2013年1月31日星期四

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Republicans assail Pentagon nominee Hagel at confirmation hearing

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 04:26 PM PST

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers attacked Chuck Hagel on Thursday at a contentious hearing over his nomination to become the next U.S. defense secretary, questioning his judgment on war strategy and putting him broadly on the defensive. In one of the most heated exchanges, Senator John McCain aggressively questioned Hagel, interrupting him and talking over him at times. He voiced frustration at the former Republican senator's failure to say plainly whether he was right or wrong to oppose the 2007 "surge" of U.S. troops in Iraq. ...


PM Note: Hagel's 9-Hour Hazing, The Pilot and the Infantryman, Senators' Paychecks

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:30 PM PST

Senate Passes Bill to Raise Debt Ceiling; But It's Tied to Their Paychecks – http://abcn.ws/WikLGD Blotter – Officials: Agents Raided Office of Menendez Friend After Document Shredding Truck Spotted – New Jersey Democrat Confirms Trips to Dominican Republic with Dr. Salomon Melgen, Denies Prostitution Claim...

Operation Homefront Names Tim Farrell as Chief Operating Officer

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:21 PM PST

Military non-profit expands leadership to match growthSAN ANTONIO, Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Operation Homefront, the national non-profit that provides emergency financial and other assistance to military families and injured service members, today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Tim Farrell as Chief Operating Officer (COO).(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130131/DC52462)(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110623/DC25541LOGO)Farrell is a retired Air Force officer with more than 23 years of service. ...

Republicans hammer defense nominee Chuck Hagel

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:19 PM PST

Republican Chuck Hagel, President Obama's choice for defense secretary, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican senators hammered former GOP Sen. Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing Thursday on issues ranging from Israel and Iran to his support for a group that advocates the elimination of nuclear weapons. But with most Democrats in his corner, an unflustered Hagel seems headed for approval as defense secretary.


Bell Helicopters' upgraded H-1 generates foreign interest

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 03:15 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - As U.S. budget pressures mount, the U.S. Marine Corps says growing foreign demand could help drive down the unit cost of its new upgraded H-1 utility and attack helicopters built by Bell Helicopter, a unit of Textron Inc . Major General John Croley, assistant deputy commandant for aviation, said the new helicopters had greater range and capabilities that would enhance the Marines' ability to work with allies across the Asia-Pacific region. He said increased interest from countries in Asia and the Middle East could help lower the cost of the new helicopters as U.S. ...

Global Humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Brings People from 109 Countries to Discuss Creation of a Violence-Free and Stress- Free Society

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:52 PM PST

Largest and Longest Online Brainstorming Session of Concerned Citizens through a Compelling Dialogue and Meditation.Washington D.C. (PRWEB) January 31, 2013 Creating a pivotal moment in history, hundreds of thousands of people from 109 countries joined world humanitarian and peace ambassador Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for a thought provoking session on Saturday, Jan. 26 to discuss how they could play a role in creating a stress-free and violence-free world. ...

When dictators fall, so do their banknotes

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:43 PM PST

When dictatorships crumble, the currencies commemorating their leaders are often hastily replaced. The following now defunct or possibly soon-to-be defunct banknotes are imbued with the symbols and iconography of their strongman leaders, past and present.

Then and Now: Hagel on National Security Issues

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:29 PM PST

Then and Now: Hagel on national security issues

The French are winning handily in Mali

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:10 PM PST

Some frankly silly thoughts and ideas have been punctured in the past few days about France's invasion of Mali. Most importantly, that the French military effort to roll back the advance of salafy jihadis who had captured much of the north of the country, bringing a reign of amputations and torture to locals for what they deemed violations of Islamic law, would turn into a repeat of Dien Bien Phu, where French forces were defeated by a 45,000 man Viet Minh army backed by both China and the Soviet Union.

Senators assail Obama's Pentagon nominee, question judgment

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 12:23 PM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican lawmakers harshly attacked Chuck Hagel on Thursday at a contentious hearing over his nomination to become the next U.S. defense secretary, questioning his judgment on war strategy and putting him broadly on the defensive. In one of the most heated exchanges, influential Senator John McCain aggressively questioned Hagel, interrupting him and talking over him at times. He openly voiced frustration at Hagel's failure to say plainly whether he was right or wrong to oppose the 2007 surge of U.S. troops in Iraq. ...

