Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.S. sends 130 more troops to Iraq
• US urges speedy formation of new Iraq government
• US sends 130 more military advisors to Iraq: Hagel
• Hollywood lionizes Robin Williams as suicide probed
• US sends 130 more troops to Iraq
• Officials: US to send 130 more advisers to Iraq
• United States sends another 130 military personnel to Iraq
• Could Islamic militants in Iraq bring their fight to America?
• US stocks fall as geopolitical risks remain
• Germany open to sending military aid to Iraq government
• Iraq is not Syria: US Congress on board this time
• Report: U.S. to send 100 more military advisers to help Iraq's Yezidis
• Mystery over massive Alexander-era tomb unearthed in Greece
• Robin Williams' favorite audience: US soldiers
• In Iraq leadership crisis, US and Iran find themselves playing on same side
• EU gives go-ahead to states sending arms to Iraqi Kurds
• TSX steady as gold miners offset weakness in energy producers
• Wall St. slips after two-day rally; energy shares drop
• Israel targeting mosques hurts Gaza social fabric
• Clinton making amends with Obama after critique
• Iraq's prime minister seems increasingly isolated
• Fox Pundit Thinks Michelle Obama Could 'Lose a Few'
• Stocks, euro fall with German sentiment; oil tumbles
• Oil prices fall on weak demand forecast
• US stocks move lower in quiet trade
• Britain to transport arms to Kurds as it bolsters Iraq aid
• US urges no 'coercion' in Iraq leadership tussle
• Fearing Iraq's downfall, power brokers chose safe bet Abadi
• Top Asian News at 8:00 p.m. GMT
• Haidar al-Abadi: from exile to Iraq PM designate
• A U.S.-Designated Terrorist Group Is Helping the Kurds Push Back ISIL
• EU envoys hail US intervention in Iraq as bloc boosts aid

U.S. sends 130 more troops to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:43 PM PDT Another 130 U.S. troops arrived in Iraq on Tuesday on what the Pentagon described as a temporary mission to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis facing thousands of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain.

US urges speedy formation of new Iraq government Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:40 PM PDT SYDNEY (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged Iraq's new leaders on Tuesday to work quickly to form an inclusive government and said the U.S. is prepared to offer significant additional aid in the fight against Islamic State militants.

US sends 130 more military advisors to Iraq: Hagel Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:35 PM PDT The United States has sent 130 more military advisors to northern Iraq to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis there, US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Tuesday. "I recommended to the president and the president has authorized me to go ahead and send about 130 new assessment team members up to northern Iraq in the Arbil area to take a closer look and give more in-depth assessment of where we can continue to help," said Hagel. Hagel added: "I would also say that this follows the criteria that President Obama has made very clearly that this is not any extension of any role other for the United States than to find ways to assist and help advise the Iraqi security forces. "As the president has made very clear, we're not going back to Iraq in any of the same combat mission dimensions that we once were in."

Hollywood lionizes Robin Williams as suicide probed Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:20 PM PDT A new generation of Hollywood royalty led by Oscar-winners Ben Affleck and Matt Damon joined the greats of stand-up comedy Tuesday in hailing Robin Williams, after his apparent suicide. In a tribute to the 63-year-old comic actor's influence on younger greats, Williams' co-stars from "Good Will Hunting" -- the film that won him his Oscar -- joined the global outpouring of emotion. Further from the rarified air of Hollywood, the stand-up performers who shared the comedy circuit with Williams also chimed in. Thanks for everything," wrote Louis C.K., who cast Williams to play himself in an episode of his sitcom.

US sends 130 more troops to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:18 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Another 130 U.S. troops arrived in Iraq on Tuesday on what the Pentagon described as a temporary mission to assess the scope of the humanitarian crisis facing thousands of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain.

Officials: US to send 130 more advisers to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:09 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon is sending 130 more military advisers to northern Iraq to help local forces in their escalating fight against Islamic militants, officials said Tuesday.

