Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• US: Iran launches airstrikes into eastern Iraq
• Obama settles on Ashton Carter as Pentagon chief, sources say
• Iranian jets carried out anti-IS air raids in Iraq: US
• Conflict, militancy hit human rights in Middle East, African nations: TRFN
• US: Woman stole passport to travel to Syria
• Feds: Woman stole passport to travel to Syria
• Minnesota woman charged with stealing passport to go to Syria
• New Swedish government faces crisis over budget
• Eyeing 2016, Jeb Bush talks foreign policy
• GOP seeks year-end plan on funding, immigration
• AP sources: Lawmakers agree on $585B defense bill
• Likely Pentagon nominee earned stripes quiet way
• Obama expected to nominate Ashton Carter to lead Pentagon
• Ashton Carter emerges as top pick for Defense. Why Obama might want a wonk
• Ashton Carter likely next Pentagon chief
• Lebanon says it has detained wife of IS leader
• Portman, Paul announcements affect 2016
• The Likely Pentagon Chief Who Wanted to Bomb North Korea
• US, Iraqis helping to train Sunni fighters against IS
• Syrian refugees panic over UN food aid suspension
• Lebanon detains wife of Islamic State leader
• Obama expected to nominate Ashton Carter to lead Pentagon: sources
• Iraqi government reaches major oil deal with Kurds
• British watchtowers dot a Mideast border again – this time with Islamic State
• INSIDE KOBANI: Kurdish women on the frontline
• Ashton Carter: Defense job would raise his profile
• Iraqi government reaches deal with Kurds on oil, budget
• Official: India nears deal for French fighter jets
• The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Announces December Speaker Series Event
• Lebanese reports claim seizure of wife and child of Islamic State leader
• Facing financial crisis, Iraqi ministers halve their salary
• Iraq reaches major oil deal with Kurds
• Saudi IS supporters claim they shot Danish man
• McCain Moves Center Stage on War and Foreign Policy
• Malaysia detains another 3 suspected militants
• Iraq: Agreement reached in oil dispute between Baghdad and Kurdish government
• Islamic State followers say they were behind Riyadh shooting

US: Iran launches airstrikes into eastern Iraq Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:56 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon says that Iran has launched airstrikes against Islamic State militants in eastern Iraq.

Obama settles on Ashton Carter as Pentagon chief, sources say Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:22 PM PST By Phil Stewart and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Can a career Washington technocrat break into U.S. President Barack Obama's tight-knit inner circle and oversee the world's most powerful military? It looks like former Pentagon official Ashton Carter is about to find out. Administration sources said on Tuesday that Obama has settled on the 60-year-old Carter as his fourth defense secretary, with an announcement expected in coming days once he is thoroughly vetted. ...

Iranian jets carried out anti-IS air raids in Iraq: US Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:10 PM PST Iranian fighter jets bombed Islamic State jihadists in eastern Iraq in recent days, but the strikes were not coordinated with US forces, the Pentagon said Tuesday. "We have indications that they did indeed fly air strikes with F-4 Phantoms in the past several days," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told AFP. His comments came after Al-Jazeera recently ran footage of what appeared to be an F-4 fighter, similar to those used by the Iranian air force, attacking targets in the eastern province of Diyala. At a press conference earlier, Kirby said it was up to the Iraqi government to oversee and coordinate military flights by different countries and not US commanders.

Conflict, militancy hit human rights in Middle East, African nations: TRFN Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:09 PM PST By Magdalena Mis LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Syria was bottom and Ukraine had the biggest slide in a human rights index published on Wednesday, as countries suffering from conflict grappled with human trafficking and other rights violations. The worsening situation in Syria and Iraq, two of the three worst performing countries, increased the likelihood of human trafficking, forced labor and child marriage taking place. ...

US: Woman stole passport to travel to Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:04 PM PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Somali-born woman was charged in federal court with stealing a passport so she could travel to Syria, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said Tuesday.

Feds: Woman stole passport to travel to Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2014 03:47 PM PST MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota woman was charged in federal court with stealing a passport so she could travel to Syria, U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said Tuesday.

Minnesota woman charged with stealing passport to go to Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2014 03:22 PM PST By Aruna Viswanatha WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A 20-year-old Minnesota woman was charged on Tuesday with stealing a friend's passport to travel to Syria, the U.S. Attorney's office said. The criminal complaint alleged that Yusra Ismail, of St. Paul, used the stolen U.S. passport to fly to Amsterdam and Norway last August. She contacted her family several days later and told them she was in "Sham," a term used to describe the area controlled by Islamic State, the militant group that has captured territory in Syria and Iraq and carried out gruesome executions of civilians and foreigners. ...

New Swedish government faces crisis over budget Posted: 02 Dec 2014 02:54 PM PST COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Sweden's left-leaning minority government was balancing on the verge of collapse Tuesday after a far-right party said it would side with the opposition to vote against its budget proposal.

Eyeing 2016, Jeb Bush talks foreign policy Posted: 02 Dec 2014 02:51 PM PST CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Nearing a decision on a presidential run in 2016, Jeb Bush on Tuesday reaffirmed his support for the U.S. trade embargo against Cuba and pushed for a foreign policy that he said could help repair the nation's credibility after Barack Obama's presidency.

