Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Man charged with killing 'American Sniper' was schizophrenic: psychiatrist
• French minister visits U.S. Internet firms about militants' messaging
• Obama Picks a Twitter Czar to Help Defeat ISIS
• Some signs of tension emerge among Islamic State militants
• 'American Sniper': Chris Kyle's Widow at Center of Quiet Furor Over Profits
• Eight days on edge may seal documentary Oscar for 'Citizenfour'
• Official: Mission to retake Mosul to begin in April, May
• President Obama: 'No religion is responsible for terrorism'
• Brian Williams Resigns From Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Board of Directors
• 9/11 comment escalates US-Gulf airlines spat over subsidies
• Canada PM's tough security talk wins support as election looms
• Winning the Internet war is key in IS fight: experts
• U.S. sees Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul in April-May time frame
• Iraqi man charged with lying about links to Islamic State
• Riyadh talks seek stronger Iraqi army
• Facing militant threat, Corker shoulders matters of war
• Turkey, US sign deal to train, equip Syria rebels
• US Embassy: Turkey, US sign deal to train, arm Syrian rebels
• Qatar recalls ambassador from Egypt over Libya row
• What Does It Mean for Obama to Love or Hate America?
• President Obama Rejects 'Notion That the West Is at War With Islam'
• Serving British soldier 'joins Peshmerga to fight Islamic State': Sky
• Veteran Holt in unique position at NBC
• For the First Time, Americans Support Ground Troops Against ISIS
• ‘A Complete Warrior’: Navy Releases Chris Kyle’s Combat Records
• Brian Williams' Daughter: "I Know You Can Trust Him"
• Actress Allison Williams defends her dad
• Syria sees its foreign foes as key to Aleppo truce
• Obama aims to show Islam, Western communities can coexist
• US says world must fight 'new war on new enemy'
• Allison Williams Defends Dad Brian Williams: 'He's An Honest Man'
• Allison Williams Defends Dad
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Oscars may prompt more Hollywood introspection than usual
• Islamic State militants in Turkey, plotting attacks: media
• Islamic State hit with 15 air strikes by U.S.-led coalition: U.S. military
• BAE Systems sees U.S. defense spending on the turn
• Qatar recalls ambassador to Egypt over delegate's comments
• ‘American Sniper’ trial puts rural Texas town in unwanted spotlight

Man charged with killing 'American Sniper' was schizophrenic: psychiatrist Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:57 PM PST A psychiatrist told a Texas court on Thursday that the man accused of murdering U.S. Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle had paranoid schizophrenia and showed signs of psychosis that could not be faked, media reports said. Eddie Ray Routh, 27, has been charged with killing Kyle, whose autobiography was turned into the hit movie "American Sniper," and Kyle's friend Chad Littlefield at a gun range about 70 miles (110 km) southwest of Fort Worth in February 2013. Dr. Mitchell Dunn, a forensic psychiatrist who spent more than six hours interviewing Routh and was called by the defense, testified Routh believed that Kyle and Littlefield were going to kill him, the Dallas Morning News reported from the court in Stephenville.

French minister visits U.S. Internet firms about militants' messaging Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:45 PM PST France's chief internal security official is traveling to California's Silicon Valley to discuss his government's concerns about violent jihadist social media messaging with leading tech and Internet companies. French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told a Washington news conference on Thursday that "all the Internet operators were welcoming me," including Twitter Inc, Google Inc, Microsoft Corp and Facebook Inc. He said that when meeting with the companies on Friday, he would discuss several issues related to the use of social media by groups such as Islamic State, including the companies' own "codes of conduct" as well as strategies for using social media to counter violent messaging by militants.

Obama Picks a Twitter Czar to Help Defeat ISIS Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:43 PM PST Stung by criticism from lawmakers, defense experts and some foreign leaders that his strategy for defeating ISIS terrorists in Iraq and Syria is badly flawed, President Obama acknowledged in a speech Thursday that it will take a lot more than just air strikes or even boots on the ground to foil the Islamic jihadists. The jihadist organization been remarkably effective in recruiting young Muslim men from throughout the Middle East, and from Western countries including France and the United States, through clever or shocking posts and Internet memes on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr, according to some reports. If the U.S. and allied countries in Europe and the Middle East are ever going to thwart this enemy, Obama suggested during a summit on countering violent extremism at the State Department, it will have to be done in part by outfoxing them on the Internet. "We must acknowledge that groups like al-Qaeda and ISIL are deliberately targeting their propaganda to Muslim communities, particularly Muslim youth," Obama told the conference.

