Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• OBAMA'S ASIA TRIP IS MORE THAN IT MIGHT APPEAR
• Senate's newest class speaks out on foreign policy
• FBI informant linked to hacking of foreign websites: report
• Jordan amends anti-terror law to face Syria fallout
• Suicide attack in Iraq kills at least 11 people
• AP sources: Work to free US soldier disorganized
• UN rights monitor criticises Bahrain over Shiite expulsion
• 'Al-Qaeda's librarian' denies recruiting jihadists in Spain
• The Daily Fix: Sotomayor's Womanly Roar, American Doctors Killed Overseas, and Net Neutrality Changes
• A look at deeds and words of John Paul II
• Taliban ready to deal on captive US soldier?
• Attacks kill 13 in Iraq ahead of vote
• National Council Convenes Veterans and Mental Health Leaders to Launch Mental Health First Aid for Veterans
• N fund pays $990 million in Kuwait compensation
• Iraq: Suicide attack kills at least 10 people
• U.S. Army opens hearing for soldier accused of murders in Iraq
• Today in History
• U.S. Army plans to remove about 2,000 officers due to budget cuts
• Pentagon dossier to detail secretive U.S. Afghan detainee policy
• Witness: Iraqi teens posed no threat before death

OBAMA'S ASIA TRIP IS MORE THAN IT MIGHT APPEAR Posted: 24 Apr 2014 03:30 PM PDT WASHINGTON -- President Obama is off on his long-planned trip through Asia. It was supposed to be a top-form working trip in which he would show Asia what a "pivot" to the region -- the word he has used to describe a new focus on Asia -- really means. He was hoping to sign new trade agreements with several countries and, if possible, keep Japan and China from attacking each other. In Malaysia, the strange disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 was still keeping the entire nation up at night -- and keeping the world plumbing the depths of the Indian Ocean, either in reality or in their minds and hearts.

Senate's newest class speaks out on foreign policy Posted: 24 Apr 2014 01:45 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Fresh voices in the U.S. Senate are speaking loudly on foreign policy, a new generation of Republicans and Democrats who reflect a war-weary nation cautious about America's next moves.

FBI informant linked to hacking of foreign websites: report Posted: 24 Apr 2014 01:27 PM PDT A hacker who became an informant for the FBI directed hundreds of cyber attacks against the websites of foreign governments, including Brazil, Iran, Pakistan, Syria and Turkey, the New York Times reported Thursday. It was unclear whether the FBI explicitly ordered the digital attacks, but court documents and interviews suggest "that the government may have used hackers to gather intelligence overseas," the Times wrote. The figure at the center of the case is Hector Xavier Monsegur, who had become a prominent hacker with the activist group Anonymous, which has staged cyber assaults on MasterCard, PayPal and other commercial and government targets. Monsegur was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and became an informant, helping the law enforcement agency identify other members of Anonymous.

Jordan amends anti-terror law to face Syria fallout Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:48 PM PDT Controversial amendments to Jordan's anti-terrorism law seek to curb the influence of homegrown Al-Qaeda affiliated jihadists fighting the regime of the kingdom's northern neighbour Syria, analysts said. Hundreds of Jordanian jihadists have joined hardline Islamist rebels in Syria fighting President Bashar al-Assad's regime. Three years into the conflict, many of these battle-hardened Jordanians are returning home, causing deep concern in Amman. "Jordan is surrounded by jihadist groups and there is a serious terrorist threat to the kingdom," Oraib Rantawi, head of Amman's Al-Quds Center for Political Studies, told AFP.

Suicide attack in Iraq kills at least 11 people Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:45 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden car into a police checkpoint south of Baghdad on Thursday morning, killing at least 11 people, officials said, the latest episode in an uptick in violence in the run-up to next week's parliamentary elections.

AP sources: Work to free US soldier disorganized Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:28 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Critics of the U.S. government's nearly five-year effort to seek the release of the only American soldier held captive in Afghanistan claim the work suffers from disorganization and poor communication among numerous federal agencies involved, leaving his captors unclear which U.S. officials have the authority to make a deal.

UN rights monitor criticises Bahrain over Shiite expulsion Posted: 24 Apr 2014 12:14 PM PDT The UN's religious freedom monitor on Thursday urged Sunni-ruled Bahrain to halt discrimination against its Shiite majority and its spiritual leader, who was expelled from the Gulf kingdom this week. The case of Sheikh Hussein al-Najati was a stark illustration of the broader mistreatment of Shiites in Bahrain, UN expert Heiner Bielefeldt said in a statement. He said that he had contacted Bahrain's government to press his "grave concerns" over what he said appeared to be "religiously motivated discrimination" against Najati. "Targeting the most senior and influential Shia religious figure in Bahrain may amount to intimidating and thus discriminating against the entire Shia Muslim community in the country because of its religious beliefs," he said.

'Al-Qaeda's librarian' denies recruiting jihadists in Spain Posted: 24 Apr 2014 11:17 AM PDT A Saudi man dubbed "Al-Qaeda's librarian" on Thursday denied belonging to the organisation and recruiting jihadists for the group over the Internet during a Madrid court appearance. Police detained Mudhar Hussein Almalki in March 2012 in the eastern city of Valencia where he had been living, accusing him of running an online forum dedicated to "recruiting and indoctrinating 'terrorists'." Spanish public prosecutors accuse the Jordanian-born Saudi national of belonging to the Ansar al Mujahideen Network, which follows orders from Al-Qaeda, and are seeking a jail sentence of eight years. They allege he drew up a list of targets which included former British prime minister Tony Blair, former Spanish prime minister Jose Maria Aznar and former US presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton, who he called "war criminals".

