Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Soldier Connects Terrorist in Kentucky to Slain Brothers in Arms
• US warns Karzai to sign security pact
• First female Marines pass infantry training – but no combat yet
• US-Afghanistan alliance will be more than shared interests
• The US military's camouflage fashion show
• Pope says 'no Middle East without Christians'
• Karzai: Sign US-Afghan security pact next year
• US Ospreys show worth in Philippines aid effort
• First women complete US Marine infantry course
• Battlefield gains to boost Assad hand at peace talks
• Fight for Aleppo base kills 15 Syria militia
• Syria army makes gains as peace talks await
• National Geographic Traveler Magazine Announces Its 2014 Best of the World List
• Women Still Have Hurdles to Climb in Military, Including Being Too Pretty
• Car bomb in northern Iraq kills 25
• Qaeda faction urges Syria jihadists to unite
• Iraqi Shiites claim mortar fire on Saudi desert area
• Truck bomb, attacks kill at least 48 in Iraq
• Iraq attacks kill 48 as 2013 toll tops 5,800
• Lebanon pushed to edge _ but, somehow, not over it
• Lebanon town braces for new flood of Syria refugees
• Karzai tells Afghan loya jirga that US not to be trusted
• Afghan Loya Jirga: What Is It and Why America Cares What It Decides
• Truck bomb, attacks kill at least 38 in Iraq
• Undergrad Research At Texas A&M Spotlighted In Student-Run Scholarly Journal
• Syria roadside bomb wounds 2 Jordanian writers
• Afghan president wants to defer signing of US deal
• Jihadi groups 'devour' Syria's revolutionary children
• Four Britons die fighting in Syria: report
• Truck bomb kills at least 31 in Iraq
• What 11 Billion People Mean for Water Scarcity
• Iraq militia says fires mortar bombs at Saudi as warning
• Insight: Assad's sarin and how an Albanian 'Yes' became 'No'
• Kuwait's national airline resumes Iraq flights in sign of post-war thaw
• Afghan president will defer signing US deal
• Mortar fire hits Saudi desert near Iraq, Kuwait borders
• More Syrians flood into Lebanon to escape fighting
• In Qatar desert, Syrian opposition mourns fallen commander
• Saudi Arabia says six shells fall near border post close to Iraq, Kuwait

Soldier Connects Terrorist in Kentucky to Slain Brothers in Arms Posted: 21 Nov 2013 03:52 PM PST Iraq Bomb Blast Survivors Stunned to Learn Alleged Attacker Moved to US, Set Up Shop in Bowling Green

US warns Karzai to sign security pact Posted: 21 Nov 2013 02:41 PM PST The United States Thursday warned Afghanistan to sign a new security pact as soon as possible, as top officials hinted that prolonged delays could mean no post-2014 US troop presence. Washington's latest run-in with President Hamid Karzai was set off by the Afghan leader's statement that the painstakingly negotiated pact should not be signed until after his country's next election in April. But US officials bristled, saying the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA), which governs conditions of any post-war American counter terrorism and training mission in Afghanistan, must be signed by the end of the year. The White House said it needed a swift decision from Karzai to start planning the footprint of any US forces, and trying to exert leverage, said Obama had not yet decided on whether to keep US forces in Afghanistan.

First female Marines pass infantry training – but no combat yet Posted: 21 Nov 2013 02:38 PM PST In a historic first, three women graduated from US Marine infantry training school Thursday, having passed 59 days of, indeed, "really hard" tests, including a 12.5-mile march through the woods of North Carolina, lugging 85-pound packs. But these newly minted US Marines, who were held to the same standards of physical and combat readiness as 221 male counterparts, will not be assigned to infantry units, despite the Pentagon's announcement this year that it would lift the ban on women in combat. "The male graduates will join infantry units right away," The Washington Post reported. Marine Corps leaders told the Post they need two more years to observe women's attempts to pass infantry training courses, to evaluate the feasibility of placing them in combat positions.

