Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• IS 'bulldozed' ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, Iraq says
• Frank Richter uses the power of talk to help German towns think about immigrants
• Why Congress Thinks Obama Isn’t a War President
• Why Arab leaders are telling Obama to listen to Netanyahu
• Netanyahu's Iran speech gains tacit support in Saudi Arabia
• Saudi Foreign Minister meets with U.S Secretary of State
• Saudi executions set 'unprecedented' pace
• American Jewish Congress Calls On New York Times To Drop Its Anti-Semitic Partner In Pakistan
• Libyan factions hold peace talks in Morocco
• Iraq says Islamic State militants 'bulldozed' ancient site
• Oil falls in volatile trade on supply worries, dollar and Iran
• UN says 28,000 flee drive to retake Iraq's Tikrit
• Blast in Syria kills top al Qaeda commander, three others
• Fight extremism, but also injustices that fuel it: UN rights chief
• Kidnapped Iranian diplomat held in Yemen since 2013 freed
• Minister behind crackdown removed as Egypt battles militants
• Aide: Indonesian leader to visit White House in June
• What's at stake in the battle for Aleppo?
• Iranian role in fighting IS in Iraq: Where will it lead?
• US won't take eye off Iran, Kerry assures Gulf allies
• Blast in Syria kills top al Qaeda commander: insurgent sources
• Knife-wielding attacker slashes face of U.S. ambassador in South Korea
• Saudi top diplomat urges allies to face IS 'on the ground'
• /C O R R E C T I O N -- Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation/
• Canada foreign minister: we'll be in Iraq for the longer term
• Saudi king aims for new Sunni bloc vs Iran and Islamic State
• GOP 2016: Scott Walker Has the Lead, Jeb Bush Has the Money
• Insurgent attacks in Iraqi capital kill at least 16 people
• Apocalypse, Now: Dig 's Surprisingly Relevant Doomsday Drama
• Why Iran's latest foray into Iraq doesn't worry Pentagon – yet
• Islamic State torches oil field near Tikrit as militia advance
• Fleeing Tikrit residents fear no return as Iraqi forces close in
• IRAQ
• Top Syria opponent seeks to unite dissidents
• Egypt puts over 200 on trial, accused of militant activity
• Washington state cannabis retailer opens in defiance of county ban
• Outgoing UN envoy sees hope for Iraq
• Kerry tries to reassure Iran's Gulf rivals on nuclear talks
• British teacher jailed for trying to join Islamic State in Syria
• Kerry seeks to ease Arab concerns of Iran deal

IS 'bulldozed' ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, Iraq says Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:18 PM PST The Islamic State group began bulldozing the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud in Iraq on Thursday, the government said, in the jihadists' latest attack on the country's historical heritage. IS "assaulted the historic city of Nimrud and bulldozed it with heavy vehicles," the tourism and antiquities ministry said on an official Facebook page. Nimrud, one of the jewels of the Assyrian era, was founded in the 13th century BC and lies on the Tigris River around 30 kilometres (18 miles) southeast of Mosul, Iraq's second city and the main hub of IS in the country. "Hatra of course will be next," he said, referring to a beautifully-preserved city in Nineveh province that is more than 2,000 years old and is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Frank Richter uses the power of talk to help German towns think about immigrants Posted: 05 Mar 2015 04:00 PM PST Not long ago Neukirch, a German town of 5,000 people near the Czech border, was in trouble. The news that as many as 100 asylum seekers would soon be living in their midst landed like a bomb and exploded citizens into action. Then Frank Richter arrived. Set among rolling hills in eastern Germany, far from the "economic miracle" that had lifted West Germans to a better life, these East Germans have struggled mightily with change.

Why Congress Thinks Obama Isn’t a War President Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:45 PM PST Though Congress seems incapable of coming to a decision on how to address concerns about authorization for the fight against ISIS, some members of both parties are anxious to see the U.S. deepen its involvement in a different conflict.  They want to supply Ukraine with advanced defensive weaponry to help the country stem the ongoing slaughter by Russian troops. On Thursday, Politico reported on the deepening divide between Republicans and Democrats in Congress over the president's authority to use U.S. military assets to battle ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The White House, which claims the current limited operations against the terrorist group are permissible under an Authorization for the Use of Military Force dating to 2001, has nonetheless requested a replacement that would limit the scope and duration of the operation. One the Hill, many Democrats object to the measure because they believe the president's request, which is vaguely worded, does not restrict the White House enough.

