Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Video: Islamic State group beheads British hostage
• Canada set to go to war with jihadists in Iraq
• Syria's 'Free Police' outgunned by all its foes
• Islamic State says beheads British hostage in new video
• Parents of American Peter Kassig, held by Islamic State, ask for prayers for son's life
• Marine is first American to die in IS campaign
• Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT
• Indiana aid worker threatened in Syria is Army vet
• U.S. strikes on al Qaeda group in Syria did not inflict decisive blow: sources
• Jihadists murder Briton, battle for Kurdish town
• Obama 'strongly condemns' killing of British citizen Islamic State
• US Marine killed over Persian Gulf is identified
• On the Campaign Trail: 5 Unexpected Hotbeds of Liberal Politics in this Election
• Business Highlights
• Canada to launch airstrikes in Iraq
• IS claims murder of British hostage in latest video
• Britain says beheading of Henning is a disgusting murder
• Secret Service in disarray, fueling questions over Obama's safety
• Rihanna, Springsteen among stars to rock US Veterans Day
• Battle for Iraq's Mosul could be a year away: US envoy
• Islamic State video purports to show beheading of UK captive Alan Henning
• Marine is first U.S. death in operations against Islamic State
• Heavy fighting hits Syrian border town
• Iraq Sunni town claims major victory over jihadists
• Panetta: Obama vacillated on Syria
• Kurds battle jihadists for Syria town on brink
• Jihadists threaten Eid attack in Egypt. Can group reach beyond Sinai base?
• Turkey will do 'whatever it can' to prevent Kobane fall: PM
• Kurds call to arms as Islamic State closes in on Syrian town
• Obama envoy sees long road ahead in war with Islamic State
• Islamic State group downs Iraqi attack helicopter
• US praises Australia for joining IS coalition
• US unemployment rate falls for older workers
• Iraqi PM calls on political forces to unite: state TV
• Islamic State backs up force in Syria with threats, taunting calls
• Canada to take part in air strikes against Islamic State
• Father of hostage Cantlie begs IS for son's release
• Iraqi army recaptures town north of Baghdad - eyewitnesses
• In rare alliance, Shi'ites join Sunnis to defend Iraqi towns
• Canada PM seeks parliament support for Iraq airstrikes

Video: Islamic State group beheads British hostage Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:57 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — An Internet video released Friday purports to show an Islamic State group fighter beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the extremist group now targeted in U.S.-led airstrikes.

Canada set to go to war with jihadists in Iraq Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:56 PM PDT Ottawa (AFP) - Canada is poised to join the international coalition launching air strikes on the Islamic State group in Iraq after Prime Minister Stephen Harper sought parliament's support Friday.

Syria's 'Free Police' outgunned by all its foes Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:56 PM PDT By Tom Perry ADANA Turkey (Reuters) - In rebel-held areas of Aleppo, lightly armed policemen face thieves equipped with anti-aircraft guns on the ground and Syrian air force bombardment from the sky. General Adib al-Shallaf, the head of the Western-backed police force, says the Syrian government has tried to kill him several times in air strikes including a barrel bombing in which two of his colleagues died. ...

Islamic State says beheads British hostage in new video Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:52 PM PDT By Mark Hosenball and Sylvia Westall WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria posted a video on Friday that appeared to show the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning, triggering condemnation by the British and U.S. governments. The footage on YouTube, highlighted on pro-Islamic State Twitter feeds, showed a bearded man in an orange jumpsuit kneeling next to a black-clad man in arid scrubland, similar to past Islamic State beheading videos of two Americans and a Briton. ...

Parents of American Peter Kassig, held by Islamic State, ask for prayers for son's life Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:51 PM PDT The parents of American Iraq war veteran Peter Kassig, 26, who is being held captive by Islamic State militants, are asking for prayers for their son. They say he has converted to Islam since being taken captive in October 2013.

Marine is first American to die in IS campaign Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:48 PM PDT Washington (AFP) - A US Marine who fell into the sea after his aircraft lost power has become the first American to be killed in the ongoing air campaign against Islamic State militants.