Some signs of tension emerge among Islamic State militants Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:25 PM PST BEIRUT (AP) — As the Islamic State group tries to expand and take root across the Middle East, it is struggling in Syria — part of its heartland — where it has stalled or even lost ground while fighting multiple enemies on several fronts.

'American Sniper': Chris Kyle's Widow at Center of Quiet Furor Over Profits Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:24 PM PST Taya Kyle, wife of the film's hero, hasn't paid two families of soldiers her late husband promised to support as her share of proceeds tops $6 million. Does she owe them? Legal experts say no, but "moral obligation is a whole other story."

Eight days on edge may seal documentary Oscar for 'Citizenfour' Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:06 PM PST By Eric Kelsey LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Unlike the often long, arduous slog of making documentary films, with subjects sometimes followed for years, the bulk of Oscar contender "Citizenfour" came together in eight dramatic days. Inside the Hong Kong luxury hotel room of National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden, the former government contractor detailed the U.S and British governments' secret mass surveillance programs before fleeing the territory. "We met on a Monday, and then he went underground on the following Monday," director Laura Poitras told Reuters ahead of Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, where "Citizenfour" is widely expected to win best documentary. "I just figured I would roll as much as I can," said the American filmmaker, who was placed on a U.S. travel watch list after her 2006 Iraq war documentary "My Country, My Country." "I backed up all my footage and made sure to get it out of the hotel room in case someone tried to stop us from reporting," Poitras added.

Official: Mission to retake Mosul to begin in April, May Posted: 19 Feb 2015 03:48 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The operation to retake Iraq's second largest city from Islamic State militants will likely begin in April or May and will involve about 12 Iraqi brigades, or between 20,000 and 25,000 troops, a senior U.S. military official said Thursday.

President Obama: 'No religion is responsible for terrorism' Posted: 19 Feb 2015 03:44 PM PST Anyone looking for a declaration of a hot war on the Islamic State out of President Obama's three-day summit on countering violent extremism will be deeply disappointed. While the role that military intervention will play in reversing the territorial advances of the radical Islamist group got a few mentions – especially concerning short-term emergency actions – the White House summit more faithfully reflected the president's views on how violent extremism will ultimately be defeated.

Brian Williams Resigns From Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Board of Directors Posted: 19 Feb 2015 03:24 PM PST The embattled NBC Nightly News anchor is currently serving a six-month suspension from his role on the network broadcast.

9/11 comment escalates US-Gulf airlines spat over subsidies Posted: 19 Feb 2015 02:56 PM PST DALLAS (AP) — U.S. airlines have been sparring for several years with fast-growing Persian Gulf rivals that seem to be poaching passengers from the Americans. Now, a CEO's comment that dragged 9/11 into the debate has escalated the fight.

Canada PM's tough security talk wins support as election looms Posted: 19 Feb 2015 02:48 PM PST By David Ljunggren and Nelson Wyatt OTTAWA/MONTREAL (Reuters) - Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, battling for re-election in October amid a slowing economy and high-profile departures of key officials, is taking a hard line on security and the tactic is resonating in a region that could keep him in power. The ruling Conservatives are tied in polls with the opposition Liberals and critics say Harper is using security fears to bolster his election prospects, a charge his team denies. Canada has joined U.S.-led air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Harper refers to a "war" on jihadists, calling them a menace who want to destroy Canadian society. In contrast, U.S. President Barack Obama says the threat posed by Islamic State should not be exaggerated and insists it and other radical Islamist groups do not pose an existential threat to the United States.

