Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Veterans groups cry foul at senator's criticism
• Photo Gives Glimpse of Low-Profile US Air Operation
• Up to Speed: The Thai Coup
• Canines Help Soldiers Connect and Heal in Counseling
• Florida triple murder suspect dies after standoff in Tennessee
• U.S. Military in Afghanistan By the Numbers: 2,184 Dead, 19,600 Wounded
• 2016 U.S. pullout gives time to build Afghan force: U.S. general
• Egypt’s Ugly, Unconvincing Elections
• Withdrawal: Obama charts end to Afghan war by 2016
• Chamber ads aid momentum for Iowa GOP's Joni Ernst
• A snapshot of US troop commitment in Afghanistan
• Obama plans to end U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan by 2016
• Libyan Islamists to U.S.: Don't interfere or face worse than Iraq
• Obama sets out US exit from Afghanistan by end of 2016
• Embattled GlaxoSmithKline hit with another fraud probe
• Obama sets out US exit from Afghanistan
• Troop drawdown: Obama says US finishing Afghan job
• Boko Haram shows changing al Qaeda threat
• SWAT team corners Florida triple murder suspect in Tennessee
• Assad Destroyed Syria’s Oldest Synagogue
• US to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan at year-end
• George W. Bush has partial knee replacement
• Voters Now Rate GOP Ahead of Dems on Foreign Policy
• US plans full Afghan withdrawal by end of 2016
• US plans full Afghan withdrawal by end 2016: official
• GOP Senator Picks a Fight With Veterans Groups in VA Scandal
• Suicide bomber kills 19 in Baghdad Shi'ite mosque
• Iraq: Suicide attack kills at least 17 in Baghdad
• Iraq: Suicide attack kills at least 14 in Baghdad
• Iraq officials: Suicide attack in busy commercial area in Baghdad kills at least 14 people
• How Gun Nuts Excuse Murder
• 10,000 Troops to Keep Al Qaeda Out
• Norway arrests three for aiding al Qaeda offshoot in Syria, joining as fighters
• Obama pledges to uphold 'sacred trust' with U.S. veterans
• Obama to lay out defense of foreign policy in West Point speech
• Norway: 3 arrested for links to terror group
• Top Asian News at 8:00 a.m. GMT
• Top Asian News at 7:30 a.m. GMT
• Top Asian News at 7:00 a.m. GMT
• Is Democracy Another God that Failed?

Veterans groups cry foul at senator's criticism Posted: 27 May 2014 05:13 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Four prominent veterans groups are exchanging accusations with Republican Sen. Richard Burr after he criticized the groups for declining to embrace his call for Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign amid reports of treatment delays and falsified records at VA hospitals.

Photo Gives Glimpse of Low-Profile US Air Operation Posted: 27 May 2014 04:38 PM PDT Simple Transport of Girl in Pakistan Exposes Little-Known State Department Program

Up to Speed: The Thai Coup Posted: 27 May 2014 04:35 PM PDT Is the army restoring order—or just keeping its least favorite political party out of power? From the major players to what they're fighting about, all the key details out of Bangkok.

Canines Help Soldiers Connect and Heal in Counseling Posted: 27 May 2014 04:34 PM PDT At Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Lexy,  a 5-year-old German shepherd, is successfully persuading soldiers home from the war to come in and stick with counseling. Related: One dog's powerful healing effects on two wounded veterans. Staff Sgt. Dennis Swols said he originally wasn't interested...

Florida triple murder suspect dies after standoff in Tennessee Posted: 27 May 2014 04:22 PM PDT By Barbara Liston ORLANDO Fla. (Reuters) - A U.S. military veteran suspected in the Memorial Day weekend killings of three people in Florida died on Tuesday after he shot himself during a standoff with a SWAT team in Tennessee, officials said. David Smith, 27, who was described as delusional, is believed to have killed the three victims, one of whom was his sister, sometime between Saturday and Monday in Lakeland, Florida, law enforcement officials said. On Tuesday, Smith called authorities in Tennessee and said he was wanted for murder in Florida and was holed up at a motel in West Knoxville. Smith fired multiple shots from his motel room during negotiations for his surrender but eventually became quiet, according to a statement from the Knox County Sheriff's Department.

