Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• UN: 12.2 million Syrians need humanitarian help
• Could Hagel resignation signal shift in US strategy against Islamic State?
• The National Guard, America's citizen soldiers
• Top contender for Pentagon job bows out: source
• Buffalo area dodges major problems with snowmelt
• Two Americans charged with supporting IS
• As OPEC faces tough test, lower oil prices loom
• EU targets people smugglers at sea– but will it be enough?
• Syrian government air strikes kill 63 in Raqqa: monitoring group
• Two Minneapolis men charged with conspiring to support Islamic State
• Official: Afghan president orders military review
• Guessing game: What are OPEC nations thinking?
• Why America's drone warriors need a yellow Lab named Lily
• UN pushes for targeted Syrian cease-fires in hopes of delivering aid
• Activists: Syrian strikes kill 60 in IS-held city
• A look at US military action across the Mideast
• Chuck Schumer’s Plan for Democratic Dominance
• Dutch detain three men suspected of wanting to join militants in Syria: prosecutors
• Don't shut door to dialogue with Islamic State: pope
• Double arm transplant recipient thanks doctors in Boston
• Chuck Hagel’s resignation: strategic pivot or sacrificial lamb?
• Kazakhstan on brink of WTO membership deal, Afghanistan in line
• Killing of soldier Lee Rigby reveals UK intelligence failures
• Twitter account associated with Iran leader hits out at 'arrogant' powers
• UN: Islamic State group got up to $45M in ransoms
• Islamic State fighters battle Iraqi forces near Baiji refinery
• Iraq to overhaul Baghdad security to stop bombings
• Greece acts to rescue ship carrying hundreds of migrants
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• The Real Reason Hagel Resigned As Defense Secretary
• Egypt coach Gharib not offered new contract
• VA fires troubled Phoenix hospital director
• Hagel resignation comes at messy moment for US
• Today in History

UN: 12.2 million Syrians need humanitarian help Posted: 25 Nov 2014 04:48 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — An estimated 12.2 million Syrians need assistance because of increasing violence and deteriorating conditions in the country, up from 10.8 million in July, the U.N. humanitarian chief said Tuesday.

Could Hagel resignation signal shift in US strategy against Islamic State? Posted: 25 Nov 2014 03:43 PM PST Does the resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel signal that the Obama administration is planning to change its strategy in its fight against the Islamic State?

The National Guard, America's citizen soldiers Posted: 25 Nov 2014 03:36 PM PST The National Guard is a centuries-old military network that has served crucial roles in several US security operations, testing its mettle in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as on riot-plagued streets back home. Its Missouri units were deployed into Ferguson to help quell unrest that erupted after a grand jury did not indict a white police officer who shot dead an unarmed black teenager in August. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon said the National Guard presence in the Ferguson area would triple to 2,200, with the citizen soldiers tasked with keeping the peace and securing public safety following a night of racially-charged violent protests. Whether rushing to help the hurricane-battered US Gulf Coast in 2005, conducting counter-terrorism or peacekeeping operations abroad, or facing off with deadly consequences against unarmed anti-war demonstrators in 1970, the National Guard has served important but often controversial roles.

Top contender for Pentagon job bows out: source Posted: 25 Nov 2014 03:35 PM PST A former senior US defense official touted as the most likely candidate to succeed Chuck Hagel as Pentagon chief has taken herself out of the running, a source familiar with the situation told AFP on Tuesday. Michele Flournoy, 53, was widely considered the frontrunner for the post of defense secretary and if confirmed would have been the first woman to hold the position. "I can confirm she has written to the CNAS board informing them she has taken herself out of the running for the defense secretary's job," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Foreign Policy website first broke the news.

Buffalo area dodges major problems with snowmelt Posted: 25 Nov 2014 03:22 PM PST BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — A wild nine-day stretch of weather that saw epic snow followed by springlike temperatures, high winds and flood fears came to a close Tuesday, and forecasters said the Buffalo area was in for an uneventful Thanksgiving.

Two Americans charged with supporting IS Posted: 25 Nov 2014 03:03 PM PST Two young American men, one of whom is in the Middle East fighting, have been charged with supporting the Islamic State group, the Justice Department said Tuesday. Somali Americans Abdi Nur, 20, and Abdullahi Yusuf, 18, have been charged with "conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, namely, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)," Assistant Attorney General John Carlin said. Yusuf was to appear in court Tuesday in Minneapolis, where there is a large Somali American community. Abdi Nur, who traveled May 29 to Turkey, through which many jihadists pass en route to fight with IS, was to have returned to the United States June 16 but did not, the statement added.

As OPEC faces tough test, lower oil prices loom Posted: 25 Nov 2014 02:58 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — These are the moments OPEC exists for: A sharp drop in global oil prices has reduced the amount of money OPEC countries take in by nearly $1 billion a day.

