Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama faces shrinking pool of Pentagon contenders
• Canadian woman says 'safe' after reports of IS capture
• US again rules out Syria no-fly zone
• Why did FBI urge US troops to scrub social media accounts?
• US-led strikes hit IS garrison, 'electronic warfare' unit
• Obama considering Ashton Carter, others for next defense secretary
• GOP Sees Popularity Surge Ahead of Senate Takeover
• Egypt militant group says it killed US oil worker
• Egyptian militants say killed American oil engineer
• ISLAMIC STATE ATTACK
• Syria, Ebola failures highlight UN shortcomings
• U.S. military warned of possible Islamic State attacks at home: report
• US authorities warn military about social media risks
• More U.S.-led strikes hit Islamic State in Syria, Iraq, U.S. says
• 50,000 Iraqi ‘Ghost Soldiers’ Make $380 Million a Year
• US Air Force pilot killed in crash in Mideast
• Readers Write: Soceity makes war honorable; a new approach in Syria is needed
• AP NewsAlert
• Iraq says it found 50,000 'ghost soldiers' on payroll
• WFP suspends food aid for 1.7 million Syrian refugees
• U.S. Air Force pilot killed in crash in Middle East: Central Command
• AP Interview: Bulgarian as 1st woman UN chief?
• INSIDE KOBANI: Kurdish civilians endure IS fight
• Islamic State militants kill 16 Iraqi soldiers on Syria border
• IS attacks border checkpoint, kills 15 Iraq police
• Dutch court sentences 20 year-old for fighting in Syria
• Libya interior minister meets with UAE counterpart
• U.S. close to deal with Turkey over Islamic State mission: WSJ
• Canadian-Israeli woman reportedly captured by IS as airstrikes increase
• WFP suspending assistance program to Syrians
• Iraq officials: Islamic State militants hit checkpoint on Syria border, kill 15 Iraqi police
• Syria claims terror groups used chlorine as weapon
• WFP suspends Syria refugee aid due to lack of funds - TRFN
• Congress crams unfinished agenda into final days
• Two Incoming Senators, Two Different Approaches
• Kurds tighten border as displaced Iraqis strain resources
• Indian IS recruit 'goes home after having to clean toilets'
• For Obama and the Pentagon, an uneasy relationship

Obama faces shrinking pool of Pentagon contenders Posted: 01 Dec 2014 04:50 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Wanted: Thick-skinned candidate to oversee a sprawling bureaucracy bitten by budget cuts and join a national security team besieged by criticism. Must be tolerant of White House interference.

Canadian woman says 'safe' after reports of IS capture Posted: 01 Dec 2014 03:45 PM PST "Guys, I'm totally safe and secure," said the update on Gill Rosenberg's account. The Canadian-Israeli dual national who had served in the Israel Defense Forces had volunteered to fight with the Kurds. Islamic State jihadists claimed a woman described as a "female Zionist soldier" had been captured in the embattled Syrian border town of Kobane, and some jihadists said the woman might be Rosenberg, according to US-based monitoring group SITE.

US again rules out Syria no-fly zone Posted: 01 Dec 2014 02:37 PM PST Washington ruled out Monday any imminent plans to create a no-fly zone along the Turkey-Syria border, brushing aside reports that US officials are in talks with Ankara about a refugee safe haven. Turkey has been pushing for a buffer zone inside Syria to shelter refugees from the three-way fight between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, rebels and Islamic State jihadists.

Why did FBI urge US troops to scrub social media accounts? Posted: 01 Dec 2014 02:17 PM PST The FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a rather dire warning to US troops this week, urging them to scrub their Facebook accounts of information that might help Islamic State fighters attack them.

US-led strikes hit IS garrison, 'electronic warfare' unit Posted: 01 Dec 2014 02:16 PM PST Washington (AFP) - Warplanes from the US-led coalition battling the Islamic State group hit dozens of jihadist vehicles and bases, including an "electronic warfare garrison," in four days of strikes, the US military said Monday.

Obama considering Ashton Carter, others for next defense secretary Posted: 01 Dec 2014 02:08 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is considering a variety of high-profile figures as his candidate to be the next U.S. defense secretary and replace the resigning Chuck Hagel, administration sources said on Monday. He is working from a list that includes former Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, who is widely seen as the front-runner after former defense official Michele Flournoy unexpectedly dropped out of contention last week. Carter served as deputy defense secretary from October 2011 to December 2013 and was the Pentagon's chief arms buyer before that. ...

GOP Sees Popularity Surge Ahead of Senate Takeover Posted: 01 Dec 2014 01:15 PM PST This year keeps getting better and better for the GOP. After a sweeping victory in the 2014 midterm elections, Republicans are enjoying a surge of popularity as they stand poised to take control of Congress ...

Egypt militant group says it killed US oil worker Posted: 01 Dec 2014 12:46 PM PST CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian militant organization allied with the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the killing of an American oil worker.

