Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Biden talks Iraq with Turkish PM; 2nd time in days
• Iraq options: Should US send weapons to a military that may give them up?
• Can This Tea Partier Take Over the GOP?
• Loss of Mosul threatens Iraqi PM's hold on power
• Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric issues call to fight jihadist rebels
• Kurds Gain Ground in Iraq
• Obama weighs U.S. action in Iraq but rules out combat troops
• 10 Things to Know: This Week's Takeaways
• Kurds realize dream as Baghdad loses grip on north Iraq
• Dutch Treat
• Google Hosts Largest Human Genome Database In The World
• Iraqi leaders to blame for army's collapse: US
• RNC Chases Hillary With a Giant Squirrel
• New Mexico Iraqi woman hurt in possible hate crime
• Vets watch as insurgents undo sacrifices in Iraq
• Stock market rises on merger news
• TSX closes in on six-year high as energy shares surge
• Iraq crisis: Why have US-trained security forces folded?
• Iraq conflict brings defense stocks in focus
• WHAT CAN WE DO IN IRAQ? NOTHING!
• Iraqi military breakdown fueled by corruption, politics
• Wall St. edges up on Intel but posts weekly decline
• Iraq unrest drives up oil, shares edge higher
• U.S. Treasury to discuss funding for Iraq militant group
• Sistani: Top cleric who called Iraqis to take up arms
• Oil prices hit new nine-month peaks on Iraq violence
• Obama: US will help but Iraq must mend divisions
• S&P 500 ends higher, snapping 3-day losing streak
• US stocks finish higher despite Iraq fears
• Shiite cleric urges Iraqis to defend country
• Obama sets high bar for US military action in Iraq
• IRAQ MILITANTS
• Scott Walker's 2016 Strategy Involves Having No Position At All on Same-Sex Marriage
• Iraq crisis could make US, Iran allies
• Romney: All US fought for in Iraq could vanish
• U.S. says talks with Iran focused on nuclear security, not Iraq
• US veterans lament advance of Iraqi insurgency
• Obama phones Canada's Harper about crises in Iraq, Ukraine: White House
• Activist group: Jihadists besiege Syrian city
• Wyoming's Democratic 'Hip Hop Candidate' Just Launched the PPLZ 4 GRAYSON CREW

Biden talks Iraq with Turkish PM; 2nd time in days Posted: 13 Jun 2014 04:32 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden has discussed the growing insurgency in Iraq with Turkey's leader for the second time in three days.

Iraq options: Should US send weapons to a military that may give them up? Posted: 13 Jun 2014 04:23 PM PDT As President Obama's national security team considers military options for assisting Iraq against advancing Islamist extremist militants, one key worry for the US is this: What happens if the sophisticated US arms the Iraqi government seeks fall into the hands of the anti-US militants? It's the same question that has kept the US from sending arms to the moderate opposition in the civil war in neighboring Syria, where the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), now holding major cities in Iraq and moving toward the outskirts of Baghdad, also control territory in the north. Faced with video images from this week's events in northern Iraq of US-trained-and–equipped Iraqi forces abandoning their weapons, ammunition, and armored vehicles before the advancing militants, US officials will be considering the wisdom of sending more missiles, helicopters, and other weapons to a military that might just give them up. Mr. Obama gave a statement from the White House south lawn Friday afternoon in which he suggested that it will still be several days before he decides what steps the US will take to bolster the government of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in its fight with ISIS.

Can This Tea Partier Take Over the GOP? Posted: 13 Jun 2014 04:20 PM PDT Raul Labrador has almost no experience in Congress and a mutinous habit. Ordinarily, that would make a run for House Majority Leader impossible. But these aren't ordinary times.

Loss of Mosul threatens Iraqi PM's hold on power Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:47 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's botched policies and "obsession with power" are quickly eroding his support even among longtime Shiite backers, politicians here say, as the Iraqi leader moved Friday to try to repair his shattered image after the disastrous loss of the north to Islamic militants.

