Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Feds: US Air Force vet tried to join Islamic State group
• U.S. loses drone over Syria, which claims to have brought it down
• "Budget: Titanic Conflict Coming" National Democratic Strategist Robert Weiner And Policy Analyst Autumn Kelly Say Congressional Leadership Budget Puts Too Many At Risk
• Morocco, UAE sign 'anti-terror' accord
• GOP House Budget Plans for Future Economic and Global Threats
• Why Pentagon is hesitant to arm Ukraine
• WHO warns of 'very worrying' Syria health situation
• Syria, Iraq, and the Specter of Chemical Warfare
• US Air Force vet charged with Syrian jihad support
• Former US Air Force Mechanic Charged With Trying to Join ISIS in Syria, Officials Say
• NBC keeps its lead in news, just barely
• Syria monitor says army kills six in gas attack, military denies it
• DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz rules out U.S. Senate run in Florida
• U.S. Air Force veteran accused of trying to assist Islamic State
• Briton detained en route to join militants in Syria - Turkish official
• Nigeria begins 'final onslaught' against Boko Haram: govt
• Islamic State group reports Tunisian leader killed in Libya
• Iran deal a high stakes gamble with Obama's legacy
• Turkey compares talks with Assad to 'shaking hands with Hitler'
• Top Tunisian militant killed while fighting in Libya
• U.S. conducts air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State
• AP names Lefteris Pitarakis chief photographer for Turkey
• Syrian, Iraqi Christians plead for international assistance
• Iraq's Tikrit offensive stalled by IS bombs
• House GOP Budget Would Wipe Out Deficit in 10 Years
• Tunisia dismantles jihadi recruiting cell for Libya
• Iraq: Separate attacks kill at least 9 people
• EU police group launches team to tackle migrant smugglers
• Abu Azrael: Iraq's celebrity anti-IS fighter
• Turkish PM says negotiating with Assad like shaking hands with Hitler
• Analysis: An Iran deal could have broader implications
• Iran nuclear deal may open oil taps in months, not weeks
• Mid-East Minorities Call on UN Security Council to Establish "Interim Protected Areas"
• Fear stalks Afghan minorities after rare attacks
• Will the GOP Kick It Away?
• IS beheads 'recruiters' for pro-Baghdad militia

Feds: US Air Force vet tried to join Islamic State group Posted: 17 Mar 2015 04:08 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. Air Force veteran and airplane mechanic plotted to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State group and was arrested on terrorism charges, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

U.S. loses drone over Syria, which claims to have brought it down Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:42 PM PDT BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States lost contact with an unarmed Predator drone over Syria on Tuesday, U.S. officials said, stopping short of confirming the plane was taken down by Syrian air defenses, as reported by Syrian state media. It was the first such incident since the U.S.-led coalition began carrying out air strikes against the hardline militant Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria last summer. "Syrian air defenses brought down a hostile U.S. surveillance plane in northern Latakia," SANA said in a bulletin, without giving further details.

"Budget: Titanic Conflict Coming" National Democratic Strategist Robert Weiner And Policy Analyst Autumn Kelly Say Congressional Leadership Budget Puts Too Many At Risk Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:08 PM PDT WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "4 trillion in tax dollars are at stake and there will be a titanic conflict over the budget," write Robert Weiner and Autumn Kelly in an article published in The Michigan Chronicle, called "Budget: Titanic Conflict Coming." President Obama released his budget in January and the authors say that this year's congressional budget resolution, just released, is like Paul Ryan's (R-WI) "Path to Prosperity" last year. ...

Morocco, UAE sign 'anti-terror' accord Posted: 17 Mar 2015 02:31 PM PDT Morocco and the United Arab Emirates signed an accord Tuesday to cooperate in the "battle against terrorism," notably against the Islamic State group, Morocco's official MAP news agency reported. The agreement was among 21 bilateral deals to be signed during a visit by the crown prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. Details of the accord were not disclosed, but Morocco has already been involved in the US-led coalition carrying out air strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. The accords were signed at a meeting King Mohammed VI had with Sheikh Mohammed.

