2015年12月15日星期二

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Yahoo! News: Iraq


Graham to King of Jordan: 'I am sorry.' Trump doesn’t represent America.

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 05:08 PM PST

Republican presidential candidate Lindsey Graham delivered a strong rebuke to front-runner Donald Trump over his call for a ban on Muslim immigrants and visitors.

US, Russia agree to push ahead with Syria talks

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 04:55 PM PST

US Secretary of State John Kerry (L) shakes hands with Russia's President Vladimir Putin during a meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow on December 15, 2015The United States and Russia agreed to plough on with efforts to halt Syria's brutal civil war, with a fresh round of international crisis talks set for this week in New York. After a three-hour meeting in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State John Kerry, the two sides appeared to be a step closer to each other's positions on Syria, though differences remained on the fate of President Bashar al-Assad. "We support the idea of convening in New York another meeting of the International Syria Support Group at the ministerial level this Friday, December 18," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said after the talks, which also touched on counterterrorism and Ukraine.


Why Saudi Arabia's coalition against terror might not be all it appears

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 04:31 PM PST

A group of Muslim countries announced Tuesday a coalition aimed at doing what the United States and other powers have long called on the Islamic world to do: make the war on the Islamic State and other Islamist terror groups its own. Saudi leaders announcing the 34-nation coalition and some participants said all the right things in trumpeting the new antiterror alliance. Speaking of a "disease" that has "affected the Islamic world," Saudi Deputy Crown Prince and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman said that the new coalition underscores "the Islamic world's vigilance in fighting" the scourge of terrorism.

The Latest: GOP presidential candidates meet for 5th debate

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 04:31 PM PST

Lindsey Graham, right, makes a point as Rick Santorum looks on during the CNN Republican presidential debate at the Venetian Hotel & Casino on Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)LAS VEGAS (AP) — The 2016 Republican presidential candidates are debating for the last time in 2015, this time in Las Vegas, as they race for advantage seven weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa.


Clinton: US needs '360-degree' anti-terror strategy

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 03:45 PM PST

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks about her counterterrorism strategy during a speech at the University of Minnesota Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Offering a prebuttal to Republicans, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that the American people "cannot give into fear" in the aftermath of attacks in Paris and California, laying out a multi-pronged strategy to protect the homeland and prevent domestic terrorist attacks.


Coalition efforts to stem IS oil yielding results, official says

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 03:11 PM PST

A November 9 photo released by the French military shows a Rafale fighter jet preparing to strike oil-production targets controlled by the Islamic State group in SyriaStepped-up attacks against the oil infrastructure of the Islamic State group have hurt its bottom line, a senior US official said Tuesday, as the Obama administration tries to rebut claims it is moving too slowly against the jihadists. The US-led coalition that has been bombing IS fighters in Iraq and Syria since August last year has started targeting fuel tankers that move oil around Syria and provide IS fighters with vital funding. Speaking to Pentagon reporters on condition of anonymity, the official said the IS group had been making between $40 million and $48 million a month from oil sales.


Top Asian News 10:31 p.m. GMT

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:32 PM PST

BANGKOK (AP) — The president of one of the world's biggest seafood exporters expressed frustration and promised change Tuesday after saying an Associated Press investigation that linked slave-peeled shrimp to his company should be a "wake-up call" to the industry. Thiraphong Chansiri said Thai Union will spend millions of dollars to end reliance on poorly regulated contractors that have been responsible for much of the abuse. He added that under the current system, it's almost impossible to ensure that supply chains are clean. Like other exporters in Thailand, his company has for years relied heavily on poor migrants working in factories in the port town of Samut Sakhon to peel, gut and devein shrimp.

US Congress mulls reforms to visa-waiver program

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:14 PM PST

Senator Harry Reid, the top Democratic Party lawmaker in the US upper house, said December 15, 2015 that Republicans in the leadership had assured him a pending catch-all bill would not address the hot-button issue of international refugeesCongress is expected to reform a visa-waiver program as part of a sweeping spending bill, but is unlikely to restrict Syrian refugee flow into the United States, top Democrats said Tuesday. US lawmakers are in the final stages of negotiation on a $1.1 trillion spending package for 2016 that would avert a government shutdown before they break for the holidays. It is shaping up as a catch-all measure for several pieces of legislation, and top Senate Democrat Harry Reid said it was likely it would include a bill that reforms the program allowing millions of international visitors to travel to the United States without a visa.


