Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.S. response to Kurdish advances in Syria tempered by caution
• Australian leader makes no promises on terrorist's children
• In Taliban's new attacks, a message to the Islamic State
• US won't threaten to prosecute hostages' families for ransom
• Rebel flag controversy 1 in long line of disputes worldwide
• Kurds keep up offensive against extremists in northern Syria
• NATO working on plan to advise Iraq on reforming its army
• Australia to revoke citizenship from people who engage with terrorists
• For EU-minded migrants, Hungary 'wall' seen as little hurdle
• IS calls for jihad, martyrdom during Ramadan
• Syria Kurds seize town from Islamic State near its 'capital'
• Islamic State urges followers to escalate attacks in Ramadan
• U.S., allies stage 17 air strikes against Islamic State militants
• Jihadists face detour at Turkey border, but 'highway' still in business
• S.Africa threatens to quit ICC over Bashir
• Syria's Kurds leading the fightback against IS
• UN refugee chief urges world not to 'forget' Afghans in Pakistan
• US won't prosecute hostages' families who pay ransom
• UN says more than 3 million Iraqis displaced by IS, fighting
• Islamic State destroys ancient shrines in Syria's Palmyra city
• UK: Islamic scholar unveils anti-terror school curriculum
• Islamic State fight requires new tactics: Iraqi commanders
• Pakistani cleric launches anti-ISIS curriculum in Britain
• More than 3 million Iraqis displaced in 18 months: IOM
• UN says the number of people displaced by IS fighting, violence in Iraq is now over 3 million
• IS drowns, decapitates 'spies' in brutal new video
• World Bank promises loan of up to $500 million for quake-hit Nepal
• Drone strike on Islamic State in Iraq kills Benghazi suspect, US says
• Turkish, Israeli diplomats explore hopes for relations: source
• Lester Holt becomes first black journalist to anchor US nightly newscast on his own
• Iraqis return to shattered Tikrit after Islamic State routed
• Australia attempts to verify terrorist's death in Iraq
• US says IS suspect in Benghazi attack killed in airstrike
• Today in History
• Two notorious Australian IS fighters reported dead
• Australian 'severed head' militants reportedly killed in Iraq

U.S. response to Kurdish advances in Syria tempered by caution Posted: 23 Jun 2015 04:48 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick and David Alexander WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Tuesday touted Kurdish-led advances against Islamic State in Syria as a model for the U.S.-backed effort to retake territory from the jihadist group, but U.S. officials cautioned that the insurgents remained resilient and could strike back. By highlighting battlefield gains in northern Syria by a reliable partner on the ground, the White House sought to further justify President Barack Obama's policy of limiting U.S. military involvement in the fight to reverse Islamic State's conquests there and in neighboring Iraq.

Australian leader makes no promises on terrorist's children Posted: 23 Jun 2015 04:43 PM PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister says he feels for the five Australian children of an Islamic State group terrorist who became notorious last year for posing for photographs while clutching the severed heads of Syrian victims.

In Taliban's new attacks, a message to the Islamic State Posted: 23 Jun 2015 04:11 PM PDT The Taliban is taking bold steps not only to reassert itself after the departure of NATO forces, but perhaps more importantly, to stave off the rising influence of the Islamic State among jihadis in Afghanistan. On Monday, the Taliban claimed responsibility for an audacious suicide attack on the Afghan parliament in Kabul. By Tuesday, it had taken control of two districts in northern Afghanistan – well outside its traditional southern base of power – and was threatening to overrun the northern agricultural hub of Kunduz.

US won't threaten to prosecute hostages' families for ransom Posted: 23 Jun 2015 03:04 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Softening longstanding policy, the Obama administration will tell families of Americans held by terror groups that they can communicate with captors and even pay ransom without fear of prosecution. The shift comes as part of a broad review of U.S. hostage guidelines that will be released Wednesday.

Rebel flag controversy 1 in long line of disputes worldwide Posted: 23 Jun 2015 02:43 PM PDT BERLIN (AP) — Around the world, countries have long struggled with questions about flags similar to those faced by South Carolina, which is under pressure to remove a Confederate flag from its statehouse in the wake of the shootings that killed nine people at a historic black church.

Kurds keep up offensive against extremists in northern Syria Posted: 23 Jun 2015 01:22 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Backed by U.S.-led airstrikes and buoyed by battlefield successes, Kurdish fighters kept up an offensive through northern Syria on Tuesday, driving Islamic State militants out of a town near the extremists' de facto capital of Raqqa.

NATO working on plan to advise Iraq on reforming its army Posted: 23 Jun 2015 12:43 PM PDT By Adrian Croft BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO is expected to announce soon a plan to advise the Iraqi government on reforming its security forces which are fighting back after collapsing in the face of an offensive by Islamic State fighters, NATO diplomats said on Tuesday. Iraq asked NATO for help training its security forces last December after Islamic State captured large parts of Iraq.

