Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iran's offer is genuine — and fleeting
• Syria chemical weapons attack: How could accountability be delivered?
• New Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Leadership Takes Office
• U.S. Air Force general wants simpler weapons quicker
• US urges UN action, Syria sees stalemate
• Hackers offered cash, booze to crack iPhone fingerprint security
• Iranian exile leader appeals for UN help
• Q+A: Big powers devise plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons
• Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awards International Medical Corps $750,000 in Humanitarian Support for Syrian Refugees in Turkey
• Pvt. Jessica Lynch, 10 Years After Iraq Rescue: Pain But Much Gain
• Al-Qaida militants capture town in northern Syria
• AKC Community Donates $14,250 To Secure Newtown's New K-9 Officer 'Saint Michael'
• Bullet-riddled corpses echo brutal Iraqi sectarian war
• Residents of Syria's Azaz enraged over Al-Qaeda takeover
• Syrian rebels, Qaeda group clash near Turkish border crossing
• Bulgaria needs EU aid to cope with Syrian refugees
• Why Navy Yard shooting raises tough questions for Pentagon
• Syria: Why Obama's previous Defense secretaries criticize his approach
• Civil war within a civil war? Syrian rebel infighting raises new worries.
• Column: The myth of Republican doves
• Al-Qaida gunmen seize town in northern Syria
• Iraqi Kurd forces vote for regional assembly
• US, Britain must rethink nuclear strategy
• Books to Prisoners answers pleas of inmates
• Elite Army units to stop taking anti-malarial drug
• Conventional – not chemical – weapons are the real problem in Syria
• Easter Seals and Veterans In Film & Television (VFT) Partner to Increase Employment for Vets in Entertainment
• Former top diplomats say Iran dissidents massacred
• Christian leaders urge churches to back Syria peace plan
• Hopes are high for Iran's 'diplomatic sheikh' on eve of UN visit
• Jihadis capture northern Syrian town near Turkey
• Children find 10 handcuffed, blindfolded corpses in Baghdad
• A year to destroy Syria's chemical weapons is an unrealistic goal
• Fourteen Alawites killed by bomb in central Syria: group
• Insight: Iraqis hesitate on the edge of chaos
• Bomb hits bus in central Syrian province, kills 19
• Children find 10 handcuffed, blindfolded corpses in Baghdad: police
• Former PM Blair's daughter held at gunpoint in London
• Former British PM Blair's daughter held at gunpoint in London
• Assad: One year, $1 bn needed to destroy chem arms

Iran's offer is genuine — and fleeting Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:48 PM PDT By David Rohde President Barack Obama's speech to the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday is not expected to generate much excitement. Battered by his uneven handling of Syria, no bold foreign policy initiatives are likely. Instead, the undisputed diplomatic rock star of the gathering will be Iran's new President Hassan Rouhani. In his first six weeks in office, the cleric has carried out one of the most aggressive charm offensives in the 34-year history of the Islamic Republic. ...

Syria chemical weapons attack: How could accountability be delivered? Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:30 PM PDT When United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this week described the Aug. 21 sarin nerve gas attack in Syria as a "war crime," it was an unambiguous call for prosecution of a universally recognized violation of international law.

New Association of State and Territorial Health Officials Leadership Takes Office Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:30 PM PDT ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Sept. 19, Terry Cline, commissioner of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, was elected president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) during the association's annual meeting in Orlando, Florida. John Dreyzehner, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Health, was elected as secretary-treasurer at the same meeting. Jewel Mullen, commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, became president-elect. All take office immediately. ...

U.S. Air Force general wants simpler weapons quicker Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:29 PM PDT By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The three-star general who heads the secretive U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command is pressing arms makers to speed up the development of new weapons and move toward greater standardization of aircraft and sensors. "We're pretty relentless," Air Force Lieutenant General Eric Fiel told Reuters at the annual Air Force Association conference this week. "We put a man on the moon in 9 years. ...

US urges UN action, Syria sees stalemate Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:05 PM PDT The United States called Thursday for a binding UN resolution on Syria's chemical weapons next week, as a senior Syrian official said the country's conflict has reached a stalemate.

