Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Fort Hood victim's mom, 77, had just met daughter
• Daughter of slain Iraqi-American woman says parents clashed
• After rampage, portrait of Fort Hood shooter starts to emerge
• Argument may have preceded deadly Fort Hood attack
• Funeral held for 2nd fallen Boston firefighter
• AFGHAN ELECTIONS MAY OFFER HOPE FOR THAT BATTERED LAND
• U.S. Army names Fort Hood shooter, says had mental illness
• Anti-Assad allies rebuff Syrian presidential election plan
• Fort Hood Shooter Had Lengthy but Unremarkable Military Career
• Signs of argument before US base shooting: commander
• Fort Hood Shooter’s Facebook Page Puts Face to Rampage
• Fort Hood gunman's attack mystifies hometown
• Fort Hood gunman showed no prior sign of violence
• Military PTSD Not Always Related to Combat
• New pictures of Iraq president recovering after stroke
• Top Senate Dems still short on gun control votes
• Lebanon registers 1 million Syrian refugees
• Why Should We Make Vet Mental Health a Priority? Because One Dies by Suicide Every 65 Minutes
• Doctor optimistic no more Fort Hood fatalities
• Fort Hood shooting: What's known about combat stress and violence?
• Syrian media: Mortar fire kills 6 near Damascus
• This Is What Obama Says When a Group of Americans Is Shot to Death
• Doctor: No more deaths expected from Fort Hood
• Albuquerque mayor says fatal police shootings 'a game changer'
• Army: Fort Hood gunman showed no previous violence
• Official: Troops kill 40 gunmen near Iraqi capital
• Ivan Lopez: Truck driver. Dad. Drummer. Portrait emerges after Fort Hood attack
• Iraq forces kill dozens of militants near Baghdad
• Militants attack Iraq army battalion HQ near capital
• Turkey's Kurdish peace process key to Erdogan's presidential hopes
• Army says alleged shooter saw no combat in Iraq
• At a Glance: Details about Fort Hood gunman
• Saudi court sentences al-Qaeda ideologue to death: paper
• Lebanon marks 'devastating' milestone with millionth refugee
• A look at Syrian refugees in neighboring countries
• Fort Hood gunman sought mental health treatment
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Rock’s Most Magnetic Frontman
• GOP’s Midterm Back-Up Plan—National Security
• Obama says 'heartbroken' over Fort Hood shooting

Fort Hood victim's mom, 77, had just met daughter Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:48 PM PDT CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — The mother of a 37-year-old Illinois soldier killed during an attack at Fort Hood, Texas, says she was reunited less than two weeks earlier with a daughter she gave up for adoption at birth.

Daughter of slain Iraqi-American woman says parents clashed Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:43 PM PDT Fatima Alhimidi, taking the witness stand on the third day of her father's murder trial, said that arguments between her parents began during a trip to Iraq in mid-2011 and escalated until her mother sought a divorce early the following year. "She told me every time she wouldn't sleep with him, he wouldn't give her money for her and us." Alhimidi, who was 17 at the time of her mother's death, told police she found her mother, Shaima Alawadi, bloodied on the floor of their home in the El Cajon suburb of San Diego on the morning of March 21, 2012. Prosecutors accuse the father, 49-year-old Kassim Alhimidi, of bludgeoning her to death, possibly with a tire iron taken from one of the family's cars. El Cajon police and the FBI initially investigated the killing as a possible hate crime because of a threatening note found at the scene.

After rampage, portrait of Fort Hood shooter starts to emerge Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:08 PM PDT When Ivan Lopez's mother died last year, the U.S. soldier suspected of killing three people at the Fort Hood base in Texas told friends the Army gave him just one day to attend her funeral in Puerto Rico. That brief allotted window appeared to compound his grief over a personal double-loss: The death in October of his mother, Carmen, a nurse, came soon after that of his grandfather, according to Edgardo Arlequin, the mayor of Lopez's hometown of Guayanilla. "That was one of the reasons why he was very upset," Arlequin said. A U.S. Army spokeswoman in Washington referred questions about the issue to the chief of media relations at Fort Hood, who was not immediately available.

Argument may have preceded deadly Fort Hood attack Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:07 PM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The soldier who killed three people at Fort Hood may have argued with another service member prior to the attack, and investigators believe his unstable mental health contributed to the rampage, authorities said Thursday.

