Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Afghan security deal clouded by dispute over U.S. admission of 'mistakes'
• US, Afghans work toward agreement on night raids
• Afghanistan, US solve security pact impasse
• Afghans say deal agreed with U.S. for Obama to acknowledge war 'mistakes'
• Bombardier strikes CSeries deal with Iraqi Airways
• Behind Lebanon suicide blasts, growing Saudi-Iran rivalry
• UNHCR urges governments to offer Iranian exiles haven
• Nation's First Conference On Veterans And Criminal Justice System, Veterans Treatment Court Conference, Focuses On Veterans' Substance Abuse And Mental Health Crisis, Opens 8AM Mon Dec 2 In DC
• Can Obama keep campaign promise on Afghanistan?
• Why Albania's refusal to take Syria's WMDs is a sign of democracy
• Suicide bombings at Iran Embassy in Beirut kill 23
• One Gay Man's Army
• Suicide bombings kill 23 near Iran embassy in Beirut
• Deadly suicide blasts rock Iran embassy in Beirut
• Netanyahu takes Iran nuclear campaign to Kremlin
• Iran, Qatar book Asian Cup places, China wait
• Soccer-Iran, Qatar book Asian Cup places, China wait
• Lebanon blasts: Q&A about why they happened
• Syria troops seize strategic Qara village
• US marks 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
• The Botched Rollout of Obamacare Is Like …
• Suicide blasts near Iran Embassy in Beirut kill 23
• Obama skips Gettysburg events because of Obamacare
• 'Catching Fire' Gets 'Hunger Games' Right
• Syrian troops capture key town near Lebanon border
• Iraq strives to return to big oil output growth
• Bombardier to sell 5 jets to Iraqi Airways for $387 million
• Reuters Sports Schedule at 1400 GMT on Tuesday, Nov 19
• Al-Qaida-linked group claims deadly Beirut blasts
• Syria rebel chieftain killed; Assad forces bomb besieged town
• Thousands of Afghan elders to decide if U.S. troops stay or go
• Blackwater Founder Erik Prince 'Regrets' Working for US State Dept
• Iraq hangs 12 convicted of terror charges
• Afghan elders to discuss key security deal with the US
• Today in History
• Fu's China are one win from Asian Cup spot
• The World Isn't Optimistic About Obama's "If You Like Your Plan" Fix

Afghan security deal clouded by dispute over U.S. admission of 'mistakes' Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:31 PM PST By Hamid Shalizi and Lesley Wroughton KABUL/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Last-minute efforts to finalize a security pact between the United States and Afghanistan were clouded on Tuesday by differences over whether President Barack Obama had agreed to issue a letter acknowledging U.S. mistakes made during the 12-year war. But Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, insisted that such an offer - which would draw criticism from Republicans and anger American war veterans - is "not on the table." A spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai said an Obama letter was part of talks on a long-sought security pact that would allow a residual force of U.S. troops to stay in Afghanistan beyond 2014.

US, Afghans work toward agreement on night raids Posted: 19 Nov 2013 03:48 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In a phone call Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry acknowledged "mistakes" and asked Afghan President Hamid Karzai to allow American forces to enter Afghan homes in "exceptional circumstances" as the two sides rushed to finalize the wording of a draft security agreement ahead of a meeting of tribal elders who must approve the deal.

Afghanistan, US solve security pact impasse Posted: 19 Nov 2013 03:30 PM PST Afghanistan and the United States have solved a key sticking point in a crucial security pact just two days before it was due to be voted on by Afghan tribal and political leaders, an Afghan official said Tuesday. Aimal Faizi, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman, told reporters in Kabul that the deal would allow US troops to enter Afghan homes once Nato forces withdraw in 2014 but only in "extraordinary circumstances" where there was an urgent risk to life. Faizi said President Karzai and Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone Tuesday during final negotiations for the bilateral security treaty (BSA) which will shape Washington's future military presence in the war-scarred nation. Even if a final agreement is reached, Afghanistan has insisted that the BSA must be approved by a mass gathering of tribal chieftains and politicians.

