Afghans protest civilian casualties; Lawmakers: Pakistan needs to step up; No miracles in Afghanistan; Kurds host reconciliation conference; Maliki exudes confidence; Amnesty blasts Iraqi executions

AFPAK MOU a sign of joint effort; Karzai opposition dissolves; EU challenged with Afghan effort; Maliki supporters win several provincial posts; U.N. condemns Iraqi executions; Water source of regional disputes

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Osama bin Laden's latest public pronouncement, addressing the continuing Israeli military action in Gaza, illustrates the extent to which the globally televised suffering of the Palestinian people -- and perceptions about the American role in perpetuating it -- are undermining U.S. efforts to defeat al-Qaida.

The Iraqi Christian minority is the target of the latest wave of violence in the country. Thousands of Iraqi Christians fled their homes in Mosul and other northern cities.

Iraqis continue to suffer under the U.S. occupation, with no end in sight. The evil U.S. projects in Iraq, occupation and sectarianism, are ignored in the mainstream media. The lies about the weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein's relationship with al-Qaida and the fallacy of creating a democratic state are coming to the surface, the London-based newspaper Azzaman said Friday.

BAGHDAD, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- A Shiite lawmaker in the Iraqi government expressed concern over decisions by Baghdad to place ex-Baath Party officials in the national army.

BAGHDAD, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The long-term security pact set to replace the expiring U.N. mandate for Iraq must meet constitutional and parliamentary requirements, an official said Tuesday.

The independent Addustour newspaper said Monday, speaking on the occasion of the June 25 death of three Iraqi civilians at the hands of the security firm Blackwater, that the Iraqi government has been oblivious to the crimes committed by foreign private security companies -- a fact that encourages these firms to be more careless.

WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- One aspect of private military and security contractors that is relatively ignored is their relationship with regular military forces. Such discussion, as there is, is generally limited to sound bites about the reported envy that soldiers have for allegedly better paid security contractors.