Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Islamic State fights rival group and eastern forces in Libya
• Islamic State leader raped American hostage, US finds
• Iowa State Fair: Jeb Bush personal time with state leaders
• Three Turkish soldiers killed in PKK attack in southeast
• Uzbek who threatened Obama pleads guilty in NY
• ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Sexually Abused American Hostage Kayla Mueller, Officials Say
• US hostage raped by Baghdadi before death: report
• Six people killed, eight wounded in attacks in Turkey's southeast
• Iraq PM calls for judicial reform requested by top cleric
• Turkish nationalists reject minority government in blow to Erdogan
• 150-200 dead in Libya 'massacre': ambassador
• Thousands of Iraqis rally in support of government reforms
• Democrats undeclared on Iran deal heed voters, not ads
• Eyeing Russia, the Air Force Sends More A-10 Warthogs to Europe
• PKK leader warns of 'heavy price' amid new Turkey violence
• U.S., allies hit Islamic State with 23 air strikes in Iraq: U.S.
• 'Controlled' bomb explosion causes panic in Turkey
• Thousands demonstrate in Iraq capital for more reforms
• UK's Labour starts leadership vote with left-winger ahead
• Where's Shekau? Chad president messes with Boko Haram's mind
• New Taliban leader welcomes Al-Qaeda chief's pledge of loyalty
• France to rally aid for religious minorities targeted by IS
• Indonesia detains 'IS-linked' militants planning attacks
• Syrian Kurdish militia expands with its territory
• Austrian refugee camp violates children's rights, says Amnesty
• Iraqi Kurds say Islamic State attacked them with chemical weapons
• Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric calls for reforms to start with judiciary
• U.N. urges Iraq to close secret detention centers
• Islamic State and rival group fight for Libyan city, 37 killed - residents
• Islamic State uses theology to justify rape, enslavement of Yazidi women
• This Is What Justice Looks Like in Many Small Towns Across America
• Where in the World Is Congress Spending Its Summer Vacation?
• Islamic State attacks in and around Iraqi refinery town
• Turkey builds concrete wall along Syria border after attacks
• On prison island, Kurdish leader sidelined as peace unravels
• Three people killed, two wounded in attacks in Turkey's southeast
• AP-NORC Poll: Terror tops Americans' foreign policy concerns
• Brent pares gains as oil glut returns to the fore

Islamic State fights rival group and eastern forces in Libya Posted: 14 Aug 2015 04:42 PM PDT By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - At least 46 people have been killed in clashes between Islamic State, a rival Islamist group and forces loyal to the official government in two Libyan cities, residents and medics said on Friday. In the main eastern city, Benghazi, Islamic State attacked forces loyal to the official government. A warplane could be heard later, as government forces brought in reinforcements.

Islamic State leader raped American hostage, US finds Posted: 14 Aug 2015 03:49 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — American hostage Kayla Mueller was repeatedly forced to have sex with Abu Bakr Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State group, U.S. intelligence officials told her family in June.

Iowa State Fair: Jeb Bush personal time with state leaders Posted: 14 Aug 2015 03:33 PM PDT DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — No endorsements were made, but Jeb Bush got the next best thing Friday from the top three Republicans in Iowa — personal time at the Iowa State Fair.

Three Turkish soldiers killed in PKK attack in southeast Posted: 14 Aug 2015 03:22 PM PDT Three Turkish soldiers were killed on Friday in an attack by Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) rebels in the southeast of the country, the army said. PKK militants attacked Turkish troops deployed in the Daglica area of the southeastern Hakkari region with gunfire and rockets, it said in a statement. After a series of attacks in Turkey, Ankara has launched a two-pronged offensive to bomb Islamic State militants in Syria and PKK rebels in northern Iraq and southeast Turkey.

Uzbek who threatened Obama pleads guilty in NY Posted: 14 Aug 2015 02:47 PM PDT A 25-year-old Uzbek resident of New York pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring to provide material support for the Islamic State extremist group in Iraq and Syria, prosecutors said. Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev posted a message online last August offering to kill President Barack Obama or bomb New York's beach resort of Coney Island if ordered to do so by the IS group. "The defendant planned to travel to Syria to wage jihad... and was prepared to commit a terrorist attack on American soil if he were not able to make that trip," said Kelly Currie, acting US attorney for the eastern district of New York.