US-Afghanistan alliance will be more than shared interests Posted: 21 Nov 2013 01:29 PM PST Each nation – a war-tired US and an Afghanistan still getting on its democratic feet – has made a heavy political lift to come up with a security agreement that will be the cornerstone of a long strategic partnership. Like the cold-war coalitions, the US-Afghan agreement defines a number of shared interests, such as combating terrorists and preserving Afghanistan's territorial integrity. Since then, the two have worked together to curb the heroin trade, build up Afghan women's rights, create a democracy and prosperity in Afghanistan, and constrain the meddling influence of regional powers. After 12 years of effort – more than 2,200 American combat deaths and more than $90 billion in aid – the US and Afghanistan have gone beyond mere shared interests.

The US military's camouflage fashion show Posted: 21 Nov 2013 01:11 PM PST In Congress, the costly proliferation of camouflage has angered lawmakers, who see it as an illustration of Pentagon extravagance. Before 2001, American troops all wore the same camouflage uniform, a green version for temperate climates and a beige model for the desert. But as military spending mushroomed after the September 11 attacks, the US Marine Corps, Army, Navy and Air Force crafted their own combat uniforms for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are now 10 different camouflage styles, from a pixel pattern to the "tiger stripe," and even a blue "aquaflage" for sailors -- also known as "blueberries."

Pope says 'no Middle East without Christians' Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:59 PM PST Pope Francis on Thursday said the Catholic Church will not accept a Middle East without Christians, who often find themselves forced to flee areas of conflict and unrest in the region. "We will not resign ourselves to imagining a Middle East without Christians," he said after meeting with patriarchs from Syria, Iran and Iraq, before calling for "the universal right to lead a dignified life and freely practise one's own faith to be respected." The political upheaval that has swept the Arab world over the past three years has led to a rise of radical Islam, leaving minority Christians feeling threatened and sometimes forcing them to emigrate. Francis said he had spoken to the patriarchs about "those who live in the Middle East, often in small flocks, in environments marked by hostility and conflicts" and "the size of the diaspora, which is notably growing."

Karzai: Sign US-Afghan security pact next year Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:59 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — President Hamid Karzai urged tribal elders Thursday to approve a security pact with Washington that could keep thousands of U.S. troops in Afghanistan until 2024, but he added a wrinkle that he prefers his successor sign the document after elections next April.

US Ospreys show worth in Philippines aid effort Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:55 PM PST CLARK AIR BASE, Philippines (AP) — The U.S. Marines' newest and in some quarters most controversial transport airplane is showing the world what it's got — for the sake of the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, and perhaps its own future.

First women complete US Marine infantry course Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:52 PM PST Three women graduate Thursday for the first time from the US Marine Corps' grueling infantry training course, as the military prepares to send female recruits into ground combat. "They have done a great service to the Marine Corps," Captain Richard Ulsh told AFP. But the trio graduating at a ceremony at Camp Geiger in North Carolina will not join infantry units, as the Marine Corps plans more research to assess how to integrate women into combat roles. The Pentagon has been criticized by some lawmakers and rights advocates for moving too slowly to open the door for women to take the fight to the enemy in ground combat.

Battlefield gains to boost Assad hand at peace talks Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:50 PM PST The army's capture this week of the strategic town of Qara, north of Damascus, followed three days of fighting against Al-Nusra Front jihadists. It comes after a series of government advances in Damascus province and southwest of Aleppo, in northern Syria. The army's advances are being seen as part of a new strategy devised by Iranian experts sent to back President Bashar al-Assad's regime, as well as the arrival of new well-trained, highly motivated Shiite fighters from Lebanon and Iraq. A rebel commander, Abdel Jabbar al-Okaidi, who led the assault on Aleppo in July 2012, said "Iran, Hezbollah and the (Iraqi) Abul Fadl al-Abbas militia are coming to fight here with conviction and belief."

