Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iranian opposition leader: Women play an indispensable role in defeating Islamic extremism
• Jordan's King Abdullah, Queen Rania to visit Morocco on Tuesday
• New York City marks International Women's Day with march
• Air strike on Islamic State-run refinery in Syria kills 30-monitor
• Canada and Kurds disagree over soldier's death in Iraq
• Chad, Niger launch joint offensive against Boko Haram in Nigeria
• Young Belgian woman held after returning from Syria
• Escalating air war on IS not the answer: US general
• Boko Haram bid to join IS offers propaganda boost to both
• UK plans airline laws to stop Britons from joining Islamic State
• Iraqis living under IS rule fear liberation means reprisals
• Box Office Milestone: 'American Sniper' Hits $500M Globally, Becomes Top 2014 Title in U.S.
• As Iran Talks Reach Key Phase, Obama Would Walk Away
• Dempsey: Some Iraqi troops show up for training ill-prepared
• Activists: US-led coalition bombs al-Qaida's Syria branch
• Niger, Chad attack Boko Haram after IS pledge of allegiance
• Justice Department's Ferguson report resonates across the US
• ISIS Must Be Stopped for 'Our Own Sake,' Says Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
• The Daily Fix: Fitness Chain Lives Up to ‘No Critics’ Slogan With LGBT Advocacy
• UAE airlines suspend flights to Erbil on security woes
• Iraq calls for air power to protect antiquities
• Iraq minister says coalition must defend heritage sites
• Iraqi troops, militia make advances near Tikrit
• Peace Corps temporarily suspends its program in Jordan
• Bombings kill 11 people in Iraq
• Iraqi minister: concerns over IS looting third ancient site
• EU accuses Syrian man of buying IS oil for govt; he denies charge
• Saudi Arabia outpaces India to become top defense importer: IHS
• Gunmen kill more than 12 Islamic State militants in eastern Syria
• Iran leader appears in public amid rumors about his health
• France PM: 10,000 Europeans could be waging jihad by year-end
• Egypt dodges diplomatic flak over 'Sisi tapes'
• Why America’s War with ISIS Will Take Years
• Menendez Charges Put New Strain on Obama Relations
• Czech, Austrian, other foreigners missing after Libya oilfield attack
• Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State - audio clip
• 2 teens stopped at Sydney Airport from joining Islamic State
• Middle East-bound teens 'stopped at Sydney airport'
• Text of Obama's remark at Selma anniversary commemoration

Iranian opposition leader: Women play an indispensable role in defeating Islamic extremism Posted: 08 Mar 2015 04:47 PM PDT BERLIN, March 8, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Women's unity is a determining factor in defeating Islamic fundamentalism with "misogyny as its main attribute," Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi said at a conference in Berlin on Sunday. Women from Muslim countries comprised a majority of conference attendants, held on the occasion of International Women's Day, celebrated March 8. The Iranian opposition leader cited several measures by the Iranian regime as crimes and systematic discrimination against women in Iran, and said the status of women in Iran has deteriorated in recent years. After the election of Hassan Rouhani as president in June 2013, the West expected an improved situation for women, but that has not happened, according to human rights organizations.

Jordan's King Abdullah, Queen Rania to visit Morocco on Tuesday Posted: 08 Mar 2015 04:27 PM PDT Jordan's King Abdullah II and his wife Queen Rania will begin a two-day visit to Morocco on Tuesday at the invitation of King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan royal palace announced. The Jordanian royal visit will end on Thursday. Both countries are involved in a US-led coalition battling against Islamic State jihadists in Iraq and Syria. The two nations are the only Arab monarchies who do not belong to the oil-rich Gulf Cooperation Council, closed to outsiders since its creation in 1981.

New York City marks International Women's Day with march Posted: 08 Mar 2015 04:22 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of men and women from around the world stopped traffic in midtown Manhattan on Sunday, passionately raising their voices for worldwide women's rights.

Air strike on Islamic State-run refinery in Syria kills 30-monitor Posted: 08 Mar 2015 03:45 PM PDT A U.S.-led coalition air strike in Syria hit an oil refinery run by the Islamic State militant group near the border with Turkey on Sunday, killing 30 people, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Observatory, said the dead were refinery workers and Islamic State militants. The Islamic State group has seized wide areas of Syria and Iraq, declaring them part of a cross-border "caliphate".

