Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• CRIMEA RIVER
• Pentagon budget: 4 ways White House wants to change the military
• 'Chicagoland': An unscripted saga of city life
• Israeli naval raid nabs rocket shipment
• GOP pans Obama's $3.9T budget as campaign warm-up
• Sieges, starvation part of Syria military strategy: UN probe
• Attacks in Baghdad area kill 21 people
• Israel seizes arms shipment
• Checkpoint attacks kill seven Iraq security personnel
• Officials say attacks kill 7 around Iraqi capital
• Exxon expects flat output in 2014, spending to drop 6 percent
• Drone strike kills 4 Qaeda suspects in Yemen
• Army sex trial begins with jury of generals seated
• China survive huge scare to reach Asian Cup
• 'Ukraine is game to you?' It shouldn't be.
• Anna Johnson named deputy of AP's West region
• Israeli naval raid nabs Gaza-bound arms from Iran
• World powers responsible for failing to stop Syria war crimes: U.N.
• Sri Lanka questions independence of U.N. human rights boss
• China ups military spend by 12 percent. Are the gloves coming off?
• Humanitarian aid is the best, and only, solution for Syria
• Israel Invents #IranFail Hashtag After Stopping Weapons Meant for Gaza
• Israel: Naval raid seizes Gaza-bound Iranian arms
• GOP, deficit hawks pan Obama's $3.9T budget
• Why Neocons Love the Strongman
• Baghdad blasts targeting Shiites kill 12
• Army sex trial begins as prosecutor pushed aside
• Series of car bombs hits Baghdad, killing 17
• Prosecutor in Army sex case wanted charges dropped
• Baghdad blasts mainly targeting Shiites kill 14

CRIMEA RIVER Posted: 05 Mar 2014 03:00 PM PST It's pointless to pay attention to foreign policy when a Democrat is president, unless you enjoy having your stomach in a knot. As long as a Democrat sits in the White House, America will be repeatedly humiliated, the world will become a much more dangerous place -- and there's absolutely nothing anybody can do about it. John F. Kennedy was in the White House for less than three years and, if you think he screwed a lot of hookers, just look what he did to our foreign policy. Six months after becoming president, JFK had his calamitous meeting with Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna -- a meeting The New York Times described as "one of the more self-destructive American actions of the Cold War, and one that contributed to the most dangerous crisis of the nuclear age." (The Times admitted that a half-century later.

Pentagon budget: 4 ways White House wants to change the military Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:46 PM PST When top Pentagon officials came to Capitol Hill Wednesday with their 2015 budget in hand, they offered some key clues about what they expect the future US military to look like. Here are the top four things the new Defense budget reveals about the White House's priorities for the US military. The rise of a "new center of power" throughout the globe means "a world that is growing more volatile, more unpredictable and, in some instances, more threatening to the United States," Secretary Hagel said. "We are no longer sizing the military to conduct long and large stability operations," he added, in a briefing with Pentagon reporters.

'Chicagoland': An unscripted saga of city life Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:58 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — When President Barack Obama spoke out last week against the crime, violence and poverty that ensnares young men of color in epidemic numbers, he might have been voicing a promo for "Chicagoland," the docuseries debuting Thursday on CNN.

Israeli naval raid nabs rocket shipment Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:56 PM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli naval forces on Wednesday seized a ship laden with rockets allegedly bound for militants in the Gaza Strip, and officials accused Iran of orchestrating the delivery in an elaborate 5,000-mile (8,000-kilometer) journey that included covert stops across the region.

GOP pans Obama's $3.9T budget as campaign warm-up Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:31 PM PST Republicans are dismissing President Barack Obama's new $3.9 trillion budget as nothing more than a Democratic manifesto for this fall's congressional campaigns, but the fiscal plan is taking hits from ...

Sieges, starvation part of Syria military strategy: UN probe Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:13 PM PST Syrian government forces are waging a campaign of siege warfare and starvation against civilians as part of their military strategy, a UN-mandated probe said Wednesday. Armed opposition groups are also besieging and indiscriminately shelling civilian neighbourhoods, the independent Commission of Inquiry on the human rights situation in Syria said in a report. "The government employs siege warfare, instrumentalising basic human needs for water, food, shelter and medical care as part of its military strategy," the panel said.

Attacks in Baghdad area kill 21 people Posted: 05 Mar 2014 12:09 PM PST Baghdad (AFP) - Bombings mainly targeting Shiite areas of Baghdad and attacks on security force checkpoints in and around the capital killed at least 21 people Wednesday, officials said.

Israel seizes arms shipment Posted: 05 Mar 2014 11:34 AM PST By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli navy seized a ship in the Red Sea on Wednesday that was carrying dozens of advanced Iranian-supplied rockets made in Syria and intended for Palestinian guerrillas in the Gaza Strip, the military said. The disclosure came as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in the United States to press his case for tougher international action against Iran over its disputed nuclear program and support for Islamist guerrilla groups. The Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel Klos C was boarded in international waters without resistance from its 17-strong crew in a "complex, covert operation," military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner told reporters. Lerner said dozens of M302 rockets were found aboard the Klos C, a weapon which could have struck deep into Israel from Gaza and would have significantly enhanced the firepower of the Palestinian enclave's Hamas rulers and other armed factions.

