Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Boko Haram pledges allegiance to IS after carnage in Maiduguri
• Canadian military adviser killed in friendly fire in Iraq
• Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State
• Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State: audio clip
• Czech, Austrian, other foreigners missing after Libya oilfield attack
• UN condemns 'destruction' of ancient Iraq city of Hatra
• Boko Haram leader pledges allegiance to Islamic State group
• Giuliani calls for tougher stance against Iran at rally
• Canada says soldier killed by friendly fire in Iraq
• Female Islamic State recruiter arrested at Barcelona airport
• IS destroying another ancient archaeological site in Iraq
• Canadian soldier killed in Iraq friendly fire
• Iraq says Islamic State militants raze ancient Hatra city
• Iraqi troops battle to advance in towns on edge of Tikrit
• Friendly fire kills one, wounds three from U.S.-led coalition in Iraq
• Syrian air strike kills two Islamic State commanders
• IS attacks Christian villages in northeastern Syria
• Top US general optimistic about outcome of Tikrit battle
• Spain arrests Moroccan woman suspected of trying to join Islamic State
• Kentucky's odd couple: the symbiotic friendship of Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell
• Iraq forces face IS resistance but US says Tikrit will fall
• U.S., allies conduct air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, Iraq
• Egypt to reopen Rafah crossing with Gaza
• IS advances on strategic town in northeast Syria: monitor
• Readers write: Islam and Christianity too divergent, a careful response to terrorism
• China city boss warns against Islamic head coverings in Xinjiang
• UK charities cease funding Cage, group linked to 'Jihadi John'
• Officials say gunmen kidnap 31 suspected criminals in Iraq
• Iran's role worries anti-IS coalition: US general
• Iowa forum returns agriculture to presidential discussion
• Promises of love, jobs for foreign recruits in IS 'utopia'
• Man Taking Photo of His First Snowfall Shot Dead in Dallas
• Today in History
• Correction: China-Military Budget story
• Ohio man accused of plotting Capitol attack says would have shot Obama
• Syria to West: Accept that Assad is here to stay

Boko Haram pledges allegiance to IS after carnage in Maiduguri Posted: 07 Mar 2015 03:58 PM PST Boko Haram pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in an audio message published online on Saturday, after three bombs wreaked havoc in northeast Nigeria, killing 58 and wounding scores. "We announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims, Ibrahim ibn Awad ibn Ibrahim al-Husseini al-Qurashi," Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau said, referring to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The eight-minute speech, in which Shekau was not shown, was published on a Twitter account used by Boko Haram and subtitled in English, French and Arabic. Not only did Shekau announce last year that the captured town of Gwoza in Borno state was part of a caliphate but in recent weeks Boko Haram videos have increasingly resembled IS group propaganda.

Canadian military adviser killed in friendly fire in Iraq Posted: 07 Mar 2015 03:18 PM PST TORONTO (AP) — A Canadian special forces soldier was killed and three others wounded in a friendly fire incident in northern Iraq, Canada's defense department said Saturday.

Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State Posted: 07 Mar 2015 03:07 PM PST MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (AP) — Nigeria's home-grown Boko Haram group, newly weakened by a multinational force that has dislodged it from a score of northeastern towns, reportedly pledged formal allegiance to the Islamic State group.

Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State: audio clip Posted: 07 Mar 2015 02:03 PM PST Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram pledged allegiance on Saturday to Islamic State, which rules a self-declared caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria, according to an audio clip posted online. The symbolic move highlights increased coordination between jihadi movements across north Africa and the Middle East and prompted an appeal from Nigeria's government for greater international help in tackling the Boko Haram insurgency. Boko Haram has killed thousands and kidnapped hundreds during its six-year campaign to carve out an Islamist state in northern Nigeria. The pledge of allegiance was attributed to Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau.

Czech, Austrian, other foreigners missing after Libya oilfield attack Posted: 07 Mar 2015 01:47 PM PST By Jan Lopatka and Feras Bosalum PRAGUE/TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Up to 10 foreign workers are missing after a militant attack on a Libyan oil field and there is a possibility they have been taken hostage, Czech and Libyan officials said on Saturday. Foreigners have increasingly become targets in Libya's turmoil, where two rival governments are battling for control and Islamist extremists have grown in the chaos that followed Muammar Gaddafi's ouster four years ago. Czech Foreign Minister Lubomir Zaoralek said the workers missing after the assault earlier this week on Al-Ghani field, included a Czech and an Austrian and others from Bangladesh and the Philippines. Libya's oil security forces said on Friday they had retaken control of the oilfield after Islamist militants attacked the facility, killing 11 guards.

