Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Even full deal with Iran could fail to stabilise Mideast: analysts
• US officer: US helping Saudis monitor Yemen border
• Syrian regime reels from setbacks as rebels score key wins
• Horse whisperer Monty Roberts aids veterans and others who face traumas
• New York women charged in US bomb plot
• Tunisia accuses Turkey of facilitating jihadists' transit
• PIA National Names Sarah Sun 2015 Customer Service Representative of the Year
• Pragmatism driving Iran leader toward nuclear deal
• Egypt jihadists kill 15 soldiers and two civilians in Sinai
• Militants strike Egypt's Sinai, kill 15 troops, 3 civilians
• Amnesty probing reports of Iraqi forces' abuses in Tikrit
• More than 25,000 foreign fighters joining Islamists: UN
• Reducing Yemen's Houthis to 'Iranian proxies' is a mistake
• Iraq's Tikrit faces long road to recovery
• United Technologies replaces president of Sikorsky Aircraft
• After expelling IS, Iraqi bomb squads begin clearing Tikrit
• Afghan suicide blast kills 16, wounds dozens
• Bombings in Iraqi capital kill 11 people
• This War of Mine's DLC has helped 350 refugees from Syria, all of them children
• Is Turkey still a ‘jihadist highway’ to Syria – or is that a bum rap?
• Wounded Warrior Project docu-series "Wounded: The Battle Back Home" available on iTunes, Google Play
• All options including military action open on Iran: Israel
• Strikes broke deadlock in Iraq's Tikrit op: coalition
• Kristen Stewart linked with 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'
• Quotations in the News

Even full deal with Iran could fail to stabilise Mideast: analysts Posted: 02 Apr 2015 03:34 PM PDT Negotiators hope a nuclear deal will bring Iran back into the diplomatic fold, but experts are divided on whether it will douse the many fires of the Middle East. Iran and six world powers agreed Thursday on the outline of a potentially historic deal to curtail its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of economic sanctions on the Islamic republic. On top of its long-standing ties to the Syrian regime and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, it has been leading the fight against the Islamic State group in Iraq and is the chief backer of the surging Huthi rebellion in Yemen. When negotiations over Iran's nuclear programme began in 2013, there were hopes a deal could pave the way for greater cooperation on these security issues, but some analysts say the moment may have passed.

US officer: US helping Saudis monitor Yemen border Posted: 02 Apr 2015 03:08 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. is helping Saudi Arabia defend its border with Yemen by providing intelligence from aerial surveillance while Saudi warplanes bomb rebels who have thrown Yemen into chaos, a senior U.S. military officer said Thursday.

Syrian regime reels from setbacks as rebels score key wins Posted: 02 Apr 2015 03:01 PM PDT Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime was reeling Thursday from a series of setbacks after rebels seized a major provincial capital and a key border post in less than a week. Experts said the losses were a reflection of the regime's weariness after more than four years of civil war and increasing regional efforts to counter Iran's backing for Assad. The rebels' capture late Wednesday of the last border crossing with Jordan in loyalist hands and three days earlier of provincial capital Idlib have dealt the regime major blows, experts said. Also on Wednesday the Islamic State group took parts of Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, triggering alarm bells for the Syrian government which appealed for UN intervention and ramped up security.

Horse whisperer Monty Roberts aids veterans and others who face traumas Posted: 02 Apr 2015 03:00 PM PDT Dressed in a crisp, deep blue shirt, western boots, and chocolate dungarees, Monty Roberts is showing a gathering of about 50 interested equestrians how it's done. After the horse trots around twice, Mr. Roberts tosses the line again and the horse – named Tommy Chex – reverses direction.

New York women charged in US bomb plot Posted: 02 Apr 2015 02:55 PM PDT Two American women inspired by Al-Qaeda and extremists in Syria were arrested in New York on Thursday, charged with planning to build a bomb and attack the United States, prosecutors said. Former roommates Noelle Velentzas, 28, and Asia Siddiqui, 31, risk life behind bars if convicted of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction in the United States. The pair from Queens were shadowed for nearly two years by an undercover FBI agent and appeared before a magistrate at the federal district court in Brooklyn on Thursday.

Tunisia accuses Turkey of facilitating jihadists' transit Posted: 02 Apr 2015 02:25 PM PDT Tunisia on Thursday accused Turkey of facilitating the transit of fighters bound for neighbouring Syria and Iraq, where thousands of its citizens have joined the ranks of jihadist groups. The accusation by Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche comes just two weeks after the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on tourists at the Bardo National Museum. Tunisia says 3,000 of its citizens are fighting alongside jihadist groups in Syria, Iraq and Libya, and that 500 battle-hardened veterans have returned to the country where they are considered a security threat. "We have asked our ambassador in Turkey to draw the attention of the Turkish authorities to the fact that we do not want a Muslim nation such as Turkey to help directly or indirectly terrorism in Libya by facilitating the movements of terrorists," Baccouche said.

