Western energy firms invited to bid on Iraqi oil development; U.S. denies involvement in Iraqi oil contracts; Kurdish oil contract model "immensely better."

WASHINGTON, July 2 (UPI) -- The United States is not involved in any relationship with the Kurdistan Workers' Party or its affiliates, a U.S. State Department spokesman said.

WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- Officials say Nelson Mandela will be removed from U.S. terrorism watch lists under a new law waiving travel restrictions on the Nobel Peace Prize winner.

WASHINGTON, July 1 (UPI) -- The United States would like to reach agreement soon with Poland about the placement of a missile defense system, a U.S. State Department spokesman said.

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- The United States welcomes the European Union's imposition Monday of further sanctions against Iran, a State Department spokesman said.

WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will travel to South Korea and China, in part to discuss North Korea's nuclear program, a department spokesman said.

STRASBOURG, France, June 19 (UPI) -- The French president wants to overhaul his country's armed forces to make them fit for the security challenges of the 21st century.

WASHINGTON, June 18 (UPI) -- Will the Bush administration try to build its proposed BMD base against the Iranian threat in Lithuania rather than Poland?

VILNIUS, Lithuania, June 18 (UPI) -- The United States and Lithuania deny they are in negotiations to put anti-missile shield defenses in the Baltic country should a U.S.-Poland deal fall through.