Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Militants blitz through Iraq's western desert
• Iran rejects U.S. action in Iraq, ISIL tightens Syria border grip
• Jordan beefs up Iraq border defenses as frontier post falls
• Netanyahu urges U.S. not to work with Iran to stabilize Iraq
• Neocons, critics fight over who’s responsible for Iraq mess
• Equipped with Humvees, ISIL clashes with rivals in Syria
• Iraqi Shiites say driven from homes in Sunni area
• Iraqi militants seize 2 more border crossings
• Rand Paul Throws Obama a Lifeline on Iraq, Spars With Dick Cheney
• ISIS May Be More Dangerous than Al Qaeda Ever Was
• Israeli leader criticizes Presbyterians
• Blasts target Iraq mourners, six killed
• Iraq's capital lives in fear, expects the worst
• Egypt to set rules next month for parliamentary vote
• Israel PM slams 'disgraceful' US Presbyterian divestment
• Kerry: Insurgency in Iraq threatens entire Mideast
• Insurgent gains in Iraq point to greater problems for the US
• AP IMPACT: VA falls short on female medical issues
• Syria jihadists now using Humvees seized in Iraq
• Militants kill 21 people in two Iraq towns
• Netanyahu warns US not to work with Iran on Iraq crisis
• Beware ISIL, Iran's Rouhani warns 'petrodollar' states
• Cheney, Paul trade criticism over Iraq war
• Gunmen seize Iraqi border post with Syria: sources
• Kerry says U.S. wants Iraqis to find inclusive leadership
• U.S. wants inclusive Iraq but won't choose its rulers: Kerry
• Kerry urges Iraqi leaders to rise above sectarianism
• 'Too fat to fight': thousands of British soldiers overweight
• Iraq militants threaten other countries, says Obama
• 5 Things to Know about women's medical care at VA
• Rand Paul on Hillary Clinton: 'We will make her answer for Benghazi'
• U.S. House Republican leader says all options open in Iraq
• IRAQ 2
• Obama's test: Try to avoid 'mission creep' in Iraq
• Military considers shopping perk for most veterans
• Kerry urges Arab states to not fund Sunni fighters
• IRAQ
• Khamenei says Iran strongly opposes U.S. intervention in Iraq
• Rand Paul: U.S. ‘Over-Involvement’ In Region Creating ‘Jihadist Wonderland’ In Iraq
• Obama: Threat from Iraq militants could grow

Militants blitz through Iraq's western desert Posted: 22 Jun 2014 03:21 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Sunni militants have blitzed through the vast desert of western Iraq, capturing four towns and three border crossings and deepening the predicament of the Shiite-led government in Baghdad led by Nouri al-Maliki.

Iran rejects U.S. action in Iraq, ISIL tightens Syria border grip Posted: 22 Jun 2014 03:00 PM PDT By Kamal Namaa ANBAR Iraq (Reuters) - Iran's supreme leader accused the United States on Sunday of trying to retake control of Iraq by exploiting sectarian rivalries, as Sunni insurgents drove towards Baghdad from new strongholds along the Syrian border. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's condemnation of U.S. action came three days after President Barack Obama offered to send 300 military advisers to help the Iraqi government.

Jordan beefs up Iraq border defenses as frontier post falls Posted: 22 Jun 2014 02:41 PM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordan beefed up its border defenses with Iraq on Sunday after Sunni gunmen seized territory close to its border in Anbar province and appeared to have also taken control of the only land crossing with its large eastern neighbor, officials and witnesses said.

Netanyahu urges U.S. not to work with Iran to stabilize Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2014 02:12 PM PDT By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday the United States should try to weaken both Iran and the Sunni Muslim insurgents driving toward Baghdad, urging the Obama administration not to work with Tehran to help stabilize Iraq. "What you're seeing in the Middle East today in Iraq and in Syria is the stark hatreds between radical Shi'ites, in this case led by Iran, and radical Sunnis led by al Qaeda and ISIS and others," Netanyahu told the NBC program "Meet the Press," referring to the group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. Weaken both," Netanyahu added. Netanyahu, known for a strained relationship with U.S. President Barack Obama, has described as a "historic mistake" the interim agreement that the United States and other world powers reached with Iran in November on curbing some aspects of its nuclear program in return for a limited easing of sanctions imposed on Tehran.