U.S. Military in Afghanistan By the Numbers: 2,184 Dead, 19,600 Wounded Posted: 27 May 2014 04:06 PM PDT President Obama's plan to keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the end of the combat mission this year will begin the full withdrawal of all U.S. military forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, bringing an end to America's longest war. Over the...

2016 U.S. pullout gives time to build Afghan force: U.S. general Posted: 27 May 2014 03:27 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States believes Afghanistan has time to develop a reliable counterterrorism force before the end of 2016, when U.S. troops are due to withdraw under plans unveiled on Tuesday, the top U.S. military officer told Reuters. President Barack Obama announced plans to leave 9,800 American troops in Afghanistan at the start of next year, down from some 32,000 now. By the end of 2015, that U.S. presence would be reduced by about half. ...

Egypt’s Ugly, Unconvincing Elections Posted: 27 May 2014 03:24 PM PDT Those voters who are going to the polls are rabid fans of General Sisi—which is one reason most voters appear to be staying away.

Withdrawal: Obama charts end to Afghan war by 2016 Posted: 27 May 2014 03:18 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama announced plans Tuesday for keeping nearly 10,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after this year but then withdrawing virtually all by the close of 2016 and the conclusion of his presidency, charting an end to America's longest war.

Chamber ads aid momentum for Iowa GOP's Joni Ernst Posted: 27 May 2014 02:35 PM PDT DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Ads for Republican Joni Ernst by a powerful business group add to the sense of momentum for the state senator who would be the party's first woman nominee for Senate, should she win on June 3.

A snapshot of US troop commitment in Afghanistan Posted: 27 May 2014 02:14 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and British forces began launching airstrikes into Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks against America. The initial strikes were aimed at Taliban troops, training camps and air defenses. By early November there were about 1,300 U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Obama plans to end U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan by 2016 Posted: 27 May 2014 02:10 PM PDT By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday outlined a plan to withdraw all but 9,800 American troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year and pull out the rest by the end of 2016, ending more than a decade of military engagement triggered by the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. The decision means that Obama will leave office in early 2017 having extricated the country from the longest war in U.S. history. Obama's White House Rose Garden announcement prompted criticism from Republicans that the hard-fought gains made against the Taliban could be lost in much the same way that sectarian violence returned to Iraq after the U.S. withdrawal. Obama, who made a whirlwind visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan over the weekend before American combat operations conclude at the end of 2014, appeared to anticipate concerns that he is abandoning Afghanistan.

Libyan Islamists to U.S.: Don't interfere or face worse than Iraq Posted: 27 May 2014 01:46 PM PDT By Ayman and Al-Warfalli BENGHAZI Libya (Reuters) - The leader of Islamist militant group Ansar al-Sharia in Libya's Benghazi city warned the United States on Tuesday against interference or it would face worse than the conflicts in Somalia, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Libya's young democracy is in turmoil three years after the NATO-backed war that ousted Muammar Gaddafi, with rival Islamist, anti-Islamist, regional and political factions locked in a complex struggle for influence in the OPEC member state. Ansar al-Sharia, listed as a foreign terrorist organization by Washington, was accused of orchestrating the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi in which U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans died.

Obama sets out US exit from Afghanistan by end of 2016 Posted: 27 May 2014 01:36 PM PDT US forces will complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, unveiling a plan to end America's longest war 15 years after the September 11 attacks. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Obama confirmed that the 32,000-strong US deployment in Afghanistan would be scaled back to around 9,800 by the start of 2015. "We're finishing the job we started," Obama said, as he outlined the end of US involvement in a conflict which began when American-led forces invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and hunt Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. US combat operations would draw to a close at the end of 2014, meaning US troops would no longer patrol Afghan cities, towns or valleys from next year, Obama said.

