Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Syria asylum claims in rich nations more than double in 2013: UN
• UN: Syrians, Russians, Afghans lead asylum list
• At least 14 Iraq SWAT forces killed in explosives-rigged house
• In subtle moves, Hillary Clinton creates distance from Obama
• Chew on this: Gum loses its pop
• Iraqi families drop claims of unlawful killings
• Senators see aid to Israel staying firm despite cuts
• Feds probe colorful financier's business dealings
• Claims that British soldiers unlawfully killed Iraqis withdrawn
• High unemployment still haunting U.S. military veterans
• Kurds offer to export 100,000 bpd of oil in Iraq row
• US general spared prison in sexual misconduct case
• Syria army retakes famed Crusader castle in border push
• Hundreds of Kurds in Syria flee after jihadist threat
• Insufficient evidence for core allegation in UK Iraqi abuse inquiry: lawyers
• Saudi Arabia sentences 28 for backing militants
• Pentagon reviews will focus on military medals
• Phelps tested free speech with anti-gay protests
• Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps dead at 84
• Anti-gay pastor Fred Phelps Sr. dies at 84
• US anti-gay pastor who protested at military funerals dies
• Evidence does not show British unlawfully killed Iraqi civilians-lawyers
• The First Tweets from People You Follow on Twitter Were Mostly Terrible
• Europe set to add names to Russia sanctions list, weigh energy issues
• Iraq attacks kill eight on invasion anniversary
• Chew on this, gum: You're done
• Suicide attack at cafe in Iraqi capital kills 12
• Saudi Arabia sentences 13 for backing militants in kingdom and abroad
• Special Report: Iraqi forces, images testify to atrocities in new fighting
• Judge won't dismiss Ventura 'American Sniper' suit
• Defying allies, Qatar unlikely to abandon favored Syria rebels
• Suicide attack in Baghdad cafe kills 12 people
• Pentagon Not Ready for Cold War 2
• South Arabia sentences 13 for backing militants in kingdom and abroad
• Baghdad cafe attack pushes Iraq toll to 46 dead
• Pvt. Manning seeks formal name change to Chelsea

Syria asylum claims in rich nations more than double in 2013: UN Posted: 20 Mar 2014 04:08 PM PDT Syrian asylum claims in 44 industrialised countries soared to 56,400 in 2013 from 25,200 such applications a year earlier and 8,500 in 2011, the UN's refugee agency said in a report. "There is clear evidence in these numbers of how the Syria crisis in particular is affecting countries and regions of the world far removed from the Middle East," UNHCR chief Antonio Guterres said in a statement. Afghanistan, which in recent years has produced the most asylum seekers, was bumped to third place in 2013, with Russia taking a surprising second, after coming in sixth last year. But "there are indications that they are mostly Chechens," Volker Turk, the UNHCR's head of international protection, told reporters.

UN: Syrians, Russians, Afghans lead asylum list Posted: 20 Mar 2014 04:02 PM PDT GENEVA (AP) — Syria, Russia and Afghanistan have the largest numbers of people fleeing their homelands to seek asylum, and most are turning to Europe, the United Nations refugee agency said in a report Friday.

At least 14 Iraq SWAT forces killed in explosives-rigged house Posted: 20 Mar 2014 03:32 PM PDT At least 14 Iraqi SWAT forces were killed on Thursday when they entered a house rigged with explosives in the western province of Anbar, where the army is engaged in a near-three month conflict with Sunni militants. Security and medical sources said more than 20 SWAT entered the house in the provincial capital Ramadi after gunmen left the area. Security forces have been fighting insurgents from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Ramadi and another city, Falluja, since January.

In subtle moves, Hillary Clinton creates distance from Obama Posted: 20 Mar 2014 03:16 PM PDT By Gabriel Debenedetti NEW YORK (Reuters) - Just over a year after leaving her job as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton has offered views on foreign policy that analysts said seem part of an effort to distance herself from the Obama administration as she prepares a possible 2016 White House run. In appearances this month, Clinton struck a hawkish tone on issues including Iran and Russia, even while expressing broad support for the work done by Obama and her successor as secretary of state, John Kerry. Clinton said in New York on Wednesday night she was "personally skeptical" of Iran's commitment to reaching a comprehensive agreement on its nuclear program.

