Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Democrats pave way for Senate showdown on Hagel
• Pentagon creates new medal for cyber, drone wars
• USCCAR Urges Secretary Kerry to Facilitate Immediate Return of Residents of Iraq's Camp Liberty "Killing Field" to Camp Ashraf
• Fort Hood Hero Says Obama 'Betrayed' Her, Other Victims
• Afghan officials welcome drawdown, others dismayed
• ‘Home-Grown’ Terrorists More Likely to Fight Abroad than in the West
• German challenger attacks Merkel in feisty Ash Wednesday speech
• Syria official warns of trafficking in antiquities
• Turkey moves to boost freedom of expression
• 'The Daily Show' Throws Dick Cheney Off His High Horse
• NASA: Alarming water loss in Middle East
• Afghan president welcomes withdrawal
• MilitaryRecords.us.org Adds Discharge Status Records To Their Database
• Official says Afghanistan ready to take over
• Obama Paints Congress as the Obstacle
• Mali threatens to become another Afghanistan, Canada says
• Obama: Nation stronger, GOP should back his plans
• Signs of unity in a divided Congress
• First lady hosts 102-year-old determined voter
• Fuel, food aid draw Iraq, Syria Kurds closer
• The Patron Saint of Tompkins Square Park
• Senate panel approves Hagel nomination as Pentagon chief
• 5 Things Obama Tried to Say During His State of the Union Address -- But Didn't
• Medal of Honor recipient: Taliban 'simply couldn't have' outpost
• Nothing Big or Bold About Obama's State of the Union Address

Democrats pave way for Senate showdown on Hagel Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:05 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democrats filed a motion on Wednesday to end debate on the nomination of Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama's new secretary of defense after Republicans refused to allow a vote, setting up a showdown vote by Friday. Democrats are expected to muster the 60 votes needed in the 100-member chamber to clear a Republican procedural roadblock, clearing the way for a vote on his confirmation. Once the roadblock is cleared, Hagel is expected to win the simple majority he needs to be confirmed. ...

Pentagon creates new medal for cyber, drone wars Posted: 13 Feb 2013 03:17 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — They fight the war from computer consoles and video screens.

USCCAR Urges Secretary Kerry to Facilitate Immediate Return of Residents of Iraq's Camp Liberty "Killing Field" to Camp Ashraf Posted: 13 Feb 2013 01:00 PM PST WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents (USCCAR), on behalf of hundreds of Iranian-Americans whose loved ones in Iraq's Camp Liberty were the target of the Tehran-engineered rocket attack last weekend, has written to the US Secretary of State John Kerry to urge him to facilitate the immediate return of Camp Liberty residents to Camp Ashraf where they are far better protected against such attacks. ...

Fort Hood Hero Says Obama 'Betrayed' Her, Other Victims Posted: 13 Feb 2013 11:28 AM PST Soldiers Denied Purple Heart, Other Benefits After Military Classifies Shooting as 'Workplace Violence'

Afghan officials welcome drawdown, others dismayed Posted: 13 Feb 2013 10:17 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — President Barack Obama's decision to bring half of America's 66,000 troops home within a year was welcomed Wednesday by Afghan officials who have long agitated to control their country, but was greeted with dismay by Afghans who think America failed to keep its promise of a better and safer life.

‘Home-Grown’ Terrorists More Likely to Fight Abroad than in the West Posted: 13 Feb 2013 08:22 AM PST In a study that appears in the latest issue of American Political Science Review, published by Cambridge University Press, Thomas Hegghammer compiles and analyses data on Western radicalised Islamists on a level not attempted before.(PRWEB) February 13, 2013 In a study that appears in the latest issue of American Political Science Review, published by Cambridge University Press, Thomas Hegghammer compiles and analyses data on Western radicalised Islamists on a level not attempted before. ...

German challenger attacks Merkel in feisty Ash Wednesday speech Posted: 13 Feb 2013 08:09 AM PST BERLIN (Reuters) - Angela Merkel's main challenger in this year's German election attacked her record in a combative speech on Ash Wednesday, accusing the chancellor of stealing policy ideas and cynically profiting from reforms introduced by his Social Democrats (SPD). Peer Steinbrueck, a former finance minister whose campaign to unseat the popular Merkel got off to a disastrous start last year, tried to reassure the SPD faithful about their prospects in the September vote, vowing to fight for victory and showing off the sardonic wit and feistiness for which he is known. ...

Syria official warns of trafficking in antiquities Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:49 AM PST AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A Syrian government official warned Wednesday of rampant trafficking in antiquities from his country and appealed for U.N. help in halting the illicit trade that has flourished during the nearly 23-month-long civil war.

Turkey moves to boost freedom of expression Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:26 AM PST ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey has drafted changes to the penal code, narrowing the definition of terrorist propaganda in a step to boost freedom of expression in line with EU demands and potentially encourage a fledgling peace process with a jailed Kurdish militant leader. The bill, presented to Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday and likely to be sent to parliament this month, may lead to the release of defendants accused of links to Kurdish rebels, a justice ministry official told Reuters on Wednesday. ...

'The Daily Show' Throws Dick Cheney Off His High Horse Posted: 13 Feb 2013 06:13 AM PST Jon Stewart knows Dick Cheney well. After all, The Daily Show host rose to prominence during the early aughts, when the Bush administration, led by Vice President Cheney, deployed troops to Iraq, on the grounds that its president, Saddam Hussein, was harboring weapons of mass destruction. (As we all know now, that turned out not to be the case.) So when Cheney made the TV rounds yesterday, in anticipation of the State of the Union, to criticize President Obama's foreign policy strategy, you could guess how Stewart felt. ...