Checkpoint attacks kill seven Iraq security personnel Posted: 05 Mar 2014 11:20 AM PST Baghdad (AFP) - Apparently-coordinated attacks on army and police checkpoints in the Baghdad area killed at least seven members of Iraq's security forces on Wednesday, officials said.

Officials say attacks kill 7 around Iraqi capital Posted: 05 Mar 2014 11:15 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials in Iraq say separate attacks around the country's capital, Baghdad, have killed at least seven people.

Exxon expects flat output in 2014, spending to drop 6 percent Posted: 05 Mar 2014 10:38 AM PST Exxon Mobil Corp , the world's largest publicly traded energy company, on Wednesday said it expects oil and natural gas production to be flat this year as overall spending falls 6 percent to about $39.8 billion. In recent years, Exxon and other large oil companies have invested record amounts on exploration and production projects to boost oil and gas output. Last year, Exxon spent $42.5 billion, an amount the Irving, Texas company describes as a peak. Investors looking for production growth sent shares down 3 percent.

Drone strike kills 4 Qaeda suspects in Yemen Posted: 05 Mar 2014 10:33 AM PST A US drone strike in northern Yemen on Wednesday killed four suspected Al-Qaeda members, including an Iraq veteran, a military official said. The unmanned aircraft fired two rockets at a vehicle in the Khalka area of Jawf province, the official said, adding that among those killed was Ali Juraym, a local militant chief who had fought in Iraq. The American military operates all drones flying over Yemen in support of Sanaa's campaign against Al-Qaeda and has killed dozens of militants in a sharply intensified campaign in the past year. The victims had been mistakenly identified as members of Al-Qaeda, the UN quoted local security officials as saying at the time.

Army sex trial begins with jury of generals seated Posted: 05 Mar 2014 10:20 AM PST FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — A jury of five two-star generals was seated Wednesday for the court-martial of an Army general believed to be the highest ranking officer to face sexual assault charges.

China survive huge scare to reach Asian Cup Posted: 05 Mar 2014 09:15 AM PST Singapore (AFP) - China survived an almighty scare before scraping into next year's Asian Cup on goal difference thanks to a late penalty in their 3-1 defeat to Iraq on Wednesday.

'Ukraine is game to you?' It shouldn't be. Posted: 05 Mar 2014 09:07 AM PST While the situation is no laughing matter, with all Russian moves pointing towards an indefinite Russian occupation of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula and perhaps an eventual annexation, Ukraine is treated like a game by many leaders in the US – a partisan game. Senator Graham's implication is that if that President Barack Obama had extracted a "price" over the terrorist attack that left the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans dead in 2013 then Mr. Putin would have responded to ouster of pro-Russian Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych differently. The US under Obama, after all, stretched a United Nations Security Council resolution on protecting civilians in Libya beyond the breaking point to support an air campaign that allowed Libya's ragtag militias to overthrow Muammar Qaddafi. Russia has a vast nuclear arsenal, pretty much immunizing it from attack by the US or any other fellow nuclear power (leaving aside the question of what vital US interest is in Ukraine worth going to war with Russia).

Anna Johnson named deputy of AP's West region Posted: 05 Mar 2014 08:53 AM PST PHOENIX (AP) — Anna Johnson, an award-winning journalist with extensive experience working in the U.S. and the Middle East, has been named The Associated Press' deputy editor for the U.S. West, overseeing coverage from 13 states.

Israeli naval raid nabs Gaza-bound arms from Iran Posted: 05 Mar 2014 08:43 AM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli naval forces raided a ship in the Red Sea early Wednesday, capturing a shipment of dozens of advanced rockets from Iran destined to Palestinian militants in Gaza that would have given them greater reach to strike much of Israel, the military said.

World powers responsible for failing to stop Syria war crimes: U.N. Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:56 AM PST By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - All sides in Syria's civil war are using shelling and siege tactics to punish and starve civilians and big powers bear responsibility for allowing such war crimes to persist, U.N. human rights investigators said on Wednesday. The independent investigators, presenting their latest report documenting atrocities in Syria, called again on the U.N. Security Council to refer grave violations of the rules of war to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for prosecution. "The Security Council bears responsibility for not addressing accountability and allowing the warring parties to violate these rules with total impunity," Paulo Pinheiro, who leads the U.N. commission of inquiry, told a news conference. "One of most stark trends we have documented is the use of siege warfare, the denial of humanitarian aid, food and basic necessities such as medical care and clean water have forced people to choose between surrender and starvation." More than 140,000 have been killed in the conflict, which enters its fourth year next week, 2.5 million refugees have fled abroad and 6.5 million people are uprooted within Syria.