Chew on this: Gum loses its pop Posted: 20 Mar 2014 03:05 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Gum seems as appealing as that sticky wad on the bottom of a shoe these days.

Iraqi families drop claims of unlawful killings Posted: 20 Mar 2014 02:54 PM PDT LONDON (AP) — Lawyers representing Iraqi families say they concede there is insufficient evidence to back their claims that British soldiers unlawfully killed civilians in southern Iraq in 2004.

Senators see aid to Israel staying firm despite cuts Posted: 20 Mar 2014 02:43 PM PDT The United States will continue providing Israel with defense aid after a current package worth some $3 billion a year expires in 2017, and the grants are unlikely to wane despite Washington belt-tightening, two U.S. senators said on Thursday. Kelly Ayotte and Joe Donnelly, who are members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, visited Israel to confer on security issues like missile defense, on which the allies have partnered. The previous U.S. administration signed a 10-year deal with Israel in 2007 granting it $30 billion, most of which must be spent on American defense products. "Obviously the final negotiations have not been worked out but I do not expect that our commitment and work with Israel will diminish," she told Reuters.

Feds probe colorful financier's business dealings Posted: 20 Mar 2014 02:00 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is investigating a flamboyant Wall Street financier who won millions of dollars in military contracts and then hired the Army officer who allegedly steered the money her way.

Claims that British soldiers unlawfully killed Iraqis withdrawn Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:54 PM PDT There is "insufficient material" to prove that British soldiers unlawfully killed Iraqi civilians following a vicious battle in 2004, lawyers for families of the alleged victims told a British public inquiry on Thursday. The Al-Sweady Inquiry is investigating claims that British troops committed abuses in the aftermath of a notorious firefight near the town of Majar al-Kabir, southwest Iraq, that came to be known as the "Battle of Danny Boy" after a nearby checkpoint. Troops had been accused of unlawfully killing 20 or more Iraqis at Camp Abu Naji near Majar-al-Kabir in May 2004 after they were taken prisoner following the battle, which was triggered when Iraqi insurgents mounted an ambush. But following a year of evidence from 281 witnesses, at a cost of more than £22 million ($36.3 million, 26.3 million euros), lawyers for the claimants told the London hearing there was no evidence that British soldiers had carried out unlawful killings.

High unemployment still haunting U.S. military veterans Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:52 PM PDT Unemployment among U.S. military veterans eased last year, government data showed on Thursday, but remained far higher than the national average rate for the civilian population. The unemployment rate among veterans who had joined the military after September 11, 2001, averaged 9.0 percent last year, down from 9.9 percent in 2012, the Labor Department said. That was about 1.6 percentage points above the rate for the civilian population. Joblessness among this group is set to worsen as the war in Afghanistan winds down.

Kurds offer to export 100,000 bpd of oil in Iraq row Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:39 PM PDT Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region pledged Thursday to export 100,000 barrels of oil per day through central government-controlled pipelines in a bid to resolve an impasse with Baghdad ahead of elections. The Kurds and the government are locked in a row over energy exports, in which Baghdad has choked off funds to the northern region, draining its reserves, as the two sides spar over a national budget that would penalise the Kurds for failing to meet export targets as well as other issues tied to energy sector regulation. As a "goodwill gesture," the Kurdistan regional government said on its website it "has offered to make a contribution to Iraq oil pipeline exports to give the negotiations the maximum chance of success." Earlier this year, Arbil shipped more than one million barrels of crude directly to Turkey without Baghdad's consent, although the oil has not yet been sold on international markets.

US general spared prison in sexual misconduct case Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:21 PM PDT FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — The Army general at the center of a sexual misconduct case that put the military justice system itself on trial was spared prison Thursday and sentenced to a reprimand and a $20,000 fine — a punishment legal experts, a women's group and members of Congress decried as shockingly light.

