Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Soldier suspected in Afghanistan massacre to huddle with lawyers
• Money, career woes plagued Afghan killings suspect
• Afghan killings suspect: Recent life was struggle
• US man captured by militia in Iraq released to UN
• Soldier accused in Afghan killings was family man
• Twin suicide blasts kill dozens in Syrian capital
• Damascus blasts kill 27 as Syria gears up for monitors
• Iraq Sadrists free US captive after nine months
• Iraq militia frees U.S. hostage after 9 months
• Purported US citizen released to UN in Iraq
• Freed U.S. captive says he is ex-soldier, held since June
• Iraq: Iran warned against sending arms to Syria
• WikiLeaks' Assange to run for Australian Senate
• Iraq backs idea of Arab peacekeepers: deputy minister
• Saudi sends military gear to Syria rebels: diplomat
• Sgt. Robert Bales: Details emerge on soldier charged with killing Afghan villagers
• Suicide blasts kill dozens in Syrian capital
• What We Know So Far About Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the Afghanistan Shooter
• Twin bombings in Damascus kill at least 27, almost 100 hurt
• Iraq to pay $408 million Gulf War debt to Egyptians
• Blasts kill dozens in Syrian capital
• Did soldier said to have killed Afghan civilians come from 'most troubled base'?
• Soldier's story reveals a life built on family and service, but marred by disappointment
• Syria state news agency says 'terrorist explosions' hit Damascus
• Kurds say Exxon still working in North Iraq
• Car bombs hit Syria capital, 27 killed
• Blasts hit Syria capital, state news agency says
• Turkey considers Syria buffer zone; Annan seeks unity
• Safe in Turkey, a family flees rape, torture in Syria
• Wikileaks' Assange plans to run for Australian parliament-report
• 10 things you need to know today: March 17, 2012
• WikiLeaks' Assange to run for Australian Senate
• Soldier accused of killings was family man
• Neighbors say Afghan attack suspect was family man
• Neighbors describe suspect in attack on Afghan civilians as family man in Wash. community
• After days of secrecy, US suspect in Afghan killings ID'd, a father of 2 with arrest record
• Afghan massacre suspect identified, arrives at Kansas base

Soldier suspected in Afghanistan massacre to huddle with lawyers Posted: TACOMA, Washington (Reuters) - The lawyer representing the U.S. soldier implicated in the massacre of 16 villagers in Afghanistan said on Saturday he and other members of the defense team would spend several days with him in the week ahead. U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales is in solitary confinement at a military detention center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, where he arrived late on Friday. ...

Money, career woes plagued Afghan killings suspect Posted: Bypassed for a promotion and struggling to pay for his house, Robert Bales was eyeing a way out of his job at a Washington state military base months before he allegedly gunned down 16 civilians in an Afghan war zone, records and interviews showed as a deeper picture emerged Saturday of the Army sergeant's financial troubles and brushes with the law.

Afghan killings suspect: Recent life was struggle Posted: Bypassed for a promotion and struggling to pay for his house, Robert Bales was eyeing a way out of his job at a Washington state military base months before he allegedly gunned down 16 civilians in an Afghan war zone, records and interviews showed as a deeper picture emerged Saturday of the Army sergeant's financial troubles and brushes with the law.

US man captured by militia in Iraq released to UN Posted: Wearing a U.S. Army uniform and flanked by Iraqi lawmakers, an American citizen announced Saturday that he was being released from more than nine months of imprisonment by a Shiite militia that for years targeted U.S. troops.

Soldier accused in Afghan killings was family man Posted: On a winding road of wood-frame homes tucked amid towering pines, Robert Bales was the father who joined his two young children for playtime in the yard, a career soldier who greeted neighbors warmly but was guarded when talking about the years he spent away at war.

Twin suicide blasts kill dozens in Syrian capital Posted: Two suicide bombers detonated cars packed with explosives in near-simultaneous attacks on heavily guarded intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital Damascus Saturday, killing at least 27 people.

Damascus blasts kill 27 as Syria gears up for monitors Posted: Two huge bomb blasts killed at least 27 people in Syria's capital on Saturday, sparking anger at Riyadh and Doha, as special envoy Kofi Annan warned of regional fallout from the year-long bloodshed.

Iraq Sadrists free US captive after nine months Posted: The movement loyal to anti-US cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in Iraq on Saturday handed over to the United Nations a man it identified as a captive former American soldier who had been held for nine months.

