Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• RADICAL ISLAM IS ON THE WANE IN TUNISIA
• Despite shutdown, U.S. Congress saves Iraqi interpreter visa program
• Gaps emerge in U.S. efforts to shield troops, vets from shutdown
• Disarmament experts report early progress in Syria
• Iraq: Deadly bomb blast hits soccer field
• Syria rebels try to end infighting near Turkish border
• Bill on special visas for Iraqis heads to Obama
• Five killed in Iraq football field bombing
• Iraq officials say bombing at soccer field kills 5
• Unpaid US government workers struggle to get by
• Syrian rebels urge rival groups to end infighting
• Revenge or retribution: Is it possible to prosecute war crimes for Syria?
• Syria army retakes northern town of Raqa
• Syria rebel groups tell Qaeda to quit border town
• Syrian rebels call on rivals to end infighting
• U.S., Japan to modernize alliance to counter 21st century threats
• Australian building giant in graft scandal
• How the Republican echo chamber is worsening the government shutdown
• House advances Iraqi visas legislation
• Bahrain rifts widen amid arrests and trials

RADICAL ISLAM IS ON THE WANE IN TUNISIA Posted: 03 Oct 2013 04:00 PM PDT Washington -- Two years ago this fall, when the uprising in the relatively middle-class country of Tunisia started the "Arab Spring" that shook the entire region to its foundations, the common wisdom was that there was no turning back from these changes.What's more, the revolution spread from country to country, seemingly without surcease -- Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Iraq, Syria -- until it appeared to be the same conflict breaking out in every country. ...

Despite shutdown, U.S. Congress saves Iraqi interpreter visa program Posted: 03 Oct 2013 03:08 PM PDT By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers took a break from bitter debate over government spending to save a program granting special visas to civilian interpreters who risked their lives to work for the American military in Iraq, sending it to the White House on Thursday for President Barack Obama's signature. The House of Representatives and the Senate passed by unanimous voice votes a measure that extended the Iraqi Special Immigrant Visa program for three months. Lawmakers said they expected Obama would sign the extension into law shortly. ...

Gaps emerge in U.S. efforts to shield troops, vets from shutdown Posted: 03 Oct 2013 01:24 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When President Barack Obama signed the "Pay Our Military Act" on Monday, the goal was to ensure that U.S. troops get their salaries on time during the federal government shutdown along with essential payments like housing allowances. But what about enlistment bonuses, which some sailors say are being delayed? And Pentagon lawyers are also still trying to determine whether they can immediately pay benefits like death gratuities to families of any troops who might die on active duty during the shutdown. ...

Disarmament experts report early progress in Syria Posted: 03 Oct 2013 12:29 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — International inspectors racing to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons stockpile said Thursday they have made "encouraging initial progress" in their mission, and they hope to start onsite inspections and to begin disabling equipment within a week.

Iraq: Deadly bomb blast hits soccer field Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:21 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A bomb exploded near a soccer field while teenagers were playing south of Baghdad, the deadliest of three attacks that left eight dead in Iraq on Thursday, according to authorities.

Syria rebels try to end infighting near Turkish border Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Several powerful Syrian rebel groups on Thursday demanded al Qaeda-linked militants and a rival rebel faction stop fighting and called on the hardline Islamists to withdraw their forces within 48 hours, a statement said. The al Qaeda-affiliated Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized Azaz, about 5 km (3 miles) from the frontier with Turkey, last month and has repeatedly clashed with the local Northern Storm brigade since then. A previous attempt by rebel groups to broker a truce between the two sides did not hold. ...

Bill on special visas for Iraqis heads to Obama Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:09 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure to provide special visas for Iraqis who risked their lives to help the United States is heading to President Barack Obama.

Five killed in Iraq football field bombing Posted: 03 Oct 2013 11:03 AM PDT Baghdad (AFP) - A bomb exploded near a football field in Iraq on Thursday, killing five people and wounding at least 11, officials said.

Iraq officials say bombing at soccer field kills 5 Posted: 03 Oct 2013 10:09 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say a bomb has exploded near a soccer field while teenagers were playing south of Baghdad, killing at least five people.

Unpaid US government workers struggle to get by Posted: 03 Oct 2013 09:48 AM PDT Washington (AFP) - The day after the US government ran out of money, Maria Njoku called her landlord to let him know she would be late with the rent.

Syrian rebels urge rival groups to end infighting Posted: 03 Oct 2013 08:19 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Several prominent Syrian rebel groups called on two armed opposition factions, one linked to al-Qaida and the other to the more moderate Western-backed opposition, to end days of deadly infighting in northern Syria.

Revenge or retribution: Is it possible to prosecute war crimes for Syria? Posted: 03 Oct 2013 07:44 AM PDT The videos of people writhing and crying in a Damascus suburb – civilian victims of an apparent sarin gas attack – prompted international outrage and nearly resulted in missile and air strikes by the US against Syria.

Syria army retakes northern town of Raqa Posted: 03 Oct 2013 07:35 AM PDT Beirut (AFP) - Syria's army took back control of a strategic town in the northern province of Aleppo on Thursday after a weeks-long battle pitting troops against rebels, a monitoring group said.

Syria rebel groups tell Qaeda to quit border town Posted: 03 Oct 2013 03:31 AM PDT Beirut (AFP) - Six of the most powerful rebel factions in Syria issued a joint statement on Thursday telling an Al-Qaeda front group to withdraw from the northern town of Azaz bordering Turkey.

Syrian rebels call on rivals to end infighting Posted: 03 Oct 2013 02:07 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Six Syrian rebel groups are calling on two major rival rebel factions battling each other in the north to end the infighting.

U.S., Japan to modernize alliance to counter 21st century threats Posted: 03 Oct 2013 12:19 AM PDT By Lesley Wroughton and David Alexander TOKYO (Reuters) - The United States and Japan agreed on Thursday to modernize their defense alliance for the first time in 16 years to address growing concerns about North Korea's nuclear program, global terrorism, cyber intrusions and other 21st century threats. The move to modernize the U.S.-Japanese defense alliance follows President Barack Obama's decision to strategically rebalance U.S. forces to the Asia-Pacific region following a dozen years of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...

Australian building giant in graft scandal Posted: 02 Oct 2013 11:26 PM PDT Sydney (AFP) - Australian construction giant Leighton Holdings, which operates in more than 20 countries, said Thursday it was "deeply concerned" by allegations of bribery and widespread corruption within the company.

How the Republican echo chamber is worsening the government shutdown Posted: 02 Oct 2013 11:08 PM PDT On the night of the 2012 presidential election, a bewildered Karl Rove insisted that Fox News was wrong to call Ohio for President Obama, sending anchor Megyn Kelly on her infamously awkward walk to the decision desk.

House advances Iraqi visas legislation Posted: 02 Oct 2013 06:11 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A measure to provide special visas for Iraqis who risked their lives to help the United States is one step closer to securing President Barack Obama's signature.

Bahrain rifts widen amid arrests and trials Posted: 02 Oct 2013 11:08 AM PDT MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — When U.S. President Barack Obama mentioned Bahrain as one of the Middle East's flashpoints of sectarian conflict, the Shiite-led opposition in the Gulf nation cheered and the kingdom's Western-backed Sunni rulers went on the defensive.

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