Australia to revoke citizenship from people who engage with terrorists Posted: 23 Jun 2015 12:34 PM PDT In a new counter-terrorism measure, the Australian government will amend legislation Wednesday to strip Australian citizenship from anyone who has both Australian citizenship and that of a second country who are found to have engaged with terrorists. The legislation will amend the Australian Citizenship Act 2007, which already strips dual nationals of their Australian citizenship if they serve in a foreign army or war with Australia. Announcing the citizenship updates, the government said it "intends to modernize the Australian Citizenship Act to enable the minister for immigration and border protection to take action in the national interest to revoke the Australian citizenship of dual citizens who engage in terrorism that betrays their allegiance to Australia.

For EU-minded migrants, Hungary 'wall' seen as little hurdle Posted: 23 Jun 2015 12:30 PM PDT BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Artist Omar Owad fled war-torn Syria with his wife and four young children and journeyed through three countries to reach Serbia, on the doorstep of the European Union and closer to his ultimate quest for a new life in Austria. No wall, he says, will stop him now.

IS calls for jihad, martyrdom during Ramadan Posted: 23 Jun 2015 12:22 PM PDT Islamic State group spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani called on Tuesday for Muslims to engage in jihad and become martyrs during the holy fasting month of Ramadan. Adnani also announced an amnesty for people who fought against IS in Iraq's Anbar province, and called on residents who had fled violence there to return home. "The best acts that bring you closer to God are jihad, so hurry to it and make sure to carry out the invasion this holy month and be exposed to martyrdom in it," Adnani said in an audio message posted online.

Syria Kurds seize town from Islamic State near its 'capital' Posted: 23 Jun 2015 12:16 PM PDT By Tom Perry and Laila Bassam BEIRUT (Reuters) - Kurdish-led forces in Syria seized a town from Islamic State on Tuesday after capturing a military base overnight, aided by U.S.-led air strikes in some of the most dramatic gains yet against the militants. The Kurdish march deep into the heart of Islamic State territory follows their capture of a town on the Turkish border last week, reversing the momentum of militants who had seized major towns in both Syria and Iraq last month. The Kurdish YPG-led forces had taken full control of Ain Issa, said YPG spokesman Redur Xelil.

Islamic State urges followers to escalate attacks in Ramadan Posted: 23 Jun 2015 11:34 AM PDT By Ali Abdelaty and and Suleiman al-Khalidi CAIRO/AMMAN (Reuters) - Islamic State urged its followers on Tuesday to escalate attacks against Christians, Shi'ites and Sunni Muslims fighting with a U.S.-led coalition against the ultra-radical group. Jihadists should turn the holy month of Ramadan, which began last week, into a time of "calamity for the infidels ... Shi'ites and apostate Muslims", Isalmic State spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani said in an audio message. "Be keen to conquer in this holy month and to become exposed to martyrdom." Adnani also called on Sunnis in Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia to rise against "tyrannical leaders" and warned them against advancing Shi'ites, pointing to the treatment of Sunnis under a Shi'ite-led government in Iraq and in Syria under the Alawites, the Shi'ite offshoot to which President Bashar al Assad belongs.

U.S., allies stage 17 air strikes against Islamic State militants Posted: 23 Jun 2015 11:31 AM PDT The United States and its coalition partners staged 17 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria on Monday, including three in the Syrian border town of Tel Abyad, the U.S. military said in a statement. In Iraq, 14 air strikes hit near Kirkuk, Mosul, Ramadi, Sinjar and other cities, and hit numerous units of militant fighters as well as fighting positions, staging areas and a bunker, the military said.

Jihadists face detour at Turkey border, but 'highway' still in business Posted: 23 Jun 2015 11:23 AM PDT Driving an immaculate minivan to Akcakale in southeastern Turkey, Abu Walid bemoans his bad luck at the Islamic State's defeat last week. Just across the border, in the Syrian town of Tel Abyad, the bright banners of Kurdish and Syrian factions have replaced the monochrome flag of the self-declared Islamic State (IS). While many celebrated the jihadists' unexpected defeat, Abu Walid was decidedly in mourning.

S.Africa threatens to quit ICC over Bashir Posted: 23 Jun 2015 11:07 AM PDT South Africa threatened Tuesday to withdraw from the International Criminal Court after an outcry over the government's refusal to detain Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on genocide charges. Bashir flew out of Pretoria last week after attending a meeting of the African Union despite a court order that barred his departure, sparking international criticism of President Jacob Zuma's government. In a heated parliamentary debate, the lead speaker for Zuma's ruling African National Congress said South Africa would press for reforms of the ICC, accusing it of losing credibility because countries such as the United States had failed to place themselves under the control of the Hague-based organisation.