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric issues call to fight jihadist rebels Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:44 PM PDT By Raheem Salman and Isra al-Rubei'i Baghdad, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's most senior Shi'ite Muslim cleric urged followers to take up arms against a full-blown Sunni militant insurgency to topple Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a conflict that threatens civil war and a possible break-up of the country. In Washington, U.S. President Barack Obama said he was reviewing military options, short of sending combat troops, to help Iraq fight the insurgency but warned any U.S. action must be accompanied by an Iraqi effort to bridge political divisions. Fighters under the black flag of ISIL are sweeping south towards the capital Baghdad in a campaign to recreate a mediaeval caliphate carved out of fragmenting Iraq and Syria that has turned into a widespread rebellion against Maliki.

Kurds Gain Ground in Iraq Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:40 PM PDT Iraqi security officials and locals around Mosul say that Kurdish forces have moved to block ISIS' advance and are gaining ground west of the ISIS held city.

Obama weighs U.S. action in Iraq but rules out combat troops Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:21 PM PDT By Roberta Rampton and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Friday he needs several days to determine how the United States will help Iraq deal with a militant insurgency, but he ruled out sending U.S. troops back into combat and said any intervention would be contingent on Iraqi leaders becoming more involved. The Pentagon is preparing a range of options for Obama, including air strikes. The actions are aimed at helping Iraq counter militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, a group Obama described as "vicious" and a "terrorist organization" that could eventually pose a threat to Americans. Obama said Iraqi leaders needed to set aside sectarian differences to deal with the threat, and said the United States would engage in "intensive diplomacy" in the region to try to prevent the situation from worsening.

10 Things to Know: This Week's Takeaways Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:21 PM PDT Looking back at the stories to remember from the past week:

Kurds realize dream as Baghdad loses grip on north Iraq Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:19 PM PDT Poets wrote songs about it for generations. But in the end, when a Kurdish army finally took control of Kirkuk, they realized the dream of their forefathers within hours, without having to fire a shot. The collapse of Baghdad's control of northern Iraq in the face of an onslaught by Sunni insurgents has allowed Kurds to take the historic capital they regard as their Jerusalem, and suddenly put them closer than ever to their immortal goal: an independent state of their own. After Sunni insurgents from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant seized Iraq's biggest northern city Mosul and rampaged towards the capital Baghdad, Kurdish fighters wasted no time in mobilizing.

Dutch Treat Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:15 PM PDT The Netherlands humiliates an ageing Spain, while the world looks on in disbelief.

Google Hosts Largest Human Genome Database In The World Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:06 PM PDT If you have a family member with autism, you might be able to store your DNA on the Google Cloud. That's because Google just made a deal with Autism Speaks to assist with the Autism Speaks Ten Thousand Genomes Program (AUT10K), a database of human genomes used for autism research. Google Cloud will store the genomes of 10,000 people with autism and their family members. On the Google Cloud Platform blog, Autism Speaks Chief Science Officer Robert Ring wrote, "In the beginning, we shared genomic information by shipping hard drives around the world.

Iraqi leaders to blame for army's collapse: US Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:05 PM PDT Iraqi leaders failed to strengthen and support the nation's military after US troops withdrew despite billions of American dollars poured into training and equipping the army, officials said Friday. State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf also dismissed criticism from Republican lawmakers that a residual US force would have stopped the Iraqi army from collapsing in face of this week's militant assault. "When we left Iraq, after years of sacrifice and American taxpayer money, and certainly our troops felt that sacrifice more than anyone, the Iraqis had an opportunity," Harf told reporters. "We had helped their security forces.

RNC Chases Hillary With a Giant Squirrel Posted: 13 Jun 2014 03:00 PM PDT An intern wearing a fuzzy suit showed up at an event, warning "another Clinton in the White House is nuts."

New Mexico Iraqi woman hurt in possible hate crime Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:52 PM PDT ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Iraqi Catholic refugee who was assaulted in her Albuquerque apartment appears to be the victim of a hate crime by an attacker who yelled obscenities about Muslims, police said.

Vets watch as insurgents undo sacrifices in Iraq Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:45 PM PDT Marine Sgt. Colin Archipley's unit suffered heavy casualties in the savage house-to-house fighting against insurgents holed up in the Iraqi city of Fallujah in 2004.

Stock market rises on merger news Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:17 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A flurry of corporate deals and a positive outlook for the technology industry gave the stock market a lift Friday.

