2013年2月1日星期五

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Marine survey lists concerns on women in combat

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 04:20 PM PST

FILE - In this July 29, 2011 file photo, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos speaks with reporters at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. The Marine Corps commandant said Thursday Jan. 31, 2013, the infantry side is skeptical about how women will perform in those units and some positions may end up being closed if not enough females fail to meet the rigorous standards. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)SAN DIEGO (AP) — Male Marines listed being falsely accused of sexual harassment or assault as a top concern in a survey about moving women into combat jobs, and thousands indicated the change could prompt them to leave the service altogether.


Despite weak Senate performance, Hagel may yet win Pentagon post

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 04:07 PM PST

Former Sen. Chuck Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Chuck Hagel's cautious testimony may not have won converts during his contentious nomination hearing for U.S. defense secretary, but it appeared on Friday not to have cost support he will need to be confirmed as the new Pentagon chief. Republicans hammered Hagel when he appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday, with some of the fiercest questioning coming from those who had served alongside him during his two terms as a Republican senator from Nebraska. ...


NBC News President Capus to leave network

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 03:21 PM PST

President of NBC News Capus participates in the panel for NBC News during the NBC Universal sessions at the Television Critics Association winter press tour in Pasadena(Reuters) - NBC News President Steve Capus will be leaving the network in the coming weeks after struggles at the unit, including lower ratings for its flagship morning TV show, "Today." No replacement has been named for Capus, president of NBC News since 2005, according to a company memo obtained by Reuters. In a statement, Capus said it was "now time to head in a new direction. ...


What the jobs report reveals about US population

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 02:46 PM PST

U.S. employers added 157,000 jobs in January, and hiring was much stronger at the end of 2012 than previously thought, providing reassurance that the job market held steady even as economic growth stalled.The ...

APNewsBreak: Marines issue survey on women's role

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 01:42 PM PST

FILE - In this July 29, 2011 file photo, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos speaks with reporters at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. The Marine Corps commandant said Thursday Jan. 31, 2013, the infantry side is skeptical about how women will perform in those units and some positions may end up being closed if not enough females fail to meet the rigorous standards. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)SAN DIEGO (AP) — A Marine Corps survey found about 17 percent of male Marine respondents who planned to stay in the service or were undecided said they would likely leave if women move into combat positions.


Former Federal Prosecutor Matthew J. Cannon Joins Greenberg Traurig, Expands Litigation Practice

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 01:32 PM PST

Former Federal Prosecutor Matthew J. Cannon Joins Greenberg Traurig, Expands Litigation PracticeCHICAGO (PRWEB) February 01, 2013 International law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP announced that Matthew J. Cannon has joined the Chicago office as a shareholder in the Litigation Practice. Prior to joining the firm, Cannon worked as a federal prosecutor for the United States Department of Justice in the Central District of Illinois. ...

Protests surge in Iraq's Sunni regions, testing Maliki

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 12:56 PM PST

In Iraq's vast western Anbar province, anger over arrests by Iraqi security forces and government neglect has prompted spreading protests that pose the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki since the country's 2006-2007 sectarian war.On Friday in Fallujah and Ramadi, hundreds of thousands of men held Friday prayers on the main highway instead of in the mosques. The peaceful demonstrations, the biggest in Anbar Province since Saddam Hussein was toppled, were called to commemorate the killings of at least seven protesters by Iraqi soldiers a week ago. ...

CNN's Sanjay Gupta adds fiction to his workload

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 12:24 PM PST

CNN's Sanjay Gupta adds fiction to his workloadWhen doctors get called on the carpet by other doctors, it's productive but not always pretty, as neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta describes it.Closed-door meetings in which physicians candidly dissect cases ...


Syrian rebels slam Assad inaction on Israeli raid

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 12:02 PM PST

Map locates Jamraya, SyriaBEIRUT (AP) — Syrian opposition leaders and rebels on Friday slammed President Bashar Assad for not responding to a rare Israeli airstrike near Damascus, calling it proof of his weakness and acquiescence to the Jewish State.


White House: Hagel will win Senate confirmation

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 11:56 AM 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/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday dismissed criticism of Chuck Hagel's hesitant congressional testimony and insisted that it expects the Senate to confirm him as defense secretary.


