It began nearly on the day that Saddam's statue in central Baghdad was brought down by American soldiers as jubilant Iraqis looked on. "This war was not worth a child's finger," wrote the English novelist Julian Barnes in a Guardian op-ed. That was published fully a year before the insurgency got underway, when the argument could not be made—as it was later made—that democracy is all well and good but that order of any kind, even tyrannical order, is much to be preferred. (more)

ABC News' Vija Udenans reports: Soon after the polls closed in Iraq, President Obama congratulated the Iraqi people on their “courage” and their “important milestone” in the Iraqi history as they shape their Parliament and choose a prime minister. This was the second national election since the US troops invaded Iraq in 2003; the first being in June 2005. (more)

Brazil rebuffed a U.S. appeal for new sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program, vowing during a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton not to "bow down" to gathering international pressure. (more)

The tsunami unleashed by a massive 8.8 magnitude quake off Chile has killed five people and left 11 others missing on the remote Robinson Crusoe islands. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet sent two aid ships, two helicopters and a plane to the small archipelago of some 600 inhabitants more than 700 kilometres offshore in the Pacific Ocean. The casualties were confirmed by Ivan de la Masa, the governor of Valparaiso, the nearest city on the Chilean mainland. (more)

Last month, on the night of January 19, Hamas military commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh arrived in Dubai, oddly without his bodyguards. He checked into the five-star Al-Bustan Rotana Hotel. He was allegedly on a weapons-buying trip.... (more)

WASHINGTON/KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban's top military commander was captured in Pakistan, U.S. and Pakistani officials said on Tuesday, but the move may not deal a decisive blow to a group putting up fierce resistance to a NATO offensive. (more)

Secretary of State Clinton made this comment while traveling in the Gulf region to drum up support for tough new international sanctions on Iran over the country’s nuclear program. “We see the government of Iran, the Supreme Leader, the President, the parliament is being supplanted and Iran is heading towards military dictatorship,” said Clinton. (more)

Picking their way through a dense tangle of homemade bombs, U.S. Marines on Saturday seized key positions in the Taliban stronghold of Marja, as thousands of coalition troops consolidated their hold on a wide swath of desert and farm territory surrounding the southern Afghan town. (more)

The People’s Bank of China said it will raise the reserve ratios that banks in the country must keep to .5%. It is the second time that it has increased the ratio in a year. The action is viewed by most economists as a way to head off a sharp increase in inflation caused by lax loan practices and the nation’s $585 billion stimulus program. China has posted increases in food and commodities prices. The expansion of its manufacturing sector has also accelerated sharply. The value of equities and real es... (more)

Gmail appeared to be unavailable to some users in Iran on Wednesday, the day before a government crackdown on anti-regime demonstrations. (more)