US general is first woman to oversee cadets at West Point academy

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:00 PM PST

Soldiers salute as the national anthem is played before the annual American football game between teams from the US Naval Academy and the US Military Academy at West Point, held December 12, 2015 in PhiladelphiaThe Pentagon has for the first time appointed a woman to oversee cadets at the prestigious US Military Academy at West Point, officials announced Tuesday. Brigadier General Diana Holland, a veteran of the US-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will assume her position as the 76th commandant of cadets in January. "It's a privilege to be part of the team that trains and develops leaders of character for our Army," Holland said in a statement.


Factbox: Oil, casino, refugees in U.S. Congress spending bill swirl

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:46 PM PST

Trying to avert a U.S. government shutdown within days, Congress on Tuesday was scrambling to finalize a $1.15 trillion spending bill, but negotiations have been complicated by a dispute over energy policy [L1N14412D] and a host of other issues. Dozens of policy "riders" were being considered by negotiators as add-ons to the spending bill. Republicans want to measure included that would slow or stop entry of Syrian refugees into the United States.

Afghan security worsens, casualties spike in 2015: Pentagon

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:34 PM PST

Members of Afghan Crisis Response Unit (CRU) arrive at the site of a Taliban attack in the Afghan capital of KabulBy Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Afghanistan's overall security deteriorated in the second half of this year, with Taliban militants staging more attacks and inflicting far more casualties on Afghan forces, the Pentagon said in a grim report to the U.S. Congress released on Tuesday. The Pentagon's assessment, offering statistics and details on attack trends, was yet more evidence of Afghanistan's struggle to blunt a resilient Taliban insurgency despite 14 years of U.S. military engagement. Recent setbacks include the brief fall of the northern city of Kunduz to the Taliban, a months-long struggle in Helmand province and an insurgent raid on the airport in the southern city of Kandahar last week that killed 50 civilians, police and security personnel.


Saudi Arabia creates Islamic bloc to fight terror groups

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:31 PM PST

Saudi Arabia forms Islamic counterterrorism coalitionRIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Projecting its ambition for regional leadership, Saudi Arabia said Tuesday it has lined up most of the Arab world, NATO member Turkey and several African and Asian countries behind a vaguely defined "Islamic military alliance" against terrorists.


Pentagon says violence is on rise in Afghanistan

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:31 PM PST

FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2015 file photo, Gen. John Campbell, the top American commander in Afghanistan, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington. Violence in Afghanistan is on the rise, according to a new Pentagon report to Congress that says the Taliban was emboldened by the reduced U.S. military role and are likely to try to build momentum from their 2015 attack strategy. Campbell told The Associated Press Tuesday: WASHINGTON (AP) — Violence in Afghanistan is on the rise, according to a new Pentagon report to Congress that says the Taliban was emboldened by the reduced U.S. military role and can be expected to build momentum from their 2015 attack strategy.


Denmark charges first Syria fighter over joining IS

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:18 PM PST

An image grab taken from a video released on March 17, 2014 by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant's al-Furqan Media allegedly shows ISIL fighters raising their weapons with the Jihadist flag at an undisclosed locationA Danish man who travelled to Syria in 2013 to join the Islamic State group was on Tuesday charged with breaching Denmark's anti-terrorism laws, in the country's first case of its kind. "It is the prosecution's view that everyone who joins IS in Syria has agreed in principle to take part in the terrorist acts that IS commits in the country," prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas said in a statement. The latter charge was over carrying 20,000 kroner ($2,935, 2,680 euros) with him when he was arrested by Danish police in March this year as he attempted to return to Syria.


Heavy Iraq crude has limited appeal for U.S. Gulf Coast buyers

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 01:10 PM PST

Oil pump jacks are seen next to a strawberry field in OxnardBy Liz Hampton and Marianna Parraga HOUSTON (Reuters) - Sellers of a new grade of Iraqi oil are competing fiercely to win market share on the U.S. Gulf Coast, though high sulfur content has limited appeal for refiners of the crude, known as Basra Heavy. Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) began selling the crude with an API gravity of about 23 degrees in May after separating it from the Basra Light stream to resolve quality and consistency issues and reach new customers. The first shipments of Basra Heavy to the U.S. Gulf Coast were modest.


