Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• World leaders mark outbreak of WWI
• Lebanese army advances in border battle with Islamists
• "Hamlet" takes to the stage at the United Nations
• Iraq air force to back Kurds fighting Islamists
• GAZA AND ISRAEL -- A MISERABLE MERRY-GO-ROUND
• ISIS Gains First Ground in Lebanon
• Turkish PKK militants urge all Kurds to fight Islamic State
• Iraqi PM orders air force to help Kurds fight Islamic State
• Former enemies unite for World War I commemoration
• Both sides prepare for new Gaza war crimes probe
• Oil prices up on turmoil in Iraq, Libya
• Israel faces growing condemnation after UN school strike
• Maliki Sends Iraqi Air Force to Help Kurds Combat ISIS
• US Rep. Steve Cohen challenged again in Tennessee
• Sunni militants target Iraq's two biggest dams
• Lebanese army battles Syrian rebels holding town
• Kurds ask U.S. court to scrap seizure order, allow crude delivery
• Iraq air force backs Kurds against jihadists, scores flee
• Russian war games get under way, unnerving Ukraine
• New brawl erupts in Turkey's parliament
• Earthquake in China Leaves Hundreds Dead, Thousands Injured
• Five Gifts Obama Isn't Getting For His 53rd Birthday
• Spanish police arrest two young women suspected of heading for jihad
• Five Best Monday Columns
• Tunneling through triangle of death, Islamic State aims at Baghdad from south
• Thousands flee as Lebanon battles Syrian militants
• At World War I centenary, leaders say conflict holds lessons for today
• Jerusalem on High Alert After Dual Terrorist Attacks
• African AIDS Conference Delegates Seek Asylum in Australia
• Iraq PM orders air strikes to support Kurds: spokesman
• Iraq's Islamist insurgency puts its southern oil in the spotlight
• Iraq PM orders air force to help Kurds in war with Islamic State: TV
• France: Israel rights do not justify carnage
• France: Israel rights don't justify 'carnage'
• Spain arrests 2 alleged female jihadists
• Nigerian president hypocritical about missing girls; plane shot over Russia shows new Putin; Afghanistan still needs US; Civilian deaths in Gaza; America's isolationist policy
• Readers Write: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl paid his dues; Unpopular views are still protected
• Iraq's Yazidi minority flees militant threat
• Special Report : The doubt at the heart of Iraq's Sunni 'revolution'

World leaders mark outbreak of WWI Posted: 04 Aug 2014 04:17 PM PDT World leaders on Monday commemorated the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I by warning of lessons to be learned in the face of today's many crises, including Ukraine. "Peace has to be a shared goal," Belgium's King Philippe told leaders gathered in his country's eastern city of Liege. Leaders from across Europe -- from Britain and Ireland to Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and Malta -- attended the commemoration at the Allied War Memorial of Cointe, a tower complex overlooking the city alongside a weathered grey-stone church painted with white doves for the occasion.

Lebanese army advances in border battle with Islamists Posted: 04 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT By Alexander Dziadosz OUTSKIRTS OF ARSAL Lebanon (Reuters) - The Lebanese army advanced on Monday into a border town attacked by Islamists at the weekend in the most serious spillover of the three-year-old Syrian civil war into Lebanon, and the Beirut government said the deadly assault would not go unpunished. With army reinforcements arriving in Arsal, Prime Minister Tammam Salam, a Sunni Muslim, said there could be no political deal with gunmen identified as members of the Nusra Front and the Islamic State, which has seized parts of Syria and Iraq. "The only solution proposed today is the withdrawal of the militants from Arsal and its environs," said Salam, the most senior Sunni in the Lebanese government.