Turkey suicide bombing: This time, US calls it a terrorist attack right away

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:51 AM PST

Turkish and American officials were guarded about who was behind Friday's attack outside the US embassy complex in Ankara that killed a Turkish security guard.

White House expects Senate confirmation of Hagel

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:42 AM 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/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House on Friday dismissed criticism of Chuck Hagel's hesitant congressional testimony and insisted that it expects the Senate to confirm him as defense secretary.


U.S. Ranked 32nd in World for Press Freedom—At Least We’re Not China

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:40 AM PST

When New York City police began their surprise raid on the Occupy Wall Street camp in November 2011, authorities tried to impose a media blackout. Sanitation crews began dismantling tents and peeling mattresses and abandoned guitars off the street and tossing them into Dumpsters. Reporters trying to cover the story were badgered and harassed. Some journalists resisted police orders to leave the area and were arrested.

White House expects Hagel to be confirmed despite rocky hearing

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 10:15 AM PST

Former U.S. Senator Hagel testifies during Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on his nomination to be Defense Secretary, on Capitol Hill in WashingtonWASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Friday he believes former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who had a rocky confirmation hearing on Thursday, will be confirmed by the Senate as U.S. defense secretary. Carney told reporters he believed the number of votes in favor of Hagel's confirmation had increased a day after Hagel came under withering fire from Republican senators for his prior comments on Iraq and Iran. "We expect the Senate to confirm Senator Hagel to the position of secretary of defense," said Carney. ...


Why Chuck Hagel is likely to squeak through as Defense secretary

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 09:42 AM PST

Secretary of Defense nominee Chuck Hagel is getting some very bad reviews for his performance before the Senate Armed Services Committee Thursday. Mr. Hagel seemed unprepared for tough questions from Sen. John McCain and other Republicans and at times did not seem to grasp existing Obama administration policy.

Jordan staggers under fallout of Syria conflict

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 09:25 AM PST

AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan has every reason to worry about the conflict in Syria, its bigger neighbor to the north. A flood of Syrian refugees and disrupted trade due to the 22-month-old revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad burden a frail economy that has already had to turn to the IMF. Any emergence of Islamist rule in a post-Assad Syria could embolden Islamists who are the main opposition group in Jordan. And rising Islamist militancy among Syrian insurgents threatens the security of the Western-backed kingdom next door. ...

VA report: 22 veterans commit suicide each day

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 09:16 AM PST

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of veterans who commit suicide each day is more than 20 percent higher than the Department of Veterans Affairs has previously estimated, but the problem doesn't appear to be getting worse for veterans compared to the rest of the country, according to a VA study released Friday.

"Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here" Exhibition Opening at the San Francisco Center for the Book on Friday, February 1, 2013

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 09:08 AM PST

An exhibition of fifty-five artists books – exhibited at the San Francisco Center for the Book – created in response the the March 5, 2007 bombing of Al-Mutanabbi Street, the street of poets and booksellers, in Baghdad, IranSan Francisco, California (PRWEB) February 01, 2013 The San Francisco Center for the Book is exhibiting a selection of fifty-five artists books from the 250 book collection of the "Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here" collection. ...

World LDPE Production to Climb Close to 22 Million Tonnes in 2015, According to Merchant Research & Consulting Ltd

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:58 AM PST

An in-depth analysis of the LDPE market is provided in the new market research report "Polyethylene Low Density (LDPE): 2013 World Market Outlook and Forecast up to 2018" created by Merchant Research & Consulting, Ltd.London, UK (PRWEB) February 01, 2013 In 2011, the global polyethylene low density (LDPE) production was evaluated at above 19.1 million tonnes. In 2012, it grew by almost 0.7 million tonnes year-on-year and overrode 19.8 million tonnes. ...