Suspect arrested over Paris attacks as raids continue across France

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 12:30 PM PST

French police stand guard at Place de la Republique in ParisA 29-year-old man was arrested in the Paris region on Tuesday as part of the vast investigation into last month's attacks on the city that left 130 dead, a judicial source said. The probe has seen 2,700 police raids and 360 people placed under house arrest since the attacks by the Islamic State group, which triggered a nationwide state of emergency. The man detained Tuesday is to be questioned about possible links with another man who is believed to have left for Syria and who is of particular interest to police investigating the November 13 attacks, a source close to the case said.


Russian security agency investigates suspected IS sponsors

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 12:18 PM PST

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's top security agency says it has been investigating 1,600 individuals and legal entities suspected of aiding the Islamic State group.

Saudi reopens Baghdad embassy after 25 years

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 12:08 PM PST

Saudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad, a general view of the city is pictured here on June 26, 2014, a quarter of a century after relations were broken over Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, a foreign ministry official saidSaudi Arabia reopened its embassy in Baghdad Tuesday, a quarter of a century after relations were broken over Iraq's invasion of Kuwait, a foreign ministry official said. "The staff of the Saudi embassy arrived today in Baghdad," the official told AFP. A consulate is expected to open later in Arbil, capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region.


Saudi forms 34-nation anti-'terrorist' military coalition

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:45 AM PST

Saudi Arabia has formed a coalition of 34 countries to fight terrorism including powerful Gulf states, Egypt and Turkey but excluding IranSaudi Arabia announced Tuesday the formation of a military coalition of 34 countries to fight "terrorism" in the Islamic world, in the latest sign of a more assertive foreign policy by the kingdom. It is time that the Islamic world takes a stand," he told reporters in Paris. Adam Baron, a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said the coalition fits into "the larger, more assertive policy" of Saudi King Salman and Mohammed, his powerful son.


Three Turkish police killed in PKK attack: sources

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:39 AM PST

Turkish police on November 30, 2015 in DiyarbakirThree Turkish police officers were killed Tuesday in a roadside bomb attack on their vehicle blamed on Kurdish rebels, security sources said, amid a new upsurge in violence in Turkey's troubled southeast. The three were killed in the Silvan district of the mainly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir as their armoured vehicle travelled on a main road, the security sources told AFP. The Turkish government has been waging a relentless offensive aimed at crippling the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has staged a string of attacks against security forces in Turkey since a two-year-old ceasefire fell apart in late July.


15 IS suicide car bombs targetting Iraq forces 'repelled'

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:37 AM PST

Iraqi counter-terrorism forces drive in the Tameem district of Ramadi, a large city on the Euphrates, on December 9, 2015A wave of 15 suicide car bomb attacks by the Islamic State group (IS) against Iraqi security forces was repelled east of the flashpoint city of Ramadi Tuesday with limited casualties, officials said. The onslaught was the latest in a series of attacks by jihadists defending positions in Ramadi, which Iraqi forces, backed by US-led coalition air strikes, are trying to retake. "Aircraft of the international coalition and Iraqi ground forces... repelled a violent attack from Daesh," police Captain Ahmed al-Dulaimi said, using an Arab acronym for IS.


Young Iraqi Christian Refugee Forgives ISIS for Displacing Family, Hopes for a Future Without Wars

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 11:06 AM PST

Young Iraqi Christian Refugee Forgives ISIS for Displacing Family, Hopes for a Future Without WarsA young Iraqi Christian girl, whose family has been living in a refugee camp after fleeing ISIS threats, says she forgives the terrorist group and shared her hope for the future. "Yes I forgive them," Myriam told ABC News "20/20" co-anchor Elizabeth Vargas, adding that "as Jesus said 'forgive each other, love each other the way I love you,' that is what we need to learn. Just 10 years old, Myriam is among the thousands of Iraqi Christians who have fled their homes because of ISIS terror threats.


Obama says immigrants renew America, US a welcoming nation

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:57 AM PST

Participants in a naturalization ceremony raise their hands to take the "Oath of Allegiance" at an event attended by President Barack Obama at the National Archives in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015. Obama spoke at the National Archives Museum, where 31 immigrants from Iraq, Ethiopia, Uganda and 23 other nations are being sworn in as U.S. citizens. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama described immigration on Tuesday as the nation's oldest tradition and part of what makes the country exceptional, as he sought to draw a contrast with those who would seal the borders to people seeking to escape hardships or persecution.