Why Arab leaders are telling Obama to listen to Netanyahu Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:22 PM PST Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have looked like he stood alone at the podium as he addressed Congress this week. Already alarmed at the gains the Shiite government in Tehran is making in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and now apparently in Yemen, Sunni Arab leaders worry that an American accord with Iran on its nuclear program will seal the deal on a decade of expanding Iranian influence. "The focus has been on Netanyahu and his concerns about a nuclear deal, as if he were the only one, but the Arabs are increasingly alarmed at the prospect of a flawed nuclear deal and what that would mean for the region," says James Phillips, senior research fellow for Middle Eastern affairs at the Heritage Foundation in Washington.

Netanyahu's Iran speech gains tacit support in Saudi Arabia Posted: 05 Mar 2015 02:05 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's fiery speech this week before the U.S. Congress, in which he argued against an emerging nuclear deal with Iran, has received tacit support from an unlikely quarter -- Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Foreign Minister meets with U.S Secretary of State Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:50 PM PST During his visit, Secretary Kerry also met with foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and separately with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz. With regards to Yemen, Prince Saud said, "The international community expressed its full support to the legitimate government in Yemen, led by President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.

Saudi executions set 'unprecedented' pace Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:37 PM PST Saudi Arabia has beheaded dozens of convicts, including foreign drug traffickers, since the start of the year in what Amnesty International calls an unprecedented pace of executions.

American Jewish Congress Calls On New York Times To Drop Its Anti-Semitic Partner In Pakistan Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:37 PM PST NEW YORK, March 5, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Jewish Congress, an association of Jewish Americans organized to defend Jewish interests at home and abroad, condemns in the strongest possible terms the affiliation of The New York Times with a Pakistani-based newspaper, The Express Tribune. The Express Tribune, which carries the name of the Times on its masthead, has published vile anti-Semitic statements on its pages and on its television network, Express TV. Express TV is available in the United States on DISH Network and worldwide through SKY and other satellite carriers.

Libyan factions hold peace talks in Morocco Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:35 PM PST By Aziz El Yaakoubi SKHIRATE, Morocco (Reuters) - Libya's warring factions held United Nations-backed talks on Thursday in an effort to end a conflict between two rival governments that threatens to drive the country into full-blown civil war. Air strikes between rival forces intensified before Thursday's negotiations on Libya, where Western governments worry spreading chaos is allowing Islamist militants to gain ground in a threat to mainland Europe across the Mediterranean. The internationally-recognized government and elected House of Representatives have had to operate out of the east of the north African oil state since an armed alliance known as Libya Dawn took over the capital Tripoli and set up its own self-declared government last year. Both centers of power are backed by heavily-armed alliances of former rebels who fought together to oust Muammar Gaddafi in 2011 but later fell out in a battle for control of oil wealth.

Iraq says Islamic State militants 'bulldozed' ancient site Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:34 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants "bulldozed" the ancient Nimrud archaeological site near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Thursday using heavy military vehicles, the government said.

Oil falls in volatile trade on supply worries, dollar and Iran Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:21 PM PST By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil closed lower on Thursday in volatile trade, as a soaring dollar and the U.S. pursuit of an Iranian nuclear deal offset earlier gains from supply concerns in Libya and Iraq. Libya's declaration of force majeure on nearly a dozen of its oilfields due to security concerns and arson attacks by Islamic State militants on Iraqi oil wells helped prices climb during the European session. In New York trade, the market came off its highs after the dollar hit 11-1/2 year highs against the euro, weighing on oil prices denominated in the greenback. Washington's pursuit of a nuclear agreement with Tehran, which could end sanctions against Iran and bring more oil from the OPEC member into an already flooded market further dragged on prices.

