Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• US eyes new aid to Iraq to curb insurgent march
• Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT
• Iraq Wants America Back
• Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT
• Taliban swap for US soldier was 'tough call': Hagel
• Al-Qaida breakaway pursuing an Islamic state
• US soldier swap with Taliban was 'right decision': Hagel
• Blackwater guards face trial in Iraq shootings
• US vows to back Iraq in fight against jihadist threat
• Top Asian News at 10:30 p.m. GMT
• Iraqi Militants Take Over Another City, Set Their Sights on Baghdad
• Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT
• Islamic gunmen push into Iraq's Sunni heartland
• Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT
• Exclusive: Kurdish oil finds new buyers in Europe despite Baghdad threats
• Mosul residents fleeing to Arbil berate Iraq's Maliki
• Top Asian News at 9:00 p.m. GMT
• Iraq insurgents take Saddam's home town in lightning advance
• The Islamic Group Threatening Iraq Is Too Extreme for Al Qaeda
• Can an Islamic caliphate survive in today's Mideast?
• UN deplores and condemns terrorist attacks in Iraq
• Stocks off on World Bank call, Brent up on Iraq concern
• Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT
• Jordan closes opposition Iraq TV channel, says RSF
• Top Asian News at 8:00 p.m. GMT
• Jihadists 'bulldoze berm' dividing Iraq from Syria
• Al-Qaida Establishes Islamic Caliphate Across Syria, Northern Iraq
• Oil barely changed after World Bank forecast
• Top Asian News at 7:30 p.m. GMT
• AP Analysis: Attacks show emboldened militants
• Ankara 'will retaliate' if Turkish hostages harmed in Iraq
• Italian Catholic community warns Christians at risk in Iraq
• Blackwater four go on trial for 2007 Baghdad killings
• U.S. says worried about 'deteriorating' situation in Iraq
• Iraqi insurgent commander is jihad's rising leader
• 'No question' of British forces for Iraq: Hague
• NATO holds emergency meeting on Iraq crisis at Turkey's request
• Risk of friendly fire has long been element of war
• The Daily Fix: Cantor’s Ouster, Boko Haram Kidnaps Again, and School Shooting in Oregon
• U.S. says worried about security situation in Iraq, offers help

US eyes new aid to Iraq to curb insurgent march Posted: 11 Jun 2014 04:50 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States is preparing to send new aid to Iraq to help slow a violent insurgent march that is threatening to take over the nation's north, officials said Wednesday. But the Obama administration offered only tepid support for Iraq's beleaguered prime minister, and U.S. lawmakers openly questioned whether he should remain in power.

Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 04:32 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Iraq Wants America Back Posted: 11 Jun 2014 04:15 PM PDT Two and a half years after the last U.S. soldier departed, an al Qaeda offshoot is in control of Mosul and headed for Baghdad—and Iraq's prime minister is requesting U.S. air strikes.

Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 04:03 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Taliban swap for US soldier was 'tough call': Hagel Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:59 PM PDT Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel staunchly defended Wednesday the swap of five Taliban detainees for a US soldier as a "tough" but necessary move to secure Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl's release. Facing a barrage of criticism from lawmakers, Hagel said the exchange with the Taliban was part of the "brutal, imperfect realities" that come with war and that the deal brokered by Qatar represented the "last, best opportunity" to ensure the soldier's freedom. "We made the right decision, and we did it for the right reasons -- to bring home one of our own people," a defiant Hagel told the House Armed Services Committee. Hagel described a dramatic chain of events leading up to Bergdahl's release, with US officials worried about Taliban militants staging an attack on special operations forces receiving the American soldier.

Al-Qaida breakaway pursuing an Islamic state Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:51 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — An al-Qaida splinter group that has seized a huge chunk of northern Iraq commands as many as 10,000 fighters and has steadily been consolidating its hold on much of northeastern Syria across the border.

US soldier swap with Taliban was 'right decision': Hagel Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:45 PM PDT Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel on Wednesday staunchly defended the swap of five Taliban detainees for a US soldier as a "tough call" but a necessary one to secure Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl's release. Seeking to counter a barrage of criticism from lawmakers, Hagel insisted President Barack Obama had to act quickly given Bergdahl's deteriorating health and that the swap deal brokered by Qatar represented the "last, best opportunity" to ensure the soldier's freedom. "We made the right decision, and we did it for the right reasons -- to bring home one of our own people," Hagel told a tense hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. After signing a memorandum with Qatar on May 12 on the details of the transfer of the Taliban detainees, the Qataris issued a warning to US officials that "time was not on our side," Hagel said.

Blackwater guards face trial in Iraq shootings Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:40 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Four former Blackwater Worldwide security guards went on trial Wednesday in the killings of 14 Iraqis and the wounding of at least 18 others.