Fight for Aleppo base kills 15 Syria militia Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:32 PM PST Fighting for a key military base outside Syria's main northern city of Aleppo killed at least 15 pro-regime militiamen on Thursday, a monitoring group said. "Fifteen members of the National Defence Forces were killed in fighting against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al-Nusra Front and Islamist groups in the east of Aleppo province and near Base 80," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The army recaptured Base 80, which had provided the garrison for Aleppo's military and civilian airports, at the weekend after months of fighting. It was one of a series of setbacks for the rebels in recent weeks around Syria's main cities of Damascus and Aleppo.

Syria army makes gains as peace talks await Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:28 PM PST Syrian government forces, bolstered by Lebanese and Iraqi Shiite Muslim militia, have made advances in recent days in fighting with rebels around the big cities of Damascus and Aleppo. Some of the key clashes have been close to the Lebanese border, where deadly twin suicide bombings this week hit the embassy of Shiite-ruled Iran, Syria's main regional ally, in what was widely seen as a revenge attack. A new offensive saw President Bashar al-Assad's troops retake key positions in the Qalamoun mountains northwest of Damascus this week, one of the last conduits from Lebanon for the arms his regime says they are receiving from Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Those gains followed the recapture of southern suburbs of Damascus that impeded the rebels' ability to carry out military action in the heart of the capital.

National Geographic Traveler Magazine Announces Its 2014 Best of the World List Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:14 PM PST Features the 21 Best Trips to Take in 2014WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- National Geographic Traveler magazine today announced its annual Best of the World list, featuring 20 destinations plus a bonus readers' choice destination to visit in 2014. The list reflects what's authentic, culturally rich, sustainable and superlative in the world of travel today. The destinations are featured in the December 2013/January 2014 issue of Traveler magazine, available on newsstands Dec. 3, and online at travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/best-trips-2014/.(Logo: http://photos. ...

Women Still Have Hurdles to Climb in Military, Including Being Too Pretty Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:18 AM PST Today three women will graduate today from Marine infantry training at Camp Geiger, North Carolina. Such photos undermine the rest of the message (and may even make people ask if breaking a nail is considered hazardous duty.)" The photo was of Cpl.

Car bomb in northern Iraq kills 25 Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:07 AM PST A car bomb exploded in a busy market in northeastern Iraq on Thursday, killing at least 25 people and wounding more than 30, the town's mayor and medical sources said. Iraq is suffering its worst wave of violence in at least five years, with insurgents targeting mainly Shi'ite Muslim civilians in attacks on public places such as shopping areas and cafes. The attack took place in Sadiya, 65 km (40 miles) northeast of Baghdad. Shattered glass was everywhere," grocery store owner Suhair Gadhban told Reuters by telephone, adding that he was wounded in the leg.

Qaeda faction urges Syria jihadists to unite Posted: 21 Nov 2013 11:07 AM PST An Al-Qaeda front group fighting in Iraq and Syria has called for jihadist groups to join forces under its banner, according to an audio message posted Thursday on the Internet. In remarks purportedly made by Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) spokesman said militant groups should close ranks against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "We call for all jihadist leaders and soldiers and people to accelerate in joining the project of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," Adnani said. His remarks come weeks after Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri ordered ISIL to shut down in Syria and instead anointed Al-Nusra Front, another group affiliated with Al-Qaeda, to carry the network's banner in the Syrian conflict.

Iraqi Shiites claim mortar fire on Saudi desert area Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:57 AM PST An Iraqi Shiite group claimed Thursday it had fired six mortar rounds that hit a remote area of northeastern Saudi Arabia a day earlier as a warning to the Sunni-dominated kingdom. Wathiq al-Battat, head of the pro-Iranian Shiite group Jaish al-Mukhtar, told AFP by telephone from Baghdad that the attack was "a warning strike" to Saudi Arabia over its stance towards Shiites. "We did not mean for our missile to reach a residential area because we value people's blood," said Battat. "But next time, if Saudi Arabia continues the same course, we will go farther, little by little."

