2014年8月26日星期二

Yahoo! News: Iraq

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Yahoo! News: Iraq


Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 04:32 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The intelligence gathered by U.S. military surveillance flights over Syria could support a broad bombing campaign against the Islamic State militant group, but current and former U.S. officials differ on whether air power would significantly degrade what some have called a "terrorist army." Further complicating the plans, any military action against Islamic State militants in Syria would also have the effect of putting the U.S. on the same side as Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose ouster the Obama administration has sought for years.

American man suspected of fighting with Islamic State is killed

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 04:31 PM PDT

American Douglas McAuthur McCain Dies Fighting for ISIL in SyriaBy Dan Whitcomb LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An American man suspected of fighting alongside Islamic State militants who have seized large areas of Iraq and Syria to the alarm of the Baghdad government and its allies in the West has been killed in Syria, a U.S. Citizen Douglas McAuthur McCain's presence in Syria and can confirm his death," U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement. A national security official who asked not to be named told Reuters that the FBI was investigating McCain's death, and a State Department spokeswoman said officials had been in contact with his family and were providing "all consular assistance." Family members told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that McCain's mother had been called by a State Department official to report that he had been killed in Syria over the weekend.


Saudi police arrest eight suspected jihadist recruiters

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 04:21 PM PDT

Saudi police arrest eight people in the northwest suspected of recruiting young people to join the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria, the interior ministry saySaudi police have arrested eight people in the northwest suspected of recruiting young people to join the Islamic State jihadist group in Iraq and Syria, the interior ministry said Tuesday. Police in Tamir, 150 kilometres (100 miles) north of Riyadh, arrested eight people "who deluded young people into joining foreign extremist groups," the ministry said in a statement carried by the official SPA news agency. The arrests were made as part of security operation implementing a royal decree ordering a crackdown on members and supporters of extremist groups, the statement said. An imam and a teacher were among the people arrested, "supporters of the Islamic State, accused of encouraging young people to go to the war zones in Syria and Iraq," the Saudi-owned pan-Arab daily Al-Hayat reported.


Top Asian News at 11:00 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 04:04 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The intelligence gathered by U.S. military surveillance flights over Syria could support a broad bombing campaign against the Islamic State militant group, but current and former U.S. officials differ on whether air power would significantly degrade what some have called a "terrorist army." Further complicating the plans, any military action against Islamic State militants in Syria would also have the effect of putting the U.S. on the same side as Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose ouster the Obama administration has sought for years.

American fighting in IS ranks killed in Syria: reports

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:47 PM PDT

An American was killed last weekend in Syria, where he was fighting for the Islamic State, US media reports, in an account only partially confirmed by US officialsAn American was killed last weekend in Syria, where he was fighting for the Islamic State, US media reported Tuesday, in an account only partially confirmed by US officials. Douglas McCain had joined the violent extremist group as a fighter, leaving his family "devastated" and "just as surprised as the country," his uncle Ken McCain told CNN. He had converted from Christianity to Islam several years ago, according to the uncle, who said the US State Department informed the family of his death on Monday. Former classmates recalled McCain as a "goofball" who liked to play basketball and aspired to become a rapper.


S&P 500 closes over 2,000 for first time

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:34 PM PDT

Thirty minutes into trade Tuesday, the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 50.64 points (0.30 percent) to 17,127.51Also helping was the rally in Europe's bourses, despite more poor economic data and turmoil in the French government. Signals from the European Central Bank have bolstered confidence that the eurozone won't be allowed to sink back into recession, said analysts.


Top Asian News at 10:30 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:33 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The intelligence gathered by U.S. military surveillance flights over Syria could support a broad bombing campaign against the Islamic State militant group, but current and former U.S. officials differ on whether air power would significantly degrade what some have called a "terrorist army." Further complicating the plans, any military action against Islamic State militants in Syria would also have the effect of putting the U.S. on the same side as Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose ouster the Obama administration has sought for years.