TSX closes in on six-year high as energy shares surge Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:10 PM PDT By John Tilak TORONTO, (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index advanced to its highest in almost six years on Friday as heightened tensions in Iraq raised concerns about oil supply, sending prices of the commodity and shares in the sector higher. The Toronto stock market's benchmark index, which has advanced in 10 of the past 11 sessions, is up more than 10 percent this year. "Energy is definitely the best place to be at the moment in the Canadian market," said Marcus Xu, portfolio manager at MY Capital Management Corp, who expects the TSX to outperform the U.S. market this year. The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index closed up 91.98 points, or 0.62 percent, at 15,001.61.

Iraq crisis: Why have US-trained security forces folded? Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:08 PM PDT After eight years of war in which training Iraqi security forces was a top mission for the Pentagon – which spent $25 billion to do it – those military forces have turned out to be a considerable disappointment from the US military's perspective. The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) this week seized control of Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities, and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit. The Islamist insurgent group's next stop, it has proclaimed, is Baghdad. "Look, the United States has poured a lot of money into these Iraqi security forces, and we devoted a lot of training to Iraqi security forces," President Obama said Friday.

Iraq conflict brings defense stocks in focus Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:07 PM PDT By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) - With the possibility of escalating violence in Iraq, stocks in the defense sector could garner more attention next week. The stock market and oil prices were rattled late in the week after violence in the nation escalated as a Sunni insurgency against the government heats up. Even with tensions in the region mounting, the PHLX defense sector was down about 1 percent for the week, retreating with the broader S&P 500 after both indexes had closed at record highs on Monday. "As investors try to determine what stocks and which sectors would benefit if we continue to see troubles in Iraq, it's logical that more defensive sectors would benefit and especially the defense stocks themselves," said Kate Warne, investment strategist at Edward Jones in St. Louis.

WHAT CAN WE DO IN IRAQ? NOTHING! Posted: 13 Jun 2014 02:00 PM PDT LOS ANGELES -- Taking a couple of shots at President Obama over the latest round of war in Iraq, House Speaker John Boehner said last week: "This has been building for weeks."How about centuries, Mr. Speaker? Sunni Muslims and their Shiite "brethren" have been fighting over this bloody turf since the seventh century. As once described in Great Britain's Economist magazine: "The argument dates back to the death in 632 of Islam's founder, the Prophet Muhammad. Tribal Arabs who followed him were split over who should inherit what was both a political and a religious office. ...

Iraqi military breakdown fueled by corruption, politics Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:56 PM PDT By Ned Parker and Missy Ryan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Iraqi army that disintegrated under an onslaught by Islamist fighters this week was a hollow force, riven by corruption, poor leadership and sectarian splits - a shadow of the military Washington had hoped to leave in the war-ravaged country. The United States dismantled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's military after invading in 2003 and spent $20 billion to build up a new 800,000-strong force, banking on its ability to keep the peace when the U.S. military withdrew in 2011. While the 2003 decision to disband Iraq's army led to a bloody civil war, Iraqi forces were seen as generally competent by 2011 and sectarian fighting had eased, giving U.S. President Barack Obama some confidence as he pulled out all American forces. The Iraqi force has also been heavily politicized under Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said Retired Lieutenant General Jim Dubik, who led the U.S. and NATO effort to train Iraqi forces from 2007 to 2008.

Wall St. edges up on Intel but posts weekly decline Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:48 PM PDT By Angela Moon NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. stocks edged up on Friday, boosted by bullish news from the tech sector, but major indexes fell for the week as unrest in Iraq kept investors on edge. Intel Corp was one of the S&P 500's biggest gainers and one of Nasdaq's most active names, but overall gains were capped as investors kept a close watch on violence in Iraq that drove oil prices to their highest since September. "The situation in Iraq is another one of these geopolitical flare-ups that have a short-term impact on the market.

Iraq unrest drives up oil, shares edge higher Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:46 PM PDT By David Gaffen and Herbert Lash NEW YORK, (Reuters) - Escalating violence in Iraq drove crude oil prices to nine-month highs on Friday while damping the appetite for risk, even as bullish news from the U.S. tech sector lifted shares on Wall Street and helped buoy stocks in global equity markets. Brent crude edged above $113 a barrel, up more than $4 this week, on concerns that an insurgency in Iraq could trigger civil war and eventually crimp oil exports. ...

