Sunni news stories on Newser

Wave of Bombings Targets Iraq's Shiites, Killing 72

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:00:19 CST

A wave of bombings targeting Shiites in Iraq killed 72 people today, deepening sectarian tensions that exploded just after the last American troops left the country in mid-December. The bombings began early in the morning when explosions struck two Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, killing at least 27 people. A few...

Despite Maliki Crackdown, US Still Selling Arms to Iraq

Kevin Spak — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:19:43 CST

The US is charging ahead with an $11 billion arms deal with Iraq, and has even delivered some of the promised fighter jets, tanks, and weapons—even though Nouri al-Maliki has blatantly failed to follow through on an agreement intended to ensure he would not marginalize his Sunni rivals. Indeed,...

Iraqi VP: I'm No Terrorist

Kevin Spak — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:40:05 CST

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi vigorously denied the terrorism charges leveled against him yesterday , saying that Shiite-led security personnel had forced false confessions out of his personal guards. "I swear by God I didn’t do this disobedience against Iraqi blood, and I would never do this," he said in a...

29 Dead in Iraq Mosque Bombing

Sun, 28 Aug 2011 16:49:04 CDT

A suicide bomber blew himself up inside Baghdad's largest Sunni mosque tonight, killing 29 people during prayers, a shocking strike on a place of worship similar to the one that brought Iraq to the brink of civil war five years ago. Iraqi security officials said parliament lawmaker Khalid al-Fahdawi, a...

Saudis Forming Anti-Shiite 'Club of Kings'

Kevin Spak — Fri, 27 May 2011 10:44:05 CDT

Saudi Arabia is moving to firm up alliances with Sunni nations in a bid to limit Iran’s influence and stem the tide of revolts in the Arab world. It has asked several countries across the Middle East and Asia, including Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, to join an informal alliance that...

Gunmen Kill Saudi Diplomat in Pakistan

Mon, 16 May 2011 08:15:16 CDT

Gunmen on a motorbike shot and killed a Saudi diplomat as he was driving in Pakistan's largest city today, just days after two hand grenades were tossed at the Saudi consulate, police in Karachi said. The diplomat, who was a member of the security staff at the consulate, was alone...

As Mideast Seethes, Saudis Stand Alone

Mark Russell — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 05:57:39 CST

Popular unrest roiling the Middle East is is rocking the ultra-rich, ultra-conservative kingdom of Saudi Arabia, leaving its rulers feeling isolated both from regional allies and the United States alike, reports the New York Times . King Abdullah has called President Obama at least twice to voice his concerns about Egypt,...

200 Malaysians Face Charges for Deviating From Islam

Rob Quinn — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 08:54:05 CST

Buddhism, Christianity, and Hinduism are accepted in Muslim-majority Malaysia, but the government has stepped up efforts to quash non-Sunni strains of Islam. More than 200 Shia Muslims have been arrested in a swoop on outlawed Islamic sects, and they are likely to be charged with "following the teachings of a...

What to Do With a Koran Written in Saddam's Blood?

Matt Cantor — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 07:00:05 CST

Nearly eight years after Saddam Hussein’s fall from power, Iraqi officials are still grappling with relics of his rule. Debate is raging over the fate of a Koran written in 27 liters of Saddam’s own blood, drawn by a nurse and lettered by a calligrapher over a two-year period in...