Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• US 'poised' to roll heavy weapons into E. Europe: report
• Rival Libya militants fight Islamic State amid suicide bombings
• Navy ship christened for Giffords, wounded in 2011 shooting
• Clinton calls for 'better deal' at first major rally
• Tareq Aziz, voice of Saddam's regime, buried in Jordan
• Syrian Kurds nearing IS border stronghold, thousands flee
• Brit, German among bombers in deadly Iraq attack
• Maliki blames 'conspiracies' for Iraq losses
• Body of Saddam deputy Tariq Aziz buried in Jordan
• Iraq oil revenues fall short of budget projections: PM
• Shaped by war, Dempsey doubts wisdom of deep US role in Iraq
• Egypt court orders retrial of 16 accused of killing police
• U.S., allies conduct 15 air strikes in Syria and Iraq: military
• VA moving to extend benefits to some Air Force reservists
• Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery
• Bush happy to echo father's legacy in eastern Europe
• A year later, US struggles to stop IS onslaught
• Kerry released from Boston hospital after broken-leg surgery
• Bang and bling for Kurdish pop diva's anti-IS anthem
• Correction: UN-Chemical Agents story

US 'poised' to roll heavy weapons into E. Europe: report Posted: 13 Jun 2015 03:35 PM PDT The Pentagon is "poised" to station heavy weapons for up to 5,000 American troops in several Eastern European and Baltic countries to deter Russian aggression, The New York Times reported Saturday. The proposal, if approved, would be the first time since the end of the Cold War that the US has had heavy military equipment -- including battle tanks -- in newer NATO members that were once under Moscow's influence as part of the Soviet Union. It underlines growing concerns in Eastern Europe and in Washington about Russian President Vladimir Putin's intentions after the annexing of Crimea and the actions of pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine.

Rival Libya militants fight Islamic State amid suicide bombings Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:46 PM PDT A Libyan Islamist militant alliance joined forces with local people in Derna to drive back Islamic State fighters, capturing the group's Yemeni commander and retaking a city courthouse, local residents said on Saturday. Earlier in the day, a suicide bomber blew himself up in Derna, killing at least three people and wounding five more as rival militants fought on the streets. Islamic State loyalists, who have been expanding their foothold in the North African country, have been engaged in fierce fighting for control of Derna for a week with local Islamist umbrella group Majlis Mujahideen.

Navy ship christened for Giffords, wounded in 2011 shooting Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:44 PM PDT MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle "Gabby" Giffords of Arizona had a Navy vessel named in her honor during a ceremony at a Mobile, Alabama, shipyard Saturday afternoon.

Clinton calls for 'better deal' at first major rally Posted: 13 Jun 2015 02:02 PM PDT Hillary Clinton held the first major rally Saturday of her campaign to become the first woman president of the United States, promising a "better deal" for struggling middle-class Americans. Several thousand of her most devoted admirers braved scorching heat and a strict security cordon to pack a relatively small venue at a memorial to famed World War II and New Deal president Franklin D. Roosevelt. "I may not be the youngest candidate in this race, but I will be the youngest woman president in the history of the United States," the 67 year old said to cheers and applause.

Tareq Aziz, voice of Saddam's regime, buried in Jordan Posted: 13 Jun 2015 12:37 PM PDT Iraq's former foreign minister Tareq Aziz, who used his mastery of English to put a gloss on Saddam Hussein's murderous regime, was buried on Saturday in Jordan. Hundreds of Iraqis and Jordanians attended the funeral for Aziz, in Madaba, around 35 kilometres (20 miles) southwest of the Jordanian capital Amman.

Syrian Kurds nearing IS border stronghold, thousands flee Posted: 13 Jun 2015 12:26 PM PDT AKCAKALE, Turkey (AP) — Hundreds of Syrian refugees poured into a Turkish-Syrian border crossing Saturday, fleeing intense fighting as Syrian Kurds closed in on an Islamic State-held town — the only passageway linking Turkey with the extremist group's stronghold of Raqqa.

Brit, German among bombers in deadly Iraq attack Posted: 13 Jun 2015 11:42 AM PDT At least 11 Iraqi security personnel were killed Saturday in a quadruple suicide car bombing near Baiji that the Islamic State group said four of its foreign fighters carried out. Police and army sources said the four car bombs were unleashed on security targets in Hajjaj, which lies on the road between Tikrit and Baiji in Salaheddin province, north of Baghdad. Seven soldiers were killed as well as four members of the Popular Mobilisation force, an umbrella for mostly Shiite militias and volunteers that has been doing much of the heavy lifting in the fight against IS in Iraq.

Maliki blames 'conspiracies' for Iraq losses Posted: 13 Jun 2015 11:09 AM PDT Iraq's former premier and current vice president, Nuri al-Maliki, blamed "conspiracies" Saturday for the loss of major cities to jihadists and said Baghdad should prioritise paramilitaries over the army to fight them. "Mosul would not have fallen except for a conspiracy, and Ramadi would not have fallen except for a conspiracy," he said in televised remarks, referring to two major cities lost to IS. Maliki, a Shiite, pursued policies while premier that angered and isolated Iraq's Sunni Arabs, who make up the backbone of IS' support, making it easier for the group to operate and expand.