Afghans say deal agreed with U.S. for Obama to acknowledge war 'mistakes' Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:54 PM PST By Hamid Shalizi and Jessica Donati KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan government said on Tuesday it had reached a deal on the framework of a security pact with the United States after receiving assurances that President Barack Obama would issue a letter acknowledging U.S. mistakes made during the 12-year war. But despite the Afghan announcement, the Obama administration did not confirm that it had agreed to such a letter, which could draw criticism from Republicans and anger U.S. veterans of the war. And the State Department said some issues between the sides still had to be resolved before a final deal was reached with Afghanistan that would allow U.S. troops to stay there beyond 2014. Afghan President Hamid Karzai and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, in a phone call on Tuesday, overcame the main stumbling blocks to an agreement that will be put before the Loya Jirga, an assembly of Afghan tribal and political leaders due to meet in Kabul on Thursday, Karzai's spokesman said.

Bombardier strikes CSeries deal with Iraqi Airways Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:47 PM PST said on Tuesday it has signed a letter of intent to sell five CSeries jetliners to Iraqi Airways, the first new deal since June for the aircraft, which the Canadian planemaker has spent billions developing. The news from the Dubai Airshow lifted Bombardier's shares modestly with investors continuing to be tentative, awaiting more closely watched "firm" orders for the new plane. Testing was slow to start, but is advancing according to plan, CSeries program director Sebastien Mullot told a Scotiabank Transportation and Aerospace Conference in Toronto on Tuesday.

Behind Lebanon suicide blasts, growing Saudi-Iran rivalry Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:13 PM PST Iran is a staunch backer of the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, providing logistical support and training. Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, is a champion of the mainly Sunni armed opposition in Syria, a role it reportedly intends to pursue more forcefully in the coming months. The bomb attack, which killed 23 people, was not the first to hit the mainly Shiite-populated southern suburbs of Beirut this year. It also came amid indications that a long-anticipated regime offensive against the rebel-held Qalamoun region between Damascus and Homs is under way, which is expected to trigger a violent backlash in Lebanon.

UNHCR urges governments to offer Iranian exiles haven Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:05 PM PST The UN refugee agency Tuesday urged the international community to give a haven to several thousand Iranian opposition members whose camps in Iraq have come under repeated attack. "Since the September 1, 2013 attack on Camp New Iraq where 52 residents died, there has been limited progress in moving the remaining residents to a third country," the office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. "UNHCR encourages all member states to share in the international efforts, admit residents and offer them a long-term solution," it added. The UN has been searching since 2011 for countries willing to host the exiles, who are unwanted by Iraq.

Nation's First Conference On Veterans And Criminal Justice System, Veterans Treatment Court Conference, Focuses On Veterans' Substance Abuse And Mental Health Crisis, Opens 8AM Mon Dec 2 In DC Posted: 19 Nov 2013 01:05 PM PST 4-Star Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Former Drug Czar), Gen. Eric Shinseki (Sec Of Veterans Affairs), Actress & Justice For Vets Senior Director Melissa Fitzgerald, Iraq-Afghanistan Returning Veterans, Judges Speak1 in 6 Returning Vets Suffers from Substance Abuse, 1 in 5 a Mental Health Condition; "National Crisis of Alarming Proportions"8-10 AM, Mon. December 2, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, DC,2660 Woodley Rd NW; Open to MediaAlso Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey To Speak At Closing Session 8 AM December 4WASHINGTON, Nov. ...

Can Obama keep campaign promise on Afghanistan? Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:44 PM PST President Barack Obama's credibility, stretched thin by the broken promise of Obamacare, may soon face another difficult test: explaining how his promise to end the war in Afghanistan squares with leaving thousands of U.S. and NATO troops there.

Why Albania's refusal to take Syria's WMDs is a sign of democracy Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:36 PM PST Rather, it was because, by rejecting the US request, the government showed something that's been a rarity in Albania: obeying the will of the people. In a televised speech, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, said it is "impossible for Albania to take part in this operation." The announcement was greeted by cheers from many of the 2,000 protesters that had waved placards and chanted "no to chemical weapons" outside Mr. Rama's office in the capital city, Tirana. "I don't remember in the past two decades seeing a peaceful protest in Albania where the government listened to the people, [and] afterwards everyone celebrated and then went home. it's what we have been hoping for over the past 20 years," says Besar Likmeta, a Tirana-based editor for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.

