Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Moderate face of Syrian uprising quits
• CA-BUSINESS Summary
• Karl Rove Suggests Stephen Colbert May Need 'Anger Management'
• Kerry wants Iraq to stop arms shipments to Syria. Why would Iraq agree?
• Syrian opposition plunges into disarray
• Shinseki Says VA on Target for Ending Backlog
• Behind Turkish-Israeli reconciliation, concerns about Syria
• Top U.S. diplomat Kerry asks Iraq to stop arms to Syria
• Kerry warns Iraq on Iran flights to Syria
• VA chief vows to eliminate veterans' claims backlog by 2015
• Visas slow for Iraqis who helped US war efforts
• Syrian opposition coalition falls into disarray
• Sinopec in JV to buy $3 billion of assets from parent
• Amputee veteran helps train troops for war
• Iran denies link to group arrested in Saudi Arabia
• John Kerry Is Sick of Iraq Letting Iran Fly Whatever It Wants Into Syria
• Arab League gives Syrian seat to opposition
• US to continue support of Syrian opposition
• Head of Western-backed Syria rebel coalition quits
• Kerry tells Iraq's Maliki Iranian overflights to Syria "problematic"
• Standard Chartered would consider Egypt buy, plans Iraq push
• Kerry in Iraq to press on Iran flights to Syria
• Soccer: Japan eye Brazil berth, Cahill calls for high tempo
• Activists report Syria clashes near Jordan border
• Soccer-World Cup Asia qualifying group fixtures and standings
• PREVIEW-Soccer-Japan eye Brazil berth, Cahill calls for high tempo
• Standard Chartered seeks Egypt acquisition, plans Iraq push
• Qatar offers venue for Syrian rebel envoy
• 10 things you need to know today: March 24, 2013
• Activists: Clashes in Syria near Jordan border
• Kerry arrives in Iraq on unannounced visit
• Marines ID gunman, 2 victims in Va. base shooting

Moderate face of Syrian uprising quits Posted: 24 Mar 2013 04:55 PM PDT By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - The head of Syria's main opposition group resigned on Sunday, weakening the moderate wing of the two-year revolt against President Bashar al-Assad's rule and complicating Western efforts to back the rebels. The resignation of Moaz Alkhatib, a former imam of the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus who had offered Assad a negotiated exit, could make the West more cautious in supporting the revolt. Alkhatib was seen as a moderate bulwark against the rising influence of al-Qaeda linked jihadist forces. ...

CA-BUSINESS Summary Posted: 24 Mar 2013 04:58 PM PDT Cyprus and EU agree draft proposal to rescue banks BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Cyprus, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund have agreed a new plan to resolve the island's bank and finance a rescue of the country, an EU official said early on Monday. The proposal, which will now be presented to euro zone finance ministers for discussion, will involve setting up a "good bank" and a "bad bank" and will mean that Popular Bank of Cyprus, known as Laiki, will effectively be shut down. ...

Karl Rove Suggests Stephen Colbert May Need 'Anger Management' Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:54 PM PDT Karl Rove, Fox News contributor and former Deputy Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush, says of Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert's interactions with Rove's bespectacled canned ham likeness, 'Ham Rove,' "He's an entertainer so he gets to be funny and exaggerate things and so...

Kerry wants Iraq to stop arms shipments to Syria. Why would Iraq agree? Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:26 PM PDT US Secretary of State John Kerry made a previously unannounced stop in Baghdad today, and in the process unintentionally highlighted the difficult job he's been assigned in advancing the US diplomatic agenda as regards to the Syrian civil war.

Syrian opposition plunges into disarray Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:13 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's opposition plunged into disarray Sunday as its president quit and its military chief refused to recognize the newly elected prime minister of an interim government for rebel-held areas.

Shinseki Says VA on Target for Ending Backlog Posted: 24 Mar 2013 01:50 PM PDT Shinseki maintains 2015 goal for ending disability claims woes even as backlog worsens

Behind Turkish-Israeli reconciliation, concerns about Syria Posted: 24 Mar 2013 12:15 PM PDT Israel and Turkey have gotten back together after nearly three years, not so much because they're in love but because of mutual concern that Syrian chemical weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

Top U.S. diplomat Kerry asks Iraq to stop arms to Syria Posted: 24 Mar 2013 11:45 AM PDT By Arshad Mohammed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pressed Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Sunday to stop Iranian flights over Iraq from carrying arms to Syria during a visit to the Iraqi capital. Kerry also urged Iraq's Sunni Muslim, Shi'ite and ethnic Kurdish factions to commit to the political process as the country's precarious intercommunal balance comes under growing strain from the conflict in neighboring Syria. A U.S. ...

