Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Egypt militant group posts video of attack on army checkpoint
• Troubled US nuclear force needs reform, funds: Hagel
• Iraq's forces drive IS militants from key town
• Police: Veteran beaten by man he met at gay bar
• NFL grant bets goggles will catch concussions mid-game
• House Dems nix congresswoman's proxy vote request
• Militants seize hometown of kidnapped schoolgirls
• Iraq retakes strategic oil town of Baiji from jihadists
• Iraqi government forces close to Baiji refinery: officers
• U.S.-led strikes hit Islamic State, al Qaeda-linked group in Syria: Central Command
• UN probe: IS committing 'crimes against humanity' in Syria
• ISLAMIC STATE
• Cameron plans to bar British jihadis from coming home. Is that legal?
• Islamic State commanders liable for mass war crimes: U.N.
• Refugee food rations cut in half in Kenya due to "immense" global needs
• Govt to seize jihadists' passports, stop them returning home
• IEA sees new era, no quick rebound in oil prices
• Baghdad anti-IS war room model for Iraq-US command
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Jordan takes Islamic State battle to Internet, mosques
• Shiite holy month sees show of strength in Baghdad
• White House intruder review reveals string of blunders
• Britain to seize jihadists' passports, stop them returning home
• Incoming G20 leader Turkey says group must be more inclusive
• UK leader calls for extremism to be rooted out
• Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech
• Obama seeks human rights waiver on war funds
• Oil 'price rout' not over: IEA

Egypt militant group posts video of attack on army checkpoint Posted: 14 Nov 2014 03:53 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's most dangerous militant group on Friday posted its first video message since pledging allegiance to Islamic State, with footage purporting to show that the group was behind one of the most deadly attacks on Egyptian security forces in years. The nearly 30-minute video, whose authenticity could not immediately be verified, was posted on the Twitter feed claiming to represent Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis. The group this week pledged loyalty to the al Qaeda offshoot now facing U.S. air strikes in Syria and Iraq. ...

Troubled US nuclear force needs reform, funds: Hagel Posted: 14 Nov 2014 03:15 PM PST The US nuclear force is plagued by declining morale, manpower shortages and mismanagement that could jeopardize its safety and effectiveness, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday. The Pentagon chief cited sobering results from two reviews and said the military had neglected the nuclear arsenal as it had been preoccupied with wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over the past decade. Reviews ordered by the Pentagon "found evidence of systematic problems that if not addressed could undermine the safety, security and effectiveness of elements of the force in the future," Hagel told reporters. The findings showed "a consistent lack of investment and support for our nuclear forces over far too many years has left us with too little margin to cope with mounting stresses," he said.

Iraq's forces drive IS militants from key town Posted: 14 Nov 2014 01:54 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi forces drove Islamic State militants out of a strategic oil refinery town north of Baghdad on Friday, scoring their biggest battlefield victory since they melted away in the face of the terror group's stunning summer offensive that captured much of northern and western Iraq.

Police: Veteran beaten by man he met at gay bar Posted: 14 Nov 2014 01:39 PM PST A North Carolina man is accused of beating a veteran he met at a gay bar, police said.

NFL grant bets goggles will catch concussions mid-game Posted: 14 Nov 2014 01:32 PM PST By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI (Reuters) - The National Football League (NFL) is investing in a pair of goggles that look like a video game accessory but could help coaches or volunteers quickly diagnose concussions on the sideline mid-game. As part of a $60 million effort to help stem the long-lasting effects of brain injuries sustained by many professional and amateur players, the league recently awarded seven projects $8.5 million, including a $500,000 grant to test Dr. Michael Hoffer's so-called concussion goggles. ...

House Dems nix congresswoman's proxy vote request Posted: 14 Nov 2014 01:22 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A pregnant congresswoman who sought to vote by proxy in House Democratic elections next week said Friday she accepts the decision of her colleagues to reject the request.

Militants seize hometown of kidnapped schoolgirls Posted: 14 Nov 2014 01:21 PM PST MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Islamic extremists in Nigeria have seized Chibok, forcing thousands of people to flee the town where insurgents kidnapped nearly 300 schoolgirls in April, a local official said Friday.

Iraq retakes strategic oil town of Baiji from jihadists Posted: 14 Nov 2014 10:52 AM PST Iraqi forces recaptured the strategic town of Baiji Friday in a significant victory over the Islamic State group, as the UN accused the jihadists of crimes against humanity in neighbouring Syria. Baiji is the largest town to be retaken by government troops since IS-led militants overran much of Iraq's Sunni Arab heartland in June, subsequently declaring an Islamic "caliphate" in Iraqi and Syrian territory.