United States sends another 130 military personnel to Iraq Posted: 12 Aug 2014 04:07 PM PDT The Obama administration has sent about 130 additional military personnel to Iraq, U.S Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to help Iraq contain the threat posed by hardline militants from the Islamic State. Hagel, speaking to troops in California, said the soldiers had arrived in the area around Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, Arbil, earlier in the day on Tuesday. A U.S. defense official, in a statement issued as Hagel was speaking, said the soldiers sent to northern Iraq would "assess the scope of the humanitarian mission and develop additional humanitarian assistance options beyond the current airdrop effort in support of displaced Iraqi civilians trapped on Sinjar Mountain by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant." (Reporting By Missy Ryan;

Could Islamic militants in Iraq bring their fight to America? Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:17 PM PDT As the Islamic State gains ground and enlarges its pool of foreign fighter recruits, it is increasingly likely to attack on American soil as well.  Senator Graham's warning followed what seemed to be an Islamic State fighter threatening to "raise the flag of Allah in the White House." A widely-circulated photo on the web showed an IS supporter taking a photo with an IS flag in the foreground, and the White House in the background, the implication presumably being that the IS was at the gates of the White House. "These [IS] guys are battle-hardened, and they have had a significant amount of training in Syria and Iraq on all kinds of tactics and techniques, like bomb-making," says Samuel Brannen, senior fellow in the International Security Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

US stocks fall as geopolitical risks remain Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:08 PM PDT The stock market pulled back slightly Tuesday, following two days of gains, as investors focused on the damage that ongoing geopolitical tensions were causing the global economy. Energy stocks were among ...

Germany open to sending military aid to Iraq government Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:08 PM PDT Germany's foreign minister has raised the possibility of sending military assistance to the Iraqi government, saying he would discuss further steps with European partners following a dramatic push by Islamic State militants through northern Iraq. His comments, along with similar statements from two other ministers, marked a shift in tone from the German government which on Monday said it did not send arms to conflict zones. In the last few months Berlin has announced a more restrictive policy on arms exports and a more muscular foreign policy. "Humanitarian aid for everyone that needs protection is a matter of course ... but we must look whether we can and must do more," Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung daily.

Iraq is not Syria: US Congress on board this time Posted: 12 Aug 2014 03:08 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Little of the impassioned debate that fractured lawmakers last year over possible military intervention in Syria is happening now as American war planes strike extremist targets in Iraq.

Report: U.S. to send 100 more military advisers to help Iraq's Yezidis Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:51 PM PDT The United States will send more than 100 military advisers to help the Yezidis in Iraq, according to CNN. The military advisers would look at humanitarian relief options for the group, according to the report. More than 100 additional U.S. military advisers are being sent to Iraq to look at relief options for displaced Yezidis, officials say. — CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) August 12, 2014. The United Nations estimates that as many as 30,000 Yezidis may still be trapped in northern Iraq, fleeing the advance of the aggressive and violent Islamic State.

Mystery over massive Alexander-era tomb unearthed in Greece Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:48 PM PDT Archaeologists have unearthed a funeral mound dating from the time of Alexander the Great and believed to be the largest ever discovered in Greece, but are stumped about who was buried in it. Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday described the find as "unique" after he visited the site, which dates to the era following Alexander's death, at the ancient town of Amphipolis in northern Greece. "The tomb is definitely dated to the period following the death of Alexander the Great (in 323 BC), but we cannot say who it belonged to," supervising archaeologist Katerina Peristeri told Mega channel. Built on the banks of the river Strymon, some 60 kilometres (37 miles) from the modern city of Serres, Amphipolis was an important city of the ancient Macedonian kingdom under Alexander.

Robin Williams' favorite audience: US soldiers Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:42 PM PDT Few were more stunned and saddened by Robin Williams' death than the US servicemen and women he loved to entertain, be it on the frontlines or by their hospital beds. Williams has taken part in no fewer than six USO entertainment tours since 2002, the military charity said Tuesday, delighting nearly 90,000 troops across 13 countries including Afghanistan and Iraq.

In Iraq leadership crisis, US and Iran find themselves playing on same side Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:40 PM PDT Maybe between games the players can discuss how the US and Iran are seeing eye-to-eye on a growing number of challenges in the Middle East, including now Iraq. After years of antagonism over Iraq's political evolution, and accusations that Iranian-backed and Iranian-armed militias were responsible for the deaths of US soldiers in Iraq, now Washington and Tehran are on the same page.  Both the US and Iran indicated this week that they support the designation of Jaidar al-Abadi to become Iraq's next prime minister and to replace Nouri al-Maliki, who during most of his eight years in the office was close to Tehran. Both view the advancing Sunni militant organization calling itself the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, as the major threat facing Iraq and their interests in the region, experts say.

