Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama meets with advisers on Iraq, reaffirms support for Abadi: White House
• Algerian forces kill 22 Islamic State-tied militants: military
• Clinton urges State Department to speed release of emails
• European nations synchronise laws on Islamist 'foreign fighters'
• Oil slides more than 3 percent on dollar rally, glut worry
• An antidote to IS recruitment of women
• Stocks end mixed; Dow creeps up to new record high
• Oil prices tank as oversupply worries dominate
• Islamic State learns lessons from U.S. raid: jihadist sources
• Iraq struggles with sectarian politics after Ramadi fall
• Iraq deploys tanks as Islamic State tightens grip on Ramadi
• Top Democrat sounds 'alarm bells' over Obama rhetoric on Islamic State
• Iraqis abandoned US-supplied equipment in Ramadi
• Biggest threat to US homeland? 'More work to do' securing air travel
• U.S. says it supports Iraqi ground force efforts to take back Ramadi
• US-led strikes in Syria kill 170 IS jihadists in 48 hours: monitor
• Clinton defends financial regs for big banks, dodges trade
• Wanted: Executioners. What's behind Saudi Arabia job posting
• U.S., allies conduct 21 air strikes in Iraq, Syria: task force
• Marjorie Miller promoted to new leadership role at AP
• Refugees' 'summer of discontent' after Islamic State takes Ramadi: U.N.
• Shiite militias helping Iraq repel extremists' advance
• AP Interview: Georgia's leader warns of Russian expansion
• Deadly Hawaii crash raises concerns about Marines' new plane
• Faced with few options, Iraq's Abadi pursues riskiest one in Ramadi
• Albania hosts security summit on extremist recruitment
• 3 Ways to Connect With Fellow Veterans as an Online Student
• Sweden asks Turkey for help finding Islamic State-bound nationals
• Despite US strikes, IS advances in Syria, Iraq
• Trial of Iranian-American journalist to start in Tehran on May 26: ISNA
• Lindsey Graham Is for Real
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Funding shortfalls for Syrian refugees in 5 host countries
• Syrian refugees struggle amid aid cuts, lack of labor rights
• EU agrees Mediterranean naval mission to tackle people smugglers
• Where They Stand: Lindsey Graham on issues of 2016 campaign
• Australia PM rules out leniency for ex-jihadists
• Australia leader talks down hopes of repatriating terrorists
• Iran uses maritime confrontations to project power in Gulf

Obama meets with advisers on Iraq, reaffirms support for Abadi: White House Posted: 19 May 2015 03:23 PM PDT President Barack Obama was briefed by his top national security advisers on Tuesday on the situation in Iraq and the strategy to counter Islamic State militants, the White House National Security Council said in a statement. Obama "reaffirmed the strong U.S. support" for Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the White House said after the meeting, which involved 25 advisers including Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry, Defense Secretary Ash Carter, and General Lloyd Austin of U.S. Central Command. There has been concern in the United States about the risk of sectarian strife in Ramadi, the capital of Sunni-majority Anbar province, because of the need to use Shi'ite militias to try to take back the city from Islamic State fighters.

Algerian forces kill 22 Islamic State-tied militants: military Posted: 19 May 2015 02:51 PM PDT Algerian troops ambushed and killed at least 22 militants allied to Islamic State as they held a meeting east of the capital on Tuesday in one of country's largest military operations in recent years, the defense ministry and a security source said. Fighters allied with both al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and Islamic State operate in Algeria, mostly in mountainous northern areas, but militant attacks have been rare since a 1990s war with Islamist insurgents. The state news agency APS, quoting a ministry statement, said the operation took place east of Algiers near Bouira, which was part of a region long a stronghold for militants during the war that left 200,000 people dead.

Clinton urges State Department to speed release of emails Posted: 19 May 2015 02:46 PM PDT CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton urged the State Department on Tuesday to speed the release of 55,000 pages of emails from her time as secretary of state, as her decision to spurn administration rules and use a private email address continued to dog her presidential campaign.

European nations synchronise laws on Islamist 'foreign fighters' Posted: 19 May 2015 02:28 PM PDT Ministers from 47 European nations agreed for the first time Tuesday to harmonise their laws to stop so-called foreign fighters travelling to Iraq and Syria to join jihadist groups. The agreement by the Council of Europe, a pan-European rights group which includes the EU but also takes in countries such as Russia and Turkey, will make cross-border tracking and prosecutions easier. Under the agreement signed by foreign ministers, countries must criminalise acts such as "participating in an association or group for the purpose of terrorism", "receiving training for terrorism" and "travelling abroad for the purpose of terrorism".