Top Asian News at 11:30 p.m. GMT Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:32 PM PDT HONG KONG (AP) — Pro-democracy protesters called off planned talks with the government on political reforms Friday after mobs tried to drive them from the streets where they have held a weeklong, largely peaceful demonstration. The protesters urged residents to join their cause and demanded that the police protect their encampments. The Hong Kong Federation of Students, one of the groups leading the demonstrations that drew tens of thousands of people earlier this week, said they saw no choice but to cancel the dialogue.

Indiana aid worker threatened in Syria is Army vet Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:32 PM PDT INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The family of a former Army Ranger from Indiana who in an online video has been threatened with beheading by militants in Syria says the man moved to the Middle East to provide humanitarian aid to war refugees.

U.S. strikes on al Qaeda group in Syria did not inflict decisive blow: sources Posted: 03 Oct 2014 04:08 PM PDT By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. airstrikes in Syria in September that were aimed at a faction of al Qaeda militants said to be plotting attacks against the West failed to deliver a decisive blow against them, U.S. officials familiar with the operation said late this week. While U.S. intelligence agencies are still assessing the results of the Tomahawk cruise missile strikes, three U.S. ...

Jihadists murder Briton, battle for Kurdish town Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:51 PM PDT London (AFP) - Islamic State jihadists mounted brutal offensives on both the Syrian battlefield and in their online propaganda war Friday, murdering a British hostage and attempting to storm a key border town.

Obama 'strongly condemns' killing of British citizen Islamic State Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:47 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama strongly condemned on Friday the killing of British citizen Alan Henning by Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria and said the United States would seek to bring his killers to justice. "The United States strongly condemns the brutal murder of United Kingdom citizen Alan Henning" by the Islamic State group, Obama said in a statement. ...

US Marine killed over Persian Gulf is identified Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:35 PM PDT CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) — The Marine Corps has identified a 21-year-old corporal who died after bailing out of his aircraft over the Persian Gulf.

On the Campaign Trail: 5 Unexpected Hotbeds of Liberal Politics in this Election Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:24 PM PDT As November's elections draws closer, Democrats across the country are working polls predicting that Republicans may edge them out to gain a Senate majority. If Republicans take control of the Senate and hold the House majority, even more gridlock along partisan lines is expected.

Business Highlights Posted: 03 Oct 2014 03:03 PM PDT ___ Surge of hiring cuts US jobless rate to 5.9 pct. A surge in hiring last month helped drive the nation's unemployment rate down to a six-year low of 5.9 percent — within striking distance of what economists ...

Canada to launch airstrikes in Iraq Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:51 PM PDT TORONTO (AP) — Canada plans to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State militant group in Iraq following a U.S. request and may extend airstrikes into Syria if invited by President Bashar Assad's government, the prime minister announced Friday.

IS claims murder of British hostage in latest video Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:47 PM PDT Washington (AFP) - The Islamic State jihadist group on Friday claimed responsibility for the murder of British aid worker Alan Henning in a video showing his apparent execution.

Britain says beheading of Henning is a disgusting murder Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:40 PM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Friday that if a video showing the beheading of British citizen Alan Henning by Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria was genuine, then it was a disgusting murder. "We are aware of the video and are working urgently to verify the contents," a spokesman for the British Foreign Office said.  "If true, this is a further disgusting murder.  We are offering the family every support possible; they ask to be left alone at this time." (This story corrects day of week in first paragraph) (Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Secret Service in disarray, fueling questions over Obama's safety Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:31 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick, David Lawder and Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - When Secret Service officer Timothy McCarthy took a bullet to protect Ronald Reagan in a 1981 assassination attempt and agent Jerry Parr shoved the president into a limousine, their quick reflexes projected a Hollywood-style image of invincibility around the agency. ...

Rihanna, Springsteen among stars to rock US Veterans Day Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:16 PM PDT Washington (AFP) - A galaxy of big-name rock, pop and country artists, from Rihanna to Carrie Underwood, will honor members of the US military at a Veterans Day outdoor concert in Washington, organizers said Friday.