Egyptian militants say killed American oil engineer Posted: 01 Dec 2014 12:11 PM PST CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's deadliest militant group said on Monday it was behind the killing of an American petroleum engineer whose body was found in a car in a desert region almost four months ago. The group, Sinai Province, named the engineer as William Henderson and included a photograph of his passport and two photo identity cards showing he worked for U.S. energy company Apache Corp. and Qarun Petroleum. It did not show pictures or footage of Henderson himself or give details about how or why he was killed. ...

ISLAMIC STATE ATTACK Posted: 01 Dec 2014 11:41 AM PST Map locates al-Walid, Iraq, where Islamic State militants attacked a checkpoint killing at least 15 policmen; 1c x 2 1/2 inches; 46.5 mm x 63 mm;

Syria, Ebola failures highlight UN shortcomings Posted: 01 Dec 2014 11:04 AM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The Ebola epidemic and the war in Syria have cast a spotlight on the inadequacies of the United Nations as it tries to operate in a globalized world with a power structure that hasn't changed since 1945.

U.S. military warned of possible Islamic State attacks at home: report Posted: 01 Dec 2014 11:02 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials have warned military personnel that Islamic State forces may be planning attacks against them in the United States, ABC News reported on Monday. A joint intelligence bulletin sent to law enforcement agencies by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security urged members of the U.S. military to erase from their online social media accounts anything would draw attention from "violent extremists," or reveal service members' identity, the news network said. ...

US authorities warn military about social media risks Posted: 01 Dec 2014 10:38 AM PST Washington (AFP) - US authorities have warned troops to avoid drawing attention to their military ties on their social media accounts, ABC news reported Monday.

More U.S.-led strikes hit Islamic State in Syria, Iraq, U.S. says Posted: 01 Dec 2014 10:29 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States led 55 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria since Friday, according to U.S. Central Command. In a statement on Monday, Centcom said there were 27 air strikes against the Islamic State militant group in Syria and 28 strikes in Iraq, hitting a wide variety of targets including Islamic State buildings, vehicles, tanks and fighting units. One of the strikes in Syria hit the al Qaeda-affiliated Khorasan Group, it said. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom; Editing by Bill Trott)

50,000 Iraqi ‘Ghost Soldiers’ Make $380 Million a Year Posted: 01 Dec 2014 09:36 AM PST The Pentagon is asking Congress for $1.2 billion to train and equip the bedraggled Iraqi Army in the coming year in the battle against ISIS – but just finding the soldiers to train may pose a major challenge.  ...

US Air Force pilot killed in crash in Mideast Posted: 01 Dec 2014 09:35 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Air Force pilot was killed when an F-16 crashed late Sunday night while returning to its base in the Middle East.

Readers Write: Soceity makes war honorable; a new approach in Syria is needed Posted: 01 Dec 2014 08:55 AM PST Thank you for the Nov. 10 cover story, "Band of brothers," in which the reporter followed up 10 years later with some of the US soldiers who fought in the siege of Fallujah.

AP NewsAlert Posted: 01 Dec 2014 08:35 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq premier retires 24 senior Interior Ministry officials as part of government restructuring.

Iraq says it found 50,000 'ghost soldiers' on payroll Posted: 01 Dec 2014 08:33 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's new government has discovered 50,000 "ghost soldiers" who received army salaries without showing up for work, a practice which accelerated the military's collapse in the face of Islamic State fighters six months ago. The names were uncovered in an investigation launched by Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi, who took office in September, his spokesman Rafid Jaburi said. "Ghost soldiers" were men on the army payroll who paid their officers a portion of their salaries and in return did not show up for duty, enriching their commanders and hollowing out the military force. ...

WFP suspends food aid for 1.7 million Syrian refugees Posted: 01 Dec 2014 08:32 AM PST By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - A lack of funds has forced the United Nations to stop providing food vouchers for 1.7 million Syrian refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday. "Without WFP vouchers, many families will go hungry. For refugees already struggling to survive the harsh winter, the consequences of halting this assistance will be devastating," said the U.N. agency, which needs $64 million to support the refugees for the rest of December. ...

U.S. Air Force pilot killed in crash in Middle East: Central Command Posted: 01 Dec 2014 08:29 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. Air force pilot died on Sunday when an aircraft crashed while returning to its base in the Middle East, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Monday. The cause of incident involving a F-16 Fighting Falcon is under investigation and emergency responders were still at the scene, Central Command said. A Central Command statement said the plane had taken off shortly before trying to return to its base in the Middle East. It said the crash did not occur in Iraq or Syria and was not combat related. The incident comes amid a U.S. ...

AP Interview: Bulgarian as 1st woman UN chief? Posted: 01 Dec 2014 08:28 AM PST PARIS (AP) — She's already the first female and eastern European to head UNESCO. Now Irina Bokova is a contender become the first female and eastern European United Nations secretary-general.

INSIDE KOBANI: Kurdish civilians endure IS fight Posted: 01 Dec 2014 07:57 AM PST KOBANI, Syria (AP) — One of the few signs of life in this northern Syria border town is the old bakery, revived by Kurdish fighters battling the Islamic State group.