Syria's Kurds leading the fightback against IS Posted: 23 Jun 2015 10:59 AM PDT The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), which have claimed a string of victories against the Islamic State group, have emerged as the most effective force battling the jihadists in Syria. Q: Who are the YPG? A: The YPG (Yekineyen Parastina Gel in Kurdish, or People's Protection Units in English) is a militia operating in majority-Kurdish areas in north and northeast Syria.

UN refugee chief urges world not to 'forget' Afghans in Pakistan Posted: 23 Jun 2015 10:24 AM PDT The UN's top official for refugees Tuesday urged the world not to "forget" the millions of Afghans forced to live for decades in Pakistan because of war in their homeland. Pakistan has the world's second-largest refugee population, 1.5 million, most of them Afghans living for years in poor conditions in camps in the restive northwest. Islamabad is keen for the refugees to return to Afghanistan, with more than 65,000 going back this year -- a big jump on last year's 25,000.

US won't prosecute hostages' families who pay ransom Posted: 23 Jun 2015 10:23 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration will tell families of Americans held by terror groups that they can communicate with captors and even pay ransom without fear of prosecution — part of a broad review of U.S. hostage guidelines that will be released Wednesday.

UN says more than 3 million Iraqis displaced by IS, fighting Posted: 23 Jun 2015 08:59 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The number of people displaced within Iraq due to violence and fighting by the Islamic State group has exceeded 3 million, the United Nations said Tuesday, a grim milestone for the war-battered country.

Islamic State destroys ancient shrines in Syria's Palmyra city Posted: 23 Jun 2015 08:46 AM PDT Islamic State militants have blown up two ancient shrines they consider sacrilegious in Palmyra, a 2,000-year-old UNESCO World Heritage site in central Syria, the ultra hardline Sunni Muslim group said on Tuesday. The report was the first of any damage being done by the militants to buildings in Palmyra since they seized control of the city, also known as Tadmur, in May. Syrian forces have bombed the city, and the militants camped within it, since then.

UK: Islamic scholar unveils anti-terror school curriculum Posted: 23 Jun 2015 08:35 AM PDT LONDON (AP) — An Islamic scholar has unveiled a draft school curriculum in London that condemns the Islamic State group and extremist ideology.

Islamic State fight requires new tactics: Iraqi commanders Posted: 23 Jun 2015 08:13 AM PDT Iraqi army and police commanders leading an ongoing battle for control of the country's biggest refinery say they cannot defeat Islamic State unless they change tactics to better cope with the insurgents' guerrilla warfare techniques. The sprawling refinery complex near the town of Baiji north of Baghdad has changed hands several times over many months of fighting, one of the main fronts in Iraq's bid to recapture the third of its territory held by the Sunni Muslim insurgents. The Iraqi government has had mixed fortunes since a U.S.-led alliance joined the campaign against Islamic State last year by bombing positions in both Iraq and Syria where Islamic State has proclaimed a caliphate to rule over all Muslims.

Pakistani cleric launches anti-ISIS curriculum in Britain Posted: 23 Jun 2015 07:47 AM PDT By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - A prominent Pakistani Islamic cleric launched a "counter-terrorism" curriculum in London on Tuesday, to rebut the message of militant groups such as Islamic State (ISIS) and stop young people becoming radicalized and heading to Syria. Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri, a politician, scholar and fiery orator, said he wanted his 900-page curriculum, containing theological and ideological arguments to undermine extremists, to be taught not just at mosques and Islamic institutions but at schools across Britain. "We want to make clear that all activities being carried out by ISIS or any other terroristic and extremistic organization either in the name of God or religion or establishing any kind of Islamic state by acts of violence ... are totally in violation of the Koran and Islam," he told Reuters.

More than 3 million Iraqis displaced in 18 months: IOM Posted: 23 Jun 2015 07:41 AM PDT More than three million people have been displaced by conflict in Iraq since the start of 2014, the International Organization for Migration said on Tuesday. The IOM put the number of displaced at 3,087,372, with more than a quarter million of those who most recently fled their homes coming from Ramadi, which the Islamic State jihadist group seized last month. More than 2.6 million of the total are from Anbar, Nineveh and Salaheddin -- three provinces located west and north of Baghdad that have been the hardest hit by fighting between IS and pro-government forces.

UN says the number of people displaced by IS fighting, violence in Iraq is now over 3 million Posted: 23 Jun 2015 07:27 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — UN says the number of people displaced by IS fighting, violence in Iraq is now over 3 million.