Truck bomb, attacks kill at least 48 in Iraq Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:44 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A truck bomb tore through an outdoor vegetable market in northeastern Iraq, the deadliest of a series of attacks Thursday that killed at least 48 people, officials said.

Iraq attacks kill 48 as 2013 toll tops 5,800 Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:09 AM PST Baquba (Iraq) (AFP) - A market bombing north of Baghdad was the deadliest in violence that killed 48 people on Thursday, as the year's death toll topped 5,800 amid a surge in unrest. The flare-up has prompted Baghdad to appeal for international help to counter the worst bloodshed since 2008, just months before its first general election in four years. Officials have voiced concern over a resurgent Al-Qaeda emboldened by the civil war in neighbouring Syria which has provided the jihadist network's front groups with increased room to plan operations in Iraq. Thursday's attacks came a day after a spate of violence, mostly car bombs targeting Shiite districts of Baghdad, killed 59 people and wounded more than 100 in the highest death toll of the month.

Lebanon pushed to edge _ but, somehow, not over it Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:05 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — By nearly all measures, Lebanon should have long ago buckled under the weight of Syria's civil war.

Lebanon town braces for new flood of Syria refugees Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:03 AM PST Arsal (Lebanon) (AFP) - The Lebanese farming town of Arsal, already inundated with Syrian refugees, is bracing for another influx as the brutal civil war creeps over the horizon just across the border. The town has long been linked to Syria by well-worn smuggling paths over the mountains, now used by thousands of refugees fleeing the latest offensive by President Bashar al-Assad's troops. The latest wave have fled from Qara, a village in Syria's mountainous Qalamoun, a strategic region straddling supply routes between Damascus and the central city of Homs. Arsal, home to around 35,000 people, is a Sunni Muslim community sympathetic to the 32-month-old Syrian uprising, in which an estimated 120,000 people have been killed since March 2011.

Karzai tells Afghan loya jirga that US not to be trusted Posted: 21 Nov 2013 10:01 AM PST Afghanistan gets an open-ended commitment from the US to train, equip, and fund its security services. Not for the first  time, the mercurial President Karzai threw a spanner in the works.

Afghan Loya Jirga: What Is It and Why America Cares What It Decides Posted: 21 Nov 2013 09:22 AM PST The Loya Jirga Will Decide the Future of US Troops in Afghanistan

Truck bomb, attacks kill at least 38 in Iraq Posted: 21 Nov 2013 08:51 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A truck bomb tore through an outdoor vegetable market in northeastern Iraq, the deadliest of a series of attacks Thursday that killed at least 38 people, officials said.

Undergrad Research At Texas A&M Spotlighted In Student-Run Scholarly Journal Posted: 21 Nov 2013 07:43 AM PST COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Nov. 21, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With a cover story dealing with genetic factors affecting white tigers, Explorations might at first glance appear to be a journal catering to a highly specialized segment of scientific academia. Instead, it's a highly diversified publication showcasing the research of undergraduate students at Texas A&M University.  It is one of but a few such student-run publications in the nation, giving voice to literary and artistic endeavors as well as science and technology. The opening article, a three-page piece titled "Water, Chemical Additives, and Their Effects on Shale" by Matthew Wiese, a senior petroleum engineering major from Houston, sets a distinct technical tone. However, a sobering spread a few pages over under a "Chasing the Sun" heading—a piece written by  Stephen O'Shea, a senior English-creative writing major from College Station, gives a vivid and graphic literary report based on interviews with combat veterans recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Syria roadside bomb wounds 2 Jordanian writers Posted: 21 Nov 2013 07:42 AM PST A bomb exploded Thursday near a bus carrying a group of Jordanian writers who met with senior Syrian government leaders on an official visit, wounding five of them, one of the delegates said. The Syrian ...

