Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama, Cameron discuss foreign policy hot spots
• US gas prices drop 4 cents to $3.67 a gallon
• Israel’s “Iron Dome” Could Prolong Gaza Conflict
• U.S. concerned foreign fighters in Syria are working with Yemenis
• Afghan election audit to take three weeks
• Kurds clash with extremists in northern Syria
• Eric Holder Stands By Controversial ‘Nation Of Cowards’ Speech
• Iraqi factions hit new delay in forming government
• Iraq parliament postpones decision on new leaders
• As Iraq's politicians fumble, Iran fears its own quagmire
• US, Germany vow cooperation despite espionage spat
• Exclusive: Egyptians fear Islamist militants gathering on Libyan border
• See how they run: The 2016 presidential checklist
• Iraq's parliament ends session still deadlocked
• Insurgents attack town north of Baghdad
• Iraq parliament postpones meeting on new government to Tuesday
• Why the United States Spies on Germany
• Iraq's parliament, deadlocked over leadership, meets briefly before adjourning until Tuesday
• Iraq's Sunnis say they have their speaker nominee
• Iraq militants make ground in push towards Baghdad
• Police bail terror suspect

Obama, Cameron discuss foreign policy hot spots Posted: 13 Jul 2014 04:33 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron discussed Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq and the status of Iran nuclear talks during a Sunday phone call.

US gas prices drop 4 cents to $3.67 a gallon Posted: 13 Jul 2014 01:15 PM PDT CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — A survey says the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. has fallen 4 cents over the last three weeks to $3.67.

Israel’s “Iron Dome” Could Prolong Gaza Conflict Posted: 13 Jul 2014 01:00 PM PDT In an unusual bit of drama on the Sunday talk shows, an interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was punctuated by air raid warnings, as the conflict between his country's military and members of the militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip continued to blaze. As Netanyahu prepared to speak via satellite with CBS News anchor Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation, Schieffer reported that warning sirens had just gone off in Tel Aviv, alerting residents that rockets targeting the city had been fired from Gaza, where members of the militant anti-Israel group Hamas have a stronghold. "When we began this interview we were under bomb alert," Netanyahu explained as he listened to the announcement. Netanyahu's interview with Schieffer took place hours after Israeli commandos raided several sites in Gaza, engaging in a firefight with Hamas members and destroying some of the launchers that have been used to fire hundreds of rockets into Israel over the past few days.

U.S. concerned foreign fighters in Syria are working with Yemenis Posted: 13 Jul 2014 11:02 AM PDT By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said he is concerned fighters from Europe and the United States who are supporting violent insurgents in the Syrian civil war are joining forces with Yemeni bomb makers. U.S. intelligence agencies estimate around 7,000 of the 23,000 violent extremists operating in Syria are foreign fighters, mostly from Europe. Holder, who last week met with European justice ministers in London, said the worry is not only about the actions of foreign fighters in Syria, but when they return to their home countries. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson has said Syria has become a matter of homeland security.

Afghan election audit to take three weeks Posted: 13 Jul 2014 10:44 AM PDT The audit of Afghanistan's disputed presidential poll will take three weeks, the head of the country's election commission said on Sunday after the two rival candidates agreed to the vote-checking. "In order for this audit to be conducted on time, the Independent Election Commission is planning to form 100 teams that will review 1,000 ballot boxes every day. The audit will end in three weeks," commission chairman Yusuf Nuristani told a press conference in Kabul. The estimate comes after presidential rivals Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani agreed to an audit of all eight million votes cast in the disputed run-off election, following two days of intense shuttle diplomacy by US Secretary of State John Kerry.

Kurds clash with extremists in northern Syria Posted: 13 Jul 2014 10:42 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Heavy fighting broke out Sunday between an extremist group and Kurdish gunmen in northern Syria, activists said, adding that jihadis have captured a dozen fighters.

Eric Holder Stands By Controversial ‘Nation Of Cowards’ Speech Posted: 13 Jul 2014 09:50 AM PDT In a rare interview covering a wide array of topics, Attorney General Eric Holder said that he would not back away from a controversial speech he gave in 2009 in which he called the United States "a nation of cowards" on the topic of race. In Feb. 2009, in his first speech after taking office, Holder told a crowd gathered at the Justice Department to celebrate Black History Month, "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards." Those remarks led to vigorous and divisive debate, with critics saying that Holder's idea of openly discussing racial issues involved a one-way conversation led by the attorney general and the Obama administration. In the interview, Holder also reiterated claims he has made in the past that both he and President Obama are treated differently than their predecessors, partially because of their race.

Iraqi factions hit new delay in forming government Posted: 13 Jul 2014 09:06 AM PDT By Ahmed Rasheed and Maggie Fick BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament failed on Sunday to break a political deadlock that is holding up the formation of a new government to tackle an Islamist-led insurgency raging less than 50 miles (80 km) from Baghdad. After a brief session, parliamentary officials put off until Tuesday efforts to reach agreement between Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish politicians on the posts of prime minister, president and parliamentary speaker. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose State of Law coalition is the largest individual list in parliament, is seeking a third term but faces opposition from Sunnis and Kurds who say he has ruled for the Shi'ite majority at the expense of minority communities.

Iraq parliament postpones decision on new leaders Posted: 13 Jul 2014 08:49 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's deadlocked parliament failed Sunday to overcome the deep divisions hampering the formation of a new government, making no progress on choosing new leaders who could help hold the nation together and confront the Sunni militant blitz that has overrun much of the country.