Oil slides more than 3 percent on dollar rally, glut worry Posted: 19 May 2015 02:28 PM PDT By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices fell more than 3 percent on Tuesday, with U.S. crude extending losses for a fifth straight day as the dollar rallied and on evidence that the United States and top oil exporter Saudi Arabia were pumping more than the world needed. North Sea Brent and U.S. crude settled down more than $2 a barrel each as the dollar hit two-week highs against a basket of currencies , making crude and other dollar-denominated commodities less affordable for holders of currencies such as the euro. Brent fell $2.25 to $64.02 a barrel while U.S. crude's front-month contract settled down $2.17 at $57.26.

An antidote to IS recruitment of women Posted: 19 May 2015 01:54 PM PDT An intriguing aspect of Islamic State is its recruitment of women to support the war in Iraq and Syria. "I wonder if I can pull a Mulan and enter the battlefield," tweeted one woman under the name of Umm Ubaydah, with a reference to the Disney movie about a warrior girl.

Stocks end mixed; Dow creeps up to new record high Posted: 19 May 2015 01:39 PM PDT Some investors interpreted that as a promising sign that a slow economy may be gaining steam, while others focused on uncertainty about when the Federal Reserve will start raising interest rates to head off inflation. "There really is a lot of fear about the threat of higher interest rates," said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 8.41 points, or 0.17 percent, to 5,070.03.

Oil prices tank as oversupply worries dominate Posted: 19 May 2015 01:01 PM PDT Oil prices slumped Tuesday as resurgent worries about the global supply glut combined with a sharp dollar rally. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for delivery in June shed $2.25 to finish at $57.99 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The dollar rose sharply against the euro for a second day after a European Central Bank official said the bank would ramp up its asset-purchase stimulus program in May and June to offset an expected market slowdown in the coming months.

Islamic State learns lessons from U.S. raid: jihadist sources Posted: 19 May 2015 12:37 PM PDT By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - A U.S. special forces raid against an Islamic State leader in Syria caught the jihadist group off guard, killing not only the declared target, but also two other important figures, jihadist sources in Syria said. The sources said a spy must have infiltrated the movement and passed on vital information that helped the U.S. commandos zero in on the home of their victim early Saturday when most of the guards had left to join a battle elsewhere. The Islamic State was also considering tightening its recruitment procedures to try to root out moles and was considering forming a specialist unit to counter such attacks in future.

Iraq struggles with sectarian politics after Ramadi fall Posted: 19 May 2015 12:37 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — As it moves to try to reverse the stunning loss of Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's largest Sunni province, the Shiite-led government is hamstrung by the sectarian politics it has failed to overcome ever since the Islamic State group began its rampage more than a year ago.

Iraq deploys tanks as Islamic State tightens grip on Ramadi Posted: 19 May 2015 12:20 PM PDT Iraqi security forces on Tuesday deployed tanks and artillery around Ramadi to confront Islamic State fighters who have captured the city in a major defeat for the Baghdad government and its Western backers. After Ramadi fell on Sunday, Shi'ite militiamen allied to the Iraqi army had advanced to a nearby base in preparation for a counterattack on the city, which lies in the Sunni Muslim province of Anbar, just 110 km (70 miles) northwest of Baghdad. As pressure mounted for action to retake the city, a local government official urged Ramadi residents to join the police and the army for what the Shi'ite militiamen said would be the "Battle of Anbar".

Top Democrat sounds 'alarm bells' over Obama rhetoric on Islamic State Posted: 19 May 2015 12:02 PM PDT A senior House of Representatives Democrat said Tuesday that the White House's description of supposed progress in the war against the Islamic State should ring "alarm bells," and called the fall of the city of Ramadi to the extremists "a very serious and significant setback."

Iraqis abandoned US-supplied equipment in Ramadi Posted: 19 May 2015 11:34 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Iraqi troops abandoned dozens of U.S military vehicles, including tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery pieces when they fled Islamic State fighters in Ramadi on Sunday, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Biggest threat to US homeland? 'More work to do' securing air travel Posted: 19 May 2015 11:03 AM PDT At a Monitor-hosted breakfast for reporters on Tuesday, Representative Schiff voiced skepticism about claims made by computer expert Chris Roberts. In a March interview with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Mr. Roberts allegedly said that he had tampered with an under-seat box on a plane and used it to gain access to in-flight systems and from there to the aircraft's avionics. "Obviously, we are looking into those allegations with a lot of sense of urgency," Schiff said.