Neocons, critics fight over who’s responsible for Iraq mess Posted: 22 Jun 2014 01:20 PM PDT History will sort things out in the end, but the original architects of US military involvement in Iraq are having an "I told you so" moment as the Obama administration scrambles to deal with an Islamist insurgency that's sent the Iraqi army fleeing and threatens a divisive government propped up by US influence. "Being on the wrong side of Dick Cheney is being on the right side of history," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid responded last week on the Senate floor. "To the architects of the Iraq war who are now so eager to offer their expert analysis, I say thanks but no thanks." "I think the same questions could be asked of those who supported the Iraq War," Sen. Rand Paul said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday.

Equipped with Humvees, ISIL clashes with rivals in Syria Posted: 22 Jun 2014 01:06 PM PDT The Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant (ISIL) battled with rival opposition fighters in northern Syria on Sunday, using U.S.-made military vehicles captured from neighboring Iraq for the first time, a monitoring group said. ISIL, a splinter group of al Qaeda which wants to set up an Islamic caliphate encompassing both Iraq and Syria, has made rapid gains in Iraq in the past two weeks, taking control of the northern city of Mosul and major border crossings with Syria. Its advances in Iraq appear to have spurred on the Syrian branch, which is fighting both the army of President Bashar al-Assad and also rival opposition groups such as the Western-backed Free Syrian Army, a more moderate force.

Iraqi Shiites say driven from homes in Sunni area Posted: 22 Jun 2014 12:54 PM PDT KIRKUK, Iraq (AP) — The insurgents came at midday, walking across a canal, advancing under cover of mortar fire toward the cluster of three Iraqi villages.

Iraqi militants seize 2 more border crossings Posted: 22 Jun 2014 12:48 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Sunni militants on Sunday captured two border crossings, one along the frontier with Jordan and the other with Syria, security and military officials said, as they pressed on with their offensive in one of Iraq's most restive regions.

Rand Paul Throws Obama a Lifeline on Iraq, Spars With Dick Cheney Posted: 22 Jun 2014 12:47 PM PDT Americans received a new education on Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul's labyrinthine foreign policy views as he sparred with former Vice President Dick Cheney across the Sunday shows.  In a segment that was teased ahead of his appearance on Meet the Press today, Paul was asked by David Gregory if he believes that Cheney is a credible critic of President Obama on the recent turmoil in Iraq. After turning the question around by asking whether supporters of the Second Gulf War had it right about weapons of mass destruction or the ease with which democracy would take root in Iraq, Paul said something pretty remarkable.

ISIS May Be More Dangerous than Al Qaeda Ever Was Posted: 22 Jun 2014 12:45 PM PDT With the radical Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) taking over four more towns in western Iraq and along the Syrian border over the weekend, U.S. policymakers are arguing over how grave a threat the group poses to the United States. In an interview with Norah O'Donnell of CBS News, part of which aired on Face the Nation Sunday, President Obama said that while ISIS is a dangerous and violent group, it poses only a "a medium and long-term threat" to the United States rather than an immediate danger. Others are more concerned, believing that ISIS Is looking more and more like Al Qaeda did in the years leading up to the September 11 attacks, but with a crucial difference. Like Al Qaeda, ISIS has plenty of money and, with its takeover of much of Iraq, a safe place to operate.

Israeli leader criticizes Presbyterians Posted: 22 Jun 2014 12:30 PM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's prime minister on Sunday criticized the decision by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to divest from U.S. companies that operate in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, saying the vote was misguided and unfair.

Blasts target Iraq mourners, six killed Posted: 22 Jun 2014 12:08 PM PDT A suicide attack and a car bomb Sunday targeted people mourning an Iraqi police officer who died in clashes two days before, killing six people, police and a doctor said. The suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a building near the city of Ramadi, west of Baghdad, where people had gathered to pay their condolences to the family of Colonel Majid al-Fahdawi. Later a car bomb exploded nearby. Iraqi security forces are battling a major militant offensive that is advancing east through Anbar province, of which Ramadi is the capital.

Iraq's capital lives in fear, expects the worst Posted: 22 Jun 2014 11:45 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — "Allah, please make our army victorious," rang out the despairing voice of a worshipper making his way through a crowd to reach the ornate enclosure of the Baghdad tomb of a revered Shiite imam. Others in the crystal and marble mosque somberly read from the Quran or tearfully recited supplications.