ISIS Leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi Sexually Abused American Hostage Kayla Mueller, Officials Say Posted: 14 Aug 2015 02:10 PM PDT Before her death earlier this year, American hostage Kayla Mueller was repeatedly raped by the top leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, according to counter-terrorism officials. Mueller's family confirmed to ABC News that government officials have told them that their daughter, who would have turned 27 today, was the victim of repeated sexual assaults by al-Baghdadi. "We were told Kayla was tortured, that she was the property of al-Baghdadi.

US hostage raped by Baghdadi before death: report Posted: 14 Aug 2015 01:46 PM PDT US hostage Kayla Mueller was raped repeatedly by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State jihadist group, before her death, US television reported Friday. Top IS leader Baghdadi personally brought the 26-year-old aid worker to be imprisoned inside the home of the group's top financier, ABC News reported. The television network quoted US counter-terrorism officials and spoke to Mueller's parents, who confirmed being told by government officials that their daughter was sexually assaulted by Baghdadi.

Six people killed, eight wounded in attacks in Turkey's southeast Posted: 14 Aug 2015 01:45 PM PDT By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Six people were killed and eight wounded on Friday as violence between Kurdish militants and Turkish soldiers flared up again in Turkey's southeast, security sources and the military said. Fighting between the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the military has broken out almost daily over the last month. The PKK has been hitting military targets after Ankara resumed air strikes on PKK camps in northern Iraq in what it calls a "synchronized war on terror".

Iraq PM calls for judicial reform requested by top cleric Posted: 14 Aug 2015 12:50 PM PDT Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called Friday for the judiciary to undertake "drastic" reforms to allow it to fight corruption, after the country's top Shiite cleric said such measures were required. Abadi announced a reform programme in response to weeks of protests and to a call from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for drastic change, and said judicial reforms requested by the cleric were needed to carry the measures out. Calls for change by Sistani, who is revered by millions, have shielded as well as influenced Abadi's efforts, as it is politically risky for rival Shiite politicians to publicly oppose measures called for by the top cleric.

Turkish nationalists reject minority government in blow to Erdogan Posted: 14 Aug 2015 12:46 PM PDT By Orhan Coskun and Ercan Gurses ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's nationalist opposition made clear on Friday it would not roll over and back a minority government, making President Tayyip Erdogan's aim of taking the country to a snap election with the ruling party in control look increasingly difficult. Talks on forming a grand coalition between the AK Party and the main opposition CHP broke down on Thursday, making an autumn election almost inevitable and leaving the ruling party having to turn to the nationalist MHP for support. The AKP failed to hold onto its majority in an election on June 7, leaving it unable to govern alone for the first time since coming to power in 2002 and plunging Turkey into uncertainty not seen since the fragile coalitions of the 1990s.

150-200 dead in Libya 'massacre': ambassador Posted: 14 Aug 2015 12:20 PM PDT A battle between Islamic State group jihadists and local gunmen in Sirte has left between 150 and 200 dead, a Libyan diplomat said Friday, warning of a massacre in the coastal city. "A real massacre is taking place, and we call on the international community to intervene," Libyan ambassador to France, Chibani Abuhamoud, told AFP. A Sirte council official said earlier that the fighting erupted Tuesday as authorities in the militia-held capital Tripoli, opposed to Libya's internationally recognised government, announced the launch of an operation to retake the city from IS.

Thousands of Iraqis rally in support of government reforms Posted: 14 Aug 2015 12:04 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Thousands of people demonstrated in cities across Iraq on Friday to show support for a reform plan put forth by the prime minister this week while still demanding that greater measures be taken to target corruption and restore basic services.

Democrats undeclared on Iran deal heed voters, not ads Posted: 14 Aug 2015 11:55 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Opponents of President Barack Obama's nuclear pact with Iran tried turning up the heat this week on undecided Senate Democrat Jon Tester with a TV ad saying politician like him would have "blood on their hands" if they supported the deal. But the burly Montanan came out in favor, the latest of a string of Democrats to shrug off ad campaigns from opposition groups.