GOP seeks year-end plan on funding, immigration Posted: 02 Dec 2014 02:11 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Year-end holidays beckoning, House Republicans struggled Tuesday to coalesce behind a plan that avoids a government shutdown next week and simultaneously challenges President Barack Obama's decision to spare millions of immigrants from deportation.

AP sources: Lawmakers agree on $585B defense bill Posted: 02 Dec 2014 01:46 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — House and Senate negotiators have reached agreement on a $585 billion defense policy bill that provides funds to expand the U.S. mission in Iraq to counter Islamic State militants and gives the military the authority to train moderate Syrian forces.

Likely Pentagon nominee earned stripes quiet way Posted: 02 Dec 2014 01:21 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — No household name, Ashton Carter has earned his stripes in the national security trenches the quiet way. For decades he has toiled as a defense thinker and strategist, nuclear expert, three-time Pentagon executive, budget guru and academician.

Obama expected to nominate Ashton Carter to lead Pentagon Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:51 PM PST By Phil Stewart and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Pentagon official Ashton Carter emerged on Tuesday as the expected nominee to replace Chuck Hagel as U.S. defense secretary, sources familiar with the situation said. Carter, a former deputy secretary at the Department of Defense, would have the task of breaking into the tight-knit White House inner circle that President Barack Obama has leaned on to run national security policy. ...

Ashton Carter emerges as top pick for Defense. Why Obama might want a wonk Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:49 PM PST After a number of prominent candidates dropped out of the running for secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter has emerged from the Beltway rumor mill as the White House's choice for the job, a not-so-flashy pick that highlights President Obama's desire for a known quantity with a reputation for getting things done. Dr. Carter is widely regarded as a stable numbers guru who has demonstrated enduring compassion for US troops.

Ashton Carter likely next Pentagon chief Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:21 PM PST The former number-two ranking official at the Pentagon, Ashton Carter, will likely be named as the next US defense secretary, American media reported Tuesday. President Barack Obama was poised to nominate Carter -- a physicist turned national security policy wonk -- to replace outgoing Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel, "barring any last minute complications," CNN reported. CNN cited several unnamed administration officials and The Washington Post also reported Obama would nominate Carter. The White House declined to confirm or deny the reports but said Carter was on a "short list" of candidates and highlighted his qualifications for the post.

Lebanon says it has detained wife of IS leader Posted: 02 Dec 2014 12:00 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanese authorities detained a woman and young boy believed to be the wife and son of the reclusive Islamic State group leader, and were questioning the woman and conducting DNA tests on the child, senior Lebanese officials said Tuesday.

Portman, Paul announcements affect 2016 Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:58 AM PST CINCINNATI (AP) — Two prominent Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they would seek a second term in the U.S. Senate, although their announcements had dramatically different implications on the 2016 presidential contest.

The Likely Pentagon Chief Who Wanted to Bomb North Korea Posted: 02 Dec 2014 11:51 AM PST The job that seemingly nobody wants has somehow found its perfect fit. Ashton Carter, the former Deputy Secretary of Defense, appears to be the president's choice to replace Chuck Hagel at the Pentagon. While an announcement hasn't formally been made, a senior administration official said that Carter is expected to be named tomorrow.

US, Iraqis helping to train Sunni fighters against IS Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:56 AM PST US forces and their Iraqi counterparts have trained about 2,000 Sunni fighters in Iraq as part of efforts to defeat the Islamic State extremist group, a senior US official said Tuesday. Iraq's Shiite-led government, trying to reverse the marginalisation of Sunnis, is seeking to form a "bridging entity" where Sunnis tribesmen defend their provinces before they are brought into an Iraqi national force, the State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. The official disclosed the information as US Secretary of State John Kerry prepared Wednesday to host talks in Brussels with foreign ministers from scores of countries that are trying to help defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. The official said the training was occurring at Al-Asad air base in Anbar province and elsewhere.

Syrian refugees panic over UN food aid suspension Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:45 AM PST AL-FAOUR, Lebanon (AP) — Syrian refugees in Lebanon panicked Tuesday over news that the United Nations suspended food aid to 1.7 million refugees due to lack of funds — a decision officials said threatens to starve thousands of families and add pressure on the already strained countries hosting them.

Lebanon detains wife of Islamic State leader Posted: 02 Dec 2014 10:40 AM PST By Laila Bassam and Sylvia Westall BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Lebanese army detained a wife and daughter of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi as they crossed from Syria nine days ago, security officials said on Tuesday, in a move seen as likely to put pressure on the Islamist chief. The woman was identified as Saja al-Dulaimi, an Iraqi, by a Lebanese security official and a senior political source. The Lebanese newspaper As-Safir reported she had been detained in coordination with "foreign intelligence". ...

Obama expected to nominate Ashton Carter to lead Pentagon: sources Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:59 AM PST By Phil Stewart and Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former Pentagon official Ashton Carter emerged on Tuesday as the expected nominee to replace Chuck Hagel as U.S. defense secretary, sources familiar with the situation said. Carter, a former deputy secretary at the Department of Defense, would have the task of breaking into the tight-knit White House inner circle that President Barack Obama has leaned on to run national security policy. ...