UN condemns 'destruction' of ancient Iraq city of Hatra Posted: 07 Mar 2015 01:45 PM PST The United Nations' cultural body on Saturday condemned the "destruction" by the Islamic State jihadist group of Hatra, a stunning Roman period ancient fortress city in the Iraqi desert. The destruction of the UNESCO world heritage site was reported two days after the Iraqi antiquities ministry said that IS bulldozed the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud, and a week after the jihadists released a tape of them smashing artefacts in the Mosul museum. "The destruction of Hatra marks a turning point in the appalling strategy of cultural cleansing under way in Iraq," UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said.

Boko Haram leader pledges allegiance to Islamic State group Posted: 07 Mar 2015 01:26 PM PST The leader of Nigeria's Boko Haram militants, Abubakar Shekau, pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group in an audio recording released Saturday. "We announce our allegiance to the Caliph of the Muslims, Ibrahim ibn Awad ibn Ibrahim al-Husseini al-Qurashi," said the voice on the message, which was believed to be that of Shekau and was released through Boko Haram's Twitter account. Qurashi is better known as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the IS group which has proclaimed a caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq. Shekau was not pictured, a contrast from most of Boko Haram's past messages in which the Islamist leader has been shown, often in close up shots.

Giuliani calls for tougher stance against Iran at rally Posted: 07 Mar 2015 12:50 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Saturday that the U.S. should take a stronger stance against Iran — or risk appeasing what he called an "insane" regime.

Canada says soldier killed by friendly fire in Iraq Posted: 07 Mar 2015 12:45 PM PST A Canadian soldier was killed on Friday in a friendly fire incident in Iraq, Canada's defense department said on Saturday, in the first fatality for the country during its current military mission there. The special forces soldiers were mistakenly engaged by Iraqi Kurdish forces following their return to an observation post behind the front lines, the defense department said in a statement. The soldier killed was Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron, who had been based in Petawawa, Ontario. Jason Kenney, Canada's defense minister, said in a statement all three are in stable condition.

Female Islamic State recruiter arrested at Barcelona airport Posted: 07 Mar 2015 12:37 PM PST A Moroccan woman was arrested at a Spanish airport Saturday on suspicion of recruiting European and North African women to join the Islamic State group, authorities said. The suspect, named as Samira Yerou, was sent to Spain by Turkish authorities after they caught her trying to illegally enter Syria, Spain's interior ministry said. Spain had issued an international arrest warrant for the woman. Spanish authorities, who believe Yerou was seeking to meet up with IS, took her into custody after she flew into Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

IS destroying another ancient archaeological site in Iraq Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:50 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Islamic State militants continued their campaign targeting cultural heritage sites in territories they control in northern Iraq, looting and damaging the ancient city of Hatra just one day after bulldozing the historic city of Nimrud, according to Iraqi government officials and local residents. The destruction in Hatra comes as the militant Islamic group fended off an Iraqi army offensive in Saddam Hussein's hometown and fought pitched battles in eastern Syria in an area populated by predominantly Christian villages.

Canadian soldier killed in Iraq friendly fire Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:45 AM PST A Canadian special forces soldier was killed and three more injured in Iraq when their Kurdish allies accidentally opened fire on them, the military said Saturday. General Tom Lawson, chief of Canadian defense staff, identified the slain soldier as Sergeant Andrew Joseph Doiron, whose regiment is in Iraq to train and advise Kurdish forces. "He was a gifted special operator and a great leader," said Brigadier General Michael Rouleau, head of Canadian Special Operations Forces Command. Canada has around 600 personnel, including 69 special forces operators, in Iraq as part of a US-led coalition aiding local forces in the battle against Islamic State jihadists.

