Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iran's role in Iraq could be positive: US general
• Dempsey says Iranian hand in Iraq could turn out well
• Petraeus to plead guilty to spilling secrets to mistress
• Desertions, casualties cut Afghan forces sharply in 2014: U.S.
• Behind delay to retake Mosul from Islamic State, desire to ease the aftermath
• Ex-CIA chief admits sharing military secrets with mistress
• Pentagon calls Mosul briefing a mistake by CentCom
• Netanyahu denounces Obama push for Iran nuclear deal
• FACT CHECK: Did Netanyahu go too far in US speech?
• Ex-CIA chief Petraeus to plead guilty, admits giving mistress secrets
• AP ANALYSIS: US on sidelines of key Iraqi battle against IS
• Netanyahu warns US 'bad deal' would put Iran on nuclear path
• Netanyahu says Iran deal will lead to nuclear bomb. But what about no deal?
• Victims to relive horror of marathon bombing as trial begins
• General Amnesty: Petraeus's Escape
• Mideast looks for a 'Switzerland'
• Kerry visits Riyadh to soothe fears of stronger Iran under nuclear deal
• Iraqi forces try to seal off Islamic State around Tikrit
• Some US Democrats savage Netanyahu 'fear-mongering'
• Rival Libyan forces carry out air strikes, militants storm oilfield
• Iraq jihadists slow Tikrit advance with bombs and snipers
• Get Your First Look At Joseph Gordon-Levitt As Edward Snowden
• Andrew Lack in talks to return to NBC
• Somalia top priority in U.N. agriculture organization funding appeal
• In ongoing war with Islamic State, Twitter suspends 2,000 accounts
• No precedent for Netanyahu's contentious speech to Congress
• Mines, bombs slow Iraqi advance on Islamic State-held Tikrit
• Nobel Peace committee demotes controversial head
• U.S.-led coalition launches 14 air strikes against Islamic State: task force
• Former CIA Head David Petraeus to Plead Guilty
• Nigeria's Boko Haram releases beheading video echoing Islamic State
• Rival Libyan forces carry out air strikes before U.N. talks
• British minister says Iraq must quell Sunni fears amid advance
• Rival Libyan forces carry out tit-for-tat airstrikes
• Vermont town seeks to lower voting age to 16, from 18
• IS says US suicide bomber carried out Iraq attack
• Turkey delivers military aid to Iraq
• Citing Russia and IS threat, Kosovo urges faster EU expansion
• Iraq says discussing $6 billion bond issue with banks
• Islamic State: In Iraqi battle for Tikrit, signs of Iran's expanding role

Iran's role in Iraq could be positive: US general Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:31 PM PST Iran's role in an Iraqi military offensive to recapture Tikrit could be positive as long as it does not fuel sectarian divisions in the country, the US military's top officer said Tuesday. General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators that Iran's military assistance for Shiite militia was nothing new but was carried out in a more open manner this week as Iraqi forces pushed to retake Tikrit from Islamic State jihadists. "Frankly, it would only be a problem if it resulted in sectarianism," he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. US commanders rarely discuss Iran's activities in Iraq in public, stressing that Washington does not coordinate with Tehran's military in any way -- even though the two foes see the IS group as a common enemy.

Dempsey says Iranian hand in Iraq could turn out well Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:16 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran's direct support for an Iraqi push to dislodge the Islamic State group from the northern city of Tikrit could turn out to be "a positive thing" if it does not inflame sectarian tensions, the top U.S. general said Tuesday.

Petraeus to plead guilty to spilling secrets to mistress Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:07 PM PST Former American military commander and CIA chief David Petraeus will plead guilty to illegally providing classified secrets to his mistress, a dramatic fall from grace for a general once lauded as a war hero. Petraeus, feted in the US as the man who changed the course of the Iraq war, has signed a plea deal and statement "that indicate he will plead guilty" to unauthorized removal and retention of classified material, the Justice Department said Tuesday. According to the Justice Department, Petraeus acknowledged giving eight "black books" he kept as the commander in Afghanistan to his lover and biographer, Paula Broadwell. The notebooks included his daily schedule, classified notes, the identities of covert officers, details about US intelligence capabilities, code words, summaries of National Security Council sessions, and accounts of his meetings with President Barack Obama, according to court documents.

