Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• 'Imminent' terror attack foiled in Australia
• Did Brian Williams overload the talk-show circuit?
• Afghanistan could become haven for IS: ex-CIA officer
• White House asking authorization for military to fight IS
• Obama seeks some limits on ground troops for Islamic State fight
• 20,000 foreign fighters head to Syria: US
• Foreign fighters still flowing to Syria, U.S. intelligence says
• Classified evidence debate may delay vanishing Marine trial
• Australian anti-terror police say imminent IS-linked attack thwarted
• RELIGIOUS COMPARISONS AT PRAYER BREAKFAST ARE ILL-TIMED
• Wife of 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle to testify
• How big a blow has Brian Williams dealt to network news?
• American hostage Mueller's family, U.S. government say she is dead
• Who was Kayla Mueller and what was she doing in Syria?
• Judge: No bond for Illinois woman accused in terrorism case
• Death of Kayla Mueller highlights collapse of Western aid to Syria
• White House seeks war authority against IS: lawmakers
• Iraqi archbishop urges military action
• FBI probes Newsweek hack following threats
• Chelsea Manning to write for Guardian newspaper
• AP Exclusive: 20,000 foreign fighters flock to Syria, Iraq
• US denies 'coordinating' Syria air strikes with Assad
• Obama confirms US hostage killed, UAE rejoins the fray
• From Jordan base, UAE resumes airstrikes on Islamic State
• US effort to train Syrian rebels ramps up: Can Pentagon avoid past follies?
• Trial of Marine accused of 'American Sniper' death set to open
• Grammy ratings slip on Sam Smith's big night
• G20 'determined' to lift growth but rifts remain
• US senator:Obama seeks no enduring offense combat role vs IS
• Syria 'informed' about US-led strikes on IS: Assad
• Senator: Obama seeks no enduring offense combat role vs IS
• Egypt leader on defensive over claims he mocked Gulf allies
• Nonprofit Contractor Billed Taxpayers for Booze, NFL Tickets
• Judge won't release US woman accused in terrorism case
• Text, timing of Obama AUMF request for Islamic State still in works: source
• Why Jordan is moving troops to Iraq border
• Senate panel advances Obama's Pentagon nominee Carter
• Bill O'Reilly Defends Brian Williams: "He Made a Mistake"
• Pentagon No. 2 sounds alarm over tech erosion
• IEA sees only partial rebound in oil prices

'Imminent' terror attack foiled in Australia Posted: 10 Feb 2015 04:56 PM PST Australia has foiled an "imminent" terror attack, arresting two men and seizing an Islamic State flag, a machete and a video detailing the plot during a raid in Sydney, police said Wednesday. New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said it would be alleged that the planned attack was "consistent with the messaging coming out of IS". Asked whether it involved a beheading, she said police were as yet unsure but that it was planned for Tuesday in Sydney and would likely have involved a knife. The men, aged 24 and 25, were arrested in a raid on a property in Sydney's western suburbs on Tuesday and have been charged with undertaking acts in preparation for a terrorist act.

Did Brian Williams overload the talk-show circuit? Posted: 10 Feb 2015 04:42 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Whatever NBC News decides about Brian Williams' future at the anchor desk, chances are the time he spends on talk-show couches will all but vanish.

Afghanistan could become haven for IS: ex-CIA officer Posted: 10 Feb 2015 04:36 PM PST Afghanistan is in danger of turning into a sanctuary once again for Islamist extremists as the West withdraws troops and shifts its attention elsewhere, a former senior CIA official warned Tuesday. The country could even become a refuge for Islamic State jihadists now waging war in Syria and Iraq, said Robert Grenier, the former Central Intelligence Agency station chief in Islamabad and author of a new book. His memoir, "88 Days to Kandahar," recounts his harrowing experience helping to topple the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in 2001 after the September 11 attacks. The Afghan Taliban would not be ready to rebuff its allies in the Pakistani Taliban or other extremists -- such as the Islamic State -- if they asked for sanctuary, he said.

White House asking authorization for military to fight IS Posted: 10 Feb 2015 04:21 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House circulated a proposal Tuesday to authorize the Pentagon to fight Islamic State terrorists without an "enduring offensive combat" role, an ambiguous phrase designed to satisfy lawmakers with widely varying views on the need for U.S. ground operations.