Funeral held for 2nd fallen Boston firefighter Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:04 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — A Boston firefighter and former Marine killed in an apartment blaze last week was praised Thursday as a courageous, compassionate man who served his country in Iraq and his community at home.

AFGHAN ELECTIONS MAY OFFER HOPE FOR THAT BATTERED LAND Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:00 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- Since we moved, after 9/11, to take over Iraq and Afghanistan and anybody else who stood in our way, I have often had readers criticize me for my admittedly negative attitudes toward (1) the unnecessary wars themselves, and (2) the futility of expecting tribal peoples to embrace democracy. But now I have to admit that there is a certain thrilling quality to the events in Afghanistan -- yes, that "hopeless" Afghanistan -- in the last two weeks before the presidential election that will essentially decide whether we have won or lost in that mysterious land. Most important of all, there are three excellent presidential candidates: Abdullah Abdullah, Zalmai Rassoul and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani, all men with impressive international experience who have campaigned on anti-corruption, on not allowing the Taliban to come to power and on presidential strength. There is no comparison whatsoever between them and outgoing President Hamid Karzai, the querulous executive the Americans first put in power when we invaded in the fall of 2001 to defeat al-Qaida.

U.S. Army names Fort Hood shooter, says had mental illness Posted: 03 Apr 2014 03:53 PM PDT By Lisa Maria Garza FORT HOOD, Texas (Reuters) - The soldier suspected of shooting dead three people before killing himself at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas was identified as Ivan Lopez, a man battling mental illness when he went on a rampage, the base commander said on Thursday. No motive was given for the shooting spree on Wednesday, which also left 16 wounded in what was the second mass killing in five years at one of the largest military bases in the United States, raising questions about security at such installations. "We have very strong evidence that he had a medical history that indicates unstable psychiatric or psychological conditions," Lieutenant General Mark Milley told reporters. Lopez, 34, originally from Puerto Rico, had been treated for depression and anxiety.

Anti-Assad allies rebuff Syrian presidential election plan Posted: 03 Apr 2014 03:44 PM PDT International powers who support the Syrian opposition have firmly rebuffed any idea of a presidential election organized by the Syrian government in the midst of a civil war, describing the plans as a "parody of democracy" that would kill peace talks. The Friends of Syria, an alliance of mainly Western and Gulf Arab countries, issued a statement on Thursday in light of recent developments in Syria, where there appears to be no end in sight after more than three years of conflict sparked by protests against President Bashar al-Assad's rule. Emboldened by failed peace talks in Geneva, and with the support of his allies Iran and Russia, Assad is looking increasingly likely to stand for a third term in July. "Elections organized by the Assad regime would be a parody of democracy, would reveal the regime's rejection of the basis of the Geneva talks, and would deepen the division of Syria," said the 11-strong group, which includes the United States, France, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Fort Hood Shooter Had Lengthy but Unremarkable Military Career Posted: 03 Apr 2014 03:41 PM PDT The Army service record of Spc. Ivan A. Lopez, who has been identified as the shooter who killed three fellow soldiers and injured 16 others at Fort Hood, Texas, on Wednesday, revealed a lengthy though unremarkable military career. Lopez, a native of Guayanilla, P.R., was...

Signs of argument before US base shooting: commander Posted: 03 Apr 2014 04:55 PM PDT A troubled US soldier who shot dead three people and wounded 16 more at Fort Hood may have argued with one or more colleagues before his rampage, his base commander said Thursday. Lieutenant General Mark Milley told reporters that investigators were combing through the records of the gunman, Army specialist Ivan Lopez, to determine his mental state before Wednesday's incident, which ended when he fatally shot himself. "We're trying to figure out what the trigger event was," Milley told a press conference at the sprawling Texas base, which is home to 70,000 people including more than 40,000 military personnel. The shooting revived memories of an Al-Qaeda inspired gun attack at the base in 2009 by Major Nidal Hasan, who is awaiting execution for killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others.