Battle for Iraq's Mosul could be a year away: US envoy Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:09 PM PDT Baghdad (AFP) - The battle to retake Mosul, Iraq's largest jihadist hub, could take up to a year to plan, US President Barack Obama's envoy for the coalition against the Islamic State group said Friday.

Islamic State video purports to show beheading of UK captive Alan Henning Posted: 03 Oct 2014 02:06 PM PDT BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State militants fighting in Iraq and Syria released a video on Friday which purported to show the beheading of a man identified as British citizen Alan Henning. Reuters could not immediately verify the footage on YouTube, to which pro-Islamic State Twitter feeds provided links. Two U.S. journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, have previously been executed by Islamic State, as well as a British aid worker, David Haines. (Writing by Sylvia Westall; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Marine is first U.S. death in operations against Islamic State Posted: 03 Oct 2014 01:51 PM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Marine who went into the sea from a V-22 Osprey during a flight mishap over the northern Gulf this week was the first American killed in U.S. military operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. Corporal Jordan Spears, 21, of Memphis, Indiana, was a crewman aboard a V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft flying off the USS Makin Island and went into the sea when the aircraft lost power shortly after takeoff, the Navy said on Friday. The V-22 descended to the surface of the ocean during the mishap on Wednesday. ...

Heavy fighting hits Syrian border town Posted: 03 Oct 2014 01:50 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State militants heavily shelled a Kurdish town on Syria's border with Turkey on Friday as jihadi fighters prepared an all-out offensive for the strategic site, whose capture would provide a direct link between areas under their control in Aleppo and their stronghold in Raqqa to the east.

Iraq Sunni town claims major victory over jihadists Posted: 03 Oct 2014 01:21 PM PDT Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi federal forces, Sunni tribes and Shiite militias retook most of Dhuluiyah town from the Islamic State group Friday, in one of the most significant victories over the jihadists.

Panetta: Obama vacillated on Syria Posted: 03 Oct 2014 01:11 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is criticizing President Barack Obama for leaning toward, then deciding against military action against Syria for its use of chemical weapons.

Kurds battle jihadists for Syria town on brink Posted: 03 Oct 2014 12:44 PM PDT Mursitpinar (Turkey) (AFP) - Kurdish fighters mounted a desperate defence Friday of a Syrian border town besieged by Islamic State group jihadists as President Bashar al-Assad's regime warned neighbouring Turkey against intervening on its soil.

Jihadists threaten Eid attack in Egypt. Can group reach beyond Sinai base? Posted: 03 Oct 2014 12:28 PM PDT In Egypt, where militants strike almost daily, a jihadist group that has been locked in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the army in the east of the country is threatening to make the start of the Eid al-Adha festival this weekend a "black day" for security forces.

Turkey will do 'whatever it can' to prevent Kobane fall: PM Posted: 03 Oct 2014 12:16 PM PDT Istanbul (AFP) - Turkey will do whatever it can to prevent the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane falling to jihadists, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said after the Turkish parliament gave the green light for military action.

Kurds call to arms as Islamic State closes in on Syrian town Posted: 03 Oct 2014 12:13 PM PDT By Ayla Jean Yackley and Tom Perry SURUC Turkey/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The main Kurdish armed group in Syria called on its kinsmen across the region to help it stop a massacre in the Syrian town of Kobani as Islamic State militants armed with tanks edged closer on its outskirts and pummeled it with artillery fire. Islamic State's battlefield gains in recent months have come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces have focused on other rebel groups. On Friday the army advanced on the city of Aleppo further west, threatening rebel supply lines in a potentially major reversal. U.S. ...

Obama envoy sees long road ahead in war with Islamic State Posted: 03 Oct 2014 12:10 PM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. envoy charged by President Barack Obama with building a coalition to fight the militant group Islamic State warned on Friday that the war against the jihadists was in its early stages. "The fight will not be easy. There will be ebb and flow on the battlefield," retired General John Allen told reporters during a visit to Baghdad. "This will take time and requires patience. ...

