Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Despite 'halt' to Saudi raids, peace elusive for Yemen
• France foils church attack after suspect shoots self in leg
• STILL NO REPORTS OF 'HILLARY FEVER' OUTBREAKS
• CinemaCon: Clint Eastwood Quips About Michael Moore Criticism, Reflects on 'American Sniper' Success
• Clint Eastwood reflects on career, 'American Sniper'
• Bill Clinton: What It Will Be Like to Have Him Back on the Campaign Trail
• Active online, foreign women become Islamic State widows
• Iraqi forces fight to rout Islamic State militants from Ramadi
• Europe's security challenges should mean more defense spending: Carter
• Obama again avoids calling 1915 Armenian killings 'genocide'
• Erdogan slams European plans to destroy traffickers' vessels
• Afghan, NATO officials doubt IS links to Jalalabad bombing
• U.S. allies conduct 18 air strikes in Syria, Iraq: military
• Pentagon chief Carter: Europe 'not doing enough' on defense
• German defense minister: widely used rifle has no future
• IS videos are psychological warfare, says German intel chief
• White House says 'job is not done' in Yemen
• Google Doodle and animal quiz marks Earth Day 2015
• Ethiopians mourn Libya killings at rally, scuffles erupt
• Russia arms Iraq, Syria to help combat Islamic State: Lavrov
• Taliban announce their spring offensive in Afghanistan
• Imprisoned Syrian businessman questioned about bribe case
• Bombings in Iraqi capital kill 10
• Sisi's crackdown on Islamists yet to win over Egyptian village
• Iraqi tribesmen fight their own after breaking with IS group
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Turkey faces delicate battle against Islamic State sympathizers at home
• Ethiopians struggle to come to terms with beheadings of compatriots in Libya
• South Carolina teen 'seduced' by Islamic State sentenced on gun charge: newspaper
• Special Report: How Denmark's unexpected killer slipped through the net
• CinemaCon: Clint Eastwood Takes Aim at Michael Moore, Reflects on 'American Sniper' Success

Despite 'halt' to Saudi raids, peace elusive for Yemen Posted: 22 Apr 2015 04:34 PM PDT Saudi Arabia has declared nearly a month of air strikes on Yemeni rebels a success, but at the cost of a resurgent Al-Qaeda and with no sign of peace yet. "The air campaign had exhausted its potential," and with Riyadh's allies like Pakistan unwilling or unable to provide ground forces, there were "few good options," said the Soufan Group intelligence consultancy. It said US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin had also "made clear that they favoured a political solution" to the conflict.

France foils church attack after suspect shoots self in leg Posted: 22 Apr 2015 04:15 PM PDT France said Wednesday it had foiled a jihadist plot to attack a church after an Algerian who accidentally shot himself was found with a stash of weapons and documents mentioning Islamist militant groups. The 24-year-old IT student Sid Ahmed Ghlam's plans were exposed purely by chance after he called an ambulance saying he had been shot during an armed robbery at his Paris home, prosecutor Francois Molins told journalists. The suspect, who was admitted to a Paris hospital after his arrest, was known to intelligence services over comments on social networks expressing his desire to go and fight in Syria alongside jihadists, said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

STILL NO REPORTS OF 'HILLARY FEVER' OUTBREAKS Posted: 22 Apr 2015 03:36 PM PDT I gather from the increasing hysteria of the feminists that Democrats are beginning to rebel at having a loser of a presidential candidate being foist upon them, in the person of Hillary Clinton. The same way the national tea party leaders are a thorn in the side of the Republican Party, constantly challenging incumbent Republicans with untested candidates who then go on to lose to Democrats (in Delaware, Indiana and Nevada, and nearly in Kentucky, Kansas and Mississippi), the feminists are a thorn in the side of the Democrats, saddling them with utter mediocrities like Hillary. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Sen. Patty Murray are, objectively, two of the least appealing human beings ever elected to any office. Now, to satiate the feminists, the Democrats seem to be stuck with Hillary as their presidential nominee.

CinemaCon: Clint Eastwood Quips About Michael Moore Criticism, Reflects on 'American Sniper' Success Posted: 22 Apr 2015 03:22 PM PDT The 'American Sniper' helmer spoke to THR's Stephen Galloway during an event at the Las Vegas convention Wednesday.

