Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Close Obama aide confirmed as State Department no.2
• UN to vote on extending cross-border aid delivery to Syria
• Senate OKs Obama's choice for No. 2 diplomat
• Senate confirms Obama nominee for senior State Dept post
• Australian PM says tough new national security laws failed hostages
• Pennsylvania suspect in family killings dead of self-inflicted cuts
• Ex-Marine wanted in 6 killings commits suicide
• TORTURE REPORT REVEALS A MORAL CROSSROADS
• US war vet kills himself, murders family: officials
• The Spirited and Strange Lawmakers Leaving Congress
• Follow the Alleged Killer's Trail That Launched a New Manhunt in Pennsylvania
• Minnesota ex-governor Ventura sues HarperCollins over 'Sniper' book
• An Inevitable Act of Terror in the Land of Oz
• US search for Iraq war vet wanted for six murders
• Body found near home of suspect in Pennsylvania killings, DA says
• Coburn’s Last Act Was Blocking a VA Suicide Prevention Bill
• As manhunt for ex-Marine widens, questions raised about Iraq service
• Islamic State recruits broadly, not just fighters
• A mom sues France for letting her son go to Syria – and she might win
• Australia vows to unearth why 'sick' extremist was at large
• Syria moves to ensure Iranian oil supplies do not falter
• Britain faces threat of Sydney-style attack at any moment: PM Cameron
• Iran's FM Zarif says deplores region not doing more on weak oil prices: IRNA
• Police make 7 terror arrests in Spain, Morocco
• Tired of talks and under pressure, Palestinians turn to UN
• As Colbert exits, say farewell to his proxy
• Two local Iraqi officials killed execution style after kidnap
• Pakistani Taliban: the group behind Peshawar school attack
• 66 journalists killed in past year as attacks grow more barbaric: report
• In wake of hostage crisis, Australian Muslims say no backlash to faith
• 'Lone wolf' Australian hostage-taker had violent, unsettled past
• Spain arrests seven accused of recruiting women for Islamic State
• Iraq's 'Bodyguards' Subvert the War Against ISIS
• Australian sports asked to review security arrangements
• Solidarity for Australian Muslims after Sydney siege
• India bans Islamic State, hunts for sympathizers
• Iraq government combats 'ghost soldier' corruption
• Journalist murders in Syria a shocking new trend: press freedom report
• Female fighters battle for freedom and equality in Syria: TRFN

Close Obama aide confirmed as State Department no.2 Posted: 16 Dec 2014 04:43 PM PST The US Senate confirmed Tony Blinken as deputy secretary of state on Tuesday, installing a seasoned insider who has served as a close advisor to President Barack Obama. Blinken, the outgoing deputy national security advisor, was confirmed on a vote of 55-38, becoming Secretary of State John Kerry's number two.

UN to vote on extending cross-border aid delivery to Syria Posted: 16 Dec 2014 04:22 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has scheduled a vote Wednesday on a resolution extending cross-border delivery of humanitarian aid to Syrians in rebel-held areas in desperate need of food and medicine, without government approval.

Senate OKs Obama's choice for No. 2 diplomat Posted: 16 Dec 2014 04:21 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate voted on Tuesday to approve President Barack Obama's nominee to be deputy secretary of state, despite criticism from Sen. John McCain and other Republicans.

Senate confirms Obama nominee for senior State Dept post Posted: 16 Dec 2014 04:07 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Antony Blinken as the country's No. 2 diplomat on Tuesday, as Democrats pushed to approve some of President Barack Obama's choices for government posts before Republicans control Congress next year. Senators voted 55-38 to approve Blinken to serve as deputy secretary of state, with almost all votes in favor from Democrats. Blinken, a longtime adviser to Vice President Joe Biden, is currently Obama's deputy national security adviser. ...

Australian PM says tough new national security laws failed hostages Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:53 PM PST By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Tough new national security laws failed to prevent a deadly hostage crisis in the heart of Sydney this week, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Wednesday, raising questions about the usefulness of such measures. Three people were killed, including hostage-taker Man Haron Monis, when heavily armed police stormed a Sydney cafe early on Tuesday morning and freed terrified hostages held at gunpoint for 16 hours. Police are investigating whether the two hostages were killed by Monis or died in the crossfire. ...

Pennsylvania suspect in family killings dead of self-inflicted cuts Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:43 PM PST By Daniel Kelley EAGLEVILLE, Pa. (Reuters) - An Iraq War veteran sought in the killing of six family members in Pennsylvania was found dead on Tuesday of "self-inflicted cutting wounds" following a two-day manhunt, authorities said. Suspect Bradley William Stone, 35, of Pennsburg was being sought in the deaths on Monday of his ex-wife, her mother, grandmother, sister and two other family members, including his 14-year-old niece. His 17-year-old nephew was seriously wounded. Stone's body was found on Tuesday afternoon in a wooded area in New Hanover Township, about a half mile (0. ...