Congress grapples with gap on scofflaw contractors

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST

Congress grapples with gap on scofflaw contractorsWith thousands of civilian contractors remaining in Iraq and Afghanistan, Justice Department officials want Congress to resolve a legal issue they say obstructs efforts to prosecute any such workers who ...


American deaths in Afghan war drop to 4-year low

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:27 AM PST

FILE - In this July 30, 2012, file photo, transfer cases containing the remains of Army Spc. Benjamin C. Pleitez, left case, Army Sgt. 1st Class Bobby L. Estle, right case and Army Pfc. Jose Oscar Belmontes, case not shown, sit on a loader during a prayer at Dover Air Force Base, Del. According to the Department of Defense, Pleitez, 25, of Turlock, Calif., died July 27, 2012 in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan and Estle, 38, of Lebanon, Ohio, and Belmontes, 28, of La Verne, Calif., both died July 28, 2012 in Wardak province, Afghanistan, of wounds sustained from enemy small arms fire. U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan have plunged to the lowest level in four years, reflecting a pullback from direct combat into the less deadly role of advising and assisting Afghan forces as they do more of the fighting. Attacks by the Taliban insurgents also have been declining, although the war is far from finished. (AP Photo/Steve Ruark, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan have plunged to the lowest level in four years, reflecting a pullback from direct combat into the less deadly role of advising and assisting Afghan forces as they do more of the fighting.


Defense nominee Hagel defends his record in Senate

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:22 AM PST

Former Republican Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, President Barack Obama's choice for defense secretary, arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013, to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary on Thursday defended his views of the military and global threats in a combative confirmation hearing, pushing back against criticism of his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Chuck Hagel told senators that America "must engage — not retreat — in the world," and insisted that his record is consistent on that point.


Freeing Kurdish activists would help Turkey peace moves: watchdog

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:17 AM PST

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Freeing thousands of Kurdish activists from Turkish prisons could help a fledgling peace initiative to end a three-decade-old insurgency, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. Anti-terrorism laws have allowed Turkish courts to jail people engaged in non-violent action, especially those seeking greater Kurdish rights, New York-based HRW said in its 2013 World Report, which examined more than 90 countries. ...

News Summary: Focus on overseas contractors

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:36 AM PST

OVER THERE: With thousands of civilian contractors remaining in Iraq and Afghanistan, Justice Department officials want Congress to resolve a legal issue they say obstructs efforts to prosecute any such ...

Syrian rebels make slow headway in south

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:29 AM PST

Free Syrian Army fighters walk past burnt vehicles as they enter a building in HomsAMMAN (Reuters) - The revolt against President Bashar al-Assad first flared in Deraa, but the southern border city now epitomizes the bloody stalemate gripping Syria after 22 months of violence and 60,000 dead. Jordan next door has little sympathy with Assad, but is wary of spillover from the upheaval in its bigger neighbor. It has tightened control of its 370-km (230-mile) border with Syria, partly to stop Islamist fighters or weapons from crossing. ...


Al Qaeda calls on Iraqi Sunni protesters to take up arms

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:25 AM PST

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's Iraqi wing on Thursday urged Sunni protesters to take up arms against Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, adding fuel to growing sectarian unrest in the world's fastest-growing oil exporter. Al Qaeda's local affiliate Islamic State of Iraq said "peace and patience" were useless for dealing with the Shi'ite-led government they see as oppressors of Iraq's Sunni minority. ...

Hagel and McCain Argue the Surge

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:12 AM PST

Hagel and McCain Argue the SurgeTwo famous veterans of Vietnam – a POW pilot and a wounded infantryman – sparred over U.S. policy in Iraq as President Obama's nominee for Defense Secretary to lead the U.S. out of Afghanistan sought confirmation Thursday. Sen. John McCain told former Sen. Chuck Hagel...


