Our fashion choices convey messages about who we are. In Iraq, more conservative forces are not always happy with what they see. Since Saddam Hussein's demise, the New York Times explains, religious values have penetrated the previously secular society. That's brought calls for segregated universities, the closure of liquor stores, and pressure for women to dress in clothes that "will not inflame Read more

An Iraqi politician spoke with female lawmakers today, as the country's parliament tried unsuccessfully to form a majority government. Women make up 25 percent of Iraq's parliament. By comparison, only about 15 percent of members in the US House and Senate are women. Read more

Last July, 4-year-old Paige Bennethum captured hearts when she held her father's hand and wiped her eyes as he stood in attention, about to head to Iraq. Her mother snapped a picture of the moment, and the photo and the family became an overnight sensation. Now dad is home and Paige is five, and she's less cuddly and more "teenagey" according Read more

Soldiers must prepare to confront death on the battlefields, but if they're on tour in Northern Iraq, they must also be ready to ward off new life. A US Army general in the region has added pregnancy to the list of offenses that can trigger a court martial. General Anthony Cucolo said the current policy of sending pregnant troops home results in the loss of too many skilled soldiers. Thus, Read more

I am not a hero. But I have a point of view. I have a stance. It humiliated me to see my country humiliated; and to see my Baghdad burned, my people killed. Thousands of tragic pictures remained in my head, pushing me towards the path of confrontation. — Iraqi Muntadhar al-Zaidi reminded the world that he's a journalist yesterday by using powerful words to explain why he decided to throw his Read more

When Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the man who threw his shoes at George. W. Bush, is released from prison next Monday, he will receive a hero's welcome. The Iraqi journalist has already fielded countless marriage proposals while hanging out in his jail cell. An Iraqi in Morocco offered to send his daughter and women in Saudi Arabia are asking for Zaidi's hand in marriage. One family even said, "We are Read more

Yesterday I came across an article about an untold consequence of the war in Iraq — the instability is causing harm to unprotected women. The Huffington Post piece explains that until the US invasion, rape was relatively rare in Iraq. Now women are the targets of violence, including rape, perpetrated by members of armed Islamist groups, Iraqi government forces, foreign soldiers, and private Read more

Next time you go traipsing around Iraq's Kurdistan, make sure you bring a map and stay far away from the Iranian border. Today, American diplomats with the help of Swiss officials are trying to locate three missing Americans who went hiking in Iraq's Kurdish region and accidentally crossed an unmarked border with Iran. Iranian TV says the three have been accused of illegally entering Iran. The Read more

Today Iraqis celebrated in the streets as American troops pulled out of Iraq's towns and cities. June 30, the long-anticipated deadline, has been declared a national holiday. — New York Times Teams are searching the Indian Ocean for survivors of the crash of a Yemenia Airways jet. So far, one child survivor has been found. — CNN Federal investigators are investigating 10 of Bernie Madoff's Read more