Harmeet Singh Sooden, who came to international attention when he was held hostage with other peacemakers in 2005, has joined an international human rights delegation travelling to Iraqi Kurdistan this month.

The United States faces mounting problems in the three leading conflict zones of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, says Paul Rogers. The escape-route lies not in military escalation but in a change of thinking.

Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams has called for proper protection from violence and abuse for Iranian exiles living in Iraq, citing the situation in Ashraf refugee camp. He hopes British influence can play a role.

A US soldier is to face a court-martial today for refusing to fight after exploring the teachings of Jesus. Travis Bishop rejected an order to deploy to Afghanistan after he reflected on the ethics of war and studied the Bible.

Eight people are reported to have been killed and up to 400 injured after Iraqi forces attacked unarmed Iranian residents of Camp Ashraf, north of Baghdad, this week.

The death of 15 British soldiers in just over a week has sparked calls for an end to the UK's involvement in the war in Afghanistan. A poll shows that the majority of the British public want troops withdrawn by the end of the year.

Today is the UK's first Armed Forces Day. It is a thinly veiled attempt to deflect scrutiny of politicians who have made disastrous decisions about war, says Symon Hill. But sentiment is no substitute for accountability.

A Christian minister from the USA has travelled to Iraq as part of a small group visit to highlight the need for relationship-building as well as political action in addressing issues of peace and justice in the midst of conflict.

Organisations working for a reversal of the tide of violence in the Middle East welcomed the end of the six-year British military mission in Iraq yesterday, and called for continued investment in development, peacebuilding and change.

Hundreds of peace activists are expected to rally in Washington DC on 29-30April 2009, encouraging continued progress in withdrawal of forces from Iraq, humane refugee resettlement policies and reform in interrogation practices.