NASA: Alarming water loss in Middle East Posted: 13 Feb 2013 05:06 AM PST An amount of freshwater almost the size of the Dead Sea has been lost in parts of the Middle East due to poor management, increased demands for groundwater and the effects of a 2007 drought, according ...

Afghan president welcomes withdrawal Posted: 13 Feb 2013 04:57 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan government on Wednesday welcomed President Barack Obama's decision to bring home half of the 66,000 American troops in Afghanistan within the next year, and said its forces are ready to take responsibility for the country's security.

MilitaryRecords.us.org Adds Discharge Status Records To Their Database Posted: 13 Feb 2013 12:32 AM PST Move will help individuals evaluate former military personnel.Kansas City, MO (PRWEB) February 13, 2013 MilitaryRecords.us.org has updated their database to list the discharge status of all military personnel, the company said yesterday."In the past, our military records checks focused on time of service, final rank, and medals awarded," company spokesman Josh Fraser said. "But, our customer service team reported to us that the most common question we were getting was about discharge statuses, so we've upgraded our reports to put that information front and center. ...

Official says Afghanistan ready to take over Posted: 13 Feb 2013 12:06 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan government on Wednesday welcomed President Barack Obama's decision to bring home half of the 66,000 American troops in Afghanistan within the next year, saying Afghan forces are ready to take responsibility for the country's security.

Obama Paints Congress as the Obstacle Posted: 12 Feb 2013 11:59 PM PST CongressWhite HouseNational SecurityPoliticsEnergyEconomy & BudgetHealth Care

Mali threatens to become another Afghanistan, Canada says Posted: 12 Feb 2013 09:04 PM PST OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada is unlikely to commit troops to the French-led campaign against Islamist rebels in Mali because it is threatening to become a counter-insurgency operation similar to those in Iraq and Afghanistan, Foreign Minister John Baird said on Tuesday. Last month Ottawa extended the loan of a C-17 military cargo plane to the French operations in Mali until February 15, while making clear it had no plans to contribute soldiers. "I am very cautious about sending in potentially thousands of Canadian troops to Malian soil ... to what is already is amounting to a counter-insurgency. ...

Obama: Nation stronger, GOP should back his plans Posted: 12 Feb 2013 08:17 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Uncompromising and politically emboldened, President Barack Obama urged a deeply divided Congress Tuesday night to embrace his plans to use government money to create jobs and strengthen the nation's middle class. He declared Republican ideas for reducing the deficit "even worse" than the unpalatable deals Washington had to stomach during his first term.

Signs of unity in a divided Congress Posted: 12 Feb 2013 08:08 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's State of the Union address on Tuesday night produced fleeting moments of bipartisanship in a divided Congress.

First lady hosts 102-year-old determined voter Posted: 12 Feb 2013 08:01 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A determined Florida centenarian who had to make two trips and wait several hours to vote for President Barack Obama last fall joined first lady Michelle Obama for Tuesday's State of the Union. Her resolve to cast a ballot became a symbol of early voting obstacles in the presidential election.

Fuel, food aid draw Iraq, Syria Kurds closer Posted: 12 Feb 2013 06:53 PM PST FISHKHABOUR, Iraq (Reuters) - Kurds on either side of the river Tigris that runs between Syria and Iraq are linked by kinship, a history of oppression and now by fuel lines and boats ferrying food and medical aid across the waters that divide them. The lifeline thrown by Iraqi Kurdistan to its neighbor extends the influence of Masoud Barzani, the autonomous region's President, over Kurds in Syria as civil war threatens to dismember the country. ...

The Patron Saint of Tompkins Square Park Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:40 PM PST Since the early '80s, Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan's East Village has been a primary hub for New York's homeless. Back in 1988, a full-on battle for the park pitted squatters, punks, skinheads and housing activists against police, shop owners and what were then known as yuppie scum.

Senate panel approves Hagel nomination as Pentagon chief Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:37 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Senate panel approved Chuck Hagel as President Barack Obama's new secretary of defense on Tuesday, setting the stage for a vote on his confirmation by the full Senate, possibly this week. After more than two hours of often intense debate, the Senate Armed Services Committee voted 14-11 along party lines to advance the former Republican senator's confirmation to succeed Leon Panetta as the civilian leader at the Pentagon. Senator David Vitter, a Republican of Louisiana, did not cast a vote. Vitter had said he felt the process was too rushed. ...

5 Things Obama Tried to Say During His State of the Union Address -- But Didn't Posted: 12 Feb 2013 05:01 PM PST Some words missing from tonight's State of the Union address: Iraq. Famine. Sudan. Moon. Mars. Assault rifles. Keystone XL. Videogames. Clinton. Fracking. The State of the Union is the most public of events but it's also filled with hidden meanings. The president is explicit at times saying he wants this or that--a higher minimum wage, a "National Energy Trust"--and at other times it's more obtuse, deliberately so. Omissions mean as much as commissions. So here are five moments of the State of the Union address, decoded for greater understanding: 1. Deflating the deficit. ...

Medal of Honor recipient: Taliban 'simply couldn't have' outpost Posted: 12 Feb 2013 04:59 PM PST It was 6 a.m. on October 3, 2009 when Staff. Sgt. Clinton Romesha and 52 of his fellow soldiers awoke to find their small outpost not far from Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, under attack.

Nothing Big or Bold About Obama's State of the Union Address Posted: 12 Feb 2013 02:50 PM PST Rather than go big and bold, President Obama settled Tuesday night for incremental and pragmatic.

You are subscribed to email updates from Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610