Syria army retakes famed Crusader castle in border push Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:15 PM PDT Syrian troops recaptured a famed Crusader castle from rebels Thursday, marking a significant advance in their drive to seal off the Lebanese border and sever enemy supply lines. Lebanon's private Al-Mayadeen TV, sympathetic to the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, broadcast live images of troops atop one of the 11th century castle's towers, raising the Syrian flag. The offensive is one of two major operations by the army near the border with Lebanon aimed at cutting off rebel supply routes. The army, backed by fighters from Lebanon's Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah, is also fighting to seal the border in the Qalamun region, where it seized the last major rebel bastion of Yabrud on Sunday.

Hundreds of Kurds in Syria flee after jihadist threat Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:47 PM PDT Some 600 Kurdish residents of villages in Syria's Raqa province have fled after an ultimatum from the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, an NGO said Thursday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 600 Kurds from the villages of Tal Akhdar, Tal Fandar and the town of Tal Abyad had abandoned their homes after warnings from ISIL. The NGO said ISIL had also detained dozens of Kurds in the area, releasing them with a warning to leave their village in the northern province, where the jihadist group has a strong presence. ISIL has fought bloody battles against Syria's Kurds, who have otherwise largely stayed out of the Syrian conflict, focusing on building autonomy in majority Kurdish areas.

Insufficient evidence for core allegation in UK Iraqi abuse inquiry: lawyers Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:32 PM PDT By Costas Pitas LONDON (Reuters) - The gravest accusation in an inquiry into abuse of Iraqis by British troops was effectively dropped on Thursday when lawyers for relatives of dead Iraqis said there was insufficient evidence they had been unlawfully killed by soldiers. The inquiry, which has cost 22.2 million pounds ($37 million) so far, has been set up to investigate allegations by Iraqis that soldiers killed up to 20 men at an army camp in 2004, and mistreated up to nine detainees. But lawyers representing the Iraqi relatives of those allegedly mistreated or killed said there was not enough evidence to establish that Iraqi civilians were unlawfully killed in the custody of British troops. "It is accepted that on the material which has been disclosed to date there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of unlawful killing in Camp Abu Naji," said John Dickinson, a lawyer at Public Interest Lawyers (PIL).

Saudi Arabia sentences 28 for backing militants Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:30 PM PDT A Saudi court has jailed 28 men for security offences including material support to wanted Islamist militants, aiding terrorism and helping young men go to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to fight. The conservative Islamic kingdom has sentenced thousands of its citizens to prison terms for similar offences over the past decade. Al Qaeda waged a campaign of attacks from 2003-6 inside the country, killing hundreds of people. The growing role of militants in Syria has raised fear in Riyadh about a new wave of radicalism among its own citizens, and the government has issued stern new penalties for fighting abroad or supporting groups it says are extremist.

Pentagon reviews will focus on military medals Posted: 20 Mar 2014 12:16 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has launched three separate reviews on how military medals are awarded, in the face of broad criticism over the inability to recognize heroism in incidents such as the Fort Hood shootings and aborted plans to create a new award for drone pilots.

Phelps tested free speech with anti-gay protests Posted: 20 Mar 2014 11:57 AM PDT TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Fred Phelps did not care what you thought of his Westboro Baptist Church, nor did he care if you heard its message that society's tolerance for gay people is the root of all earthly evil.

Westboro Baptist Church founder Fred Phelps dead at 84 Posted: 20 Mar 2014 11:52 AM PDT Fred Phelps, the pastor who led a small Kansas church's vitriolic "God Hates Fags" anti-gay campaign across the United States, has died, the church said on Thursday. Phelps, whose Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, won a 2011 freedom-of-speech U.S. Supreme Court decision related to their anti-gay picketing, died on Wednesday in a Kansas hospice at the age of 84.

Anti-gay pastor Fred Phelps Sr. dies at 84 Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:54 AM PDT TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Rev. Fred Phelps Sr., the fiery founder of a small Kansas church who led outrageous and hate-filled protests that blamed almost everything, including the deaths of AIDS victims and U.S. soldiers, on America's tolerance for gay people, has died. He was 84.