Republican maverick Hagel forged bond with Obama over Iraq

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 10:05 AM PST

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel sits down before giving testimony to the Senate Armed Services CommitteeWASHINGTON (Reuters) - From his lonely position as an early Republican critic of the Iraq war, former Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel sometimes lectured his more timid Senate colleagues. "If you wanted a safe job, go sell shoes," he told them. President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary began a Senate confirmation process on Thursday that revived the contentious relations the fiercely independent Vietnam war veteran had with fellow Republicans over his political career. "I'm proud of my record," Hagel declared before the Armed Services Committee. "I'm on the record on many issues. ...


Shell earnings rise in Q4 on refining turnaround

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 09:39 AM PST

Peter Voser, Chief Executive Officer of Shell, speaks at the Royal Dutch Shell's full year results 2012 press conference, in London, Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)AMSTERDAM (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Thursday it plans to continue investing aggressively in new projects in the coming years, as it sees a bright future for the oil and gas industry despite economic uncertainties around the world.


The Reason Why McCain Got So Mad at HIs Ex-Friend Hagel

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 09:22 AM PST

Sen. John McCain wanted one thing from his aggressive questioning of his former friend Chuck Hagel at his confirmation hearing Thursday: for Hagel to admit that McCain had been right about the Iraq surge. He did not get what he wanted. Hagel, who is likely to be confirmed as Secretary of Defense, opposed the surge, and said the Iraq war was "the most dangerous foreign policy decision since Vietnam." McCain strongly supported the surge, urging the U.S. not to give up on Iraq like it did Vietnam. ...

Kurdish militants dismiss Turkey withdrawal reports

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 08:46 AM PST

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Kurdish militants said on Thursday media reports that its fighters had agreed to withdraw from Turkey as part of a peace pact to end their 28-year-old insurgency were lies and part of a psychological war. The Sabah newspaper on Thursday said Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) guerrillas had agreed to withdraw to northern Iraq, where the group is based, by March 21 as part of peace talks with the PKK's jailed leader Abdullah Ocalan which started late last year. ...

Hagel, McCain tangle over Iraq war and troop surge

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 08:31 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. John McCain is tangling with Chuck Hagel over his past statements about the Iraq war. The Arizona Republican says that his dissatisfaction Hagel's answers could affect whether he votes for or against the former Republican senator who is President Barack Obama's choice for secretary of defense.

Chuck Hagel's brutal confirmation hearing: 3 key moments from round one

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 08:25 AM PST

Things are not going well for Chuck Hagel...Watch as the decorated war veteran clashes with John McCain — and bungles a crucial policy position on Iran


Qatar Telecom to raise Asiacell stake in Iraq share sale

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 08:19 AM PST

A customer enters the Asiacell company headquarters in BaghdadBAGHDAD (Reuters) - Qatar Telecom (Qtel) plans to raise its stake in Asiacell as part of the Iraqi unit's $1.35 billion share sale, a Baghdad bourse official said on Thursday, as the Gulf telco seeks greater control of its foreign affiliates. Asiacell will be the first of Iraq's three mobile operators to carry out a listing, the first major offering since a U.S.-led invasion in 2003. In the past year, Qtel has spent $2. ...


Is Chuck Hagel Failing?

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 08:04 AM PST

First things first: Chuck Hagel makes a poor witness for himself. That's clear. He's always been this way, of course: deliberative and slow of speech, stubbornly stating his positions without concern as to who else joined with him in them. When Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., attacked the Defense secretary designee over his opposition to the surge in Iraq, and he responded simply, "I'll let history decide," that was classic Hagel. He's confident that historians will judge the diversion into Iraq after 9/11 as a major strategic error, and he's probably right.

Producer behind fun. takes center stage at Grammys

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:46 AM PST

This Dec. 14, 2012 photo shows American music producer Jeff Bhasker poses for a portrait in New York. Bhasker is nominated for four Grammy Awards, including non-classical producer of the year, album of the year for producing fun.'s "Some Nights" as well as record and song of the year for his work on fun.'s No. 1 hit, "We Are Young." Bhasker has also written and produced for Kanye West, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Drake, Bruno Mars, Lana Del Rey and Alicia Keys. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Invision/AP)NEW YORK (AP) — When music producer Jeff Bhasker — the mastermind behind fun.'s breakthrough — had thoughts of becoming a musician, the high school student in the jazz band figured he would play keyboard for a talented singer looking to carve a space in the musical universe.