US spy flights over Syria: Preparing for airstrikes on the Islamic State?

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:29 PM PDT

The US military has begun flying surveillance missions over Syria, officials confirmed this week, after being given the green light by President Obama. While being careful not to comment on potential airstrikes, senior military officials have been increasingly vocal about the need to treat the Islamic State as a regional threat, which could involve US military action in Syria. "Can they [IS] be defeated without addressing that part of their organization which resides in Syria?" Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last week. Instead, the Islamic militant group, which is now functioning as a state in a large swath of Syria and Iraq, "will have to be addressed on both sides of what is essentially at this point a nonexistent border," Gen. Dempsey said. 

Impasse over Kurdish tanker near Texas to drag on, more tussles likely: source

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:29 PM PDT

The oil tanker United Kalavyrta, carrying a cargo of Kurdish crude oil, approaches Galveston, TexasBy Terry Wade HOUSTON (Reuters) - A tanker loaded with $100 million of Kurdish crude oil cannot be delivered in Texas soon because of risks for buyers as Iraq mulls further legal challenges, so a month-long standoff will drag on, a source close to the matter said on Tuesday. Buyers of Kurdish crude could face lawsuits from Baghdad if the oil moves close to U.S. "Right now they don't really have a way to get the oil onshore." Despite the court's ruling, cargo handling companies and a would-be buyer balked at bringing the oil ashore on Tuesday. In another sign of possible delays, not one cargo handling company stepped forward to say it would transfer oil from the United Kalavrvta tanker to smaller ships that can fit into the port of Galveston, the U.S.


Libya air strikes show UAE willing to 'go it alone'

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:27 PM PDT

The damaged exterior of the main building at Tripoli international airport in the Libyan capital, August 26, 2014UAE air strikes on Libya aim to prevent Islamists from controlling the violence-stricken country and sends a message to Washington that it is capable of protecting its own interests, experts say. United States officials said that United Arab Emirates warplanes secretly bombed Islamist militia targets in Libya from bases in Egypt last week, but Abu Dhabi has not publicly acknowledged involvement. On Tuesday, Egypt denied any "direct" role in the raids. Libya has plunged into chaos since the overthrow in 2011 of long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi, with deadly clashes between Islamist and nationalist militias.


Obama says 'justice will be done' for Islamic State killers

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:07 PM PDT

By Mark Felsenthal and Phil Stewart CHARLOTTE N.C./WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama vowed "justice will be done" against the Islamic State killers of American journalist James Foley on Tuesday as the United States sought to identify targets for potential airstrikes in Syria. Obama's tough talk followed his decision to approve U.S. Justice will be done," Obama told veterans gathered at a convention of the American Legion in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Top Asian News at 10:00 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:02 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The intelligence gathered by U.S. military surveillance flights over Syria could support a broad bombing campaign against the Islamic State militant group, but current and former U.S. officials differ on whether air power would significantly degrade what some have called a "terrorist army." Further complicating the plans, any military action against Islamic State militants in Syria would also have the effect of putting the U.S. on the same side as Syrian President Bashar Assad, whose ouster the Obama administration has sought for years.

Can US defeat Islamic State without help from Assad?

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 03:01 PM PDT

After a flurry of speculation recently that President Obama might overcome his distaste for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to go after Islamic State militants in their base inside Syria, the White House is speaking out: There will be no cooperation with the Assad regime. While it will be possible for the US to degrade IS inside Syria without coordinating with Mr. Assad, they say, reaching more long-term objectives like defeating or even containing the group will probably mean giving up on the goal of seeing Assad step down from power. "I don't think it would be by any means difficult for us to carry out airstrikes [inside Syria] without a permissive environment" of cooperation from the Assad regime, says Michael Desch, an expert on international security and US defense policy at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.