Suicide bombings at Iran Embassy in Beirut kill 23 Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:36 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Suicide bombers struck the Iranian Embassy on Tuesday, killing 23 people, including a diplomat, and wounding more than 140 others in a "message of blood and death" to Tehran and Hezbollah — both supporters of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

One Gay Man's Army Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:01 PM PST On his first day with his new platoon at Fort Hood, Micah Merrill stood in the platoon office while several noncommissioned officers asked him a series of typical bureaucratic questions — about physical fitness, prior military service, etc. — until things got weird. "Have you seen Brokeback Mountain?"  Specialist Merrill is exactly the guy critics were talking about when they warned it was a bad idea to end Don't Ask Don't Tell during wartime. He'd known since junior high that he wanted to serve, but the anti-gay policy kept him out. As soon as the Pentagon signaled that DADT would be ending soon, he enlisted in the Army in July 2011.

Suicide bombings kill 23 near Iran embassy in Beirut Posted: 19 Nov 2013 11:57 AM PST By Laila Bassam and Erika Solomon BEIRUT (Reuters) - Two suicide bombings rocked Iran's embassy compound in Lebanon on Tuesday, killing at least 23 people including an Iranian cultural attache and hurling bodies and burning wreckage across a debris-strewn street. A Lebanon-based al Qaeda-linked group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, claimed responsibility and threatened further attacks unless Iran withdraws forces from Syria, where they have backed President Bashar al-Assad's 2-1/2-year-old war against rebels. Security camera footage showed a man in an explosives belt rushing towards the outer wall of the embassy in Beirut before blowing himself up, Lebanese officials said. In a Twitter post, Sheikh Sirajeddine Zuraiqat, the religious guide of the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, said the group had carried out the attack.

Deadly suicide blasts rock Iran embassy in Beirut Posted: 19 Nov 2013 11:53 AM PST A double suicide bombing outside the Iranian embassy in Beirut killed at least 23 people on Tuesday, in an attack claimed by an Al-Qaeda-linked group. The army said a motorcyclist blew himself up moments before a suicide bomber blew up a four-wheel-drive vehicle in the south Beirut stronghold of Hezbollah, an ally of both Iran and the regime in neighbouring Syria. Residents walked dazed past charred cars and trees, as soldiers and Hezbollah security men tried to secure the area.

Netanyahu takes Iran nuclear campaign to Kremlin Posted: 19 Nov 2013 11:11 AM PST At odds with ally Washington over an emerging nuclear agreement with Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will on Wednesday take his campaign against the deal to Moscow. Russia is a member of the P5+1 group -- alongside the United States, China, France, Britain and Germany -- which has been struggling to reach a deal to freeze or curb Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for some relief from international sanctions. Israel is staunchly opposed to the mooted interim agreement, insisting it will give Iran vital sanctions relief while failing to halt Tehran's alleged march towards a "breakout" nuclear weapons capability. "We'd like (the Russians) to have a better understanding of our concerns and the need to prevent Iran from having a breakout capacity," an Israeli official told AFP ahead of the trip.

Iran, Qatar book Asian Cup places, China wait Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:58 AM PST Three-times champions Iran cruised into the 2015 Asian Cup finals after thrashing Lebanon 4-1 on Tuesday, but China missed the chance to join them and face a nerve-jangling final qualifier after being held to a goalless draw by Saudi Arabia. World Cup-bound Iran were one of five teams to qualify for the finals from the nine matches played in the penultimate round on Tuesday, with fellow west Asian sides Qatar, Oman and Kuwait also securing berths, as well as Uzbekistan.

Soccer-Iran, Qatar book Asian Cup places, China wait Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:57 AM PST * Oman, Uzbekistan and Kuwait also qualify * China, Iraq to square off in Group C decider * UAE maintain 100 percent record By Patrick Johnston Nov 19 (Reuters) - Three-times champions Iran cruised into the 2015 Asian Cup finals after thrashing Lebanon 4-1 on Tuesday, but China missed the chance to join them and face a nerve-jangling final qualifier after being held to a goalless draw by Saudi Arabia. World Cup-bound Iran were one of five teams to qualify for the finals from the nine matches played in the penultimate round on Tuesday, with fellow west Asian sides Qatar, Oman and Kuwait also securing berths, as well as Uzbekistan.

Lebanon blasts: Q&A about why they happened Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:26 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — A pair of suicide bombers targeted the Iranian Embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, killing some two dozen people and leaving corpses, puddles of blood and burning cars strewn across an upscale, Shiite-dominated neighborhood of the capital.