Iraqi government reaches major oil deal with Kurds Posted: 02 Dec 2014 09:57 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi government on Tuesday reached a deal with the Kurdish local authorities in the country's north to exchange oil from the autonomous region for a nearly 20 percent share of the national budget, officials said.

British watchtowers dot a Mideast border again – this time with Islamic State Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:37 AM PST A lonely fortified watchtower built from stacked metal shipping containers, topped by a bullet-proofed observation booth, and protected from shrapnel and assaults by 18-foot-high walls of rock-filled Hesco barricades, marks the western edge of the regional campaign to check the expansion of the extremist Islamic State organization.

INSIDE KOBANI: Kurdish women on the frontline Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:30 AM PST KOBANI, Syria (AP) — On the front lines of the battle for Kobani, Kurdish female fighters have been playing a major role in helping defend the Syrian town from an onslaught by the Islamic State extremist group.

Ashton Carter: Defense job would raise his profile Posted: 02 Dec 2014 08:26 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — When Ashton Carter took up duties as the Pentagon's second-ranking official three years ago he described his role as "alter ego" to his boss, then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, whose public profile had been boosted by his role in planning the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Iraqi government reaches deal with Kurds on oil, budget Posted: 02 Dec 2014 07:22 AM PST By Isabel Coles and Dominic Evans ARBIL/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's government reached a temporary agreement with Kurdish regional authorities on Tuesday to end a dispute over oil exports and budget payments to the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. Under the deal, 300,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil from Kirkuk will be exported via a pipeline running through Kurdish territory to Turkey, in addition to 250,000 bpd from the region's own fields. ...

Official: India nears deal for French fighter jets Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:34 AM PST NEW DELHI (AP) — India is close to an agreement to buy Rafale fighter planes from France, an Indian defense spokesman said Tuesday. The 12 billion euro ($15 billion) deal for 126 of the jets would be France's first foreign sale of the combat-tested planes.

The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Announces December Speaker Series Event Posted: 02 Dec 2014 06:00 AM PST ATLANTA, Dec. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Thursday, December 4, 2014, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation Speaker Series will host an event on youth leadership featuring New York Times bestselling author, Wes Moore, and participants from the American Explorers program. The event will be held at The Arthur M. Blank Family Office in Atlanta. ...

Lebanese reports claim seizure of wife and child of Islamic State leader Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:55 AM PST Lebanese authorities detained a wife and daughter of the leader of the self-described Islamic State as they crossed into Lebanon from Syria, according to unnamed Lebanese officials quoted by Reuters. Reports say this happened about 10 days ago and that the pair were traveling with forged documents.

Facing financial crisis, Iraqi ministers halve their salary Posted: 02 Dec 2014 05:28 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi ministers agreed on Tuesday to take a 50 percent pay cut while the country grapples with a financial crisis brought about by falling oil prices and a war with Islamic State militants. Last week the OPEC oil exporter said it had scrapped a draft 2015 budget because of the slide in crude oil prices, which have sharply cut government revenues as Iraq faces additional costs of a long campaign against the Islamist militants. ...

Iraq reaches major oil deal with Kurds Posted: 02 Dec 2014 04:15 AM PST Iraq has reached a deal with the Kurdish government to exchange oil from the autonomous northern region for a nearly 20 percent share of the national budget, resolving a months-long impasse that had undermined ...

Saudi IS supporters claim they shot Danish man Posted: 02 Dec 2014 03:07 AM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Supporters of the Islamic State extremist organization have released a video claiming responsibility for the shooting and wounding of a Danish citizen in the Saudi capital Riyadh last month.

McCain Moves Center Stage on War and Foreign Policy Posted: 02 Dec 2014 03:00 AM PST Sen. John McCain stumbled badly six years ago in his presidential contest against Democrat Barak Obama, and the one-time political maverick has been trying ever since to rebrand himself as the Republicans' ...

Malaysia detains another 3 suspected militants Posted: 02 Dec 2014 02:05 AM PST KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysian police said Tuesday that they have detained another three men, including two civil servants, suspected of being linked to the militant Islamic State group.

Iraq: Agreement reached in oil dispute between Baghdad and Kurdish government Posted: 02 Dec 2014 01:36 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq: Agreement reached in oil dispute between Baghdad and Kurdish government.

Islamic State followers say they were behind Riyadh shooting Posted: 01 Dec 2014 09:16 PM PST RIYADH (Reuters) - A group of supporters of Islamic State has released a video that it says shows its members carrying out a shooting in Saudi Arabia last week of a Danish national who survived the attack, SITE Monitoring reported. The film could not be independently verified but Saudi Arabia said on Nov. 22 a Dane had been shot in the shoulder as he left his work in Riyadh and was in a stable condition. Islamic State last month called on supporters in Saudi Arabia, which is participating in strikes against the group in Syria, to attack Shi'ite Muslims, government officials and Westerners. ...

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