EU gives go-ahead to states sending arms to Iraqi Kurds Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:36 PM PDT By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union failed on Tuesday to agree on a joint position on supplying weapons to Iraqi Kurds battling Islamic State militants, but said individual members could send arms in coordination with Baghdad. Iraqi Kurdish President Masoud Barzani asked the international community on Sunday to provide the Kurds with weapons to help them fight the militants, whose dramatic push through the north has startled world powers. EU ambassadors, holding an extraordinary meeting to discuss the crises in Iraq, Ukraine and Gaza, gave the green light for individual governments to send arms under set conditions. "The (ambassadors) noted the urgent request by the Kurdish regional authorities to certain member states for military support and underlined the need to consider this request in close coordination with the Iraqi authorities," a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.

TSX steady as gold miners offset weakness in energy producers Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:21 PM PDT By John Tilak TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index was little changed on Tuesday, as advances in gold miners and financial companies helped offset a decline in energy producers. Shares of gold producers benefited as the price of bullion rose after a report showed economic sentiment among analysts and investors in Germany hit a low point on worries over the impact of the Ukraine crisis. Trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange has been choppy over the past two weeks because of the geopolitical concerns, but its benchmark S&P/TSX composite index is up more than 12 percent this year. "We believe that the market will see a correction this summer," said Subodh Kumar, chief investment strategist at Subodh Kumar & Associates.

Wall St. slips after two-day rally; energy shares drop Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:14 PM PDT By Akane Otani NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks ended lower on Tuesday, snapping a two-day rally as energy shares tumbled on sliding oil prices. Traders rushed to sell the stock of handbag and accessory maker and retailer Kate Spade & Co , which plummeted 25.4 percent to close at $29.00 in its busiest day of trading ever with 52 million shares changing hands. Kate Spade & Co reported better-than-expected sales, which had helped lift the stock to a seven-year-high at $42.87 in early trading. Southwestern Energy Co shares fell 2.8 percent to $38.21, while Consol Energy Inc shares ended down 2.4 percent at $39.49.

Israel targeting mosques hurts Gaza social fabric Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:12 PM PDT NUSEIRAT REFUGEE CAMP, Gaza Strip (AP) — Only the minaret still stands after an Israeli airstrike reduced Gaza's Al-Qassam Mosque to a heap of concrete, iron rods and dust. Hours after the pre-dawn attack, rescue workers searched in the rubble, residents gathered — and plainclothes Hamas security agents mingled among them.

Clinton making amends with Obama after critique Posted: 12 Aug 2014 02:11 PM PDT After distancing herself from some of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called her ex-boss Tuesday to try to smooth things over and planned on "hugging it out" in person at an upcoming get-together.

Iraq's prime minister seems increasingly isolated Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:52 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — His days in power in Iraq appear increasingly numbered. World leaders, including his biggest ally, Iran, hail the nomination of the man who would be his successor.

Fox Pundit Thinks Michelle Obama Could 'Lose a Few' Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:52 PM PDT It was a regular Tuesday afternoon on Fox News: a discussion of Gaza; On an episode of Outnumbered, Dr. Keith Ablow said the following of the First Lady.

Stocks, euro fall with German sentiment; oil tumbles Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:38 PM PDT By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - Brent crude oil hit a 13-month low on Tuesday as ample North American production outweighed concern over supply from the Middle East, while stocks and the euro were pressured by plunging investor morale in Germany, Europe's largest economy. German investors fretted over the impact that sanctions against Russia over its support of Ukrainian separatists could have on the German economy. Moscow said on Tuesday that a convoy of 280 trucks carrying humanitarian aid had set off for Ukraine, but Kiev said it would not allow the vehicles to cross into its territory. Ukraine and Western governments warned Russia against any attempt to turn the operation into a military intervention.

Oil prices fall on weak demand forecast Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:37 PM PDT Oil prices dropped Tuesday with the main European benchmark contract sinking to a 13-month low after the International Energy Agency slashed its demand outlook for 2014 and 2015. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for September delivery fell 71 cents to $97.37 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. European benchmark Brent oil for delivery in September tumbled $1.66 to $103.02 a barrel, its lowest closing price since July 1, 2013. Pointing to slower global economic growth, the IEA projected 2014 oil demand would rise by 1.0 million barrels a day to 92.7 mbd, compared to its July forecast for growth of 1.2 mbd.