Afghan president wants to defer signing of US deal Posted: 21 Nov 2013 07:28 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Afghan president urged tribal elders Thursday to support a security deal with the United States that would keep thousands of American troops in the war for another decade.

Jihadi groups 'devour' Syria's revolutionary children Posted: 21 Nov 2013 07:27 AM PST After two years as an activist in Syria, Mahmoud al-Basha thought he was prepared for whatever the civil war could throw at him. Drawn by a commotion, he witnessed the aftermath of a beheading by militiaman from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), an Al Qaeda-affiliated group dominated by foreign fighters. Days later, Mr. Basha fled Syria. The incident, and the reaction of those involved, graphically exposed how Syria's moderate rebels are running scared in the face of the brutality, extremism and paranoia of ISIS.

Four Britons die fighting in Syria: report Posted: 21 Nov 2013 05:38 AM PST Four British men have been killed fighting alongside Al-Qaeda-linked fighters in Syria, it was reported Thursday, as fears rise of the growing threat from jihadists returning from the war. Three of the men, all thought to be from London, were killed in August as their group attacked forces loyal to President Bashir al-Assad near Aleppo, according to The Times. The Times said they were part of a ten-strong group of British jihadists who fought together and joined up with 20 other Britons to fight alongside the Al-Nusra Front, which is allied to Al-Qaeda. Britain's intelligence agency MI5 estimates that between 200 and 300 young Britons have travelled to fight in Syria, and are concerned they will recruit new converts to their cause, or launch attacks at home.

Truck bomb kills at least 31 in Iraq Posted: 21 Nov 2013 05:04 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A truck bomb tore through an outdoor vegetable market on Thursday in northeastern Iraq, killing at least 31 people, officials said.

What 11 Billion People Mean for Water Scarcity Posted: 21 Nov 2013 04:25 AM PST Editor's note: By the end of this century, Earth may be home to 11 billion people, the United Nations has estimated, earlier than previously expected. As part of a week-long series, LiveScience is exploring what reaching this population milestone might mean for our planet, from our ability to feed that many people to our impact on the other species that call Earth home to our efforts to land on other planets. Water flows into Lake Powell, nestled between Utah and Arizona, from high in the Rocky Mountains via the Colorado River. In August, the federal Bureau of Reclamation cut, by 9 percent, the amount of water people in the southwestern United States could draw from Lake Powell.

Iraq militia says fires mortar bombs at Saudi as warning Posted: 21 Nov 2013 04:23 AM PST By Angus McDowall and Suadad al-Salhy RIYADH/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Six mortar bombs landed near a border post in northern Saudi Arabia in an attack claimed by an Iranian-backed Iraqi Shi'ite militia, which said on Thursday it was warning the kingdom to stop meddling in Iraqi affairs. "The goal was to send a warning message to Saudis to tell them that their border stations and patrol are within our range of fire," Wathiq al-Batat, commander of Iraq's al-Mukhtar Army militia, told Reuters in Baghdad by telephone. He said the militia wanted Riyadh to stop "interfering" in Iraq and that it had also been angered by Saudis and Kuwaitis who he said had insulted the Prophet Mohammad's daughter. There was no independent confirmation that the militia was behind the mortar fire, reported two days after twin suicide bombings killed 25 people near Iran's embassy in Beirut.

Insight: Assad's sarin and how an Albanian 'Yes' became 'No' Posted: 21 Nov 2013 03:35 AM PST By Benet Koleka and Anthony Deutsch TIRANA/THE HAGUE (Reuters) - On the evening of Monday, November 11, the U.S. ambassador to Tirana, Alexander Arvizu, met Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and his foreign minister at a government villa in the capital. Washington wanted Albania, a NATO ally of 2.8 million people, to host the destruction of 1,300 tonnes of Syrian nerve agents under a plan agreed with Russia to eliminate them from Syria's civil war. Albania was an obvious choice. Dubbed the '51st State', the impoverished Adriatic republic is staunchly pro-American and was the first country in the world to eliminate its own communist-era chemical weapons in 2007, with Washington footing much of the $48 million bill.