Canada and Kurds disagree over soldier's death in Iraq Posted: 08 Mar 2015 03:27 PM PDT IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Canadian and Kurdish officials on Sunday offered conflicting accounts of the death of a Canadian soldier in a friendly fighting incident in Iraq, with the Kurds saying he was on the front lines directing airstrikes and Canada's defense minister saying he had returned to an observation post further back.

Chad, Niger launch joint offensive against Boko Haram in Nigeria Posted: 08 Mar 2015 02:10 PM PDT By Madjiasra Nako and Abdoulaye Massalaki N'DJAMENA/NIAMEY (Reuters) - Chad and Niger launched a joint army operation against Boko Haram militants in Nigeria on Sunday, military sources said, stepping up a regional push to end the Sunni Muslim group's six-year insurgency. Boko Haram has expanded cross-border raids into Cameroon, Chad and Niger in recent months. This has spurred Nigeria's neighbors to retaliate, although cooperation between them and Abuja has been limited and at times strained. Sunday's strike marks Niger's first major push into Nigerian territory to combat Boko Haram.

Young Belgian woman held after returning from Syria Posted: 08 Mar 2015 01:23 PM PDT A young Belgian woman was detained at the country's Charleroi airport on Sunday after being intercepted by Turkish authorities as she sought to return from Syria with her four-year-old son, officials said. The woman, who left Belgium with her child and partner last year to go to Syria, was taken in for questioning upon her return, federal prosecutors said, adding that the police wanted to talk to her about her eight-month stay in the war-ravaged country. It will then be up to an investigating judge to decide whether to take the case further, amid mounting fears in Europe over young people travelling to Syria to join jihadist groups. Turkish authorities stopped the Belgian family on Thursday after they crossed the border from Syria.

Escalating air war on IS not the answer: US general Posted: 08 Mar 2015 01:13 PM PDT The US military's top officer Sunday defended the pace of the air war against Islamic State jihadists, warning that escalating bombing raids or sending in more American troops would be a mistake. During a visit to a French aircraft carrier in the Gulf taking part in the air campaign, General Martin Dempsey appealed for "strategic patience" in the fight against the IS group in Iraq and Syria. Expanding the air war could risk civilian casualties and play into the hands of IS propaganda, he said aboard the Charles de Gaulle. "So we have a responsibility to be very precise in the use of air power.

Boko Haram bid to join IS offers propaganda boost to both Posted: 08 Mar 2015 12:55 PM PDT Boko Haram's bid to forge an alliance with the Islamic State group in sub-Saharan Africa will provide only a propaganda boost for now, but in the long term it could internationalize a conflict restricted to Nigeria for nearly six years, analysts say.

UK plans airline laws to stop Britons from joining Islamic State Posted: 08 Mar 2015 12:46 PM PDT By William James LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will introduce new laws on Tuesday to try to stop airlines carrying passengers who may be travelling to join Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, a junior minister said on Sunday. Security services estimate some 600 Britons have gone to Syria or Iraq to join militant groups, including the man known as "Jihadi John" who has appeared in several Islamic State beheading videos. Under the proposed new laws, Home Secretary Theresa May would be able to prevent airlines from carrying passengers, including children, believed to be travelling to take part in "terrorism-related activity" on known routes, such as those into Syria, according to a Home Office statement. "This important legislation will disrupt the ability of people to travel abroad to fight and then return," James Brokenshire, a junior minister for security in May's department, said in the statement.

Iraqis living under IS rule fear liberation means reprisals Posted: 08 Mar 2015 11:56 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Mosul resident Mohammed Younis says he had nothing to do with the Islamic State group's capture of his city or its mass killings, beheadings and other atrocities -- but that may not be enough to spare him if the extremists are driven out.

Box Office Milestone: 'American Sniper' Hits $500M Globally, Becomes Top 2014 Title in U.S. Posted: 08 Mar 2015 11:56 AM PDT Clint Eastwood's film has now earned $337.2 million domestically, passing up 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 1'; overseas, 'Sniper' has grossed an outstanding $163 million.

As Iran Talks Reach Key Phase, Obama Would Walk Away Posted: 08 Mar 2015 11:53 AM PDT President Obama forcefully reiterated Sunday morning that the U.S. will walk away from any deal with Iran over its nuclear program unless the deal contains a strict inspections capability and dramatically restricts Iran's ability to develop a nuclear weapon. The ongoing negotiations – controversial largely because of opposition to a potential deal voiced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – are reaching a critical phase. So far, the sticking points are the degree of nuclear capacity Iran would be allowed to retain and the extent of inspections, among other things. "Over the next month or so, we're going to be able to determine whether or not their system is able to accept what would be an extraordinarily reasonable deal if, in fact, as they say, they are only interested in peaceful nuclear programs," Obama told CBS News reporter Bill Plante.

