IPS correspondents bring you independent perspectives on what is happening in Iran, Iraq and across the Middle East.

MIGRATION: U.S. to Admit Palestinian Refugees from Iraq
Marina Litvinsky
WASHINGTON – Approximately 1,350 Palestinian refugees from Iraq are being considered for resettlement in the U.S. after being referred to the U.S. Refugee Admissions Programme by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47677

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US-IRAQ: Kurds Caught Up in Biden’s Diplomatic Offensive
Mohammed A. Salih
WASHINGTON – The indefinite postponement of a referendum on Iraqi Kurdistan’s controversial draft constitution just days after a visit by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has given rise to speculation that Washington may have played a role in the delay.
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47672

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RIGHTS: New Charges Added to Blackwater Lawsuit
William Fisher
NEW YORK – New charges filed against private security contractor Blackwater accuse the company of murder, destruction of audio and videotaped evidence, distribution of controlled substances, tax evasion, child prostitution, and weapons smuggling.
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47567

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IRAQ: Questions Remain About the U.S. Role
Helena Cobban
WASHINGTON – The United States largely complied with a plan, negotiated with Iraq’s government last November, to withdraw its troops from the centre of all Iraqi cities by Jun. 30.
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47552

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IRAQ: Is Another Conflict Inevitable?
Mohammed A. Salih
WASHINGTON – Relations between Iraq?s various Kurdish, Arab and Turkoman ethnicities are going through a new round of complications since a provision in the draft constitution of the country?s northern Kurdistan region declared a range of disputed areas part of the historical Kurdish homeland, infuriating non-Kurds in the country.
www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47545

For more IPS reporting on the Middle East – www.ipsnews.net/middle.asp

Iraq: Beyond the Green Zone – www.ipsnews.net/new_focus/iraq/index.asp

Iran: The Parthian Shot – www.ipsnews.net/new_focus/iran/index.asp

Holy Land/Unholy War – www.ipsnews.net/new_focus/israel_palestina/index.asp

Afghan Divide – www.ipsnews.net/afghanistan/index.asp

View From the U.S.: Bush at War – www.ipsnews.net/new_focus/warII/index.asp

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