Embattled GlaxoSmithKline hit with another fraud probe Posted: 27 May 2014 01:16 PM PDT Britain's fraud agency on Tuesday said it had launched a probe into pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which is already subject of a series of investigations into alleged staff corruption. The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) confirmed it had opened a "formal criminal investigation" into the London-based drugs manufacturer's commercial practices. "GSK is committed to operating its business to the highest ethical standards and will continue to cooperate fully with the SFO," said a company spokesman, without providing further details. GSK last month said first-quarter revenues had fallen 10 percent to £5.6 billion (6.9 billion euros, $9.4 billion) after a Chinese corruption investigation impacted sales growth at the company's emerging markets division.

Obama sets out US exit from Afghanistan Posted: 27 May 2014 01:07 PM PDT US forces will complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, President Barack Obama said Tuesday, unveiling a plan to end America's longest war 15 years after the September 11 attacks. Speaking in the White House Rose Garden, Obama confirmed that the 32,000-strong US deployment in Afghanistan would be scaled back to around 9,800 by the start of 2015. "We're finishing the job we started," Obama said, as he outlined the end of US involvement in a conflict which began when American-led forces invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban and hunt Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden after the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. US combat operations would draw to a close at the end of 2014, meaning US troops would no longer patrol Afghan cities, towns or valleys from next year, Obama said.

Troop drawdown: Obama says US finishing Afghan job Posted: 27 May 2014 12:31 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama, seeking to turn the page on more than a decade of war, announced plans Tuesday for greatly reducing U.S. forces in Afghanistan by the end of the year and then ending the U.S. military commitment by the end of 2016.

Boko Haram shows changing al Qaeda threat Posted: 27 May 2014 11:51 AM PDT The kidnapping of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls last month has sparked global outrage, launched an international manhunt and instantly turned an obscure West African militant group into a household name in the United States. And it has raised a central question: Does the rapidly growing number of al Qaeda splinter groups pose as much of a threat as al Qaeda itself? Over the last five years, al Qaeda has atomized, according to experts. As drone strikes and other attacks weakened the core, small, largely autonomous groups inspired by Osama bin Laden's ideology are emerging, becoming self-financing and, in some cases, growing more radicalized than the parent itself. Boko Haram, for example, is inspired by al Qaeda but acts on its own and, according to U.S. officials, receives most of its funding from local robberies and kidnappings. In Syria and Iraq, the same is true of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, disavowed by core al Qaeda after the parent urged it to kill fewer civilians and obey other edicts.

SWAT team corners Florida triple murder suspect in Tennessee Posted: 27 May 2014 11:35 AM PDT By Barbara Liston ORLANDO Fla. (Reuters) - A military veteran suspected in the Memorial Day weekend killings of three people in Florida has been cornered by a SWAT team in Tennessee, according to media reports on Tuesday. Tennessee television station WBIR reported that a standoff began at about 11:30 a.m. local time at a building in West Knoxville. David Smith, 27, who is described as delusional, is believed to have killed the three sometime between Saturday and Monday, Florida law enforcement officials said. Smith is a U.S. Army veteran with the 82nd Airborne Division who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd.

Assad Destroyed Syria’s Oldest Synagogue Posted: 27 May 2014 10:50 AM PDT The Jobar Synagogue was one of the holiest Jewish sites in Syria and contained priceless historical artifacts. Now it's destroyed—and the opposition says Assad is to blame.

US to keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan at year-end Posted: 27 May 2014 10:38 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will seek to keep 9,800 U.S. troops in Afghanistan after the war formally ends later this year and then will withdraw most of those forces by the end of 2016, senior administration officials said Tuesday.

George W. Bush has partial knee replacement Posted: 27 May 2014 10:33 AM PDT DALLAS (AP) — Former President George W. Bush has successfully had a partial knee replacement in Chicago.

Voters Now Rate GOP Ahead of Dems on Foreign Policy Posted: 27 May 2014 10:00 AM PDT President Obama on Wednesday will use his commencement address at West Point to explain and defend U.S. foreign policy in the aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and outline his vision for the remainder of his presidency – and the speech couldn't come at a better time. Obama won reelection in 2012 partly because of voter perception that he was better equipped to handle national security and diplomacy than his GOP challenger, Mitt Romney, and the Republicans. But a new poll conducted by Zogby Analytics released this week shows that when it comes to foreign policy and national security, the president and his party have lost ground. John Zogby introduced the results of the poll yesterday in Forbes, which showed that Republicans are now considered to be superior to the Democrats in handling both national security (by 36 percent to 25 percent) and foreign affairs/diplomacy (by 33 percent to 29 percent).