Fort Hood Shooter’s Facebook Page Puts Face to Rampage Posted: 03 Apr 2014 03:03 PM PDT Gunman, Identified as Ivan Lopez, Appears to Have Facebook Account Under Name 'Ivan Slipknot'

Fort Hood gunman's attack mystifies hometown Posted: 03 Apr 2014 03:00 PM PDT GUAYANILLA, Puerto Rico (AP) — He grew up in Puerto Rico and played percussion in his high school band. He spent a decade working as a police officer and serving in the National Guard, part of that time as a peacekeeper in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula. And then he joined the U.S. Army.

Fort Hood gunman showed no prior sign of violence Posted: 03 Apr 2014 01:50 PM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The soldier who killed three people at Fort Hood may have argued with another service member shortly before the attack, and investigators believe his unstable mental health contributed to the rampage, authorities said Thursday.

Military PTSD Not Always Related to Combat Posted: 03 Apr 2014 01:44 PM PDT PTSD Among Soldiers Extremely Complex, Experts Say

New pictures of Iraq president recovering after stroke Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:59 PM PDT Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Iraqi media released new pictures Thursday of President Jalal Talabani, who has been in Germany since December 2012 after suffering a stroke, with the Kurdish leader appearing in good health. The images, published by media loyal to Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, come with campaigning having officially begun ahead of April 30 parliamentary elections and the PUK struggling to fend off a challenge from a breakaway faction. "We have been informed by his private doctor that Talabani's health is improving, and he has a desire to return to the country," said Adnan Mufti, a member of the PUK's political office. They are the third set of pictures released to the public since Talabani left more than a year ago for Germany to receive treatment after suffering a stroke.

Top Senate Dems still short on gun control votes Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:55 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Nearly a year after the Senate rejected an effort to expand background checks for gun buyers, top Senate Democrats said Thursday that they still lack the votes to successfully revisit the issue.

Lebanon registers 1 million Syrian refugees Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:53 PM PDT TRIPOLI, Lebanon (AP) — Yahya was trapped in his hometown for two years by Syria's civil war, moving from house to house to avoid shells and bullets. His father was killed by a sniper. His family then fled to another town that came under a fierce government offensive.

Why Should We Make Vet Mental Health a Priority? Because One Dies by Suicide Every 65 Minutes Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:38 PM PDT Our veterans put their lives on the line so that we can go about the business of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." But after they come home, because of post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues, that same pursuit of happiness is elusive for many soldiers. As we saw from Wednesday's horrific shooting at Fort Hood, veteran mental health challenges can snatch away someone else's life too. Thanks to enduring societal stigmas about mental illness, it's tough for vets to admit they're suffering from PTSD or other issues.

Doctor optimistic no more Fort Hood fatalities Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:31 PM PDT TEMPLE, Texas (AP) — A hospital official expressed optimism Thursday that nobody else would die from injuries following a shooting at Fort Hood that left four dead, including the gunman, and 16 others wounded.

Fort Hood shooting: What's known about combat stress and violence? Posted: 03 Apr 2014 12:11 PM PDT But the kind of violence that hit Fort Hood, Texas, Wednesday afternoon – a soldier attacking fellow soldiers before taking his own life – happens only infrequently. More typical are self-inflicted shootings or domestic violence following combat tours. As the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan lengthened into years, the rising incidence of suicide and attacks on family members increasingly has become tied to those wars' signature mental-health injuries: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). In some cases, such combat-related injuries have been used as a defense argument in cases where soldiers have attacked civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Syrian media: Mortar fire kills 6 near Damascus Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:48 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Mortar fire killed at least six people in a suburb of the Syrian capital Thursday, activists and state media said, amid reports that clashes in a coastal province killed a top foreign fighter who was a former Guantanamo Bay detainee.

This Is What Obama Says When a Group of Americans Is Shot to Death Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:41 AM PDT When a mass murderer shoots a group of Americans — which has happened 143 times since January 20, 2009 — President Obama often offers a by-now familiar response: We're shocked. The first time there was an incident where four or more people were killed by gunfire under Obama occurred one week after he took office.

Doctor: No more deaths expected from Fort Hood Posted: 03 Apr 2014 11:16 AM PDT TEMPLE, Texas (AP) — A hospital physician says he doesn't expect any more fatalities resulting from the shooting at Fort Hood that left four dead and wounded 16 others.