Ex-Marine wanted in 6 killings commits suicide Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:10 PM PST PENNSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A body has been found in the woods near the suburban Philadelphia home of a Marine veteran suspected of killing his ex-wife and five of her relatives.

TORTURE REPORT REVEALS A MORAL CROSSROADS Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:00 PM PST WASHINGTON -- Some months ago, I was speaking with one of the world's most eloquent critics of torture, Dr. Cherif Bassiouni in Chicago. At one point, I asked the professor emeritus of law at DePaul University that old question: What would you do if one person held the secret to destroying the world and he would not talk? Would you not use every possible weapon?"Of course," he said thoughtfully, "but then the next day I would present myself at the courthouse and give myself up. ...

US war vet kills himself, murders family: officials Posted: 16 Dec 2014 02:56 PM PST Bradley Stone, 35, stabbed himself fatally about half a mile from his home in Pennsburg, Pennsylvania after going house to house, killing ex-wife Nicole Hill, 33, her mother, grandmother, sister, brother-in-law and 14-year-old niece. Hill's 17-year-old nephew Anthony Flick was cut in his head and hands, losing three fingers while trying to fight off his attacker, Montgomery County district attorney Risa Vetri Ferman told reporters. Stone's body was discovered at approximately 1:38 pm (1838 GMT) in a wooded area just outside Pennsburg, she said.

The Spirited and Strange Lawmakers Leaving Congress Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:58 PM PST Every two years around this time, the halls of Congress are crowded with boxes, as departing lawmakers pack up their offices in defeat or relief.

Follow the Alleged Killer's Trail That Launched a New Manhunt in Pennsylvania Posted: 16 Dec 2014 01:27 PM PST Delayed emergency calls and the distance between crime scenes caused much confusion in the initial discovery of the shooting spree that unfolded outside of Philadelphia on Monday, authorities said.Now the suspect, identified by authorities as Bradley William Stone, is still at large and has prompted a second massive manhunt in suburban Pennsylvania this fall.Police have found six of his relatives shot to death in three different crime scenes, but thry still have not found Stone, a former Marine reservist who previously served in Iraq. ...

Minnesota ex-governor Ventura sues HarperCollins over 'Sniper' book Posted: 16 Dec 2014 12:11 PM PST By Jon Herskovitz AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura has sued HarperCollins Publishing, saying he was defamed in passage from a book it put out from an ex-Navy SEAL who claimed the two were in a bar fight. Ventura, who in July won more than $1.8 million in damages from the estate of former SEAL Chris Kyle, filed suit in federal court in Minnesota on Monday against HarperCollins over the best-selling book "American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History. ...

An Inevitable Act of Terror in the Land of Oz Posted: 16 Dec 2014 12:00 PM PST Monday's hostage crisis in an Australian café was long overdue. For nearly a decade and a half, Australia has been too out there; too much an ally, too dauntless, too willing to pay the same lunacy bill ...

US search for Iraq war vet wanted for six murders Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:57 AM PST US police widened a manhunt Tuesday for an Iraq war veteran accused of murdering his ex-wife and five members of her family on a killing spree in the northeastern state of Pennsylvania. Bradley William Stone, 35, is "armed and dangerous" and residents in Montgomery County were advised to be cautious and observant, and stay home with their doors locked as schools also closed. Stone, a former US Marine reportedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, is suspected of shooting dead ex-wife Nicole Hill, 33, in front of their two daughters aged five and eight. "We are accessing every possible resource and we are utilizing every possible law enforcement tool to find Mr Stone.

Body found near home of suspect in Pennsylvania killings, DA says Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:52 AM PST (Reuters) - A body was found on Tuesday near the home of an Iraq War veteran suspected of fatally shooting six family members in Pennsylvania, a district attorney said. The Montgomery County district attorney did not immediately confirm media reports that the body was that of suspect Bradley William Stone, 35, of Pennsburg. Stone was being sought in the deaths of his ex-wife, her mother, grandmother, sister and two other family members. (Editing by Jonathan Allen and Bill Trott)

Coburn’s Last Act Was Blocking a VA Suicide Prevention Bill Posted: 16 Dec 2014 11:17 AM PST Sen. Tom Coburn's seemingly churlish behavior Monday night didn't play well when he single-handedly blocked passage of a bill to create a Veterans Affairs Department program to combat rampant suicide among ...

As manhunt for ex-Marine widens, questions raised about Iraq service Posted: 16 Dec 2014 10:51 AM PST A Marine Iraq war veteran named Bradley Stone, prosecutors say, killed his ex-wife and five members of her family on Monday before disappearing, dressed in military fatigues.

