Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Bales to be charged with murder in Afghan killings
• APNewsBreak: Soldier had 2nd assault incident
• US soldier to be charged with 17 Afghan murders
• Army sergeant faces 17 murder counts in Afghan killings
• Marine sergeant faces discipline for Facebook critique of Obama
• INSTEAD OF INVASION, LET'S TRY SOMETHING ELSE FOR A CHANGE
• Despite predictions of his fall, Syria's Assad gains momentum in crushing rebel strongholds
• Startup's Hybrid Body Armor Softens Blow to Troops
• State disability funds going broke, and going away
• Mom of CA war vet in murder-suicide found dead
• Charges in Afghan Shooting Will Be Start of Long Legal Journey
• Syria's Assad in firm control after a bloody year
• General Pitches Troop-Level Number Amidst Afghan Withdrawal Plans
• Bales Charged with 17 Counts of Murder in Afghan Massacre
• French Muslims hold breath as France takes stock
• Reports send mixed message on veterans employment
• Reports send mixed message on veteran unemployment
• Newly Disclosed Records Reveal Hundreds More Illegal Personality Disorder Discharges; VVA Finds Navy and Air Force Worst Offenders
• Kurd militants threaten Turkey if it enters Syria
• "Gaddafi's black box" in French-Mauritanian trap
• From One Long-Distance Cab Rider to Another
• Jobless Claims One Economic Indicator That's Back to Normal
• Will Romney the Pragmatist or Romney the Ideologue Win?
• Al-Qaida says it killed American teacher in Yemen
• US intel: water a cause for war in coming decades
• US intelligence sees global water conflict risks rising
• Iraq insists VP's dead bodyguard not tortured
• Iraq oil income drops sharply on weather, sabotage
• Sunni lawmakers accuse Iraq government of torture
• Afghan Dawn
• 12 killed in operation on Kurdish rebels in Turkey
• Which Mitt?
• 10 things you need to know today: March 22, 2012
• Army reviewing traumatic stress diagnostic practices
• Afghan shooting suspect did not pay fraud judgment
• China paper slams U.S. move on Iran oil sanctions
• Today in History
• Today in History
• French police press besieged gunman to surrender

Bales to be charged with murder in Afghan killings Posted: Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales will be charged with 17 counts of murder, assault and a string of other offenses in the massacre of Afghan villagers as they slept, a U.S. official said.

APNewsBreak: Soldier had 2nd assault incident Posted: A second incident involving alcohol and violence surfaced Thursday in the background of the Army staff sergeant suspected of killing 17 Afghan villagers — a 2008 accusation that he thrust a woman's hand to his crotch and fought with her boyfriend.

US soldier to be charged with 17 Afghan murders Posted: A US soldier will be charged with 17 counts of murder stemming from the killings of civilians in a rampage in southern Afghanistan, a US official said Thursday.

Army sergeant faces 17 murder counts in Afghan killings Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales, accused of killing Afghan civilians in a shooting rampage in Kandahar province last week, will be charged with 17 counts of murder, a U.S. official said on Thursday. Earlier accounts of the incident, which has damaged U.S.-Afghan relations, had tallied 16 victims, including nine children and three women. Bales, a four-tour combat veteran, will also face other charges, including attempted murder, but the official was unable to say how many additional counts there would be. ...

Marine sergeant faces discipline for Facebook critique of Obama Posted: SAN DIEGO (Reuters) - The Marine Corps has initiated disciplinary action against a Marine sergeant for comments he posted on his "Armed Forces Tea Party" Facebook page criticizing President Barack Obama, a spokesman said on Thursday. Sergeant Gary Stein, 26, a weather forecaster assigned to Camp Pendleton near San Diego, cast the Marines' reaction to his comments as an infringement on his freedom of speech and defended his right to express personal political opinions when he is off-duty and out of uniform. ...

INSTEAD OF INVASION, LET'S TRY SOMETHING ELSE FOR A CHANGE Posted: WASHINGTON -- Remember, after the 9/11 attacks, when we went into Afghanistan and then detoured to even greater "glory" in the sandy no-man's land of Iraq?The first foray, into Afghanistan, where the al-Qaida rebels were supposed to be hiding out, started during the fall of 2001, but that apparent win was then halted when American "statesmen" George Bush, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld looked out at Baghdad and declared, as one voice, "MINE!" We were to be greeted with flowers and kisses and establish relations with both countries that would serve our stead forever. ...

Despite predictions of his fall, Syria's Assad gains momentum in crushing rebel strongholds Posted: BEIRUT - As world leaders close ranks against Syrian leader Bashar Assad, the U.S. president summed up the popular wisdom during a recent White House press conference: "Ultimately, this dictator will fall."

Startup's Hybrid Body Armor Softens Blow to Troops Posted: Modern body armor capable of stopping bullets still can't protect a soldier from the full force of a bullet's impact — a body trauma responsible for most U.S. military gunshot injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan. That battlefield danger has driven one U.S. startup to create a lightweight, protective material worn under body armor, similar to how ancient warriors once wore padding beneath their chain mail or plate armor.