Possible airstrikes in Syria raise more questions

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 02:56 PM PDT

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem speaks during a press conference, giving the first public comments by a senior Assad official on the threat posed by the Islamic State group, in Damascus, Syria on Monday, August 25, 2014. Al-Moallem warned the U.S. not to conduct airstrikes inside Syria against the Islamic State group without Damascus' consent, saying any such attack would be considered an aggression. Al-Moallem also said that Syria is ready to work with regional states and the international community amid the onslaught of Islamic militants there and in Iraq, adding that the Syrian government is a crucial partner in the war on terror. (AP Photo)WASHINGTON (AP) — The intelligence gathered by U.S. military surveillance flights over Syria could support a broad bombing campaign against the Islamic State militant group, but current and former U.S. officials differ on whether air power would significantly degrade what some have called a "terrorist army."


Top Asian News at 9:30 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 02:32 PM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Top Asian News at 9:00 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 02:03 PM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

American woman is being held hostage in Syria

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Islamic State militant group is holding hostage a young American woman who was doing humanitarian aid work in Syria, a family representative said Tuesday. The 26-year-old woman is the third American known to have been kidnapped by the militant group.

US hostage held by Islamic State is female aid worker

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:43 PM PDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Islamic State militant group is holding hostage a young American woman who was doing humanitarian aid work in Syria, a family representative said Tuesday. The 26-year-old woman is the third American known to have been kidnapped by the radical group.

Top Asian News at 8:30 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:32 PM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Obama tells veterans better mental health care on the way

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:29 PM PDT

U.S. President Obama speaks about developments in Iraq and civil unrest in Missouri, from the White House in WashingtonBy Mark Felsenthal CHARLOTTE N.C. (Reuters) - President Barack Obama sought to make amends with veterans on Tuesday, announcing steps to expand their access to mental health care and an initiative with financial companies to lower home loan costs for military families. The president was embarrassed earlier this year when it was revealed that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) had been covering up lengthy delays in providing healthcare to former military personnel. Obama, speaking at the American Legion's national convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced steps to improve availability of mental health care for military personnel as they move to civilian life and expanded research into post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide.


Boko Haram seeking attention with caliphate call: experts

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:27 PM PDT

A screengrab taken on August 24, 2014 from a video released by the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram shows the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau (C), delivering a speech at an undisclosed locationBoko Haram's declaration of a caliphate in Nigeria may have been prompted by the attention heaped on Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq, experts said, but the pronouncement may have deeper roots. The Nigerian group announced in a video obtained by AFP on Sunday that the captured town of Gwoza in northeastern Borno state was under an Islamic caliphate, drawing comparisons with a similar declaration by IS in June. Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, who has previously expressed support for IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, did not give further details, leading to debate about exactly what he meant. Boko Haram in comparison is thought to be a modestly-funded local uprising made up of poor youths with little tactical training.


US rules out coordination with Syria as it spies on jihadists

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:20 PM PDT

Rebel fighters walk in front of damaged buildings in Karam al-Jabal neighbourhood of Aleppo on August 26, 2014The United States has begun reconnaissance flights over Syria to track Islamic State jihadists but insisted Tuesday it has "no plans" to coordinate with Syria on targeting the militants. Numerous sources said foreign drones have been seen over Syria, with the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reporting that "non-Syrian spy planes" had on Monday carried out surveillance of IS positions in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. The surveillance is seen as a precursor to possible US air strikes on positions of the jihadists, similar to those being carried out in neighbouring Iraq. It comes after Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime said on Monday it was willing to work with the international community, including Washington, to tackle extremist fighters.


Saudi holds eight suspected of inciting youths to fight abroad: SPA

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:16 PM PDT

Saudi security forces have detained eight citizens suspected of inciting young people to go to join militant groups abroad, state news agency SPA said on Tuesday, citing an Interior Ministry spokesman. Worried about potential threats from citizens who had traveled to join Islamist insurgents in Syria and Iraq, Saudi Arabia has banned them from fighting abroad, donating money to any faction or sympathizing with militant ideologies. The Interior Ministry spokesman said security forces arrested the eight during a raid on the town of Tumair, north of the capital Riyadh, following complaints from parents of the young men. Saudi courts have tried several groups of citizens on charges ranging from providing financial support to militants abroad to plotting attacks inside the kingdom.