UN says 28,000 flee drive to retake Iraq's Tikrit Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:12 PM PST Some 28,000 people have fled the Tikrit area as Iraqi forces battle the Islamic State jihadist group in a massive offensive aimed at retaking the city, the UN said Thursday. "Military operations in and around Tikrit have precipitated displacement of an estimated 28,000 people to Samarra," the UN said in a statement. Some 30,000 Iraqi security forces members and allied fighters launched the operation to retake Tikrit on Monday, the largest of its kind since IS forces overran swathes of territory last June. Retaking Tikrit, the hometown of now-executed president Saddam Hussein, from militants who have had over eight months to dig in poses a major challenge for the country's forces.

Blast in Syria kills top al Qaeda commander, three others Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:06 PM PST By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's official Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, announced on Thursday the death of its top military commander, who insurgent sources said fell victim to a blast targeting a high-level militant meeting. General Military Commander Abu Humam al-Shami, a veteran of Islamist militant fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, was the senior-most member of the group to die in the Syria war, an insurgent source said. The sources said at least three other Nusra Front commanders were also killed in the blast, which they said hit the town of Salqin, near the border with Turkey. The blast comes at a time of flux for the Nusra Front, which is waging war on other insurgents and also looking for support from Gulf states, sources in Nusra have said.

Fight extremism, but also injustices that fuel it: UN rights chief Posted: 05 Mar 2015 01:00 PM PST In their battle against "terrorists", countries around the world must root out the injustices that fuel extremism and are used as recruiting tools, the UN human rights chief said Thursday. "The struggle to combat extremist violence must tackle the visions of injustice that fuel it," Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Kidnapped Iranian diplomat held in Yemen since 2013 freed Posted: 05 Mar 2015 12:59 PM PST An Iranian diplomat held hostage in Yemen since 2013 returned home to Tehran on Thursday amid conflicting accounts of how he was freed from his unidentified abductors. IRNA, Iran's state news agency, quoted deputy foreign minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian as saying that an Iranian intelligence operation in Yemen rescued Noor Ahmad Nikbakht, an administrative official at Tehran's embassy in Sanaa. Iran's state-run Press TV showed Nikbakht looking healthy and wearing a suit when he met his family and Abdollahian on arrival at Tehran airport.

Minister behind crackdown removed as Egypt battles militants Posted: 05 Mar 2015 12:50 PM PST The Egyptian government minister who spearheaded a bloody post-revolt crackdown was replaced in a cabinet reshuffle on Thursday as the security forces struggle to curb Islamist attacks. The removal of Mohamed Ibrahim, who had been appointed interior minister by now ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and survived an assassination attempt in 2013, follows mounting concern over a surge in deadly militancy. The presidency announced the 61-year-old was being reassigned to the post of deputy prime minister, in a move just days before an international conference Cairo is organising to attract investment. Ibrahim was replaced by Magdy Abdel Ghaffar, a 62-year-old who headed the Department of National Security for one year until 2012.

Aide: Indonesian leader to visit White House in June Posted: 05 Mar 2015 12:23 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Indonesia's President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo is expected to visit the White House in early June to forge closer ties with the U.S., according to his chief of staff.

What's at stake in the battle for Aleppo? Posted: 05 Mar 2015 12:11 PM PST The battle for Syria's largest city is intensifying, as are UN-led diplomatic efforts to arrange a local cease-fire. UN envoy Steffan De Mistura is trying to broker a halt to fighting in Aleppo between an array of Islamist and moderate rebels and the government forces of President Bashar al-Assad. On Wednesday, rebels launched an attack on a Syrian Air Force intelligence base in Aleppo with heavy losses of life on both sides, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Fierce fighting continued Thursday around the base in western Aleppo, which has been targeted previously by anti-government forces.

Iranian role in fighting IS in Iraq: Where will it lead? Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:59 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran's growing influence in Iraq is setting off alarm bells, and nowhere is the problem starker than in the high-stakes battle for Tikrit. It marks a crucial fight in the bigger war to expel the Islamic State group from Iraq, and yet Iran and the Shiite militias it empowers — not the U.S. — are leading the charge.