Afghan security worse in second part of 2015: Pentagon

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:48 AM PST

Afghan security personnel stand guard at a checkpoint in Kunduz, on October 15, 2015The overall security situation in Afghanistan deteriorated in the second half of 2015, with an increase in insurgent attacks and higher casualties among both Taliban and national forces, a Pentagon report stated Tuesday. This month marks a year since the US- and NATO-led mission in Afghanistan transitioned into an Afghan-led operation, with allied nations assisting in training and equipping local forces to tackle Taliban and other groups in the war-torn nation. "The Taliban have remained active in their traditional strongholds, namely in Helmand in the south and Logar and Wardak in the east, and also created a sense of instability for brief periods of time in other parts of the country, such as in Kunduz in northern Afghanistan," the Pentagon's semi-annual report to Congress stated.


Can Trump Stay on Cruz Control in Vegas?

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:40 AM PST

Nine Republican candidates will squeeze onto a Las Vegas debate stage on Tuesday, but the lights seem to be shining brightest on two of them at the moment: Donald Trump and Ted Cruz.

The Latest: Russian military says Syrian opposition helps it

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:29 AM PST

Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir holds a press conference Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015 in Paris. Saudi Arabia said Tuesday that 34 nations have agreed to form a new "Islamic military alliance" to fight terrorism with a joint operations center based in the kingdom, but the coalition does not include Shiite-majority Iran or Iraq, and it's not clear how exactly it would function. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)MOSCOW (AP) — The latest news on developments in the Syrian conflict. All times local:


Saudi Arabia says sending special forces to Syria under discussion

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 10:06 AM PST

By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Arab states are discussing sending special forces to Syria as part of U.S.-led efforts to fight Islamic State, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Tuesday. "There are discussions, countries that are currently part of the coalition (like) Saudi Arabia, the (United Arab) Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain about sending in some special forces into Syria, and those discussions are ongoing.

UNESCO, museums warn of extremist threat to Libya artifacts

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 09:59 AM PST

This photo provided by ICOM , the International Council of Museums, Tuesday Dec.15, 2015 shows a bone plaque with Erotes on dolphins , Roman period (first half of the 3rd c AD), part of the emergency red list.. Leading world museums and the U.N. cultural agency say Greek and Roman antiquities and prehistoric artwork are under threat from Islamic State extremists in lawless Libya. The International Council of Museums released a list Tuesday of Libyan cultural treasures PARIS (AP) — Leading world museums and the U.N. cultural agency are releasing a list of Greek and Roman antiquities and prehistoric artwork under threat from Islamic State extremists in lawless Libya.


AP Interview: US General says Afghan IS loyalists growing

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 09:12 AM PST

Commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John F. Campbell talks during an interview with the Associated Press at his office in Resolute Support headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2015. Supporters of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan are attempting to establish a regional base in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, said on Tuesday. (AP Photos/Massoud Hossaini)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Supporters of the Islamic State group in Afghanistan are attempting to establish a regional base in the eastern city of Jalalabad, the commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Campbell, said on Tuesday.


Dangers for journalists still high in 2015: watchdogs

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:57 AM PST

Egyptian journalist Ibrahim al-Darawi has his mouth covered with a cloth gag reading in Arabic "Journalist" as he and others stand trial in Cairo on June 2, 2015Journalists faced ongoing threats of jail or abduction for their work in many areas of the world, with China and Egypt imprisoning the largest number of reporters, watchdog groups said Tuesday. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists identified 199 members of the press behind bars because of their work in 2015 in journalism, compared with 221 the previous year. The group said that even though some countries released journalists, a climate of fear remained intense in many countries.


Pentagon names 1st female commandant of West Point's cadets

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:52 AM PST

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will be the first female commandant of cadets at the U.S. Military Academy, one of West Point's top positions.