Iraq says Islamic State militants raze ancient Hatra city Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:44 AM PST By Ahmed Rasheed and Isabel Coles BAGHDAD/ERBIL,Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State militants have destroyed ancient remains of the 2,000-year-old city of Hatra in northern Iraq, officials said on Saturday, in their latest attack on Iraqi antiquities which the United Nations condemned as barbarism. The antiquities and tourism ministry said it had received reports from the northern city of Mosul, which is under the control of the radical Islamist group, that the site at Hatra was demolished on Saturday. A ministry official said it was difficult to confirm the reports and the ministry had not received any pictures showing the extent of the damage at Hatra, listed as a U.N. world heritage site.

Iraqi troops battle to advance in towns on edge of Tikrit Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:19 AM PST Iraqi security forces and Shi'ite militia fighters struggled to advance on Saturday into the two towns of al-Alam and al-Dour near Tikrit, their progress slowed by fierce defense from Islamic State militants. "We are facing a strong resistance from terrorist groups and we are trying to surround Daesh inside al-Alam and al-Dour and cut all supply routes for them," said al-Alam mayor Laith al-Jubouri, referring to the Islamic State fighters. Army and militia fighters entered the southern and eastern parts of al-Dour on Friday. Canada said one of its soldiers was killed in a friendly fire incident, the first fatality for the country during its current military mission in Iraq.

Friendly fire kills one, wounds three from U.S.-led coalition in Iraq Posted: 07 Mar 2015 10:43 AM PST One member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State was killed and three were wounded in a friendly fire incident with Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, the U.S. military said on Saturday. It said in a statement that the incident happened on Friday while the four were conducting an "advise and assist" mission.

Syrian air strike kills two Islamic State commanders Posted: 07 Mar 2015 10:00 AM PST The Syrian army has killed two Islamic State commanders in an air strike in central Syria along with at least 24 other members of the ultra-hardline group, a monitoring group said on Saturday. Syrian state media reported the death of one of the Islamic State commanders killed in the air strike. It identified him as one of the group's self-declared provincial governors, Deeb Hedijan al-Otaibi. Islamic State supporters circulated a statement on Twitter announcing the "martyrdom" of the same man, together with photos showing him dead and alive.

IS attacks Christian villages in northeastern Syria Posted: 07 Mar 2015 09:19 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State militants attacked a string of predominantly Christian villages in northeastern Syria on Saturday, touching off heavy clashes with Kurdish militiamen and their local allies, activists said.

Top US general optimistic about outcome of Tikrit battle Posted: 07 Mar 2015 09:07 AM PST MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — The top U.S. general predicts the one-two punch of Iranian-backed militias and Iraqi government troops will prevail over Islamic State fighters in the unfolding battle for Tikrit, Saddam Hussein's hometown.

Spain arrests Moroccan woman suspected of trying to join Islamic State Posted: 07 Mar 2015 08:16 AM PST Spanish authorities on Saturday arrested a Moroccan woman resident in Spain on suspicion of attempting to join Islamic State militants in Syria, the interior ministry said. More than 20 people have been arrested by Spanish authorities since last September as part of efforts to stop young Muslim citizens from becoming jihadists in Syria or Iraq, fearing they might return to plot attacks on home soil. The woman, named as Samira Yerou in a ministry statement, was intercepted in Turkey while trying to enter Syria undetected with her three-year old son.

Kentucky's odd couple: the symbiotic friendship of Rand Paul and Mitch McConnell Posted: 07 Mar 2015 08:14 AM PST Senator Paul is a man in a hurry, with presidential stars in his eyes after a mere four years of serving Kentucky in Washington. Senator McConnell, after three patient decades in office, has finally reached his dream job of Senate majority leader. "I don't think any state has a more interesting pair of senators and a more influential pair of senators," says Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. Kentucky is one place in America where a tea-party firebrand and a Republican from the governance wing amicably meet – though it's taken a recognition of mutual interests to make that happen.

Iraq forces face IS resistance but US says Tikrit will fall Posted: 07 Mar 2015 07:47 AM PST Iraqi forces faced tough resistance from jihadist fighters around Tikrit Saturday, but the top US military officer said ahead of a Baghdad visit that victory was only a matter of time. Iran has actively and visibly supported Baghdad's biggest operation yet against the Islamic State group, but General Martin Dempsey insisted US air strikes north of Tikrit had been key. The jihadist group's footprint in Iraq has been shrinking steadily since federal and Kurdish troops went on the counter-offensive roughly six months ago, with foreign military backing. The US military announced that a string of 26 air strikes over two weeks had succeeded in forcing IS out of Al-Baghdadi, a small town near a large Iraqi base in western Iraq where US advisers are stationed.