GOP House Budget Plans for Future Economic and Global Threats Posted: 17 Mar 2015 02:15 PM PDT The budget proposal released by House Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price (R-GA) today vividly depicts a U.S. beset by multiple dangers, including fiscal collapse, terrorist attacks, and an out-of-control federal bureaucracy. "America's fiscal position is unsustainable," the document says. Interest payments on the debt alone will sum to a whopping $5.6 trillion over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Price's budget claims to bring the federal budget into balance within 10 years, in part by slashing $5.5 trillion in spending over that time period.

Why Pentagon is hesitant to arm Ukraine Posted: 17 Mar 2015 02:10 PM PDT Within the halls of venerable think tanks like the Brookings Institution, foreign policy heavyweights debate the pros and cons. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter told lawmakers that he is "very much inclined" to arm Ukrainian fighters.

WHO warns of 'very worrying' Syria health situation Posted: 17 Mar 2015 02:07 PM PDT The World Health Organization said Tuesday the situation in war-ravaged Syria is "very worrying", and warned its aid programme could be disrupted because of a shortage of donor funds. "Ongoing developments have very negative effects on the public health, negatively affecting all health programmes," the UN agency's Ala Alwan told AFP in Abu Dhabi. "There are major problems linked to the difficulty in reaching large sectors of the Syrian society to offer basic health services," from vaccinations to providing clean water. The WHO last month appealed for $1.0 billion in additional funds to help provide life-saving health services to millions in need in Syria, Iraq, Central African Republic and South Sudan.

Syria, Iraq, and the Specter of Chemical Warfare Posted: 17 Mar 2015 02:06 PM PDT The alleged attack would be the latest in a series of reported uses of chemical weapons in the region, and it raises questions about the 2013 deal between Syria, Russia, and the United States to destroy the Syrian regime's chemical weapons stockpile. A UN investigation into reports that Syria had used chemical weapons in 2013 took weeks, and though it strongly implicated the Syrian regime, it did not definitively identify the government as the perpetrator.

US Air Force vet charged with Syrian jihad support Posted: 17 Mar 2015 01:10 PM PDT A US Air Force veteran allegedly sympathetic to Osama bin Laden and who became a Muslim has been charged for trying to join Islamic State jihadists in Syria, prosecutors said Tuesday. Tairod Pugh, 47, who had spent the last 18 months living in the Middle East and has an Egyptian wife, allegedly tried to travel to Syria in January weeks after being sacked as a plane mechanic. It is the fourth arrest announced by Loretta Lynch, a US Attorney General nominee and the current US attorney for the eastern district of New York, over recent plots to join IS extremists fighting in Syria. Court papers show he cropped up on the FBI's radar as early as 2001 as an American Airlines employee purportedly sympathetic to the Al-Qaeda mastermind responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

Former US Air Force Mechanic Charged With Trying to Join ISIS in Syria, Officials Say Posted: 17 Mar 2015 12:01 PM PDT A former U.S. Air Force veteran has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly trying to join ISIS, the brutal terrorist group wreaking havoc in Syria and Iraq, after watching their online propaganda videos, authorities announced today. Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh, 47, who is from New Jersey but had been living overseas for years, was secretly arrested two months ago after being deported back to the United States. On Jan. 10, he flew from Egypt to Turkey hoping to slip into Syria and "fight violent jihad" with ISIS, but Turkish authorities refused to let him enter their country, federal prosecutors say in court documents filed in Brooklyn, N.Y., authorities said. Egyptian authorities then deported Pugh to the United States, where he was arrested by the FBI and found to be carrying multiple electronic devices, including a cell phone that allegedly contained a photograph of a machine gun.

NBC keeps its lead in news, just barely Posted: 17 Mar 2015 11:49 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Behind substitute anchor Lester Holt, NBC's "Nightly News" won its 286th consecutive week in the ratings — but only by the barest of margins.

Syria monitor says army kills six in gas attack, military denies it Posted: 17 Mar 2015 11:49 AM PDT By Oliver Holmes and Sylvia Westall BEIRUT (Reuters) - A group monitoring the Syrian civil war said on Tuesday government forces carried out a poison gas attack that killed six people in the northwest, and medics posted videos of children suffering what they said was suffocation. A Syrian military source described the report of an attack in the village of Sarmin in Idlib province as propaganda. President Bashar al-Assad's government has previously denied accusations that it has used chemical weapons against rebel-held areas in the four-year-old war. An army statement said dozens of militants were killed in other areas of Idlib province overnight in clashes and attacks.