France uses cruise missiles against Islamic State for first time

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:29 AM PST

An ordnance crew member prepares a 'Scalp' missile on a Rafale fighter jet, to be used for the first time in combat, on the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrierFrance has used cruise missiles for the first time against the Islamic State during strikes in Iraq on Tuesday, the Defense Ministry said. SCALP long-range missiles were launched from French fighter jets based in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan as part of a bombing raid that targeted a command center, training site and logistics depot in western Iraq on the border with Syria. France has stepped up strikes on Islamic State targets in Syria and Iraq after the organization claimed responsibility for shootings and suicide bombings in Paris last month that left 130 people dead.


France uses first cruise missiles against Islamic State

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 08:13 AM PST

French army Rafale fighter jets fly towards Syria, as part of France's Operation Chammal on September 27, 2015The French air force used its first cruise missiles against Islamic State group targets in Iraq on Tuesday, the defence ministry said. "Launched from the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, the raid was made up of a dozen fighter planes equipped with cruise missiles and bombs," the French ministry said in a statement. The jets targeted buildings in the Al-Qaim area of western Iraq, a civilian neighbourhood that also serves as "a training centre and logistical depot," the ministry said.


Iraq says Turkey must pull out all its troops after partial withdrawal

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 07:17 AM PST

Turkey must pull all its forces out of a camp in northern Iraq, a spokesman for the Iraqi prime minister said on Tuesday after Turkey withdrew some troops from the area. The deployment of around 150 Turkish troops to a camp near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this month has strained relations between Ankara and Baghdad, which protested to the United Nations. Turkey said on Monday that some of its troops had begun leaving, but Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's spokesman said it was not enough.

U.S., allies stage eight air strikes in Iraq, six in Syria: U.S. military

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 06:45 AM PST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State militants with a fresh round of 14 air strikes in Syria and Iraq on Monday, the U.S. military said in a statement. In Iraq, eight air strikes near three cities hit three Islamic State tactical units, an improvised explosive device factory and various fighting positions, among other targets, according to the statement released on Tuesday. Six strikes near three Syrian cities hit three of the group's tactical units, a building and wounded three militant fighters, the statement said. ...

Carter's trip aims to strengthen fight against Islamic State

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 06:44 AM PST

President Barack Obama, Defense Secretary Ash Carter and Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Lloyd Austin, leave the podium after the president spoke at the Pentagon, Monday, Dec. 14, 2015, about the fight against the Islamic State group following a National Security Council meeting. The president said the U.S. military and allied forces are hitting the Islamic State group harder than ever. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the U.S. wants Turkey to better control its border with Syria, which could help block the flow of foreign fighters to the Islamic State, and to more forcefully join the U.S.-led coalition "in the air and on the ground."


Agencies Spent $4.4 Billion on Self-Promotion, Violating Federal Rules

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 06:30 AM PST

Agencies Spent $4.4 Billion on Self-Promotion, Violating Federal RulesThe Obama administration got its hand slapped last year with the revelation that government agencies had spent literally billions of dollars promoting themselves with the public and news media in contravention of federal rules against just such activities. A Congressional Research Service study revealed that the administration had spent at minimum a total of $4.4 billion on outside advertising contracts between fiscal 2009 and 2013 – including $419 million for the Pentagon, $197.4 million for the Department of Health and Human Services and $128.8 million for the Department of Education. More recently, The Washington Post reported that an agency of DHS had contracted with the Edelman public relations firm "to refine their agency messaging" with reporters.


Turkey says to take fight to Kurdish militants as violence flares

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 05:34 AM PST

By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey will take the fight to Kurdish militants in the southeast to prevent them from "spreading the fire" from neighboring Syria and Iraq into the country, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday, as violence flared up again. Since the collapse of a ceasefire with the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in July, the mainly Kurdish southeast has been wracked by clashes between security forces and PKK fighters and subjected to frequent curfews. On Monday, two men were shot dead in the main southeastern city of Diyarbakir, while security forces have killed six militants in the province of Mardin since Friday.

Journalists behind bars: 2015 report highlights China, Egypt

Posted: 15 Dec 2015 05:23 AM PST

FILE - In this photo April 11, 2013 file photo, Jason Rezaian, an Iranian-American correspondent for the Washington Post, smiles as he attends a presidential campaign of President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Iran. Rezaian is one of the 19 journalists that the Committee to Protect Journalists listed as being behind bars in Iran, an Islamic republic under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)NEW YORK (AP) — China, Egypt and Iran top the list of the world's leading jailers of journalists in a new annual report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists. Eritrea, Ethiopia and Turkey also figured prominently on the list.


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