Islamic State militants kill 16 Iraqi soldiers on Syria border Posted: 01 Dec 2014 07:12 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters killed 16 Iraqi soldiers in an attack on a western border crossing with Syria on Monday, the head of the local provincial council Faleh al-Issawi said. He said four other Iraqi soldiers were wounded in the attack on the al-Waleed border crossing and were taken across the border for treatment in Syria. A tribal leader in the Islamic State-controlled town of Rutba, 80 miles (130 km) southeast of al-Waleed, said the fighters seized guns and vehicles and brought them back to Rutba, firing guns in celebration as they arrived. ...

IS attacks border checkpoint, kills 15 Iraq police Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:37 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants attacked a checkpoint along the volatile Iraqi-Syria border on Monday, killing at least 15 Iraqi border policemen, officials said.

Dutch court sentences 20 year-old for fighting in Syria Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:35 AM PST THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A Dutch court sentenced a young man on Monday to three years in jail for premeditated murder and preparing a terrorist attack after fighting with Islamist rebels in Syria and urging others to join the insurgency. The tribunal in The Hague said the man, identified only as Maher H., took part in armed conflict in Syria in 2013-2014 and, after his return to the Netherlands, spreading materials to incite others to commit similar crimes. ...

Libya interior minister meets with UAE counterpart Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:15 AM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The interior minister of Libya's internationally recognized government met Monday with his counterpart in the United Arab Emirates to seek continued support in its battle against Islamist-allied militias who control the capital, Tripoli.

U.S. close to deal with Turkey over Islamic State mission: WSJ Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:12 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Turkey are closing in on a deal that will allow the U.S. military and allied forces to use Turkish air bases in their campaign against Islamic State militants in Syria, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The newspaper, citing U.S. and Turkish officials, said the agreement could include a safe zone along a portion of the Syrian border to protect refugees and certain opposition forces that would also "be off-limits" to aircraft from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government. ...

Canadian-Israeli woman reportedly captured by IS as airstrikes increase Posted: 01 Dec 2014 06:07 AM PST Kurdish military officials have denied reports that a Canadian-Israeli woman who joined the fight against the the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Syria has been captured by the militant group.

WFP suspending assistance program to Syrians Posted: 01 Dec 2014 05:32 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — The United Nations World Food Program on Monday suspended a food voucher program serving more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees, citing a funding crisis after many donors failed to meet their commitments.

Iraq officials: Islamic State militants hit checkpoint on Syria border, kill 15 Iraqi police Posted: 01 Dec 2014 05:28 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq officials: Islamic State militants hit checkpoint on Syria border, kill 15 Iraqi police.

Syria claims terror groups used chlorine as weapon Posted: 01 Dec 2014 05:20 AM PST THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Syria's vice foreign minister denied Monday that his government ever used chemical weapons or chlorine during the country's brutal civil war and warned that terror groups are using such weapons.

WFP suspends Syria refugee aid due to lack of funds - TRFN Posted: 01 Dec 2014 04:38 AM PST By Chris Arsenault ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The U.N.'s World Food Programme suspended aid to more than 1.7 million Syrian refugees in neighboring countries on Monday, due to lack of funds. The program allowed Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt to buy food from local shops with vouchers provided by the WFP. Many families will go hungry through the winter if donors fail to pledge an additional $64 million to cover the aid for December, the WFP said. The agency has spent about $800 million feeding refugees since Syria's civil war erupted in 2011. ...

Congress crams unfinished agenda into final days Posted: 01 Dec 2014 04:35 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Lame-duck lawmakers return to Washington on Monday facing a stacked agenda and not much time to get it all done before the new Congress convenes in January and a Republican takeover is complete.

Two Incoming Senators, Two Different Approaches Posted: 01 Dec 2014 04:00 AM PST Congress will return from Thanksgiving this week to take up a number of issues that must be resolved before the end of the year, including an increasingly urgent need to avoid another government shutdown ...

Kurds tighten border as displaced Iraqis strain resources Posted: 01 Dec 2014 03:49 AM PST By Isabel Coles ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - They used to be symbols of an oil-fuelled boom, but the unfinished buildings in Iraq's Kurdish north are now crammed with people fleeing violence in the rest of the country. Of the two million people displaced by Islamic State offensives in Iraq this year, almost half sought refuge in Kurdistan, inflating the semi-autonomous region's population by around 20 percent and putting acute strain on its resources. ...

Indian IS recruit 'goes home after having to clean toilets' Posted: 01 Dec 2014 02:06 AM PST An Indian student who travelled to Iraq to join the Islamic State group has returned home disillusioned after jihadists made him clean toilets and do other menial jobs, according to media reports.

For Obama and the Pentagon, an uneasy relationship Posted: 01 Dec 2014 01:45 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — On a trip to Afghanistan during President Barack Obama's first term, Defense Secretary Robert Gates was stunned to find a telephone line at the military's special operations headquarters that linked directly back to a top White House national security official.

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