Kerry warns Iraq on Iran flights to Syria Posted: 24 Mar 2013 11:44 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Just days after the 10th anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry confronted Baghdad for continuing to grant Iran access to its airspace and said Iraq's behavior was raising questions about its reliability as a partner.

VA chief vows to eliminate veterans' claims backlog by 2015 Posted: 24 Mar 2013 10:58 AM PDT (Reuters) - U.S. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said on Sunday he was committed to eliminating a backlog of veterans' disability claims that has accumulated steadily as soldiers returned from wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shinseki told CNN's "State of the Union" the agency is installing electronic records systems to speed up claims processing and erase the backlog by 2015. "I took this job to make things better for veterans," the retired Army general said. "No veteran should have to wait for claims. We have a fix for this. ...

Visas slow for Iraqis who helped US war efforts Posted: 24 Mar 2013 10:45 AM PDT SEATTLE (AP) — Somehow the bullets that sprayed the car that Ubaida Mufrej was riding in with a group of Iraqi contractors didn't hit any of them, even though the driver had pushed through three armed men blocking a desert road outside of Baghdad that day in 2006.

Syrian opposition coalition falls into disarray Posted: 24 Mar 2013 09:33 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syria's Western-backed opposition plunged into disarray on Sunday as its president resigned and its military leader refused to recognize a prime minister recently elected to lead an interim rebel government.

Sinopec in JV to buy $3 billion of assets from parent Posted: 24 Mar 2013 09:18 AM PDT HONG KONG (Reuters) - China Petroleum and Chemical Corp (Sinopec Corp) has agreed to set up a joint venture with its parent company to buy $3 billion worth of oil and gas assets held by the latter in a bid to improve its profitability. The 50/50 venture between a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sinopec Corp and Sinopec Corp's parent, China Petrochemical Corp (Sinopec Group), will buy oil and gas producing assets with 310 million barrels in proven and probable reserves. "The transaction will boost Sinopec Corp's profitability," Sinopec Corp, Asia's largest refiner, said on Sunday. ...

Amputee veteran helps train troops for war Posted: 24 Mar 2013 09:14 AM PDT SAN DIEGO (AP) — The sailor had been back from war for just over a year when friends invited him to watch an unusually emotional training exercise for troops preparing to deploy.

Iran denies link to group arrested in Saudi Arabia Posted: 24 Mar 2013 08:41 AM PDT DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry said the country was not linked to a group of alleged spies arrested in Saudi Arabia, Iranian media reported on Sunday. Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that it had detained an Iranian, a Lebanese, and 16 Saudis for spying. Political analysts and media in Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia have accused Shi'ite Iran of being behind the alleged espionage. The two countries are locked in a struggle for influence across the region, backing opposing sides in Bahrain, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon and Iraq. ...

John Kerry Is Sick of Iraq Letting Iran Fly Whatever It Wants Into Syria Posted: 24 Mar 2013 08:19 AM PDT Secretary of State John Kerry made a surprise trip to Iraq on Sunday to urge Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to at the very least do something about the continued Iranian flights to Syria that go right through Iraq's airspace. Right now they're not doing very much.

Arab League gives Syrian seat to opposition Posted: 24 Mar 2013 08:08 AM PDT DOHA, Qatar (AP) — In a symbolic blow to embattled Syrian President Bashar Assad, senior Arab diplomats said Sunday that they will transfer Syria's seat in their main regional group to opposition forces.

US to continue support of Syrian opposition Posted: 24 Mar 2013 07:45 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry says he was sorry to learn that the leader of the Western-backed Syrian opposition coalition has resigned, but that it won't affect the U.S. effort to try to force Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down.

Head of Western-backed Syria rebel coalition quits Posted: 24 Mar 2013 07:21 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — The leader of the Western-backed Syrian opposition coalition resigned Sunday, citing what he called the lack of international support for those seeking to topple President Bashar Assad.

Kerry tells Iraq's Maliki Iranian overflights to Syria "problematic" Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:37 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry said he had told Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki that Iranian flights carrying arms to Syria through Iraqi airspace were "problematic", during an unannounced visit to Iraq on Sunday. "Anything that supports President Assad is problematic," Kerry told reporters. "I made it very clear to the prime minister that the overflights from Iran ... are in fact helping to sustain President Assad and his regime." Kerry also said Obama felt his talks with Israeli and Palestinian officials were the most positive he had had to date. ...