Clint Eastwood reflects on career, 'American Sniper' Posted: 22 Apr 2015 03:16 PM PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) — Clint Eastwood wants to get one thing straight: He did not threaten to kill Michael Moore.

Bill Clinton: What It Will Be Like to Have Him Back on the Campaign Trail Posted: 22 Apr 2015 02:30 PM PDT Former President Bill Clinton has been keeping quiet when it comes to directly commenting on his wife's latest bid for the White House -- but he's starting to make more obvious hints now that she is officially two weeks into the race. You may have noticed that," he said at a Tuesday event held at his alma mater, Georgetown University. Moving past Hillary Clinton's return to the race for, what she described in her 2008 concession speech as "the highest, hardest glass ceiling," her bid also means that Bill Clinton will be returning to the campaign fray. "He brings the kinds of political and interpersonal skills that some think that she lacks so while he helps her in that way he also makes a contrast to her which is not as favorable," professor Stephen Wayne, the American Government field chair at Georgetown, told ABC News.

Active online, foreign women become Islamic State widows Posted: 22 Apr 2015 12:18 PM PDT By Alistair Bell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At least 15 young Western women who joined Islamic State and married jihadi fighters are now widows after the militant group suffered losses in clashes in Syria and Iraq, according to researchers who closely monitor Islamist radicals online. The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) think tank in London gave Reuters access to its database of 106 foreign women it says have moved to IS territory and are active online. Fifteen of the women have either mentioned on social media that they lost their husbands in fighting, or other known IS supporters have announced the men's deaths online, said ISD researcher Melanie Smith. Although Reuters could not independently confirm the identities of the women, many of them have been said by relatives to have left their home countries for Syria and Iraq.

Iraqi forces fight to rout Islamic State militants from Ramadi Posted: 22 Apr 2015 11:19 AM PDT Iraqi security forces fought to rout Islamic State militants from the western city of Ramadi on Wednesday, slowly regaining some ground from the militant group, security and local officials said. The insurgents began encroaching on Ramadi two weeks ago and local officials warned it was about to fall, sending more than 100,000 people fleeing their homes in and around the provincial capital of Anbar. Security officials said Islamic State were being pushed back from sections near the military's Anbar operation command but booby-traps, snipers and suicide attacks were hindering government troops from recapturing other areas they lost last week. "We're engaged in tough guerrilla warfare in Ramadi," said an Iraqi security officer whose unit is fighting in Ramadi.

Europe's security challenges should mean more defense spending: Carter Posted: 22 Apr 2015 11:01 AM PDT By David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Europe should be spending more on its military given the security challenges facing the region, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Wednesday, adding that falling investment had eroded Europe's ability to be a capable U.S. ally. It's too low," Carter told a group of university students training as military officers. The Pentagon chief made the remarks after being asked by one student what the United States could do to encourage Europe to be more financially committed to its own defense. Low European military spending has long been a sore point for the United States.

Obama again avoids calling 1915 Armenian killings 'genocide' Posted: 22 Apr 2015 10:23 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama will once again stop short of calling the 1915 massacre of Armenians a genocide, prompting anger and disappointment from those who have been pushing him to fulfill a campaign promise and use the politically fraught term on the 100th anniversary of the killings this week. Officials decided against it after opposition from some at the State Department and the Pentagon.

Erdogan slams European plans to destroy traffickers' vessels Posted: 22 Apr 2015 10:15 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday condemned what he said were suggestions in Europe to sink human traffickers' vessels, insisting the plans would leave migrants "to their deaths."

Afghan, NATO officials doubt IS links to Jalalabad bombing Posted: 22 Apr 2015 09:31 AM PDT By Kay Johnson KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan officials and NATO forces in Afghanistan said they doubted that a recent suicide attack on the eastern city of Jalalabad was the work of an offshoot Islamic State, the Islamist militant group fighting mainly in Syria and Iraq. The bombing, in which at least 33 people were killed, was claimed by a spokesman pledging allegiance to IS, also known as ISIS and locally in Afghanistan as "Daesh". President Ashraf Ghani was quick to blame the group for the atrocity. ...