Hagel, McCain Clash at Confirmation

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:38 AM PST

Hagel, McCain Clash at ConfirmationDefense Secretary Nominee on the Hot Seat for His Senate Confirmation


Norwegian Police Will Reveal Terror Using Vidisco DR Systems

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:12 AM PST

Vidisco systems have been purchased by Norwegian Police. Hopefully, the new systems will assist police bomb squads to successfully prevent terror and ensure the safety of the citizens.(PRWEB) January 31, 2013 The renowned Norwegian magazine "Aftenposten" claims Norwegian Police Will Reveal Terror Using Vidisco DR Systems.New tools are constantly being developed in order to fight against terrorism worldwide. ...

Chuck Hagel: President Obama's Punching Bag

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 07:02 AM PST

We haven't had a big defense secretary fight since John Tower's nomination got shot down in 1989. The former Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman was George H.W. Bush's nominee and the Texan was pummeled over allegations about excessive drinking and sexual harassment.

Is Hagel Failing?

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 06:40 AM PST

First things first: Chuck Hagel makes a poor witness for himself. That's clear. He's always been this way, of course: deliberative and slow of speech, stubbornly stating his positions without concern as to who else joined with him in them. When John McCain attacked the Pentagon designee over his opposition to the surge in Iraq, and he responded simply, "I'll let history decide," that was classic Hagel. He's confident that historians will judge the diversion into Iraq after 9/11 as a major strategic error, and he's probably right.

If You Want a Friend in Washington…Don't Call John McCain

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 06:31 AM PST

In the real world, when somebody calls you an old friend, it matters. You can take them at their word. In Washington, ground zero for hypocrisy and posturing, "friend" is a 4-letter word. "Old friend" is double trouble.

Chuck Hagel in the Hot Seat

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 06:23 AM PST

Hagel, McCain Clash at ConfirmationBy MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) NOTABLES HAGEL ON THE HILL: All eyes will be on the Senate Armed Services Committee today where senators will consider former Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel's nomination to be the next Secretary of Defense. ABC's Sunlen Miller notes that yesterday one Senator...


If You Want a Friend in Washingoton…Don't Call John McCain

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 05:13 AM PST

In the real world, when somebody calls you an old friend, it matters. You can take them at their word. In Washington, ground zero for hypocrisy and posturing, "friend" is a 4-letter word. "Old friend" is double trouble.

For Chuck Hagel, 'Friend' is a 4-Letter Word

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 04:45 AM PST

In the real world, when somebody calls you an old friend, it matters.  You can take them at their word. In Washington, ground zero for hypocrisy and posturing, "friend" is a 4-letter word. "Old friend" is double trouble.

Don't Look Now, but Iran and North Korea Are Upping Their Nuclear Games

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 04:11 AM PST

There are two countries in this world that we'd rather not see tinker with nuclear energy: Iran and North Korea. Now today, one of those is prepping for a nuclear test, while the other is bragging about how its putting its own program into overdrive.

Shell earnings in rise Q4 on refining turnaround

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 02:24 AM PST

AMSTERDAM (AP) — Royal Dutch Shell PLC said Thursday it plans to continue investing aggressively in new projects in the coming years, as it sees a bright future for the oil and gas industry despite ongoing economic uncertainties around the world.

The failure of the anti-Hagel campaign

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 02:20 AM PST

Daniel LarisonThe Democratic defections that conservatives coveted never materialized. And now many Republicans look like reflexively, dangerously aggressive people


Jordan Islamist sees clash with secular Syrian rebels

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:49 AM PST

AMMAN (Reuters) - A Jordanian Muslim preacher who encourages a flow of militants to Syria predicts an eventual showdown between Islamists and secular rebel groups should President Bashar al-Assad fall. Mohammed Shalabi, better known as Abu Sayyaf, said Islamist fighters with groups such as the Nusra Front, which the United States lists as a terrorist organization, had refused offers to join the rebel Free Syrian Army in return for pay and weapons. ...

Why Don't Democrats Love Chuck Hagel?

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 01:46 AM PST

When Chuck Hagel walks into his hearings before the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, he'll be a favorite (though not a sure thing) to win confirmation as secretary of defense. But he still won't be a favorite of many progressives.
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