U.S., allies conduct air strikes against Islamic State in Syria, Iraq Posted: 07 Mar 2015 07:17 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and coalition forces conducted six air strikes against Islamic State fighters in Syria and another 11 in Iraq in the past 24 hours, the U.S. military said on Saturday. In Syria, the six strikes targeted three tactical units near Kobani, destroying two fighting positions and damaging one heavy machine gun position. In Iraq, the strikes took place near Mosul, Tal Afar, Fallujah and Kirkuk, hitting tactical units, buildings and checkpoints as well as vehicles and one weapons cache, the statement said. All aircraft returned safely to base, the statement added. ...

Egypt to reopen Rafah crossing with Gaza Posted: 07 Mar 2015 07:14 AM PST Egypt will reopen its Rafah border crossing with Gaza for two days from Monday, for the fourth time since it was closed after a suicide bombing, security officials said. The terminal was shut after the bombing in the Sinai Peninsula in October killed 30 soldiers, and has since been reopened three times. The only access point to the Gaza Strip not controlled by Israel will reopen on Monday and Tuesday to allow Palestinians stranded on both sides to cross. Palestinians who travel through Rafah are mostly students heading to universities in Egypt or beyond, and those seeking medical treatment.

IS advances on strategic town in northeast Syria: monitor Posted: 07 Mar 2015 06:08 AM PST Islamic State group jihadists launched a fierce assault Saturday in a bid to gain control of a strategic town in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province, a monitoring group said. In Hama province, meanwhile, government forces conducted air strikes on an IS convoy, killing 26 jihadists, including a senior local commander, the Syrian Observatory for Human rights said. The IS offensive on the Hasakeh town of Tal Tamr "has advanced in several surrounding areas," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP. "Kurdish fighters supported by Assyrian militia have fought them off in Tal Nasri," just south of Tal Tamr, killing at least eight IS fighters, he said.

Readers write: Islam and Christianity too divergent, a careful response to terrorism Posted: 07 Mar 2015 05:00 AM PST Impressionable youth are being radicalized by certain Islamic teachers, peers, YouTube postings, etc. This is blatant hypnotism. Recommended: How much do you know about terrorism?

China city boss warns against Islamic head coverings in Xinjiang Posted: 07 Mar 2015 04:22 AM PST Veils and head coverings represent a cultural reverse in western China's Xinjiang region, said the top Communist Party boss in Kashgar, the city the government describes as the "frontline" in its battle against religious extremism. Kashgar and the surrounding areas of southern Xinjiang has suffered from some of the worst ethnic tensions in the region between the largely Muslim Uighur ethnic minority and majority Han Chinese. Exiled Uighur groups and human rights activists say the government's repressive policies in Xinjiang, including controls on Islam, have provoked unrest. Hundreds have died in violence in recent years, many in southern, predominantly Uighur parts of Xinjiang.

UK charities cease funding Cage, group linked to 'Jihadi John' Posted: 07 Mar 2015 03:44 AM PST By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Two high-profile British charities have stopped funding Cage, a Muslim campaign group that has drawn criticism over statements about the Islamic State militant known as "Jihadi John", the regulator of British charities has announced. Cage was in contact several years ago with Kuwaiti-born Londoner Mohammed Emwazi, at a time when he was on the radar of Britain's intelligence services over signs of radicalization. Since Emwazi was identified on Feb. 26 as the man in a black balaclava who appears in Islamic State beheading videos, Cage members have said he was once a "beautiful young man" and have blamed the intelligence services for radicalizing him. "Last week, public statements by Cage officials heightened concerns about the use of charitable funds to support their activities," the Charity Commission said in a statement late on Friday.

Officials say gunmen kidnap 31 suspected criminals in Iraq Posted: 07 Mar 2015 03:19 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Gunmen dressed all in black abducted 31 Shiite men Saturday from their homes in eastern Baghdad, an attack police described as targeting suspected criminals, Iraqi officials said. Separate attacks in the capital killed six people, authorities said.