Desertions, casualties cut Afghan forces sharply in 2014: U.S. Posted: 03 Mar 2015 04:04 PM PST The number of Afghan security forces fell sharply during 2014, thanks partly to desertions and casualties, according to newly declassified U.S. military data released on Tuesday that could add to the debate over planned U.S. troop withdrawals. The U.S. strategy in Afghanistan hinges on the ability of Afghan forces to secure the country despite a still-resilient Taliban insurgency and increasingly limited support from the shrinking foreign forces supporting them. President Barack Obama's administration, which is under pressure from Kabul and Congress to slow the withdrawal, again signaled on Tuesday it was open to adjusting plans to cut U.S. forces by nearly half this year. "This is the lowest assigned ANA force strength since August 2011," the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said in a report, noting the ANA levels include Afghan air force personnel.

Behind delay to retake Mosul from Islamic State, desire to ease the aftermath Posted: 03 Mar 2015 03:52 PM PST The offensive launched by Iraqi security forces – along with a band of Iranian-backed Shiite militias – to retake the Iraqi town of Tikrit from the Islamic State was reportedly a bit of a surprise to Pentagon officials. It will be a measure of the fortitude and capability of the Iraqi forces that the US military is endeavoring to train. The move to retake the town won't happen until Iraqi forces are ready not only to fight the battle in the streets, but also to care for the population in its aftermath. Iraqi forces will need to be poised to help their countrymen in the wake of "some incredibly heart-wrenching moments" that they will have suffered, says retired Gen. John Allen, special envoy for the coalition to counter the Islamic State, also known as IS.

Ex-CIA chief admits sharing military secrets with mistress Posted: 03 Mar 2015 03:46 PM PST RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former CIA Director David Petraeus, whose career was destroyed by an affair with his biographer, has agreed to plead guilty to charges he gave her classified material — including information on war strategy and identities of covert operatives — while she was working on the book.

Pentagon calls Mosul briefing a mistake by CentCom Posted: 03 Mar 2015 03:28 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. military officer's media briefing about plans for an Iraqi-led ground offensive in Mosul, including its expected timing, amounted to a mistaken disclosure of "military secrets," Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Tuesday.

Netanyahu denounces Obama push for Iran nuclear deal Posted: 03 Mar 2015 02:44 PM PST Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu denounced President Barack Obama's drive for a nuclear accord with Iran on Tuesday, warning Washington is paving Tehran's path to a bomb. After Netanyahu delivered an impassioned address to the US Congress, an exasperated Obama retorted that the Israeli leader had no plan of his own to contain the Iranian threat.

FACT CHECK: Did Netanyahu go too far in US speech? Posted: 03 Mar 2015 02:41 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overstated Iran's domination of the Middle East and understated the timespan of the nuclear deal taking shape with Tehran, while neglecting the role of Congress in lifting Iranian sanctions, in his speech to U.S. lawmakers Tuesday.

Ex-CIA chief Petraeus to plead guilty, admits giving mistress secrets Posted: 03 Mar 2015 02:20 PM PST By Mark Hosenball and Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former CIA Director David Petraeus has agreed to plead guilty to mishandling classified information, with the retired four-star general admitting to giving eight "black books" full of such data to a military mistress who was writing his biography. Petraeus, 62, will plead guilty to a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material under the deal, according to documents filed on Tuesday in federal court in Charlotte, North Carolina. The plea agreement announced by the Justice Department marks the latest chapter in an astonishing fall from grace for Petraeus, an intellectual with a Princeton University doctorate and a counter-insurgency expert widely considered one of America's most important military leaders of recent decades. He served stints as the top U.S. commander in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and then as CIA director and was lauded by senior U.S. lawmakers.

AP ANALYSIS: US on sidelines of key Iraqi battle against IS Posted: 03 Mar 2015 02:08 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iranian-backed Shiite militias and Sunni tribes have joined Iraq's military in the operation to retake Saddam Hussein's hometown from the Islamic State group, but the U.S.-led coalition has not.

