VIDEO: Abbott strife over digger death comment via theaustralian.com.au Tony Abbott’s private chat turns into a war zone
via Reuters Feb 9 – A series of blasts strike the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, killing at least six people and wounding around 75. Travis Brecher reporting.
via news.sky.com S/Sgt Schmid, who disarmed 64 IEDs in a single tour of duty, died just a day before he was due to return home to his wife and stepson .
via Al Jazeera The ongoing pro-democracy protests in Egypt are also inspiring smaller anti-government demonstrations in Iraq. People on the street are angry with the lack of public services and widespread corruption. Jane Arraf reports from the capital Baghdad
via PBSNewsHour In other news Monday, Iraqis protested a lack of electricity and jobs and an end to corruption in demonstrations this weekend. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki rejected the use of violence against protesters. In southern Sudan, more than 98 percent of voters favored independence from the North in a…
This week sees the first Emirates flight to Basra, one of a number of airlines restarting flights to the key cities across Iraq. Despite the ongoing security risks, the airlines say demand is growing and it is a lucrative market to be in. But it is not just growing passenger…
NATOCOMMUNITY Natochannel catch up with five Afghan female lieutenants as they enter pilot training in an immersive English course called the Thunder Lab
AssociatedPress A Senate report on the Fort Hood shooting says the suspect was a “ticking time bomb” and blasts the FBI and Pentagon for not preventing the attack.
via PBS http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/… Need to Know’s resident editorial cartoonist Steve Brodner looks at Afghanistan’s future through the eyes of all the power players envisioning a favorable outcome — for themselves. Need to Know airs Fridays on PBS. Watch full-length episodes of Need to Know athttp://video.pbs.org/program/1458405365/
via themontrealgazette Exclusive footage of Quebec soldiers engaged in a firefight in Afghanistan, as Montreal soldiers describe the life-and-death risks of mentoring Afghan forces.