PIA National Names Sarah Sun 2015 Customer Service Representative of the Year Posted: 02 Apr 2015 02:15 PM PDT WASHINGTON, April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Sarah Sun of Klinger & Associates in Germantown, Maryland, was named the 2015 PIA National Customer Service Representative (CSR) of the Year. "Sarah Sun exemplifies what a professional CSR should be," said PIA National President-elect Rob Hansen. She is responsible for one-quarter of Klinger & Associates' commercial line book of business—over 1,350 renewals, plus new clients. Hansen added that when agency principal Bob Klinger was deployed to Iraq for 18 months, Sarah and Bob's wife ran the office while he was gone.

Pragmatism driving Iran leader toward nuclear deal Posted: 02 Apr 2015 01:57 PM PDT A nuclear deal with Iran is finally within sight because its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has chosen pragmatism over hardline rhetoric and possible conflict with the West. Throughout 18 months of diplomacy between Iran and six world powers led by the United States, the question that has dominated all others is whether Khamenei will ever sign off on an accord. Iran's negotiators, led by the wide-smiling, US-educated Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, have often seemed desperately hemmed in at the talks by stringent red lines set by Khamenei. Doing so can secure Khamenei's aims of having sanctions lifted while preserving the nuclear programme, albeit with curbs and rigid international monitoring, said Amir Mohebbian, a conservative-leaning political strategist with close ties to Iran's leadership.

Egypt jihadists kill 15 soldiers and two civilians in Sinai Posted: 02 Apr 2015 01:40 PM PDT Jihadists in Egypt's Sinai killed 15 soldiers and two civilians in attacks on checkpoints on Thursday, security officials said, the deadliest in months despite a massive army campaign against the insurgents. The gunmen, believed to be members of the Islamic State group's Egypt branch, simultaneously opened fire with assault rifles and grenade launchers at five checkpoints in the restive north of the peninsula, the security officials said. Medics confirmed 15 soldiers and two civilians were killed in the attacks. Military sources said 15 militants also died in an exchange of fire but the toll could not be verified by medics.

Militants strike Egypt's Sinai, kill 15 troops, 3 civilians Posted: 02 Apr 2015 01:31 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Islamic militants unleashed a wave of attacks in Egypt's northern Sinai on Thursday, hitting a military checkpoint and killing 15 soldiers there while near-simultaneous attacks elsewhere in the volatile stretch of the peninsula left three civilians dead, officials said.

Amnesty probing reports of Iraqi forces' abuses in Tikrit Posted: 02 Apr 2015 12:59 PM PDT Amnesty International said Thursday it was investigating reports of serious human rights violations committed by Iraqi government and allied forces in the operation to retake the city of Tikrit. "We are very concerned by reports of widespread human rights abuses committed in the course of the military operation in the area around Tikrit," the rights watchdog's Donatella Rovera told AFP. Security forces backed by paramilitary groups and US-led air strikes recaptured Tikrit from the Islamic State group this week.

More than 25,000 foreign fighters joining Islamists: UN Posted: 02 Apr 2015 12:28 PM PDT Record numbers of foreign fighters from more than half of the world's countries are joining Islamist and al-Qaeda groups, mostly in Syria, Iraq and increasingly in Libya, according to a UN report. More than 25,000 foreign fighters are involved in armed conflicts from over 100 countries, the report by a UN panel of experts said. "The rate of flow is higher than it has ever been historically, and is mainly focused on movement into the Syrian Arab Republic and Iraq, with a growing problem also evident in Libya", said the report obtained by AFP on Thursday. The report cited a 71 percent increase in the number of foreign fighters worldwide between the middle of 2014 to March 2015, with European and Asian countries reporting sharp increases.

Reducing Yemen's Houthis to 'Iranian proxies' is a mistake Posted: 02 Apr 2015 11:48 AM PDT In coverage of the Yemeni civil war the word "Houthi" is hardly ever mentioned without being preceded by the words "Iran-backed" and "Shiite."

Iraq's Tikrit faces long road to recovery Posted: 02 Apr 2015 10:49 AM PDT Exploding bombs send clouds of dust rising into the air over the Iraqi city of Tikrit, houses and businesses burn and civilians are nowhere in sight. Iraqi forces have retaken Tikrit from the Islamic State (IS) group after a month-long operation, but the task of returning some semblance of normal life to the city will take far longer.