Netanyahu warns US 'bad deal' would put Iran on nuclear path Posted: 03 Mar 2015 02:02 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — In a direct challenge to the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stood before Congress on Tuesday and bluntly warned the U.S. that an emerging nuclear agreement with Iran "paves Iran's path to the bomb." President Barack Obama pushed back sternly, saying the U.S. would never sign such a deal and Netanyahu was offering no useful alternative.

Netanyahu says Iran deal will lead to nuclear bomb. But what about no deal? Posted: 03 Mar 2015 01:28 PM PST The so-called P5+1 – Russia, France, US, UK, China and Germany – is negotiating with the Islamic Republic over extensive monitoring of its nuclear facilities in exchange for some sanctions relief. While no deal has been reached, Mr. Netanyahu said any agreement would pave the way to an Iranian nuclear bomb. "The greatest dangers facing our world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons," he told the joint session of Congress. "That, my friends, is exactly what could happen, if the deal now being negotiated is accepted by Iran.

Victims to relive horror of marathon bombing as trial begins Posted: 03 Mar 2015 01:25 PM PST BOSTON (AP) — In the two years since twin bombs tore through crowds at the Boston Marathon finish line, the case against suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has focused on arguments over where his trial should be held, who should sit on the jury and what evidence prosecutors should be allowed to use.

General Amnesty: Petraeus's Escape Posted: 03 Mar 2015 01:24 PM PST The Obama administration is against intelligence officials leaking classified information—but some conditions may apply. Just ask David Petraeus, the man who went from war hero to chief spy to disgraced adulterer in a few short years. While the juicy story was that the CIA director was having an affair with an Army Reserve officer writing his biography, his resignation and apology didn't end the legal issues. The retired four-star general still stood accused of providing classified information to Paula Broadwell, the writer, including binders featuring his daily schedule and notes from meetings with President Obama.

Mideast looks for a 'Switzerland' Posted: 03 Mar 2015 01:16 PM PST Four centuries ago, after a defeat to the French, Switzerland planted a seed in Europe. The model is so successful in fact that many nations in the troubled Middle East have for years tried to become "the Switzerland" of the region. With war now raging in Syria and Iraq, and with Israel at odds with Iran and nearby terrorist groups, is there a Middle East nation that can act as a nonaligned island of peace and a friendly intermediary in negotiations, like Switzerland? In 2003, in an attempt to reorder the Middle East, then-President George W. Bush hoped to turn Iraq into a Switzerland of the Middle East – by force.

Kerry visits Riyadh to soothe fears of stronger Iran under nuclear deal Posted: 03 Mar 2015 01:15 PM PST By Arshad Mohammed and Angus McDowall MONTREUX, Switzerland/RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry flies to Riyadh this week to try to reassure King Salman that any nuclear deal with Iran will be in Saudi interests, despite the kingdom's fears that it may boost Tehran's backing for Shi'ite Muslim groups in the region. Convincing Saudi Arabia to accept any agreed nuclear deal is important to President Barack Obama because he needs Riyadh to work closely with Washington on a host of regional policies and to maintain its role as a moderating influence in oil markets. While the main critics of the U.S. push for a nuclear deal with Iran are Israel and Congressional Republicans, Sunni Muslim powerhouse Saudi Arabia is also concerned that an accord would allow Iran to devote more cash and energy to Shi'ite proxies in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, escalating conflicts.

Iraqi forces try to seal off Islamic State around Tikrit Posted: 03 Mar 2015 12:51 PM PST By Ahmed Rasheed and Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Thousands of Iraqi soldiers and Shi'ite militiamen sought to seal off Islamic State fighters in Tikrit and nearby towns on Tuesday, the second day of Iraq's biggest offensive yet against a stronghold of the Sunni militants. Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, who has helped coordinate Baghdad's counter-attacks against Islamic State since it seized much of northern Iraq in June, was overseeing at least part of the operation, witnesses told Reuters. His presence on the frontline highlights neighboring Iran's influence over the Shi'ite fighters who have been key to containing the militants in Iraq.