Islamic State group downs Iraqi attack helicopter Posted: 03 Oct 2014 11:48 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State group militants armed with a rocket launcher shot down an Iraqi military attack helicopter Friday, killing two pilots and raising new worries about their ability to attack aircraft amid ongoing U.S.-led airstrikes.

US praises Australia for joining IS coalition Posted: 03 Oct 2014 11:37 AM PDT Washington (AFP) - The White House on Friday praised Australia over its decision to join air strikes in Iraq and to send special forces military trainers to the country.

US unemployment rate falls for older workers Posted: 03 Oct 2014 11:11 AM PDT Workers older than 55 benefited from the September surge in hiring. The unemployment rate for this group of baby boomers fell to 3.9 percent from 4.6 percent as 230,000 people of them landed new jobs. ...

Iraqi PM calls on political forces to unite: state TV Posted: 03 Oct 2014 11:08 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called on Iraq's bickering political factions on Friday to unite. In a message to mark the Muslim holy feast of Eid, Abadi said the battle against Islamic State insurgents would continue to the end. "I call on the political forces to unite and to disavow differences," he told state television. Abadi, a moderate Shi'ite Islamist, has tried to heal the deep fractures among Iraq's Shi'ite, Sunni and Kurdish elite since taking over from Nuri al-Maliki in August. (Writing by Yara Bayoumy; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Islamic State backs up force in Syria with threats, taunting calls Posted: 03 Oct 2014 10:28 AM PDT By Ayla Jean Yackley and Jonny Hogg YUMURTALIK Turkey (Reuters) - Khaled Baki phones the number of a fellow Kurdish fighter and gets through to the Islamic State militants who say they beheaded her. Baki's friend, one of the Kurdish forces' many female soldiers, disappeared as she fought to try and stop the Islamist militants' push on Kobani, a predominantly Kurdish settlement in northern Syria close to the Turkish border. ...

Canada to take part in air strikes against Islamic State Posted: 03 Oct 2014 10:26 AM PDT By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian fighter jets will take part in U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants operating in Iraq for up to six months, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Friday. Harper told the House of Commons Canada also planned to send an air-to-air refueling aircraft and two surveillance planes to the region. He did not say how many jets would take part in the campaign. Harper said Canada would not deploy ground troops against the Islamic State group, which is also known as ISIL. ...

Father of hostage Cantlie begs IS for son's release Posted: 03 Oct 2014 10:18 AM PDT London (AFP) - The father of British photojournalist John Cantlie on Friday urged his Islamic State jihadist captors to release him to those "he loves and who love him", saying he was only in Syria to help.

Iraqi army recaptures town north of Baghdad - eyewitnesses Posted: 03 Oct 2014 10:00 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi armed forces recaptured a riverside town north of Baghdad on Friday, eyewitnesses said, after persistent attacks by Sunni Islamist insurgents who control large parts of northern Iraq. The witnesses in the town of Dhuluiya, about 70 km (45 miles) north of Baghdad, said a military commander had arrived in the town. "He announced that Dhuluiya had been liberated completely," one eyewitness said, adding that celebrations had erupted in the town. ...

In rare alliance, Shi'ites join Sunnis to defend Iraqi towns Posted: 03 Oct 2014 09:53 AM PDT By Raheem Salman and Yara Bayoumy BAGHDAD (Reuters) - When Islamic State fighters tried to storm the Tigris River town of Dhuluiya north of Baghdad this week, they were repelled by a rare coalition of Sunni tribal fighters inside the town and Shi'ites in its sister city Balad on the opposite bank. The assault, which began late on Tuesday and ran into Thursday, was one of several major battles in recent days in which Sunni tribes joined pro-government forces against the militants, in what Baghdad and Washington hope is a sign of increasing cooperation across sectarian lines to save the country. ...

Canada PM seeks parliament support for Iraq airstrikes Posted: 03 Oct 2014 09:44 AM PDT Ottawa (AFP) - Canada's prime minister on Friday sought parliament's support for a plan to send CF-18 fighter jets to help fight the Islamic State group in Iraq as part of a US-led coalition.

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