Dempsey: Some Iraqi troops show up for training ill-prepared Posted: 08 Mar 2015 11:14 AM PDT ABOARD THE CHARLES DE GAULLE (AP) — Some Iraqi army units in line for U.S.-led training to fight the Islamic State group are showing up ill-prepared, the top American general said Sunday.

Activists: US-led coalition bombs al-Qaida's Syria branch Posted: 08 Mar 2015 10:16 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-led coalition warplanes targeted the local headquarters of al-Qaida-linked militants in northwestern Syria near the Turkish border on Sunday, killing at least nine people, activists said.

Niger, Chad attack Boko Haram after IS pledge of allegiance Posted: 08 Mar 2015 10:09 AM PDT Niger and Chad on Sunday launched major ground and air strikes in northeast Nigeria against Boko Haram, after the militants formally pledged allegiance to the Islamic state group in Syria and Iraq. The attacks, which follow a sustained build-up of troops in southern Niger, opens up a new front in regional efforts to wipe out the Islamist group, whose six-year insurgency has spread across borders. "Very early this morning, troops from Niger and Chad began an offensive against Boko Haram... in the area of Bosso and near to Diffa," a Niger government source in Niamey told AFP on condition of anonymity. Aircraft targeted Boko Haram positions on Saturday and early Sunday, it added, while a Diffa resident and aid worker said troops were seen heading to the border and heavy gunfire was heard.

Justice Department's Ferguson report resonates across the US Posted: 08 Mar 2015 10:07 AM PDT SEATTLE (AP) — Felix Vargas read the Justice Department's report on Ferguson, Missouri, and thought some of it sounded awfully familiar: a mostly white police department overseeing a mostly minority town; questionable uses of force; officers ill-equipped to deal with mentally ill residents.

ISIS Must Be Stopped for 'Our Own Sake,' Says Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Posted: 08 Mar 2015 09:53 AM PDT While headed for meetings in Iraq this week, Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed optimism that the Iraqi force of 23,000 military and Shiite militia fighters will defeat the several hundred ISIS fighters inside the city. Al-Abadi did not say if Iranian Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani was playing a major role in the operation. Al-Abadi acknowledged that Soleimani "comes and goes" to Iraq, but that he does not stay long. Al-Abadi said it was "not entirely true" that American military commanders did not know beforehand that the Iraqi military was launching the Tikrit offensive, noting that the U.S. and Iraqi military coordinate plans at a Baghdad Joint Operations Center.

The Daily Fix: Fitness Chain Lives Up to ‘No Critics’ Slogan With LGBT Advocacy Posted: 08 Mar 2015 09:38 AM PDT Planet Fitness in Midland, Michigan, revoked Yvette Cormier's membership after she filed a complaint about a transgender woman using the women's locker room. He was not dressed like a woman at all," Cormier told local news station WNEM. Representatives of the gym say the way in which Cormier complained was disruptive and violated the membership agreement, which includes a gender identity nondiscrimination clause. "Planet Fitness is committed to creating a non-intimidating, welcoming environment for our members," McCall Gosselin, director of public relations at Planet Fitness Corporate, said in a statement.

UAE airlines suspend flights to Erbil on security woes Posted: 08 Mar 2015 08:35 AM PDT United Arab Emirates airlines Emirates, flydubai and Etihad Airways have suspended flights to Erbil, the airlines said in separate statements on Sunday, citing security concerns as Islamic State razes ancient cities in Iraq's north. Budget carrier flydubai, which was involved in a security incident in January when bullets hit one of its planes landing in Baghdad, temporarily suspended flights to Erbil and Sulaimaniyah due to "expanded military activity in the north of the country," it said in a statement to Reuters. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways told Reuters it had suspended flights to Erbil effective March 6 until further notice, due to the "deteriorating security situation in Iraq." Emirates [EMIRA.UL] also suspended flights to Erbil from March 7 and deferred plans to resume flights to Baghdad, which it said last month would recommence on March 1 after the flydubai incident.

