March 7th Morning Readbook

Iraq election analysis




Iraq parliamentary election hit by insurgent attacks
Iraq's second parliamentary election since the 2003 invasion has been hit by multiple attacks, with at least 24 people being killed.


Blasts, Mortars Mar Voting in Iraq
At least 25 Iraqis died in dozens of attacks around the country Sunday morning as polling got underway in the country's first parliamentary election since 2005. Mortar attacks in the restive northern city of Mosul and its surroundings forced five polling stations to temporarily close there. By midday Sunday, it was still too early to gauge voter turnout, but officials appeared to be ramping up appeals to voters to go to the polls.


Kirkuk's Arabs seek to reclaim city




Pakistani Taliban Deputy Believed Killed
A senior Pakistani Taliban commander with close links to al Qaeda and the Afghani Taliban was “probably killed” in an attack by Pakistani army helicopter gunships in a remote region along the Afghan border Friday, a senior Pakistani security official told CBS NEWS on Saturday.


Taliban and Rival Militants Fight Each Other in Afghanistan
Afghan officials say clashes between rival Islamist militant groups in the country's northeast have killed at least 50 people.


Al-Qaida calls on US Muslims to attack America
Al-Qaida's American-born spokesman on Sunday called on Muslims serving in the U.S. armed forces to emulate the Army major charged with killing 13 people in Fort Hood.


The main headlines on Al Jazeera