Some US Democrats savage Netanyahu 'fear-mongering' Posted: 03 Mar 2015 12:31 PM PST Several US Democrats irate over Benjamin Netanyahu addressing Congress over Iran's nuclear program on Tuesday blasted the Israeli prime minister as a fear-mongerer leading a stampede to war. Dozens of House and Senate Democrats boycotted Netanyahu's speech, arguing he should not have been invited by Republican leaders just two weeks before his own country's elections and amid delicate international negotiations to rein in Iran's nuclear program. Other Democrats who attended appeared exasperated or annoyed, including top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi, who was often the last to rise for standing ovations led by Republicans approval of Netanyahu's warnings.

Rival Libyan forces carry out air strikes, militants storm oilfield Posted: 03 Mar 2015 12:01 PM PST By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Rival Libyan forces carried out tit-for-tat air strikes on oil terminals and an airport on Tuesday, escalating their battle for control of the oil-producing country days before United Nations peace talks are to resume in Morocco. Islamist militants, who have gained ground in Libya's turmoil, on Tuesday also took over Libya's Bahi oil station and the Mabrouk oilfield, after forces guarding the installations were forced to retreat from the empty operations. The United Nations called for hostilities to end before negotiations it hopes will stop fighting between Libya's two rival governments four years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Oil installations and key infrastructure are prime targets in the conflict, pitting Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni's internationally recognized government against Libya Dawn, the group which took Tripoli last year and formed its own administration.

Iraq jihadists slow Tikrit advance with bombs and snipers Posted: 03 Mar 2015 11:26 AM PST Iraqi forces closed in on Tikrit Tuesday, their progress slowed by jihadist snipers and booby traps, on the second day of Baghdad's largest operation yet against the Islamic State group. The government has mobilised a 30,000-strong force for the push to retake Tikrit made up of Shiite militiamen and Sunni tribesmen as well as troops and police. Iraqi forces are moving on Tikrit from three directions, with units targeting the towns of Al-Alam and Ad-Dawr to the north and south, while another large contingent drives from the east. The jihadist group announced in a radio bulletin Tuesday that a US national from its ranks had carried out a suicide attack against Iraqi forces near Samarra, the other main city in Salaheddin province.

Get Your First Look At Joseph Gordon-Levitt As Edward Snowden Posted: 03 Mar 2015 11:24 AM PST Joseph Gordon-Levitt posted a picture on Facebook Tuesday from his first day on the set of "Snowden," in which the actor stars as the prolific leaker and whistleblower. The first image from director Oliver Stone's biopic shows the actor portraying Snowden in U.S. Army basic training in 2003 at age 19, before Snowden broke his legs and took his first step into the intelligence community as a security guard for the NSA. "He wanted to go fight in Iraq, but during basic training at Fort Benning, he broke both of his legs and received an administrative discharge," Gordon-Levitt wrote.

Andrew Lack in talks to return to NBC Posted: 03 Mar 2015 11:08 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — NBC Universal is in talks to bring back Andrew Lack to its troubled news operation, which would be the first high-level shake-up following several rough months culminating in the six-month suspension of "Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams for misleading viewers about his experiences covering the Iraq War.

Somalia top priority in U.N. agriculture organization funding appeal Posted: 03 Mar 2015 10:51 AM PST By Chris Arsenault ROME (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has launched an emergency appeal for $697 million to help 30 million people in 31 crisis-hit countries, a senior official with the U.N. agency said on Tuesday. Somalia, Syria and countries in the Sahel region of Africa are some of the areas requiring the greatest assistance to boost agriculture and mitigate hunger, said Dominique Bourgeon, director of FAO's emergency division. "We are trying to promote risk management, early warning systems and prevention (of food emergencies)," Bourgeon told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

In ongoing war with Islamic State, Twitter suspends 2,000 accounts Posted: 03 Mar 2015 10:46 AM PST Twitter has launched its own war against the Islamic State (IS). A brutal organization that has succeeded in conquering large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria, IS is also well known for its savvy use of social media to spread threats and propaganda. Over the past several days, Twitter has suspended about 2,000 IS-affiliated accounts. "Twitter has been doing a whole lot over the past week.