The Daily Fix: Sotomayor's Womanly Roar, American Doctors Killed Overseas, and Net Neutrality Changes Posted: 24 Apr 2014 10:56 AM PDT Ever since it was revealed that Justice Sonia Sotomayor had once described herself as a "wise Latina," she has suffered barbs from conservatives. That criticism only ramped up this week after she gave an impassioned dissent in the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling, a rare 6-2 decision, that upholds Michigan's ban on affirmative action. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined in the dissent penned by Sotomayor, who also "took the rare step of reading her dissent at length from the bench Tuesday before a packed chamber." In the dissent, Sotomayor warned judges, saying they "ought not sit back and wish away, rather than confront, the racial inequality that exists in our society."

A look at deeds and words of John Paul II Posted: 24 Apr 2014 10:50 AM PDT VATICAN CITY (AP) — The most-traveled pope in history, John Paul II left his mark on the Catholic Church and non-believers worldwide. Here are some milestones along his path to sainthood:

Taliban ready to deal on captive US soldier? Posted: 24 Apr 2014 09:30 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The captors of an American soldier held for nearly five years in Afghanistan have signaled a willingness to release him but are unclear which U.S. government officials have the authority to make a deal, according to two individuals in the military working for his release. Critics of the release effort blame disorganization and poor communication among the numerous federal agencies involved.

Attacks kill 13 in Iraq ahead of vote Posted: 24 Apr 2014 08:55 AM PDT Hilla (Iraq) (AFP) - Violence focused mainly on security checkpoints killed 13 people in Iraq Thursday, as the country struggles with daily unrest ahead of next week's parliamentary election. Iraq is suffering a protracted surge in bloodshed that has killed more than 2,800 people this year, and Wednesday's polls -- the first since US troops departed in 2011 -- will be a major test for security forces. A car bomb exploded at a police checkpoint near the city of Hilla, south of Baghdad, killing eight people, among them three police, and wounding 20, an officer and a doctor said. Security forces were able to keep violence to a minimum during provincial elections last year, but they have failed to halt a subsequent year-long surge in unrest.

National Council Convenes Veterans and Mental Health Leaders to Launch Mental Health First Aid for Veterans Posted: 24 Apr 2014 08:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON, April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Council for Behavioral Health (National Council), along with leaders from veterans service organizations and fellow mental health advocates, today launched a new training program – Mental Health First Aid for Veterans – that offers participants a simple, proven combination of information and techniques to recognize and respond to the warning signs of mental illness and addiction. An estimated 30 percent of active duty and reserve military personnel who deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan have mental health conditions requiring treatment – about 730,000 men and women – with many experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression.  The National Council pioneered Mental Health First Aid in the U.S. and has trained more than 180,000 individuals to connect with youth and adults in need of mental health and addictions care in their communities.

N fund pays $990 million in Kuwait compensation Posted: 24 Apr 2014 05:35 AM PDT GENEVA (AP) — A U.N. panel that settles claims for damages resulting from Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait has paid out another $990 million.

Iraq: Suicide attack kills at least 10 people Posted: 24 Apr 2014 01:37 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say a suicide attack on a police checkpoint south of the capital, Baghdad, has killed at least 10 people and wounded 18.

U.S. Army opens hearing for soldier accused of murders in Iraq Posted: 23 Apr 2014 09:23 PM PDT By Jonathan Kaminsky OLYMPIA, Washington (Reuters) - The U.S. Army convened a pre-trial evidentiary hearing on Wednesday for a soldier accused of shooting dead two deaf, unarmed Iraqi boys in 2007. Sergeant First Class Michael Barbera faces two counts of premeditated murder stemming from the incident. The court proceeding, called an Article 32 hearing, is being held at Washington state's Joint Base Lewis-McChord and is expected to last five days, Army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Swanson said. Last June, U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Robert Bales pleaded guilty to killing 16 unarmed Afghan civilians in 2012.

Today in History Posted: 23 Apr 2014 09:00 PM PDT Today is Thursday, April 24, the 114th day of 2014. There are 251 days left in the year.

U.S. Army plans to remove about 2,000 officers due to budget cuts Posted: 23 Apr 2014 07:23 PM PDT By Jim Forsyth SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) - The U.S. Army is looking to cut about 2,000 positions for captains and majors by the end of the year as part of its overall plans to reduce its active duty numbers due to budget cuts, the Army's chief of staff said on Wednesday. "Probably this year, we will ask 1,500 captains to leave the service, and we will ask probably 400 to 500 majors to leave the service," General Ray Odierno, the Army's top officer, told reporters at an event in Texas. "That is because we have to get down to the appropriate size." The Pentagon said last month it would shrink the U.S. Army to pre-World War Two levels, eliminate the popular A-10 aircraft and reduce military benefits in order to meet 2015 budget spending caps. He said the planned cut of the Army to 490,000 active duty soldiers will be reached by the end of 2015 and will not prevent the service from carrying out its current missions.

Pentagon dossier to detail secretive U.S. Afghan detainee policy Posted: 23 Apr 2014 07:16 PM PDT Some are suspected fighters from Yemen, Russia or Pakistan, arrested by U.S. forces in Afghanistan or elsewhere. Several have been linked to al Qaeda. As the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan winds down, the White House will soon provide Congress a dossier on about 50 non-Afghan detainees in a U.S. military prison north of Kabul. Their uncertain fate presents sensitive security and legal problems for the Obama administration in an echo of Guantanamo Bay.

Witness: Iraqi teens posed no threat before death Posted: 23 Apr 2014 06:01 PM PDT JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Washington (AP) — Two unarmed Iraqi brothers posed no threat as they herded cattle in a palm grove where a U.S. Army reconnaissance team was hidden one day seven years ago, a former soldier said Wednesday at a preliminary hearing.

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