Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama, Karzai accelerate end of U.S. combat role in Afghanistan
• Afghanistan Hero Gets Medal of Honor
• Va. ex-Marine who shot at Pentagon gets 25 years
• Kerry's words on Assad certain to draw scrutiny
• Everything We Know So Far About Drone Strikes
• From The Battlefield to the Farm Field
• US budget deficit grows by $260M in December
• Syria talks end in Geneva without solution
• Slain Kurdish activist Cansiz leaves stamp on militant PKK
• News Summary: Iraq warns of seized oil shipments
• Shi'ite leader challenges Pakistan army chief over attacks
• Insight: Foreign fighters seek Islamic state in post-Assad Syria
• 5 smart reads for the weekend
• Iraqi inmates seize weapons, escape from prison
• Slaying puts spotlight on Kurdish female warriors
• Czechs elect president by ballot for 1st time
• A playwright on the rise: Quiara Alegria Hudes
• Afghan troop levels top agenda in Obama-Karzai talks
• New Japan PM: China's island dispute moves 'wrong'
• Governor Corbett Ceremonially Signs Straw Purchase Gun Law
• Why Senator Jay Rockefeller's Retirement Is a Big Deal
• The Rocky Times of Obama and Karzai
• Tens of thousands of Sunni Iraqis rally against Maliki
• UN envoy discusses Syria with US, Russia
• Brahimi meets U.S. and Russian envoys on Syria
• Iraq threatens to seize oil shipments, sue dealers
• Israeli women soldiers have "right stuff" for border watch
• Ahead of the Bell: US Budget Deficit
• Iraqi prisoners escape from prison
• Barnshaws mitred pipe bends utilized for Camp Basra tensile canopies
• U.S. Missile Defenders of the Year Award Winners Announced
• Rights group warns Pakistan faces worsening sectarian violence
• Afghan troop levels top agenda for Obama-Karzai talks
• Is Hagel out of the Mainstream?
• Author Catherine Nadal Announces the Release of ‘Seeing More than Clouds in Your Coffee’
• UK military switching to Glock pistols
• Hollywood watchers blame Washington for "Zero Dark Thirty" Oscar snub

Obama, Karzai accelerate end of U.S. combat role in Afghanistan Posted: 11 Jan 2013 04:06 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed on Friday to speed up the handover of combat operations in Afghanistan to Afghan forces, raising the prospect of an accelerated U.S. withdrawal from the country and underscoring Obama's determination to wind down a long, unpopular war. Signaling a narrowing of differences, Karzai appeared to give ground in talks at the White House on U.S. ...

Afghanistan Hero Gets Medal of Honor Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:42 PM PST A former Army staff sergeant who helped repel one of the deadliest attacks against U.S. forces in Afghanistan will receive the Medal of Honor.   Staff Sgt. Clinton Romesha, 31, becomes only the fourth living recipient of the nation's highest award for valor from the wars...

Va. ex-Marine who shot at Pentagon gets 25 years Posted: 11 Jan 2013 02:01 PM PST ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — An ex-Marine convicted of firing shots at the Pentagon and other military targets in 2010 was sentenced Friday to 25 years in prison, despite a recent diagnosis of schizophrenia that raised some questions about his sanity.

Kerry's words on Assad certain to draw scrutiny Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:43 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. John Kerry has held up Syria as a country that could bring peace and stability to the Mideast and predicted that the now-disgraced government of President Bashar Assad would pursue a legitimate relationship with the United States. Those assertions are certain to draw scrutiny at Kerry's confirmation hearing to be secretary of state as Assad's brutal crackdown has plunged his country into civil war.

Everything We Know So Far About Drone Strikes Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:20 PM PST You might have heard about the "kill list." You've certainly heard about drones. But the details of the U.S. campaign against militants in Pakistan, Yemen, and Somalia — a centerpiece of the Obama administration's national security approach — remain shrouded in secrecy. Here's our guide to what we know — and what we don't know.