Hackers offered cash, booze to crack iPhone fingerprint security Posted: 19 Sep 2013 03:33 PM PDT By Jim Finkle BOSTON (Reuters) - Hackers are gearing up for Friday's iPhone 5S release with a contest to crack the device's first-ever fingerprint scanner, a high-tech feature that Apple Inc says makes users' data more secure. A micro venture capital firm joined a group of security researchers to offer more than $13,000 in cash along with bottles of booze, Bitcoin currency, books and other goodies to the first hacker who breaks the device in a contest promoted on the website http://istouchidhackedyet.com/. ...

Iranian exile leader appeals for UN help Posted: 19 Sep 2013 02:55 PM PDT An Iranian opposition leader urged the United Nations Thursday to help free seven Iranians she said were being held in Iraq after a massacre at a camp for exiles killed 52.

Q+A: Big powers devise plan to rid Syria of chemical weapons Posted: 19 Sep 2013 02:32 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau and Anthony Deutsch UNITED NATIONS/AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Last week Russia and the United States put aside bitter differences over Syria to strike a deal to remove President Bashar al-Assad's chemical arsenal and avert U.S. military action against him. The deal came after an August 21 sarin gas attack near Damascus that Washington says killed over 1,400 people, many of them children. Following are questions and answers about the plan to dismantle Syria's poison gas program. ...

Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Awards International Medical Corps $750,000 in Humanitarian Support for Syrian Refugees in Turkey Posted: 19 Sep 2013 02:15 PM PDT LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International Medical Corps will immediately scale up health care and training programs to support Syrian refugees seeking humanitarian services in neighboring Turkey, thanks to a $750,000 award from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation."The Hilton Foundation's extremely generous support will allow us to increase much-needed relief for Syrian refugees who have fled the violence into Turkey, with lifesaving health services, essential supplies and training programs," said Nancy A. Aossey, President & CEO of International Medical Corps. ...

Pvt. Jessica Lynch, 10 Years After Iraq Rescue: Pain But Much Gain Posted: 19 Sep 2013 01:25 PM PDT Former POW on Her Controversial Rescue, Recovery

Al-Qaida militants capture town in northern Syria Posted: 19 Sep 2013 01:10 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Al-Qaida militants seized a town near the Turkish border Thursday after expelling Western-backed rebels from the area, demonstrating the growing power of jihadis as they seek to expand their influence across opposition-held Syrian territory.

AKC Community Donates $14,250 To Secure Newtown's New K-9 Officer 'Saint Michael' Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:55 PM PDT -- New German Shepherd Dog Sworn In At 'Baro' Tribute Ceremony --NEWTOWN, Conn., Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Newtown's newest K-9 Officer 'Saint Michael', a two-year-old German Shepherd Dog, was sworn in today during a ceremony to pay tribute to the Newtown Police Department's recently deceased K-9 officer 'Baro' at the Newtown Municipal Center. ...

Bullet-riddled corpses echo brutal Iraqi sectarian war Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:42 PM PDT The bullet-riddled bodies of 10 young men were found in Baghdad on Thursday, in a bleak reminder of Iraq's brutal Sunni-Shiite sectarian conflict that almost tore the country apart.

Residents of Syria's Azaz enraged over Al-Qaeda takeover Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:19 PM PDT A day after an Al-Qaeda front group took control of the north Syrian town of Azaz, on the Turkish border, residents on Thursday shared online messages expressing their resentment and anger.

Syrian rebels, Qaeda group clash near Turkish border crossing Posted: 19 Sep 2013 12:03 PM PDT By Jonathon Burch and Alexander Dziadosz ANKARA/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda-linked fighters battled a rival Syrian rebel group near the Turkish frontier for a second day on Thursday, after the militant Islamists stormed a nearby town and prompted Turkey to shut a border crossing. The fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) on Wednesday killed at least five members of the Northern Storm Brigade, a rebel group that controls the border, highlighting Syria's deep opposition divisions. ...

Bulgaria needs EU aid to cope with Syrian refugees Posted: 19 Sep 2013 11:59 AM PDT Bulgaria needs EU aid as its capacity to take in more refugees from Syria's civil war is nearing breaking point, the EU country's interior minister said Thursday.

Why Navy Yard shooting raises tough questions for Pentagon Posted: 19 Sep 2013 10:34 AM PDT In the wake of the mass shooting this week that killed 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard, senior Pentagon officials have vowed to review the process for granting security clearances.

