Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iran deal: the ultimate test of Obama's 'hard-nosed diplomacy?'
• U.S.-Iran diplomatic forecast: more contacts, but breakthroughs unlikely
• France says foils jihadist attack on military sites
• Obama: Iran deal is only alternative to more Mideast war
• France says terror plot against military bases foiled
• Officials: 'Inadequate' Government Efforts to Prevent US Terrorist Radicalization
• ISIS insight? Tillis opts for Cheney, not Pentagon chiefs
• Server Helps Military Woman Honor a Fallen Soldier at Buffalo Wild Wings
• In Arab world, worries that deal will boost Iran's power
• US returns Iraqi artefacts recovered in Syria raid
• What the Next U.S. President Should Do With the Iran Deal
• EU lawmakers back blanket collection of airline passenger data
• Afghan Taliban leader backs peace talks with Kabul officials
• Amazon scores Spike Lee's 'Chi-Raq' as its first original movie
• Missiles fall off British warplane in Cyprus
• Afghan Taliban leader hails 'legitimate' peace talks
• NATO plans biggest exercise since 2002 to counter Islamic State
• Iraq says no alarm at prospect of hiked Iran oil exports
• Islamic State targeted in 33 air strikes by U.S.-led coalition: statement
• Despite nuclear deal US remains Iran's 'Great Satan'
• Bernie Sanders gets his say on Clinton's day in Capitol
• Iran says nuclear deal ends 'manufactured crisis'
• Netherlands considers benefit freeze for citizens who join militants
• Iraq declares Thursday an official holiday due to heat wave
• Boko Haram raid villages in Nigeria's Borno state, killing 12
• The IAEA: the world's eyes and ears in Iran
• Amazon's Spike Lee Movie 'Chi-Raq' to Debut in Theaters for December Oscar Run (Exclusive)
• Iraq receives artifacts found by US Special Forces in Syria
• Saudi media attack Iran deal as assault on Arab interests
• Missiles fall off British warplane during Cyprus landing
• Obama’s Iran Deal Gives a Free Pass to a Rogues Gallery
• Iraq says Iran deal sign of 'common will' to defeat IS
• 8 hackathons to check out this year
• Feeling the heat, Iraq declares Thursday a holiday
• U.S. delivers Iraqi antiquities seized in raid on Islamic State
• Missiles detach from landing warplane at British air base
• Iran's oil return a game changer for OPEC, but not for now
• Special Report: Bedouins drawn into Egypt's Islamist fight
• Hungarians rally against fence to keep out migrants
• China says fleeing Uighurs want to bring holy war home

Iran deal: the ultimate test of Obama's 'hard-nosed diplomacy?' Posted: 15 Jul 2015 04:17 PM PDT In announcing that world powers had reached a nuclear agreement with Iran, President Obama said the deal would test Iran's and indeed the entire Middle East region's ability to change. For Mr. Obama, recent American experience has demonstrated that diplomacy with adversaries is a surer and more effective change agent than the use of force. Recommended: How much do you know about Iran?

U.S.-Iran diplomatic forecast: more contacts, but breakthroughs unlikely Posted: 15 Jul 2015 03:10 PM PDT By Warren Strobel WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and Iran are likely to continue cautious diplomatic contacts following Tuesday's historic nuclear accord, but a broader blossoming of relations like the one U.S. President Barack Obama engineered with Cuba is years off at best, current and former U.S. officials said. At crossed swords over issues from Israel to Syrian President Bashar Assad's legitimacy, the two countries nonetheless share some concerns, including a threat from the militant Sunni group Islamic State. In late 2001, U.S. and Iranian envoys worked closely to form Afghanistan's first post-Taliban government.

France says foils jihadist attack on military sites Posted: 15 Jul 2015 01:58 PM PDT By Andrew Callus PARIS (Reuters) - Security forces prevented an attack on French military installations this week by arresting four people whose leader had links to jailed jihadists, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Wednesday. According to a source close to the situation, the attackers had planned to act in January 2016 and were targeting a senior military official in the south of France. The four were aged between 16 and 23 and arrested in different places around France, the minister said.