US vows to back Iraq in fight against jihadist threat Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:34 PM PDT The United States vowed Wednesday to boost aid to Iraq amid fears the US-backed Iraqi army is increasingly powerless against emboldened militants more than two years after American forces withdrew. But State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki denied the offensive by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant had caught Washington by surprise or that it marked a failure of US policy in the country it invaded in 2003. Washington is committed to "working with the Iraqi government and leaders across Iraq to support a unified approach against ISIL's continued aggression," Psaki told reporters, adding that the US administration had long warned of the dangers posed by the militants now sweeping toward Baghdad.

Top Asian News at 10:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:32 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Iraqi Militants Take Over Another City, Set Their Sights on Baghdad Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:24 PM PDT A group of Sunni militants extended its reach over northern and western Iraq today, storming through the city of Tikrit, and ending the day on the outskirts of Baghdad. Following yesterday's capture of Mosul — Iraq's second-biggest city — the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (known as ISIS and ISIL) has continued its surreal, savage, and swift campaign against Iraqi government forces. Turkey's calling for a NATO meeting on Iraq, as ISIS barrels toward Baghdad. Could NATO even do anything before the city is attacked? — Nicholas Slayton (@NSlayton) June 11, 2014

Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 03:02 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Islamic gunmen push into Iraq's Sunni heartland Posted: 11 Jun 2014 02:41 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Al-Qaida-inspired militants pushed deeper into Iraq's Sunni heartland Wednesday, swiftly conquering Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit as soldiers and security forces abandoned their posts and yielded ground once controlled by U.S. forces.

Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 02:33 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Exclusive: Kurdish oil finds new buyers in Europe despite Baghdad threats Posted: 11 Jun 2014 02:22 PM PDT By Julia Payne LONDON (Reuters) - Russian oil firm Rosneft bought a cargo of Kurdish oil for a German refinery it co-owns with oil major BP, quietly circumventing Baghdad's ban on independent oil sales by its autonomous region, according to trading sources. While Iraq and Kurdistan will have to work together to combat an Islamist militant group that this week seized Iraq's second city Mosul, near the Kurdish border, they have been locked in a bitter oil dispute for the past two years, with Baghdad saying only its state company is authorized to sell crude. The militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an offshoot of al Qaeda, were closing in on Iraq's largest oil refiner on Wednesday.

Mosul residents fleeing to Arbil berate Iraq's Maliki Posted: 11 Jun 2014 02:15 PM PDT Arbil (Iraq) (AFP) - Thousands of people who fled Iraq's second city of Mosul after it was overrun by jihadists wait in the blistering heat, hoping to enter the safety of the nearby Kurdish region and furious at Baghdad's failure to help them. As many as half a million people are thought to have fled Mosul, which was captured by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) Tuesday after a spectacular assault that routed the army. At a roadblock some 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region, a long line of men, women and children has been queueing under the blazing sun since morning, seeking permits allowing them stay. Hot and tired they may be, but they don't hesitate to vent their anger at Shiite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Top Asian News at 9:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 02:02 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Iraq insurgents take Saddam's home town in lightning advance Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:45 PM PDT By Ghazwan Hassan TIKRIT Iraq (Reuters) - Sunni rebels from an al Qaeda splinter group overran the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday and closed in on the biggest oil refinery in the country, making further gains in their rapid military advance against the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad. The threat to the Baiji refinery comes after militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) seized the northern city of Mosul, advancing their aim of creating a Sunni Caliphate straddling the border between Iraq and Syria.

The Islamic Group Threatening Iraq Is Too Extreme for Al Qaeda Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:42 PM PDT ISIS Closer to Creating an Islamic State That Straddles Syria and Iraq

Can an Islamic caliphate survive in today's Mideast? Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:42 PM PDT Iraq's second largest city fell to a powerful militant group Tuesday, a stunning development that could quickly lead to the creation of a strict Islamic state in the heart of the Middle East. This army of Muslim warriors, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), has already taken hundreds of square miles in both Iraq and Syria, and now threatens Baghdad. As the group consolidates its rule and starts to govern millions of Muslims, it could come close to finally restoring the medieval-era caliphate that was once envisioned by the late Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden. The region has recently seen other Islam-defined regimes, such as in Iran, Egypt, Turkey, and Gaza.

UN deplores and condemns terrorist attacks in Iraq Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:41 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council has deplored the terrorist attack in Iraq's second-largest city of Mosul "in the strongest terms" and is demanding the immediate return of all hostages abducted from the Turkish consulate.