Iraq Sunnis protest; al-Qaida front calls to arms

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:50 AM PST

Iraqis chant anti-government slogans as they wave national flags and hold posters of slain protesters in Fallujah, 40 miles (65 kilometers) west of Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. Last week, five protesters and two Iraqi soldiers were killed in clashes in Fallujah. Tens of thousands of Sunni protesters blocked a major highway in western Iraq on Friday, as an al-Qaida-affiliated group called on Sunnis to take up arms against the Shiite-led government. (AP Photo/ Khalid Mohammed)BAGHDAD (AP) — Tens of thousands of Sunni protesters blocked a major highway in western Iraq on Friday, as an al-Qaida-affiliated group called on Sunnis to take up arms against the Shiite-led government.


If McCain Sinks Hagel, It Will Be Personal

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:41 AM PST

Chuck Hagel's confirmation hearing to become the next Secretary of Defense did not go well, but if he fails to get it the job, it won't be because of some deeply held foreign-policy principle. So far, Sen. Ted Cruz and Roy Blunt have said they won't vote for him — but Cruz had said that weeks before the hearing began. Democrats need 60 votes to block a filibuster, and they might already have 57, as Slate's Dave Weigel writes. ...

Hagel emerges with solid Dem support for Pentagon

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 08:01 AM 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/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — Bruised and battered, Chuck Hagel emerged from his grueling confirmation hearing with solid Democratic support for his nomination to be President Barack Obama's next defense secretary and increasing Republican opposition to a former GOP colleague.


Syria spillover? US embassy in Turkey attacked by suicide bomber

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:46 AM PST

A suicide bomber targeted the US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, today, killing one Turkish guard and destroying a fortified embassy entrance.

Marine leader: Infantry skeptical about women

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:23 AM PST

FILE - In this July 29, 2011 file photo, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos speaks with reporters at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. The Marine Corps commandant said Thursday Jan. 31, 2013, the infantry side is skeptical about how women will perform in those units and some positions may end up being closed if not enough females fail to meet the rigorous standards. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)SAN DIEGO (AP) — The commandant of the Marine Corps said the infantry side of the most male of all military branches is skeptical about how women will perform in their units, and some positions may end up closed again if too few females meet the physically demanding standards of combat.


Why John Kerry Should Treat Climate Change as a National Security Issue

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 07:17 AM PST

For centuries, the glaciers of the Western Himalayas have fed the Indus River, which flows down the mountains through India and into Pakistan, where it runs the length of the country to the Arabian Sea. In both countries, the river is a crucial source of water for livestock, irrigation, drinking—essential to life and livelihood for millions of people.

Australian general gets key US Army post

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:26 AM PST

In this photo taken Wednesday Jan. 30, 2013, Australia Maj. Gen. Richard Burr, a new U.S. Army Pacific deputy commander, poses for a photo at U.S. Army Pacific headquarters at Fort Shafter, Hawaii. Burr's unprecedented appointment to be deputy commanding general at U.S. Army Pacific is the first time a non-American has served in such a high-ranking position at a command like this. The move symbolizes the Army's push to connect more with allies and friendly nations in the Pacific as the Obama administration rebalances national defense strategy toward the region. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)FORT SHAFTER, Hawaii (AP) — Maj. Gen. Richard Burr salutes with his palm facing out, like he's shielding his eyes from the sun. He wears a wide-brimmed felt "slouch hat" with a brown and green camouflage uniform.


A Day Of Departures

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 06:04 AM PST

A Day Of DeparturesBy MICHAEL FALCONE (@michaelpfalcone) NOTABLES CHANGING OF THE GUARD: It's Hillary Clinton's last day in Foggy Bottom. Sen. John Kerry will be sworn in on Friday afternoon as Secretary of State in a private, small ceremony, notes ABC's Dana Hughes. Justice Elena Kagan will swear...


Marines head shares skepticism on women in combat

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 05:37 AM PST

Marines head shares skepticism on women in combatThe commandant of the Marine Corps said the infantry side of the most male of all military branches is skeptical about how women will perform in their units, and some positions may end up closed again ...


Thousands of Iraqi Sunni protesters say no to Maliki

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 05:05 AM PST

Iraqi Sunni Muslims wave the old flag of Iraq during an anti-government demonstration in RamadiFALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Chanting "No" to Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, tens of thousands of Sunni Muslims protested after Friday prayers in huge rallies against the Shi'ite premier that are raising the specter of renewed sectarian unrest. Sunni Muslim outrage erupted in late December over what protesters see as abuses and discrimination against their minority sect since the fall of Saddam Hussein and the rise of the country's Shi'ite majority. ...