US won't take eye off Iran, Kerry assures Gulf allies Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:40 AM PST The United States will not take its eye off Iran's "destabilising" acts in the Middle East, Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday after talks with Gulf allies wary of an emerging nuclear deal with Tehran. Kerry, in Saudi Arabia, also said military pressure may be needed to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, who is fighting a civil war against jihadists and Western-backed rebels. Fresh from three days of negotiations in Switzerland, Kerry gathered at a Riyadh air base with foreign ministers from the six Gulf Cooperation Council nations.

Blast in Syria kills top al Qaeda commander: insurgent sources Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:32 AM PST BEIRUT (Reuters) - A blast targeting senior members of al Qaeda's official Syrian wing, the Nusra Front, killed the group's General Military Commander Abu Humam al-Shami on Thursday, two insurgent sources told Reuters. Al-Shami is one of the most senior Nusra Front figures to be killed since it formed in 2012 and has fought in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, the sources said. They said the explosion was caused by a U.S.-led coalition air strike that hit a high-level Nusra Front meeting in the northwestern province of Idlib. (Reporting by Mariam Karouny; editing by Ralph Boulton)

Knife-wielding attacker slashes face of U.S. ambassador in South Korea Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:05 AM PST By James Pearson and Ju-min Park SEOUL (Reuters) - U.S. ambassador to South Korea Mark Lippert underwent two-and-a-half hours of surgery after he was slashed in the face by a Korean nationalist in an attack at a breakfast forum in Seoul on Thursday to discuss Korean reunification. Doctors said later his condition was stable after "very successful" surgery that required 80 stitches in his face as the White House expressed optimism for his quick return to his duties. In 2010, Kim tried to attack the Japanese ambassador to South Korea by throwing a piece of concrete and was given a suspended jail term, according to police. The attack was a protest against joint military exercises by South Korean and U.S. troops, which Kim said interfered with reconciliation between North and South Korea, according to police following an interrogation.

Saudi top diplomat urges allies to face IS 'on the ground' Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:02 AM PST Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Thursday urged the US-led coalition conducting air strikes against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq to wage a ground war against the jihadists. The kingdom, part of that coalition, "stresses the need to provide the military means needed to face this challenge on the ground," Prince Saud al-Faisal said at a news conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry. Several Arab countries have joined the air campaign against IS. President Barack Obama, anxious to avoid a drawn-out ground war, has backed an air campaign, but ruled out deploying infantry.

/C O R R E C T I O N -- Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation/ Posted: 05 Mar 2015 11:00 AM PST In the news release, Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Announces 2015 Citizen Honors Program Honorees, issued 04-Mar-2015 by Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation over PR Newswire, we are advised by The Foundation that the release incorrectly identified Michael G. Reagan as a Purple Heart Recipient when in fact Mr. Reagan did not receive the Purple Heart for his honorable service in Vietnam. The Foundation regrets this error in fact. The complete, corrected release follows:Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation Announces 2015 Citizen Honors Program HonoreesARLINGTON, Va. ...

Canada foreign minister: we'll be in Iraq for the longer term Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:40 AM PST Canadian forces will be involved in Iraq for the longer term, Foreign Minister Rob Nicholson hinted on Thursday in remarks made a few weeks before Ottawa is due to decide whether to extend the six-month mandate of its military mission there. Nicholson, who was named foreign minister last month, made the comments after his first trip to Baghdad and Iraq's northern Kurdistan region, where he met some of the 70 Canadian special forces who are operating in the area. Canada has also provided six jets to take part in U.S.-led bombing missions against Islamic State militants. "Canada is not a country that stands on the sidelines ... we're in this for the longer term to make sure that we do what we can to help," Nicholson told reporters on a conference call from Jordan.

Saudi king aims for new Sunni bloc vs Iran and Islamic State Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:37 AM PST By Angus McDowall and Amena Bakr RIYADH/DOHA (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia is pushing for Sunni Muslim Middle East countries to set aside differences over political Islam and focus on what it sees as more urgent threats from Iran and Islamic State. Its new monarch, King Salman, has used summits with leaders of all five Gulf Arab states, Jordan, Egypt and Turkey over the past 10 days to reinforce the need for unity and find a way to work around disagreements over the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia's deep-seated mistrust of the Islamist group is unchanged, diplomats say.