No precedent for Netanyahu's contentious speech to Congress Posted: 03 Mar 2015 10:41 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Given anywhere else, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech Tuesday wouldn't have caused such a ruckus.

Mines, bombs slow Iraqi advance on Islamic State-held Tikrit Posted: 03 Mar 2015 10:19 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi troops and Shiite militias battled the Islamic State group on Tuesday on the outskirts of militant-held Tikrit, unable to advance further on Saddam Hussein's hometown as roadside mines and suicide attacks slowed their progress.

Nobel Peace committee demotes controversial head Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:54 AM PST Norway's Nobel Peace Prize committee on Tuesday demoted its controversial chairman Thorbjoern Jagland in a move unprecedented in the long history of the award. The organisation, which said the former Norwegian prime minister would remain as a committee member, gave no reason for its decision. "There was broad agreement within the committee that Thorbjoern Jagland was a good chair for six years," Kullman Five told reporters, but declined to comment on the discussion. Commentators and former Nobel laureates alike had mocked the committee's decisions under Jagland's stewardship.

U.S.-led coalition launches 14 air strikes against Islamic State: task force Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:20 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its coalition partners staged 14 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq since early Monday, according to the Combined Joint Task Force leading the operations. The strikes included six air strikes near the key Syrian border town of Kobani, where they hit three units of militant fighters, the task force said in a statement on Tuesday. Another struck near al Hasaka. ...

Former CIA Head David Petraeus to Plead Guilty Posted: 03 Mar 2015 09:18 AM PST Specifically, the charge is unauthorized removal and retention of classified material. Contacted by ABC News, Petraeus' attorney, David Kendall said he had "no comment" on the guilty plea. Following the agreement with Petraeus, the Justice Department issued a statement: "Three documents -- a criminal information, a plea agreement and a statement of facts -- were filed today in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina's Charlotte Division in the case of United States v. David Howell Petraeus. The criminal information charges the defendant with one count of unauthorized removal and retention of classified material.

Nigeria's Boko Haram releases beheading video echoing Islamic State Posted: 03 Mar 2015 08:51 AM PST By Isaac Abrak and Julia Payne ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian Islamist sect Boko Haram released a video purporting to show it beheading two men, its first online posting using advanced graphics and editing techniques similar to footage from Islamic State. The footage will raise concerns that Boko Haram, which evolved out of a clerical movement focused on northeast Nigeria, is expanding its scope and seeking inspiration from international militant networks including al Qaeda and Islamic State. Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan has said Boko Haram is allied to both al Qaeda and IS, though that has not been confirmed by Boko Haram itself.

Rival Libyan forces carry out air strikes before U.N. talks Posted: 03 Mar 2015 08:23 AM PST By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Rival Libyan forces carried out tit-for-tat air strikes on oil terminals and an airport on Tuesday, escalating their battle for control of the oil-producing country days before United Nations peace talks are to resume in Morocco. The United Nations called for the hostilities to end in preparation for the negotiations, which it hopes will end the war raging between Libya's two rival governments and their armed forces four years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi. Oil installations and key infrastructure are prime targets in the conflict, which pits Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni's internationally recognized government against Libya Dawn, the group which took Tripoli last year and set up its own administration. A warplane belonging to forces allied to Libya Dawn bombed the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sidra, causing only minor damage, according to a security official with Thinni's government.

British minister says Iraq must quell Sunni fears amid advance Posted: 03 Mar 2015 08:10 AM PST Iraq's government needs to show Sunni Muslim citizens that it is on their side as its forces, alongside Shi'ite militias, advance towards areas held by Islamic State militants, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said on Tuesday. Iraq's military push towards Tikrit, a mostly Sunni city, has involved thousands of Shi'ite militiamen, witnesses have said. Shi'ite militia have been accused of mass executions and burning of homes in areas they have seized from Islamic State. Leaders of the paramilitary forces have denied the accusations.