Iraq militia frees U.S. hostage after 9 months Posted: BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A militia loyal to Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr freed an American former soldier on Saturday after holding him captive in Baghdad for nine months. The American, identified as Randy Michaels, was shown on television in a U.S. military uniform with no insignia, flanked by two members of parliament from Sadr's movement, including the parliament's first deputy speaker. He was handed over to the United Nations mission in Baghdad, which transferred him to the U.S. embassy. Washington confirmed he was a U.S. citizen but released no further details. ...

Purported US citizen released to UN in Iraq Posted: The United Nations mission in Iraq said it took custody late Saturday of a man who was described as a U.S. citizen, who had been held by an Iraqi militia for about nine months.

Freed U.S. captive says he is ex-soldier, held since June Posted: BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An American freed on Saturday after being held captive by Shi'ite militiamen in Baghdad since last June said he was a former service member who was working in Iraq in a civilian capacity at the time he was seized. The man was shown on Iraq's Bagdadiya television flanked by lawmakers from the movement of Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr. He wore a U.S. military uniform with no visible insignia. The lawmakers identified him phonetically as Randy Michael or Michaels. ...

Iraq: Iran warned against sending arms to Syria Posted: A spokesman says Iraqi leaders have told Iran it cannot ship weapons to Syria through Iraq.

WikiLeaks' Assange to run for Australian Senate Posted: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is planning to run for election to the Australian Senate, the organisation announced Saturday on Twitter.

Iraq backs idea of Arab peacekeepers: deputy minister Posted: Iraq's deputy foreign minister voiced support on Saturday for the idea of peacekeeping forces manned exclusively by Arab League troops but stopped short of backing a Qatari proposal to deploy one in Syria.

Saudi sends military gear to Syria rebels: diplomat Posted: Saudi Arabia is delivering military equipment to Syrian rebels in an effort to stop bloodshed by President Bashar al-Assad's regime, a top Arab diplomat said on Saturday.

Sgt. Robert Bales: Details emerge on soldier charged with killing Afghan villagers Posted: The US Army has at last released the name of the soldier who went on a shooting spree nearly one week ago, killing 16 Afghan civilians including 9 children.

Suicide blasts kill dozens in Syrian capital Posted: Twin suicide car bombs struck intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital Saturday, killing at least 27 people and wounding 140, according to state media.

What We Know So Far About Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, the Afghanistan Shooter Posted: After a six-day media blackout, the U.S. military has at last revealed the identity of the Staff Sergeant who shot or stabbed 16 Afghan civilians, nine of them children, in the early morning hours last Sunday. The soldier is Robert Bales, Fox News first reported, who they describe as a "decorated combat veteran" who enlisted in the army as a personal response to the 9/11 attacks. Much new information has emerged in the past 24 hours about Bales, who was transfered via white van to the maximum-security military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas, yesterday.

Twin bombings in Damascus kill at least 27, almost 100 hurt Posted: Twin blasts hit the heart of Damascus on Saturday, killing at least 27 people in an attack on security installations that state television blamed on "terrorists" seeking to oust President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian television reported that cars packed with explosives had targeted an intelligence centre and a police headquarters at 7.30 am (01.30 am EDT), blowing the front off one building and sending debris and shattered glass flying through the streets. ...

Iraq to pay $408 million Gulf War debt to Egyptians Posted: Iraq said on Saturday it had agreed to pay $408 million to hundreds of thousands of Egyptian workers who fled Iraq because of Saddam Hussein's 1990-91 invasion of Kuwait. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari signed a memorandum of understanding during a visit to Egypt this week, his office said, under which Baghdad agreed to make the payments to resolve the cases known as "yellow remittances". Hundreds of thousands of Egyptian workers are still owed back pay after fleeing Iraq following Saddam's invasion of Kuwait. ...

Blasts kill dozens in Syrian capital Posted: Twin car bombs struck intelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital on Saturday, killing at least 27 people and wounding nearly 100, according to state media.

Did soldier said to have killed Afghan civilians come from 'most troubled base'? Posted: Information about the US Army sergeant suspected of wantonly killing 16 Afghan villagers – most of them women and children – is being slowly revealed.

Soldier's story reveals a life built on family and service, but marred by disappointment Posted: LAKE TAPPS, Wash. - On a winding road of wood-frame homes tucked amid towering pines, Robert Bales was the father who joined his two young children for playtime in the yard, a career soldier who greeted neighbours warmly but was guarded when talking about the years he spent away at war.