Obama: Iran deal is only alternative to more Mideast war Posted: 15 Jul 2015 01:49 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick and Roberta Rampton WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, seeking to sell the Iran nuclear deal to skeptical U.S. lawmakers and nervous allies, insisted on Wednesday the landmark agreement was the only alternative to a nuclear arms race and more war in the Middle East. Obama made his case in a nationally televised news conference responding to critics at home and abroad after Iran and six world powers sealed an accord in Vienna on Tuesday to restrict Tehran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. "Without a deal," Obama said, "there would be no limits to Iran's nuclear program and Iran could move closer to a nuclear bomb ... Without a deal, we risk even more war in the Middle East." Obama, who must still overcome a congressional hurdle to enact the accord, said that if the United States does not seize the opportunity, "future generations will judge us harshly." The agreement is a triumph for Obama, who has made outreach to America's enemies a hallmark of his presidency, but it is also seen as his biggest foreign policy gamble since taking office in 2009.

France says terror plot against military bases foiled Posted: 15 Jul 2015 01:28 PM PDT PARIS (AP) — French authorities have foiled a plot by four would-be extremists to attack military bases, the interior minister said Wednesday.

Officials: 'Inadequate' Government Efforts to Prevent US Terrorist Radicalization Posted: 15 Jul 2015 01:05 PM PDT So far this year, the FBI has arrested 48 suspects in the U.S. accused of attempting to support ISIS or act violently in the name of the Islamist extremist group – and yet in all of the U.S. government, only half that number of U.S. officials are devoted to Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programs, according to Rep. Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. "In the high-threat environment we are in today, this is unacceptable," McCaul said. But current and former officials have told ABC News the numbers are even worse and that many of those officials counted in the number the administration provided to McCaul split their time between CVE and other duties.

ISIS insight? Tillis opts for Cheney, not Pentagon chiefs Posted: 15 Jul 2015 12:53 PM PDT RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Freshman Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina missed a hearing last week with senior Pentagon leaders on the threat of Islamic State militants and instead privately got insights on the group from former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Server Helps Military Woman Honor a Fallen Soldier at Buffalo Wild Wings Posted: 15 Jul 2015 12:29 PM PDT A woman ordered two beers at a Buffalo Wild Wings in Tacoma, Washington — one for herself and one for her brother. When the server, Brian Avey, explained to her on July 9 that she could only order one beer at a time because of state law, she told him the Corona was for her brother who died in Iraq, according to Avey's post on Facebook. Avey brought the woman her bill at the end of her meal and told her that Buffalo Wild Wings would take care of the tab for the Corona.

In Arab world, worries that deal will boost Iran's power Posted: 15 Jul 2015 11:23 AM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The nuclear deal with Iran was met with a profound wariness in the Arab world, where concerns are widespread that the easing of its international isolation could tip the already bloody contest for power in the region toward Shiite-led Tehran.

US returns Iraqi artefacts recovered in Syria raid Posted: 15 Jul 2015 11:22 AM PDT The United States returned Wednesday hundreds of Iraqi artefacts its special forces recovered during a raid in Syria against a man described as the Islamic State group's top financier. Some of the pieces were displayed at the Iraqi national museum during a repatriation ceremony attended by Antiquities Minister Adel Shirshab and US Ambassador Stuart Jones. "These artefacts are indisputable evidence that Daesh (IS) -- beyond its terrorism, beyond its brutality and destruction -- is also a criminal gang that is looting antiquities from museums and historical sites," Jones said.

What the Next U.S. President Should Do With the Iran Deal Posted: 15 Jul 2015 11:20 AM PDT The next president of the United States will almost certainly be more hawkish on Iran than Barack Obama. What can that president do about the nuclear accord that the Obama administration and several world powers have struck with Iran? On Tuesday, Obama told Thomas Friedman of The New York Times that his Iran deal will equip his successor with more and better options on Iran than he inherited.

EU lawmakers back blanket collection of airline passenger data Posted: 15 Jul 2015 10:38 AM PDT By Julia Fioretti BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Airlines will have to transfer passenger data such as seat numbers and payment information to law enforcement authorities for flights into and out of the European Union, under rules passed on Wednesday by EU lawmakers. EU governments are anxious to prevent Europeans going to fight with Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, fearing they could carry out attacks in Europe when they return. The Islamist attacks on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January pushed the issue up on the agenda, and on Wednesday members of the Civil Liberties Committee in the European Parliament voted for an amended version of the so-called "Passenger Name Record" proposal.