Egypt to set rules next month for parliamentary vote Posted: 22 Jun 2014 11:29 AM PDT Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi announced on Sunday that procedures that would pave the way for a parliamentary election would start before July 18, state television reported. The procedures are expected to include the regulations and set the time frame and eligible candidates for the vote. Sisi orchestrated the ousting in July of the elected Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi after mass unrest against him. In the end, the presidential vote came first, won by Sisi last month.

Israel PM slams 'disgraceful' US Presbyterian divestment Posted: 22 Jun 2014 11:19 AM PDT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized Sunday the "disgraceful" decision by the US Presbyterian Church to divest from three companies that provide supplies to Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank. On Friday, a group of church elders and ministers voted 310-303 to pull financial investments from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions -- a total of about $21 million, according to reports. "Most Americans understand that Israel is a beacon of civilization and moderation." He said that while much of the Middle East was "riveted by religious hatred, by savagery of unimaginable proportions," Israel is "the one democracy that upholds basic human rights, that guards the rights of all minorities, that protects Christians."

Kerry: Insurgency in Iraq threatens entire Mideast Posted: 22 Jun 2014 11:16 AM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Arab countries should resist funding Sunni fighters in what is turning into a cross-border war between Iraq and Syria because that support eventually could help the fast-spreading insurgency in Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday.

Insurgent gains in Iraq point to greater problems for the US Posted: 22 Jun 2014 11:14 AM PDT As the US prepares to send 300 military advisers back to Iraq, advances by Islamist insurgents there point to widespread problems for the United States likely to persist for years – including regional instability threatening countries allied with Washington, problems with accurate intelligence gathering, and the potential for attacks within the US itself. The situation on the ground worsened Sunday with reports that Sunni militants had seized another town in Iraq's western Anbar province, the fourth to fall in two days. This puts added pressure on a US administration that had withdrawn the last American combat troops from Iraq in 2011. US special forces headed there are to work with the Iraqi military and add security to the huge US embassy while administration officials continue to push the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to be more inclusive.

AP IMPACT: VA falls short on female medical issues Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:55 AM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Already pilloried for long wait times for medical appointments, the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs has fallen short of another commitment: to attend to the needs of the rising ranks of female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, many of them of child-bearing age.

Syria jihadists now using Humvees seized in Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:46 AM PDT Jihadists fighting in Syria's war put to use for the first time on Sunday American-made Humvees that they seized during a lightning offensive in Iraq this month, a monitor said. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, used the armoured vehicles to capture the villages of Eksar and Maalal in Aleppo province, which borders Turkey, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. It came after heavy fighting against the Islamic Front and its Al-Qaeda-affiliated ally, the Al-Nusra Front, said the Observatory, a Britain-based group that gets its information from a network of sources on the ground. ISIL seized the Humvees and sent them to Syria after Iraqi soldiers abandoned them during a surprise Sunni jihadist offensive that claimed Iraq's second city of Mosul and swathes of other territory in mid-June.

Militants kill 21 people in two Iraq towns Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:37 AM PDT Militants killed 21 leaders in the western Iraq towns of Rawa and Ana during two days of violence, officers and doctors said Sunday, after security forces made a "tactical" withdrawal. Some of those killed were shot dead on Saturday, when the militants moved into the towns, while others were slain the following day. The killings came after Iraqi security forces members departed the towns, clearing the way for the militant takeover.

Netanyahu warns US not to work with Iran on Iraq crisis Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:23 AM PDT Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday warned close ally the United States against working with arch-foe Iran in the effort to pull Iraq back from the brink. Israel has consistently voiced fears that a swift jihadist offensive led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) that has swept up swaths of Iraq may prompt concessions to Tehran from Washington. The United States and Iran now find themselves sharing a common interest in helping Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki fend off the onslaught, and the two sides held rare, brief talks last week in Vienna on the sidelines of international consultations on Tehran's nuclear program. "What you're seeing in the Middle East today in Iraq and in Syria is the stark hatred between radical Shiites -- in this case led by Iran -- and radical Sunnis led by Al-Qaeda and ISIS and others," Netanyahu told NBC's "Meet the Press", referring to ISIL.