Albuquerque mayor says fatal police shootings 'a game changer' Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:41 AM PDT Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry called on the US Department of Justice to step in to monitor the New Mexican city's police force after hundreds of protesters over the weekend decried a spate of fatal police shootings, two of them of mentally ill people, in the last month. The mayor called the death of James Boyd, a mentally ill homeless man killed by police in March, a "game changer" for the Albuquerque Police Department. He announced Wednesday that he had asked the Justice Department to quickly work out  a "cooperative monitoring partnership agreement" with the APD to help restore community confidence.  The Justice Department has already spent the last year investigating allegations that the APD had been too quick to fire live ammunition, especially when working with mentally ill civilians.

Army: Fort Hood gunman showed no previous violence Posted: 03 Apr 2014 10:19 AM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — The soldier who killed three people before committing suicide in an attack on the same Texas military base where more than a dozen people were slain in 2009 had shown no recent risks of violence, authorities said Thursday.

Official: Troops kill 40 gunmen near Iraqi capital Posted: 03 Apr 2014 09:57 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Fighting between Iraqi government troops and al-Qaida-inspired militants killed 40 gunmen and an army officer Thursday near Baghdad, authorities said, as attacks elsewhere in the country left five people dead ahead of elections this month.

Ivan Lopez: Truck driver. Dad. Drummer. Portrait emerges after Fort Hood attack Posted: 03 Apr 2014 09:52 AM PDT Emerging information about Army Spc. Ivan Lopez, who killed three people and injured 16, some critically, at Fort Hood on Wednesday, paint a picture of a troubled, perhaps injured soldier who was seeking treatment for mental problems before his transfer two months ago to the Texas Army base. The Iraq war veteran, who drove a truck for his unit, is at the center of an investigation into the third major attack by a service member on his own comrades in five years. When a Fort Hood police officer drew her gun to confront Lopez during a barrage that involved two buildings at the base, he turned his .45 caliber handgun on himself, officials say. Military officials, the FBI, and civilian police are now delving into Lopez's past in search of a possible motive.

Iraq forces kill dozens of militants near Baghdad Posted: 03 Apr 2014 09:34 AM PDT Iraqi soldiers killed more than 40 militants in clashes near Baghdad on Thursday as anti-government fighters edged close to the capital just weeks before national parliamentary elections. The bloodshed comes with campaigning under way for the elections, Iraq's first since March 2010, which the UN's special envoy has warned will be "highly divisive". On Thursday morning, militants attacked an army camp in Yusifiyah, just southwest of Baghdad, an interior ministry statement said. "Iraqi security forces confronted a failed attempt by Daash gang members to break into a military camp," the statement said, referring to the Arabic abbreviation for the powerful Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant jihadist group.

Militants attack Iraq army battalion HQ near capital Posted: 03 Apr 2014 08:43 AM PDT Militants attacked the headquarters of an Iraqi army battalion south of Baghdad overnight, killing at least 12 soldiers and bringing their fight against the government closer to the capital. Police and medical sources said fighting began late on Wednesday when the assailants fired mortar rounds at the battalion's headquarters in Yousifiya, around 15 to 20 km (9 to 12 miles) southwest of central Baghdad. The identity of the attackers was not clear, but Sunni Islamist insurgents are regaining ground in Iraq and have overrun several towns and cities since the start of the year, including Falluja, around 70 km from Baghdad. The Iraqi army has been deployed around Falluja since the start of the year.

Turkey's Kurdish peace process key to Erdogan's presidential hopes Posted: 03 Apr 2014 08:40 AM PDT By Orhan Coskun and Gulsen Solaker ANKARA (Reuters) - Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan will be banking on Kurdish support if he bids for Turkey's presidency in an August election and is likely to use his party's strong showing in local polls as a mandate to advance peace talks with Kurdish militants. Erdogan's AK Party emerged well ahead of rivals in municipal elections on Sunday, increasing its share of the vote including in parts of the Kurdish-dominated southeast. The outcome has bolstered his hand in a peace process in which he has invested much political capital despite staunch nationalist opposition. Erdogan has made no secret of his desire to run for Turkey's first directly-elected presidency in four months' time.

Army says alleged shooter saw no combat in Iraq Posted: 03 Apr 2014 07:30 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Army's top civilian official says the soldier accused in the Fort Hood shooting this week was deployed for the final months of the Iraq war but did not see combat.