US stocks move lower in quiet trade Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:17 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Stocks are closing lower following two days of gains as investors focus on problems in Ukraine and Iraq.

Britain to transport arms to Kurds as it bolsters Iraq aid Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:15 PM PDT Britain is to transport military supplies from other states to Kurdish forces battling militants in northern Iraq and strengthen its aid mission there, the government said on Tuesday. London has "agreed to transport from other contributing states some critical military re-supplies for the Kurdish forces", a statement from Prime Minister David Cameron's office said. The statement was issued after British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond chaired a meeting of the emergency response committee Cobra and following a telephone conversation between Cameron and Australian counterpart Tony Abbott. "Britain is complicit in Iraq's disarray," the editorial read.

US urges no 'coercion' in Iraq leadership tussle Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:11 PM PDT The United States on Tuesday renewed warnings against "coercion" in Iraq's political crisis as Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki struggled to cling to power. "We would reject any effort, legally or otherwise, to achieve outcomes through coercion or manipulation of the constitutional or judicial process," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said. President Barack Obama has thrown his support behind prime minister-designate Haidar al-Abadi after US criticism that Maliki contributed to Iraq's turmoil by ruling divisively on behalf of the Shiite majority. Maliki has denounced the naming of Abadi as a constitutional violation and blamed the United States.

Fearing Iraq's downfall, power brokers chose safe bet Abadi Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:09 PM PDT By Michael Georgy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Pressure on Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki to step aside had become unbearable. Sunnis, Kurds, fellow Shi'ites, regional power broker Iran and the United States all wanted him out. Maliki calculated he may have one more chance to hold onto power after eight years in office, even though alarmed allies had run out of patience as Islamic State jihadis swept government forces aside in much of western and northern Iraq. Maliki's plan would require persuading Iraq's most influential cleric that he alone could reform and unite a country that had slid back into a civil war fueled by what critics view as his sectarian politics.

Top Asian News at 8:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:02 PM PDT SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — They died well over a century ago, but the 124 Korean Catholic martyrs who will be honored by Pope Francis this week still have a hold over many of their descendants — even some who learned of their sacrifices only in recent years, or whose families are now Buddhist or Protestant. It will be a proud moment for them Saturday when Francis beatifies the martyrs, in the last step before canonization, or sainthood. Yet for some, it's also overwhelming to know that someone in their family was willing to die for their faith.

Haidar al-Abadi: from exile to Iraq PM designate Posted: 12 Aug 2014 01:00 PM PDT Haidar al-Abadi, tasked with forming Iraq's next government during a major crisis, is a former exile and long-serving MP described variously as a genial, tough, diplomatic and uncontroversial politician. Many of those characteristics are a sharp departure from outgoing premier Nuri al-Maliki, who is opposed by Iraq's Sunni Arabs and some of his own Shiite community, and has defiantly insisted he is being robbed of a third term in a violation of the country's constitution. Abadi, a member of Maliki's Dawa party, earned a doctorate from Manchester University in Britain, where he remained in exile for much of Saddam Hussein's rule. Abadi, a balding man with a close-cut white beard, returned to Iraq following Saddam's overthrow in 2003 and became communications minister in the interim government set up after the dictator's fall.

A U.S.-Designated Terrorist Group Is Helping the Kurds Push Back ISIL Posted: 12 Aug 2014 12:53 PM PDT The battle between the Islamic State — formerly known as ISIS — against the Kurds and the Iraqis has taken several strange turns over the past few days.

EU envoys hail US intervention in Iraq as bloc boosts aid Posted: 12 Aug 2014 12:48 PM PDT EU envoys on Tuesday praised US efforts to halt a deadly jihadist advance across huge parts Iraq as the European Commission boosted aid to help desperate civilians in the war-torn country. The envoys met during an extraordinary meeting in Brussels in an effort to better coordinate the response by member states to a crisis the EU's executive called the world's most pressing emergency. "EU member states welcomed the efforts by the US and partners to stop the Islamic State advance and facilitate access for humanitarian support," a statement from the EU foreign service said at the end of the meeting. The talks were urgently assembled after key EU powers Italy and France earlier in the week demanded bolder EU action on Iraq.

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