Syria: Why Obama's previous Defense secretaries criticize his approach Posted: 19 Sep 2013 10:09 AM PDT It's a tough day for President Obama when his previous two Defense secretaries jointly criticize his approach to Syria.

Civil war within a civil war? Syrian rebel infighting raises new worries. Posted: 19 Sep 2013 09:44 AM PDT  A daily summary of global reports on security issues.

Column: The myth of Republican doves Posted: 19 Sep 2013 09:10 AM PDT By Ben Adler From reading the political press these days, one could get the impression that the Republican Party, from top to bottom, has radically altered its principles on foreign policy. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), an isolationist, is said to be a serious contender for the 2016 GOP nomination. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Sen. Rick Santorum have recently come out against military intervention in Syria, as have Tea Party heroes Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fl) and Ted Cruz (R-TX). ...

Al-Qaida gunmen seize town in northern Syria Posted: 19 Sep 2013 09:09 AM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Al-Qaida militants in northern Syria captured a town near the Turkish border Thursday following heavy clashes with Western-backed rebels, prompting the closure of a nearby frontier crossing, activists and Turkish officials said.

Iraqi Kurd forces vote for regional assembly Posted: 19 Sep 2013 09:01 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Security forces in Iraq's Kurdish north voted Thursday in early balloting ahead of elections for the self-rule region's local parliament as political leaders across the country's religious and ethnic spectrum pledged to work toward defusing political tensions roiling the country.

US, Britain must rethink nuclear strategy Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:44 AM PDT The recent British parliamentary decision against military action in Syria sparked a cascade of media headlines about the demise of the US-UK "special relationship." Similar claims are likely to resurface as Britain considers how and if to replace its Trident nuclear submarines.

Books to Prisoners answers pleas of inmates Posted: 19 Sep 2013 08:22 AM PDT On a drizzly Sunday afternoon in Olympia, Wash,, two young women sit in a basement and open mail, reading and sorting under a 40-watt light bulb. They're surrounded by brown paper parcels stacked on chairs and a table.

Elite Army units to stop taking anti-malarial drug Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:50 AM PDT The top doctor for Green Berets and other elite Army commandos has told troops to immediately stop taking mefloquine, an anti-malaria drug found to cause permanent brain damage in rare cases. The ban among ...

Conventional – not chemical – weapons are the real problem in Syria Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:49 AM PDT The despicable use of chemical nerve agents to kill hundreds of people in Syria – including many children – has captured the attention of the civilized world. But for every victim of the chemical weapons attacks, about a thousand others have died by conventional weapons.

Easter Seals and Veterans In Film & Television (VFT) Partner to Increase Employment for Vets in Entertainment Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:46 AM PDT VFT launches interactive website as a gateway for veterans obtaining meaningful industry employment    CHICAGO, Sept. 19, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Easter Seals, a disability services organization, announces its partnership with Veterans in Film & Television (VFT), a nonprofit networking organization that unites current and former members of the military and brings them career opportunities in the film and television industry.  The partnership underlines both organizations' dedication to serving returning veterans, especially in the area of employment.  (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire. ...

Former top diplomats say Iran dissidents massacred Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:34 AM PDT GENEVA (AP) — Two former foreign ministers of France and Algeria say a Sept. 1 attack in Iraq that killed 52 members of an Iranian dissident group was a premeditated massacre, and the United Nations must press for the release of seven more who had were taken hostage while seeking asylum.

Christian leaders urge churches to back Syria peace plan Posted: 19 Sep 2013 07:06 AM PDT By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor PARIS (Reuters) - The World Council of Churches (WCC) urged its Protestant, Orthodox and Anglican member churches on Thursday to lobby their congregations and national governments to support a political solution to the war in Syria. The Geneva-based WCC made the appeal after a meeting with international envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who both asked Christian leaders to help mobilize public opinion for peace. The appeal by the WCC, representing about a quarter of the world's 2. ...

Hopes are high for Iran's 'diplomatic sheikh' on eve of UN visit Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:50 AM PDT The first time Iran's former president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, spoke at the United Nations, he believed that his fellow heads of state were rapt with attention."I felt that all of a sudden the atmosphere changed there, and for 27 to 28 minutes all the leaders did not blink," Mr. Ahmadinejad later told a cleric in a moment caught on video. He added that he had "become surrounded by light" during the speech."I am not exaggerating.... They were astonished, as if a hand held them there and made them sit," said Ahmadinejad. "It had opened their eyes and ears for the message of the Islamic Republic. ...