Winning the Internet war is key in IS fight: experts Posted: 19 Feb 2015 02:41 PM PST The Internet has become a crucial battleground in the fight against jihadist propaganda and Western nations need to step up their game, according to participants in a Washington meeting on countering radical groups. Experts say governments must engage in corporate-style marketing if they are to combat the Islamic State, which is using slick videos to lure foreign nationals to the battlefields of Iraq and Syria. "If ISIS has a branding and marketing department, where is ours?" said Sasha Havlicek, the founding chief executive officer of the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD). The think tank has carried out several experiments using Google Ideas, Twitter and Facebook to try to directly engage with potential recruits -- and dissuade them from joining the brutal jihadist movement.

U.S. sees Iraqi offensive to retake Mosul in April-May time frame Posted: 19 Feb 2015 02:26 PM PST By David Alexander and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Iraqi and Kurdish military force of some 20,000 to 25,000 troops is being prepared to recapture the city of Mosul from Islamic State fighters, probably in the April-May time frame, an official at the U.S. Central Command said on Thursday. The official said Mosul was currently being held by 1,000 to 2,000 Islamic State fighters. No decision has been made on whether small numbers of U.S. military advisers might need to be on the ground close to Mosul to direct close air support, the official told a group of reporters on condition of anonymity. Mosul, which had a population of over 1 million people, was captured by Islamic State fighters in June and is the largest city in the group's self-declared caliphate, a stretch of territory that straddles the border between northern Iraq and eastern Syria.

Iraqi man charged with lying about links to Islamic State Posted: 19 Feb 2015 01:24 PM PST DETROIT (AP) — An Iraqi man living in the U.S. is charged with lying to federal officials about plans to train and fight with the Islamic State group in the Middle East.

Riyadh talks seek stronger Iraqi army Posted: 19 Feb 2015 12:54 PM PST Military chiefs from two dozen countries gathered in the Saudi capital Thursday sought to bolster the Iraqi army against the jihadist Islamic State group, a Western diplomat said. US General Lloyd Austin, who heads the US-led war against IS, was among the senior officers attending the two-day talks that opened Wednesday behind closed doors. "I'm confident that they are looking at a firm plan, a coordinated plan, to empower the Iraqi army" against IS, the source said, asking for anonymity. With "nobody" interested in putting ground troops into the country, strengthening Iraq's 200,000-strong army against about 30,000 IS fighters remains the best option, he said.

Facing militant threat, Corker shoulders matters of war Posted: 19 Feb 2015 12:23 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Two years ago, Sen. Bob Corker wondered aloud whether the standstill Senate was worth a grown man's time.

Turkey, US sign deal to train, equip Syria rebels Posted: 19 Feb 2015 12:16 PM PST The United States and Turkey on Thursday signed a deal to train and equip thousands of moderate Syrian rebel forces after several weeks of talks, officials said. "Turkey and the United States signed a document a short time ago on the train-and-equip (programme)," Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told reporters. A US embassy spokesman, contacted by AFP, confirmed that the deal was inked in Ankara by Turkish Foreign Ministry Undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu and US ambassador to Turkey John Bass. The announcement puts an end to months of difficult negotiations between the NATO allies on how to train Syrian rebel forces and which enemy they should focus on.

US Embassy: Turkey, US sign deal to train, arm Syrian rebels Posted: 19 Feb 2015 12:14 PM PST ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey and the United States signed an agreement Thursday to train and arm Syrian rebels fighting the Islamic State group, said the U.S. Embassy in Ankara.

Qatar recalls ambassador from Egypt over Libya row Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:51 AM PST Qatar recalled its envoy to Cairo following a row over Egypt's air strikes on Islamic State group targets in Libya, where jihadists tightened their grip Thursday by seizing a university. Sirte, the hometown of slain dictator Moamer Kadhafi, is a stronghold of Ansar al-Sharia, classified as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations and believed to have links to IS. Last week, jihadists released a video showing the beheading of 21 Coptic Christians in Libya, most of them Egyptian, prompting Cairo to launch air strikes on IS targets in the eastern city of Derna. Qatar reportedly expressed reservations over the strikes at a meeting in Cairo of the Arab League, raising the ire of Egypt's delegate Tareq Adel who hit back by accusing it of supporting "terrorism".

