Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Obama clears first hurdle towards Syria strike
• Has Pentagon chief reversed his position on striking Syria?
• 20 questions about 20 big Toronto movies
• Red-stained hands wave in protest at U.S. hearing on Syria
• Obama grapples for majority on Syria action
• COMMUNITY ORGANIZER GOES TO WAR
• 2016 contenders: Why Syria is tough for GOP's Marco Rubio
• Many vets' caregivers cut out from federal benefit
• Obama wins Senate panel's backing on Syria strike
• US Senate panel approves use of force against Syria
• British PM warns danger of fresh Syria attack if no US strike
• Syria strike: Is loss of strategic surprise costing the US?
• Al-Qaida-linked Syria rebels hit Christian village
• Putin warns West on Syria action
• AP Interview: Putin warns West on Syria action
• Vote puts Republicans mulling 2016 run on the spot
• Rumsfeld docu director puzzled by ex-defense chief
• Iraqi Kurdistan gets three hours to build for 5,000 refugees
• As Syria looms large, Rumsfeld squirms on Iraq in new film
• Weapon of choice against al Qaeda, drones marginal in Syria
• Syria forces possible GOP candidates to pick sides
• US Families of Camp Ashraf Residents Demand US Protection for Their Loved Ones, Not More Hollow Promises
• Senate panel votes to authorize force in Syria
• Al-Qaida-linked rebels attack village in Syria
• End Syria 'cycle of horror', swamped neighbours and UN say
• Syria clashes in Christian village, near capital
• Director Morris defends his 'smiling Rumsfeld' film
• US aims for psychological effect with strikes on Syria: experts
• Mayo Clinic Physician Answers Call to Army Service
• Caucasus Islamists in Syria split with Qaeda-linked rebels: video
• French PM: Assad could strike again if no one acts
• 18 Shiite family members killed as Iraq unrest surges
• German spy agency sees Assad behind gas attack, cites phone call
• France asks: Should Hollande be able to OK Syrian action unilaterally?
• Exclusive: Former Syria defense minister defects in break with Assad
• Syrian exodus to go on if chemical attack ignored: Turkey
• Column: The politics of Syria
• Why democracy is an insufficient force against WMD
• Analysis: U.S. strike on Syria could derail Iran president's master plan
• How potential presidential contenders for 2016 are approaching Syria

Obama clears first hurdle towards Syria strike Posted: 04 Sep 2013 04:50 PM PDT US President Barack Obama cleared the first hurdle Wednesday in his race to win domestic congressional backing for strikes to punish Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons.

Has Pentagon chief reversed his position on striking Syria? Posted: 04 Sep 2013 04:43 PM PDT The nation's top military officer warned repeatedly in recent months that getting US military involved with Syria is a dangerous proposition that runs the risk of quick escalation.

20 questions about 20 big Toronto movies Posted: 04 Sep 2013 04:11 PM PDT By Steve Pond LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - This year's Toronto International Film Festival will screen 288 feature films, so singling out just 20 is an impossible task. But here, with the caveat that for every film on this list there are several deserving omissions, are 20 movies that will come to the fest bearing questions that need to be answered. GRAVITY Alfonso Cuaron's drama that maroons Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in space has drawn such a rapturous response in Venice and Telluride that there's only one question surrounding the film. ...

Red-stained hands wave in protest at U.S. hearing on Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT By Thomas Ferraro WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Red-stained hands of anti-war protesters waved sporadically for hours on Wednesday behind Obama administration officials urging lawmakers to authorize military strikes against Syria. The silent demonstration, led by the anti-war group Code Pink, involved about 10 activists. But an untold number of people worldwide saw it because the protest took place during a televised congressional hearing. ...