From The Battlefield to the Farm Field Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:09 PM PST Ever since military veterans began to stream home from the waning wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, we've been keeping our eye on what kinds of work they end up doing after their service ends. For some, physical injuries have made reentering the workforce difficult or even impossible. For others, lingering posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms made traditional nine-to-five desk jobs unmanageable.

US budget deficit grows by $260M in December Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:12 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. annual budget deficit is on track to reach $1 trillion for a fifth straight year, though government revenue jumped last month as people paid some taxes early to avoid higher rates in 2013.

Syria talks end in Geneva without solution Posted: 11 Jan 2013 11:11 AM PST GENEVA (AP) — International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi said Friday that Russia seems as determined as the United States to end Syria's civil war, but that he doesn't expect a political solution to emerge anytime soon.

Slain Kurdish activist Cansiz leaves stamp on militant PKK Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:37 AM PST ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Clad in olive green battle fatigues and clutching an assault rifle, Sakine Cansiz looked every inch the rebel as she posed for a photo next to Kurdish militant leader Abdullah Ocalan. Drawn to leftist revolutionary circles as a student in the 1970s, Cansiz helped found the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), going from guerrilla fighter to one of its main financiers in Europe over three decades, and becoming an iconic figure for Kurdish women seeking a Kurdish state. ...

News Summary: Iraq warns of seized oil shipments Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST BLACK GOLD BLOCKADE: Iraq has threatened to seize oil exports made without its consent and sue companies dealing in what it sees as contraband crude just days after the country's self-rule Kurdish region ...

Shi'ite leader challenges Pakistan army chief over attacks Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:17 AM PST QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - In a rare challenge, a Shi'ite Muslim leader publicly criticized Pakistani military chief General Ashfaq Kayani over security in the country on Friday after bombings targeting the minority sect killed 93 people. The criticism of Kayani, arguably the most powerful man in the South Asian state, highlighted Shi'ite frustrations with Pakistan's failure to contain Sunni Muslim militant groups who have vowed to wipe out Shi'ites. ...

Insight: Foreign fighters seek Islamic state in post-Assad Syria Posted: 11 Jan 2013 10:11 AM PST ALEPPO, Syria (Reuters) - Huddled around a fire in a bombed-out building in Aleppo, foreign jihadists say they are fighting for a radical Islamic state in Syria - whether local rebels trying to topple President Bashar al-Assad like it or not. Among their fellow revolutionaries and civilians, these foreigners draw both respect for their iron discipline and fear that if Assad falls, they may turn on former allies to complete the struggle for an Islamic caliphate. ...

5 smart reads for the weekend Posted: 11 Jan 2013 09:45 AM PST A profile of Chuck Hagel. An analysis of the complex world of Oscar campaigning. And more compelling, of-the-moment stories to dive into

Iraqi inmates seize weapons, escape from prison Posted: 11 Jan 2013 09:19 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A dozen prisoners including al-Qaida-linked death row inmates escaped from a prison near Baghdad on Friday, the latest sign that Iraq still struggles with basic law and order more than a year after American troops withdrew, officials said.

Slaying puts spotlight on Kurdish female warriors Posted: 11 Jan 2013 09:06 AM PST ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The photograph shows a young woman in guerrilla fatigues, long hair tied back, toting a machine gun. She stands next to Abdullah Ocalan, the feared leader of Turkey's separatist Kurd militants — testimony to her senior role in the insurgency.

Czechs elect president by ballot for 1st time Posted: 11 Jan 2013 08:52 AM PST PRAGUE (AP) — For the first time, citizens of the Czech Republic are electing a president, and their nine choices to replace euro-skeptic Vaclav Klaus run the full gamut: from veteran politicians to an artist whose entire body is tattooed.

A playwright on the rise: Quiara Alegria Hudes Posted: 11 Jan 2013 08:16 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — It's a virtual law, maybe even a commandment, of all literature classes: Write what you know. Don't forget to write what you know. Playwright Quiara Alegria Hudes agrees — up to a point.