Obama seeks some limits on ground troops for Islamic State fight Posted: 10 Feb 2015 04:07 PM PST By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama will propose to Congress on Wednesday a new three-year authorization for the use of force against Islamic State with limits on U.S. combat troops' involvement, lawmakers and congressional aides said. Obama has defended his authority to lead an international coalition against Islamic State since Aug. 8 when U.S. fighter jets began attacking the jihadists in Iraq. Facing pressure to let lawmakers weigh in on an issue as important as the deployment of troops and chastened by elections that handed power in Congress to Republicans, he said in November he would request formal authorization for the use of military force (AUMF).

20,000 foreign fighters head to Syria: US Posted: 10 Feb 2015 04:05 PM PST Foreign fighters are flocking to Syria at an "unprecedented" rate, with more than 20,000 volunteers from around the world joining the Islamic State or other extremist groups, US intelligence officials said Tuesday. The foreign fighters have traveled to Syria from more than 90 countries, including at least 3,400 from Western states and more than 150 Americans, according to the latest estimate from the National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC). A majority of the foreign volunteers who arrived recently have joined forces with the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, it said.

Foreign fighters still flowing to Syria, U.S. intelligence says Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:55 PM PST The number of foreign fighters traveling to join the Islamic State or rival militant groups in Syria is continuing to grow, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official will tell a congressional hearing on Wednesday. The United States and its allies believe that more than 20,000 foreign fighters from more than 90 countries have gone to Syria, Nick Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said in testimony prepared for a hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security.

Classified evidence debate may delay vanishing Marine trial Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:53 PM PST CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) — A debate over classified evidence could delay the trial of a Marine accused of deserting his unit in Iraq a decade ago and later winding up in Lebanon.

Australian anti-terror police say imminent IS-linked attack thwarted Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:48 PM PST Australian counter-terrorism police said on Wednesday they had thwarted an imminent attack linked to the Islamic State militant group after arresting two men in Sydney a day earlier. Australia has been on heightened alert for attacks by home-grown Islamist radicals. It raised its national terror threat level to "high" for the first time in September, when hundreds of police conducted raids after receiving information that a radical group planned to conduct a public beheading. "When we did the search of the premises, a number of items were located, including a machete, a hunting knife, a home-made flag representing the prescribed terrorist organisation IS, and also a video which depicted a man talking about carrying out an attack," New South Wales Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn told reporters.

RELIGIOUS COMPARISONS AT PRAYER BREAKFAST ARE ILL-TIMED Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:31 PM PST In Iraq, entire Chaldean Catholic towns, dating from centuries ago, have been burned and destroyed by the Islamic State, or ISIS. At this year's National Prayer Breakfast early in February, the president exercised his tendency to praise Islam as a "religion of peace," and to warn American Christian sinners to watch our manners, to an extreme dimension. By that time, if audience members didn't choose to go home and have a drink rather than stay for the summing-up of the sermon, they're not the kind of Christians I'd deem to spend my time with. All of us Christians, except a small percentage today, are aware of the, shall we say, "blind spots" or "dark times" in the history of Christianity.

Wife of 'American Sniper' Chris Kyle to testify Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:20 PM PST STEPHENVILLE, Texas (AP) — The widow of the former Navy SEAL depicted in the blockbuster film "American Sniper" will be among the first to testify against the man charged with killing her husband.

How big a blow has Brian Williams dealt to network news? Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:19 PM PST "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams may have temporarily exited his seat on the evening newscast, but the debate over what he has done to the credibility of broadcast news continues to take shape. The revelation that the widely popular newsman fabricated a story about being hit by an rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) while flying in a Chinook helicopter during the invasion of Iraq – and may have embellished others – has in many ways called the entire reputation of broadcast news into question. Some media experts suggest that Mr. Williams's fall from grace is one sign of the increased focus on news as entertainment, which has crept into network broadcasts since cable and online news broadened the playing field.

American hostage Mueller's family, U.S. government say she is dead Posted: 10 Feb 2015 03:14 PM PST By Jeff Mason and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. aid worker Kayla Mueller, held hostage by Islamic State militants for 18 months, is dead, her family said on Tuesday, but the circumstances were unclear and President Barack Obama vowed to hunt down the culprits. Mueller's family received an email and photograph over the weekend from her captors that enabled American intelligence to determine that she had been killed, U.S. officials said. Islamic State said on Friday that Mueller, 26, was killed when Jordanian fighter jets bombed a building where she was being held outside Raqqa, a stronghold in Syria of the Islamist militant group.