US plans full Afghan withdrawal by end of 2016 Posted: 27 May 2014 09:35 AM PDT US forces will complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by the end of 2016, 15 years after the September 11 attacks, President Barack Obama was to say Tuesday. The United States invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime in Kabul and to hunt its ally Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, author of the 2001 attacks on New York and Washington. The insurgents are still far from defeated, but Washington now wants to withdraw its troops from the battlefield and into a support role for Afghan government forces, and eventually to leave. "We will only sustain a military presence after 2014 if the Afghan government signs the Bilateral Security Agreement," a senior administration official said ahead of Obama's announcement.

US plans full Afghan withdrawal by end 2016: official Posted: 27 May 2014 08:44 AM PDT The United States plans to reduce its troop presence in Afghanistan to 9,800 this year and to bring its military intervention to an end by the end of 2016, a senior official said Tuesday. President Barack Obama was to announce the plan, which depends on the Afghan government agreeing to sign a joint security agreement with its US ally, later in the day. "We will only sustain a military presence after 2014 if the Afghan government signs the Bilateral Security Agreement," the senior administration official told reporters. "By the end of 2015, we would reduce that presence by roughly half, consolidating US troops in Kabul and on Bagram Airfield.

GOP Senator Picks a Fight With Veterans Groups in VA Scandal Posted: 27 May 2014 08:42 AM PDT The Veterans Affairs scandal took an odd turn after a fight erupted between Sen. Richard Burr and veterans groups over the senator's open letter to veterans. In it, Burr took veterans groups (other than the American Legion) to task for not calling for the resignation of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, saying they were "defending the status quo." It became clear at the hearing that most of the other VSOs attending appear to be more interested in defending the status quo within VA, protecting their relationships within the agency, and securing their access to the Secretary and his inner circle. The Friday-before-Memorial-Day missive was not well received by Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled American Veterans, and Paralyzed Veterans of America, which wrote Burr back.

Suicide bomber kills 19 in Baghdad Shi'ite mosque Posted: 27 May 2014 06:44 AM PDT A suicide bomber blew himself up inside a Shi'ite mosque in central Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 19 people, security and medical sources said. A Reuters photographer at the site of the blast in the busy district of Shorja said the mosque's walls were blackened with smoke, blood streaked the ceiling, and prayer mats were strewn around. Policeman Abbas Inad told Reuters: "The bomb was so big and stuffed with tiny metal balls to kill as many people as possible." It was not immediately clear who was behind the bombing, but Sunni Islamist insurgents have been regaining momentum in Iraq and have previously claimed responsibility for attacking Shi'ite places of worship. Security and medical sources earlier said the bomb had exploded at an open-air bus station within range of the mosque.

Iraq: Suicide attack kills at least 17 in Baghdad Posted: 27 May 2014 05:48 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A suicide bomber set off his explosives-laden belt on Tuesday in a mosque in busy commercial area in central Baghdad, killing at least 17 people, Iraqi officials said, as the country remains without a new government following last month's national elections.

Iraq: Suicide attack kills at least 14 in Baghdad Posted: 27 May 2014 05:32 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say a suicide attack in a busy commercial area in Baghdad has killed at least 14 people.

Iraq officials: Suicide attack in busy commercial area in Baghdad kills at least 14 people Posted: 27 May 2014 04:57 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq officials: Suicide attack in busy commercial area in Baghdad kills at least 14 people.

How Gun Nuts Excuse Murder Posted: 27 May 2014 02:45 AM PDT The firearms fanboys have been more creative than usual, scrambling to defend their precious weapons in the wake of the massacre in Santa Barbara. It's only made their excuses lamer.

10,000 Troops to Keep Al Qaeda Out Posted: 27 May 2014 02:45 AM PDT The Pentagon prevailed this week in a fight over how many U.S. forces will fight in Afghanistan past 2014. But will 9,800 troops be enough to keep a resurgent al Qaeda out?