Obama Approves ISIS Surveillance Flights Over Syria

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:13 PM PDT

Obama Approves ISIS Surveillance Flights Over SyriaObama Says Rooting Out ISIS Won't Be Quick


ISIS Demands $6.6M Ransom for 26-Year-Old American Woman

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:13 PM PDT

ISIS Demands $6.6M Ransom for 26-Year-Old American WomanFamily Says Iraqi Terror Group Threatened to Execute Aid Worker If Demands Aren't Met


Top Asian News at 8:00 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 01:02 PM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Collateral damage? U.S. destroys millions of dollars in U.S.-made arms in Iraq

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:57 PM PDT

By Missy Ryan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The grainy black-and-white footage shows a military vehicle, a small dark mass in the crosshairs of a U.S. The growing tally of U.S.-made, U.S.-destroyed weaponry is testament to how far Iraq has veered off the course the Obama administration expected when U.S. "It's incredibly discouraging." When Iraqi soldiers abandoned bases in large numbers ahead of Islamic State's advance across northern Iraq in June, they left behind guns and sophisticated fighting gear. Representative Duncan Hunter, who served in Iraq.

Libya in turmoil as US says UAE, Egypt bombed Islamists

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:43 PM PDT

Islamist fighters of the Fajr Libya (Libyan Dawn) coalition arrive at Tripoli international airport on August 24, 2014, after capturing it from rival militiaThe United Arab Emirates and Egypt secretly bombed Islamist militia in Libya, apparently catching Washington off guard, as turmoil in the North African country deepened with the Islamists naming a rival premier. The US government said on Tuesday that the UAE and Egypt were behind last week's two deadly night raids on Islamist positions near Tripoli airport. "We do believe there were air strikes undertaken in recent days by the UAE and Egypt inside Libya," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told a news conference.


Arizona May Have Handed Over Its Counterterrorism Database To A Chinese Spy

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:34 PM PDT

A Chinese national hired at the Arizona Counterterrorism Information Center may have stolen data from the agency before abruptly flying back to China without notifying his superiors — a possible security breach the agency has been covering up since 2007. Lizhong Fan was hired as a facial recognition expert for the agency in 2007 until he left suddenly in June of the same year after erasing his work computers completely, destroying any record of his activities. As a current Chinese citizen Fan should have been disqualified during vetting for the position, but may have gained entry through other subversive means. Fan was contracted out to the center as an employee for Hummingbird Defense Systems, an Arizona-based firm contracted to build the center's facial recognition system.

Top Asian News at 7:30 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:32 PM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Seven western states join US to arm Kurds in Iraq: Hagel

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:09 PM PDT

A Kurdish peshmerga fighter looks at rising smoke following US airstrikes targeting Islamic State militants at Mosul Dam, August 18, 2014, outside MosulSeven western governments in addition to the United States have pledged to provide weapons and ammunition to Kurdish forces fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq, Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel said Tuesday. "In addition to support from the US, and the central government of Iraq in Baghdad, seven additional nations -- Albania, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom -- have committed to helping provide Kurdish forces urgently needed arms and equipment," Hagel said in a statement. Albania and Britain have already started moving supplies to the Kurds, Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters. Kirby also said the United States had helped the Iraqi government transport some military supplies by air to the Kurdish forces in the north.


Top Asian News at 7:00 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 12:02 PM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Top Asian News at 6:30 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:32 AM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Is Hillary Clinton a 'war hawk,' as Rand Paul says?