"Hamlet" takes to the stage at the United Nations Posted: 04 Aug 2014 03:53 PM PDT A special performance of Shakespeare's "Hamlet" takes to the stage on Monday at a venue that often seeks to address human tragedy worldwide -- the United Nations. Shakespeare's Globe Theatre brought its world tour to the UN's New York headquarters for performance on a specially constructed stage inside one of the General Assembly's many committee chambers. "Hamlet" also kicked off the month-long British presidency of the 15-member Security Council, the UN's top decision-making body, with conflict in Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Libya and east Ukraine set to be major bones of contention. "It's a play that deals with the human condition, essentially, so that's shared with every nation in the world," said Miranda Foster, who plays Hamlet's shadowy mother, Gertrude.

Iraq air force to back Kurds fighting Islamists Posted: 04 Aug 2014 03:47 PM PDT Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has called upon his country's armed forces to help the Kurdish military battle a Sunni militant offensive in northern Iraq that has caused tens of thousands of people from the minority Yazidi community to flee their homes.

GAZA AND ISRAEL -- A MISERABLE MERRY-GO-ROUND Posted: 04 Aug 2014 03:30 PM PDT If you have come to think of the Middle East war as a repetitious rain of rockets fired on Israel, then Israeli artillery ravaging Gaza, followed by more rockets bouncing off the "Iron Dome" and more Israeli bombs hitting Gazan institutions, you can hardly be blamed these days. I have been to Gaza a score of times and it was an unmitigated horror.

ISIS Gains First Ground in Lebanon Posted: 04 Aug 2014 02:49 PM PDT Militants associated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) captured the Lebanese city of Arsal in fighting that began on Friday and continued Monday.

Turkish PKK militants urge all Kurds to fight Islamic State Posted: 04 Aug 2014 02:40 PM PDT The PKK, which has spent three decades fighting for autonomy for Turkey's Kurds, on Monday urged all Kurds to take up the fight against the Sunni militants of Islamic State, who have expanded their advance across Iraq into Kurdish-controlled territory. The Kurds populate an area that extends from southeastern Turkey through northeastern Syria and northern Iraq, into western Iran. "All Kurds in the north, east, south and west must rise up against the attack on Kurds in Sinjar (in northern Iraq)," the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) said in a statement on its website. Islamic State inflicted a heavy defeat on Iraq's Kurds on Sunday with a rapid advance through three towns to reach the Mosul Dam, the largest in Iraq and a major source of electricity.

Iraqi PM orders air force to help Kurds fight Islamic State Posted: 04 Aug 2014 02:40 PM PDT By Isra' al-Rubai'i BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered his air force for the first time to back Kurdish forces against Islamic State fighters after the Sunni militants made another dramatic push through the north, state television reported on Monday. Tens of thousands of people have fled one of the districts seized by Islamic State fighters in the offensive and are now surrounded, the United Nations said on Monday. Kurdish peshmerga fighters, who gained experience fighting Saddam Hussein's troops, were regarded as one of the few forces capable of standing up to the Sunni insurgents, who faced almost no opposition from Maliki's U.S.-trained army during their lightning advance through the north in June. Then on Sunday the Islamic State inflicted a humiliating defeat on the Kurds with a rapid advance through three towns to reach the Mosul Dam, acquiring a fifth oil field to fund its operations along the way.

Former enemies unite for World War I commemoration Posted: 04 Aug 2014 01:56 PM PDT SAINT-SYMPHORIEN, Belgium (AP) — Separated by only a small patch of yellow daisies at the Saint-Symphorien military cemetery lie two former enemies: British Captain Kenneth James Roy and German Gefreiter Reinhold Dietrich. Also between the two are some 9 million dead soldiers over four years.

Both sides prepare for new Gaza war crimes probe Posted: 04 Aug 2014 01:19 PM PDT GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — In a replay of the last major Gaza conflict, human rights defenders are again accusing Israel and Hamas of violating the rules of war, pointing to what they say appear to be indiscriminate or deliberate attacks on civilians.

