2013年1月30日星期三

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


VVA Supports Nomination of Hagel as Secretary of Defense; Calls for Quick Confirmation

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 04:50 PM PST

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Vietnam Veterans of America fully and unequivocally stands in support of the nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense," said John Rowan, National President of Vietnam Veterans of America, in a letter to Senators Carl Levin and John McCain, Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the Senate Armed Services Committee."We have known Chuck Hagel for more than thirty years. We know him to be a man of the highest character and integrity who will take care of the troops while accomplishing the mission. ...

Sanford Promoted to Vice President & Investment Officer

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 04:32 PM PST

Charter Trust Company promotes Bryan W. Sanford to Vice President and Investment Officer.Concord, NH (PRWEB) January 30, 2013 Bryan W. Sanford was recently promoted to Vice President & Investment Officer of Charter Trust Company. Mr. Sanford has been with the Charter Trust since 2009 and is based in the company's Concord, New Hampshire headquarters.Mr. Sanford works confidentially with individuals and families to understand and achieve their investment goals.Mr. ...

CIA nominee had detailed knowledge of "enhanced interrogation techniques"

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 03:29 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - John Brennan, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the CIA, had detailed, contemporaneous knowledge of the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on captured terrorism suspects during an earlier stint as a top spy agency official, according to multiple sources familiar with official records. Those records, the sources said, show that Brennan was a regular recipient of CIA message traffic about controversial aspects of the agency's counter-terrorism program after September 2001, including the use of "waterboarding. ...

US economy shifted into reverse in late 2012

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 02:40 PM PST

In this Wed. Dec. 5, 2012, photo, containers are unloaded from cargo ships at the Port of Los Angeles. The U.S. economy unexpectedly shrank from October through December, the first quarterly drop since 2009 and a reminder of the economy's vulnerability as automatic cuts in government spending loom. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. economy shrank unexpectedly late last year, a reminder of the biggest threat it faces in 2013: sharp government spending cuts and prolonged political budget fights.


Dr. Pollock of Stuart, FL has been named a Patients' Choice Award Winner for 2012

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 02:36 PM PST

STUART, Fla., Jan. 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Among the select few physicians honored with the prestigious Patients' Choice Award this year is Dr. James Pollock.(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130130/DC51280)In fact, of the nation's 870,000 active physicians and dentists, just five percent consistently received top scores from their patients on sites like Vitals (http://www.vitals.com), qualifying them for this honor in 2012. ...

Despite early successes, fight against extremists in Mali to be protracted

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 01:11 PM PST

JOHANNESBURG - French-led forces have wrested control of three key cities in northern Mali from al-Qaida-linked militants, but the fighters have escaped with their weapons into a desert region the size of Texas and are poised to mount counterattacks.

Hagel tells Congress he's ready to act on Iran, if needed

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 12:33 PM PST

Senator Hagel speaks during news conference at US embassy in IslamabadWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chuck Hagel has told Congress that if confirmed as the next defense secretary he would ensure America's military is prepared to strike Iran if necessary but stressed the need to be "cautious and certain" when contemplating the use of force. Hagel's views were detailed in 112 pages of written responses to wide-ranging questions by lawmakers submitted ahead of his confirmation hearing on Thursday. In them, he also voiced support for a steady U.S. drawdown in Afghanistan. ...


European police arrest 103 in biggest raid on migrant smugglers

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST

BUDAPEST (Reuters) - European police on Tuesday simultaneously arrested more than 100 people in 10 countries in what they called the biggest raid on a migrant smuggling ring in the history of the European Union. The traffickers, based in Kosovo with links to the Turkish underworld, specialized in bringing migrants from the Middle East, especially Libya, Syria and Iraq, to Europe for thousands of euros per head, police told a news conference in Hungary on Wednesday. ...

