Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Sexual assaults: Army removing 588 soldiers from 'positions of trust'
• MILITARY CUTBACKS REFLECT REASONS WE GO TO WAR
• Senate blocks Dems' bill boosting vets' benefits
• Arizona Democratic Rep. Ed Pastor says he will retire
• Sentencing delayed for man who sought KKK hitman
• Iraq commemorates 1920 revolt against Britain in new museum
• Baghdad motorbike blast, other attacks kill 52 in Iraq
• U.S. Senate Republicans block veterans' health bill on budget worry
• Aga Khan compares Sunni-Shia conflict to Ireland
• U.S. cites crackdowns on protestors, gays in global rights report
• Spain votes to curb trials of foreign atrocities
• Iraq attacks kill 37, PM slams foreign aid to jihadists
• US exit from Afghanistan could bolster Qaeda: commander
• Syria militants claim Christians agreed to pay tax
• Alabama seeks mercy for trying to hire KKK hitman
• Isolationism, 'retreat,' and reason
• Jordan terror suspect criticises jihadist tax on Syria Christians
• OPEIU Endorses Kevin Strouse for Congress
• At least 31 killed in Baghdad motorbike market bombing
• Iraq violence kills 17
• Officials: Bombings kill at least 31 in Iraq
• NATO begins planning for Afghanistan 'zero option'
• Scenes of death in South Sudan: 'No humanity here'
• Officials: Bombings kill at least 26 in Iraq
• Officials: Bombings kills at least 21 in Iraq
• Syrian army 'readies ground assault on Yabrud'
• End Game in Afghanistan: Just 3,000 Vulnerable Troops
• The H.M.O. That Kills Terrorists
• Take a Photo, Take a Beating
• Assad’s Forces Kill Hundreds in Syria
• Today in History

Sexual assaults: Army removing 588 soldiers from 'positions of trust' Posted: 27 Feb 2014 04:27 PM PST In the wake of a review ordered by the Defense secretary to help bring down rates of sexual assault, the Army is firing hundreds of soldiers from their jobs in "positions of trust." This move has advocacy organizations alternately hailing the removals as an important step in ongoing efforts to bring down sexual assault rates, and unleashing a new string of critiques against the Pentagon. Pressure to get a handle on rising reports of sexual assault has been increasing as the Senate schedules a vote on a bill by Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D) of New York, which would take away from commanders the final say on whether prosecution of a sexual assault case proceeds. Hours into a congressional hearing Wednesday on the ties among sexual assault, post-traumatic stress disorder, and suicide, USA Today came out with the news about the firings: After reviewing the records of 20,000 troops, the Army was going to remove 588 sexual assault counselors, as well as recruiters and drill sergeants, because of convictions in their past – including for child abuse, stalking, drug use, drunken driving, or even sexual assault.

MILITARY CUTBACKS REFLECT REASONS WE GO TO WAR Posted: 27 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST After 1945, we switched from great, unavoidable wars against monsters like Hitler and the Japanese military to "wars of choice" like Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Lebanon, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Is this lack of sensibility in foreign policy over the question of where our interests really lie at the heart of these cutbacks? Before his recent retirement, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates reminded the military that it had not won one war in 40 years. In the 17th century, an ambitious Cardinal Richelieu served a weak king, Louis XIII, as prime minister of France;

Senate blocks Dems' bill boosting vets' benefits Posted: 27 Feb 2014 02:45 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Senate on Thursday derailed Democratic legislation that would have provided $21 billion for medical, education and job-training benefits for the nation's veterans. The bill fell victim to election-year disputes over spending and fresh penalties against Iran.

Arizona Democratic Rep. Ed Pastor says he will retire Posted: 27 Feb 2014 02:38 PM PST By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - U.S. Congressman Ed Pastor, an 11-term Democrat and the first Hispanic from Arizona elected to the U.S. Congress, said on Thursday he will retire at the end of this term from a district that is seen as a safe seat for Democrats. Pastor, 70, whose district includes central Phoenix, is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and is the ranking member of the subcommittee on transportation. "After 23 years in Congress, I feel it's time for me to seek out a new endeavor," Pastor said in a statement. "It's been a great honor, a great experience and a great joy for me to serve in Congress.

Sentencing delayed for man who sought KKK hitman Posted: 27 Feb 2014 02:26 PM PST BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — A judge has delayed sentencing at least a month for an Alabama man who pleaded guilty earlier to trying to hire a Ku Klux Klan hitman to kill a black neighbor.

