Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iran sanctions bill opposed by Obama gains Senate backers
• Why 'Jihad Jane' could be free in four years
• Syria power struggle: Are fortunes of the more moderate rebels rising?
• Iran not on Syria peace conference list: UN
• Iraq PM urges Falluja to expel al Qaeda-linked militants
• US speeds up drone, missile deliveries to aid Iraq
• Insight: Fuelled by Syria war, al Qaeda bursts back to life in Iraq
• U.S. Drones Could Decide the Battle of Fallujah
• Syria rebels besiege Qaeda-linked jihadists
• Ex-UK foreign minister Straw visiting Iran
• Iraq calls on Fallujah residents to expel al-Qaida
• Iran rejects U.S. suggestion of Syrian peace talks role
• Syrian rebels' fight with al-Qaida group spreads
• Escalating Iraq violence not a result of U.S. force withdrawal, says White House
• U.S. steps up military deliveries to Iraq to help fight al Qaeda: White House
• White House: US pullout not cause of Iraq violence
• Syria Islamists fight al Qaeda allies in Raqqa
• 'Jihad Jane' gets 10 years in plot to kill artist
• Will N. Korea Remain Worst Persecutor of Christians?
• Syria draft law would 'impose visas' on Arabs
• Iraqi PM to Fallujah: oust militants to avoid assault
• Iraq PM urges people of Fallujah to expel al-Qaida
• Hezbollah TV employee dies after south Beirut blast
• Syria rebel infighting spreads to city in east
• John Kerry on Iraq's growing Al Qaeda problem: 'This is their fight'
• Iraq at crossroads between reconciliation and war: analysts
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Egypt bars Canadian Shi'ites from entering
• Iran offers to help Iraq in fight against al-Qaida
• Iraqi air force strikes city to try to oust al Qaeda
• 10 Things to Know for Monday

Iran sanctions bill opposed by Obama gains Senate backers Posted: 06 Jan 2014 03:26 PM PST By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. senators pushing a bill to slap new sanctions on Iran if it goes back on an interim deal under which it agreed to limit its nuclear program have gained support since the legislation was introduced in December, aides said on Monday. The bill, which the White House has threatened to veto, requires further reductions in Iran's oil exports and would apply new penalties on other industries if Iran either violates the interim agreement or fails to reach a final comprehensive deal. Iran signed the six-month interim deal in Geneva on November 24 with the United States, Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany. The "Nuclear Weapon Free Iran Act" had about 48 co-sponsors in the 100-member Senate on Monday, up from 26 when the bill was introduced on December 19, an Senate aide said.

Why 'Jihad Jane' could be free in four years Posted: 06 Jan 2014 03:17 PM PST Colleen LaRose, who converted to Islam online, pleaded guilty in 2011 to a collection of charges connected to her collaboration with alleged Al Qaeda militants to kill Lars Vilks, the artist who had drawn the prophet Mohammed as a dog. Prosecutors had originally asked for a life sentence for Ms. LaRose but had downgraded their request to multiple decades, citing her extensive cooperation with authorities. Since LaRose has already served four years in prison and could be eligible for time off for good behavior, she is expected to be released in about four years, the Associated Press said.

Syria power struggle: Are fortunes of the more moderate rebels rising? Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:45 PM PST The war-within-a-war that Syria's rebel groups are fighting among themselves is intensifying and could determine how far Syria's most extreme, Al Qaeda-affiliated militants are able to rise. Rebels from the Al Qaeda-aligned Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, known by the acronyms ISIS and ISIL, retreated Monday from some of their strongholds after several days of clashes with both moderate Islamists and the Free Syrian Army fighting to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The ISIS withdrawals from Syrian strongholds in northern and eastern portions of the country are being characterized by some observers inside Syria as tactical retreats meant simply to curb infighting among Islamists. "This [revolt against the Islamist hard-liners] is something that's been a long time coming," says Andrew Tabler, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Iran not on Syria peace conference list: UN Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:37 PM PST UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Monday sent invitations to 30 countries to attend a Syria peace conference this month, but did not include Iran, a spokesman said. US Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet on January 13 in a bid to decide Iran's role in ending the nearly three-year-old war, said UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq. Russia supports the participation of Iran, a major backer of President Bashar al-Assad, at talks scheduled to start in Switzerland on January 22. The United States and other western nations say Iran must first support a 2012 declaration by the major powers calling for a transitional government in Syria before it can play a frontline role in the peace talks.