State disability funds going broke, and going away Posted: With hundreds of thousands of wounded veterans looking for work after World War II, many states offered businesses an incentive to hire the returning heroes. They created special disability funds to help pay the tab should a soldier with a missing arm or eye suffer a second, debilitating injury in a private-sector job.

Mom of CA war vet in murder-suicide found dead Posted: The missing mother of an Iraq war veteran who is believed to have killed his family in a murder-suicide was found dead on Thursday off a rural Northern California road, police said.

Charges in Afghan Shooting Will Be Start of Long Legal Journey Posted: The Army's decision to formally charge Staff Sgt. Robert Bales with 17 counts of homicide for his alleged role in a mass shooting in southern Afghanistan will mark the start of a long legal process that is virtually certain to continue long after U.S. troops have withdrawn from the country.

Syria's Assad in firm control after a bloody year Posted: As world leaders close ranks against Syrian leader Bashar Assad, the U.S. president summed up the popular wisdom during a recent White House press conference: "Ultimately, this dictator will fall."

General Pitches Troop-Level Number Amidst Afghan Withdrawal Plans Posted: The top American commander in Afghanistan endorsed the slowing of the U.S. troop drawdown in 2013 Thursday, a key marker in a coming campaign-trail debate about the future of the conflict.

Bales Charged with 17 Counts of Murder in Afghan Massacre Posted: Army prosecutors have decided to charge Staff Sgt. Robert Bales with 17 counts of homicide for his alleged role in a mass shooting in southern Afghanistan earlier this month, according to a U.S. official. The formal charges will come tomorrow, the official said.

French Muslims hold breath as France takes stock Posted: When French media flashed yesterday morning that a young Algerian Muslim holed up in his apartment had confessed to killing seven people, including three Jewish children earlier this week, French Muslims let out a collective cry: Oh no, this is not good.

Reports send mixed message on veterans employment Posted: The unemployment rate for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan has dipped recently after months of riding higher than the national average, but some analysts caution it's too early to tell if the progress is real or a blip.

Reports send mixed message on veteran unemployment Posted: The unemployment rate for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan has started to drop recently after months of riding higher than the national average, but some analysts caution it's too early to tell if the progress is real or a blip.

Newly Disclosed Records Reveal Hundreds More Illegal Personality Disorder Discharges; VVA Finds Navy and Air Force Worst Offenders Posted: WASHINGTON, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since 2008, the Department of Defense (DoD) has illegally discharged hundreds of veterans on the alleged basis of personality disorder (PD), denying them veterans' benefits, according to a Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) analysis of newly disclosed records released today. ...

Kurd militants threaten Turkey if it enters Syria Posted: ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Kurd militants threatened on Thursday to turn all Kurdish populated areas into a "war zone" if Turkish troops entered Syria, a sign the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has allies in Syria may be taking sides in the conflict there. A renewed alliance between Damascus and the PKK would anger Turkey and could prompt it to take an even stronger line against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over his brutal repression of anti-government protesters. PKK field commander Murat Karayilan said Turkey was preparing the ground for an intervention in Syria. ...

"Gaddafi's black box" in French-Mauritanian trap Posted: LONDON (Reuters) - When Libya's former spy chief flew to Mauritania last week, he was looking for a safe haven. Instead the man known as "Muammar Gaddafi's black box", the last of the fallen dictator's henchmen still at large, walked into a trap set by French and Mauritanian intelligence. Gaddafi's head of intelligence, right-hand man and brother-in law, Abdullah al-Senussi, was arrested in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, last week. The still murky circumstances of his capture set Libya on a collision course with France and the International Criminal Court, which both want Senussi. ...

From One Long-Distance Cab Rider to Another Posted: Three college friends are driving around the world in a London Black Cab they've named Hannah. Paul Archer, Leigh Purnell, and Johno Ellison have journeyed from the UK to Finland to China to Iraq to Australia to Texas. Boats have been involved for parts of the journey. The other day, they were in New York's own Times Square, writes Angus Loten in the Wall Street Journal. When trying to pull a U-turn on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, they were asked by a cop, "Where are you guys going?" to which they responded "Around the world. ...

Jobless Claims One Economic Indicator That's Back to Normal Posted: Today the Labor Department reported that initial claims for unemployment insurance hit a new four-year low last week, coming in at 348,000, 5,000 lower than the previous week's reading.

Will Romney the Pragmatist or Romney the Ideologue Win? Posted: Consider, if you will, the career of a true conservative. Ronald Reagan almost always knew what to say to his base. A former Democrat who grew disaffected from the politics of Hollywood—"the only place in the country where the billionaires are liberals," Bill Maher once cracked—Reagan had the zeal of the convert. He became a movement conservative with a knack for memorizing lines. He had "the music and the lyrics, the whole song sheet," says Tony Dolan, Reagan's former speechwriter, who is backing Newt Gingrich as the closest thing he can find to RR.