Iraq commemorates 1920 revolt against Britain in new museum Posted: 27 Feb 2014 01:33 PM PST Najaf (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraq opened a museum in the Shiite pilgrimage city of Najaf on Thursday commemorating a 1920 uprising against British occupation in a building that once housed captured soldiers. The opening of the Najaf Heritage and 1920 Revolution Museum in the Khan al-Shilan building was attended by Tourism and Antiquities Minister Liwaa Smaisim, as well as tribal leaders and politicians. "This is the first museum dedicated to the heritage and history of Najaf, and represents a symbol of the rejection of slavery and foreign occupation," Smaisim told AFP. The opening ceremony included a reenactment of an attack by tribesmen on British soldiers following their capture of the country from Turkish troops in World War I.

Baghdad motorbike blast, other attacks kill 52 in Iraq Posted: 27 Feb 2014 01:14 PM PST By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 52 people were killed Wednesday as a motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated in Baghdad's Sadr City and militants targeted mostly Shi'ite neighborhoods around the country. Blood covered the ground, storefront windows were shattered and shoes and motorcycle parts were strewn around the market, according to a Reuters correspondent at the scene. "I was hit in my face and my hands and when I got up, everyone was screaming and running towards me away from the blast." It was not clear who was behind the bombing but violence against Shi'ites is often blamed on the Sunni Muslim Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an al Qaeda-linked group. Baghdad has been hit by wave after wave of bombings since April as the precarious peace enjoyed since the end of Iraq's sectarian war in 2008 has unraveled.

U.S. Senate Republicans block veterans' health bill on budget worry Posted: 27 Feb 2014 12:50 PM PST By Richard Cowan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republicans blocked legislation on Thursday that would have expanded federal healthcare and education programs for veterans, saying the $24 billion bill would bust the budget. Even though the legislation cleared a procedural vote on Tuesday by a 99-0 vote, the measure quickly got bogged down in partisan fighting. With Democrats pressing for passage this week, Senate Republicans, backed by their leader, Mitch McConnell, attempted to attach controversial legislation calling for possible new sanctions on Iran that President Barack Obama opposes. "The issue of Iran sanctions ... has nothing to do with the needs of veterans," complained Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Bernard Sanders of Vermont, the main sponsor of the bill.

Aga Khan compares Sunni-Shia conflict to Ireland Posted: 27 Feb 2014 12:46 PM PST The hereditary spiritual leader of the world's 15 million Ismaili Muslims Thursday compared a conflict between Sunni and Shia Muslims to Ireland, urging the West to engage both branches of Islam. Speaking to both houses of Canada's parliament, the Aga Khan said tensions between the two denominations "have increased massively in scope and intensity recently and have been further exacerbated by external interventions." To help bring an end to the strife in these countries, the Aga Khan said "it is important for (the West) to communicate with both Sunni and Shia voices. Highlighting the span of the crisis, he said: "What would have been the consequences if the Protestant-Catholic struggling in Ireland had spread across the Christian world as is happening today between Shia and Sunni Muslims in more than nine countries."

U.S. cites crackdowns on protestors, gays in global rights report Posted: 27 Feb 2014 12:17 PM PST By Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday expressed growing concern about government crackdowns on peaceful protest and persecution of gays in a number of countries in its annual review of global human rights. The State Department report highlighted conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, Turkey, Vietnam, Egypt and other countries where military forces have used violence and political repression to target protesters demanding their rights. "The year 2013 may well be known for some of the egregious atrocities in recent memory," U.S. State Department's Acting Assistant Secretary Uzra Zeya told reporters. She referred in particular to a chemical weapons attack in Syria that killed over 1,000 people, and torture and detentions in North Korea.

Spain votes to curb trials of foreign atrocities Posted: 27 Feb 2014 12:11 PM PST Lawmakers in Spain approved a bill Thursday that will curb courts' powers to probe cases of human rights abuses committed abroad, a practice that has irked some foreign capitals. The ruling party's proposal to limit the use of the doctrine of universal jurisdiction, which allows judges to try certain cases of crimes against humanity that took place in other countries, was passed by 180 votes to 137. Spain has pioneered the use of the doctrine since it was passed into national law in 1985. Crusading Spanish judges have used it to pursue US soldiers in Iraq, Israeli defence officials and Argentine military officers.