DNC chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz rules out U.S. Senate run in Florida Posted: 17 Mar 2015 11:44 AM PDT By Letitia Stein TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) - Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz ruled out a bid for the U.S. Senate in 2016 on Tuesday, saying she planned to continue serving as the chair of the Democratic National Committee and seek re-election to the U.S. House. Wasserman Schultz was among the names floated for the Senate seat currently held by Marco Rubio, a high-profile Republican in his first term who is considering a presidential run. Wasserman Schultz is the second prominent Florida Democrat to remove herself from consideration this week. Charlie Crist, who narrowly lost a bid to unseat Florida Governor Rick Scott last fall, said on Monday he will not seek election in 2016.

U.S. Air Force veteran accused of trying to assist Islamic State Posted: 17 Mar 2015 11:34 AM PDT By Lindsay Dunsmuir and Nate Raymond WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - A U.S. Air Force veteran has been charged with trying to provide support for the Islamic State militant group, U.S. prosecutors said on Tuesday. A federal grand jury in New York City indicted Tairod Nathan Webster Pugh for attempting to provide material support to the group and attempted obstruction of justice. Pugh, 47, of Neptune, N.J., is to be arraigned Wednesday morning in federal court in Brooklyn. Michael Schneider, a court-appointed lawyer for Pugh, said his client would plead not guilty.

Briton detained en route to join militants in Syria - Turkish official Posted: 17 Mar 2015 11:06 AM PDT A 21-year-old British woman has been detained in Turkey on suspicion of attempting to travel to Syria to join Islamic State militants, a senior Turkish security official said on Tuesday. A spokesman for the British Foreign Office confirmed the arrest and said it was providing consular assistance. The arrest comes two days after Turkey deported three British teenage boys who were detained in Istanbul on a similar journey after a tip-off from British authorities. 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.

Nigeria begins 'final onslaught' against Boko Haram: govt Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:59 AM PDT Nigeria has begun the "final onslaught" against Boko Haram, the country's national security spokesman said on Tuesday, after the militants were ousted from the strategic town of Bama. On a visit to London, Mike Omeri told AFP that "significant strategic military successes and gains" had been made against the Islamists in recent weeks. The military announced that Adawama was "cleared" last Friday and that Yobe was retaken on Monday from Boko Haram, who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. Omeri refused to be drawn on when the insurgency would be declared over, although President Goodluck Jonathan said in an interview published last Wednesday that Borno would be free in three weeks.

Islamic State group reports Tunisian leader killed in Libya Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:36 AM PDT TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — One of Tunisia's most wanted militants and a top field commander for the Islamic State group died fighting in Libya, the Tunisian government confirmed on Tuesday.

Iran deal a high stakes gamble with Obama's legacy Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:28 AM PDT A nuclear deal with Iran would be a diplomatic victory for Barack Obama, but its historic worth and impact on the US president's legacy may not be known for a decade or more. In July 2007, a dark-haired, fresh-faced US Senator was asked if he would meet the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea without precondition in the first year of his presidency. After more than 2,600 days in the Oval Office, Obama has publicly greeted only two of those leaders -- those of Venezuela and Cuba -- and then only briefly. The apogee of that doctrine is a political deal with Iran that appears near completion.

Turkey compares talks with Assad to 'shaking hands with Hitler' Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:27 AM PDT Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Tuesday rubbished suggestions that talks should be held with President Bashar al-Assad, saying negotiating with the Syrian leader was no different to shaking hands with Nazi tyrant Adolf Hitler. US Secretary of State John Kerry said in a weekend interview that Washington would have to talk with Assad eventually if peace was to be forged, in comments that drew a strong rebuke from Ankara which said there was nothing to negotiate with Assad. "If you sit down and shake hands with Assad after all those massacres and despite the chemical weapons that you (the United States) declared a red line, then your hand will be never be erased from history," Davutoglu told his ruling AKP party's lawmakers in the parliament.