Islamic State recruits broadly, not just fighters Posted: 16 Dec 2014 10:33 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — As it looks to expand its territorial base across broad swaths of Iraq and Syria, the Islamic State group is recruiting for more than just fighters.

A mom sues France for letting her son go to Syria – and she might win Posted: 16 Dec 2014 10:25 AM PST A 16-year-old boy travels from France to Syria via Turkey without a passport – and without being challenged by French authorities. He ends up training as a terrorist. Is the French government at fault?

Australia vows to unearth why 'sick' extremist was at large Posted: 16 Dec 2014 10:15 AM PST Australia's government pledged Tuesday to determine why an Iranian-born Islamist with a history of extremism and violence was able to play out a "sick fantasy" by seizing hostages in a day-long siege. A giant sea of flowers was laid at a makeshift memorial near the scene in the heart of Sydney's financial quarter, where Muslim community leaders joined their fellow citizens in mourning the two victims of Monday's cafe siege. Prime Minister Tony Abbott conceded that the dead gunman, identified in reports as 50-year-old refugee Man Haron Monis had evaded greater scrutiny despite being accused of serious crimes including sexual offences and abetting in murder.

Syria moves to ensure Iranian oil supplies do not falter Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:33 AM PST BEIRUT/DUBAI (Reuters) - The Syrian government took steps on Tuesday to ensure oil imports from major ally Iran will continue to meet its needs as winter approaches, sending a high-level delegation to Tehran for talks with Iranian officials including President Hassan Rouhani. Oil production in Syria, which is under U.S. and European sanctions, has dropped sharply since the start of the conflict nearly four years ago and insurgents have taken over many energy installations. ...

Britain faces threat of Sydney-style attack at any moment: PM Cameron Posted: 16 Dec 2014 09:23 AM PST LONDON (Reuters) - Britain faces the threat of a Sydney-style 'lone wolf' attack at any moment, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Tuesday, after a 16-hour siege at a cafe in the Australian city in which two captives were killed. Britain raised it terrorism alert to the second-highest level in August and last month said it was facing the biggest terrorism threat in its history because of radicalized Britons returning from fighting in Syria and Iraq. ...

Iran's FM Zarif says deplores region not doing more on weak oil prices: IRNA Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:55 AM PST DUBAI (Reuters) - Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Tuesday regional countries were not doing enough to lift sagging oil prices that have nearly halved Iran's state revenues in six months.

Police make 7 terror arrests in Spain, Morocco Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:23 AM PST RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Spanish and Moroccan police said Tuesday they had arrested seven suspected members of a terror network spread across their two countries aimed at recruiting women for the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

Tired of talks and under pressure, Palestinians turn to UN Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:21 AM PST With peace talks exhausted, pressure building on the streets and increasing international support, the Palestinians are hoping the time has finally come for a UN resolution on ending the Israeli occupation. Jordan is expected to submit an Arab-backed draft resolution to the UN Security Council as early as Wednesday, seeking a two-year timetable for Israel to withdraw its forces from the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem. Washington is all but certain to veto any resolution setting a deadline for an Israeli withdrawal, and Secretary of State John Kerry has been meeting European allies and senior Israeli and Palestinian officials this week in a bid to head off a diplomatic crisis.

As Colbert exits, say farewell to his proxy Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:20 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Dear Stephen,

Two local Iraqi officials killed execution style after kidnap Posted: 16 Dec 2014 08:17 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two Iraqi local government officials who were kidnapped last week were found dead on the outskirts of Baghdad, officials said on Tuesday, accusing Shi'ite militiamen of killing them in a sectarian power struggle that is playing out across Iraq. The mayor of Khan Bani Saad, a mainly Sunni town 30 km (20 miles) northeast of Baghdad, and three local council members were kidnapped last Thursday by men wearing uniforms and driving security forces vehicles, officials and police said. ...

Pakistani Taliban: the group behind Peshawar school attack Posted: 16 Dec 2014 07:11 AM PST The Pakistani Taliban which claimed responsibility for Tuesday's school rampage that killed at least 130 people is the country's main Islamist rebel group and was also behind the shooting of Nobel Peace laureate Malala Yousafzai.

66 journalists killed in past year as attacks grow more barbaric: report Posted: 16 Dec 2014 06:40 AM PST Attacks on journalists have grown more barbaric and kidnappings have soared, Reporters Without Borders said Tuesday, after a year when violence against the media took centre stage and 66 reporters were killed. "Rarely have reporters been murdered with such a barbaric sense of propaganda, shocking the entire world," said Reporters Without Borders in their annual report released Tuesday. There was a slight drop in the number of murdered journalists -- down from 71 last year -- thanks largely to fewer deaths in countries "at peace". "Local journalists pay the highest price, representing 90 percent of those abducted," the report emphasised.