Iraqi government forces close to Baiji refinery: officers Posted: 14 Nov 2014 10:38 AM PST By Raheem Salman BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi government forces got within a kilometer (half a mile) of the country's biggest refinery on Friday, the closest they have come to breaking an Islamic State siege of the facility in months of fighting, two army officers and a witness said. Fighting raged in a village between the complex and the nearby town of Baiji, near a deserted area believed to contain roadside bombs planted by the militants that have been preventing an advance, they said. A witness said security forces had crossed a bridge close to the refinery, 200 km north of the capital. ...

U.S.-led strikes hit Islamic State, al Qaeda-linked group in Syria: Central Command Posted: 14 Nov 2014 10:01 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led air strikes hit 10 units of Islamic State fighters in Syria in recent days, as well as militants with the al Qaeda-linked Khorasan Group, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Friday. Seventeen strikes near the Syrian border town of Kobani also destroyed 10 fighting positions, a building and several vehicles in addition to striking the militant units, the statement said. A strike near Raqqa also destroyed an Islamic State training camp, it said. Near Aleppo, Syria, another air strike hit fighters associated with the Khorasan Group, which U.S. ...

UN probe: IS committing 'crimes against humanity' in Syria Posted: 14 Nov 2014 09:52 AM PST The Islamic State group is committing crimes against humanity on a large scale in Syria, a UN report said Friday, painting a horrific picture of beheaded minors and women held as sex slaves. In its first report focused on acts by the IS group, the independent UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said massacres, beheadings, torture, sexual enslavement and forced pregnancy were now part of life in areas of the war-ravaged country under the control of the extremist jihadists. "The commanders of ISIS have acted wilfully, perpetrating these war crimes and crimes against humanity," head of the commission Paulo Pinheiro, a Brazilian diplomat, told reporters, using an alternative acronym for IS. "They are individually criminally responsible for these crimes," he stressed, calling on the perpetrators to be brought to justice, for instance before the International Criminal Court.

ISLAMIC STATE Posted: 14 Nov 2014 09:45 AM PST Map shows the spread of the Islamic State across Iraq and Syria with ethnic borders on the map; 3c x 4 inches; 146 mm x 101 mm;

Cameron plans to bar British jihadis from coming home. Is that legal? Posted: 14 Nov 2014 09:01 AM PST Suspected jihadis who travel to Syria or Iraq to fight for the self-declared Islamic State could be banned from Britain under a new policy outlined by Prime Minister David Cameron Friday.

Islamic State commanders liable for mass war crimes: U.N. Posted: 14 Nov 2014 08:37 AM PST By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - Islamic State commanders are liable for war crimes on a "massive scale" in northeast Syria, where they spread terror by beheading, stoning and shooting civilians and captured fighters, U.N. investigators said on Friday. Their report, based on over 300 interviews with witnesses and victims, called on world powers to bring the commanders before the International Criminal Court for both war crimes and crimes against humanity. ...

Refugee food rations cut in half in Kenya due to "immense" global needs Posted: 14 Nov 2014 06:42 AM PST By Katy Migiro NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Food rations will be halved for half a million refugees in Kenya as aid agencies struggle to meet "immense" global humanitarian needs, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday. From Saturday, the refugees will receive just over 1,000 kilocalories per day of cereals, pulses and oil as WFP does not have the $10 million a month required to provide the full daily rations. Most are Somalis and South Sudanese who have fled to Kenya from neighbouring civil wars. "The humanitarian needs globally are absolutely immense... ...

Govt to seize jihadists' passports, stop them returning home Posted: 14 Nov 2014 05:35 AM PST Canberra (AFP) - Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday outlined plans to seize passports from British jihadists and stop them returning from fighting overseas, while proposing landing bans on airlines that fail to comply with London's no-fly lists.

IEA sees new era, no quick rebound in oil prices Posted: 14 Nov 2014 04:26 AM PST By Dmitry Zhdannikov and Alex Lawler LONDON (Reuters) - The oil market has entered a new era with lower Chinese economic growth and booming U.S. shale output, making a return soon to high prices unlikely, the West's energy watchdog said on Friday. The International Energy Agency, which typically refrains from predicting oil prices, said in its monthly report that prices could fall further in 2015 after declining to their lowest levels since 2010 below $80 per barrel . ...