GOP 2016: Scott Walker Has the Lead, Jeb Bush Has the Money Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:35 AM PST Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Florida governor Jeb Bush continue to dominate the GOP field of potential presidential candidates for 2016. Bush, meanwhile, is right now outpacing Walker and other potential rivals in early fundraising. A new Quinnipiac University national poll shows Walker as the favorite, with 18 percent of Republicans selecting him compared to 16 percent for Bush.

Insurgent attacks in Iraqi capital kill at least 16 people Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:33 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Insurgents unleashed a series of attacks mostly targeting civilian areas in and around the Iraqi capital on Thursday, killing at least 16, as Islamic State militants in the country's north set oil wells ablaze in an attempt to slow government forces battling to reclaim territory.

Apocalypse, Now: Dig 's Surprisingly Relevant Doomsday Drama Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:28 AM PST There's not much of a gray area when it comes to depictions of organized apocalyptic groups on American television.

Why Iran's latest foray into Iraq doesn't worry Pentagon – yet Posted: 05 Mar 2015 10:13 AM PST United States troops are not the only advisers to the Iraqi security forces right now. The Iranian military is on the ground as well, providing pointers and, by some reports, fighting side by side with Iraqi soldiers to retake ground from the Islamic State. This fact has riled US lawmakers, who have spoken out against the open presence of Iranian-backed militias. These are, after all, many of the same militiamen who caused an estimated half of all US troop casualties during America's eight-year war in Iraq, they point out.

Islamic State torches oil field near Tikrit as militia advance Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:40 AM PST By Saif Hameed and Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have set fire to oil wells northeast of the city of Tikrit to obstruct an assault by Shi'ite militiamen and Iraqi soldiers trying to drive them from the Sunni Muslim city and surrounding towns, a witness said. The witness and a military source said Islamic State fighters ignited the fire at the Ajil oil field to shield themselves from attack by Iraqi military helicopters. The offensive is the biggest Iraqi forces have yet mounted against IS, which has declared an Islamic caliphate on captured territory in Iraq and Syria and spread fear across the region by slaughtering Arab and Western hostages and killing or kidnapping members of religious minorities like Yazidis and Christians. Black smoke could be seen rising from the oil field since Wednesday afternoon, said the witness, who accompanied Iraqi militia and soldiers as they advanced on Tikrit from the east.

Fleeing Tikrit residents fear no return as Iraqi forces close in Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:40 AM PST By Isabel Coles ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - As Iraqi forces close in, Tikrit's few remaining civilians are cutting up white clothes and fabric to make flags of surrender, fearing their Shi'ite liberators more than the Islamic State militants occupying the Sunni city. Most residents of Tikrit fled in the months after the extremist group took over in June. "Some people say they would rather die in their own homes," said 37-year-old Abu Saif, who sought refuge in Kirkuk after leaving Tikrit on Wednesday as security forces, Shi'ite militia known as the Hashid Shaabi and a small contingent of Sunni fighters advanced. "The situation is frightening," Abu Saif said.

IRAQ Posted: 05 Mar 2015 09:17 AM PST Iraq launches operation to retake Tikrit. Map shows the area of the attack.; 2c x 3 inches; 96.3 mm x 76 mm;

Top Syria opponent seeks to unite dissidents Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:26 AM PST Syria's exiled opposition chief told AFP he wants to pull together the country's divided dissidents to end the four-year bloodbath, as he met the French president for the first time Thursday. Khaled Khoja, who has headed the main Syrian National Coalition since January, said President Bashar al-Assad's ouster should not be a pre-condition to enter into a new round of talks with the regime. "We insist on the goal of toppling Assad and the security services... It is not necessary to have these conditions at the beginning of the process, but it is... necessary to end the process with a new regime and a new free Syria," he said. After meeting Khoja, French President Francois Hollande said Assad is "the main cause of his people's suffering, and for the rise of terrorist groups in Syria".