Al-Qaida says it killed American teacher in Yemen Posted: Al-Qaida's Yemen branch said Thursday that it killed an American teacher because he was trying to spread Christianity in the mainly Muslim Arab nation.

US intel: water a cause for war in coming decades Posted: Drought, floods and a lack of fresh water may cause significant global instability and conflict in the coming decades, as developing countries scramble to meet demand from exploding populations while dealing with the effects of climate change, U.S. intelligence agencies said in a report released Thursday.

US intelligence sees global water conflict risks rising Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Fresh water supplies are unlikely to keep up with global demand by 2040, increasing political instability, hobbling economic growth and endangering world food markets, according to a U.S. intelligence assessment released on Thursday. The report by the office of the Director of National Intelligence said that areas including South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa will face major challenges in coping with water problems that could hinder the ability to produce food and generate energy. ...

Iraq insists VP's dead bodyguard not tortured Posted: Claims by Iraq's fugitive Sunni vice president that his bodyguard was tortured while in custody were denied on Thursday by authorities, who insisted he died of kidney failure.

Iraq oil income drops sharply on weather, sabotage Posted: Iraq's oil exports and revenues from crude sales in February both fell to their lowest level in at least a year as a result of bad weather and sabotage of pipelines, officials said on Thursday.

Sunni lawmakers accuse Iraq government of torture Posted: Iraqi lawmakers from the Sunni-dominated bloc are accusing the country's Shiite government of torturing to death a jailed bodyguard who worked for the fugitive Sunni vice president.

Afghan Dawn Posted: Here is an interesting statistic to consider about the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan: Forty-nine soldiers and Marines have died in combat this year; 13 NATO troops have been killed by Afghanistan forces this year. U.S. casualties so far this year average 21 a month, and, at that rate, 252 U.S. military personnel will die in Afghanistan in 2012—far fewer than the 418 killed in 2011 or the record 499 killed in 2010.

12 killed in operation on Kurdish rebels in Turkey Posted: Six Kurdish rebels and six policemen have been killed during a massive operation targetting PKK militants in southeastern Turkey, security sources told AFP on Thursday.

Which Mitt? Posted: Consider, if you will, the career of a true conservative. Ronald Reagan almost always knew what to say to his base. A former Democrat who grew disaffected from the politics of Hollywood—"the only place in the country where the billionaires are liberals," Bill Maher once cracked—Reagan had the zeal of the convert. He became a movement conservative with a knack for memorizing lines. He had "the music and the lyrics, the whole song sheet," says Tony Dolan, Reagan's former speechwriter, who is backing Newt Gingrich as the closest thing he can find to RR.

10 things you need to know today: March 22, 2012 Posted: France shooting suspect dead after standoff, a coup in Mali, and more in our roundup of the stories making news and driving opinion

Army reviewing traumatic stress diagnostic practices Posted: WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Army has started a system-wide review to ensure its mental healthcare facilities are not engaging in the "unacceptable" practice of considering treatment costs in making a diagnosis, Army Secretary John McHugh told a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday. Lieutenant General Patricia Horoho, the Army surgeon general, initiated the review in response to the discovery that hundreds of soldiers being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder had their diagnoses reversed after being seen by psychiatrists at the Madigan Army Medical Center in Washington state. ...

Afghan shooting suspect did not pay fraud judgment Posted: NEW YORK/SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The U.S. soldier accused of killing 16 civilians in Afghanistan left for war without paying a $1.5 million judgment for defrauding an elderly client in a stock scheme, and remains shielded from the obligation as long as he remains in the military, legal experts said. Before beginning his military career in November, 2001, Robert Bales worked almost five-and-a-half years at a series of largely intertwined brokerages that received repeated regulatory censures, according to regulatory records. ...

China paper slams U.S. move on Iran oil sanctions Posted: BEIJING (Reuters) - China's top newspaper on Thursday slammed U.S. moves to restrict Iran's oil trade which could see Chinese banks sanctioned, saying such unilateral action was not only wrong but could exacerbate the stand-off over Iran's nuclear program. The United States has exempted Japan and 10 EU nations from financial sanctions because they have significantly cut purchases of Iranian oil, but Iran's top customers China and India remain at risk. The decision means banks in the 11 countries have been given a six-month reprieve from the threat of being cut off from the U.S. ...

Today in History Posted: Today is Thursday, March 22, the 82nd day of 2012. There are 284 days left in the year.

Today in History Posted: Today is Thursday, March 22, the 82nd day of 2012. There are 284 days left in the year.

French police press besieged gunman to surrender Posted: Riot police set off explosions outside an apartment building early Thursday in an effort to force the surrender of a gunman who boasted of bringing France "to its knees" with an al-Qaida-linked terror spree that killed seven people.

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