United Technologies replaces president of Sikorsky Aircraft Posted: 02 Apr 2015 10:40 AM PDT STRATFORD, Conn. (AP) — United Technologies is shuffling the leadership at Sikorsky Aircraft, less than a month after announcing it may spin off the helicopter-making subsidiary.

After expelling IS, Iraqi bomb squads begin clearing Tikrit Posted: 02 Apr 2015 10:20 AM PDT TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) — After a month of ferocious street battles that finally pushed Islamic State militants out of Tirkrit, a dangerous calm has descended on this city north of Baghdad as Iraqi bomb squads fan out to remove booby traps and explosives left behind by the extremists.

Afghan suicide blast kills 16, wounds dozens Posted: 02 Apr 2015 10:03 AM PDT A suicide bomber killed at least 16 people Thursday and wounded 40 others, including a prominent lawmaker, at an anti-corruption rally in eastern Afghanistan, the latest casualties ahead of the Taliban's expected spring offensive.

Bombings in Iraqi capital kill 11 people Posted: 02 Apr 2015 09:57 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi officials say two separate bombings have targeted public places in the capital of Baghdad, killing 11 people.

This War of Mine's DLC has helped 350 refugees from Syria, all of them children Posted: 02 Apr 2015 09:30 AM PDT So far, sales have earned enough money to help 350 refugees from the conflict in Syria, all of them children. War Child DLC adds unique pieces from well-known artists throughout the game world. Developer 11 bit studios promises 100 percent of the proceeds will go to War Child, a U.K.-based non-profit. "Right now War Child are working in places across Iraq and Jordan to protect and support Syrian refugee children," 11 bit wrote in a press release.

Is Turkey still a ‘jihadist highway’ to Syria – or is that a bum rap? Posted: 02 Apr 2015 07:33 AM PDT Turkey has a reputation, one it doesn't like. Since the rise of the Islamic State and other extremist groups in neighboring Syria and Iraq, the country has been cast as a "jihadist highway" traveled by seasoned militants and naive youth seduced by war and Islamist utopias. More than 20,000 volunteers from 90 countries have traveled to Syria to join IS or other terror groups, according to the latest tally from the National Counter-Terrorism Center. Most pass through Turkey, which shares a border with the European Union and offers visa-free travel for citizens of 69 countries.

Wounded Warrior Project docu-series "Wounded: The Battle Back Home" available on iTunes, Google Play Posted: 02 Apr 2015 06:41 AM PDT JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 2, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) produced documentary mini-series "Wounded: The Battle Back Home," which was previously only available on Internet television network Netflix, is now offered on iTunes and Google Play as of March 21, 2015. The project, produced in conjunction with Austin-based Flow Nonfiction, was created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of WWP and focuses on issues of critical importance to this generation of injured service members and their families through personal stories of struggle and resiliency. The mission of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) is to honor and empower Wounded Warriors.

All options including military action open on Iran: Israel Posted: 02 Apr 2015 03:56 AM PDT Israeli Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz said Thursday that all options including military action were on the table in the face of the threat of a nuclear-armed Iran. Asked about possible US objections to Israeli military action, Steinitz pointed to Israel's unilateral attack against the Osirak nuclear reactor in Saddam Hussein's Iraq in 1981. Steinitz, a close ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the Israeli leader had left no doubt as to the country's response to nuclear-armed Iran.

Strikes broke deadlock in Iraq's Tikrit op: coalition Posted: 02 Apr 2015 03:49 AM PDT US-led air support broke the deadlock in Iraq's operation to retake Tikrit from the Islamic State group, a senior military official in the coalition carrying out the strikes said Thursday. "Air support became the key factor in this," the official told AFP by telephone. "That's what enabled us to restart, with the (Iraqi) ground element, the momentum which has led to this success" against IS jihadists, who had held the city north of Baghdad for almost 10 months. Iraqi forces still would have been able to retake Tikrit without that air support, "but it would probably have taken a little longer," the official said.

Kristen Stewart linked with 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk' Posted: 02 Apr 2015 02:17 AM PDT Kristen Stewart is understood to be in talks for a significant role in Ang Lee film "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk."

Quotations in the News Posted: 02 Apr 2015 12:02 AM PDT "I am not going anywhere. I'm angry and ready to fight because today contradicts my public service and my entire life." — Sen. Bob Menendez after he was charged with accepting nearly $1 million in gifts and campaign contributions from a friend in exchange for political favors.

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