Top Tunisian militant killed while fighting in Libya Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:22 AM PDT By Tarek Amara TUNIS (Reuters) - One of Tunisia's most wanted men, a senior commander of Islamic State militants in Libya, has been killed fighting with Libyan forces near the city of Sirte, Tunisian security sources said on Tuesday. The death of Tunisian militant Ahmed Rouissi, who was fighting in Libya's Islamic State ranks, confirms the growing importance of foreign fighters in the Libyan conflict, where two rival governments and armed forces battle for control. Western governments and Libya's North African neighbors are increasingly worried about Islamist militants, especially Islamic State allies, extending their foothold in the chaotic country just across the Mediterranean from Europe.

U.S. conducts air strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State Posted: 17 Mar 2015 10:12 AM PDT The United States conducted seven air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and 12 strikes along with coalition members in Iraq, the U.S. military said on Tuesday. The strikes in Syria hit targets near al Haskah and Kobani, it said in a statement. In Iraq, the United States and allies carried out 12 strikes, including five near Fallujah and two near Mosul, it added.

AP names Lefteris Pitarakis chief photographer for Turkey Posted: 17 Mar 2015 09:18 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — Lefteris Pitarakis, an Associated Press photojournalist based in London, has been named AP's chief photographer for Turkey, based in Istanbul.

Syrian, Iraqi Christians plead for international assistance Posted: 17 Mar 2015 09:00 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian and Iraqi Christians pleaded for more international assistance Tuesday from new homes in Lebanon where they recently arrived after fleeing attack by militants from the Islamic State group.

Iraq's Tikrit offensive stalled by IS bombs Posted: 17 Mar 2015 08:04 AM PDT Iraq's offensive to retake Tikrit from the Islamic State group was stalled Tuesday because of streets and buildings rigged with booby trap bombs and by the several hundred jihadists still holding out there. "The battle to retake Tikrit will be difficult because of the preparations (IS) made," said Jawwad al-Etlebawi, spokesman for Asaib Ahl al-Haq, a Shiite militia playing a major role in the operation. The assault on Tikrit, capital of Salaheddin province, began on March 2. Staff Lieutenant General Abdulwahab al-Saadi, commander for Salaheddin, told AFP Sunday his forces in Tikrit needed air support from the US-led coalition.

House GOP Budget Would Wipe Out Deficit in 10 Years Posted: 17 Mar 2015 08:01 AM PDT It would reduce spending by $5.5 trillion and overhaul key entitlement programs, including Medicare and Medicaid. The budget blueprint, to be formally presented by House Budget Committee Chair Tom Price (R-GA), will keep spending caps imposed by the 2011 Budget Control Act. This is despite calls from President Obama and many congressional Democratic and Republican defense hawks to remove spending restrictions on domestic and defense programs. Price said his plan, dubbed, "A Balanced Budget for a Stronger America," will create jobs and restore fiscal discipline.

Tunisia dismantles jihadi recruiting cell for Libya Posted: 17 Mar 2015 07:59 AM PDT Tunisia said on Tuesday it had dismantled a recruiting cell sending jihadis to fight in Libya and arrested dozens in part of tighter security and border controls to counter Islamist militants. Tunisia is worried that violence will spill over from Libya, where Islamic State militants have expanded their influence, exploiting turmoil as two rival governments battle for control. Tunisians make up one of the largest contingents of foreign fighters in Syria and Iraq, but more recently militants have been sending jihadis to take part in the conflict in Tunisia's North African neighbour Libya. "Security officers and the army arrested ten terrorists trying to sneak into Libya to join the armed groups in Libya," the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Iraq: Separate attacks kill at least 9 people Posted: 17 Mar 2015 06:43 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Officials say separate attacks in and outside the capital, Baghdad, have killed at least nine people.

EU police group launches team to tackle migrant smugglers Posted: 17 Mar 2015 06:39 AM PDT THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The European Union police agency launched a new team Tuesday to crack down on the organized crime gangs that smuggle tens of thousands of migrants across the Mediterranean from North Africa to Europe.