France takes key Mali cities; now the hard part

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:52 AM PST

Elders meet with the mayor and the governor of Gao in the city of Gao, Northern Mali, Wednesday Jan. 30, 2013. All tribe leaders were called to attend the meeting in an effort to avoid vengeance attacks following the arrival of French and Chadian troops in the area, ending 10-months of sharia laws. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)JOHANNESBURG (AP) — French-led forces have wrested control of three key cities in northern Mali from al-Qaida-linked militants, but the fighters have escaped with their weapons into a desert region the size of Texas and are poised to mount counterattacks.


Hagel: Window closing on Iran and diplomacy

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:50 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary nominee Chuck Hagel said the "window is closing" on Iran and the possibility of diplomacy if it continues to ignore international demands to end pursuit of a nuclear weapon.

Pakistani girl shot by Taliban to have skull reconstructed

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:35 AM PST

LONDON (Reuters) - A Pakistani schoolgirl shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating girls' education is to return to a specialist hospital in Britain for surgery to reconstruct her skull. Fifteen-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who was shot in October and brought to Britain for treatment, was discharged from the hospital earlier this month to spend time with her family after her initial treatment phase. ...

White House on offensive to get Hagel as defense secretary

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:26 AM PST

File photo of Chuck Hagel reacting on Capitol Hill in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - As Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's nominee to lead the Pentagon, prepared to meet with senior New York Senator Chuck Schumer in mid-January, the White House stepped in and ensured that the get-together would take place quickly - and in the West Wing. Some of the loudest objections to Obama's choice of Hagel for secretary of defense stemmed from lawmakers' concerns about his past comments on Israel and Iran. ...


5 big losers in press freedom: Mali and ... Japan?

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 09:17 AM PST

Each year, the World Press Freedom Index ranks the world's nations – 179 of them – on how easy they make the work of journalists, scoring them in categories like media independence, the physical safety of reporters, free speech laws, and transparency. The resulting list reads much like a primer for understanding global conflict: Safe and prosperous countries like Finland and Norway do best, while war-torn dictatorships like Iran, Eritrea, and Syria are among the world's worst spots to be not only a citizen, but a journalist as well.

Factbox: Rising Syrian death toll, refugee wave

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 08:27 AM PST

(Reuters) - Here is a look at the rising human cost of Syria's civil war as U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon announced on Wednesday that international donors had pledged more than $1.5 billion to aid displaced Syrians, meeting a U.N. target. DEATH TOLL IN SYRIA - The United Nations said earlier this month that more than 60,000 people had been killed during the 22-month-old revolt against President Bashar al-Assad. This figure was based on 59,648 individuals reported killed in Syria between March 15, 2011 and November 30, 2012. ...

After Newtown: Video games, the US military, and America's culture of violence

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 07:54 AM PST

Whatever else is said about the murder of 20 elementary school children in Newtown, Conn. last year, let no one say – especially at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on gun control today – that those killings were "unimaginable." Every day, mass killings are imagined, rehearsed, and enacted – virtually – by millions of children and young adults, mostly boys and men, in video games like Bioshock 2. That game invites players to murder defenseless, cowering girls at point-blank range or lure them into a trap to mow them down with a machine gun.

Live Updates: Senate Gun Hearing Features Gabrielle Giffords, NRA

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 07:46 AM PST

Live Updates: Senate Gun Hearing Features Gabrielle Giffords, NRAClick here for a a full readout of the gun violence hearing, or look below for key moments: To open the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun legislation, former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gave a short, impassioned speech imploring Americans and Congress to act on gun...


Chuck Hagel: A Precocious Choice

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 07:14 AM PST

Chuck Hagel: A Precocious ChoiceYahoo News asked military service members, veterans and military families to react to the nomination of Chuck Hagel to the defense secretary post and what changes they'd like to see at the department. Here's one perspective.


Elect A New Congress Releases Its Updated Forecast of the Revolution in Egypt

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 07:12 AM PST

Elect A New Congress, the super pac representing all the American people, released its updated report today on the continuing Revolution in Egypt, as the Land of the Pharaoh's enters the third and most violent stage of revolution.Galena, IL (PRWEB) January 30, 2013 Elect A New Congress, the super pac representing all the American people, released its updated report today on the continuing Revolution in Egypt, as the Land of the Pharaoh's enters the third and most violent stage of revolution. ...