Iraq calls for air power to protect antiquities Posted: 08 Mar 2015 08:21 AM PDT By Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq urged a U.S.-led military coalition on Sunday to use air power to protect the country's antiquities from Islamic State fighters looting and destroying some of the world's greatest archaeological treasures. A government minister said the coalition, which has carried out 2,800 air strikes against Islamic State military positions in Iraq and Syria since August, was not doing enough to save Iraq's priceless heritage. The ultra-radical militants attacked the 2,000-year-old city of Hatra in northern Iraq on Saturday with bulldozers, officials say, days after assaulting the ancient Assyrian city of Nimrud. The destruction has drawn global condemnation, with the United Nations describing the damage to Iraq's rich history as a war crime.

Iraq minister says coalition must defend heritage sites Posted: 08 Mar 2015 07:44 AM PDT The US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group must try to protect archaeological sites being destroyed by the jihadists, Iraq's tourism and antiquities minister said Sunday. The jihadists may now have turned their attention to the extremely well preserved fortress city Hatra, which is more than 2,000 years old and a UNESCO world heritage site, with the United Nations condemning its reported "destruction".

Iraqi troops, militia make advances near Tikrit Posted: 08 Mar 2015 07:42 AM PDT By Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces and Shi'ite militia fighting the Islamic State took control of the center of a town on the southern outskirts of Saddam Hussein's home city Tikrit on Sunday, security officials said. Sending in more troops and fighting fierce clashes, the army and militiamen were still struggling to drive out Islamic State militants entrenched in buildings in the western section of the town of al-Dour, officials said. Military commanders said the army and militia, known as Hashid Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation) units, launched another offensive late on Saturday to break into the center of al-Dour. By Sunday they had succeeded in recapturing the central area where government headquarters are located, but Islamic State insurgents were still holding positions in the west.

Peace Corps temporarily suspends its program in Jordan Posted: 08 Mar 2015 07:36 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The U.S. Peace Corps said it is temporarily suspending its program in Jordan because of the "regional environment," highlighting growing security concerns among some foreigners after Jordan raised its profile in the battle against Islamic State militants.

Bombings kill 11 people in Iraq Posted: 08 Mar 2015 07:34 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi authorities say a series of bombings targeting public places and police have killed 11 people around Baghdad.

Iraqi minister: concerns over IS looting third ancient site Posted: 08 Mar 2015 07:23 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's government is investigating reports that the ancient archaeological site of Khorsabad in northern Iraq is the latest to be attacked by the Islamic State militant group.

EU accuses Syrian man of buying IS oil for govt; he denies charge Posted: 08 Mar 2015 07:18 AM PDT BRUSSELS/BEIRUT (Reuters) - The European Union has imposed sanctions on a Syrian businessman who it says bought oil for the Syrian government from Islamic State militants who have seized wide areas of the country including its oil-producing regions. The businessman, George Haswani, denied the accusation. He told Reuters by phone that the European Union had no evidence to back up the claim and should instead look for intermediaries he said were smuggling oil to Turkey on Islamic State's behalf. Islamic State has seized much of eastern and northern Syria, including areas at the borders with Iraq and Turkey, declaring the territories part of its "caliphate".

Saudi Arabia outpaces India to become top defense importer: IHS Posted: 08 Mar 2015 05:15 AM PDT Saudi Arabia overtook India to become the world's biggest weapons importer in 2014, a year when global defense trade rose for the sixth straight year to a record $64.4 billion, research company IHS said on Sunday. The United States remained the top defense exporter in 2014, ahead of Russia, France, Britain and Germany, a top-five ranking unchanged from 2013, IHS said in an annual defense trade report. "Growth in Saudi Arabia has been dramatic and, based on previous orders, these numbers are not going to slow down," an IHS statement quoted its senior defense analyst Ben Moores as saying. One out of every $7 spent on defense imports in 2015 will be spent by Saudi Arabia, it said.

Gunmen kill more than 12 Islamic State militants in eastern Syria Posted: 08 Mar 2015 05:06 AM PDT Unidentified gunmen attacked Islamic State militants in the eastern Syrian town of al-Mayadin overnight, killing more than 12, the latest in a series of guerrilla attacks on the ultra-hardline group in areas it controls near the Iraqi border. The attacks in Deir al-Zor province were carried out by two separate groups of gunmen, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported. Islamic State, which seized nearly all of Deir al-Zor province last year, has faced a wave of hit-and-run attacks by unidentified gunmen in the area. Syrian state media attributed similar attacks in January to "popular resistance" to Islamic State, which has brutally suppressed any opposition to its control.

