Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• To Help US Veterans Charity, George W. Bush Charged $100,000
• Lindsey Graham Calls for Surge of 10,000 U.S. Troops in Iraq
• Editorial Roundup: Excerpts from recent editorials
• Suicide risk factors for U.S. Army soldiers identified
• EU to help Balkan countries struggling with migrant wave: Merkel
• Pakistan sees progress after hosting Afghan-Taliban talks
• Goals that sparked progress
• Suspected Boko Haram militants kill 26 people in Chad attacks
• An IS secret to success: Shock troops who fight to the death
• A secret to IS success: Shock troops who fight to the death
• Syrian activists say IS supporters hacked their website
• Suicide attempts most common in newer soldiers, study found
• Iraq celebrates return of antiquities, appeals for world help
• Syrian Kurds reclaim town from Islamic State: monitor
• Satirical billboards tackle Hungary's anti-immigrant drive
• Iraq court sentences 24 to hang over Tikrit massacre
• Islamic State targeted in 25 air strikes by U.S.-led coalition: statement
• Iraq sentences 24 IS militants to death for killing soldiers
• Seeking Refuge: In one German village, mayor lays welcome mat for migrants
• Out of sight but not power, Erdogan eyes snap Turkish election
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Facing new militant threat, Sisi crackdown risks more instability in Egypt
• Cycling Saves Lives with Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride
• Iraq sentences 24 to death over mass killing of soldiers
• Taliban, Afghan officials hold peace talks, agree to meet again
• U.S., allies conduct 31 air strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military
• Suspected U.S. drone kills Islamic State figure in Syria: monitor
• Mortar round kills five Egyptians in Sinai
• Bull Versus Bear: The Outlook For Oil Prices

To Help US Veterans Charity, George W. Bush Charged $100,000 Posted: 08 Jul 2015 04:55 PM PDT Former President George W. Bush charged $100,000 to speak at a charity fundraiser for U.S. military veterans severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and former First Lady Laura Bush collected $50,000 to appear a year earlier, officials of the Texas-based Helping a Hero charity confirmed to ABC News. "I think it's a valid question for the former President," he said.

Lindsey Graham Calls for Surge of 10,000 U.S. Troops in Iraq Posted: 08 Jul 2015 04:15 PM PDT In a searing critique of U.S. foreign policy, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) declared on Wednesday that President Obama's strategy for defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria "doesn't have a snowball's chance in Hell of working" and called for a surge in U.S. ground troops to reverse what he sees as the dangerous course of the war. "You have to look at Iraq and Syria as a single battle space," Graham said in an address to the Atlantic Council, an international think tank in Washington, D.C. "If you do not, you are making a very big mistake.

Editorial Roundup: Excerpts from recent editorials Posted: 08 Jul 2015 02:00 PM PDT Excerpts from recent editorials in newspapers in the United States and abroad:

Suicide risk factors for U.S. Army soldiers identified Posted: 08 Jul 2015 01:59 PM PDT By Andrew M. Seaman (Reuters Health) - A new study identifies distinct profiles for U.S. army officers and enlisted soldiers at highest risk of attempting suicide. "Looking at suicide attempts is one part of the story of how does one get from suicide ideation to suicide plans to suicide attempt to completed suicide," said Dr. Robert Ursano of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. "The mental health and behavioral health issues that contribute to that risk is another." For the new study, the researchers analyzed data on suicide attempts among U.S. Army soldiers from 2004 through 2009, during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

EU to help Balkan countries struggling with migrant wave: Merkel Posted: 08 Jul 2015 12:52 PM PDT The European Union will help Hungary and western Balkan countries struggling with an influx of migrants, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday. "Greece and Italy were the first destination for refugees and migrants... but the situation changed significantly in June and July," Merkel told reporters after meeting Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic. "The refugees are increasingly seeking a route through the western Balkans.

Pakistan sees progress after hosting Afghan-Taliban talks Posted: 08 Jul 2015 12:34 PM PDT ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan said Wednesday that the first official face-to-face discussions between Afghan government officials and the Taliban have made progress, with the two sides agreeing at a meeting near Islamabad to work on confidence-building measures and hold more such talks after the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Goals that sparked progress Posted: 08 Jul 2015 12:24 PM PDT •Child mortality was also cut by more than half in that time period, from 90 to 43 deaths per 1,000 live births. While the task of eliminating global poverty and disease is far from over, the progress made shows the world is headed in the right direction.