Who was Kayla Mueller and what was she doing in Syria? Posted: 10 Feb 2015 02:52 PM PST Kayla Mueller was taken hostage by the Islamic State in Aleppo, Syria, in August 2013. "We are heartbroken to share that we've received confirmation that Kayla Jean Mueller has lost her life," a statement from the family reads, reported CNN. "Kayla was a compassionate and devoted humanitarian. Ms. Mueller graduated from Northern Arizona University in 2009, and devoted her life to humanitarian efforts around the world.

Judge: No bond for Illinois woman accused in terrorism case Posted: 10 Feb 2015 02:50 PM PST CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday refused to free an Illinois mother accused of aiding terrorist groups in Syria and Iraq, saying prosecutors showed she was a potential threat and had motive to flee to Bosnia.

Death of Kayla Mueller highlights collapse of Western aid to Syria Posted: 10 Feb 2015 02:50 PM PST Confirmation of the death of aid worker Kayla Mueller, thought perhaps to be the last American held captive by the Islamic State, is a tragic reminder of how outside humanitarian assistance has become almost totally absent from the areas of Syria and Iraq held by the jihadist organization. Like many of the Islamic State's Western hostages before her, Ms. Mueller got caught in the period of transition in Syria from a civil conflict to a more complex battlefield involving Islamist terrorism. Mueller had gone to Turkey and then Syria out of a desire to help the Syrian people in the months after the Syrian civil war deepened.

White House seeks war authority against IS: lawmakers Posted: 10 Feb 2015 02:24 PM PST The White House revealed to lawmakers on Tuesday details of its request to Congress for a three-year war authority to battle Islamic extremists that would prohibit "enduring" offensive combat operations. The authorization for use of military force (AUMF) would also allow for use of US special forces, and would not restrict operations to a geographic area, several Democratic senators said after a closed-door briefing by White House officials. President Barack Obama's team has been deliberating for months on how to move ahead in the next phase of its years-long war against militant jihadists. The White House is expected this week to unveil its proposal for authority to combat the Islamic State extremist group, and administration officials have stepped up their deliberations with congressional leaders.

Iraqi archbishop urges military action Posted: 10 Feb 2015 01:51 PM PST An Iraqi archbishop called for military action in his homeland in a speech to British lawmakers on Tuesday, and warned the Church of England's general synod that Christianity in Iraq could become extinct. There is no other way now," Bashar Warda, the Archbishop of Erbil, was quoted by the BBC as telling parliamentarians on a visit to London. Speaking to religious leaders later Tuesday, he said there was now a threat of the "extinction of Christianity as a religion and as a culture" in Iraq. Christians in Iraq "do not have much time left," he said, adding that the conflict with the Islamic State group had created a crisis of "chronic urgent need".

FBI probes Newsweek hack following threats Posted: 10 Feb 2015 01:46 PM PST The FBI is investigating the hijacking of Newsweek's Twitter feed Tuesday by pro-Islamic hackers in which a threat was made to President Barack Obama's family, the White House said. White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters that "this particular intrusion is one that is already being investigated by the FBI," without elaborating. Newsweek said the Twitter feed was taken over for 14 minutes before the news organization was able to regain control.

Chelsea Manning to write for Guardian newspaper Posted: 10 Feb 2015 01:42 PM PST Washington (AFP) - Chelsea Manning, the US soldier serving a 35-year prison sentence for the biggest document leak in US, has a new job: writing unpaid for The Guardian newspaper's American edition.

AP Exclusive: 20,000 foreign fighters flock to Syria, Iraq Posted: 10 Feb 2015 01:27 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreign fighters are streaming into Syria and Iraq in unprecedented numbers to join the Islamic State or other extremist groups, including at least 3,400 from Western nations among 20,000 from around the world, U.S. intelligence officials say in an updated estimate of a top terrorism concern.

US denies 'coordinating' Syria air strikes with Assad Posted: 10 Feb 2015 01:25 PM PST The United States on Tuesday denied that it was coordinating air strikes either directly or indirectly with the Syrian regime against Islamic militants and renewed calls for President Bashar al-Assad to go. In an interview with the BBC, Assad said Damascus was being informed about the US-led coalition air strikes against the Islamic State group. Assad said the messages were conveyed through third parties, including neighboring Iraq, where Washington and Western allies are also carrying out strikes against IS.