Syrian refugee surge tests Sweden's welcome

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 01:43 AM PST

In this photo taken Jan. 23, 2013, Syrian asylum-seeker Wissam Attiki waits for a bus outside an immigration office in Marsta, Sweden. Along with Germany, which is nine times larger, Sweden stands out in Europe for its generous welcome to refugees fleeing a conflict that has killed tens of thousands and uprooted many more. European Union statistics show those two countries have received about two-thirds of the Syrians seeking shelter in the 27-nation bloc. (AP Photo/Karl Ritter)MARSTA, Sweden (AP) — Wisam Attiki was drawn by the tales of Nordic refuge: All he had to do was set foot in Sweden, his fellow Syrians said, and the rich, peaceful nation would let him stay.


MilitaryRecords.us.org Salutes The Female Soldiers Who Will Now Be Able To Fight For Their Country

Posted: 30 Jan 2013 12:32 AM PST

Acknowledging that female service people can handle combat roles is a great step forward for our military.Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) January 30, 2013 The Pentagon made a great leap forward with women's rights when they announced this week that women in the military will now be able to officially serve in combat roles, company officials for MilitaryRecords.us.org said yesterday."This is a great day for our country," said company spokesman Josh Fraser. ...

With or without Exxon, Iraq Kurds strive for energy autonomy

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 11:41 PM PST

Tanker trucks wait to be loaded at Taq Taq oil field in ArbilARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Behind the closed doors of their offices in the United States, top executives and lawyers for Exxon Mobil are poring over two sets of contracts, weighing a decision that could shift the balance of power in Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki last week hastily convened a meeting with Exxon's chief executive Rex Tillerson in a bid to woo back the U.S. major, which had seemed intent on pulling out of the $50 billion West Qurna 1 oilfield in the south, in an area under Baghdad's control. ...


Exclusive: CIA nominee had detailed knowledge of "enhanced interrogation techniques"

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 10:13 PM PST

Obama announces nominations at the White House in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - John Brennan, President Barack Obama's nominee to head the CIA, had detailed, contemporaneous knowledge of the use of "enhanced interrogation techniques" on captured terrorism suspects during an earlier stint as a top spy agency official, according to multiple sources familiar with official records. Those records, the sources said, show that Brennan was a regular recipient of CIA message traffic about controversial aspects of the agency's counter-terrorism program after September 2001, including the use of "waterboarding. ...


Today in History

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 09:02 PM PST

Today is Wednesday, Jan. 30, the 30th day of 2013. There are 335 days left in the year.

Singer, activist Harry Belafonte urges black leaders to get involved in gun debate

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 06:43 PM PST

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte on Tuesday urged leaders in the black community to get more involved in the national debate on guns.

Belafonte: Blacks should participate in gun debate

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 06:26 PM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 22, 2011 file photo, U.S singer Harry Belafonte speaks at a press conference at Viennale, the Vienna international film festival, in Vienna, Austria. Belafonte told The Associated Press on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 that the current discussion arising out of the Connecticut school massacre in December often ignores decades of urban gun violence. He said it's important that African-American leaders participate in the debate over gun control. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Singer, actor and civil rights activist Harry Belafonte on Tuesday urged leaders in the black community to get more involved in the national debate on guns.


Curtis National Hand Center Surgeons Perform Innovative Double Arm Transplant

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:48 PM PST

BALTIMORE, Jan. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Surgeons from the Curtis National Hand Center at MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, led by its chief, James P. Higgins, MD, have performed their first double arm transplant on a 26-year old Iraq war vet.(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130129/DC50761 )The recipient, Brendan Marrocco from Staten Island, was 22 when he lost all four limbs during a roadside bomb explosion in 2009.  He is the first quadruple amputee to have survived that level of trauma. ...

Transcript: Hillary Clinton's Final Television Interview as Secretary of State

Posted: 29 Jan 2013 05:04 PM PST

Transcript: Hillary Clinton's Final Television Interview as Secretary of StateClinton Talks Benghazi Testimony, Glasses and What's Next For Her


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