U.S. allies conduct 18 air strikes in Syria, Iraq: military Posted: 22 Apr 2015 09:11 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces targeted Islamic State militants in Syria with seven air strikes from Tuesday to Wednesday morning and conducted 11 strikes against the group in Iraq, the U.S. military said. Six of the strikes in Syria hit targets near Kobani, destroying Islamic State fighting positions and a vehicle and damaging tactical units, according to a military statement released on Wednesday. In Iraq, the strikes were concentrated near Bayji, where they hit a tactical unit and a command-and-control facility and destroyed a dump truck, motorcycle and armored vehicle. ...

Pentagon chief Carter: Europe 'not doing enough' on defense Posted: 22 Apr 2015 08:02 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter chided America's European allies on Wednesday, saying a long slide in European defense spending calls into question its ability to partner with the U.S. military at a time of growing security threats across Europe.

German defense minister: widely used rifle has no future Posted: 22 Apr 2015 07:31 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — A widely used assault rifle has "no future" with the German military in its current form, Germany's defense minister said Wednesday, escalating a dispute over the weapon's alleged shortcomings.

IS videos are psychological warfare, says German intel chief Posted: 22 Apr 2015 07:08 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — Brutal videos produced by the Islamic State group and others are part of a "psychological warfare" effort that requires a concerted response, a senior German security official said Wednesday.

White House says 'job is not done' in Yemen Posted: 22 Apr 2015 07:07 AM PDT By Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Yemen remains unstable and much more work needs to be done in the region, despite a declared halt to the Saudi-led bombing campaign in the country, the White House said on Wednesday. "Obviously, the job is not done," Jen Psaki, White House communications director, said on CNN. Saudia Arabia's announcement on Tuesday that it would end air strikes against the Iranian-allied Houthis drew positive responses from the White House and Tehran, as well as fresh calls for peace talks and humanitarian aid. Saudi Arabia said its month-old campaign against the Houthis, who had seized large areas in Yemen, had met its goals but rival forces fought on in Yemen on Wednesday.

Google Doodle and animal quiz marks Earth Day 2015 Posted: 22 Apr 2015 06:02 AM PDT Are you a honey bee, a giant squid or a komodo dragon? On the occasion of Earth Day 2015, Google is lending a helping hand in figuring out which animal best captures your personality.

Ethiopians mourn Libya killings at rally, scuffles erupt Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:51 AM PDT By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Demonstrators hurled stones and police fired teargas as emotions ran high at a mass rally in Ethiopia's capital on Wednesday commemorating 30 compatriots shot and beheaded by Islamic State militants in Libya, witnesses said. Protesters started gathering at Addis Ababa's Meskel Square at dawn to denounce Islamic State. Another read: "The world must be united against terrorism." One man at the government-organized rally, who said he was a university professor, said many in the crowd were angry that jobless Ethiopians still felt they had to travel to places like Libya in the hope of crossing over to a better life in Europe. "We do not have the power to speak." Ethiopia's government dismisses accusations from rights groups that it stifles critics and opponents.

Russia arms Iraq, Syria to help combat Islamic State: Lavrov Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:50 AM PDT Russia is arming Iraq and Syria to help them fight Islamic State, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday, calling the radical militant group the main threat to his own country's security. "Islamic State is our main enemy at the moment. "They are already coming back... and to enjoy themselves could stage vile acts at home." Russia has criticized air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State positions in Syria and Iraq, and encouraged Washington to work with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the battle against IS.

Taliban announce their spring offensive in Afghanistan Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:15 AM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban said Wednesday their spring offensive in Afghanistan will begin this week, the first time the insurgents' annual campaign against the Afghan government will take place without NATO troops on the battlefield.

Imprisoned Syrian businessman questioned about bribe case Posted: 22 Apr 2015 05:00 AM PDT BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Anti-corruption prosecutors have questioned a Syrian businessman imprisoned for the abduction of three Romanian journalists about bribes demanded by another Syrian to secure his release.

Bombings in Iraqi capital kill 10 Posted: 22 Apr 2015 03:51 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Two bomb blasts in Baghdad killed at least 10 people on Wednesday, Iraqi officials said.