Obama confirms US hostage killed, UAE rejoins the fray Posted: 10 Feb 2015 01:24 PM PST President Barack Obama on Tuesday confirmed the death of US hostage Kayla Mueller, as warplanes from Gulf ally the United Arab Emirates rejoined the battle against her captors from the Islamic State group. Obama vowed that Washington would hunt down the jihadists it held responsible for the 26-year-old aid worker's death, as her family spoke of their heartbreak. Mueller was captured in August 2013 in Aleppo, the war-ravaged city in northern Syria. IS claimed last week she had been killed in an air strike by a Jordanian warplane in Raqa, the militant group's self-proclaimed "capital," also in Syria.

From Jordan base, UAE resumes airstrikes on Islamic State Posted: 10 Feb 2015 12:33 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — United Arab Emirates fighter planes roared out of an air base in Jordan on Tuesday to pound Islamic State militant positions, marking a return to combat operations by one of the United States' closest Arab allies in the fight against the extremists.

US effort to train Syrian rebels ramps up: Can Pentagon avoid past follies? Posted: 10 Feb 2015 12:27 PM PST The United States effort to find and train "moderate" Syrian rebels to fight against the Islamic State and the regime of President Bashar al-Assad has begun in earnest, and it will be about as easy as searching for unicorns, experts have said. About 100 American troops tasked with the job began arriving​ in the Middle East earlier this month as part of President Obama's broader plan to stabilize Syria, which faces both a civil war and the rise of the Islamic State. A second wave of several hundred more US troops will arrive in a couple of weeks, according to Pentagon officials. Many of the fighters motivated to take on the Islamic State are not the most savory of characters, and the trainers must have some degree of confidence that those they arm and groom won't turn against American troops, American allies, or civilians in their own countries.

Trial of Marine accused of 'American Sniper' death set to open Posted: 10 Feb 2015 12:22 PM PST A troubled former Marine accused of killing the US Navy Seal whose life story inspired the Oscar-nominated blockbuster "American Sniper" goes on trial for murder here Wednesday after a judge denied requests to delay the case. Eddie Ray Routh, 27, is accused of gunning down US sniper Chris Kyle at a Texas shooting range in February, 2013, along with another man, Chad Littlefield. Kyle, officially credited with killing 160 people during four tours in Iraq during his military career, has been lionized in Clint Eastwood's controversial movie starring Bradley Cooper as the soldier.

Grammy ratings slip on Sam Smith's big night Posted: 10 Feb 2015 12:18 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — After a very strong five-year run as a winter music attraction, viewership for the Grammy Awards dipped to 24.8 million this year on British soul singer Sam Smith's big night.

G20 'determined' to lift growth but rifts remain Posted: 10 Feb 2015 12:09 PM PST The world's top 20 economies on Tuesday expressed determination to raise global growth but struggled to overcome divisions over the most suitable methods and how best to resolve the Greek debt crisis. G20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs meeting in Istanbul acknowledged that global economic growth remained "uneven" and the recovery "slow", especially in the eurozone and Japan as well as some emerging market economies. They also warned of the risk of "persistent stagnation" in some leading economies due to "prolonged low inflation alongside sluggish growth." "We are determined to overcome these challenges" to deliver sustainable growth that can create jobs and encourage inclusiveness, a key target of the Turkish G20 presidency, they vowed in their final communique. The G20 states said the recent sharp decline in oil prices will provide "some boost" to global growth and should allow states to "reassess" fiscal policies to sustain economic activity.

US senator:Obama seeks no enduring offense combat role vs IS Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:43 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator says President Barack Obama request for approval to use force against Islamic State fighters stipulates there will be no enduring offensive combat operations against the militant group.

Syria 'informed' about US-led strikes on IS: Assad Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:41 AM PST President Bashar al-Assad said Damascus was being informed about US-led air strikes against jihadists in Syria and that the raids could help his government if they were "more serious". In an interview broadcast by the BBC on Tuesday, the Syrian leader also denied his forces were using so-called barrel bombs, crude unguided munitions blamed for the deaths of thousands of civilians. British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond rejected any form of dialogue with Damascus and said Assad's denial of the use of barrel bombs showed he was either "deluded or lying". A US-led coalition began carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Syria on September 23, but it has pointedly refused to coordinate with Damascus.

Senator: Obama seeks no enduring offense combat role vs IS Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:38 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A Democratic senator says President Barack Obama request for approval to use force against Islamic State fighters stipulates there will be no enduring offensive combat operations against the terrorist group.