Stocks off on World Bank call, Brent up on Iraq concern Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:40 PM PDT By Rodrigo Campos NEW YORK (Reuters) - A gauge of world stock markets retreated from recent highs on Wednesday, pressured by a lower growth forecast from the World Bank and a profit warning from Lufthansa, while Brent crude rose on fears of disrupted supply from Iraq as violence escalates. The euro fell for a fourth straight session against the U.S. dollar as monetary policy between the European Central Bank and the Federal Reserve diverges. The World Bank late on Tuesday cut its global economic growth forecast for 2014 to 2.8 percent from 3.2 percent due to the impact of the Ukraine crisis and a harsh U.S. winter. The Bank was, however, confident economic activity was shifting to a stronger footing.

Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:32 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Jordan closes opposition Iraq TV channel, says RSF Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:12 PM PDT Jordan has shut down an Amman-based Iraqi opposition television channel critical of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and arrested journalists, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said Wednesday. Authorities raided the Al-Abasiya satellite station Monday and arrested 14 Iraqi, Jordanian and Syrian journalists after Baghdad accused it of "inciting terrorism and sectarian conflicts." "We have often reported that Nuri al-Maliki gags the media in Iraq but it seems he is not content with that and now wants to silence critical media based outside his country," RSF said. Jordan's Audiovisual Commission chief Amjad Qadi told AFP Al-Abasiya was broadcasting from Jordan illegally, without a licence.

Top Asian News at 8:00 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 01:03 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

Jihadists 'bulldoze berm' dividing Iraq from Syria Posted: 11 Jun 2014 12:56 PM PDT The jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant posted pictures online of militants bulldozing a berm dividing Iraq and Syria, symbolising its goal of uniting its forces in the two countries. The first shot was dated June 10 and carried the title of the photo series, "Smashing the Sykes-Picot border" -- a reference to the agreement between Britain and France that carved up the Middle East after World War I, with the former taking Iraq and the latter Syria.

Al-Qaida Establishes Islamic Caliphate Across Syria, Northern Iraq Posted: 11 Jun 2014 12:48 PM PDT Al-Qaida has established a new Islamic Caliphate. The Obama administration's failure to secure a status-of-forces agreement with the government of Iraq, or to take decisive action in Syria to end that civil war, has provided al-Qaida an opportunity to fulfill its dream of creating an new Islamic Caliphate governed under Sharia law — and it is a direct threat to U.S. national security. On Tuesday, June 10, 2014, just days shy of the two and a half year anniversary of the departure of the last U.S. combat forces from Iraq, news broke that hundreds of al-Qaida-linked terrorists belonging to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) had taken Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, and possibly all of the surrounding Nineveh Province.

Oil barely changed after World Bank forecast Posted: 11 Jun 2014 12:43 PM PDT The price of oil bounced around before finishing with a slight gain Wednesday. U.S. supplies declined more than expected, but a reduction in the World Bank's estimate of global economic growth raised concerns ...

Top Asian News at 7:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 11 Jun 2014 12:32 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength. More than a decade after the U.S. launched its "war on terrorism," Islamic militant groups are bolder than ever, exploiting the erosion or collapse of central government control in a string of nations — Syria, Iraq and Pakistan — that are more strategically vital than the relatively failed states where al-Qaida set up its bases in the past: Somalia, Yemen and 1990s Afghanistan.

AP Analysis: Attacks show emboldened militants Posted: 11 Jun 2014 12:20 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — It has been a week of stunning advances by Islamic militants across a belt from Iraq to Pakistan. In Iraq, jihadi fighters rampaged through the country's second-largest city and swept farther south in their drive to establish an extremist enclave stretching into Syria. Pakistan's largest airport was paralyzed and rocked by explosions as gunmen stormed it in a dramatic show of strength.

Ankara 'will retaliate' if Turkish hostages harmed in Iraq Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:58 AM PDT Turkey pledged Wednesday to retaliate if dozens of its citizens seized in an attack by Islamist militants in northern Iraq are harmed. Turkey's foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that jihadist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had kidnapped 49 of its citizens at the Mosul consulate and taken them to another part of the city. "All those involved should know that if our citizens are harmed in any way, they will be the subject of harsh reprisals," Turkish media quoted Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as saying at the United Nations in New York.

Italian Catholic community warns Christians at risk in Iraq Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:36 AM PDT An Italian Catholic community warned Wednesday of violence against Christians in Iraq, where a jihadist takeover in Mosul has seen as many as half a million people flee their homes. "From the sketchy information coming out of Mosul it appears Christians are once more the victims of terrorism and bloodshed," the Sant'Egidio community, which promotes dialogue between religions, said in a statement. "An explosion of extremist violence is putting at risk a project of religious integration and social development, based on coexistence and collaboration between Christians and Muslims," it said. Militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and their allies on Tuesday seized Mosul and surrounding Nineveh province, and militants have since then captured a large swathe of northern and north-central Iraq.