Beware ISIL, Iran's Rouhani warns 'petrodollar' states Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:14 AM PDT Iran's President Hassan Rouhani warned on Sunday that Muslim states which funnel petrodollars to jihadist Sunni fighters wreaking havoc in Iraq will become their next target. Rouhani did not name any country, but officials and media in mainly Shiite Iran have hinted that insurgents from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are being financially and militarily supported by Saudi Arabia and Qatar. "I advise Muslim countries that support the terrorists with their petrodollars to stop," Rouhani said in remarks reported by the website of Iran's state broadcaster. Riyadh has warned that Iran-ally Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki is steering Iraq towards civil war through policies that exclude the country's Sunni minority.

Cheney, Paul trade criticism over Iraq war Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:12 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Two prominent Republicans exchanged criticism over U.S. involvement in Iraq on dueling Sunday news shows.

Gunmen seize Iraqi border post with Syria: sources Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:10 AM PDT Gunmen seized an Iraqi-Syrian border post in Iraq's western Anbar province on Sunday, security sources said, a day after Sunni militants fighting the Baghdad government grabbed another border crossing further north. A government official who spoke on condition of anonymity blamed "terrorists". Al-Waleed lies west of Rutba, one of three towns to fall on Sunday to the Sunni insurgents led by al Qaeda splinter group the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), which has made stunning advances across northwest and central Iraq this month. Al-Qaim, another border town about 200 km (120 miles) further north, fell on Saturday to the ISIL militants, who want to create an Islamic caliphate spanning Iraq and Syria.

Kerry says U.S. wants Iraqis to find inclusive leadership Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:09 AM PDT Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday the United States wanted the Iraqi people to find an inclusive leadership to contain a sweeping Islamist insurgency but Washington would not pick or choose who rules in Baghdad. Kerry was speaking in Cairo at the start of a Middle East tour during which he is expected to visit Iraq, where Sunni militants have seized swathes of territory and large amounts of weaponry from Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's troops. "The United States is not engaged in picking or choosing or advocating for any one individual, or series of individuals, to assume the leadership of Iraq," Kerry said. It is up to the people of Iraq to choose their future leadership." Kerry said the U.S. has however noted dissatisfaction of the current leadership in Iraq by Kurds, Sunnis and some Shi'ites.

U.S. wants inclusive Iraq but won't choose its rulers: Kerry Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:09 AM PDT By Lesley Wroughton CAIRO (Reuters) - Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday the United States wanted Iraqis to find an inclusive leadership to contain a sweeping Islamist insurgency but Washington would not pick or choose who rules in Baghdad. Kerry was speaking at the start of a Middle East tour after talks in Cairo with Egypt's new President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi which covered Western concerns over Egypt's crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood and the fallout of the crisis in Iraq. Governments across the Middle East and beyond have been alarmed at the speed with which Sunni militants drove Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's troops out of large parts of north and west Iraq and pushed towards the capital.

Kerry urges Iraqi leaders to rise above sectarianism Posted: 22 Jun 2014 10:06 AM PDT US Secretary of State John Kerry on a surprise Egypt visit Sunday urged Iraqi leaders to rise above sectarianism, and said Washington was not responsible for the country's crisis. Kerry had arrived in Cairo as part of a diplomatic mission to push Egypt toward democracy, but also to discuss the crisis in Iraq, where Sunni militants have made new advances in an offensive that has alarmed the world. "ISIL (the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant)... its ideology of violence and repression is a threat not only to Iraq but the entire region," Kerry said at a joint news conference with Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri. Kerry also said the "US is not engaged in picking or choosing or advocating for any one individual, or a series of individuals to assume the leadership of Iraq.

'Too fat to fight': thousands of British soldiers overweight Posted: 22 Jun 2014 09:32 AM PDT The British army has a global reputation for efficiency and performance, but new figures published on Sunday suggest that its soldiers might be getting a little soft. More than 32,000 soldiers failed a basic fitness test at some point in the past three years, and more than 22,000 were found to be overweight and at risk of health problems, according to Ministry of Defence figures. All soldiers in the British army are required to complete a personal fitness assessment twice a year, and those who fail must retake the test within seven days. According to the figures obtained by the Sunday Times newspaper, 29,600 men and 2,819 women failed their fitness tests between April 2011 and March 2014.