Suspected Boko Haram militants kill 26 people in Chad attacks Posted: 08 Jul 2015 12:08 PM PDT By Madjiasra Nako N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - Suspected militants from the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram killed 26 people in night attacks on two villages on Lake Chad over the weekend, Chadian officials said. Boko Haram has stepped up assaults in recent weeks across the region in what appears to be a fight back against an offensive mounted by soldiers from Nigeria and its neighbors, Chad, Cameroon and Niger. Boko Haram, fighting to carve out an Islamist state in northeast Nigeria, has also launched a string of cross border raids.

An IS secret to success: Shock troops who fight to the death Posted: 08 Jul 2015 11:06 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Fanatical and disciplined, the unit of Islamic State group fighters infiltrated the Syrian border town of Kobani and unleashed mayhem, battling Kurdish forces. In the end, the militants were all killed, but not before they had accomplished their mission of spreading fear by slaughtering more than 230 civilians, nearly half of them children.

A secret to IS success: Shock troops who fight to the death Posted: 08 Jul 2015 11:04 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Bearded and wearing bright blue bandanas, the Islamic State group's "special forces" unit gathered around their commander just before they attacked the central Syrian town of al-Sukhna. "Victory or martyrdom," they screamed, pledging their allegiance to God and vowing never to retreat.

Syrian activists say IS supporters hacked their website Posted: 08 Jul 2015 10:03 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Hackers claiming to be supporters of the Islamic State group on Wednesday hacked the website of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the head of the monitoring group said.

Suicide attempts most common in newer soldiers, study found Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:35 AM PDT CHICAGO (AP) — War-time suicide attempts in the Army are most common in newer enlisted soldiers who have not been deployed, while officers are less likely to try to end their lives. At both levels, attempts are more common among women and those without a high school diploma, according to a study billed as the most comprehensive analysis of a problem that has plagued the U.S. military in recent years.

Iraq celebrates return of antiquities, appeals for world help Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:19 AM PDT By Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq celebrated on Wednesday the return of hundreds of historical artefacts, from an ancient Assyrian statue to a 20th century presidential tea set, which were looted, lost or loaned abroad over recent decades. The recovery of the 800 items from museums, universities and auction houses in the United States, Italy and Jordan marks a small victory for Iraqi authorities struggling to protect their heritage from theft and destruction by Islamic State fighters. The hardline Islamist militants have taken over some of the world's richest archaeological sites in northern Iraq, home to Assyrian cities dating back 2,700 years and the Graeco-Roman era desert complex of Hatra.

Syrian Kurds reclaim town from Islamic State: monitor Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:16 AM PDT A Syrian Kurdish militia on Wednesday recaptured a town that had been stormed by Islamic State fighters earlier this week north of the jihadist group's base of operations in Raqqa city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Islamic State fighters had stormed the town of Ain Issa on Monday, part of a wider attack by the jihadist group on areas held by the Kurdish YPG militia. Ain Issa is 50 km (30 miles) north of Raqqa city.

Satirical billboards tackle Hungary's anti-immigrant drive Posted: 08 Jul 2015 09:07 AM PDT BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hundreds of crowd-funded satirical billboards with messages like "Sorry for our prime minister" and "Come to Hungary, we've got jobs in London" have been plastered across the country to counter the Hungarian government's anti-immigration campaign.

Iraq court sentences 24 to hang over Tikrit massacre Posted: 08 Jul 2015 08:34 AM PDT An Iraqi court on Wednesday sentenced 24 men to hang over the June 2014 massacre by jihadists and allied militants of hundreds of mostly Shiite military recruits in Tikrit. The central criminal court in Baghdad handed 24 of 28 defendants the maximum sentence over the "Speicher" massacre, named after the base from which the victims were captured before being executed. "After deliberations, the court finds that the evidence collected is sufficient to convict 24 defendants," said the judge.

Islamic State targeted in 25 air strikes by U.S.-led coalition: statement Posted: 08 Jul 2015 07:36 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies staged 25 air strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq on Tuesday in the latest round of daily attacks on the militant group, a coalition statement said. Fourteen strikes hit targets near the Iraqi cities of Fallujah, Haditha, Kirkuk, Makhmur, Mosul, Ramadi, Sinjar and Tel Afar, according to the combined Joint Task Force statement issued on Wednesday. Tactical units, fighting positions, weapons and car bombs were hit. ...

Iraq sentences 24 IS militants to death for killing soldiers Posted: 08 Jul 2015 06:58 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A Baghdad court on Wednesday sentenced 24 suspected members of the Islamic State terror group to death for their role in the killing of hundreds of Iraqi soldiers during the extremists' blitz across the country last year.