Sisi's crackdown on Islamists yet to win over Egyptian village Posted: 22 Apr 2015 03:15 AM PDT By Michael Georgy KERDASA, Egypt (Reuters) - Egyptian police often raid homes in this rundown village just outside Cairo, residents say -- part of a broad crackdown on Islamists that has included the imprisonment of ousted president Mohamed Mursi. The area is an example of the challenges facing Sisi as he confronts what he calls the existential threat from militancy to the Middle East and the West. Security operations in Kerdasa intensified after its police station was attacked with rocket-propelled grenades in August 2013, killing 12 officers, hours after hundreds of Mursi supporters died as police stormed protest camps in Cairo.

Iraqi tribesmen fight their own after breaking with IS group Posted: 22 Apr 2015 03:08 AM PDT MAKHMOUR, Iraq (AP) — When Islamic State militants swept across northern Iraq last summer, the Sunni al-Lehib tribe welcomed them as revolutionaries fighting the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. But less than a year later, the tribe is bitterly split between those who joined the extremist group and those resisting its brutal rule.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 22 Apr 2015 02:58 AM PDT Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Turkey faces delicate battle against Islamic State sympathizers at home Posted: 22 Apr 2015 02:17 AM PDT Now, she is among the hundreds of Turks using social media to show support for Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq. Turkey, a Sunni Muslim nation with a secular constitution, is a member, albeit reluctantly, of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State. This sympathy is of growing concern to officials in Ankara, diplomats and security experts say, as they fear a network of fighters, recruiters and facilitators is being cultivated in Turkey to support Islamic State operations over the border. Turkey has stepped up its efforts to destroy these networks but analysts say pushing the militants too far could lead to the EU candidate nation becoming a target itself, particularly ahead of June elections.

Ethiopians struggle to come to terms with beheadings of compatriots in Libya Posted: 22 Apr 2015 01:00 AM PDT By Aaron Maasho ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Hundreds of grieving relatives gathered outside the homes of two Ethiopians who were among dozens shown being shot and beheaded in a video purportedly made by Islamic State militants in Libya, struggling to make sense of their loved ones' fate. I am burning," a sobbing Ahaza Kasaye, mother of Eyasu Yekuno-Amlak, said at the gathering of family members on Tuesday. Dozens of others - young men who were both neighbours and friends of the two men - briefly took to the streets and demonstrated in Addis Ababa's main square before being dispersed by police. Across town, Ethiopia's House of Representatives opened an emergency session with a minute's silence, before voting to observe three days of national mourning and fly the Ethiopian flag at half mast from Wednesday.

South Carolina teen 'seduced' by Islamic State sentenced on gun charge: newspaper Posted: 22 Apr 2015 12:01 AM PDT (Reuters) - A South Carolina teen, who a prosecutor said was "seduced" by the Islamic State group and planned to shoot U.S. soldiers, was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in juvenile prison on a gun possession charge, the local Herald newspaper reported. The 16-year-old, who was not named due to his age, had conspired with another person to rob a gun shop and shoot soldiers in neighboring North Carolina, 16th Circuit Solicitor Kevin Brackett said in a recording of the Darlington County family court hearing.

Special Report: How Denmark's unexpected killer slipped through the net Posted: 21 Apr 2015 11:10 PM PDT By Alexander Tange and Alister Doyle COPENHAGEN (Reuters) - On Valentine's Day, two weeks after his release from prison, Omar Abdel Hamid El-Hussein walked up to a Copenhagen cafe hosting a debate on freedom of speech and sprayed it with bullets. The country was further confounded when it emerged that prison officials had warned Denmark's domestic intelligence agency that Hussein was at risk of being radicalized. If Denmark's prison system – famed for its focus on rehabilitation and education over punishment – could not prevent a young man from turning into an Islamist killer, then perhaps it was not the model that many Danes believe it was. His story seems to show how quickly people can be radicalized and how easily they can slip through the net, even a net as supportive and ostensibly secure as Denmark's. Those who knew Hussein both inside prison and out say the son of Palestinian immigrants was a violent and troubled 22-year-old, but not a long-term convert to radical Islam.

CinemaCon: Clint Eastwood Takes Aim at Michael Moore, Reflects on 'American Sniper' Success Posted: 21 Apr 2015 09:00 PM PDT The 'American Sniper' helmer spoke to THR's Stephen Galloway during an event at the Las Vegas convention Wednesday.

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