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:24 AM PDT

Is Hillary Clinton a "war hawk"? The Kentucky senator made the reference while contrasting his less-interventionist approach to foreign policy to that of the former secretary of State. During a segment on NBC's "Meet the Press," Senator Paul accused Mrs. Clinton of fighting "her own war, Hillary's war," though he didn't specify which conflict that was, exactly. Then he said that if he were the GOP presidential nominee, he could attract a number of independents and even some Democrats worried that a gung-ho Clinton would involve the nation in another Middle Eastern conflict.

Iranian minister says Saudi talks 'constructive'

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:23 AM PDT

Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, speaks during a news conference in CairoBy Michelle Moghtader DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's deputy foreign minister said he held "positive and constructive" talks with Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Tuesday where Islamist militancy in Iraq - that both see as a threat - was one of the topics discussed. Hossein Amir Abdollahian was in Jeddah for the first high-level bilateral talks between the two countries since Hassan Rouhani was elected president of Iran a year ago, pledging to thaw Tehran's frosty relations with its Arab neighbors. "Both sides emphasized the need to open a new page of political relations between the two countries," Abdollahian told Reuters by telephone after meeting Prince Saud al-Faisal. The two men discussed issues of regional security such as the rise of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Israeli attacks on Gaza, Abdollahian said, adding: "The meeting took place in a very positive and constructive atmosphere." Official Saudi media did not initially report on Abdollahian's arrival, a sign of the sensitivity of relations between two of the Middle East's big powers which are separated by the Gulf and a religious divide, with Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia often at odds with Shi'ite Iran.


Top Iran official, Saudi FM discuss 'terrorism'

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:15 AM PDT

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal arrives at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, June 27, 2014Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal discussed Tuesday regional developments and the fight against Islamic State jihadists with a senior Iranian official visiting his country's longtime regional rival, an Iranian diplomat said. The visit by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to the city of Jeddah was the first by a high-level official from Shiite Iran to Sunni Saudi Arabia since Hassan Rouhani became the Islamic republic's president in August last year. The meeting was "fruitful", Iran's representative at the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Riza Hamid Dahqani told AFP.


Iran supplied weapons to Iraqi Kurds; Baghdad bomb kills 12

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:15 AM PDT

Iraqi Kurdish regional President Barzani shakes hands with Iranian foreign minister Zarif in ArbilBy Isabel Coles ARBIL (Reuters) - Iran has supplied weapons and ammunition to Iraqi Kurdish forces, Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani said Tuesday at a joint press conference with Iranian foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in Arbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region. The direct arming of Kurdish forces is a contentious issue, because some Iraqi politicians suspect Kurdish leaders have aspirations to break away from the central government completely. The move could also be seen by some as a prelude to Iran's taking a more direct role in broader Iraqi conflict. "We asked for weapons and Iran was the first country to provide us with weapons and ammunition," Barzani said.


Top Asian News at 6:00 p.m. GMT

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 11:02 AM PDT

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The U.S. has begun surveillance flights over Syria after President Barack Obama gave the OK, U.S. officials said, a move that could pave the way for airstrikes against Islamic State militant targets there. While the White House says Obama has not approved military action inside Syria, additional intelligence on the militants would likely be necessary before he could take that step. Pentagon officials have been drafting potential options for the president, including airstrikes.

Iran, Saudi diplomats hold rare talks

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 10:56 AM PDT

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Saudi Arabia's foreign minister met Tuesday with an Iranian deputy foreign minister in the highest-level bilateral talks between the two Mideast powers since moderate Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's election last year.

U.N. rights forum to hold emergency session on Islamic State abuses

Posted: 26 Aug 2014 10:54 AM PDT

GENEVA (Reuters) - The U.N. Human Rights Council will hold an emergency session in Geneva on Monday on abuses being committed by Islamic State and other militant groups in Iraq, a U.N. statement said on Tuesday. The request, made by the Iraqi government, was supported by states including Egypt on behalf of Arab states, Iran, the United States and European Union members, it said. On Monday, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay condemned "appalling, widespread" crimes by Islamic State forces in Iraq, including mass executions of prisoners that she said could amount to war crimes. ...
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