Syria troops seize strategic Qara village Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:10 AM PST Syrian troops on Tuesday captured the village of Qara in the mountainous Qalamoun region on a key supply route between Damascus and Homs, the army said in a statement. The reported capture came after days of air strikes on the region near the Lebanese border, which is also a key smuggling route for rebels battling to oust President Bashar al-Assad. "This morning units from our armed forces succeeded in taking control of the town of Qara in Damascus province," said the army, adding that many "terrorists" had been killed in the fighting. Qara is located some 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of the capital, and close to the Lebanese border.

US marks 150th anniversary of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Posted: 19 Nov 2013 10:02 AM PST Gettysburg (United States) (AFP) - The Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln's undying call for a "new birth of freedom" at the bloody turning point of the US Civil War, turned 150 years old Tuesday, even as the union he fought to preserve quarrels bitterly over the role of government. Thousands of people bundled up against the autumn chill -- some in Civil War era uniform -- crowded into the Soldiers' National Cemetery where Lincoln delivered the 272 words that became one of the most revered speeches in US history. "This is a dream come true for me," said Walter Whitten, a retired African American veteran who traveled from Hawaii with his wife Debra for the ceremony. The crowd burst into cheers and applause when 21 new US citizens were sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

The Botched Rollout of Obamacare Is Like … Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:36 AM PST HealthCare.gov has been compared to just about every catastrophe in recent and not-so-recent history: the Iraq War, the Battle of Waterloo, the Challenger disaster, and Hurricane Katrina. You can read those very nuanced smart takes all over the Internet. Here however, we're going to focus on a very important statistic associated with all of these disasters that has been resoundingly ignored: how many people actually died.

Suicide blasts near Iran Embassy in Beirut kill 23 Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:36 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Two suicide bombers detonated explosions outside the Iranian Embassy in a mainly Shiite district of the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, killing 23 people, including the Iranian cultural attaché, apparently in retaliation for the Lebanese group Hezbollah's support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Obama skips Gettysburg events because of Obamacare Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:21 AM PST President Barack Obama is skipping events marking 150 years since Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address.

'Catching Fire' Gets 'Hunger Games' Right Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:14 AM PST The problem with the first Hunger Games movie, based on the first book in Suzanne Collins's bestselling young adult novel series, was that it stripped the story of its most necessary aspect. She's into him too, but she can't risk harming the all-important Peeta-and-Katniss narrative.

Syrian troops capture key town near Lebanon border Posted: 19 Nov 2013 09:10 AM PST DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian government troops captured a key town near the Lebanese border from rebels on Tuesday, days after launching a broad offensive in the mountainous western region, state media, activists and the army said.

Iraq strives to return to big oil output growth Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:48 AM PST By Peg Mackey and Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - Iraq's oil industry is poised for a second year of only modest growth in 2014, starting off slowly as extensive work at a major port curbs exports and red tape and violence prompt some oil firms to delay projects. on Tuesday postponed the start of production at the Badra oilfield to next year, citing delays by Iraq in approving tenders, customs clearance, failures by contractors to deliver work on time and concerns over security of employees and property. So far in November, Iraq has exported 2.1 million bpd from its southern terminals and about 300,000 bpd of Kirkuk crude from the north, according to shipping data and industry sources. "There is certainly no short-term upside in export infrastructure," another senior oil industry source said.

Bombardier to sell 5 jets to Iraqi Airways for $387 million Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:15 AM PST has signed a letter of intent to sell five CSeries jetliners to Iraqi Airways, the Canadian plane and train maker said on Tuesday. Iraq's national carrier will acquire five of the CS300 jets with options for 11 more planes, the company said in an announcement at the Dubai Airshow. Iraq Airways currently operates six of Bombardier's CRJ900 NextGen regional jets. Gulf carriers like Qatar Airways have also shown interest in the plane.

Reuters Sports Schedule at 1400 GMT on Tuesday, Nov 19 Posted: 19 Nov 2013 06:00 AM PST Reuters sports schedule at 1400 GMT on Tuesday: - - - - SOCCER 2014 World Cup playoffs Europe Romania v Greece (1900) (first leg 1-3) Croatia v Iceland (1915) (0-0) Sweden v Portugal (1945) (0-1) France v Ukraine (2000) (0-2) Greece, Portugal and Ukraine hold leads going into the second legs while Croatia and Iceland start level on the final day of European World Cup qualifying. ...