Oil prices up on turmoil in Iraq, Libya Posted: 04 Aug 2014 01:08 PM PDT Oil prices moved higher on Monday following a weekend of turmoil in key petroleum producers Libya and Iraq. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for September delivery snapped a five-day losing streak, gaining 41 cents to $98.29 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. European benchmark Brent oil for September delivery rose 57 cents to $105.41 a barrel in London. The rally came on continued violence in Libya, where at least 22 more people died in clashes in Tripoli over the weekend, lifting the death toll to 124 since July 13 with more than 500 wounded.

Israel faces growing condemnation after UN school strike Posted: 04 Aug 2014 12:10 PM PDT Israel faced growing international condemnation of its operation in Gaza on Monday, with France calling for action over "massacres" in the besieged Palestinian territory after a strike next to a UN school. As Israel's operation in Gaza entered its 28th day, the international community appeared to be losing patience with a confrontation the Palestinians say has left more than 1,800 dead. France led the charge, after the strike on the school sheltering civilians Sunday left 10 people dead and sparked widespread outrage. What is happening too in Gaza, massacres ... We have to act," President Francois Hollande said.

Maliki Sends Iraqi Air Force to Help Kurds Combat ISIS Posted: 04 Aug 2014 11:33 AM PDT Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has ordered his air force to assist Kurdish Peshmerga fighters in a counter-offensive against the Islamic State in the north. The commander in chief of the armed forces has issued orders to the leadership of the air force and the army's aviation units to provide air support to Peshmerga forces," Iraqi army spokesman Qassem Atta said in a statement, the BBC reported.  This escalation comes after ISIS made significant territorial gains over the weekend, breaking through a stalemate to overtake the towns of Zumar, Sinjar, and Wana in the triangular border corner between Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. ISIS also seized control of the strategically important Mosul Dam, which provides electricity to Iraq's second-largest city and the surrounding areas.

US Rep. Steve Cohen challenged again in Tennessee Posted: 04 Aug 2014 11:13 AM PDT MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — When the young rappers took the stage at a campaign event four years ago and started rhyming, "Keep goin' and goin', with Steve Cohen," the bespectacled congressman shed his sports coat, started dancing slightly off-rhythm and pointed at himself with a smile.

Sunni militants target Iraq's two biggest dams Posted: 04 Aug 2014 10:24 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The militants who have overrun large parts of Iraq are now battling ferociously to capture one of the country's vital resources, water.

Lebanese army battles Syrian rebels holding town Posted: 04 Aug 2014 10:18 AM PDT LABWEH, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese troops battled rebels from Syria for control of a border town Monday, the deadliest challenge in years for the armed forces of this tiny country whose own sectarian tensions could boil over from the incursion.

Kurds ask U.S. court to scrap seizure order, allow crude delivery Posted: 04 Aug 2014 10:07 AM PDT The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) of Iraq asked a U.S. court on Monday to throw out an order to seize some 1 million barrels of disputed crude oil and allow the cargo to be freely delivered in Texas. The United Kalavrvta tanker, carrying about $100 million worth of Kurdish crude, has been anchored near Texas for nine days, as the Iraqi region of Kurdistan wages a legal battle over ownership with the central government of Iraq.

Iraq air force backs Kurds against jihadists, scores flee Posted: 04 Aug 2014 09:53 AM PDT Baghdad's air force and Kurdish fighters from Syria joined forces with Iraq's embattled peshmerga Monday to push back jihadists whose latest attacks sent thousands of civilians running for their lives. The Islamic State, or IS, raised its black flag in Sinjar on Sunday after ousting the peshmerga troops of Iraq's Kurdish government, forcing thousands of people from their homes.

Russian war games get under way, unnerving Ukraine Posted: 04 Aug 2014 09:46 AM PDT Combined with a reported buildup of Russian troops in border regions near the rebel cities of Donetsk and Luhansk, the overwhelming display of Russian military might has revived fears that Moscow may be planning to invade eastern Ukraine. Russian experts respond that August is typically a month of major military drills in Russia, and that the reported buildup of Russian troops that Kiev and NATO are complaining about this time – numbering around 15,000 – are actually far fewer than the 40,000 massed in the same area the last time there was a big invasion scare in March. You can concentrate forces, assess the potential battlefield, and put men and equipment into position," says Alexander Golts, military expert with the independent online journal Yezhednevny Zhurnal. There are no obvious signs that Russia is preparing to use direct military force in Ukraine," he adds.