Eyeing Russia, the Air Force Sends More A-10 Warthogs to Europe Posted: 14 Aug 2015 11:30 AM PDT The Air Force didn't help its long-standing argument that the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jet should be retired when the service announced this week it would deploy more of the aircraft to Europe this fall. The 23rd Wing at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia announced it will send 12 attack planes and crews to Central and Eastern European to bolster NATO's "Operation Atlantic Resolve," an ongoing show of military might meant to deter Russian aggression in the region. In March, the Air Force deployed a dozen A-10s from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona to Romania and the Czech Republic.

PKK leader warns of 'heavy price' amid new Turkey violence Posted: 14 Aug 2015 10:56 AM PDT A senior figure in the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) on Friday warned that Turkey would pay "a heavy price" for its offensive against the rebels amid new deadly clashes in the Kurdish-majority southeast. A 40-year-old man was killed when he was caught in an armed clash between Turkish forces and the PKK in the city of Diyarbakir, security sources told AFP. A 29-year-old man was also wounded during clashes that erupted overnight after youths linked to the outlawed PKK opened fire at police trying to clear a main road blocked by the militants.

U.S., allies hit Islamic State with 23 air strikes in Iraq: U.S. Posted: 14 Aug 2015 10:45 AM PDT A U.S.-led coalition conducted 23 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq on Thursday, concentrating on targets near Ramadi to surround and then retake the city, according to a military statement on Friday. The six strikes near the Anbar capital Ramadi hit Islamic State tactical units and a fighting position, and also destroyed buildings, improvised explosive devices, vehicles and a recoilless rifle, the Combined Joint Task Force said. Col. Mike Indovina, a spokesman for the coalition, said in the statement that the strikes would help Iraq's forces advance to the point where they could encircle Ramadi.

'Controlled' bomb explosion causes panic in Turkey Posted: 14 Aug 2015 10:45 AM PDT Turkish bomb disposal experts were taken aback on Friday when the controlled explosion of a car bomb in the Kurdish-dominated southeast caused a massive blast that scattered debris and caused panic amongst bystanders. After sealing off the area in the southeastern region of Batman, experts transported the abandoned car to an open space and set off a controlled detonation, the private Dogan news agency reported. There was no immediate claim for who set the bomb but the incident comes amid a spate of daily attacks in Turkey carried out by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Thousands demonstrate in Iraq capital for more reforms Posted: 14 Aug 2015 09:53 AM PDT Thousands of people turned out for a festive demonstration in Baghdad's Tahrir Square Friday, expressing support for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's reform drive while calling on him to do more. On Sunday, Abadi announced a reform programme in response to weeks of protests and to a call for drastic change from Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. In Baghdad, the demonstrators waved Iraqi flags and criticised most politicians while praising Abadi.

UK's Labour starts leadership vote with left-winger ahead Posted: 14 Aug 2015 09:02 AM PDT Voting began Friday to elect the new leader of Britain's main opposition Labour party, with Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran socialist who would move the party significantly to the left, favourite to win. The 66-year-old only entered the race as a wildcard but has attracted surging grassroots support, prompting backers to adopt the slogan "Jez We Can" in an echo of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign rallying call. Many top Labour figures warn the party under him could not take power in a country where elections are typically won or lost on the centre ground.

Where's Shekau? Chad president messes with Boko Haram's mind Posted: 14 Aug 2015 08:51 AM PDT By Alexis Akwagyiram and Julia Payne ABUJA (Reuters) - If Chadian President Idriss Deby is to be believed, Abubakar Shekau, the bearded and bandoliered leader of Islamist militant group Boko Haram, is no more. Given the many previous reports of Shekau's demise, followed soon after by videos of him brandishing automatic weapons and spouting invective against the Nigerian state, analysts and diplomats are treating the claims with caution. First, Shekau - not known for being camera-shy - has not appeared on video for six months, raising the possibility that he has indeed been injured or killed by offensives during that time by Nigerian, Chadian and Cameroonian troops.

New Taliban leader welcomes Al-Qaeda chief's pledge of loyalty Posted: 14 Aug 2015 08:44 AM PDT The Taliban's new leader on Friday welcomed Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri's pledge of allegiance which could bolster his accession amid a bitter power struggle within the Afghan militant movement. Mullah Akhtar Mansour takes charge as the Islamic State group makes gradual inroads into Afghanistan, challenging the Taliban on their home turf. Zawahiri's declaration on Thursday came with Al-Qaeda also facing a growing rivalry for global jihadist preeminence with IS, which has seized control of large parts of Syria and Iraq.