Al-Qaida-linked group claims deadly Beirut blasts Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:02 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — An al-Qaida-linked group claimed responsibility for twin suicide bombings that struck outside the Iranian Embassy in Beirut on Tuesday, killing 23 people, including an Iranian diplomat.

Syria rebel chieftain killed; Assad forces bomb besieged town Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:13 AM PST By Khaled Yacoub Oweis and Dominic Evans AMMAN/ARSAL, Lebanon (Reuters) - President Bashar al-Assad's forces fired rocket and artillery barrages on a besieged mountain town near Lebanon on Monday in a push to capture the strategic area following advances against rebels in Damascus and in the north of Syria. In a separate setback for the fighters, a prominent rebel leader died overnight in a Turkish hospital of wounds suffered in an air raid on Aleppo. Abdelqader Saleh, head of the Qatar-backed Sunni Islamist al-Tawhid Brigades, had been working on regrouping fighters in Aleppo before he was killed.

Thousands of Afghan elders to decide if U.S. troops stay or go Posted: 19 Nov 2013 01:29 AM PST By Hamid Shalizi KABUL (Reuters) - Thousands of Afghan tribal and political leaders will gather in the Afghan capital this week to decide whether to allow U.S. troops to stay after the 2014 drawdown of foreign forces. Without an accord on the Bilateral Security Agreement, the United States says it could pull out all of its troops at the end of 2014, leaving Afghanistan's fledgling security forces on their own to fight the Taliban-led insurgency. Security was tight in Kabul ahead of the Loya Jirga, a traditional Afghan grand assembly convened to debate matters of national importance, following a suicide bomb attack outside the tent over the weekend. "The Loya Jirga is crucial for the future of our country," said Farhad Sediqqi, a member of parliament who will attend the assembly.

Blackwater Founder Erik Prince 'Regrets' Working for US State Dept Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:42 AM PST Prince Fights to Reclaim His Reputation, Talks About New Book

Iraq hangs 12 convicted of terror charges Posted: 19 Nov 2013 12:13 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — An Iraqi official says his country has hanged 12 prisoners convicted of terrorism-related charges.

Afghan elders to discuss key security deal with the US Posted: 18 Nov 2013 10:26 PM PST Thousands of tribal chieftains and politicians will gather this week in the Afghan capital to discuss a security pact with the United States which will shape Washington's future military presence in the war-scarred nation. The bilateral security agreement (BSA) will determine how many US soldiers stay in Afghanistan when most of NATO's troops deployed in the country since 2001 -- currently numbering 75,000 -- leave at the end of 2014. And the Taliban have branded the meeting a US-designed plot, vowing to pursue and punish its delegates as traitors if they approve the BSA. Highlighting the security challenges facing Afghanistan, a Taliban suicide bombing near the venue on Saturday killed a dozen people, most of them civilians.

Today in History Posted: 18 Nov 2013 09:02 PM PST Today is Tuesday, Nov. 19, the 323rd day of 2013. There are 42 days left in the year.

Fu's China are one win from Asian Cup spot Posted: 18 Nov 2013 06:08 PM PST China can put a lacklustre qualifying campaign behind them and write more positive headlines for the national game by clinching their Asian Cup spot in a game against Saudi Arabia Tuesday. Victory in Xian against the already qualified Saudis would put China into their 11th consecutive Asian Cup, with a game -- a tough away fixture against Iraq -- to spare. It would also mark a significant achievement for caretaker manager Fu Bo, who took over after the dismissal of the expensively hired Juan Antonio Camacho. China are one of six teams who can seal their Australia 2015 berth this week, with Iran, Uzbekistan, Kuwait, Qatar and Oman also hoping to book their tickets.

The World Isn't Optimistic About Obama's "If You Like Your Plan" Fix Posted: 18 Nov 2013 02:34 PM PST Last week President Obama apologized for, and tried to fix, the flawed rollout of Healthcare.gov. It didn't go well, and the foreign press noticed. While America has been less than kind in its coverage of Obama's "if you like you plan, you can keep it (for real)" speech, the foreign press has been impressed by the rare sight of a president admitting he screwed up. Still, that's not helping his approval ratings, and the foreign press has picked up on his record low numbers, his declining political clout, and the barely contained glee of Republicans and conservatives.

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