Iraq PM urges Falluja to expel al Qaeda-linked militants Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:25 PM PST By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister urged people in the besieged city of Falluja on Monday to drive out al Qaeda-linked insurgents to preempt a military offensive that officials said could be launched within days. In a statement on state television, Nuri al-Maliki, a Shi'ite Muslim whose government has little support in Sunni-dominated Falluja, said tribal leaders should help expel the militants, who last week seized key towns in the desert leading to the Syrian border. "The prime minister appeals to the tribes and people of Falluja to expel the terrorists from the city in order to spare themselves the risk of armed clashes," read the statement. A provincial official said security forces had regained control of another town, Ramadi, forcing militants to the east where they were holding out in mosques and homes.

US speeds up drone, missile deliveries to aid Iraq Posted: 06 Jan 2014 02:11 PM PST The United States said Monday it would speed up its deliveries of missiles and surveillance drones to Iraq as the Baghdad government battles a resurgence of Al-Qaeda linked militants. And the White House, meanwhile, dismissed claims that the fighting, which has seen militants retake the city of Fallujah, was a result of President Barack Obama's decision to withdraw US troops. The Pentagon said that Washington would accelerate delivery of 100 more Hellfire missiles, which were due to be sent to Iraq in the next few months.

Insight: Fuelled by Syria war, al Qaeda bursts back to life in Iraq Posted: 06 Jan 2014 01:52 PM PST By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Al Qaeda gunmen seeking to form a radical Islamic state out of the chaos of Syria's civil war are fighting hard to reconquer the province they once controlled in neighboring Iraq, stirring fears the conflict is exporting ever more instability. Exploiting local grievances against Baghdad's rule and buoyed by al Qaeda gains in Syria, the fighters have taken effective control of Anbar's two main cities for the first time since U.S. occupation troops defeated them in 2006-07. Their advance is ringing alarm bells in Washington: The United States has pledged to help Baghdad quell the militant surge in Anbar -- although not with troops -- to stabilize a province that saw the heaviest fighting of the U.S. occupation. Washington announced it was speeding up deliveries of military equipment to help Baghdad fight the gunmen.

U.S. Drones Could Decide the Battle of Fallujah Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:43 PM PST The Iraqi Army is currently trying to wrest control of Fallujah from al-Qaeda-linked militants, and Secretary of State John Kerry has said that American forces would not get involved in the third battle for the city. Both Kerry and an expert on Iraq said that the United States could give support to the Iraqis without putting American lives at risk. "Drone strikes without the permission of the Iraqi government would be a good idea," said Michael Knights, an expert on Iraq and Lafer fellow of The Washington Institute. "In Iraq, and in the Arab world in general, the U.S. is often deterred from doing things because America's allies raise objections.

Syria rebels besiege Qaeda-linked jihadists Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:28 PM PST Syrian rebels laid siege to jihadists from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in their northern stronghold Monday, hoping to crush the Al-Qaeda affiliate accused of widespread abuses. A broad coalition of moderates and Islamists opposed to President Bashar al-Assad is seeking to drive ISIL -- which is accused of kidnapping, torturing and killing rival rebels and civilians -- from its stronghold in the northern city of Raqa. The new front in Syria's increasingly complex civil war opened less than three weeks away from a planned peace conference, for which the United Nations has started sending out invitations, excluding Assad's ally Iran. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said rebels in Raqa managed to free 50 Syrian prisoners held by the Sunni extremists, who are believed to be holding hundreds of prisoners, including foreign journalists.

Ex-UK foreign minister Straw visiting Iran Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:28 PM PST Former British foreign minister Jack Straw was leading a delegation of lawmakers to Iran on Monday, his office said, as London and Tehran sought to improve diplomatic relations. The visit by opposition Labour party MP Straw comes two months after Britain and Iran named non-resident envoys, restoring ties which were severed in 2011 after Iranian protesters stormed and ransacked the British embassy in Tehran. Straw, 67, was foreign secretary under prime minister Tony Blair as Britain went to war in Iraq in 2003.

Iraq calls on Fallujah residents to expel al-Qaida Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:23 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister urged Fallujah residents on Monday to expel al-Qaida militants to avoid an all-out battle in the besieged city, a sign that the government could be paving the way for an imminent military push in an attempt to rout hard-line Sunni insurgents challenging its territorial control over the western approaches to Baghdad.