IS drowns, decapitates 'spies' in brutal new video Posted: 23 Jun 2015 07:20 AM PDT An Islamic State group video released Tuesday showed the jihadists murdering 16 men by drowning them in a cage, decapitating them with explosives and firing a rocket-propelled grenade into a car. The video, apparently shot in Iraq's Nineveh province, was one of the most brutal yet in a series released by the jihadists of killings of opponents in areas under IS control. Videos of the killings are a key propaganda tool of the jihadists, used to shock and terrify their enemies as well as to draw in new recruits seeking the most brutal and active militant group.

World Bank promises loan of up to $500 million for quake-hit Nepal Posted: 23 Jun 2015 07:09 AM PDT The World Bank on Tuesday promised a loan of up to half a billion dollars to help Nepal rebuild after earthquakes killed nearly 9,000 people there in April and May, leveling homes and pushing hundreds of thousands of people deeper into poverty. The global development lender, based in Washington, said it would lend $300 million for housing reconstruction and budgetary support, and a further $100 million to $200 million could be redirected from existing loans and be replaced at a later date. Nepal said reconstruction from its worst disaster on record would cost some $6.6 billion over five years, and asked international donors to attend a conference this week to help.

Drone strike on Islamic State in Iraq kills Benghazi suspect, US says Posted: 23 Jun 2015 06:04 AM PDT The United States has killed an Islamic State militant suspected of taking part in the 2012 attack on the American diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, the Pentagon said Monday. Ali Awni al-Harzi, a mid-level IS operative, was killed in a US drone strike last week in Iraq, the Pentagon said. Pentagon officials say his death will degrade the militant group's ability to recruit new fighters from the region.

Turkish, Israeli diplomats explore hopes for relations: source Posted: 23 Jun 2015 04:12 AM PDT Israel held unannounced diplomatic level talks with Turkey on Monday to explore prospects, after Turkish polls, of restoring an alliance that was once central to U.S. Middle East policy but has soured dramatically under Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan. The Islamist-rooted AK Party founded by Erdogan, who accused Israel last year of having "surpassed Hitler in barbarism" through attacks on Palestinian territories, lost its overall majority in a June 7 vote for the first time since taking power in 2002. Erdogan's years in full control of foreign and domestic policy saw virtual collapse of what had been Israel's closest alliance with a Muslim state, encompassing the military and intelligence sectors.

Lester Holt becomes first black journalist to anchor US nightly newscast on his own Posted: 23 Jun 2015 03:08 AM PDT Lester Holt made US cable history Monday, becoming the first black journalist to anchor a national nightly newscast solo. After announcing that Brian Williams would be shuffled to MSNBC in the fallout of his misleading Iraq war coverage, NBC gave Holt the permanent anchor's chair at Nightly News, a first for US TV. At the end of his first broadcast as official nightly anchor Monday, Holt addressed viewers directly, thanking the audience and his predecessor.

Iraqis return to shattered Tikrit after Islamic State routed Posted: 22 Jun 2015 11:50 PM PDT TIKRIT, Iraq (AP) — Abdel Mowgood Hassan climbs over toppled bricks and a torn-away front door to enter his uncle's house in Tikrit, the first of his relatives to make a cautious return home since Islamic State militants were driven out.

Australia attempts to verify terrorist's death in Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:35 PM PDT CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Reports that an Australian terrorist, notorious for holding up the severed heads of Syrian victims, has been killed fighting in Iraq have raised the potential for his young family to be repatriated from the Middle East, Australia's foreign minister said on Tuesday.

US says IS suspect in Benghazi attack killed in airstrike Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:06 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — An Islamic State operative suspected of involvement in the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Benghazi, Libya, has been killed in a U.S. airstrike in Iraq, the Pentagon said Monday.

Today in History Posted: 22 Jun 2015 09:00 PM PDT Today is Tuesday, June 23, the 174th day of 2015. There are 191 days left in the year.

Two notorious Australian IS fighters reported dead Posted: 22 Jun 2015 08:43 PM PDT Canberra was Tuesday working to verify reports that two of Australia's most wanted Islamic State group fighters, notorious for being pictured holding severed heads, have been killed. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation cited people close to the families of Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar as saying the pair died in fighting in the Iraqi city of Mosul in the past week. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed there had been recent drone strikes in the area but said she was still awaiting "absolute verification" they were dead.

Australian 'severed head' militants reportedly killed in Iraq Posted: 22 Jun 2015 05:54 PM PDT By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia is close to confirming the reported death in Iraq of two home-grown militants who shot to infamy last year after being photographed holding the severed heads of Syrian soldiers, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday. Australia issued arrest warrants for suspected Australian Islamic State fighters Khaled Sharrouf and Mohamed Elomar after the images, which also showed Sharrouf's 7-year-old son holding one of the heads, caused a global outcry. "The likelihood of verification in relation to Mr Elomar is probably imminent, however, in relation to Mr Sharrouf we're still seeking to verify the reports," Bishop told reporters on Tuesday.

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