Iran's role worries anti-IS coalition: US general Posted: 07 Mar 2015 12:41 AM PST The US military's top officer said Iran is bolstering the firepower of Shiite militias in Iraq but it remains unclear if Tehran is a help or a hindrance to the fight against Islamic State jihadists. General Martin Dempsey, speaking to reporters aboard his plane en route to Bahrain and Iraq, said he would raise his concerns about Iran's influence in talks with Iraq's leaders --- days after Baghdad launched a large-scale operation to recapture Tikrit from the Islamic State group.

Iowa forum returns agriculture to presidential discussion Posted: 07 Mar 2015 12:02 AM PST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — It seems like a no-brainer for prospective presidential candidates: Come to Iowa to talk about agriculture. Thing is, not many of them do anymore and few can boast having dirt under their fingernails.

Promises of love, jobs for foreign recruits in IS 'utopia' Posted: 06 Mar 2015 10:35 PM PST It has become known for horrific images of beheadings and torture, but the Islamic State group is trying to lure foreign recruits to its "caliphate" with promises of adventure, homes, jobs -- even love. Using sophisticated recruitment techniques, the jihadists have attracted hundreds of supporters from Western countries to the swathes of territory they have seized in Syria and Iraq. Experts say many are shocked by what they find in IS territory, but by then it is too late. "IS sells its Islamic utopia to these young men and women," said Lina Khatib, head of the Carnegie Endowment's Middle East Centre in Beirut.

Man Taking Photo of His First Snowfall Shot Dead in Dallas Posted: 06 Mar 2015 10:26 PM PST Authorities are investigating the death of Ahmed Al-Jumaili, 36, who was killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex late Wednesday night. The Dallas Police Department said that the shooting took place at 11:40 p.m., when Al-Jumaili and his wife were taking photos of the snow. The fundraising appeal tells the love story of Al-Jumaili and his wife, Zahara, who got married 16 months ago. At the time, they lived in Iraq -- but Zahara made the "painful" decision to move to America and live with her relatives in "what she believed to be a safer place," the site said.

Today in History Posted: 06 Mar 2015 09:01 PM PST Today is Saturday, March 7, the 66th day of 2015. There are 299 days left in the year.

Correction: China-Military Budget story Posted: 06 Mar 2015 07:12 PM PST In a story March 5 about China's military budget, The Associated Press incorrectly quoted Adam Liff, assistant professor at Indiana University's School of Global and International Studies. In the paragraph ...

Ohio man accused of plotting Capitol attack says would have shot Obama Posted: 06 Mar 2015 06:30 PM PST An Ohio man claiming sympathy with Islamic State militants and charged with plotting to attack the U.S. Capitol said in a television interview that he would have shot President Barack Obama in the head. Christopher Cornell, 20, told Cincinnati's FOX 19 WXIX TV that if he had not been arrested by FBI agents in January, he would have carried out an alleged plot to plant pipe bombs on the Capitol and at the Israeli Embassy. I would have took my gun, I would have put it to Obama's head and I would have pulled the trigger," Cornell, of Cincinnati, said in a telephone interview from the Boone County, Kentucky, jail aired on Friday. "Then I would have released more bullets on the Senate and the House of Representative members, and I would have attacked the Israeli Embassy and various other buildings full of kafir (a Muslim term for infidel) who want to wage war against us Muslims and shed our blood.

Syria to West: Accept that Assad is here to stay Posted: 06 Mar 2015 06:20 PM PST By Samia Nakhoul and Louis Charbonneau NEW YORK (Reuters) - Syria's envoy to the United Nations says it's time for the United States and other Western powers to accept that President Bashar al-Assad is here to stay, and to abandon what he suggested was a failed strategy of trying to split the Middle East into sectarian enclaves.    Speaking to Reuters on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the Syrian war, Assad's long-serving U.N. ambassador Bashar Ja'afari said his president was ready to work with the United States and others to combat terrorism in the Middle East. "President Assad can deliver because he is a strong president. Britain and France have rejected calls to restore ties with the Assad government. U.S. officials say there is no shift in their policy regarding Assad, even as their focus is fighting Islamic State, an al Qaeda offshoot which is also an enemy of Damascus.     "We have been open for cooperation (with the U.S.)," Ja'afari said.

You are subscribed to email updates from Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States