Obama grapples for majority on Syria action Posted: 04 Sep 2013 03:33 PM PDT President Barack Obama has signed up power brokers in Congress for strikes on Syria but, in an era of insurgent politics haunted by Iraq, there is no guarantee the rank and file will follow.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZER GOES TO WAR Posted: 04 Sep 2013 03:30 PM PDT Oh, how I long for the days when liberals wailed that "the rest of the world" hated America, rather than now, when the rest of the world laughs at us.With the vast majority of Americans opposing a strike against Syria, President Obama has requested that Congress vote on his powers as commander in chief under the Constitution. The president doesn't need congressional approval to shoot a few missiles into Syria, nor -- amazingly -- has he said he'll abide by such a vote, anyway. ...

2016 contenders: Why Syria is tough for GOP's Marco Rubio Posted: 04 Sep 2013 03:23 PM PDT Of all the presumed contenders for president in 2016, both Republican and Democratic, none is in a tougher spot over Syria than Sen. Marco Rubio.

Many vets' caregivers cut out from federal benefit Posted: 04 Sep 2013 03:17 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — John Thomas Doody was in a coma and on a ventilator, but his mom refused to follow a doctor's advice and put the Iraq war veteran in a nursing home.

Obama wins Senate panel's backing on Syria strike Posted: 04 Sep 2013 03:00 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's request for speedy congressional backing of a military strike in Syria advanced Wednesday toward a showdown Senate vote, while the commander in chief left open the possibility he would order retaliation for a deadly chemical weapons attack even if Congress withheld its approval.

US Senate panel approves use of force against Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:56 PM PDT President Barack Obama's plan to conduct military strikes on Syria passed its first congressional hurdle Wednesday, paving the way for a full Senate debate on the use of force.

British PM warns danger of fresh Syria attack if no US strike Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:30 PM PDT Blocked by his own parliament from taking military action against Syria, British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday urged the United States to act or risk further chemical weapons attacks by the regime.

Syria strike: Is loss of strategic surprise costing the US? Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:25 PM PDT If the US launches cruise missiles against Syria it won't come as a surprise to Bashar al-Assad's regime. Delay and debate in the US have given the Syrian government lots of warning time to hide weapons and equipment and otherwise attempt to harden itself against possible air strikes.

Al-Qaida-linked Syria rebels hit Christian village Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:19 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Al-Qaida-linked rebels launched an assault Wednesday on a regime-held Christian village in the densely populated west of Syria and new clashes erupted near the capital, Damascus — part of a brutal battle of attrition each side believes it can win despite more than two years of deadlock.

Putin warns West on Syria action Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:14 PM PDT President Vladimir Putin warned the West against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia "doesn't exclude" supporting a U.N. resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proved ...

AP Interview: Putin warns West on Syria action Posted: 04 Sep 2013 02:13 PM PDT NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (AP) — President Vladimir Putin warned the West against taking one-sided action in Syria but also said Russia "doesn't exclude" supporting a U.N. resolution on punitive military strikes if it is proved that Damascus used poison gas on its own people.

Vote puts Republicans mulling 2016 run on the spot Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:22 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's plea to Congress for the go-ahead for military strikes against Syria is forcing ambitious Republicans weighing a White House bid to choose sides, as the party is bitterly divided over the U.S. role in foreign policy.

Rumsfeld docu director puzzled by ex-defense chief Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:19 PM PDT VENICE, Italy (AP) — Director Errol Morris spent 33 hours interviewing Donald Rumsfeld for his new documentary "The Unknown Known." But Morris says the former U.S. defense secretary proved hard to fathom.

Iraqi Kurdistan gets three hours to build for 5,000 refugees Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:07 PM PDT Trucks cut through the dry makeshift streets, spreading dust over the tops of the tents stretching through Kawergosk Refugee Camp near Arbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish province. Three weeks ago, this was empty land on the edge of a tiny town.

As Syria looms large, Rumsfeld squirms on Iraq in new film Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:06 PM PDT As the US mulls intervening in the Middle East again, former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld wriggles out of straight answers on the Iraq war in Errol Morris's new documentary, screening in Venice Wednesday.