New brawl erupts in Turkey's parliament Posted: 04 Aug 2014 09:18 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A new fist fight in Turkey's parliament has erupted between government and opposition legislations, forcing the speaker to adjourn debate for the day.

Earthquake in China Leaves Hundreds Dead, Thousands Injured Posted: 04 Aug 2014 08:22 AM PDT The massive earthquake that hit a southwestern Chinese province Sunday has killed at least 398 people, injured about 1,800, and left emergency response teams scrambling to find survivors. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 6.1 magnitude (6.5, reported the China Earthquake Networks Center) struck Ludian County, marking an epicenter about 20 miles away from Zhaotong, a city home to about 5.2 million people. The earthquake has toppled about 12,000 buildings in Yunnan province, leaving many trapped under the rubble. China's Xinhua News Agency has reported that the fragile foundations of houses contributed to much of the destruction:

Five Gifts Obama Isn't Getting For His 53rd Birthday Posted: 04 Aug 2014 08:14 AM PDT It's President Obama's 53rd birthday on Monday and he started celebrating over the weekend by doing the thing he loves most: Playing golf. What began as Obama's top domestic priority following his re-election has become the bane of his second term. House Republicans have ignored a comprehensive Senate bill and done nothing on their own, while some of Obama's allies on the left turned on him over his administration's deportation policies. Obama may act on his own to try to stem the border crisis and grant temporary worker permits to undocumented immigrants, but barring a major political turnaround, comprehensive immigration reform is likely dead for the duration of his presidency.

Spanish police arrest two young women suspected of heading for jihad Posted: 04 Aug 2014 08:11 AM PDT Two young Spanish women, one of them under 18, have been arrested in the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla on suspicion of trying to join an Islamic State militant cell in the Middle East, the Interior Ministry said on Monday. The women were detained on Saturday trying to cross from Melilla into Morocco, where they planned to make contact with a network that would transport them to conflict zones in Iraq or Syria, the ministry said. Thousands of young people have set off from European countries to join Islamist rebels fighting in Syria, often finding recruitment agents through social media. Islamic State began as an al Qaeda offshoot in Iraq, seized territory in Syria after joining the rebellion against President Bashar al-Assad, and has now extended its area of control in a spectacular push across northern Iraq, declaring an Islamic caliphate in the area it controls.

Five Best Monday Columns Posted: 04 Aug 2014 07:57 AM PDT Kofi Annan in The Washington Post on how the U.S. should continue to support Africa moving forward. Ahead of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit this week, the former head of the United Nations writes that Africa will have an important, positive impact on the world moving forward. "... a peaceful and economically strong Africa can be a major part of the solution to many of the world's great challenges. It can help drive global growth, reduce poverty and inequality, improve health and counter the threats of terrorism and climate change." Annan lays out 6 things the United State's can do to help Africa succeed including supporting governments that will promote democracy and human rights. He also maintains the importance of continuing American aid to Africa.

Tunneling through triangle of death, Islamic State aims at Baghdad from south Posted: 04 Aug 2014 07:41 AM PDT By Michael Georgy and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Using secret tunnels built by Saddam Hussein and rough terrain to outfox Iraqi troops, Islamic State insurgents are getting dangerously close to Baghdad with the support of heavily-armed Sunni tribesmen, Iraqi security and intelligence officials said. The al Qaeda offshoot, which poses the biggest security threat to Iraq since the fall of Saddam in 2003, has made new bold advances in the north, reaching a major dam and seizing a fifth oilfield and three more towns after routing security forces from the Kurdish autonomous region. While the Islamic State's march on Baghdad from the north has been halted near the town of Samarra 100 km (60 miles) from the city limits, the fighters have more quietly building up their forces on the capital's southern outskirts. "We told the government that urgent military operations are essential to prevent the Islamic State from taking over further towns south of Baghdad;

Thousands flee as Lebanon battles Syrian militants Posted: 04 Aug 2014 07:10 AM PDT LABWEH, Lebanon (AP) — Thousands of Lebanese civilians and Syrian refugees crammed into cars and pickup trucks fled a town in eastern Lebanon Monday as troops battled al-Qaida-linked militants from neighboring Syria who overran the border region in the most serious spillover into Lebanon of the three-year conflict next door.