EU targets people smugglers at sea– but will it be enough? Posted: 25 Nov 2014 02:21 PM PST They are packed into the stinking holds of ramshackle boats. Water and food are scarce, and they are beaten by ruthless smugglers if they dare to try to reach the deck for a lungful of air. The more truculent have at times simply been thrown overboard.

Syrian government air strikes kill 63 in Raqqa: monitoring group Posted: 25 Nov 2014 02:17 PM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 63 people, half of them civilians, were killed when Syrian war planes struck the northeastern city of Raqqa on Tuesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war in Syria. Syrian government officials were not immediately available for comment. Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Britain-based Observatory, said 10 war planes struck at least 10 times in Raqqa, a stronghold of the ultra-hardline group Islamic State. ...

Two Minneapolis men charged with conspiring to support Islamic State Posted: 25 Nov 2014 01:45 PM PST By Mark Hosenball WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors on Tuesday charged two Minnesota men with supporting Islamic State, the militant group that has captured swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq and carried out gruesome executions of civilians and foreigners. The U.S. Attorney's office in Minneapolis alleged in a criminal complaint that Abdi Nur, 20, and Abdullahi Yusuf, 18, had engaged in a conspiracy to provide material support to Islamic State, and that Nur had actually provided such support. Both men are U.S. citizens of Somali ancestry. ...

Official: Afghan president orders military review Posted: 25 Nov 2014 01:37 PM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — President Ashraf Ghani has ordered a top-to-bottom review of the operations of Afghanistan's defense forces, including discussing the resumption of controversial night raids banned by his predecessor.

Guessing game: What are OPEC nations thinking? Posted: 25 Nov 2014 12:48 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Does Saudi Arabia have it out for frackers in the U.S.? Or Iran? Or Russia? Will low oil prices make it easier to fight the Islamic State? Or harder?

Why America's drone warriors need a yellow Lab named Lily Posted: 25 Nov 2014 12:38 PM PST The top-secret operations center here is about half the size of a football field​, lit only ​by​ the ambient glow of hundreds of computer screens.

UN pushes for targeted Syrian cease-fires in hopes of delivering aid Posted: 25 Nov 2014 11:52 AM PST The United Nations envoy to Syria is pushing a plan to freeze fighting in selected areas of the war-torn country to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Activists: Syrian strikes kill 60 in IS-held city Posted: 25 Nov 2014 11:04 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian government warplanes carried out a series of airstrikes Tuesday on the de-facto capital of the extremist Islamic State group, killing at least 60 people, shattering shop fronts and setting dozens of cars ablaze, activists said.

A look at US military action across the Mideast Posted: 25 Nov 2014 10:41 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Here's a look at U.S. military action across the Middle East:

Chuck Schumer’s Plan for Democratic Dominance Posted: 25 Nov 2014 10:38 AM PST Just as the Republican Party conducted its much-discussed "post-mortem" in the wake of its electoral defeats in 2012, the Democrats are doing the same following their drubbing in this month's midterms. ...

Dutch detain three men suspected of wanting to join militants in Syria: prosecutors Posted: 25 Nov 2014 09:53 AM PST AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch authorities detained three men on charges of plotting attacks and seeking to join a militant group affiliated with al Qaeda, the Nusra Front in Syria, prosecutors said on Tuesday. European governments and security forces are worried that thousands of Western volunteers who traveled to Syria and Iraq to join militant groups may return carry out attacks at home. The Nusra Front has fought against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces as well as against rival militants from Islamic State. Its fighters recently came under attack by U.S. air strikes. ...

Don't shut door to dialogue with Islamic State: pope Posted: 25 Nov 2014 09:12 AM PST ABOARD PAPAL PLANE (Reuters) - Pope Francis said on Tuesday that while it was "almost impossible" to have a dialogue with Islamic State insurgents, the door should not be shut. "I never say 'all is lost', never. Maybe there can't be a dialogue but you can never shut a door," he told reporters on his plane returning from Strasbourg, France, where he addressed the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. "It is difficult, one could say almost impossible, but the door is always open," he said in response to a question about whether it would be possible to communicate with the militants. ...

Double arm transplant recipient thanks doctors in Boston Posted: 25 Nov 2014 08:24 AM PST BOSTON (Reuters) - A 40-year-old quadruple amputee on Tuesday thanked the Boston surgeons who performed a rare dual arm transplant on him last month and described the experience of getting the new limbs as surreal. Will Lautzenheiser, who lost his arms and legs to a streptococcal infection in 2011, said he has limited function in the new arms, which are encumbered by wrappings to help with healing. The arms were attached from an anonymous donor in a nine-hour operation at Brigham & Women's Hospital. ...

Chuck Hagel’s resignation: strategic pivot or sacrificial lamb? Posted: 25 Nov 2014 08:09 AM PST President Barack Obama's acceptance yesterday of the resignation of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel left little doubt that the administration wants to turn a page on a foreign and national security policy mired in crisis and controversy. Less clear is the internal role that Hagel played in crises ranging from the Islamic State to Ebola and what policy change the White House hopes to telegraph by pressuring him to resign.