Iran rejects U.S. suggestion of Syrian peace talks role Posted: 06 Jan 2014 12:07 PM PST By Parisa Hafezi and Arshad Mohammed ANKARA/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Iran on Monday appeared to rule out participation in Syrian peace talks later this month, dismissing a U.S. suggestion that it could be involved "from the sidelines" as not respecting its dignity. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry suggested on Sunday there might be ways Iran could "contribute from the sidelines" in a so-called Geneva 2 peace conference in Montreux, Switzerland, on January 22, and on Monday U.S. officials said Tehran might still be able to play a helpful role. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was sending out invitations on Monday to potential participants the talks, but while he wants Iran to attend there was no agreement yet on whether to invite it. The key players in the talks are President Bashar al-Assad's government and opposition rebels who have been fighting for nearly three years to oust him.

Syrian rebels' fight with al-Qaida group spreads Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:56 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebels surrounded a compound held by al-Qaida-linked fighters and freed at least 50 people from a nearby prison Monday as clashes between rival factions in the country's northern provinces spread to the largest city controlled by the opposition.

Escalating Iraq violence not a result of U.S. force withdrawal, says White House Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:39 AM PST The White House pushed back hard on Monday against the charge that U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq is partly to blame for a surge in deadly sectarian violence there.

U.S. steps up military deliveries to Iraq to help fight al Qaeda: White House Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:38 AM PST The White House said on Monday that the United States is accelerating its deliveries of military equipment to Iraq to help the country fight al Qaeda-linked militants, part of a strategy to isolate the insurgent groups. Fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an affiliate of the international al Qaeda network, have been tightening their grip on the country's Anbar province, and last week captured positions in Ramadi and large parts of Falluja. "We're working closely with the Iraqis to develop a holistic strategy to isolate the al Qaeda-affiliated groups, and we have seen some early successes in Ramadi," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters in a briefing.

White House: US pullout not cause of Iraq violence Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:14 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is pushing back against critics who argue that the U.S. pullout from Iraq is to blame for escalating sectarian violence.

Syria Islamists fight al Qaeda allies in Raqqa Posted: 06 Jan 2014 11:10 AM PST By Khaled Yacoub Oweis AMMAN (Reuters) - Rival Islamist rebel groups clashed in the Syrian city of Raqqa on Monday, residents said, as local fighters tried to drive out a foreign-led al Qaeda affiliate that has also seized towns across the border in Iraq. Activists opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said dozens of Syrian members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had switched sides, joining other Sunni Islamist factions which have taken advantage of a local backlash against the ISIL and the foreign al Qaeda jihadists prominent among its leaders. The battles in Raqqa, a provincial capital on the Euphrates River in Syria's largely desert east, left bodies clad in the black favored by al Qaeda fighters lying in the streets.

'Jihad Jane' gets 10 years in plot to kill artist Posted: 06 Jan 2014 10:51 AM PST PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A troubled Pennsylvania woman who called herself "Jihad Jane" online and plotted to kill a Swedish artist was sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison after telling a judge she had been consumed by thoughts of a Muslim holy war.

Will N. Korea Remain Worst Persecutor of Christians? Posted: 06 Jan 2014 09:05 AM PST SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Wednesday, Jan. 8, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un will hold a lavish birthday party while over 200,000 people suffer atrocities in the extensive political prison system, including as many as 70,000 Christians. Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman arriving in Pyongyang Monday with a team of former NBA players planning to hold an exhibition basketball game as part of the festivities. He told the Associated Press on Monday, "….not every country in the world is that bad, especially North Korea." On the same day, during a press conference in Washington, D.C., Open Doors will release its 2014 World Watch List (WWL) of 50 countries that are the worst persecutors of Christians.

Syria draft law would 'impose visas' on Arabs Posted: 06 Jan 2014 08:54 AM PST Syrian authorities have prepared a draft law under which previously exempt Arab nationals will now need a visa to visit the country, a pro-regime newspaper reported on Monday. Parliament will discuss "a draft law that regulate the entry and residence of Arabs and foreigners", Al-Watan said. If approved, the law would require "any person entering or leaving Syria to hold a valid passport" which "would need to be stamped with a visa from one of our diplomatic missions or consulates abroad". Citizens of from countries neighbouring Syria that have "special, bilateral or international agreements to which Syria is a party" are exempt, Al-Watan said.

Iraqi PM to Fallujah: oust militants to avoid assault Posted: 06 Jan 2014 07:46 AM PST Ramadi (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki called Monday for Fallujah residents to expel "terrorists" to avoid a security forces assault, as a senior tribal leader insisted that Al-Qaeda-linked militants had left. Fallujah has been outside government control for days, while parts of Anbar provincial capital Ramadi, farther west, are also held by militants. Maliki called on "the people of Fallujah and its tribes to expel the terrorists" so "their areas are not subjected to the danger of armed clashes," state television reported.