At World War I centenary, leaders say conflict holds lessons for today Posted: 04 Aug 2014 07:08 AM PDT As royals and heads of state, former allies and foes from 83 states gather to commemorate World War I's centenary, reconciliation has been the dominant theme – one, many say, that can provide lessons for conflicts flaring in Gaza, Iraq, Ukraine, and Libya. Hosts King Philippe and Queen Mathilde invited the presidents of France and Germany, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and the US Secretary of the Army. The theme of forgiveness was best illustrated by events over the weekend. On Sunday, French President François Hollande invited German President Joachim Gauck to lay a wreath in Alsace to commemorate the day Germany declared war on France.  "France and Germany, beyond their suffering and bereavements, had the courage to make up – it was the best way to honor the dead and provide a guarantee of peace to the living," President Hollande said.

Jerusalem on High Alert After Dual Terrorist Attacks Posted: 04 Aug 2014 06:40 AM PDT 10:35 a.m.: Jerusalem is on high alert after a second attack occurred just moments after a Palestinian construction worker drove his vehicle into a city bus and killed one pedestrian. According to Jerusalem police chief Yossi Pariente, an Israeli soldier was "shot at close range by a man dressed in black" on Mount Scopus on the border of East and West Jerusalem. Police heighten security in Jerusalem after 2 terrorist attacks today. Units mobilized in different areas & Search continuing for terrorist. — Micky Rosenfeld (@MickyRosenfeld) August 4, 2014 The soldier is reportedly in critical condition.

African AIDS Conference Delegates Seek Asylum in Australia Posted: 04 Aug 2014 06:16 AM PDT The delegates, who are mostly from African countries, have refused to fly home out of fear of persecution when they return. "They're very predictably from those countries where often their lives are at risk, not only from the disease but from the political violence [aimed] towards them," Asylum Seeker Resource Center Campaign Coordinator Pamela Curr told TIME, adding that case workers at the center have begun assisting the delegates, lodging them in housing agencies while they wait for support with visa rights. All the delegates have valid visas, but Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott has been enforcing a stricter policy on immigration, making it "currently extremely difficult to get asylum," said Curr. "An asylum seeker in this country is at the absolute bottom of the ladder when it comes to human rights."

Iraq PM orders air strikes to support Kurds: spokesman Posted: 04 Aug 2014 06:05 AM PDT Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki on Monday ordered the airforce to provide support to Kurdish peshmerga forces battling jihadists in the north of the country, army spokesman Qassem Atta said.

Iraq's Islamist insurgency puts its southern oil in the spotlight Posted: 04 Aug 2014 06:00 AM PDT By Rania El Gamal DUBAI August 4 (Reuters) - Iraq's Sunni Islamist insurgency, crippling further its dream to match the oil power of Saudi Arabia, makes oilfields in the safer south more vital, but even that region has not been completely free from attacks.   Baghdad is struggling to contain the Islamic State militancy which seized some oil facilities when it swept through the northwest in June, emboldening the Kurds in their autonomous northern region to capture the giant Kirkuk oilfields. The south's oil capital Basra has seen less violence this year than other cities - but there have been few car bombs, assassination attempts and kidnappings of foreign workers there over the past several months, security and oil sources say. In 2011, bombings of southern pipelines disrupted output from the Rumaila oilfield, Iraq's largest, at least twice. Thamer Ghadhban, top energy adviser to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, said at present everything "is going on as planned," with southern output unaffected and national output targets in place.