Afghan Taliban leader backs peace talks with Kabul officials Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:46 AM PDT KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The reclusive Afghan Taliban leader backs peace talks with the Kabul government, saying in a rare message Wednesday that the goal of these efforts is an "end to occupation" by foreign forces.

Amazon scores Spike Lee's 'Chi-Raq' as its first original movie Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:42 AM PDT The film's all-star cast includes Nick Cannon, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Hudson, Teyonah Parris and more. It's a big win as Amazon fights to dominate the video-streaming space.

Missiles fall off British warplane in Cyprus Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:41 AM PDT Two missiles fell from a warplane at a British base in southern Cyprus on Wednesday as the aircraft returned from a military operation, without causing casualties, base officials said. The runway was closed after two Brimstone missiles detached themselves from a Tornado GR4 while landing at RAF Akrotiri on the outskirts of the coastal town of Limassol. British forces spokesman Kristian Gray said: "While landing on the runway from an operational flight, two Brimstone missiles detached from the GR4 aircraft.

Afghan Taliban leader hails 'legitimate' peace talks Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:28 AM PDT Taliban leader Mullah Omar Wednesday hailed as "legitimate" peace talks aimed at ending Afghanistan's 13-year war, in his first comments on the nascent dialogue, easing concerns that it lacked the leadership's backing. Afghan officials sat down with Taliban cadres last week in Murree, a tourist town in the hills north of Islamabad, Pakistan, for their first face-to-face talks aimed at ending the bloody insurgency. "If we look into our religious regulations, we can find that meetings and even peaceful interactions with the enemies is not prohibited," he said in a statement on the Taliban's website.

NATO plans biggest exercise since 2002 to counter Islamic State Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:23 AM PDT By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - NATO and its allies will hold their biggest military exercise in more than a decade from October, deploying 36,000 personnel across the Mediterranean to counter the threat of Islamic State on the alliance's southern flank. Briefly turning attention away from Russia, NATO commanders said on Wednesday the alliance would carry out some of its toughest training yet in a complex "artificial threat scenario" in which militants attack on land, from the air and at sea. "We cannot choose between the eastern threat and the southern threat, we have to train for both," said General Hans-Lothar Domrose, commander of the NATO military command in Brunssum, the Netherlands, who is preparing the exercise.

Iraq says no alarm at prospect of hiked Iran oil exports Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:23 AM PDT Iraq can offset the impact of the Iran nuclear deal on oil prices and competition for export markets with higher production and improved regional trade, the oil ministry said Wednesday. The deal reached between Tehran and world powers Tuesday could lead to the lifting of economic sanctions on Iran and allow the Islamic republic to increase its oil exports. Experts predict that the return of Iranian oil exports could help keep oil prices low.

Islamic State targeted in 33 air strikes by U.S.-led coalition: statement Posted: 15 Jul 2015 08:27 AM PDT The United States and its coalition partners targeted Islamic State forces with 33 air strikes in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday in the latest round of daily attacks on the militants, a coalition statement said on Wednesday. Sixteen of the strikes were in Syria with the greatest concentrations around Al Hasakah and Aleppo with six strikes near each city, according to the statement. Islamic State was targeted near four other Syrian cities with tactical units and fighting positions being hit, according to the statement.

Despite nuclear deal US remains Iran's 'Great Satan' Posted: 15 Jul 2015 08:23 AM PDT A chiefly US-led nuclear deal between world powers and Iran has been held up as a harbinger to re-establishing formal relations but historical enmity makes broader detente a difficult prospect. Both nations have reasons for distrust and a legacy of differences live on in the chants of "Death to America" that ring out at public ceremonies, even parliament, in the Iranian capital. For the United States, the 444-day hostage crisis that followed the storming of its embassy in Tehran by revolutionary students in 1979 remains the defining moment.

Bernie Sanders gets his say on Clinton's day in Capitol Posted: 15 Jul 2015 08:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was escorted by fellow Democrats, her way smoothed by uniformed officers and her every pre-planned step tracked by a pack of chroniclers as she made the rounds of private meetings in the Capitol.