Body of Saddam deputy Tariq Aziz buried in Jordan Posted: 13 Jun 2015 09:23 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Tariq Aziz was laid to rest Saturday after a ceremony in his honor at a church in the Jordanian capital, Amman, eight days after the debonair Iraqi diplomat died in prison of a heart attack.

Iraq oil revenues fall short of budget projections: PM Posted: 13 Jun 2015 08:54 AM PDT Iraq's oil revenues are even lower than projected in the country's already austere 2015 budget, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Saturday, spelling more financial trouble for cash-strapped Baghdad. "So far, our oil revenues are below what was passed in the budget," Abadi said in televised remarks, without providing exact figures on the shortfall. Iraq's parliament approved a budget of 119.5 trillion Iraqi dinars in January (about $99.6 billion at the time).

Shaped by war, Dempsey doubts wisdom of deep US role in Iraq Posted: 13 Jun 2015 08:43 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — In the homestretch of a 41-year U.S. Army career shaped by war and the scars of war, Gen. Martin Dempsey sounds unconvinced that Iraq has found its path to lasting victory over the Islamic State group.

Egypt court orders retrial of 16 accused of killing police Posted: 13 Jun 2015 08:31 AM PDT An Egyptian court Saturday ordered the retrial of 16 people sentenced to death or long prison terms for their involvement in the deaths of 25 policemen in the restive Sinai peninsula. Hundreds of Morsi supporters, and dozens of policemen, were killed in protest violence after his overthrow.

U.S., allies conduct 15 air strikes in Syria and Iraq: military Posted: 13 Jun 2015 07:37 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. and coalition forces conducted 12 air strikes targeting Islamic State in Iraq on Friday and three strikes against the militant group in Syria, mostly focusing on urban areas, the U.S. military said on Saturday. "The coalition continues to strike Daesh (Islamic State) terrorists in complex and congested urban terrain in Iraq and Syria,"" Brigadier General Thomas Weidley, chief of staff for the Combined Joint Task Force, said in a statement. ...

VA moving to extend benefits to some Air Force reservists Posted: 13 Jun 2015 06:28 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Reversing a long-held position, the Department of Veterans Affairs now says Air Force reservists who became ill after being exposed to Agent Orange residue while working on planes after the Vietnam War should be eligible for disability benefits.

Militants attack government forces near Iraq's Baiji refinery Posted: 13 Jun 2015 06:14 AM PDT Islamic State militants attacked government forces and their Shi'ite militia allies on Saturday, killing 11 near the city of Baiji as part of the battle for control of Iraq's biggest refinery, army and police sources said. Four suicide bombers in vehicles packed with explosives hit security forces and the local headquarters of the Shi'ite militias in the area of al-Hijjaj, 10 km (6 miles) to the south of Baiji town, near the refinery, sources at the nearby Tikrit security operations command said. Iraqi government forces and powerful Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias face Islamic State on several fronts in Iraq, a major oil producer and OPEC member.

Bush happy to echo father's legacy in eastern Europe Posted: 13 Jun 2015 06:00 AM PDT TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Jeb Bush strolled the halls of the Polish parliament, praised Germany's economic boom since the fall of the Berlin Wall and visited Estonia, a once-bleak Soviet state that now has a growing, free-market high-tech economy.

A year later, US struggles to stop IS onslaught Posted: 12 Jun 2015 10:39 PM PDT As it tries to lead an unwieldy international coalition, Washington has pleaded for patience but has yet to arrive at a successful formula that can cripple the well-funded, opportunistic jihadists in Iraq and Syria. President Barack Obama's strategy -- a combination of US-led air power with advice and weapons for local forces -- was supposed to stop the onslaught and buy time for an eventual push to roll back the jihadists. "Realistically our strategy is to contain ISIL (IS) right now," said David Barno, a retired general who once led the US war effort in Afghanistan.

Kerry released from Boston hospital after broken-leg surgery Posted: 12 Jun 2015 07:11 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was discharged from a Boston hospital on Friday, 10 days after undergoing surgery on a broken leg he sustained in a bicycle accident in France, and he declared he had not missed a tick on key foreign policy issues during his recovery.

Bang and bling for Kurdish pop diva's anti-IS anthem Posted: 12 Jun 2015 05:11 PM PDT High heels, fatigues and gold rifle-shaped rings -- singer Helly Luv's blend of bang and bling has made her the most popular cheerleader for the Iraqi Kurds' war against jihadists. To hammer home the coexistence message, people march in the video carrying banners with peace messages in various languages and an array of religious symbols, including the Jewish star of David and the Buddhist wheel.

Correction: UN-Chemical Agents story Posted: 12 Jun 2015 04:59 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — In a story dated Aug. 30, 2007 about U.N. weapons inspectors finding the potentially hazardous phosgene chemical in their offices, The Associated Press erroneously identified Svetlana Utkina as a U.N. chemical weapons expert. Utkina worked for the U.N. commission investigating chemical weapons in Iraq as a planning and operations officer and spoke at a press conference about the gas phosgene, but she was not employed by the U.N. as a chemical weapons expert.

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