Iraqi Political Parties Run Into Obstacles
Iraqi political parties have run into major obstacles in talks on a new national unity government, officials said Sunday, raising the possibility of a major delay that would be a setback to U.S. hopes for a significant reduction in troop levels this year. On Monday, two kidnapped Macedonian contractors were released in the southern city of Basra, a British official said. The two men, who were abducted Thursday, worked for a Macedonian cleaning company at Basra International Airport. Their kidnappers demanded a $1 million ransom from their employers. It was unclear if any ransom had been paid. Full Story