Norway arrests three for aiding al Qaeda offshoot in Syria, joining as fighters Posted: 27 May 2014 02:26 AM PDT Norway has arrested three people suspected of aiding an al Qaeda offshoot fighting in Syria, at least two of which are accused of having joined the militant group as foreign fighters, Norwegian police said on Tuesday. The men, two of whom were born in the former Yugoslavia and another in Somalia, pose a threat to Norway and its allies, police said in a statement. "There are reasonable grounds to suspect two of the persons charged of having participated as foreign fighters for The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria," the Police Security Service said.

Obama pledges to uphold 'sacred trust' with U.S. veterans Posted: 27 May 2014 01:19 AM PDT At the end of a week rocked by allegations of mismanagement and cover-ups at the Department of Veterans Affairs, President Barack Obama used his weekly address on Saturday to vow again to make sure veterans get the necessary medical care. "Let's keep working to make sure that our country upholds our sacred trust to all who've served," Obama said in his address, which aired on Memorial Day holiday weekend, when Americans honor their war dead. Obama responded personally this week to a growing furor that veterans had suffered long delays in receiving healthcare, making clear that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki's job could be on the line. Obama has assigned Rob Nabors, one of his top aides, to conduct his own look into what happened.

Obama to lay out defense of foreign policy in West Point speech Posted: 27 May 2014 01:17 AM PDT By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stung by criticism, President Barack Obama will use a speech on Wednesday to launch a sweeping defense of his approach to foreign policy, one that he will say is reliant on multilateral diplomacy instead of military interventions. Obama is to deliver the commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, the first in a series of speeches that he and top advisers will use to explain U.S. foreign policy in the aftermath of conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and lay out a broad vision for the rest of his presidency. The president has come under withering fire in recent months for what his critics say is a passive approach to foreign policy, one that has allowed Russian President Vladimir Putin to flex his muscle in Ukraine, and left the Syrian civil war to fester and China to threaten its neighbors in the South China Sea. Shortly after a trip to Asia late in April during which he strongly defended his incremental approach, he directed aides to frame a speech to explain his foreign policy and how he plans to handle world hot spots during his remaining two-and-a-half years in office.

Norway: 3 arrested for links to terror group Posted: 27 May 2014 01:08 AM PDT STOCKHOLM (AP) — Norway's security service says three men with alleged links to an al-Qaida splinter group have been arrested on preliminary charges of supporting or participating in a terror organization.

Top Asian News at 8:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 27 May 2014 01:02 AM PDT BANGKOK (AP) — A Cabinet minister who defied an order to report to Thailand's new military junta emerged Tuesday from hiding to condemn last week's coup in the first public comment from a member of the former government. Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang had defied a summons to report to the junta, which has detained most top members of the ousted elected government in this Southeast Asian nation since taking power last Thursday.

Top Asian News at 7:30 a.m. GMT Posted: 27 May 2014 12:32 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Malaysian government on Tuesday released 45 pages of raw satellite data it used to determine the flight path of the missing jetliner, information long sought after by some of the relatives of the 239 people on board the plane. More than three months after the plane went missing en route to Beijing, no trace of it has been found, leading to continued speculation over its fate.

Top Asian News at 7:00 a.m. GMT Posted: 27 May 2014 12:02 AM PDT KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — The Malaysian government on Tuesday released 45 pages of raw satellite data it used to determine the flight path of the missing jetliner, information long sought after by some of the relatives of the 239 people on board the plane. More than three months after the plane went missing en route to Beijing, no trace of it has been found, leading to continued speculation over its fate.

Is Democracy Another God that Failed? Posted: 27 May 2014 12:00 AM PDT On Memorial Day weekend, scores of thousands of bikers arrived here for their annual Rolling Thunder tribute to America's veterans, especially those lost in our wars or left behind. But this year the tribute has been sullied by a squalid scandal in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sick vets seeking medical care at the Phoenix VA hospital were put on waiting lists, but never got to see a doctor. Then waiting lists were altered to make it appear that VA staffers had not failed in their duty to provide the vets access to care in the required 14 days.

You are subscribed to email updates from Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610