Iraq PM orders air force to help Kurds in war with Islamic State: TV Posted: 04 Aug 2014 05:31 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki ordered the air force to support Kurdish forces who were routed by Islamic State fighters in the country's north on Sunday, state television reported on Monday. A senior Kurdish official who said Kurdish forces were planning a counter-offensive called on the United States to arm the Kurds for "the sake of defeating terrorism." (Writing by Michael Georgy, editing by John Stonestreet)

France: Israel rights do not justify carnage Posted: 04 Aug 2014 05:24 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — Israel's right to security does not justify the "massacre" of civilians, France's foreign minister said Monday in unusually harsh language against a close ally. The French president said Gaza was among the wars that called into question any ability to remain neutral.

France: Israel rights don't justify 'carnage' Posted: 04 Aug 2014 05:23 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — Israel's right to security does not justify the "massacre" of civilians, France's foreign minister said Monday in unusually harsh language against a close ally. The French president said Gaza was among the wars that called into question any ability to remain neutral.

Spain arrests 2 alleged female jihadists Posted: 04 Aug 2014 04:34 AM PDT MADRID (AP) — Spanish police say they have arrested two female Spaniards, one a minor, who planned to travel to Iraq or Syria to enlist in the Islamic State jihadist group.

Nigerian president hypocritical about missing girls; plane shot over Russia shows new Putin; Afghanistan still needs US; Civilian deaths in Gaza; America's isolationist policy Posted: 04 Aug 2014 04:00 AM PDT Does the Nigerian president really want to help the missing girls? "In the wake of the abduction [of more than 200 Nigerian girls], the Jonathan administration maintained a disturbing silence...," said Bayo Olupohunda. "Here is a government that has consistently ... failed to engage with the campaigners of #BringBackOurGirls but laid a red carpet for [a visit from] the 17-year-old [Pakistani education and women rights activist, Malala Yousafzai].... [W]e should condemn the hypocrisy of our President who had refused to ... meet the girls' parents but has now decided to meet ... [them] for [a] public relations stunt in the wake of Malala's visit.... [Her] voice will continue to expose the failings of this government to the global community as long as the girls are still with Boko Haram."

Readers Write: Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl paid his dues; Unpopular views are still protected Posted: 04 Aug 2014 04:00 AM PDT In response to the July 14 online article "Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, reintegration finished, back on active duty" (CSMonitor.com): Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl served multiple tours of duty, both in Iraq and Afghanistan, and was held in captivity by the Taliban for five years, so I am stunned that he is being returned to active duty. It is refreshing that the July 21 Focus story, "When does 'speaking out' cross a line?," considered freedom of speech in the conversation about racist celebrity outbursts, such as the ones made by Donald Sterling. Freedom of speech is vital to a democracy, and those with unpopular views should not be persecuted.

Iraq's Yazidi minority flees militant threat Posted: 04 Aug 2014 03:21 AM PDT DAHUK, Iraq (AP) — Tens of thousands from Iraq's minority Yazidi community have fled their homes after Sunni militants captured their towns in the latest offensive to expand the territory of their self-styled caliphate.

Special Report : The doubt at the heart of Iraq's Sunni 'revolution' Posted: 04 Aug 2014 02:17 AM PDT By Ned Parker and Suleiman Al-Khalidi ARBIL Iraq (Reuters) - Sheikh Ali Hatem Suleiman, one of the leaders of the Sunni revolt against the Shi'ite-led government of Iraq, sat cross-legged on a couch last month, lit another Marlboro Red, and discussed the struggle with visitors from his home city of Ramadi, where the uprising began late last year. Instead of taking delight in the rebellion's progress, though, the 43-year-old crown prince began lamenting the fact that Iraq's patchwork quilt of ethnicities and religions was being torn apart. Over the past seven months the Sunni armed factions which Suleiman helps lead, and their allies in the far more extreme al Qaeda offshoot known as Islamic State, have captured most of the north's largest Sunni cities.

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