Morning Brief, Friday, February 23

WATHIQ KHUZAIE/AFP

Middle East

Ahmad Chalabi has a new position in the Iraqi government, helping Iraqis be reimbursed for damage they suffer from the U.S.-Iraqi counterinsurgency campaign.

Iran continues to defy the International Atomic Energy Agency, and is moving faster on its nuclear program than many experts expected.

Arab Gulf countries, fearful of Iran, are making a public show of buying fancy new weapons.   

United States

A military judge sentenced a U.S. soldier to 100 years in prison for raping and killing a 14-year-old Iraqi girl and murdering her family.

Democrats in the Senate want to repeal the 2002 Congressional resolution that permitted the war in Iraq and replace it with a much narrower authorization. 

The southwestern United States is likely to face severe shortages of water, scientists warn in a new report. 

Europe

Romano Prodi could be back as Italy’s Prime Minister. 

Poland’s government is cracking down on ex-communists.

More British troops are headed to Afghanistan. More British royalty is headed to Iraq.

Asia

Pakistan needs to halt “cross-border terrorism,” said India’s president. Pakistan tested its new ballistic missile.

“Last month’s antisatellite test, and China’s fast-paced military buildup, are less constructive and are not consistent with China’s stated goal of a ‘peaceful rise,’ ” U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney said in Sydney, Australia today.

Elsewhere 

In January, The United States secretly used an Ethiopian base to hunt al Qaeda.

Hybrid cars aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.