As Iraq's politicians fumble, Iran fears its own quagmire Posted: 13 Jul 2014 08:30 AM PDT Within days of Sunni jihadists' surge across Iraq last month, 5,000 Iranian volunteers had registered to fight and defend Iraq's Shiite shrines.  Many of them signed up via a website calling on recruits to battle "terrorists" from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which had vowed to attack every Shiite holy site in Iraq as it marched from Syria, south toward Baghdad.   Iranian men vowed to be the first in line, one writing in the comments that his "only request from God is martyrdom." Another wrote "my heart is tearing apart" over Iraq. Iran, like the US, is struggling to determine the best course of action in Iraq. The Sunni militants' declaration of an Islamic caliphate over swathes of Syria and Iraq – along with its ambitions to expand from Algeria to Pakistan – prompted Iran to send advisors and military hardware to Baghdad.

US, Germany vow cooperation despite espionage spat Posted: 13 Jul 2014 08:15 AM PDT VIENNA (AP) — The United States and Germany put a brave face on an escalating espionage dispute, stressing on Sunday the importance of their cooperation to solving several global crises but offering little indication they've fully mended ties.

Exclusive: Egyptians fear Islamist militants gathering on Libyan border Posted: 13 Jul 2014 06:12 AM PDT A few days before he was elected Egypt's president in May, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi discreetly visited tribesmen living along the border with Libya. Tribal leaders there say Sisi, former head of the army, urged them to help Egypt confront what could be a security nightmare for the biggest Arab nation: Islamist militants operating just over the frontier in Libya. "Sisi came to us and asked us to stand behind the security forces and army to help them to control the border because what is happening in Libya poses a grave danger to Egypt," said Mohamed al-Raghi, a tribal chief. Chaos in Libya has allowed militants to set up makeshift training camps only a few kilometers from Egypt's border, according to Egyptian security officials.

See how they run: The 2016 presidential checklist Posted: 13 Jul 2014 05:57 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — For a year, The Associated Press has been tracking movements and machinations of more than a dozen prospective presidential candidates. Here's the latest presidential prep checklist:

Iraq's parliament ends session still deadlocked Posted: 13 Jul 2014 03:26 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's deadlocked parliament ended its second session after just 30 minutes Sunday without making any progress toward forming a new government that can unite the country and confront the Sunni militant blitz that has seized control of a huge chunk of the country.

Insurgents attack town north of Baghdad Posted: 13 Jul 2014 03:12 AM PDT Sunni Islamist insurgents who control large parts of northern Iraq attacked a town north of Baghdad early on Sunday, seizing local government buildings, police and witnesses said. They said militants in 50 to 60 vehicles stormed the town of Dhuluiya, about 70 km (45 miles) north of Baghdad at 3.30 am (8.30 p.m. EDT Saturday), taking the mayor's office and municipal council building and fighting to take control of the police station. Insurgents led by the al Qaeda offshoot Islamic State seized swathes of Iraq's northern and western Sunni Muslim provinces in a two-day offensive last month. They were pushed back at Dhuluiya on June 14 by soldiers loyal to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Shi'ite-led government backed by fighters from the Shi'ite Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, but fighting has continued and they have taken other towns.

Iraq parliament postpones meeting on new government to Tuesday Posted: 13 Jul 2014 03:11 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament postponed until Tuesday a meeting aimed at agreeing on the formation of a new government because of a lack of consensus, parliamentary officials and a lawmaker said on Sunday. Deputies had gathered in parliament for talks intended to agree a prime minister, president and speaker of parliament, three months after Iraq's parliamentary election. The political impasse has been given added urgency by the Islamist-led insurgency which swept through Sunni provinces of northern Iraq last month and has threatened Baghdad. (Editing by Louise Ireland)

Why the United States Spies on Germany Posted: 13 Jul 2014 03:00 AM PDT Days after the CIA station chief was expelled from Berlin, the United States hit back against accusations that two German officials were spying for the United States. White House spokesman Josh Earnest did not confirm or deny reports about American espionage revealed this week by German media. "Allies with sophisticated intelligence agencies like the United States and Germany understand with some degree of detail exactly what those intelligence relationships and activities entail," Earnest said late last week. Meanwhile, in Berlin, German officials started to back off angry statements made earlier in the week when the spying revelations emerged.

Iraq's parliament, deadlocked over leadership, meets briefly before adjourning until Tuesday Posted: 13 Jul 2014 02:54 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's parliament, deadlocked over leadership, meets briefly before adjourning until Tuesday.

Iraq's Sunnis say they have their speaker nominee Posted: 13 Jul 2014 02:34 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi parliament's Sunni blocs have agreed on a candidate for the post of parliament speaker, paving the way for the legislature to take the first formal step toward forming a new government.

Iraq militants make ground in push towards Baghdad Posted: 13 Jul 2014 01:58 AM PDT Militants seized part of the Iraqi town of Dhuluiyah Sunday in fighting that killed six people, an official said, as a new drive towards the capital entered its third day. Four policemen were among the dead in the fighting for the town, which the militants took in a lightning offensive last month before its recapture by government forces in one of their rare successes of the conflict, district official Marwan Mitaab said. The assault on the town, just 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Baghdad, began early on Sunday and has since overrun more than half of it, including the police station and two local government buildings, Mitaab said. After a period in which battle lines have been relatively stagnant, jihadist-led militants seem to be making a renewed push to gain ground, after overrunning a vast swathe of northern and north-central Iraq in their offensive that began in second city Mosul on June 9.

Police bail terror suspect Posted: 12 Jul 2014 05:41 PM PDT Police bailed a 22-year-old man who was arrested this week on suspicion of terrorism offences as he attempted to board a flight to Turkey, a well-travelled route to Syria. The unnamed man was arrested on Wednesday at Luton airport, on suspicion of being involved in the preparation of acts to commit terrorism. Officers searched a property in west London and the man, who was due to fly to Istanbul, was taken to a south London police station for questioning. Scotland Yard said on Saturday that he had been bailed to a date in mid-August pending further enquiries.

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