Baghdad anti-IS war room model for Iraq-US command Posted: 14 Nov 2014 04:24 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — As Washington warns of a drawn-out fight against the Islamic State group and the Obama administration looks to send more American troops to help Iraq in the war against the extremists, Baghdad has offered its top war room as a model for a future joint U.S.-Iraqi command headquarters.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 14 Nov 2014 03:01 AM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Jordan takes Islamic State battle to Internet, mosques Posted: 14 Nov 2014 02:25 AM PST Jordan is cracking down on firebrand preachers and online extremism to tackle jihadists after joining US-led air strikes on the Islamic State group. The desert kingdom shares borders with conflict-hit Iraq and Syria, and is struggling to cope with hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees, adding to its own problems with homegrown Islamists. Its decision in September to join the anti-IS coalition has put Jordan in even graver danger, but authorities insist its borders are secure and have launched a sweep against jihadists that extends to the Internet. "Jordan is waging a war against jihadist ideology and amended the anti-terrorism law... because the Internet has become the main tool for mobilising and recruiting" militants, said analyst Hasan Abu Haniya.

Shiite holy month sees show of strength in Baghdad Posted: 14 Nov 2014 02:14 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Red and green Shiite banners line the streets of Baghdad, portraits of religious figures and slain "martyrs" stare down from billboards, hymns blare from shops and cafes, and grim-faced militiamen prowl the streets in pickup trucks.

White House intruder review reveals string of blunders Posted: 13 Nov 2014 10:28 PM PST An internal review of the security lapses that allowed an intruder to scale a fence and enter the White House has revealed a string of Secret Service blunders, reports said. The New York Times cited a Department of Homeland Security review which said "performance, organizational and technical" failures had allowed Iraq war veteran Omar Gonzalez to evade security and make his way into the building in September. The review said 42-year-old Gonzalez, who was carrying a knife during the incident, could have been stopped by a Secret Service officer who was supposed to be stationed on the North Lawn with an attack dog. The intrusion was the most serious incident in a string of security lapses involving President Barack Obama, which ultimately led to the resignation of Secret Service director Julia Pierson in October.

Britain to seize jihadists' passports, stop them returning home Posted: 13 Nov 2014 10:13 PM PST Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday outlined plans to seize passports from British jihadists and stop them returning from fighting overseas, while proposing landing bans on airlines that fail to comply with London's no-fly lists. Some 500 radicalised Britons are estimated to be fighting in Iraq and Syria, both of which are facing a major offensive from the Islamic State (IS) militant group. "We will shortly be introducing our own new Counter-Terrorism Bill in the UK," Cameron said in a speech to Australia's parliament before travelling to the G20 leaders' summit in Brisbane, adding that there was "no opt-out from dealing with this". The bill will create "new powers for police at ports to seize passports, to stop suspects travelling and to stop British nationals returning to the UK unless they do so on our terms".

Incoming G20 leader Turkey says group must be more inclusive Posted: 13 Nov 2014 08:52 PM PST By Jane Wardell BRISBANE (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Friday called for a more inclusive Group of 20 forum, saying it would give low income nations a stronger voice when it takes over the presidency for 2015. Davutoglu also indicated that Turkey would expand the G20's role beyond economic cooperation and decision-making to issues such as the refugee crisis in eastern Europe, the Ebola outbreak in Africa and terrorism in the Middle East. ...

UK leader calls for extremism to be rooted out Posted: 13 Nov 2014 06:55 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — British Prime Minister David Cameron used a rare address to the Australian Parliament on Friday to call for extremist preachers to be banned and for extremism to be rooted out of schools, universities and prisons.

Islamic State leader urges attacks in Saudi Arabia: speech Posted: 13 Nov 2014 06:33 PM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi called for attacks against the rulers of Saudi Arabia in a speech purported to be in his name on Thursday, saying his self-declared caliphate was expanding there and in four other Arab countries. Baghdadi also said a U.S.-led military campaign against his group in Syria and Iraq was failing and he called for "volcanoes of jihad" the world over. Reuters could not independently confirm the authenticity of the speech - an audio recording carried on Islamic State-run social media. ...

Obama seeks human rights waiver on war funds Posted: 13 Nov 2014 06:18 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has repeatedly asked Congress to exempt its military effort against the Islamic State from a longstanding ban on U.S. assistance to torturers and war criminals, highlighting doubts about finding "clean" American allies in a region wracked by ethnic animosity and religious extremism.

Oil 'price rout' not over: IEA Posted: 13 Nov 2014 04:13 PM PST Oil prices are expected to keep sliding well into 2015, held down by weak demand and increased shale production, the International Energy Agency said Friday. The IEA said while there had been speculation that the high cost of shale extraction "might set a new equilibrium for Brent prices in the $80 to $90 range, supply/demand balances suggest that the price rout has yet to run its course". "Our supply and demand forecasts indicate that barring any new supply disruption, downward price pressures could build further in the first half of 2015," it added. "A return to previous price highs may not be a close prospect, as it is increasingly clear that we have begun a new chapter in the history of the oil markets," the IEA said.

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