Afghan troop levels top agenda in Obama-Karzai talks Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:37 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai began a crucial round of talks on Friday that are expected to help determine how fast the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan and whether it leaves a residual force after 2014. Hosting Karzai at the White House, Obama faces the challenge of pressing ahead with his re-election pledge to continue winding down the long war in Afghanistan while preparing the Afghan government to prevent a slide back into chaos and a Taliban resurgence once most NATO forces are gone. ...

New Japan PM: China's island dispute moves 'wrong' Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:16 AM PST TOKYO (AP) — Reaffirming his hawkish stance on China, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday that Japan will not negotiate with Beijing over a contested cluster of uninhabited islands and that China was "wrong" for allowing violent protests over the territorial dispute.

Governor Corbett Ceremonially Signs Straw Purchase Gun Law Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:15 AM PST PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Tom Corbett today ceremonially signed into law the Brad Fox Law or the Straw Purchase Gun bill, also known as House Bill 898.Corbett was joined at the ceremony by Rep. Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery), who sponsored the legislation, and the family of Plymouth Township Police Officer Bradley Fox who was shot and killed last September. ...

Why Senator Jay Rockefeller's Retirement Is a Big Deal Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:57 AM PST With the announcement Friday of Jay Rockefeller's retirement from the Senate, an era of American politics comes to a close. As National Journal's Matthew Cooper writes, "It marks the end of the old money and nationally known dynasties in the Senate." Names don't get more recognizable than Rockefeller, which even decades after the family's historical peak, still adorns plazas and museums in New York City.

The Rocky Times of Obama and Karzai Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:14 AM PST President Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai are having lunch at the White House today for yet another frank discussion on America's longest war.

Tens of thousands of Sunni Iraqis rally against Maliki Posted: 11 Jan 2013 05:54 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Iraqi Sunni Muslims took to the streets in Baghdad and other cities after prayers on Friday, in another show of discontent with Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. Three weeks of mass protests reflect deep discontent among Sunnis who say Maliki's Shi'ite-led government has marginalized their minority community, increasing worries Iraq may slide back into the sectarian violence of its recent past. ...

UN envoy discusses Syria with US, Russia Posted: 11 Jan 2013 05:40 AM PST GENEVA (AP) — International envoy Lakhdar Brahimi is meeting with senior Russian and United States diplomats in an attempt to find a political solution to Syria's conflict, which has claimed more than 60,000 lives.

Brahimi meets U.S. and Russian envoys on Syria Posted: 11 Jan 2013 05:16 AM PST GENEVA (Reuters) - International mediator Lakhdar Brahimi, trying to halt the bloodshed in Syria, met senior U.S. and Russian officials in Geneva on Friday, but prospects for a breakthrough were dim. Brahimi held separate talks with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, whose governments back opposing sides in Syria's 21-month-old conflict, at the United Nations' European headquarters. All three then met together behind closed doors. A U.S. ...

Iraq threatens to seize oil shipments, sue dealers Posted: 11 Jan 2013 05:08 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq has threatened to seize oil exports made without its consent and sue companies dealing in what it sees as contraband crude just days after the country's self-rule Kurdish region began unilaterally exporting oil.

Israeli women soldiers have "right stuff" for border watch Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:45 AM PST ISRAELI-EGYPTIAN BORDER (Reuters) - Breaking cover from a lookout point disguised as a dune, four soldiers storm into the open, ploughing through the sand with rifles aloft. Their battle cries are like seagull calls, and from under their helmets, ponytails flap. Team Mor is a spotter unit on Israel's fenced-off border with Egypt, deployed at night to intercept would-be infiltrators from the lawless Sinai desert. Like dozens of others along the tense divide, it is all-female. ...

Ahead of the Bell: US Budget Deficit Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:40 AM PST The U.S. annual budget deficit will likely top $1 trillion for a fifth straight year — even though government revenue probably surged last month as people paid taxes early to avoid higher rates in 2013.Congressional ...