U.S. says it supports Iraqi ground force efforts to take back Ramadi Posted: 19 May 2015 11:01 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The White House said on Tuesday that the U.S.-led coalition will support the multisectarian ground force in Iraq in its effort to take back the city of Ramadi from Islamic State fighters. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said it is important for the force to have control and be in command of Iraq. (Reporting by Julia Edwards; Editing by Will Dunham)

US-led strikes in Syria kill 170 IS jihadists in 48 hours: monitor Posted: 19 May 2015 10:39 AM PDT Air strikes by a US-led coalition against the Islamic State group in northeastern Syria have killed around 170 jihadists in the past 48 hours, a monitoring group said Tuesday. "The jihadists were killed in the past 48 hours in the province of Hasakeh, nearly all of them in very intense air strikes by the international coalition which is helping Kurdish forces in the area," said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "In northern Syria, Daesh continues to cede military capacity, fighters and terrain," US Brigadier General Thomas Weidley said, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

Clinton defends financial regs for big banks, dodges trade Posted: 19 May 2015 10:33 AM PDT Hillary Rodham Clinton sharply criticized Republican efforts to revamp a 2010 financial regulation law as "cynical attempt to game the system for those at the top." But she continued to avoid ...

Wanted: Executioners. What's behind Saudi Arabia job posting Posted: 19 May 2015 10:16 AM PDT Saudi Arabia is looking for a few good executioners.

U.S., allies conduct 21 air strikes in Iraq, Syria: task force Posted: 19 May 2015 10:10 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 21 air strikes since early on Monday targeting Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, the Combined Joint Task Force carrying out the operations said on Tuesday. In Iraq, four air strikes destroyed vehicles and an excavator near Ramadi, which Islamic State recently captured. The other 10 strikes in Iraq hit near Bayji, Sinjar, Fallujah and other towns. In Syria, seven air strikes near Al Hasakah destroyed vehicles, fighting positions and a shipping container, the task force said in a statement. ...

Marjorie Miller promoted to new leadership role at AP Posted: 19 May 2015 09:23 AM PDT Marjorie Miller, a veteran journalist and newsroom leader, has been promoted to Director of Global News and Enterprise for The Associated Press. The announcement was made Tuesday by Kathleen Carroll, the ...

Refugees' 'summer of discontent' after Islamic State takes Ramadi: U.N. Posted: 19 May 2015 09:19 AM PDT Aid groups working close to the Iraqi city of Ramadi, seized by Islamic State militants at the weekend, described on Tuesday the humanitarian plight of civilians fleeing the city, which is just 110 km (70 miles) northwest of Baghdad. Civilians forced to flee face a "summer of discontent," Lise Grande, the U.N.'s Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Refugees have fled to towns just east of Ramadi, according to the IOM and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Shiite militias helping Iraq repel extremists' advance Posted: 19 May 2015 08:40 AM PDT Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has called for Iranian-allied Shiite militiamen to help drive Islamic State extremists from Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's vast Sunni-dominated Anbar province.

AP Interview: Georgia's leader warns of Russian expansion Posted: 19 May 2015 08:38 AM PDT TBILISI, Georgia (AP) — Russia is poised to use its armed forces to expand further into former Soviet states, Georgia's president said Tuesday, calling on the West never to accept any Russian aggression.

Deadly Hawaii crash raises concerns about Marines' new plane Posted: 19 May 2015 08:24 AM PDT HONOLULU (AP) — A military plane crash that killed a Marine and injured several other service members during a training exercise in Hawaii has renewed safety concerns about the Marine Corps' new airplane-and-helicopter hybrid.

Faced with few options, Iraq's Abadi pursues riskiest one in Ramadi Posted: 19 May 2015 06:42 AM PDT Just last month Shi'ite Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited the Habbaniya military base in Iraq's Sunni heartland hoping to fire up pro-government fighters seen as critical in the battle against Islamic State militants. On Monday, a column of 3,000 Shi'ite militia fighters arrived at Habbaniya near Ramadi as Baghdad moved to retake the Western city that had fallen in the biggest defeat for the government since mid-2014.

Albania hosts security summit on extremist recruitment Posted: 19 May 2015 06:31 AM PDT TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Security officials from the western Balkans and several European Union countries were meeting in Albania Tuesday as part of a U.S. government initiative to fight European recruitment by violent Islamic groups to fight in Iraq and Syria.

3 Ways to Connect With Fellow Veterans as an Online Student Posted: 19 May 2015 06:30 AM PDT Online education can be a popular option for veterans and members of the military. Virtual learning allows students to study from anywhere -- be it from a living room or military base -- and gives adults the flexibility they need to balance a hectic work, family and school schedule. Veterans and members of the military "need people who understand their situation and what they are going through," says Louis Martini, associate vice president of military and veteran education at Thomas Edison State College.

Sweden asks Turkey for help finding Islamic State-bound nationals Posted: 19 May 2015 05:49 AM PDT Sweden has asked Turkey for help finding three Swedish nationals it believes are trying to join Islamic State militants in Syria despite twice being intercepted and deported from Turkey, senior Turkish officials said on Tuesday. The three - identified as Mohamed Qadar, Yasmin Said Ahmet and Abdelmoumenne Amin Ghezali - were first deported on May 5 after arriving at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport from Stockholm, one of the officials said. Turkey has deported 1,350 foreigners suspected of seeking to join radical groups in Syria and Iraq over the past few years, and has a list of some 13,500, drawn up with the help of foreign intelligence agencies, who are barred from entering the country.