France to rally aid for religious minorities targeted by IS Posted: 14 Aug 2015 08:01 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — France is hosting a conference next month to raise money and rally support for Mideast Christians and other minorities persecuted by the Islamic State group.

Indonesia detains 'IS-linked' militants planning attacks Posted: 14 Aug 2015 07:59 AM PDT Indonesian police have arrested three militants with links to the Islamic State group who were planning to launch bomb attacks during independence day celebrations next week, police and sources said Friday. The men were plotting to attack churches and a police station on Monday in the city of Solo, on the main island of Java, when the country celebrates the 70th anniversary of its declaration of independence, police said. Elite anti-terror police detained the men in the city Wednesday, local police chief Nur Ali told a press conference.

Syrian Kurdish militia expands with its territory Posted: 14 Aug 2015 07:56 AM PDT By Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - A Kurdish militia that has captured swathes of northern Syria from Islamic State has signed up thousands of fighters in recent months as it seeks to tighten control over newly won territory. The People's Protection Units (YPG), which has been fighting Islamic State with U.S.-led air support, says it now controls territory the size of Qatar and Kuwait combined. YPG spokesman Redur Xelil, speaking to Reuters, said the YPG had drawn 5,000 new recruits, growing to 40,000 fighters.

Austrian refugee camp violates children's rights, says Amnesty Posted: 14 Aug 2015 07:50 AM PDT Amnesty International on Friday slammed conditions at Austria's main refugee camp as a "disgraceful" violation of human rights, highlighting what it called the "inhumane" plight of more than 1,700 unaccompanied children. The human rights organisation visited the Traiskirchen camp, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Vienna, last week, a day after the overcrowded centre stopped accepting new arrivals because of disastrous sanitary conditions. Built to house 1,800 people, the camp and an adjacent government building are currently home to 4,000 men, women and children.

Iraqi Kurds say Islamic State attacked them with chemical weapons Posted: 14 Aug 2015 07:37 AM PDT By Isabel Coles ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Kurdish authorities in Iraq said on Friday they believe their Peshmerga forces have been attacked with chemical weapons, possibly chlorine gas, by Islamic State militants. The Kurdistan Region's Security Council said it was investigating multiple attacks by Islamic State insurgents against Peshmerga positions, including in Makhmour, southwest of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region, earlier this week. It was the third report of suspected chemical weapons use on the Iraqi battlefield this year.

Iraq's top Shi'ite cleric calls for reforms to start with judiciary Posted: 14 Aug 2015 06:40 AM PDT Iraq's top Shi'ite Muslim cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called on parliament and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday to focus their anti-corruption campaign first on improving the judiciary. Parliament unanimously approved a sweeping reform plan this week proposed by Abadi in the biggest shake-up in the country's governing system since the 2003-2011 U.S. military occupation. Abadi has sought to transform a system which critics say has encouraged graft and incompetence, depriving Iraqis of basic services while undermining government forces in the battle against Islamic State insurgents.

U.N. urges Iraq to close secret detention centers Posted: 14 Aug 2015 06:38 AM PDT By Stephanie Nebehay GENEVA (Reuters) - A U.N. human rights watchdog called on Iraq on Friday to close what it described as secret detention centers where militant suspects, including minors, are "severely tortured". The panel of 18 independent experts, who reviewed Iraq's record in preventing torture and ill-treatment last month, had challenged Iraqi officials to name a single person the country had jailed for torture in a justice system that had "gone astray". It said they were "detained incommunicado and held in secret detention centers for extended periods of time, during which they are severely tortured in order to extract confessions".

Islamic State and rival group fight for Libyan city, 37 killed - residents Posted: 14 Aug 2015 06:16 AM PDT By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Around 37 people have been killed in clashes between Islamic State fighters and an Islamist group that is challenging the grip of the ultra-hardliners on the city of Sirte in central Libya, residents said. The fighting in the hometown of late ruler Muammar Gaddafi typifies the chaos in the oil producer, where two governments, former rebel and Islamist groups battle for control, and is driving families to flee to seek relative safety. Earlier this week, a Salafist Muslim group and armed residents attacked Islamic State fighters in Sirte, located about 500 km east of the capital Tripoli, accusing them of killing a prominent preacher in Sirte.