In wake of hostage crisis, Australian Muslims say no backlash to faith Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:51 AM PST Members of Australia's Muslim community were among thousands of people who laid flowers and other tributes yesterday at a makeshift memorial in downtown Sydney after a violent siege left two hostages and the gunman dead.

'Lone wolf' Australian hostage-taker had violent, unsettled past Posted: 16 Dec 2014 05:07 AM PST By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - The self-styled sheikh behind a siege at a Sydney cafe had been charged as an accessory to murder and with multiple sexual offences. He also harbored deep grievances against the Australian government and had found little kinship in the city's large Muslim community, where he was seen as deeply troubled. Man Haron Monis, an Iranian refugee described by those who knew him as a loner, was killed early on Tuesday after heavily armed police stormed the Lindt Chocolate Cafe to end a 16-hour hostage drama that made global headlines. ...

Spain arrests seven accused of recruiting women for Islamic State Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:25 AM PST MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish and Moroccan police have arrested seven people in a ongoing joint swoop on suspected efforts to recruit women to go to Syria and Iraq to support Islamic State insurgents, the Spanish Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. Spain is among a number of European countries struggling to stop the radicalization of young Muslim citizens and deter them from becoming jihadists in Syria or Iraq, fearing they might return to plot attacks on home soil. ...

Iraq's 'Bodyguards' Subvert the War Against ISIS Posted: 16 Dec 2014 03:00 AM PST Although the Iraqi government's 50,000 "ghost soldiers" have been exposed — forcing the government to deal with corruption in the military — Iraq is still playing fast and loose by using soldiers ...

Australian sports asked to review security arrangements Posted: 16 Dec 2014 02:48 AM PST SYDNEY (Reuters) - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has asked Australia to beef up security for next month's Asian Cup in the wake of the deadly hostage siege in Sydney. Asia's biggest soccer tournament will be held for the first time in Australia from Jan. 9-31, and AFC officials are worried about safety plans following the 16-hour siege at a Sydney cafe that left two hostages and their captor dead. Alex Soosay, the general secretary of the AFC, said he contacted Australia's organizing committee (ALOC) on Tuesday, asking for increased protection. ...

Solidarity for Australian Muslims after Sydney siege Posted: 16 Dec 2014 02:18 AM PST One of the bouquets left on Tuesday in a sea of flowers at the site of the Sydney siege read "I will ride with you." It was as much a wholehearted message to Australia's Muslim community as to the incident's victims. Those words are the theme of a Twitter campaign of solidarity, offering to accompany any Muslims who fear venturing onto public transport at this time, in case of a public backlash after Monday's deadly cafe siege by an Iranian-born extremist. The campaign has raised hopes that Australia, a nation forged by waves of immigration down the decades, will be drawn together by the tragedy and not torn apart. Mirella Rigo, overcome with emotion, rushed through the crowd of people paying their respects on Tuesday morning to embrace a Muslim woman at a makeshift memorial near the Lindt cafe in downtown Sydney's Martin Place.

India bans Islamic State, hunts for sympathizers Posted: 16 Dec 2014 12:58 AM PST By Aditya Kalra NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India on Tuesday declared a ban on Islamic State, days after having detained an engineer for running a popular Twitter account extolling the militant group's military campaign. India has the world's third-largest population of Muslims, but they have largely shunned Islamist causes. Police say only four Indians are known to have joined Islamic State, and one has since returned and is in custody. ...

Iraq government combats 'ghost soldier' corruption Posted: 15 Dec 2014 10:50 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi government has identified and stopped payment of tens of millions of dollars in salaries previously disbursed to nonexistent troops, known here as "ghost soldiers," as part of the prime minister's vow to tackle corruption in the military and regain a foothold in the battle against the Islamic State group, two senior government officials said.

Journalist murders in Syria a shocking new trend: press freedom report Posted: 15 Dec 2014 09:07 PM PST PARIS (Reuters) - The beheading of journalists by Islamist militants in Syria this year showed that reporters face a dangerous new threat, media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday. While the overall number of journalists killed around the world was down 7 percent on 2013, to 66, the nature of some of the killings was of great concern, the Paris-based group said in an annual report. ...

Female fighters battle for freedom and equality in Syria: TRFN Posted: 15 Dec 2014 09:06 PM PST By Benedetta Argentieri TIL KOCHER, Syria (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Every night before 27-year-old Arin goes to bed, she hangs her Makarov, a Russian semi-automatic pistol, from a steel coat rack by the entrance to her one-bedroom apartment in a small, dusty town on the Syrian border with Iraq. The pistol was an award for her success on the front line in the battle to protect Kurdish areas of northeastern Syria and is a far cry from her life a year ago when she was working as a nurse in Cologne in Germany. ...

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