Rival Libyan forces carry out tit-for-tat airstrikes Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:49 AM PST By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Rival Libyan forces carried out tit-for-tat airstrikes on oil terminals and an airport on Tuesday, escalating their battle for control of the country days before United Nations peace talks were due in Morocco. The OPEC oil producer's oil installations and other key infrastructure are increasingly a target in the conflict which pits two rival governments and their armed forces against each other, nearly four years after the ousting of Muammar Gaddafi. Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni's internationally recognised government and elected parliament have been operating from the east since rival Libya Dawn forces took over Tripoli in the summer and set up their own administration. A warplane belonging to Tripoli-allied forces bombed the oil ports of Ras Lanuf and Es Sidra, causing only minor damage, according to a security official with Thinni's government.

Vermont town seeks to lower voting age to 16, from 18 Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:10 AM PST A left-leaning town in southern Vermont is taking up on Tuesday a referendum to extend the right to vote in local elections to teenagers as young as 16, but even if the measure passes it would still require the state legislature's approval. The so-called "youth vote amendment" would lower the minimum voting age in Brattleboro, a town of about 12,000 people, to 16 from its current 18, the age minimum for state and federal elections. The amendment is part of slate of proposals being considered on Tuesday as part of Brattleboro's annual town meeting. The idea was put forward by Kurt Daims, a longtime activist in the town, who said lowering the voting age would boost voter turnout and extend rights to a "disenfranchised group." "Many teens have part-time jobs.

IS says US suicide bomber carried out Iraq attack Posted: 03 Mar 2015 07:01 AM PST An American jihadist carried out a suicide truck bomb attack against Iraqi forces involved in an operation to recapture the city of Tikrit, the Islamic State group said Tuesday. "The brother Abu Dawud al-Amriki (may Allah accept him) launched himself with his explosives-laden truck against a gathering" of Iraqi forces and militiamen, an IS radio bulletin said. It claimed that dozens of Iraqi forces were killed and wounded in the blast, but no other sources could immediately confirm.

Turkey delivers military aid to Iraq Posted: 03 Mar 2015 06:32 AM PST ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey's state-run news agency says two Turkish cargo planes have delivered military aid to Iraq.

Citing Russia and IS threat, Kosovo urges faster EU expansion Posted: 03 Mar 2015 05:53 AM PST By Stephen Brown BERLIN (Reuters) - Kosovo's Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci urged the European Union and NATO to speed up integration of Balkan states or risk the spreading influence of both Russia and Islamist extremists. Thaci, the first prime minister of independent Kosovo until last year, told Reuters he hoped for tangible results in the coming months, such as a new EU visa regime for Kosovo. "It is the moment when Brussels should move from rhetoric and nice words about Kosovo to concrete measures," Thaci said in Berlin on Tuesday, after meeting his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Kosovo, a poor, landlocked state of 1.7 million people, declared independence from Serbia in 2008, but Belgrade and its former Soviet master Moscow refuse to recognize this and have blocked its membership of bodies such as the United Nations.

Iraq says discussing $6 billion bond issue with banks Posted: 03 Mar 2015 05:27 AM PST By Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq is discussing a possible bond issue worth nearly $6 billion with Deutsche Bank and Citibank as part of its efforts to cover a huge projected budget deficit this year, Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari said. State revenues have tumbled along with falling oil prices just as Iraq faces a costly military campaign against Islamic State militants in its northern and western provinces, leaving a likely 25 trillion Iraqi dinar ($21.4 billion) shortfall. To fund the deficit, Zebari said the finance ministry was looking at measures including the bond issue, borrowing from state banks, and converting some Iraqi bank assets held with the central bank into bonds.

Islamic State: In Iraqi battle for Tikrit, signs of Iran's expanding role Posted: 03 Mar 2015 05:26 AM PST The Iranian military is reportedly playing a significant role in Iraq's latest push to retake the city of Tikrit from the self-described Islamic State. Unnamed US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Iran is supplying artillery, rockets, and aerial drones for the offensive. A commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards is also taking part. Iran and Iraq have grown close since the the US-led 2003 overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

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