Iran says nuclear deal ends 'manufactured crisis' Posted: 15 Jul 2015 07:50 AM PDT A deal with world powers ended a "manufactured crisis" over Iran's nuclear programme, its foreign minister said Wednesday after negotiating the accord,which drew furious objections from US lawmakers. President Barack Obama faced a bruising battle to sell the deal in Washington as Congressional leaders queued up to denounce it. In return for curbs on its nuclear programme for at least 10 years, Iran will be freed from Western and UN sanctions that have crippled its economy.

Netherlands considers benefit freeze for citizens who join militants Posted: 15 Jul 2015 07:45 AM PDT By Yoruk Bahceli AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The Dutch government proposed on Wednesday freezing social security and student benefits for citizens who join militant groups such as Islamic State, in a bid to stem the numbers of young people leaving for conflict zones. Governments across Europe have said they are worried about the risk of citizens returning radicalized to launch attacks at home. "Anyone who leaves to support ISIS (Islamic State), or to marry a jihadi fighter, will be confronted with the freezing of their government financing," the government said in a statement.

Iraq declares Thursday an official holiday due to heat wave Posted: 15 Jul 2015 07:37 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's government has announced that Thursday will be an official holiday due to a scorching heatwave.

Boko Haram raid villages in Nigeria's Borno state, killing 12 Posted: 15 Jul 2015 07:10 AM PDT By Lanre Ola MAIDUGURI, Nigeria (Reuters) - Boko Haram insurgents raided a border town and attacked another in Nigeria's Borno state, killing at least 12 people, military and vigilante sources said on Wednesday. The town of Damasak, a few kilometers (miles) from the Niger border, had been recaptured from Boko Haram by Chadian and Nigerien troops in March but the insurgents have attacked it several times since. Nigerien, Chadian and Nigerian security sources said that troops from the joint taskforce had recently withdrawn from Damasak.

The IAEA: the world's eyes and ears in Iran Posted: 15 Jul 2015 06:35 AM PDT Staff at the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog set to play a vital role in the new Iran nuclear deal, call this pleasantly cool basement the dungeon. Down here lurks some of the high-tech kit, shown to AFP in an exclusive recent visit, that will ensure that Iran sticks to its side of the bargain in the historic accord clinched on Tuesday. Mounted on a wall are cameras encased in microwave-sized blue metal boxes undergoing testing, able to record images of Iran's nuclear facilities that can then be watched by inspectors.

Amazon's Spike Lee Movie 'Chi-Raq' to Debut in Theaters for December Oscar Run (Exclusive) Posted: 15 Jul 2015 06:30 AM PDT The film — exploring the issue of violence in inner-city Chicago's inner city — is the first release from Amazon's new movie division.

Iraq receives artifacts found by US Special Forces in Syria Posted: 15 Jul 2015 05:48 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Nearly 500 artifacts recovered by U.S. Special Forces during a raid in Syria targeting the Islamic State group were put on display Wednesday at the Baghdad National Museum.

Saudi media attack Iran deal as assault on Arab interests Posted: 15 Jul 2015 04:39 AM PDT Saudi Arabian media attacked Iran's nuclear deal with world powers on Wednesday, with cartoonists depicting it as an assault on Arab interests and columnists decrying the focus on Tehran's atomic plans instead of its backing for regional militias. Riyadh's official reaction to the deal was a terse statement that welcomed any agreement that would ensure Iran could not develop a nuclear arsenal, but stressed the importance of tough inspections and the ability to reimpose sanctions quickly. In private, however, Saudi officials fear an Iran released from international pressure and economic sanctions will have more freedom and money to back allies across the region who are opposed by Riyadh.

Missiles fall off British warplane during Cyprus landing Posted: 15 Jul 2015 04:30 AM PDT Two missiles fell off a British warplane as it was landing at the Royal Air Base in Cyprus on Wednesday, a base spokesman said. RAF Akrotiri is being used in operations against Islamic State insurgents in Iraq but spokesman Kristian Gray would not say if the plane was returning from a mission. "I can confirm that during a Tornado landing at Akrotiri two of its missiles became detached from the aircraft," he said.