US anti-gay pastor who protested at military funerals dies Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:30 AM PDT A homophobic pastor whose Kansas church members held hate-filled protests at military funerals with signs declaring "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God Hates Fags" died Thursday, his son told Kansas First News. Reverend Fred Phelps Sr., who founded the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, was 84. It is "arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America," according to the Southern Poverty Law Center which tracks hate groups.

Evidence does not show British unlawfully killed Iraqi civilians-lawyers Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:27 AM PDT There is insufficient evidence to support allegations that British soldiers unlawfully killed Iraqis detained at an army camp in 2004, lawyers for relatives of the Iraqis said on Thursday. The Al-Sweady inquiry, which has cost 22.2 million pounds ($36.91 million) so far, was set up to investigate allegations by Iraqis that British soldiers captured up to 20 men alive and later killed them at an army camp, and that British soldiers mistreated up to nine detainees. But lawyers representing the Iraqi relatives of those allegedly mistreated or killed said there was insufficient material to establish that Iraqi civilians were unlawfully killed whilst in the custody of British troops at Camp Abu Naji. "It is accepted that on the material which has been disclosed to date there is insufficient evidence to support a finding of unlawful killing in Camp Abu Naji," John Dickinson, a lawyer at Public Interest Lawyers said.

The First Tweets from People You Follow on Twitter Were Mostly Terrible Posted: 20 Mar 2014 09:05 AM PDT It's rare that anyone gets anything right the first time. That appears to be especially true in the case of Twitter.

Europe set to add names to Russia sanctions list, weigh energy issues Posted: 20 Mar 2014 08:24 AM PDT By Luke Baker and Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European leaders will agree to expand a list of those subject to travel bans and asset freezes on Thursday but stop short of harder-hitting measures against Russia over Crimea, biding their time to retain EU unity and gauge Moscow's reaction. With Russian officials so far mocking the EU's response to the seizure of Crimea, leaders are expected add around a dozen names to the 21 Russians and Crimeans placed under EU travel bans and asset freezes last week. While agreeing to expand the list to include figures closer to Putin would be a step forward, it is a long way short of the powerful financial and trade sanctions diplomats and analysts say are needed to make Moscow pay attention. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said a discussion of financial sanctions - what the EU refers to as phase three of its response - would take place at the summit, but no agreement on imposing the measures is expected.

Iraq attacks kill eight on invasion anniversary Posted: 20 Mar 2014 08:15 AM PDT Attacks killed eight people across Iraq Thursday, a day after bombings, shootings and shelling left 46 people dead, part of a surge in bloodshed with elections due within weeks. The violence, Iraq's worst since 2008, has been primarily driven by discontent in the minority Sunni Arab community, which alleges mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government and security forces, and by the civil war raging in neighbouring Syria. Thursday's attacks came on the 11th anniversary of the beginning of the US-led invasion that ousted now-executed dictator Saddam Hussein, illustrating the high level of violence that has plagued Iraq for much of the aftermath of his downfall. The violence struck on the outskirts of Baghdad, north of the capital in Salaheddin and Kirkuk provinces, and in the western city of Ramadi, killed eight people.

Chew on this, gum: You're done Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:20 AM PDT Gum seems as appealing as that sticky wad on the bottom of a shoe these days. It's not that Americans still don't ever enjoy a stick of Trident or Orbit, the two most popular brands. They just aren't crazy ...

Suicide attack at cafe in Iraqi capital kills 12 Posted: 20 Mar 2014 07:18 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber struck a Baghdad cafe overnight as customers watched a football game on television, killing at least 12 people and wounding 38, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

