rebuilt after a 2006 attack that sheered off its gleaming golden dome and engulfed the country in years of sectarian bloodshed.

• 

  Hezbollah's candidate to form Lebanese government

  The candidate backed by Iranian-allied Hezbollah was designated Tuesday to form Lebanon's next government, angering Sunnis who protested the rising power of the Shi'ite militant group by burning tires and torching a van belonging to Al Jazeera.

• 

  First U.S. ambassador in 5 years arrives in Syria

  The first American ambassador to Syria since 2005 arrived in Damascus on Sunday at a time of regional turmoil and with Syrian-U.S. relations still mired in mutual distrust.

• 

  Ahmadinejad heads to Lebanon amid political crisis

  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is wading into Lebanon's tumultuous political divides this week with a visit that underlines the power of the Shi'ite militant group Hezbollah and has put Western-backed factions in the government on the defensive.

• 

  Bahrain continues crackdown on Shi'ite opposition

  Eid ul-Fitr, the Muslim holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, is supposed to be a joyous occasion. But in the U.S.-allied Persian Gulf nation of Bahrain, where the Sunni-dominated government has arrested scores of Shi'ite opposition activists in recent weeks, many celebrated in fear.

• 

  Saudi, Syrian leaders visit Lebanon amid tension

  The leaders of Syria and Saudi Arabia launched an unprecedented effort Friday to defuse fears of violence over upcoming indictments in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

• World Scene

  Mexicans voted for new governors and mayors across a third of the country Sunday in an election soured by drug-gang killings and intimidation and expected to hand the main opposition party sweeping gains.

• Crocker says al-Qaeda closer to defeat

  The U.S. ambassador to Iraq said today that al-Qaeda's network in the country has never been closer to defeat, and he praised Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for his moves to rein in Shi'ite and Sunni militant groups. 8:57 p.m.

• 

  Tribe helps al-Maliki win control of south

  Of all the tactical moves Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki made in March to wrest control of southern Iraq from Shi'ite extremists, none was more important than his government's meetings with tribal sheiks.

• U.S. kills six Iraqi policemen in firefight

  BAGHDAD — American troops battled Iraqi police suspected of links to Iranian-backed Shi'ite militiamen yesterday, killing six in a rare firefight between American soldiers and their Iraqi partners. The clash underscored the deep infiltration of militants in the country's security forces.

• U.S. kills six Iraqi policemen in firefight

  BAGHDAD — American troops battled Iraqi police suspected of links to Iranian-backed Shi'ite militiamen yesterday, killing six in a rare firefight between American soldiers and their Iraqi partners. The clash underscored the deep infiltration of militants in the country's security forces.

• Lawmakers urge civilians to arm themselves

  BAGHDAD — Prominent Shi'ite and Sunni politicians called on Iraqi civilians to take up arms to defend themselves after a weekend of violence that claimed more than 220 lives, including 60 who died yesterday in a surge of bombings and shootings across Baghdad.

• Al Qaeda operative hanged for bombing

  BAGHDAD — A purported al Qaeda terrorist was hanged for his role in one of the first major bombings in Iraq — a 2003 blast that killed a Shi'ite leader and 84 others and foreshadowed the four-year insurgency that followed, a Justice Ministry official said yesterday.

More Stories →