What Does It Mean for Obama to Love or Hate America? Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:45 AM PST Rudy Giuliani is developing a productive sideline in rage-baiting. Fresh off a largely incoherent comment about black-on-black crime following the Michael Brown case, America's Mayor said Wednesday night that President Obama doesn't love America. I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America. Erick Erickson, hailed by The Atlantic as America's most powerful conservative, says Obama "hates America." Former presidential candidate Steve Forbes doesn't think Obama loves America, nor does a prominent Tea Party organizer.

President Obama Rejects 'Notion That the West Is at War With Islam' Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:31 AM PST President Obama today challenged the idea that terrorist groups like al Qaeda and the Islamic State are connected to the Islamic faith during remarks at the White house Summit to Counter Violent Extremism. "The notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie," Obama said.

Serving British soldier 'joins Peshmerga to fight Islamic State': Sky Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:28 AM PST A serving British soldier has joined Kurdish Peshmerga forces fighting Islamic State (IS) insurgents, Sky television reported on Thursday. He had been on leave from the British Army at the time he left for the region, it added. A British Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "We are aware of these reports and we are looking into them." Sky said the man had been in the army since leaving school at 16 and was known to have been learning Arabic. Security forces also estimate some 600 British Muslims have traveled to Syria to join the conflict there, some of them with the militant Sunni Islamist group Islamic State.

Veteran Holt in unique position at NBC Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:20 AM PST Lester Holt's first report card as NBC's choice to fill in for suspended anchor Brian Williams as "Nightly News" anchor found him maintaining the network's ratings lead, although the competition ...

For the First Time, Americans Support Ground Troops Against ISIS Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:16 AM PST Barack Obama's closing remarks at the summit on Countering Violent Extremism on Wednesday were notable not only for the president's avoidance of words like "Islamic" and Muslim," but also for their emphasis on ISIS. "ISIL is terrorizing the people of Syria and Iraq, beheads and burns human beings in unfathomable acts of cruelty," Obama said. The group's confounding brutality (see The Atlantic's March cover story for more about that) has also made a profound impression on the American public, gradually turning a seemingly war-weary country in favor not only of airstrikes against the group, but also, according to a new CBS News poll, the deployment of ground troops. "For the first time, a majority of Americans (57 percent) favor the U.S. sending ground troops into Iraq and Syria to fight ISIS," CBS reported.

‘A Complete Warrior’: Navy Releases Chris Kyle’s Combat Records Posted: 19 Feb 2015 11:11 AM PST "American Sniper" Chris Kyle received high marks throughout his military career for leadership, teamwork, and courage under fire, according to his recently released military records. Kyle, who served four tours in Iraq, was described as a "Combat hardened warrior!" and "Combat proven!" in his March 29, 2005 evaluation, obtained by the journalism collective MuckRock as part of a Freedom of Information Act request.

Brian Williams' Daughter: "I Know You Can Trust Him" Posted: 19 Feb 2015 10:40 AM PST "I can't wait until he's back on TV," 'Girls' star Allison Williams told Seth Meyers at the 92nd Street Y.

Actress Allison Williams defends her dad Posted: 19 Feb 2015 09:43 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Actress Allison Williams is defending her dad, suspended NBC anchor Brian Williams, as a good man who cares deeply about integrity in journalism.

Syria sees its foreign foes as key to Aleppo truce Posted: 19 Feb 2015 09:37 AM PST The Syrian government said on Thursday the success of a U.N. bid to freeze fighting in Aleppo hinged on whether foreign states that back the insurgents can get them to comply, and that no time frame had been set for the proposed ceasefire. In an interview with Reuters, Information Minister Omran al-Zoabi also said Syrian army progress against the Islamic State militant group far outstripped anything accomplished by a U.S.-led alliance that has ruled out the idea of partnering with Damascus. Nearly four years into the conflict, the state is fighting insurgents including both jihadists and mainstream rebels in southern and northern Syria, in addition to the Islamic State group that has declared eastern areas of Syria part of its self-styled "caliphate". Pursuing a truce in the northern city of Aleppo, U.N. envoy Staffan de Mistura said on Tuesday that Damascus was willing to suspend aerial bombardment and artillery shelling so a local ceasefire could be tested in the city, where both jihadists and other insurgents are battling the army and allied forces.