Weapon of choice against al Qaeda, drones marginal in Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 01:05 PM PDT By Tabassum Zakaria and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Prowling the skies of Pakistan and Yemen, armed drones are America's weapon of choice in its war against al Qaeda, but they are unlikely to play a major role in any U.S. strike against Syria, underscoring the limitations of unmanned aircraft. Drones do not have the capability for air-to-air combat and would be vulnerable to Syria's defense system of surface-to-air missiles and radar which can track and shoot down warplanes, never mind slower-moving drones. ...

Syria forces possible GOP candidates to pick sides Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:59 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama's plea to Congress for the go-ahead for military strikes against Syria is forcing ambitious Republicans weighing a White House bid to choose sides, as the party is bitterly divided over the U.S. role in foreign policy.

US Families of Camp Ashraf Residents Demand US Protection for Their Loved Ones, Not More Hollow Promises Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:58 PM PDT WASHINGTON, Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The US Committee for Camp Ashraf Residents (USCCAR), on behalf of Iranian-Americans whose loved ones in Camp Ashraf in Iraq were executed one-by-one on September 1 by the Iraqi forces acting on orders from the Iranian regime, calls on the US President Barak Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry to take immediate measures to provide the US-promised protection for our loved ones in camps Ashraf and Liberty. ...

Senate panel votes to authorize force in Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:27 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate panel has voted to give President Barack Obama the authority to use military force against Syria in response to a deadly chemical weapons attack.

Al-Qaida-linked rebels attack village in Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:26 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Al-Qaida-linked rebels launched an assault on a regime-held Christian mountain village in the densely populated west of Syria and new clashes erupted near the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday — part of a brutal battle of attrition each side believes it can win despite more than two years of deadlock.

End Syria 'cycle of horror', swamped neighbours and UN say Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:17 PM PDT The UN refugee agency and Syria's overburdened neighbours Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan and Iraq on Wednesday urged the international community to put differences aside and find a common solution to end the "cycle of horror".

Syria clashes in Christian village, near capital Posted: 04 Sep 2013 12:12 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Al-Qaida-linked rebels launched an assault on a regime-held Christian mountain village in the densely populated west of Syria and new clashes erupted near the capital, Damascus, on Wednesday — part of a brutal battle of attrition each side believes it can win despite more than two years of deadlock.

Director Morris defends his 'smiling Rumsfeld' film Posted: 04 Sep 2013 11:58 AM PDT By Michael Roddy VENICE (Reuters) - American filmmaker Errol Morris defended "The Unknown Known" on Wednesday from criticism he failed to ask tough questions in his documentary profile of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who oversaw the Iraq War. Rumsfeld, famous for his statement that "stuff happens" in response to the looting of Baghdad after the American-led invasion, is shown smiling almost obsessively throughout the film which had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival. ...

US aims for psychological effect with strikes on Syria: experts Posted: 04 Sep 2013 11:45 AM PDT Limited military strikes against Syria favored by President Barack Obama may have a psychological effect but little practical impact on the Damascus regime's firepower, experts said Wednesday.

Mayo Clinic Physician Answers Call to Army Service Posted: 04 Sep 2013 10:00 AM PDT FORT KNOX, Ky., Sept. 4, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the late '60s, when thousands of American troops were fighting in Vietnam, Dr. Walter Franz, now a family doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and a colonel in the Army Reserve, was beginning to pursue his college education which he hoped would lead to a degree in medicine.(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire. ...

Caucasus Islamists in Syria split with Qaeda-linked rebels: video Posted: 04 Sep 2013 09:57 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - A group of Islamist militants from Russia's volatile North Caucasus region fighting in Syria have split with a major al Qaeda-linked rebel unit to form an independent battalion, according to a video posted online. Militants who have travelled from Russia's North Caucasus region, where the Kremlin is fighting an Islamist insurgency, have emerged as some of the most effective fighters waging battle against President Bashar al-Assad. ...