Islamic State uses theology to justify rape, enslavement of Yazidi women Posted: 14 Aug 2015 05:37 AM PDT A wrenching look by The New York Times into the Islamic State's enslavement and rape of women from the Yazidi minority group has shed light on one of the most disturbing aspects of its rule in Syria and Iraq. The practice, according to reporter Rukmini Callimachi, was formalized a year ago, when IS announced it was bringing institutionalized slavery back. To handle them, the Islamic State has developed a detailed bureaucracy of sex slavery, including sales contracts notarized by the ISIS-run Islamic courts.

This Is What Justice Looks Like in Many Small Towns Across America Posted: 14 Aug 2015 05:21 AM PDT After four years with the Army in Iraq, Jake Christie would self-medicate his PTSD with the bottle. One night in 2014, four years after he was honorably discharged, he got into a fight with another regular at a local watering hole near his home in Port Royal, South Carolina.

Where in the World Is Congress Spending Its Summer Vacation? Posted: 14 Aug 2015 05:00 AM PDT An annual rite of summer, Congress takes a recess for five weeks every August. Others travel throughout the country or overseas to learn more first-hand about the policy issues they most care about, returning to Capitol Hill armed with fresh knowledge and new perspective.  "In a general, travel can be an important part of fulfilling their oversight role," said Joshua Sewell, a senior policy analyst for Taxpayers for Common Sense.

Islamic State attacks in and around Iraqi refinery town Posted: 14 Aug 2015 04:51 AM PDT Islamic State militants attacked the outskirts of Iraq's northern oil refinery town of Baiji overnight with car bombs and clashed with the army and Shi'ite militias in the town's western districts, the local mayor and security sources said on Friday. The town of Baiji and its refinery - Iraq's largest - have been a battlefront for more than a year. The hardline Islamists seized the town in June 2014 as they swept through much of northern Iraq toward the capital Baghdad.

Turkey builds concrete wall along Syria border after attacks Posted: 14 Aug 2015 04:47 AM PDT The Turkish military has started building a concrete wall along the border with Syria following a series of attacks, state media said Friday. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) is building the three metre (10 feet) high wall in the Reyhanli district of Hatay province just across from the Syrian town of Atmeh, the official Anatolia news agency said. A bombing killed 33 people in a mainly Kurdish town in southern Turkey on July 20, ending a truce between Ankara and the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is active in southeastern Turkey.

On prison island, Kurdish leader sidelined as peace unravels Posted: 14 Aug 2015 04:06 AM PDT With a ceasefire between Turkey and Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in tatters, the man who could hold the key to restarting the peace process is sidelined and increasingly isolated on a heavily fortified prison island. Abdullah Ocalan, the iconic leader of the PKK, has only the most limited access to the outside world from his top security jail on the island of Imrali on the Sea of Marmara following his sensational arrest by Turkish agents in Kenya in 1999. Crucially, the Turkish government has not given permission for a delegation of pro-Kurdish lawmakers to visit him since April, cutting off Ocalan's main means of communication with the outside.

Three people killed, two wounded in attacks in Turkey's southeast Posted: 14 Aug 2015 02:57 AM PDT By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - A Turkish soldier and two Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants were killed in a spate of attacks in Turkey's southeast, security sources said on Friday. The soldier was killed after a mine laid by militants was detonated remotely in the eastern province of Bingol, the provincial governor's office said. Two PKK fighters were killed during an operation in response to the attack.

AP-NORC Poll: Terror tops Americans' foreign policy concerns Posted: 14 Aug 2015 01:21 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Few Americans want to see the United States take a more active approach to foreign policy, but the vast majority thinks it may be appropriate to take military action to achieve at least some goals in international affairs, according to a new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Brent pares gains as oil glut returns to the fore Posted: 14 Aug 2015 01:10 AM PDT By Libby George and Lisa Barrington LONDON (Reuters) - Brent crude prices pared gains on Thursday as the market weighed a burst of optimistic news on demand against the global overhang of physical oil. U.S. stockpiles of crude and gasoline fell last week, data from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) showed on Wednesday, bolstering sentiment about the U.S. market. Benchmark North Sea Brent crude oil was trading 20 cents higher at $49.86 a barrel at 1148 GMT after hitting a high of $50.39.

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