Saudi Arabia sentences 13 for backing militants in kingdom and abroad Posted: 20 Mar 2014 06:51 AM PDT A Saudi court has sentenced 13 men to up to 14 years in prison for security offences including material support to wanted Islamist militants, aiding terrorism and helping young men go to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to fight. The conservative Islamic kingdom has sentenced thousands of its citizens to prison terms for similar offences over the past decade since al Qaeda waged a campaign of attacks from 2003-06 inside the country, killing hundreds of people. But the growing role of militants in Syria has raised fear in Riyadh about a new wave of radicalism among its own citizens and the government has issued stern new penalties for fighting abroad or supporting groups it says are extremist. The 13 sentenced on Wednesday to between three and 14 years in prison were nine Saudi citizens, two Jordanians, an Egyptian and a Syrian, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Special Report: Iraqi forces, images testify to atrocities in new fighting Posted: 20 Mar 2014 06:47 AM PDT Men in Iraqi military uniforms mingle by the vehicle. The short video was shown to Reuters last week by an Iraqi national police officer. It captures what appear to be Iraqi soldiers desecrating the corpse of a fighter from the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), a group reconstituted from an earlier incarnation of al Qaeda in Iraq. "This is very normal," said the Baghdad-based police officer, who has many friends now fighting around the Sunni city of Ramadi.

Judge won't dismiss Ventura 'American Sniper' suit Posted: 20 Mar 2014 06:31 AM PDT A judge on Wednesday allowed former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura's defamation lawsuit against the widow of slain "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle to go to trial. U.S. District Judge Richard ...

Defying allies, Qatar unlikely to abandon favored Syria rebels Posted: 20 Mar 2014 05:56 AM PDT By Amena Bakr DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar's backing for Syrian rebels widely regarded as jihadi militants might appear a diplomatic liability at a time when global alarm about al Qaeda is on the rebound. But that is not the way things are viewed in the Gulf Arab state, which is proud of its self-declared campaign to back the Arab Spring revolts against autocratic rule that began in 2011. The tiny but wealthy gas exporting country is under fierce pressure from some Gulf Arab neighbors to curb its support for Islamists of all stripes, principally the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt and more radical rebel groups with al Qaeda ties in Syria. The two most powerful Gulf Arab states, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are incensed by Qatar's hosting of Doha-based Youssef al-Qaradawi, an influential pro-Brotherhood preacher whom they see as a potent political menace.

Suicide attack in Baghdad cafe kills 12 people Posted: 20 Mar 2014 05:15 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber struck inside a Baghdad cafe overnight where customers were watching a football game on TV, killing at least 12 people and wounding 38, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

Pentagon Not Ready for Cold War 2 Posted: 20 Mar 2014 02:45 AM PDT The U.S. military spent decades pivoting away from its Cold War stance. Now the Pentagon is less prepared than it has been in generations for a confrontation with Russia.

South Arabia sentences 13 for backing militants in kingdom and abroad Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:59 AM PDT A Saudi court has sentenced 13 men to up to 14 years in prison for security offences including material support to wanted Islamist militants, aiding terrorism and helping young men go to Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan to fight. The conservative Islamic kingdom has sentenced thousands of its citizens to prison terms for similar offences over the past decade since al Qaeda waged a campaign of attacks from 2003-06 inside the country, killing hundreds of people. But the growing role of militants in Syria has raised fear in Riyadh about a new wave of radicalism among its own citizens and the government has issued stern new penalties for fighting abroad or supporting groups it says are extremist. The 13 sentenced on Wednesday to between three and 14 years in prison were nine Saudi citizens, two Jordanians, an Egyptian and a Syrian, the official Saudi Press Agency reported.

Baghdad cafe attack pushes Iraq toll to 46 dead Posted: 20 Mar 2014 01:51 AM PDT Late night bombings at a Baghdad cafe left 13 people dead, officials said Thursday, pushing the toll from a day of nationwide blasts, shootings and shellings to at least 46. The violence has been primarily driven by discontent in the minority Sunni Arab community, which alleges mistreatment at the hands of the Shiite-led government and security forces, and by the civil war raging in neighbouring Syria. The coordinated bombings struck the cafe in the Washash area of western Baghdad at around 9:00 pm (2100 GMT) Wednesday, killing 13 people and wounding 40, according to a revised toll Thursday by security and medical officials. Violence elsewhere in and around the capital on Wednesday killed eight people, while four policemen were killed by a booby-trapped corpse north of Baghdad.

Pvt. Manning seeks formal name change to Chelsea Posted: 19 Mar 2014 06:10 PM PDT The Army private who was tried and convicted as Bradley Edward Manning for leaking U.S. secrets to WikiLeaks is petitioning a Kansas court for a name change, to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.

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