ANALYSIS: France, Africa face tough Sahara phase of Mali war

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 01:45 AM PST

Malian soldiers leave Timbuktu in a pickup truckBAMAKO/DAKAR (Reuters) - The French or African troops who hunt down the Islamist fighters holed up in the mountains and deserts of northeast Mali may find a resilient enemy capable of fighting back with a concealed arsenal of surprising firepower. France's initial success in its three-week old intervention in its former colony has gained Paris plaudits at home and abroad as a welcome blow struck against radical jihadists threatening Africa and the West. ...


Al-Qaida in Iraq calls on Sunnis to take up arms

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 01:00 AM PST

BAGHDAD (AP) — An al-Qaida-affiliated group in Iraq has called on Sunnis to take up arms against the Shiite-led government, as sectarian tensions and large Sunni protests increase.

US limited in fight against North Africa militants

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 12:51 AM PST

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2012, file photo, Malians demonstrate in favor of an international military intervention to regain control of the country's Islamist-controlled north, in Bamako, Mali. They carry signs that say 'That's enough, let the government work' right, and 'We Malians Demand Chapter 7,' center, referring to the chapter of the United Nations Charter which would be used to authorize international military intervention. The United States has its hands tied in confronting an uptick of threats from North Africa, the world's newest jihadist hotspot. The spread of al-Qaida-linked militants across Libya, Algeria and Mali reflects a rise in local extremists who have been emboldened since the attack last Sept. 11 on a U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, (AP Photo/Harouna Traore)WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is struggling to confront an uptick in threats from the world's newest jihadist hot spot with limited intelligence and few partners to help as the Obama administration weighs how to keep Islamic extremists in North Africa from jeopardizing national security without launching war.


The Note's Must-Reads for Friday, February 1, 2013

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 12:31 AM PST

The Note's Must-Reads are a round-up of today's political headlines and stories from ABC News and the top U.S. newspapers. Posted Monday through Friday right here at www.abcnews.com Compiled by ABC News' Amanda VanAllen and Jordan Mazza CHUCK HAGEL ABC News' Chris Good: "Chuck Hagel,...

Did Chuck Hagel Fail?

Posted: 01 Feb 2013 12:00 AM PST

CongressWhite HouseNational SecurityPoliticsEnergyEconomy & BudgetHealth Care

The regressive, vacuous ideology of neocons

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:25 PM PST

Irving Kristol, "the godfather of neoconservatism.""My country — always right, never wrong": It's the least thoughtful and most primitive form of patriotism


Did Chuck Hagel blow his shot at becoming defense secretary?

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:05 PM PST

Former Sen. Hagel testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Jan. 31 during his confirmation hearing.President Obama's nominee to run the Pentagon had a rough day before his former Senate GOP colleagues. He probably needs five of them to win confirmation


Iraqi president's absence leaves political hole

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 11:00 PM PST

FILE - In this June. 27, 2009 file photo, Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, left, and President Jalal Talabani, right, react, at a ceremony marking the death of Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim in Baghdad, Iraq. President Jalal Talabani's departure from Iraq's political life comes at a worse time for his troubled nation, under threat from mounting tensions between Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)BAGHDAD (AP) — President Jalal Talabani's unexpected exit from Iraqi politics couldn't have come at a worse time for his nation, threatened by mounting antagonism among Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites.


Marine leader: skepticism in infantry about women

Posted: 31 Jan 2013 08:38 PM PST

FILE - In this Dec. 3, 2010, file photo Marine Crops Commandant Gen. James Amos testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Marine Corps commandant said Thursday Jan. 31, 2013, the infantry side is skeptical about how women will perform in those units and some positions may end up being closed if not enough females fail to meet the rigorous standards. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)SAN DIEGO (AP) — The head of the Marine Corps — the most male of all military branches — said Thursday the infantry side is skeptical about how women will perform in those units, and some combat positions may end up being closed again if not enough females meet the rigorous, physically demanding standards.


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