Iraq PM urges people of Fallujah to expel al-Qaida Posted: 06 Jan 2014 06:29 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister urged residents and tribes of Fallujah to "expel" al-Qaida militants from the Sunni-dominated city to avoid an all-out battle — remarks that may signal an imminent military move to retake the former insurgent stronghold.

Hezbollah TV employee dies after south Beirut blast Posted: 06 Jan 2014 06:23 AM PST An employee of Hezbollah's Al-Manar television died on Monday from wounds sustained in a suicide bombing in the movement's south Beirut stronghold last week, the channel announced. "Our colleague in Al-Manar television Abbas Karnib has died from the serious injuries he suffered in the terrorist blast that targeted Haret Hreik last Thursday," the broadcaster said. Born in 1961, Karnib joined Al-Manar's technical department in 1991. Thursday's bombing was the fourth to hit south Beirut since the Shiite militant group publicly confirmed last April that it was fighting in neighbouring Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Syria rebel infighting spreads to city in east Posted: 06 Jan 2014 06:18 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian rebel fighters freed at least 50 people Monday held captive by an al-Qaida-linked faction after clashes between the rival sides spread further in the country's opposition-held areas in the north, activists said.

John Kerry on Iraq's growing Al Qaeda problem: 'This is their fight' Posted: 06 Jan 2014 05:35 AM PST Iraq's prime minister today called upon the residents of the Al-Qaeda-occupied city of Fallujah to oust the militants, spurring speculation that Iraqi military forces are set to retake the city imminently. Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, in a statement released today, asked "the people of Fallujah and its tribes to expel the terrorists" in order to ensure that "their areas are not subjected to the danger of armed clashes," BBC News reports. The militants, members of the Al-Qaeda-linked Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also commonly known by the acronym ISIS), made their move amid ongoing protests in the region against the Shiite-dominated central government, which Sunnis say has marginalized them. The situation in Fallujah has drawn offers of support for Baghdad from both the US and Iran.

Iraq at crossroads between reconciliation and war: analysts Posted: 06 Jan 2014 05:00 AM PST An intensifying revolt in a Sunni Arab province of Iraq sparked by the Shiite-led government's dispersal of a year-old protest leaves the country at the crossroads between reconciliation and civil war, analysts say. Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki must decide in the coming days whether to offer a real share of power to the disenchanted Sunni minority, or press on with allegedly sectarian policies and often heavy-handed security tactics that have fuelled its alienation. "The coming days will determine the fate of Iraq," said Ihsan al-Shammari, a political science professor at Baghdad University. "The country stands at a crossroads -- reconciliation as a democratic state, or splitting in total chaos and civil war, leading to the division" of the country, Shammari said.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 06 Jan 2014 03:01 AM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Egypt bars Canadian Shi'ites from entering Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:53 PM PST Egypt stopped 61 Canadian Shi'ite Muslim pilgrims from entering the country and decided to hold them at Cairo airport until their onward flight, security officials said on Sunday. The Canadians landed in Egypt from Iraq to complete a pilgrimage to Shi'ite sites in the region, but were kept out on the orders of security authorities, said airport security officials who gave no further explanation. Canadians are usually allowed into Egypt with a visa bought upon arrival. A spokesman for Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said Ottawa would react later on Sunday.

Iran offers to help Iraq in fight against al-Qaida Posted: 05 Jan 2014 10:50 PM PST TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A senior Iranian military official says Iran is ready to help Iraq battle al-Qaida "terrorists" in the neighboring country's Sunni-dominated western Anbar province.

Iraqi air force strikes city to try to oust al Qaeda Posted: 05 Jan 2014 09:19 PM PST By Suadad al-Salhy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces battling an al Qaeda offensive near the Syrian border launched an air strike on Ramadi city on Sunday killing 25 Islamist militants, according to local officials. Government officials in western Anbar province met tribal leaders to urge them to help repel al Qaeda-linked militants who have taken over parts of Ramadi and Falluja, strategic Iraqi cities on the Euphrates River. Al Qaeda's Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has been steadily tightening its grip in the vast Anbar province in recent months in a bid to create a Sunni Muslim state straddling the frontier with Syria.

10 Things to Know for Monday Posted: 05 Jan 2014 06:03 PM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Monday:

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