Iraqi Insurgents Carry Out Another Chemical Attack
February 22, 2007 -- IRAQ
Iraq Insurgents Again Use 'Dirty' Attack
Insurgents exploded a truck carrying chlorine gas canisters Wednesday the second such "dirty" chemical attack in two days while a U.S. official said ground fire apparently forced the downing of a Black Hawk helicopter. All nine aboard the aircraft were rescued. (AP)
Second Case of Rape Allegations in Iraq
Four Iraqi soldiers have been accused of raping a 50-year-old Sunni woman and the attempted rape of her two daughters in the second allegation of sexual assault leveled against Iraqi forces this week, an official said Thursday. (AP)
US Soldier Admits Murdering Girl
A second US soldier's plea of guilty to the gang rape of a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and the killing of her and her family has been accepted by a judge. (BBC)
IRAN NUCLEAR STANDOFF
Iran 'Failed To Meet UN Deadline'
Iran failed to suspend its uranium enrichment activity by Wednesday's UN deadline, a report by nuclear watchdog the IAEA has said. (BBC)
U.N. Report May Give Iran Wider Sanctions
A U.N. watchdog report due on Thursday is likely to confirm Iran has expanded rather than halted its nuclear fuel programme, exposing Tehran to possible wider sanctions over fears it secretly wants to make atom bombs. (Reuters)
U.K.
Man Wrongly Accused Over 9/11 Loses Court Battle
An Algerian pilot who spent four years in a British jail wrongly accused of training some of the September 11 suicide plane hijackers, lost a legal bid to win compensation from the government on Thursday. (Reuters)
PAKISTAN
Schools and Businesses Close in Pakistan Following Threats From the Taliban
In what is being seen as an attempt by the Taliban to increase their sphere of influence, threatening letters and phone calls have been received by schools and foreign banks in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP). (ABC News)
INDIA
India and Pakistan Sign Nuclear Pact
India and Pakistan signed an agreement to reduce the risk from accidental use of nuclear weapons here on Wednesday. (Daily Times)
Three Held Over India Train Blast
Police in India say they have detained three people in connection with Sunday's bomb attack aboard a train travelling from India to Pakistan. (BBC)
Indian Children Suffer More Malnutrition than In Ethiopia
India has higher rates of malnourished children than sub-Saharan Africa, despite having the money to tackle the problem, according to a survey that raises grave questions about the country's economic rise. (The Times)
U.S.
Is Cheney Next?
Could a guilty verdict for a former aide bring further criminal scrutiny of Vice President Dick Cheney? (ABC News)
FBI Translating Over 1,000 Wiretap Conversations a Day
Spurred by adding hundreds of new linguists and help from allies overseas, the FBI is translating a record 34,000 wiretapped conversations a month, bureau officials tell the Bad Guys blog. (US News & World Report)
ITALY
Italian Crisis Talks as PM Quits
Italian President Giorgio Napolitano has begun crisis talks following the resignation of Prime Minister Romano Prodi after just 10 months in office. (BBC)
EGYPT
Egypt Blogger Jailed For 'Insult'
An Egyptian court has sentenced an internet blogger to four years' prison for insulting Islam and the president. (BBC)
PHILIPPINES
Philippine Army Linked To Murders
The Philippine military is under new pressure after a government-backed commission linked some soldiers to a spate of political killings. (BBC)
SUDAN
Sudan, Chad Again Pledge to Avoid Hostilities
Neighbours Sudan and Chad pledged to redouble efforts to end border violence being fuelled by Darfur's conflict, concluding their third agreement in 12 months to end hostilities and respect each other's sovereignty. (Reuters)
ANALYSIS & OPNION
Crack in the Axis: Signs of Syrian-Iranian Split?
By Christopher Isham
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ended two days of meetings in Tehran Sunday, charging that the "enemies of Islam" were engaged in "the creation of a rift among Muslims" -- an unusual admission that the strategic relationship between Iran and Syria may be fraying. (ABC News)
American Liberty at the Precipice
In another low moment for American jusice, a federal appeals court ruled on Tuesday that detainees held at the prison camp at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, do not have the right to be heard in court. (NY Times)
Democracy is Possible, Arab Bloggers Assure Us Every Day
The Arab world is known as a home to some of the least democratic political structures existing around the globe. Basic human rights are barely met even in some of the apparently liberal countries in the region, such as Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates. (The Daily Star)
Is This the Alternative to the Anglo-Saxon Way?
The sick man of Europe has risen from his death bed. Will he now recover to be the strong man of old? Last week the European Union's statistical service reported that Germany was the fastest-growing economy among the leading industrialised countries, expanding by 3.7 per cent in the year to December, compared with Britain (3 per cent), America (3.4 per cent), Japan (2.1 per cent) and 3.3 per cent in the eurozone as a whole. (The London Times)
The Lessons of History!
The depressing figures regarding the level of development in a number of Arab states demonstrate the deep crisis in which we find ourselves. A climate of unemployment, poverty and hopelessness for the future creates an ambiance that is appropriate for extremism and political and social anxiety! (Asharq al Awsat)
The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Elizabeth Sprague of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.