Iraqi prisoners escape from prison Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:10 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi authorities say 12 prisoners, including some al-Qaida-linked inmates awaiting execution, have escaped from a prison near Baghdad.

Barnshaws mitred pipe bends utilized for Camp Basra tensile canopies Posted: 11 Jan 2013 02:02 AM PST Barnshaws Section Benders provided bent 95 mild steel pipes for Camp Basra project in Iraq(PRWEB UK) 11 January 2013 Barnshaw Section Benders have supplied the company Adey Steel with quality steel bends, which were used for the Phase One Camp Basra tensile canopies. Barnshaws were evidently chosen by the sub-contractor due to the competitive pricing and fast lead time.9.7 tonne of mitred pipe bends were provided to the project. Within 7 working days Barnshaws have bought the material, bent it as requested and cut it to length. Overall the company supplied the project with 95 tubes 139. ...

U.S. Missile Defenders of the Year Award Winners Announced Posted: 11 Jan 2013 02:00 AM PST ALEXANDRIA, Va., Jan. 11, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Riki Ellison, Chairman and Founder of the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance (MDAA), www.missiledefenseadvocacy.org, will host the third annual Missile Defender of the Year Award Ceremony in Alexandria, Virginia today that will honor the best U.S. Armed Service members in the field of missile defense for 2012. The award recognizes and honors members of the United States military who command fully operational and deployed missile defense systems around the world. ...

Rights group warns Pakistan faces worsening sectarian violence Posted: 11 Jan 2013 01:04 AM PST QUETTA, Pakistan (Reuters) - Violence against Pakistani Shia Muslims is rising and some communities are living in a state of siege, a human rights group said on Friday, warning that sectarian violence will only get worse a day after 114 people were killed in bombings. Most of the deaths were caused by twin attacks in the western city of Quetta, near the Afghan border, the worst violence against Shias in decades. "Last year was the bloodiest year for Shias in living memory," said Ali Dayan Hasan of Pakistan Human Rights Watch. ...

Afghan troop levels top agenda for Obama-Karzai talks Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:04 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Afghan President Hamid Karzai will hold a critical round of talks on Friday that could help determine how fast the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan and whether it leaves a residual force after 2014. Hosting Karzai at the White House, Obama faces the challenge of pressing ahead with his re-election pledge to continue winding down the long war in Afghanistan while preparing the Afghan government to prevent a slide back into chaos and a Taliban resurgence once most NATO forces are gone. ...

Is Hagel out of the Mainstream? Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:00 AM PST "Chuck Hagel is out of the mainstream of thinking ... on most issues regarding foreign policy," says GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham. Neocon William Kristol concurs: Hagel is "out on the fringes."

Author Catherine Nadal Announces the Release of ‘Seeing More than Clouds in Your Coffee’ Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:02 PM PST Psychic medium helps readers find meaning in lifeYONKERS, N.Y. (PRWEB) January 11, 2013 In her new book "Seeing More than Clouds in Your Coffee: Stories of a Psychic Medium in New York City" (published by AuthorHouse), author Catherine Nadal brings her experiences as a United States Army Reserve officer, a registered nurse and a psychic medium to a book that teaches readers to find meaning in symbols they encounter in everyday life.Nadal believes that life is a journey, and her spiritual journey has led her to many interesting destinations. ...

UK military switching to Glock pistols Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:36 PM PST LONDON (AP) — Britain's army is bidding goodbye to the Browning pistol it's used for more than 40 years, opting for faster and lighter Glock 17 pistols for its secondary sidearm.

Hollywood watchers blame Washington for "Zero Dark Thirty" Oscar snub Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:35 PM PST LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Kathryn Bigelow's snub by Academy Awards voters stunned her cast and awards pundits on Thursday, with some pointing the finger at Washington politicians for the "Zero Dark Thirty" director's omission from the best director Oscar shortlist. Bigelow was seen as the biggest casualty on Oscar nominations day after her controversial Osama bin Laden thriller won five nods, including best picture, but the director herself was cut out of the running for the industry's biggest honors. ...

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