Syria state news agency says 'terrorist explosions' hit Damascus Posted: BEIRUT - Twin bombings struck government targets in the Syrian capital early Saturday, killing security forces and civilians and leaving pools of blood and carnage in the streets, according to state-run television.

Kurds say Exxon still working in North Iraq Posted: ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil has not suspended its work in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, an aide to the region's president said on Saturday, after Baghdad said Exxon had frozen its Kurdish deal. Iraq's oil minister said on Friday that Exxon had written to Baghdad informing it that it had suspended work in the Kurdish region, under a deal which Baghdad considers illegal. "We've never heard anything like this from Exxon Mobil. ...

Car bombs hit Syria capital, 27 killed Posted: Syrian state television says at least 27 people were killed and 97 wounded in twin car bomb blasts that hit initelligence and security buildings in the Syrian capital on Saturday.

Blasts hit Syria capital, state news agency says Posted: Twin bombings struck government targets in the Syrian capital early Saturday, killing security forces and civilians and leaving pools of blood and carnage in the streets, according to state-run television.

Turkey considers Syria buffer zone; Annan seeks unity Posted: ANKARA/BOYNU YOGUN, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey said on Friday it might set up a "buffer zone" inside Syria to protect refugees fleeing President Bashar al-Assad's forces, raising the prospect of foreign intervention in the year-long revolt. With the uprising entering its second year, U.N.-Arab League envoy Kofi Annan reportedly told the Security Council that Syria's response to his plans for peace were disappointing and urged major powers to put aside their divisions over Syria. On the ground in Syria, the violence continued. ...

Safe in Turkey, a family flees rape, torture in Syria Posted: BOYNUYOGUN, Turkey (Reuters) - It took three long days for 60-year-old Abdullah, his wife and son to hike across the hills to Turkey from their Syrian coastal city of Latakia, stopping only to hide from patrolling soldiers or to eat the sandwiches his wife had prepared for their escape. When they finally reached their destination - a hole cut in the barbed wire fence that marks the Turkish-Syrian border - the grey-bearded father of eight was hungry, frightened and exhausted. ...

Wikileaks' Assange plans to run for Australian parliament-report Posted: SYDNEY (Reuters) - The founder and leader of WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, plans to run for a seat in Australia's upper house of parliament, the anti-secrecy group announced on Twitter on Saturday. The comments could not be immediately confirmed. Australian-born Assange, 40, is currently under house arrest in Britain and fighting extradition to Sweden for questioning over alleged sex crimes. "We have discovered that it is possible for Julian Assange to run for the Australian Senate while detained. Julian has decided to run," WikiLeaks tweeted on Saturday. ...

10 things you need to know today: March 17, 2012 Posted: Obama tries to make peace with Karzai, George Clooney gets out of jail, and more in our roundup of the stories that our making news and driving opinion

WikiLeaks' Assange to run for Australian Senate Posted: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is planning to run for election to the Australian Senate, the organisation announced Saturday on Twitter.

Soldier accused of killings was family man Posted: On a winding road of wood-frame homes tucked amid towering pines, Robert Bales was the father who joined his two young children for playtime in the yard, a career soldier who greeted neighbors warmly but was guarded when talking about the years he spent away at war.

Neighbors say Afghan attack suspect was family man Posted: Neighbors of a Washington state man accused of gunning down 16 Afghan women and children in a nighttime rampage describe him as a family man, playing with his two kids outside his home.

Neighbors describe suspect in attack on Afghan civilians as family man in Wash. community Posted: LAKE TAPPS, Wash. - Neighbours of a Washington state man accused of gunning down 16 Afghan women and children in a nighttime rampage describe him as a family man, playing with his two kids outside his home.

After days of secrecy, US suspect in Afghan killings ID'd, a father of 2 with arrest record Posted: After five days cloaked in military secrecy, the U.S. soldier suspected in a massacre of 16 Afghan civilians was identified Friday as a Washington father of two who underwent anger management counselling a decade ago after an arrest for assault on a girlfriend.

Afghan massacre suspect identified, arrives at Kansas base Posted: TACOMA, Wash./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army identified the soldier implicated in the massacre of 16 villagers in Afghanistan this week as Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, and said he arrived on Friday at a Kansas base where he will be held in a solitary cell. Bales, a four-tour veteran, is suspected of walking off his base in southern Afghanistan on Sunday and gunning down the 16 civilians, including nine children and three women, in a massacre that sent American-Afghan relations into a tailspin. "The Army confirms that Staff Sergeant Robert Bales was transferred to Fort Leavenworth, ...

You are subscribed to email updates from Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610