Abu Azrael: Iraq's celebrity anti-IS fighter Posted: 17 Mar 2015 06:33 AM PDT Abu Azrael -- Father of the Angel of Death -- is the black-bearded, blade-wielding embodiment of the retribution many Iraqis want against brutal jihadists who seized swathes of their country. It is that idea which many seem to find appealing: a strong response to IS, so different from the impotent collapse of Iraqi security forces last June, after which Baghdad turned to volunteer fighters such as Abu Azrael for support. "I swear to God, I am not merciful to them," Abu Azrael, whose real name is Ayyub Faleh al-Rubaie, told AFP at the Speicher military base near Tikrit, a city that Iraqi forces and allied paramilitaries are battling to retake. Part of Abu Azrael's celebrity appeal is his weapons: photos of him resting an axe on his shoulder or holding a sword are widely shared on social media.

Turkish PM says negotiating with Assad like shaking hands with Hitler Posted: 17 Mar 2015 05:02 AM PDT Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Tuesday negotiating with President Bashar al-Assad would be like shaking hands with Adolf Hitler, highlighting Turkey's differences with Washington over dealing with the Syrian leader. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Sunday the U.S. would have to negotiate with Assad, though the State Department later said he was not specifically referring to the Syrian leader and that Washington would never bargain with him.

Analysis: An Iran deal could have broader implications Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:55 AM PDT As world powers edge toward a possible nuclear deal with Iran, the debate has been dominated by the question of whether it leaves an opening for Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. But an accord could have another profound impact: Is this the beginning of the Islamic Republic's broad acceptance by the community of nations?

Iran nuclear deal may open oil taps in months, not weeks Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:25 AM PDT By Yeganeh Torbati WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A possible deal over Iran's nuclear program that would phase out economic sanctions against Tehran is unlikely to flood world markets with more oil any time soon, despite Iran's declared intention to claw back market share lost because of the curbs. Progress in talks in Switzerland this month has contributed to a more than 10 percent slide in oil prices over the past week as some traders and analysts brace for up to 1 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude hitting markets, potentially doubling the estimated global supply surplus. Many focus on how quickly Iran can technically resume pumping oil to pre-sanctions levels, assuming shipments could follow quickly and brushing off concerns about a diminished customer base and potentially neglected oil fields. What oil bears may underestimate is the hurdles on the diplomatic path to Iran's return to world energy markets.

Mid-East Minorities Call on UN Security Council to Establish "Interim Protected Areas" Posted: 17 Mar 2015 03:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON, March 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A federation of Western- and Middle East- based NGOs representing Yazidi and Christian communities in the region met with the representatives of four of the Permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the Secretary General in New York on Friday and remitted a memo calling for a new UNSC resolution to "establish interim protected areas in northern Iraq and Syria. ...

Fear stalks Afghan minorities after rare attacks Posted: 17 Mar 2015 12:19 AM PDT Afghanistan has endured more than 30 years of warfare, but recent attacks on minority Muslim sects have raised fears that sectarian unrest could add yet another layer of bloodshed. On March 7, gunmen stormed a Sufi mosque in Kabul, killing at least six people in an attack on the mystic order of Muslims that is seen as heretical by hardline Sunni factions. The Taliban, who are waging an insurgency against the government of Kabul, distanced themselves from both incidents, which are more commonplace across the border in Pakistan. The number of civilians killed and wounded in Afghanistan jumped 22 percent in 2014, the UN said last month, as NATO troops withdrew from combat leaving government forces to battle a raging Taliban insurgency.

Will the GOP Kick It Away? Posted: 17 Mar 2015 12:00 AM PDT Why, then, would the Republican Party, with a chance to sweep it all in 2016, want to return us to the nightmare days of George W., which caused America to rise up and throw the party out in 2006 and 2008? Do Republicans really believe that America wants a return to the Cold War with Moscow and new and larger hot wars in the Middle East? With President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry seemingly about to conclude a deal to freeze Iran's nuclear program, House Speaker John Boehner invited Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu to use the State of the Union podium to call Obama and Kerry naive and trash their deal as paving the ayatollah's way to an atomic bomb.

IS beheads 'recruiters' for pro-Baghdad militia Posted: 16 Mar 2015 05:37 PM PDT Baghdad (AFP) - The Islamic State group posted pictures Tuesday of the beheadings of four men it said were recruiters for pro-government militia fighting its militants in northern Iraq.

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