French PM: Assad could strike again if no one acts Posted: 04 Sep 2013 09:55 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — France's prime minister made a passionate appeal Wednesday for intervention in Syria, placing the blame for a chemical attack on Syrian President Bashar Assad and warning that inaction could let him carry out more atrocities.

18 Shiite family members killed as Iraq unrest surges Posted: 04 Sep 2013 09:54 AM PDT Attacks around Baghdad and north Iraq left 33 people dead on Wednesday, including 18 members of a Shiite family killed by militants, the latest in a nationwide surge of violence.

German spy agency sees Assad behind gas attack, cites phone call Posted: 04 Sep 2013 09:26 AM PDT By Alexandra Hudson BERLIN (Reuters) - A Hezbollah official has said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad ordered a poison gas attack last month and that it considered the move a mistake which showed he was losing his grip, according to German intelligence. Participants at a confidential meeting of German lawmakers on Monday said the head of the BND foreign intelligence agency told them it had intercepted a phone call believed to be between a high-ranking member of the Lebanese Shi'ite militant group and the Iranian Embassy in Damascus. ...

France asks: Should Hollande be able to OK Syrian action unilaterally? Posted: 04 Sep 2013 09:24 AM PDT The French parliament has been convened today for a special debate on Syria, as the west considers whether or not it will strike the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Exclusive: Former Syria defense minister defects in break with Assad Posted: 04 Sep 2013 09:05 AM PDT By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Amena Bakr AMMAN/DOHA (Reuters) - Former Syrian Defence Minister General Ali Habib, a prominent member of President Bashar al-Assad's Alawite sect, has defected and is now in Turkey, a senior member of the opposition Syrian National Coalition told Reuters on Wednesday. If his defection is confirmed, Habib would be the highest ranking figure from the Alawite minority to break with Assad since the uprising against him began in 2011. It comes at a time when forces loyal to Assad have made progress against the rebels on the battlefield but face the possibility of a U.S. ...

Syrian exodus to go on if chemical attack ignored: Turkey Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:57 AM PDT GENEVA (Reuters) - The Syrian refugee crisis may worsen if there is no international reaction in response to last month's alleged chemical weapons attack, Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Wednesday. "If the same trend continues... and there is no international reaction to it, we are scared neighboring countries face much bigger numbers of refugees," he said at a news conference in Geneva hosted by the U.N. refugee agency. ...

Column: The politics of Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:55 AM PDT By Bill Schneider Congressional Democrats are in a bind. If they vote to authorize a military strike on Syria, they could be putting the country on a slippery slope to war. But if they vote no, they will deliver a crushing defeat to their president. What President Barack Obama did was call their bluff. Last week, more than 50 House Democrats signed a letter urging the president to "seek an affirmative decision of Congress" before committing to any military engagement. That was the Democrats' way of going on record to express reservations about what Obama sounded like he was going to do anyway. ...

Why democracy is an insufficient force against WMD Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:43 AM PDT By John Lloyd The British parliament's refusal to countenance military intervention in Syria, and President Barack Obama's decision to delay a strike until Congress approves it, point to a larger, even more dangerous contradiction of the mass destruction age. That is, parliamentary democracy and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) sit ill together. Each confounds the other's natural working. This is for two reasons. ...

Analysis: U.S. strike on Syria could derail Iran president's master plan Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:42 AM PDT By Yeganeh Torbati DUBAI (Reuters) - If one thing could scuttle Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's big plan - to fix Iran's economy by winning some relief from Western sanctions - a U.S. strike on Tehran's ally Syria is it. Rouhani's June election landslide won him the cautious backing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to pursue his pledge to engage with Western countries and attempt to ease Iran's isolation over Tehran's nuclear program. ...

How potential presidential contenders for 2016 are approaching Syria Posted: 04 Sep 2013 08:27 AM PDT The potential presidential candidates for 2016 only have to look at Secretary of State John Kerry, the man making President Obama's case for military action against Syria, to be reminded of the perils of voting for a war.

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