Egypt leader on defensive over claims he mocked Gulf allies Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:35 AM PST CAIRO (AP) — In a reflection of Egypt's massive dependence on Gulf largesse, its president telephoned an array of oil-rich monarchs to control the damage after allegedly being caught on tape discussing how to milk them for cash.

Nonprofit Contractor Billed Taxpayers for Booze, NFL Tickets Posted: 10 Feb 2015 11:15 AM PST One of the government's largest nonprofit contractors hired to work on humanitarian projects in Iraq and Afghanistan is under investigation for overbilling taxpayers by millions and then spending the money on themselves. Executives from International Relief and Development allegedly overcharged the government millions of dollars to pay for alcohol, Redskins tickets, dinner and personal travel expenses, The Washington Post first reported. Federal investigators from several agencies are still probing the organization and haven't released an official report yet. Organization and agency officials told The Post they've already reviewed $3 million worth of IRD expenses and flagged about $1 million in questionable charges.

Judge won't release US woman accused in terrorism case Posted: 10 Feb 2015 10:58 AM PST CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge refused Tuesday to release a U.S. woman charged with aiding militant groups in Syria and Iraq, siding with prosecutors who described her as potentially dangerous and a flight risk.

Text, timing of Obama AUMF request for Islamic State still in works: source Posted: 10 Feb 2015 10:28 AM PST The final text of President Barack Obama's request to Congress for new authority to use force against Islamic State fighters is still in the works as talks with lawmakers continue, a source familiar with the White House's outreach said on Tuesday. The United States is leading an international coalition fighting Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, but Obama has said he would ask Congress for a formal Authorization to Use Military Force (AUMF) for the fight.

Why Jordan is moving troops to Iraq border Posted: 10 Feb 2015 10:09 AM PST Jordan's King Abdullah is making good on his promise to hit Islamic State (known both as IS and ISIS) militants hard in retribution for murdering Jordanian pilot Muath Kassasbeh. After launching new air strikes last week, King Abdullah has now deployed "thousands" of troops to its border with Iraq to escalate its show of force against the terrorist organization, NBC News has reported. Matthew Henman, an analyst at Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre in London, said this move seems to be an "intensification" of ongoing efforts to stop IS movement of fighters and weaponry, as well as to secure Jordanian borders. "It underlines a robust response on the part of government and the king in response to the killing of Muath Kassasbeh," Mr. Henman said.

Senate panel advances Obama's Pentagon nominee Carter Posted: 10 Feb 2015 09:57 AM PST A US Senate panel voted unanimously Tuesday in support of Ashton Carter to be the new secretary of defense, sending his nomination to a full chamber vote possibly this week. The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 25-0 to advance the nomination of Carter, a highly-regarded technocrat who is expected to be confirmed to replace outgoing Pentagon chief Chuck Hagel. Senator John McCain, the panel's chairman, is a fierce critic of President Barack Obama's foreign policy, saying that as commander in chief Obama has failed drastically to show leadership in the midst of crises in Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.

Bill O'Reilly Defends Brian Williams: "He Made a Mistake" Posted: 10 Feb 2015 09:44 AM PST But the Fox News host cautioned that if Williams is found to have "exaggerated story that he reported, he's going to lose his job."

Pentagon No. 2 sounds alarm over tech erosion Posted: 10 Feb 2015 09:38 AM PST SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Pentagon's second-ranking official sounded alarm bells Tuesday about an erosion of America's military technological edge, warning that a return to automatic budget cuts would be an "unmitigated disaster" for the Pentagon.

IEA sees only partial rebound in oil prices Posted: 10 Feb 2015 09:23 AM PST Global oil prices will recover only partially from spectacular lows, which are unlikely to spur economic growth or kill off US shale gas production, the International Energy Agency said Tuesday. The IEA said in its five-year forecast that crude prices will recover from around their current range of $50-60 per barrel, but remain well below the level of more than $100 per barrel seen before the slump began last June. "While there have been drops and price corrections roughly every 10 years since the 1970s, there has never been a situation like we are facing today," the IEA's executive director Maria van der Hoeven said in London following the release of the report. "The global oil market looks set to begin a new chapter of its history, with markedly changing demand dynamics, sweeping shifts in crude trade and product supply, and dramatically different roles for OPEC and non-OPEC producers in regulating upstream supply," the report said.

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