Kuwait's national airline resumes Iraq flights in sign of post-war thaw Posted: 21 Nov 2013 03:34 AM PST A scheduled Kuwait Airways flight landed in Iraq late on Wednesday for the first time since the 1990 Iraqi invasion, in the latest sign of improved ties between the neighbors. Kuwait's national airline flew 100 passengers to Najaf, 160 km (100 miles) south of Baghdad, the director of Najaf's airport told state news agency KUNA, adding that most were visiting Shi'ite Muslim holy sites in the city. KUNA said Kuwait Airways planned to fly twice a week to Najaf, which is more secure than the capital Baghdad, where bombings are an almost daily occurrence. Diplomatic relations between Kuwait and Iraq improved last year after a settlement over debts from the era of the 1991 Gulf War, in which a U.S.-led coalition forced Iraqi troops out of Kuwait.

Afghan president will defer signing US deal Posted: 21 Nov 2013 03:31 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan's president said he backs a security deal with the United States but told a gathering of elders on Thursday that if they and parliament approve the agreement it should be signed after next spring's elections.

Mortar fire hits Saudi desert near Iraq, Kuwait borders Posted: 21 Nov 2013 03:15 AM PST By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - Six mortar bombs landed near a remote Saudi border post close to neighboring fellow oil producers Iraq and Kuwait, but caused no damage, Saudi Arabia said on Thursday, a day after the incident. There was no word on who was behind the barrage, which occurred two days after twin suicide bombings killed 25 people near Iran's embassy in Beirut. Some Shi'ite commentators blamed the assault on Saudi Arabia, which has condemned the attack. Saudi Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Mansour Turki said Iraq and Kuwait, as well as the kingdom itself, were investigating the mortar fire.

More Syrians flood into Lebanon to escape fighting Posted: 21 Nov 2013 02:31 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Around 500 Syrian families crossed the border into Lebanon overnight, joining the flood of people trying to escape an offensive by President Bashar Assad's forces in a mountainous region along the frontier, a U.N. official said Thursday.

In Qatar desert, Syrian opposition mourns fallen commander Posted: 21 Nov 2013 12:49 AM PST By Amena Bakr UMM AL-AMAD, Qatar (Reuters) - On a patch of desert far from Syria, dozens of men gathered under a white tent to commemorate Abdelqader Saleh, a renowned Syrian rebel commander who died this week from wounds after an air strike in Aleppo. The mourners, who included senior Syrian opposition members and relatives of Saleh, assembled on Tuesday evening in the empty expanses of Qatar, 20 km (13 miles) from the skyscraper-dotted skyline of the gas-exporting Gulf Arab state. Qatar has long armed and supplied Saleh's Islamist al-Tawhid brigades, one of the largest rebel units operating in the sprawling northern city of Aleppo and the surrounding region. Tawhid fighters, mostly from the countryside, led an assault on Aleppo in July 2012, capturing about half the city before a fightback by Assad's forces backed by intensive air strikes ushered in a bloody stalemate which still endures.

Saudi Arabia says six shells fall near border post close to Iraq, Kuwait Posted: 20 Nov 2013 11:24 PM PST By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - Six mortar shells landed near a remote Saudi border post close to neighboring fellow oil producers Iraq and Kuwait on Wednesday, but caused no damage, the kingdom said on Thursday. "Six mortar shells fell in an uninhabited area near the new al-Auja border guard centre of Hafr al-Batin in the Eastern Province. Thank God no damage resulted from it," said General Mohammed al-Ghamdi, the border guard media spokesman, in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency. Ghamdi said he had been in contact with border guards of "neighboring countries" to take necessary measures to determine the source of mortar fire and prevent it recurring.

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