Despite US strikes, IS advances in Syria, Iraq Posted: 19 May 2015 03:52 AM PDT The Islamic State jihadist group has made several high-profile advances in recent days, despite a US-led air campaign against the movement in Syria and Iraq. A: On Sunday, Islamic State group fighters seized Ramadi, the capital of Iraq's largest province of Anbar, in their biggest victory since a major offensive in Iraq last summer. The group has also moved to within a kilometre (less than a mile) of Syria's Palmyra world heritage site, and has seized the town of Al-Sukhnah and two gas fields northeast of the ancient city.

Trial of Iranian-American journalist to start in Tehran on May 26: ISNA Posted: 19 May 2015 03:50 AM PDT The trial of jailed Iranian-American journalist Jason Rezaian will begin on May 26 at a court in Tehran, a judicial spokesman told a semi-official news agency on Tuesday, without elaborating on the charges against him. The Washington Post journalist was arrested at his home in Tehran last July alongside his wife, journalist Yeganeh Salehi, and two Iranian-U.S. friends who have not been named. The Washington Post said in April that Rezaian had been charged with espionage for allegedly collecting confidential information about domestic and foreign policy and handing it to "hostile governments", citing his lawyer.

Lindsey Graham Is for Real Posted: 19 May 2015 03:07 AM PDT When Senator Lindsey Graham first began to flirt with the idea of running for president a few months ago, most people assumed it was a joke. "Lindsey has a sense of humor," his fellow South Carolina Republican, Senator Tim Scott, told Bloomberg.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 19 May 2015 02:42 AM PDT Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Funding shortfalls for Syrian refugees in 5 host countries Posted: 19 May 2015 12:49 AM PDT Facts and figures about the Syrian refugee crisis:

Syrian refugees struggle amid aid cuts, lack of labor rights Posted: 19 May 2015 12:46 AM PDT SALHIYEH, Jordan (AP) — A Syrian refugee couple and their baby boy were recently dropped from a U.N. food voucher program and live on $9-a-day jobs on a peach farm in northern Jordan. In a town nearby, a 16-year-old boy quit school to work as a mechanic's helper because his refugee family needs the extra $21 a week.

EU agrees Mediterranean naval mission to tackle people smugglers Posted: 19 May 2015 12:40 AM PDT By Robin Emmott and Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union agreed a naval mission on Monday to target gangs smuggling migrants from Libya but parts of a broader plan to deal with the influx began to unravel in a row over national quotas for housing asylum seekers. Many hundreds of deaths at sea, including the drowning of up to 900 on a single vessel in the Mediterranean last month, have jolted European governments into a more robust response, but beyond greater funding for rescue operations, the EU is divided on how to act as anti-immigrant parties gain support at home. Now the planning starts," EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said of the naval mission, adding that the operation could start next month.

Where They Stand: Lindsey Graham on issues of 2016 campaign Posted: 19 May 2015 12:09 AM PDT ATLANTA (AP) — South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham will announce his campaign for president next month, after saying Monday he is running for the Republican nomination. Here's a snapshot of where Graham stands on issues likely to be debated in the Republican presidential primaries.

Australia PM rules out leniency for ex-jihadists Posted: 18 May 2015 11:37 PM PDT Australia on Tuesday ruled out any leniency for returning jihadists following reports that three of its nationals suspected of fighting with Islamic State were in secret negotiations with Canberra to come home. The Australian newspaper said the three had approached authorities via intermediaries or family members, but that the talks were stalled over what punishment they would face and fears of the risk they might pose if they were reissued passports and allowed to return. The conservative government has taken a tough line on tackling radicalised citizens, with more than 100 leaving the country for Iraq and Syria to fight with the Islamic State group.

Australia leader talks down hopes of repatriating terrorists Posted: 18 May 2015 10:33 PM PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister on Tuesday talked down the possibility of homesick Australian foreign fighters returning from the battlefields of Iraq and Syria, warning that they could pose a threat at home.

Iran uses maritime confrontations to project power in Gulf Posted: 18 May 2015 10:27 PM PDT By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - Iran is using its sea power in the Gulf to show it will not be cowed by Washington's newly assertive Arab allies, prompting critics to accuse Tehran of destabilizing the region. Iranian ships fired shots at a Singapore-flagged tanker which it said damaged an Iranian oil platform, causing the vessel to flee, and seized a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil route, over a debt row. The incidents coincided with a push by Washington to reassure Gulf Arab monarchies that their interests would not be threatened by a nuclear accord that Tehran and world powers are trying to reach by the end of June.

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