Iraq militants threaten other countries, says Obama Posted: 22 Jun 2014 09:29 AM PDT US President Barack Obama has warned that extremist militants who have surged through Iraq in a lightning and brutal offensive could also destabilize other countries in the volatile region. The jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is rampaging towards the capital Baghdad in its bid to create an Islamic state that will incorporate both Iraq and Syria. Right now the problem with ISIS is the fact that they're destabilizing the country (Iraq)," he said in an interview aired Sunday on CBS television's "Face the Nation".

5 Things to Know about women's medical care at VA Posted: 22 Jun 2014 09:03 AM PDT SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Already pilloried for long wait times for medical appointments, the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs has fallen short of another commitment: to attend to the needs of the rising ranks of female veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, many of them of child-bearing age.

Rand Paul on Hillary Clinton: 'We will make her answer for Benghazi' Posted: 22 Jun 2014 09:02 AM PDT The Kentucky senator weighed in Sunday on the two hot-button issues for the GOP at the moment: Iraq and Hillary Clinton.

U.S. House Republican leader says all options open in Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:37 AM PDT The newly elected No. 2 Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives said on Sunday he would not rule out sending American troops to Iraq to help Baghdad in its fight against a Sunni insurgency. Representative Kevin McCarthy, who was elected last week to the majority leader's post in the House, also said President Barack Obama needed to lay out an overall strategy for dealing with terrorism in the Middle East region. Asked on "Fox News Sunday" whether he would support putting "boots on the ground" in Iraq, McCarthy said: "I'd put everything on the table.

IRAQ 2 Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:30 AM PDT Map provides updates on violence in Iraq's Anbar province.; 2c x 3 inches; 96.3 mm x 76 mm;

Obama's test: Try to avoid 'mission creep' in Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:28 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, in charting a new phase of American military engagement in Iraq, pledges that his war-weary country will not be "dragged back" into a lengthy conflict or become ensnarled in "mission creep."

Military considers shopping perk for most veterans Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:26 AM PDT PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The U.S. military is looking into allowing all of the nation's veterans who served honorably to shop online at exchanges that sell discounted, name-brand goods — a perk that is currently available only to a small minority.

Kerry urges Arab states to not fund Sunni fighters Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:25 AM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Arab countries should resist funding Sunni fighters in what is turning into a cross-border war between Iraq and Syria because that support eventually could help the fast-spreading insurgency in Iraq, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday.

IRAQ Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:20 AM PDT Map provides update on violence in Iraq's Anbar province.; 2c x 3 inches; 96.3 mm x 76 mm;

Khamenei says Iran strongly opposes U.S. intervention in Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2014 08:11 AM PDT By Mehrdad Balali DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's top leader rejected possible intervention in Iraq by the United States or other outside powers, accusing Washington on Sunday of trying to manipulate Iraqi sectarian differences to retake control of the country it once occupied. In remarks published by the official IRNA news agency, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei added that Iraqis themselves could end violence in their country, where Iran has steadily built up its own influence over the past decade. Another senior figure, former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, said Tehran did not want to meddle in other nations but also hoped to mediate to "extinguish the fire" in Iraq. Khamenei, who has the last word in all matters in Shi'te Muslim Iran, said: "American authorities are trying to portray this as a sectarian war, but what is happening in Iraq is not a war between Shi'ite and Sunnis." "It is indeed the same old hegemonic order using leftovers of the Saddam (Hussein) regime as its key pieces, and the Takfiri dogmatic elements as foot soldiers," he told judiciary officials, using a term referring to Sunni Islamist militants.

Rand Paul: U.S. ‘Over-Involvement’ In Region Creating ‘Jihadist Wonderland’ In Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2014 07:50 AM PDT Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul blamed U.S. policy in the Middle East for much of the chaos now sweeping through northern Iraq, arguing that American "over-involvement" in the Syrian civil war created a "jihadist wonderland" in the region. Paul spoke Sunday to CNN's Candy Crowley about the possible presidential candidate's preferred strategy for dealing with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an ultra-violent Sunni Islamist group which captured large swathes of northern Iraq and now threatens Baghdad. "I think there is chaos in the Middle East," Paul began, "and I think that's because we created a vacuum. Before the Iraq War, I think there was something of a standoff between Sunni and Shi'ite for maybe 1,000 years off and on.

Obama: Threat from Iraq militants could grow Posted: 22 Jun 2014 07:45 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Al-Qaida-inspired militants who have violently seized territory in Iraq could grow in power and destabilize other countries in the region, President Barack Obama said.

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