Iran leader appears in public amid rumors about his health Posted: 08 Mar 2015 04:59 AM PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made a public appearance Sunday amid rumors about his health, as a relative dismissed the claims as gossip meant to derail ongoing nuclear talks with world powers.

France PM: 10,000 Europeans could be waging jihad by year-end Posted: 08 Mar 2015 04:21 AM PDT As many as 10,000 Europeans could be waging jihad in Iraq and Syria by the end of this year, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned Sunday, a three-fold increase on current numbers. "There are 3,000 Europeans in Iraq and Syria today. When you do a projection for the months to come, there could be 5,000 before summer and 10,000 before the end of the year," Valls told French television channel iTele. France, along with Belgium, has seen the largest numbers of volunteers leaving to join the Islamic State jihadist group, which has seized large parts of Syria and Iraq.

Egypt dodges diplomatic flak over 'Sisi tapes' Posted: 08 Mar 2015 04:17 AM PDT Despite months of embarrassment for Egypt over a series of alleged leaks of sensitive remarks including about Gulf allies, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi appears to have avoided a major diplomatic furore. The tapes, aired by Islamist television channels, purportedly revealed conversations which followed the military's overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 when Sisi was army chief. The recordings, which have not been authenticated, touch on issues ranging from Morsi's ouster to development funds that Cairo needs from Gulf allies. Sisi, who toppled Morsi and was elected in May to succeed him, has overseen a brutal police crackdown against supporters of his predecessor that has left hundreds dead.

Why America’s War with ISIS Will Take Years Posted: 08 Mar 2015 03:00 AM PDT For the past seven months, The United States has led an international alliance against ISIS and launched thousands of air strikes against ISIS positions in Iraq and Syria. While ISIS momentum has been stopped in Iraq since October and in Syria during the last two months, the major cities controlled by ISIS like Mosul, Tikrit, Fallujah and al-Raqaa are still waiting to be liberated. A plan to liberate Mosul in April or May by 20,000 US trained Iraqi soldiers was leaked a few weeks ago, outraging the new US defense secretary who said that leaking the plan was a mistake. When one compares ISIS and the Iraqi government forces and its allies (the Kurdish peshmerga, the Shiite militias and the Sunni tribes), the numbers of fighters are remarkably skewed -- approximately 10 to 1 against ISIS.

Menendez Charges Put New Strain on Obama Relations Posted: 08 Mar 2015 01:39 AM PST The Obama administration's strained relations with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) over critical foreign policy issues may now be at the breaking point. This development comes amid reports that the Department of Justice has decided to pursue criminal charges against the veteran New Jersey politician. Menendez, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has sharply differed with the administration on everything from normalizing diplomatic and trade relations with Cuba to the parameters for waging war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. How Menendez, the leading Democrat on foreign relations, and the White House will continue to work together remains to be seen.

Czech, Austrian, other foreigners missing after Libya oilfield attack Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:47 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.

Nigeria's Boko Haram pledges allegiance to Islamic State - audio clip Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:44 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.

2 teens stopped at Sydney Airport from joining Islamic State Posted: 07 Mar 2015 11:44 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Two Australian brothers aged 16 and 17 were stopped at Sydney Airport on suspicion that they were young jihadis headed to join the Islamic State group, officials said Sunday.

Middle East-bound teens 'stopped at Sydney airport' Posted: 07 Mar 2015 08:53 PM PST Australia Sunday said it stopped two teenage brothers at Sydney Airport believed to be heading to the Middle East to fight, amid growing concern in Western countries over young people joining jihadist groups. Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the two boys, aged 16 and 17 and from Sydney, had tickets to an undisclosed Middle Eastern country and raised the suspicions of customs officers on Friday night. The case came as the families of three British schoolgirls who left their London homes to join Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria in February criticised authorities for not warning them their children risked being radicalised. "In some cases, these young people who are going off to fight in areas like Syria will be killed themselves and that's a tragedy for their families, for their communities, and for our country." The minister said a search of the boys' luggage raised more questions about their trip and they were referred to the federal police's counter-terrorism unit.

Text of Obama's remark at Selma anniversary commemoration Posted: 07 Mar 2015 06:42 PM PST SELMA, Ala. (AP) — Text of President Barack Obama's remarks at the 50th anniversary of the Selma-to-Montgomery march, as provided by the White House:

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