Egypt puts over 200 on trial, accused of militant activity Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:23 AM PST An Egyptian court opened the trial on Thursday of 213 suspected militants, including members of the army and police, on charges of joining Egypt's most active militant group and attempting to assassinate the interior minister, judicial sources said. Egypt has been grappling with rising Islamist militancy since then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ousted freely elected President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood in 2013 after mass protests against his rule. Hundreds of soldiers and policemen have been killed in deadly attacks claimed by the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, which changed its name to Sinai Province after pledging allegiance to Islamic State, the hardline Sunni militant group that has seized swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Washington state cannabis retailer opens in defiance of county ban Posted: 05 Mar 2015 08:08 AM PST By Eric M. Johnson PARKLAND, Wash. (Reuters) - Sealed bags of marijuana dangle behind a counter, curved glass pipes glimmer on shelves, and a steady trickle of middle-aged customers gleefully buys cannabis strains nicknamed Charlie Sheen and Godzilla. "The Gallery" is similar to more than 100 other lawful state-licensed marijuana retail shops and hundreds of medical dispensaries in Washington state, with one exception: It is operating in defiance of local law. Its opening on Sunday set up a potential showdown with authorities in Pierce County, about an hour outside Seattle, which has effectively banned recreational pot shops in unincorporated areas so long as the drug remains illegal under federal law, even as medical pot businesses flourish virtually unregulated. "We didn't do this to pick a fight with the county," said co-owner Tedd Wetherbee, 47, in between chatting up customers in his shop in Parkland, in unincorporated Pierce County.

Outgoing UN envoy sees hope for Iraq Posted: 05 Mar 2015 07:53 AM PST Sectarianism is receding in Iraqi politics and hope is growing that the country can remain united, said Nickolay Mladenov, who left Thursday after 18 months as the top UN envoy. In an interview with AFP, he praised Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for his efforts in averting Iraq's breakup, which had looked imminent following a massive jihadist offensive in June last year. Critics say sectarian policies under the previous prime minister, Nuri al-Maliki, were partly to blame for marginalising Iraq's Sunni Arabs and allowing the Islamic State group to take over swathes of land almost unopposed. Mladenov said much had been achieved in the six months Abadi has been in office, despite the huge challenges that remain.

Kerry tries to reassure Iran's Gulf rivals on nuclear talks Posted: 05 Mar 2015 07:46 AM PST By Arshad Mohammed RIYADH (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry told Gulf Arab states on Thursday Washington was not seeking a "grand bargain" with Iran, and said a nuclear deal with Tehran would be in their interests. The United State's Gulf allies, particularly the Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are concerned that Shi'ite Iran will gain from any agreement to end years of dispute over its nuclear ambitions. "Even as we engage in these discussions with Iran around its nuclear program, we will not take our eye off of Iran's other destabilizing actions in places like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and the Arabian peninsula, Yemen particularly," Kerry said after meeting Saudi King Salman and Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal.

British teacher jailed for trying to join Islamic State in Syria Posted: 05 Mar 2015 07:32 AM PST A science teacher from northern England who supported Islamic State fighters in Syria before trying to go there himself has been jailed for six years. Jamshed Javeed, whose family hid his passport in an effort to stop him from traveling to Syria, was "determined to go through with his plans", Manchester police said in a statement on Thursday. The 30-year-old, who had taught at a secondary high school in Bolton, was last year convicted of terrorism offences after pleading guilty at a court in London to assisting others to commit acts of terrorism and preparing to travel to Syria. Security officials say some 500 Britons, most with Muslim immigrant backgrounds, are believed to be fighting in Iraq and Syria, though the true number could be much higher.

Kerry seeks to ease Arab concerns of Iran deal Posted: 05 Mar 2015 07:29 AM PST RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sought Thursday to ease Gulf Arab concerns about an emerging nuclear deal with Iran and vowed that any agreement reached would not reduce America's commitment to combating Tehran's destabilizing actions in the Middle East and beyond.

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