Jihadis capture northern Syrian town near Turkey Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:48 AM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Al-Qaida-linked gunmen in northern Syria captured a town near the Turkish border after heavy clashes with a rebel group in the area, activists said Thursday.

Children find 10 handcuffed, blindfolded corpses in Baghdad Posted: 19 Sep 2013 05:05 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Children discovered the handcuffed and blindfolded corpses of 10 unidentified young men in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, apparently killed by gunshots to the head, Iraqi police said. Police said residents told them unusual vehicle movements to and from an abandoned building in the area had caught the attention of the children, who waited until the cars had left to investigate. "Several kids climbed over the wall of the building to enter and they found the 10 bodies inside one of its rooms," said a police officer involved in the investigation. ...

A year to destroy Syria's chemical weapons is an unrealistic goal Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:52 AM PDT Yesterday, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad sat down with Fox News correspondent Greg Palkot and, oddly enough, former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), to claim that Syria did not use chemical weapons in an Aug. 21 attack on the Damascus suburb of Ghouta.

Fourteen Alawites killed by bomb in central Syria: group Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:50 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - A roadside bomb killed at least 14 members of President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite on Thursday in the central Syrian province of Homs, an opposition monitoring group said. The blast targeted two buses near the Alawite village of Jabourin, 13 km (8 miles) north of Homs city, said Rami Abdelrahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Alawites are an offshoot sect of Shi'ite Islam who mostly support Assad and have been increasingly targeted by hardline fighters among the Sunni Muslim-dominated opposition in the 2-1/2 year revolt against the president. ...

Insight: Iraqis hesitate on the edge of chaos Posted: 19 Sep 2013 04:16 AM PDT By Suadad al-Salhy and Sylvia Westall BAGHDAD (Reuters) - In Sadr City, an impoverished district of northeastern Baghdad, local people say the anger of Shi'ite Muslims against Sunni militants is ready to erupt into violence. "Iraq today is boiling like a volcano and it could blow at any minute," said Ali al-Husseini, a 27-year-old cleric. So far, Iraq's Shi'ite majority has stayed largely quiescent, despite the highest violence for five years, with car bombs and other attacks killing hundreds of people every month. ...

Bomb hits bus in central Syrian province, kills 19 Posted: 19 Sep 2013 03:14 AM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — A roadside bomb struck a bus in Syria's central province on Thursday, killing 19 people, a local government official said.

Children find 10 handcuffed, blindfolded corpses in Baghdad: police Posted: 19 Sep 2013 02:15 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Children discovered the handcuffed and blindfolded corpses of 10 unidentified young men in eastern Baghdad on Thursday, apparently killed by gunshots to the head, Iraqi police said. Police said residents told them unusual vehicle movements to and from an abandoned building in the area had caught the attention of the children, who waited until the cars had left to investigate. "Several kids climbed over the wall of the building to enter and they found the 10 bodies inside one of its rooms," said a police officer involved in the investigation. ...

Former PM Blair's daughter held at gunpoint in London Posted: 19 Sep 2013 02:00 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - The daughter of former Prime Minister Tony Blair was held up at gunpoint during an attempted robbery as she was out walking in London, local media said on Thursday. Kathryn Blair, 25, a barrister, was targeted as she walked down a central London street with her boyfriend and a group of friends, the BBC reported. Police confirmed an incident involving two male suspects with a gun took place in central London on Monday evening. ...

Former British PM Blair's daughter held at gunpoint in London Posted: 19 Sep 2013 01:51 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - The daughter of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was held up at gunpoint during an attempted robbery as she was out walking in London, local media said on Thursday. Kathryn Blair, 25, a barrister, was targeted as she walked down a central London street with her boyfriend and a group of friends, the BBC reported. Police confirmed an incident involving two male suspects with a gun took place in central London on Monday evening. ...

Assad: One year, $1 bn needed to destroy chem arms Posted: 18 Sep 2013 06:32 PM PDT Defiant strongman Bashar Al-Assad promised he would surrender Syria's chemical weapons but warned it would take at least a year to do so and cost one billion dollars.

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