Iraq attacks kill 37, PM slams foreign aid to jihadists Posted: 27 Feb 2014 11:54 AM PST Bombings in a Shiite-majority area of Baghdad and other attacks killed 37 people on Thursday, as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki accused neighbouring states of backing jihadists in Iraq. In the deadliest attack on Thursday, an explosives-rigged motorcycle ripped through an area of motorcycle shops in the Shiite-majority Sadr City district of Baghdad, killing at least 27 people and wounding 40, the interior ministry said. Sunni extremists frequently target members of Iraq's Shiite majority, who they consider apostates. The capital is hit by near-daily bombings and shootings, including periodic coordinated vehicle bomb attacks that leave dozens of people dead.

US exit from Afghanistan could bolster Qaeda: commander Posted: 27 Feb 2014 11:48 AM PST Al-Qaeda's core leadership in Pakistan has been seriously weakened, but the potential withdrawal of all US forces from Afghanistan could trigger a resurgence of the terror network, a top US commander said Thursday. The warning came from the head of special operations command, Admiral William McRaven, known for overseeing the 2011 raid by Navy SEAL commandos that killed Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden in his Pakistani compound. "If we do go to zero, and there is no special operations component left in Afghanistan, it will certainly make it more difficult to be able to deal with the threat, ...and the potential resurgence of Al-Qaeda in the area," McRaven told the House Armed Services Committee.

Syria militants claim Christians agreed to pay tax Posted: 27 Feb 2014 11:08 AM PST AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Militant fighters should not impose an Islamic tax on Christians in Syria, a radical Jordanian preacher facing terrorism charges said Thursday, days after an al-Qaida breakaway group in Syria claimed Christian leaders under its control agreed to pay the tax in return for protection.

Alabama seeks mercy for trying to hire KKK hitman Posted: 27 Feb 2014 10:44 AM PST BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama man is seeking mercy after pleading guilty to trying to hire a Ku Klux Klan hitman to kill a black neighbor.

Isolationism, 'retreat,' and reason Posted: 27 Feb 2014 10:10 AM PST We hear repeatedly of isolationism, neo-Isolationism, quasi-isolationism, and various pejorative synonyms – decline, retreat, withdrawal – delivered in various tones of outrage and worried disappointment. Isolationism! The US left Iraq after that country's government said they didn't want us anymore? The reality is that the US is not in retreat. Mr. Kristol intoned on the eve of the Iraq invasion that "very few wars in American history were prepared better or more thoroughly than this one by this president" and predicted that US troops in the country would be reduced to "several thousand" within a year or two after the invasion.

Jordan terror suspect criticises jihadist tax on Syria Christians Posted: 27 Feb 2014 09:50 AM PST Jordanian Islamist cleric Abu Qatada, on trial for terrorism, lashed out Thursday at jihadists in Syria for imposing a special tax on Christians under their control, saying their ideas were "distorted and extreme." "The tax imposed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant on Christians in some areas in Syria is not acceptable," Abu Qatada told reporters during his trial in Amman. Christians living in the provincial capital of Raqa, under ISIL control, will now have to pay the levy, known as jizya, as part of an alleged agreement for their protection announced Wednesday. Abu Qatada said the jihadists' "ideas are distorted and extreme."

OPEIU Endorses Kevin Strouse for Congress Posted: 27 Feb 2014 09:50 AM PST NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the 104,000-member Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU), AFL-CIO, announced its endorsement of Kevin Strouse for Congress in Pennsylvania's 8th District as a Democrat. "Kevin has proven he's a true leader that can be counted on to make things happen for the working families of Pennsylvania," said OPEIU International President Michael Goodwin.  "He's demonstrated his leadership skills and ability to meet any challenge that comes his way as an Army Ranger protecting our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan.  His impressive background and concern for the working people of Pennsylvania makes him the best person to lead the state forward."

At least 31 killed in Baghdad motorbike market bombing Posted: 27 Feb 2014 09:14 AM PST By Kareem Raheem BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least 31 people were killed and 51 wounded when a motorcycle rigged with explosives detonated in Baghdad's Sadr City, Iraqi medical and police sources said. The motorcycle was parked in a second-hand market in the Shi'ite Muslim neighborhood that sells used bikes and was filled with people, mostly young men. Blood covered the ground, storefront windows were shattered and shoes and motorcycle parts were strewn around the market, according to a Reuters' correspondent at the scene.