Obama’s Iran Deal Gives a Free Pass to a Rogues Gallery Posted: 15 Jul 2015 04:17 AM PDT The deal the Obama administration and its international partners struck with Iran to curtail the Islamic Republic's nuclear program may be a breakthrough that insures a generation of nearly unprecedented peace in the Middle East. Of course, if Iran were run by peace-loving humanitarians, there probably wouldn't be much need for a nuclear deal in the first place. Take, for example, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi.

Iraq says Iran deal sign of 'common will' to defeat IS Posted: 15 Jul 2015 04:14 AM PDT Iran's nuclear deal with world powers is a sign of a common will to end conflict in the region and defeat the Islamic State jihadist group, Iraq's premier said Wednesday. "Daesh seeks to drag our region into perpetual conflict," Haider al-Abadi said on social media, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "The Iran deal expresses a common will to bring peace and security to our region," the prime minister said.

8 hackathons to check out this year Posted: 15 Jul 2015 04:00 AM PDT Interested in becoming involved with a hackathon this year? There are still plenty of opportunities left. Check out these eight events in 2015.

Feeling the heat, Iraq declares Thursday a holiday Posted: 15 Jul 2015 03:51 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's government has declared Thursday an official holiday because of a heatwave. A cabinet statement said several provinces had reported temperatures above 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit), particularly gruelling for people who are not eating or drinking during long daylight hours in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The announcement effectively brings forward a public holiday at the end of Ramadan. The Eid al-Fitr holiday is due to start by Saturday, and Friday is the weekend in Iraq. (Reporting by Saif Hameed; Editing by Louise Ireland)

U.S. delivers Iraqi antiquities seized in raid on Islamic State Posted: 15 Jul 2015 02:55 AM PDT By Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States handed back to Iraq on Wednesday antiquities it said it had seized in a raid on Islamic State fighters in Syria, saying the haul was proof the militants were funding their war by smuggling ancient treasures. The Iraqi relics were captured by U.S. special forces in an operation in May against an Islamic State commander known as Abu Sayyaf. Islamic State, a hardline Sunni Islamist group, has ransacked some of the greatest archaeological sites in northern Iraq, posting video footage of fighters destroying pre-Islamic monuments they consider idolatrous.

Missiles detach from landing warplane at British air base Posted: 15 Jul 2015 02:35 AM PDT NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — An official says British military authorities are trying to collect a pair of missiles lying on the runway of Britain's Akrotiri air base in Cyprus after they detached from a landing Tornado warplane.

Iran's oil return a game changer for OPEC, but not for now Posted: 15 Jul 2015 02:31 AM PDT By Rania El Gamal DUBAI (Reuters) - OPEC is likely to keep oil output steady and defend its market share this year after Tehran's nuclear deal with major powers, since a full return of Iranian crude to the market will not be swift, Gulf OPEC delegates said. Tehran's determination to reclaim its position as OPEC's second largest producer after it clinched the deal on Tuesday will cause new rivalries within the group.

Special Report: Bedouins drawn into Egypt's Islamist fight Posted: 15 Jul 2015 02:29 AM PDT The screams were so loud that neighbors took notice, said Ali Abu-Freij, a resident in the northern Sinai village. Two local tribal leaders said she had been raped. One of them, Mousa al-Delh, said a note found with the body said the woman had been killed because she had cooperated with the Egyptian army.

Hungarians rally against fence to keep out migrants Posted: 15 Jul 2015 02:23 AM PDT A thousand people demonstrated in downtown Budapest on Tuesday against a fence Hungary is building along its border with Serbia to keep out an accelerating flow of migrants entering from the south. The rally, organized by civic groups, started from the city's biggest church, Saint Stephen's Basilica, under banners "Jesus was a migrant, too" and "My best friend is a migrant". The fence that Hungary started to construct on Monday will be four metres high and 175 kilometres (108.74 miles) long.

China says fleeing Uighurs want to bring holy war home Posted: 15 Jul 2015 02:09 AM PDT Uighurs from China's far western region of Xinjiang who have traveled to Turkey via Southeast Asia are being trained in Syria and Iraq with the aim of bringing jihad back to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Uighurs, a largely Muslim ethnic minority that calls Xinjiang home, have left China in recent years. Rights groups say such migrants are mostly fleeing ethnic violence in Xinjiang and Chinese controls on their religion and culture.

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