Obama aims to show Islam, Western communities can coexist Posted: 19 Feb 2015 08:45 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — In the fight against violent extremism, President Barack Obama argues the U.S. has one thing going for it that Europe doesn't: a long tradition of warmly embracing its immigrants, including Muslims.

US says world must fight 'new war on new enemy' Posted: 19 Feb 2015 07:01 AM PST On the third and final day of a White House summit called by President Barack Obama after a series of brutal jihadist attacks around the world, delegates were to hammer out ways to combat the threat posed by radical extremist groups. "We have to come together and ask what's our strategy?" Kerry said, as he opened the summit at the State Department in the wake of shocking beheadings and murders by the Islamic State group (IS) in Iraq and Syria. The "emergence of a new generation of transnational terrorist groups... is a grave threat to international peace and security," warned UN chief Ban Ki-moon.

Allison Williams Defends Dad Brian Williams: 'He's An Honest Man' Posted: 19 Feb 2015 06:25 AM PST Earlier this month, the NBC News anchor became embroiled in scandal after his account of traveling in a helicopter that was hit by a grenade in Iraq in 2003, was called into question. He later apologized, and announced he was temporarily stepping away from "Nightly News" desk.

Allison Williams Defends Dad Posted: 19 Feb 2015 06:25 AM PST Earlier this month, the NBC News anchor became embroiled in scandal after his account of traveling in a helicopter that was hit by a grenade in Iraq in 2003, was called into question. He later apologized, and announced he was temporarily stepping away from "Nightly News" desk.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 19 Feb 2015 06:13 AM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:

Oscars may prompt more Hollywood introspection than usual Posted: 19 Feb 2015 05:06 AM PST By Mary Milliken LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - To the outside world, Hollywood might ooze effortless glamour, but just about anyone who makes movies will say the process is a long grind, and a continual blow to the ego and bank account.

Islamic State militants in Turkey, plotting attacks: media Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:32 AM PST Islamic State militants have entered Turkey and are plotting to attack diplomatic missions in Ankara and Istanbul, Turkish media on Thursday quoted the national intelligence agency (MIT) as saying. Around 3,000 militants from the ultra-radical group in Syria and Iraq are looking to enter Turkey through its southern border after failing to take the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani, the Hurriyet newspaper reported the internal MIT note as saying.

Islamic State hit with 15 air strikes by U.S.-led coalition: U.S. military Posted: 19 Feb 2015 04:16 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition staged 15 air strikes on Islamic State forces in Iraq and Syria, the Combined Joint Task Force said on Thursday. Five of the strikes were around the Syrian town of Kobani, where the coalition and Kurdish forces have been pushing back Islamic State, and destroyed eight fighting positions and two checkpoints, as well as hitting tactical units hit. Two strikes also were staged near Al Hasakah, Syria, the task force said in a statement. ...

BAE Systems sees U.S. defense spending on the turn Posted: 19 Feb 2015 03:38 AM PST BAE Systems , the world's third-largest defense contractor by revenue, said it believed the worst was over for spending cuts in its key U.S. market as it forecast that earnings would return to growth in 2015. Its profits have been hit in recent years by government spending cuts, particularly in the United States and Britain, which together account for almost two thirds of its sales. He also suggested the company could benefit from heightened military activity, when asked about the battle against Islamic State in Iraq and rising tensions in Ukraine. The company said that in 2015 earnings per share were expected to be "marginally higher", a forecast which included some reliance on anticipated new orders for naval equipment and aircraft, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon jet.

Qatar recalls ambassador to Egypt over delegate's comments Posted: 19 Feb 2015 03:20 AM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Qatar said Thursday it has recalled its ambassador to Cairo to protest comments made by an Egyptian official over his country's decision to carry out air strikes in neighboring Libya.

‘American Sniper’ trial puts rural Texas town in unwanted spotlight Posted: 19 Feb 2015 03:05 AM PST People in the small Texas town where "American Sniper" Chris Kyle and his best friend were slain want justice, but say celebrity murder cases are meant for Hollywood, not rural hideaways. "It's different than normal life in Stephenville," longtime resident Chick Elms said of the trial now in its second week.

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