Iraq violence kills 17 Posted: 27 Feb 2014 09:04 AM PST Attacks, including two bombings in north Baghdad, killed 17 people Thursday, officials said, as Iraq struggles with its worst violence in years. In the deadliest attack, an explosives-rigged motorcycle killed at least 11 people and wounded 35 when it blew up in a motorcycle market in the largely-Shiite Sadr City district. And a car bomb in Sadr City killed at least one person and wounded five. In northern Iraq, a roadside bomb exploded near a Sahwa anti-Al-Qaeda militia patrol in the Sharqat area, killing two fighters and wounding four.

Officials: Bombings kill at least 31 in Iraq Posted: 27 Feb 2014 08:27 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A bomb hidden on a motorcycle exploded at a secondhand market in Iraq's capital, the deadliest of a series of bombings Thursday around Baghdad that killed at least 31 people, authorities said.

NATO begins planning for Afghanistan 'zero option' Posted: 27 Feb 2014 08:18 AM PST NATO defence ministers agreed Thursday the military alliance must now begin planning for a complete withdrawal from Afghanistan this year despite wanting to maintain a troop presence there. With Afghan President Hamid Karzai refusing to sign a security pact with Washington to allow US troops to stay after 2014, there was no prospect NATO could reach such an accord either, alliance head Anders Fogh Rasmussen said. "Without the necessary legal framework, there simply cannot be a deployment after 2014," Rasmussen said. Including the possibility that we may not be able to deploy to Afghanistan after 2014, due to the persistent delays we have seen," he said.

Scenes of death in South Sudan: 'No humanity here' Posted: 27 Feb 2014 07:45 AM PST MALAKAL, South Sudan (AP) — House after house has been burned to the ground. Hospital patients have been shot by armed rebels while lying in their beds. Dozens of corpses litter the streets.

Officials: Bombings kill at least 26 in Iraq Posted: 27 Feb 2014 07:44 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A bomb hidden on a motorcycle exploded at a secondhand market in Iraq's capital, the deadliest of a series of bombings Thursday around Baghdad that killed at least 26 people, authorities said.

Officials: Bombings kills at least 21 in Iraq Posted: 27 Feb 2014 07:23 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Authorities in Iraq say at least 21 people have been killed in bombings around the capital, Baghdad.

Syrian army 'readies ground assault on Yabrud' Posted: 27 Feb 2014 07:19 AM PST Syria's army is preparing to assault a key rebel bastion near Damascus, a pro-regime newspaper said Thursday, as activists reported heavy shelling and fighting in the area. "The Syrian army is preparing to launch a new phase" on the town of Yabrud near the border with Lebanon in its offensive in the Qalamun mountains, Al-Watan reported. It said troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad have seized control of two strategic hills near Yabrud, which has been the target of heavy air raids and tank fire since early February. Regime forces backed by fighters of Lebanon's Shiite Hezbollah launched an offensive in the Qalamun area in November.

End Game in Afghanistan: Just 3,000 Vulnerable Troops Posted: 27 Feb 2014 03:00 AM PST The White House has made yet another move in the ongoing game of poker with Afghan President Hamid Karzai Tuesday, with officials putting a new option on the table for American troop presence: 3,000 based at Bagram Air Force Base and Kabul. The newest offering, which sounds more like a decision, is the fourth time the Obama administration has tried to close a deal and extricate most U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The 10,000-troop option would keep American troops in Kandahar, Kabul, Bagram and Jalalabad until the end of next year. Some 5,000 NATO and other international troops would be based in western and northern Afghanistan as part of a NATO mission called Resolute Support.

The H.M.O. That Kills Terrorists Posted: 27 Feb 2014 02:45 AM PST That's what the Pentagon is in danger of becoming unless something's done about military benefits, experts warn.

Take a Photo, Take a Beating Posted: 27 Feb 2014 02:45 AM PST Through targeted arrests, beatings and show trials, Egypt's ruling general is sending a strong message to journalists: Support the army or else.

Assad’s Forces Kill Hundreds in Syria Posted: 27 Feb 2014 12:25 AM PST Forces loyal to Syrian ruler Bashar al-Assad carried out one of the most lethal attacks against opposition forces on Wednesday, killing as many as 175 rebels in an ambush near Damascus. State media claimed that it had killed 175 al-Qaeda-linked rebels from the Nusra Front, while an opposition group based in the United Kingdom put the number at 152. That latter group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that the attack was carried out by Lebanese members of Hezbollah.

Today in History Posted: 26 Feb 2014 09:01 PM PST Today is Thursday, Feb. 27, the 58th day of 2014. There are 307 days left in the year.

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