Samarra May Be Key to Handling Iraq Cities
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For two months, this historic city of commerce and culture was a "no-go" zone for American troops, firmly in the grip of religious extremists, some linked to al-Qaida. During that time, residents say they endured a reign of terror, where gunmen snatched men from their homes and killed at least 10 of them as American spies.
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U.S. and Iraqi troops took control of government and police buildings in Samarra early on Friday after insurgents had undermined security in the Iraqi city, the U.S. military said.
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SAMARRA, Iraq -- Iraqi security forces are patrolling the Sunni Triangle city of Samarra after US and Iraqi soldiers claimed victory in retaking the city from insurgent forces.
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Iraq's prime minister on Saturday said his government would provide any necessary security for an expanded United Nations presence in his country, stressing that the "Baghdad of today is different from the Baghdad of yesterday."
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Reviving the city's old industrial district is key to making sure al Qaeda stays out. But does the populace  -  and the Baghdad government  -  have the will to do so?
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Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Monday portrayed the retaking of the Iraqi city of Samarra over the weekend by US and Iraqi forces as a model for the military
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Iraqi security forces and American troops have been patrolling the battered streets of Samarra as normal life began returning after a US-led assault wrested the city from rebels.
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US and Iraqi forces captured the Iraqi city of Samarra on Sunday after fierce fighting with Sunni militants. The forces later described the operation as a successful first step in a major push to wrest key
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Both Iraqi unity and global engagement may get a boost.
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BAGHDAD, Iraq - Over the past few months, insurgents in Samarra have deposed the U.S.-picked leaders and put to death people suspected of collaborating with them, making the northern Iraqi city the latest no-go zone for Iraqi and American troops.    With preparations beginning for Iraq's nationwide general election, scheduled for January, the attacks in Samarra and other cities where officials cannot safely travel could present a major barrier to carrying out a credible poll...
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SAMARRA, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces launched a major assault Friday to regain control of the insurgent stronghold of Samarra, trading gunfire with rebel fighters as they pushed toward the city center...
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To bin Laden, Iraq may be more important as a symbol than as a physical battlefield or training ground.
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Large-scale assaults like that in Samarra  could be the way forward in Iraq, the US defence secretary says.
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SAMARRA, Iraq - US and Iraqi forces tightened their grip on Samarra on Saturday, pressing on with one of the largest offensives since the fall of Saddam Hussein to try to regain control of the rebel stronghold.
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Apparently lifeless towns like Haswah, a chronic site of insurgency, may typify what control US-Iraqi forces can achieve.
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SAMARRA, Iraq  - U.S. and Iraqi forces tightened  their grip on Samarra Saturday, pushing ahead with one of the  largest offensives since the fall of Saddam Hussein to try to  regain control of the rebel stronghold.
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Iraq said on Wednesday it was determined to "cleanse" its northern city of Mosul of al Qaeda fighters but its U.S. backers said a planned operation might not deal the decisive blow that Baghdad wanted.