Seeking Refuge: In one German village, mayor lays welcome mat for migrants Posted: 08 Jul 2015 06:56 AM PDT As unprecedented numbers of migrants and asylum seekers arrive on Europe's shores seeking refuge, some countries have made it clear that they are not wanted. Hungary has announced plans to build a fence along its border with Serbia to keep migrants out. European leaders last month shot down a proposal by the European Union's executive arm to redistribute asylum seekers throughout the union with mandatory quotas.

Out of sight but not power, Erdogan eyes snap Turkish election Posted: 08 Jul 2015 06:33 AM PDT By Ercan Gurses and Nick Tattersall ANKARA/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Delays in efforts to form a coalition government in Turkey are buying time for President Tayyip Erdogan, heightening the chances of a snap election which could see his AK Party regain its majority and leaving the opposition floundering. Opposition parties are as fragmented as ever, and Erdogan - from the shadows - is calculating how best to maintain his grip. The June 7 vote plunged Turkey into political uncertainty not seen since the unstable coalition governments of the 1990s and thwarted, for now, Erdogan's ambition to turn the largely figurehead presidency he assumed last year into the powerful executive position he had all but taken for granted.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 08 Jul 2015 06:12 AM PDT Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Facing new militant threat, Sisi crackdown risks more instability in Egypt Posted: 08 Jul 2015 06:09 AM PDT By Michael Georgy CAIRO (Reuters) - Despite the lessons of the past, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is relying on fighter planes, mass arrests and death sentences to battle Islamist militants in a crackdown that could in fact prolong instability. Unlike former President Hosni Mubarak, whose more subtle approach induced even his most diehard militant opponents to opt for a truce in the 1990s, Sisi's response is all-out confrontation.

Cycling Saves Lives with Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride Posted: 08 Jul 2015 06:00 AM PDT NEW YORK, July 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Returning home from war isn't easy, but many have found hope through cycling with the help of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride®, presented by USAA®. This July, the rehabilitative cycling event brings dozens of injured service members to New York for a long weekend of cycling, healing, and camaraderie.This year, former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers and members of the British Armed Forces who were wounded during their military service will join the U.S. soldiers during the ride. ...

Iraq sentences 24 to death over mass killing of soldiers Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:55 AM PDT An Iraqi court sentenced 24 people to death on Wednesday over the killings of hundreds of mainly Shi'ite soldiers captured by Islamic State militants during their offensive through northern Iraq last year. As many as 1,700 soldiers were killed after they fled Camp Speicher, a former U.S. military base just north of Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, and were rounded up by the Sunni Islamist fighters. Video footage of the soldiers being gunned down in their hundreds, posted online by jihadists, came to symbolize Islamic State brutality and could mark the deadliest single act of violence during a decade of intermittent sectarian war in Iraq.

Taliban, Afghan officials hold peace talks, agree to meet again Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:51 AM PDT By Kay Johnson and Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The first official peace talks between the Afghan Taliban and the government in Kabul concluded with an agreement to meet again after the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, officials said on Wednesday. Pakistan hosted the meeting in a tentative step towards ending more than 13 years of war in neighboring Afghanistan, where the Taliban have been trying to re-establish their hard-line Islamist regime after it was toppled by U.S.-led military intervention in 2001. Tuesday's meeting was hailed as a "breakthrough" by Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

U.S., allies conduct 31 air strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military Posted: 08 Jul 2015 05:05 AM PDT WASHINGTON - The United States and its allies conducted 31 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Monday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement released early Wednesday. In Syria, the strikes were focused near Tal Abyad, where seven bomber, fighter and drone attacks hit tactical units for the militant group and also destroyed vehicles and fighting positions, according to the Combined Joint Task Force statement. Out of the total 15 strikes in the country, there also were four near Al Hasakah and two near Aleppo, as well as strikes near Ar Raqqah and Kobani. ...

Suspected U.S. drone kills Islamic State figure in Syria: monitor Posted: 08 Jul 2015 04:38 AM PDT A drone strike as part of a U.S.-led campaign against Islamic State militants killed a senior figure from the hardline group in its Syrian stronghold Raqqa city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Wednesday. Islamic State has attracted foreign fighters from across the world to fight in its self-declared caliphate across parts of Syria and Iraq. It has named Raqqa its defacto capital.

Mortar round kills five Egyptians in Sinai Posted: 08 Jul 2015 02:34 AM PDT Cairo (AFP) - Five Egyptian civilians were killed on Wednesday when a mortar round hit a house in a North Sinai village where the army is battling jihadist insurgents, security officials said.

Bull Versus Bear: The Outlook For Oil Prices Posted: 07 Jul 2015 12:49 PM PDT There's good reasons place your bets on either side of the trade. So let's look at both.

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