Sri Lanka questions independence of U.N. human rights boss Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:39 AM PST Sri Lanka questioned the independence of the human rights office of the United Nations on Wednesday, a day after the United States asked the U.N. to investigate human rights violations by the Sri Lankan government. The U.S. resolution calls for the U.N.'s Human Rights Council to investigate "past abuses and to examine more recent attacks on journalists, human rights defenders, and religious minorities." The past violations relate to Sri Lanka's 26-year civil war with Tamil separatists.

China ups military spend by 12 percent. Are the gloves coming off? Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:37 AM PST China made headlines today with its annual military budget, up 12.2 percent to $132 billion dollars this year. That's about one quarter of the $495 billion military budget that President Obama presented to Congress yesterday.  Predictably, official commentary here stresses that China is a peace-loving nation with no aggressive intentions. China needs a powerful military, explained Fu Ying, spokeswoman for the National People's Congress, on Tuesday because "if some country provokes or undermines consensus or even damages peace and order in the region, then China must respond effectively."

Humanitarian aid is the best, and only, solution for Syria Posted: 05 Mar 2014 07:25 AM PST Unlike revolutions in neighboring Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya, Syria's revolution has dragged on in a horrific way: 100,000 dead, 2.5 million refugees, 6.5 million internally displaced within Syria.  Today there is little food, little hope, and few choices for the international community to help stop the bloodshed. Strategic, coordinated humanitarian assistance remains the best opportunity for meeting the urgent needs of Syria's people but also resolving the conflict. Aid has the potential to bring together competing factions inside and outside Syria and can pave the way for future diplomatic cooperation.

Israel Invents #IranFail Hashtag After Stopping Weapons Meant for Gaza Posted: 05 Mar 2014 05:18 AM PST Early on Wednesday morning, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) announced that it blocked a ship carrying advanced weapons from Iran to Palestinian militants in Gaza, suggesting that Iran and Israel aren't going to bury the hatchet any time soon.  In a typically irreverent tweet, the IDF's social media team created the hashtag #iranfail while saying they had intercepted the rockets: Early this morning, we intercepted an Iranian shipment of rockets capable of striking anywhere in #Israel #IranFail pic.twitter.com/bO29GAo74v — IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) March 5, 2014 Military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Lerner said naval forces boarded the Klos-C cargo vessel in international waters in "a complex, covert operation," that occurred roughly 1,000 miles from the Israeli coast.

Israel: Naval raid seizes Gaza-bound Iranian arms Posted: 05 Mar 2014 04:13 AM PST JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli naval forces raided a ship in the Red Sea early Wednesday and seized dozens of advanced rockets from Iran destined for Palestinian militants in Gaza, the military said.

GOP, deficit hawks pan Obama's $3.9T budget Posted: 05 Mar 2014 03:35 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans are dismissing President Barack Obama's new $3.9 trillion budget as nothing more than a Democratic manifesto for this fall's congressional campaigns, but the fiscal plan is taking hits from another quarter too — anti-deficit groups.

Why Neocons Love the Strongman Posted: 05 Mar 2014 02:45 AM PST This is just the crisis to make themselves seem relevant again within the GOP—even if they're undermining the commander in chief at a pivotal moment.

Baghdad blasts targeting Shiites kill 12 Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:52 AM PST Nine bombings mainly targeting Shiite-majority areas of Baghdad killed at least 12 people on Wednesday, officials said, as Iraq suffers its worst violence in years. The seven car bombs and two roadside bombs, which hit six different areas of Baghdad, also wounded more than 60 people, the sources said. The deadliest single attack was a car bomb in the Karrada district in central Baghdad that killed at least three people and wounded at least 10. Sunni jihadists often target members of Iraq's Shiite majority, whom they consider apostates.

Army sex trial begins as prosecutor pushed aside Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:34 AM PST FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — The closely watched sex assault trial for an Army general is finally set, but it will unfold with lingering questions about the accuser's credibility and without the prosecutor who led the case for nearly two years.

Series of car bombs hits Baghdad, killing 17 Posted: 05 Mar 2014 01:34 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of car bombs hit commercial areas and marketplaces in mainly Shiite areas of Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 17 people, officials said.

Prosecutor in Army sex case wanted charges dropped Posted: 04 Mar 2014 08:27 PM PST FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — Less than a month before an Army general's trial on sexual assault charges, the lead prosecutor broke down in tears as he told a superior he believed the primary accuser in the case had lied under oath.

Baghdad blasts mainly targeting Shiites kill 14 Posted: 04 Mar 2014 04:09 PM PST Nine bombings mainly targeting Shiite-majority areas of Baghdad killed at least 14 people and wounded dozens more on Wednesday, officials said, as Iraq suffers its worst violence in years. Baghdad is one of the most frequently targeted cities and is hit by near-daily bombings and shootings. The seven car bombs and two roadside bombs, which struck in six different areas of Baghdad, also wounded more than 70 people, the officials said. One car bomb exploded near the University of Technology in the Karrada district of central Baghdad, killing three people and wounding at least 10.

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