At a Glance: Details about Fort Hood gunman Posted: 03 Apr 2014 07:28 AM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — Officials at Fort Hood have released few details about the gunman who killed three people before taking his own life in a shooting Wednesday at the sprawling Army base. Here's what we know about the gunman.

Saudi court sentences al-Qaeda ideologue to death: paper Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:26 AM PDT A Saudi Arabian court on Wednesday sentenced a top al-Qaeda strategist to death and jailed 15 others for their role in a series of attacks in the kingdom last decade, Saudi newspapers reported on Thursday. The judge ordered that the body of Faris al-Zahrani, also known as Abu Jandal al-Azdi, be displayed in public after his death in the most severe form of punishment available under the kingdom's Islamic law, al-Madina and Arab News dailies reported. The Saudi authorities ended the campaign by arresting thousands of suspected militants and launching a media campaign to discredit their ideology with the backing of influential clerics and tribal leaders. Zahrani was found guilty of offences that included embracing extremist ideologies, shedding the blood of Muslims and others, targeting security officials, harboring fugitives and planning the overthrow of Gulf monarchies.

Lebanon marks 'devastating' milestone with millionth refugee Posted: 03 Apr 2014 06:09 AM PDT By Issam Abdallah TRIPOLI, Lebanon (Reuters) - The number of Syrian refugees who have fled to Lebanon officially topped 1 million on Thursday, highlighting the growing humanitarian catastrophe caused by Syria's civil war and the huge burden placed on its poorly prepared neighbors. The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR marked what it called a devastating milestone by formally registering a 18-year-old student from the city of Homs as the millionth refugee at a ceremony in Lebanon's Mediterranean city of Tripoli. After three years of conflict sparked by protests against President Bashar al-Assad's autocratic rule, Syria's war has caused one of the greatest upheavals seen in the Middle East - and one which shows no sign of abating. With a population of just 4 million, Lebanon now has the highest per capita concentration of refugees worldwide, an influx which the government has described as an existential threat in a country scarred by its own volatile history.

A look at Syrian refugees in neighboring countries Posted: 03 Apr 2014 05:55 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — The massive, chaotic influx of Syrians fleeing their country's civil war has stretched the resources of the neighboring countries taking them in and raised fears of violence spreading across the region. The U.N. estimates there are now more than 2.5 million Syrians registered in neighboring countries, with 47,700 more awaiting registration.

Fort Hood gunman sought mental health treatment Posted: 03 Apr 2014 05:53 AM PDT FORT HOOD, Texas (AP) — An Iraq War veteran being treated for mental illness was the gunman who opened fire at Fort Hood, killing three people and wounding 16 others before committing suicide, in an attack on the same Texas military base where more than a dozen people were slain in 2009, authorities said.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 03 Apr 2014 03:00 AM PDT Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Rock’s Most Magnetic Frontman Posted: 03 Apr 2014 02:45 AM PDT Future Islands singer Samuel T. Herring's performance on David Letterman blew up the Internet. Get acquainted with indie rock's next big thing.

GOP’s Midterm Back-Up Plan—National Security Posted: 03 Apr 2014 02:30 AM PDT Get ready to hear Republicans hammer President Obama and congressional Democrats on matters of defense and national security leading up to the midterm elections in November. House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) on Tuesday unveiled a proposal to balance the budget in 10 years with $5.1 trillion in spending cuts. That same day, Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), deputy majority whip, cited the Ryan budget plan and national security as the top campaign issues for Republicans after Obamacare. "National security is now reemerging as an issue, given, frankly, the weakness of the American response over the Ukrainian issue and the hot-button issues like the Iranian nuclear arms discussions and the Palestinian-Israeli dispute," Cole told MSNBC.

Obama says 'heartbroken' over Fort Hood shooting Posted: 03 Apr 2014 01:36 AM PDT By Jeff Mason CHICAGO (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he was "heartbroken" that another shooting had occurred at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas. "We are going to get to the bottom of exactly what happened," Obama told reporters in Chicago, where he was traveling for Democratic fundraisers. "We're heartbroken that something like this might have happened again." On his flight back to Washington, Obama held a conference call with the Defense Department and FBI about the shooting, the White House said. Participants included Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey, and FBI Deputy Director Mark Giuliano.

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