Kazakhstan on brink of WTO membership deal, Afghanistan in line Posted: 25 Nov 2014 08:05 AM PST By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - The 160-member World Trade Organization is in active discussions with 10 countries aiming to become members, including Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, WTO Director General Roberto Azevedo said in a report on Tuesday. Seychelles is set to take the 161st spot, since its membership is sewn up and only needs domestic ratification. But several bigger countries are queuing up, led by Kazakhstan. "The accession negotiations of Kazakhstan are at an advanced stage of maturity and on the threshold of conclusion, as soon as the remaining decisions are taken," Azevedo said. ...

Killing of soldier Lee Rigby reveals UK intelligence failures Posted: 25 Nov 2014 08:02 AM PST London (AFP) - An inquiry into how Muslim extremists were able to murder a British soldier on the streets of London listed a string of intelligence failures Tuesday but said that only information held by an Internet company might have stopped the attack.

Twitter account associated with Iran leader hits out at 'arrogant' powers Posted: 25 Nov 2014 07:56 AM PST DUBAI (Reuters) - A Twitter account Iran experts believe is run by the office of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Tuesday "arrogant" powers had tried hard to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees but had failed. In a comment apparently referring to the failure of Iran and six world powers to end a dispute about Iran's nuclear goals, a message on the English-language account said: "In the nuclear issue, arrogants have made their best to bring Iran to its knees but they were not able and will not be able to do so. ...

UN: Islamic State group got up to $45M in ransoms Posted: 25 Nov 2014 07:37 AM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Islamic State group which controls a large swath of Syria and Iraq has received between $35 million and $45 million in ransom payments in the past year, a U.N. expert monitoring sanctions against al-Qaida said Monday.

Islamic State fighters battle Iraqi forces near Baiji refinery Posted: 25 Nov 2014 06:19 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents battled Iraqi forces in the center of Baiji on Tuesday, a week after the army broke their prolonged siege of the country's largest oil refinery just outside the town, an army officer and residents said. The renewed fighting in Baiji by the Islamist militants, who control thousands of square miles of territory in Iraq and Syria, appeared aimed at reimposing that stranglehold around the sprawling oil facility 2 miles (4 km) to the north. ...

Iraq to overhaul Baghdad security to stop bombings Posted: 25 Nov 2014 04:26 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Baghdad's neighborhood of Gorayaat, a small Shiite enclave on a bend in the Tigris River, exemplifies the failures of Iraq's security agencies trying to protect the capital from attacks by the Islamic State. The district has been a target for years, hit by so many bombings, suicide attacks, rockets and mortars that residents have lost count.

Greece acts to rescue ship carrying hundreds of migrants Posted: 25 Nov 2014 04:08 AM PST ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece has sent a frigate to rescue a container ship believed to carrying hundreds of undocumented migrants and in distress off its southern island of Crete, the Greek coastguard said on Tuesday. The Kiribati-flagged vessel, with about 700 people aboard, was sailing 30 nautical miles (55 km) southeast of Crete. The ship reported an engine problem in an area with strong winds. Four container ships sailing nearby could be called on to help if needed, a coastguard spokesman said. "There is no immediate danger, our priority is to save them if needed," he said. ...

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 25 Nov 2014 02:59 AM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

The Real Reason Hagel Resigned As Defense Secretary Posted: 25 Nov 2014 02:15 AM PST In the end, Chuck Hagel's tenure as Secretary of Defense was a success.  After Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, the Obama Administration chose Hagel to bring the Pentagon back into the fold.  No more leaks; ...

Egypt coach Gharib not offered new contract Posted: 25 Nov 2014 01:01 AM PST Cairo (Reuters) - Egypt coach Shawky Gharib has left his post having not been offered a new contract after failing to steer the country to the 2015 African Nations Cup, the Egyptian FA (EFA) said on Monday. Egypt's fate was sealed after a 2-1 defeat in Tunisia last week left the seven-times champions with six points from six games in Group G from which Tunisia and Senegal qualified. ...

VA fires troubled Phoenix hospital director Posted: 25 Nov 2014 12:26 AM PST PHOENIX (AP) — Nearly seven months after the Department of Veterans Affairs became embroiled in a nationwide scandal, the agency fired the head of its troubled Phoenix hospital amid allegations of misconduct and cover-ups.

Hagel resignation comes at messy moment for US Posted: 24 Nov 2014 11:29 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is resigning at a particularly tough time for U.S. foreign and defense policy, with one war ending, another just beginning and the Pentagon struggling with the prospect of deeper budget cuts ahead.

Today in History Posted: 24 Nov 2014 09:01 PM PST Today is Tuesday, Nov. 25, the 329th day of 2014. There are 36 days left in the year.

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., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States