US says fear prevails in Iraq as it struggles to meet goals
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WASHINGTON -- Iraq is a nation gripped by fear and struggling to meet security and political goals by September, US officials cautioned from Baghdad yesterday, dashing hopes in Congress that the country will show more signs of stability this summer.
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The Iraqi government has made mixed progress in meeting political and security goals, a U.S. official said on Thursday citing a report that may add to rising calls for a change of course in the unpopular war.
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U.S.-funded programs stand at the heart of the American effort to make Iraq a model of democracy in the Arab world, but leading up to the country's upcoming elections, the overriding concern is security.
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Iraq's struggling security forces  have had mixed results against a mounting insurgency and the  United States is examining if more funds are needed for this  nascent force, the U.S. government said on Thursday.
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The U.S. military death toll in Iraq  is approaching 1,000, with the danger faced by American troops  undiminished in the two months since the formation of an  interim government.
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Iraq looms as the first major problem for whoever wins the November 2 US presidential election, with the US-led international coalition appearing increasingly shaky.
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US Secretary of State Colin Powell said on Sunday that the escalating insurgency in Iraq couldmake the organizing of election in the country difficult.
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Intelligence-gathering by the front-line forces that need to know the most is proving difficult in a region increasingly gripped by fear.
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The tougher approach by US forces is intended to stabilize the country before elections, but offensives bring new risks. For the first time in the Iraq war, according to military officials, US aircraft last week directly bombed a mosque.
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The new U.S. military commander in Iraq said on Saturday that American and Iraqi security forces had to stabilize the country in what he called a high-stakes battle, or it would be doomed to more violence.
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The top US commander in Iraq has expressed concern about the ability of Iraqi forces to cope with security in the run-up to elections next month.
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The commander of US forces in Iraq says violence has decreased, but the country still faces many problems.
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The U.S. was slow to start creating intelligence networks and has had trouble developing informants because of death threats to Iraqis and their families.
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The Bush administration has sought to downplay the significance of a US intelligence forecast painting a pessimistic picture for the future of Iraq, insisting that predictions of difficulties ahead -- including the possibility of civil
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President Bush pleaded for Americans' patience Wednesday on what he conceded was "a very discouraging day" of death and violence for U.S. troops in Iraq. He urged Iraqis to defy terrorist threats and vote in Sunday's elections.
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DAMASCUS, Syria-- The dire security conditions in Iraq have overshadowed many of the Bush administration's diplomatic priorities in Syria, prompting US officials to focus their efforts here on enlisting the government's help in stabilizing the country's eastern border with Iraq.
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The U.S. intelligence community yesterday provided a mixed picture of the security situation in Iraq but cautioned that a drawdown of U.S. forces there and a scaled-back mission for the remaining U.S. troops "would erode security gains achieved thus far."