Blackwater four go on trial for 2007 Baghdad killings Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:34 AM PDT Four former employees of the notorious Blackwater security firm went on trial here Wednesday, seven years after allegedly killing at least 14 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad. Backed by an army of lawyers, Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard and Nicholas Slatten appeared before a federal court for the start of jury selection. The trial was expected to last between five and six months, Slatten's lawyer, Thomas Connolly, told AFP. Judge Royce Lamberth said "a very high number of Iraqi witnesses" are scheduled to testify about what they saw on September 16, 2007 in Baghdad's Nisour Square.

U.S. says worried about 'deteriorating' situation in Iraq Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:29 AM PDT The United States on Wednesday expressed concern about the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and pledged "any appropriate assistance" to help the Iraqi government fend off a rapid military advance by Sunni militants. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States believed the Baiji refinery, the country's largest oil refinery, was still under the control of the Iraqi government after militants overran the city of Tikrit on Wednesday. Militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) took over Iraq's second-biggest city, Mosul, on Tuesday and overran Tikrit on Wednesday, closing in on the Baiji refinery.

Iraqi insurgent commander is jihad's rising leader Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:23 AM PDT By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - The leader of radical Sunni fighters who have made rapid military advances in Iraq is the rising star of global jihad, driven, Islamist fighters say, by an unbending determination to fight for and establish a hardline Islamic state. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, commander of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), now controls large parts of eastern Syria and western Iraq, a vast cross-border haven for militants in the Sunni Muslim core of the Middle East. Fighters from ISIL and its rivals who spoke to Reuters praised Baghdadi as a strategist who succeeded in exploiting turmoil in Syria and Iraq's weak central authority after the U.S. military withdrawal to carve out his powerbase. "In short, for Sheikh Baghdadi, each religion has its state except Islam, and it should have a state and it should be imposed.

'No question' of British forces for Iraq: Hague Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:21 AM PDT British Foreign Secretary William Hague said Wednesday there was "no question" of British troops being sent back to Iraq to help battle Islamic militants who have seized control of key cities. Hague said while the situation was of great concern, the government was "not countenancing at this stage any British military involvement" He said he believed Iraq had sufficient forces to counter the threat. A US official said the United States "stands ready" to help Iraq, but made no mention of sending troops.

NATO holds emergency meeting on Iraq crisis at Turkey's request Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:17 AM PDT NATO ambassadors held an emergency meeting at Turkey's request on Wednesday on the situation in northern Iraq, where Islamist militants have seized swathes of territory and taken 80 Turkish citizens hostage. "Turkey briefed the other allies on the situation in (the Iraqi city of) Mosul and the hostage-taking of Turkish citizens, including the consul general," a NATO official said. He said the meeting was held for informational purposes and not under Article 4 of NATO's founding treaty, which permits a member of the 28-nation alliance to ask for consultations with other allies when it feels its security is threatened. He said attacks by militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant in Mosul represented "a serious threat to the security of Iraq and to the stability of the region".

Risk of friendly fire has long been element of war Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:13 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The deaths of five Americans killed in a U.S. airstrike in Afghanistan stand as a fresh reminder of the dangers of friendly fire, an element of war that is older than the nation.

The Daily Fix: Cantor’s Ouster, Boko Haram Kidnaps Again, and School Shooting in Oregon Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:03 AM PDT Political novice Dave Brat defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor by 11 percentage points in Virginia's primary on Tuesday, in an upset win—a stunning outcome that historians said was unprecedented because no leader of Cantor's rank had ever been defeated in a primary. But the real loser may be immigration policy affecting millions who were hoping long-awaited reforms would provide a roadmap to legal status for immigrants brought to America illegally as children, according to an analysis from the Associated Press. In true Washington fashion, there's disagreement there—a Politico poll finds that 72 percent of voters in Cantor's district either "strongly" or "somewhat" support a series of immigration reforms, including a path to legal status. Supporters of immigration reform are saying they have no love for Cantor or his stance on immigration, and his failure is the result of a lax campaign and low approval ratings.

U.S. says worried about security situation in Iraq, offers help Posted: 11 Jun 2014 11:02 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday expressed concern about the deteriorating security situation in Iraq and pledged "any appropriate assistance" to help the Iraqi government fend off increasing attacks from Sunni militants. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the United States believed that Iraq's Baiji oil refinery, the country's largest, remained under control of the Iraqi government after militants overran the Iraqi city of Tikrit on Wednesday. ...

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