Standard Chartered would consider Egypt buy, plans Iraq push Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:09 AM PDT By Mirna Sleiman DUBAI (Reuters) - Standard Chartered would consider acquiring a bank in Egypt to ride an expected boom in one of the Middle East's largest economies, the firm's regional head said. The bank also plans to expand operations in Iraq this year. Many European banks are under pressure to cut costs and bolster their capital in the wake of the global financial crisis, but Christos Papadopoulos said such pressures would not deter Standard Chartered from growing in the Middle East. ...

Kerry in Iraq to press on Iran flights to Syria Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:05 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on an unannounced visit Sunday to Baghdad urged Iraq's leaders to halt Iranian overflights of weapons and fighters heading to Syria and to overcome sectarian differences that still threaten Iraqi stability 10 years after the American-led invasion that toppled dictator Saddam Hussein.

Soccer: Japan eye Brazil berth, Cahill calls for high tempo Posted: 24 Mar 2013 06:03 AM PDT By Patrick Johnston (Reuters) - Asian champions Japan can become the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with victory in Jordan on Tuesday, while South Korea, Australia and Uzbekistan are odds on to score home wins and clarify the crowded pool picture. The Blue Samurai thrashed Jordan 6-0 at home in June, a result that has helped them establish an eight point lead over Australia, Iraq and Oman in Group B. ...

Activists report Syria clashes near Jordan border Posted: 24 Mar 2013 05:02 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Syrian rebels pressed ahead with their offensive in a restive southern province that borders Jordan on Sunday, as Israel's military said its forces responded to fire by shooting at a target inside Syria.

Soccer-World Cup Asia qualifying group fixtures and standings Posted: 24 Mar 2013 04:59 AM PDT March 24 (Reuters) - World Cup qualifying fixtures andstandings in Asia ahead of Tuesday's matches. Group A Playing on Tuesday South Korea v Qatar Uzbekistan v Lebanon P W D L F A PTS 1. Uzbekistan 5 2 2 1 5 4 8 2. South Korea 4 2 1 1 9 4 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 3. Iran 5 2 1 2 2 2 7 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 4. Qatar 5 2 1 2 3 5 7 5. Lebanon 5 1 1 3 2 6 4 Top two teams qualify for World Cup. ...

PREVIEW-Soccer-Japan eye Brazil berth, Cahill calls for high tempo Posted: 24 Mar 2013 04:59 AM PDT By Patrick Johnston March 24 (Reuters) - Asian champions Japan can become the first side to qualify for the 2014 World Cup with victory in Jordan on Tuesday, while South Korea, Australia and Uzbekistan are odds on to score home wins and clarify the crowded pool picture. The Blue Samurai thrashed Jordan 6-0 at home in June, a result that has helped them establish an eight point lead over Australia, Iraq and Oman in Group B. ...

Standard Chartered seeks Egypt acquisition, plans Iraq push Posted: 24 Mar 2013 04:02 AM PDT By Mirna Sleiman DUBAI (Reuters) - Standard Chartered is looking to acquire a bank in Egypt to ride an expected boom in one of the Middle East's largest economies, the firm's regional head said. The bank also plans to expand operations in Iraq this year. Many European banks are under pressure to cut costs and bolster their capital in the wake of the global financial crisis, but Christos Papadopoulos said such pressures would not deter Standard Chartered from growing in the Middle East. ...

Qatar offers venue for Syrian rebel envoy Posted: 24 Mar 2013 03:59 AM PDT DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Qatar's prime minister is urging the new head of the Syrian opposition's interim government to attend an Arab League summit in the Gulf nation later this week.

10 things you need to know today: March 24, 2013 Posted: 24 Mar 2013 03:05 AM PDT John Kerry touches down in Baghdad in unannounced Iraq visit, Quantico shooter and victims are identified, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion

Activists: Clashes in Syria near Jordan border Posted: 24 Mar 2013 02:38 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Syrian activists say rebels continue to press ahead with their offensive in the southern province of Daraa on the Jordanian border.

Kerry arrives in Iraq on unannounced visit Posted: 24 Mar 2013 01:35 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Iraq on an unannounced visit to urge Iraqi leaders to stop Iranian overflights of arms and fighters heading to Syria and to overcome sectarian differences that still threaten Iraqi stability 10 years after the American-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein.

Marines ID gunman, 2 victims in Va. base shooting Posted: 23 Mar 2013 07:55 PM PDT QUANTICO, Va. (AP) — A Marine who shot two of his colleagues to death and then killed himself was a tactics instructor at a school that tests Marines who want to become officers, military officials said Saturday.

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