U.S. Treasury to discuss funding for Iraq militant group Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:46 PM PDT U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will discuss counterterrorism financing during his visit to the Middle East, including the funding network of the group fomenting an insurgency in Iraq, Treasury officials said on Friday. President Barack Obama on Friday said the United States was weighing how to help Iraq counter militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, which has launched a rebellion against Iraq's government. Lew will meet with officials in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Germany next week, where he will also discuss issues of tax evasion and economic growth.

Sistani: Top cleric who called Iraqis to take up arms Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:38 PM PDT Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, who called on Friday for Iraqis to take up arms against "terrorists", is the country's top Shiite cleric and is revered by millions. The reclusive Sistani enjoys the kind of following Iraq's Shiite politicians can only dream of, and his call to fight militants who seized swathes of the country this week could give a major boost to recruitment. The Sunni Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and allied groups launched an offensive on Monday, taking all of one province and chunks of three more.

Oil prices hit new nine-month peaks on Iraq violence Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:28 PM PDT Global oil prices surged to fresh nine-month highs on Friday as traders eyed escalating violence in Iraq, OPEC's second-biggest crude exporter. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for July rose 38 cents to close at $106.91 a barrel, its highest level since September 18, 2013. Prices had rallied sharply on Thursday, more than $2 for WTI and $3 for Brent, Sunni militants pushed toward Baghdad and forces from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region took control of the northern oil hub of Kirkuk. "People are calmer today because they realize that the threat to oil supplies is not very strong," said Michael Lynch of Strategic Energy and Economic Research.

Obama: US will help but Iraq must mend divisions Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:26 PM PDT The United States may take military action to support Baghdad in its battle against Sunni extremists but only if Iraq takes steps to heal its sectarian divide, President Barack Obama said Friday. Obama warned that US ground troops would not be sent back into the country they occupied for eight difficult, violent years, but said recent stunning rebel victories were a threat to US interests. Amid reports the Pentagon is drawing up plans for air strikes against ISIL, the Sunni jihadist force that has seized the Iraqi city of Mosul, Obama warned that Iraq must also help itself. "We will not be sending US troops back into combat in Iraq, but I have asked my national security team to prepare a range of other options that could help support Iraqi security forces," he said.

S&P 500 ends higher, snapping 3-day losing streak Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:25 PM PDT The stock market is closing higher on corporate deal news and an improved forecast from chipmaker Intel. The Standard & Poor's 500 index rose six points, or 0.3 percent, to close at 1,936 Friday. The gain ...

US stocks finish higher despite Iraq fears Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:23 PM PDT US stocks Friday finished higher as investors weighed the implications of escalating sectarian violence in Iraq that has lifted oil prices to nine-month highs. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 38.02 points (0.23 percent) to 16,772.21. Iraq remained at the center of attention as Shiite Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani urged the people to defend the country against jihadist insurgents while President Barack Obama said he was examining options short of sending in US troops. Michael James, managing director of equity trading at Wedbush Securities, said the market remains in "a bullish uptrend" and that Iraq will not significantly affect that sentiment "until there's some material concerns that present themselves."

Shiite cleric urges Iraqis to defend country Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:21 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's Shiite clerical leadership Friday called on all Iraqis to defend their country from Sunni militants who have seized large swaths of territory, and a U.N. official expressed "extreme alarm" at reprisal killings in the offensive, citing reports of hundreds of dead and wounded.

Obama sets high bar for US military action in Iraq Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:06 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama vowed Friday that the United States would not be "dragged back" into military action in Iraq as long as leaders in Baghdad refuse to reform a political system that has left the county vulnerable to a fast-moving Islamic insurgency.

IRAQ MILITANTS Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:05 PM PDT Map shows areas of militant activity. ; 3c x 4 inches; 146 mm x 101 mm;

Scott Walker's 2016 Strategy Involves Having No Position At All on Same-Sex Marriage Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:04 PM PDT As his state's attorney general appeals a federal court ruling against its ban on same-sex marriage, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is refusing to have an opinion on the matter of marriage equality. Walker, who has previously been a vocal supporter of "traditional" marriage and Wisconsin's ban, faced questions from reporters on Thursday about his state's appeal of the ruling. After several statements where the 2016 hopeful declined to state his opinion on same-sex marriage, someone asked Walker whether he was now rethinking his position. According to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Walker's statements indicate that he doesn't see the relevance of his opinion in the issue. "It really doesn't matter what I think now," Walker told reporters, adding, "It's in the constitution." The paper then reported the following uncharacteristic exchange for the outspoken governor:

Iraq crisis could make US, Iran allies Posted: 13 Jun 2014 01:03 PM PDT With the call to arms today by Iraq's most revered Shiite cleric, the crisis in Iraq threatens to become an even broader regional sectarian conflict. But it could also bring about unusual cooperation between the US and Iran, who have a mutual interest in stemming Sunni militants' lightning advance across Iraq this week. In a statement read at Friday prayers, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani called upon all able-bodied Iraqi Shiite men to fight, saying they were duty-bound "to bear arms and fight terrorists" in defense of their people and holy places. Within an hour volunteers were gathering and being sent to Samarra, 70 miles north of Baghdad, where the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) clashed with the Iraqi Army this week.

Romney: All US fought for in Iraq could vanish Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:59 PM PDT PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — Republican Mitt Romney, blaming President Barack Obama's handling of foreign policy, warned financial backers Friday that everything the nation fought for during the lengthy Iraq war could vanish.

U.S. says talks with Iran focused on nuclear security, not Iraq Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:47 PM PDT The United States is not in talks with Iran about the current insurgency facing Iraq and is instead focused on resolving issues over Iran's nuclear program, the State Department said on Friday. "We are not talking to the Iranians about Iraq," spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters in a briefing. The United States and other world powers are currently in negotiations with Iran on limiting Tehran's controversial nuclear program in exchange for an end to sanctions. The nuclear talks resume in Vienna next week.

US veterans lament advance of Iraqi insurgency Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:45 PM PDT Some comments from Iraq war veterans lamenting this week's rapid advance by insurgents into Mosul, Tikrit and other key Iraqi cities.

Obama phones Canada's Harper about crises in Iraq, Ukraine: White House Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:45 PM PDT BISMARCK N.D. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama phoned Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Friday while traveling aboard Air Force One to discuss the crises in Iraq and Ukraine, a White House spokesman said. Obama said earlier in the day he was considering a range of options to respond to the conflict in Iraq, and would consult with international leaders over the weekend about the crisis. (Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Meredith Mazzilli)

Activist group: Jihadists besiege Syrian city Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:39 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — The al-Qaida-breakaway Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has prevented food and medical supplies from reaching some neighborhoods in an eastern Syrian city and has ceased some of its operations in Syria while waiting for weapons to arrive from neighboring Iraq, activists said Friday.

Wyoming's Democratic 'Hip Hop Candidate' Just Launched the PPLZ 4 GRAYSON CREW Posted: 13 Jun 2014 12:36 PM PDT But in Wyoming, the only Democrat who volunteered to run is Richard Grayson, a 63-year-old Arizona resident and self-proclaimed "hip-hop candidate."  In 1984 he ran as a Democrat against Ronald Reagan and asked the president's first wife, Jane Wyman, to be his running mate "because she has experience dumping Reagan," People reported at the time. In 2004 he wrote a daily diary for McSweeney's about his experience running as the only Democrat in Florida's 4th Congressional District against Rep. Ander Crenshaw. This time around Grayson is running against incumbent Republican Rep. Cynthia Lummis, and recently filed his campaign committee PPLZ 4 GRAYSON CREW. When Business Insider asked about the name, he explained in an email Friday that he picked the committee name "cuz I'm a hip-hop candidate, I guess," adding, "It's partly a homage to 2 Live Crew, whose 1990-91 fight against obscenity charges in Miami both turned me on to music I hadn't considered as a 40ish baby boomer and inspired me to go to law school." (In 1990 their album As Nasty As They Wanna Be was legally declared obscene for being "an appeal to 'dirty' thoughts and the loins," in a ruling that was later overturned.)

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