Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• After Iran deal, U.S. overtures to Gulf easier than to Israel
• Suspected gunman blogged about Islam days before Tennessee shootings: report
• Car bomb explodes in Riyadh, driver killed: Saudi government
• An Attack on a U.S. Military Recruitment Facility
• Boko Haram militants kill a dozen villagers in Niger: sources
• Police say kill six militants in Kyrgyz capital
• France foils 'terror' attack on military
• Hungary to close refugee camps in populated areas
• Hungary puts inmates to work on border fence to bar migrants
• U.S. reports 31 air strikes against Islamic state in Syria and Iraq
• Noose tightens around thousands caught in Iraq's Anbar offensive
• Womenheart Announces 8 National Hospital Alliance Membership Grant Recipients To Advance Women's Heart Health In Underserved Communities
• Iraq closes border crossing with Jordan to cut funds to militants
• Swedes waiting for Ecuador as Assange deadline looms
• Israeli-Canadian woman fought IS to stop 'genocide'
• Kurdish fighters besiege IS gunmen in Syria's Hassakeh city
• Iraqis brave searing heat in finals days of Ramadan
• UK sends new spy plane to 'Battle of Britain' against IS
• As Syrian Kurds advance against Islamic State, other ethnic groups flee
• Iraq closes border crossing with Jordan until further notice
• Iran's conservatives take aim at nuclear deal
• Islamic State says it launched rocket attack on Egypt navy vessel
• Islamic State punishes 94 it said violated Ramadan fast: Syria monitor
• French say 3 suspected extremists planned to behead officer
• The Ghost Nations You Never Knew Existed
• Thikra Alwash, Baghdad's First Female Mayor
• Today in History
• Exclusive: Full text of Reuters interview with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice
• Amazon to distribute Spike Lee's latest film 'Chiraq'
• Obama: Iran deal is only alternative to more Mideast war

After Iran deal, U.S. overtures to Gulf easier than to Israel Posted: 16 Jul 2015 04:36 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama may find Gulf allies more receptive than Israel to his offer to "double down" on security cooperation in the immediate aftermath of this week's Iran nuclear deal, even though concerns run deep in both camps. In an effort to soothe the anxiety of its main Middle East allies, Obama is dispatching Defense Secretary Ash Carter to both Israel and the Gulf next week to reassure them of U.S. security commitments.

Suspected gunman blogged about Islam days before Tennessee shootings: report Posted: 16 Jul 2015 04:31 PM PDT By Rich McKay CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (Reuters) - The 24-year-old man accused of gunning down four Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee, blogged on Monday that "life is short and bitter" and Muslims should not miss an opportunity to "submit to Allah," according to an organization that tracks extremist groups. The SITE Intelligence Group said a July 13 post written by suspected gunman Mohammod Youssuf Abdulazeez stressed the sacrifice of the Sahaba (companions of the Prophet) "fought Jihad for the sake of Allah." Reuters could not independently verify the blog postings. While treating the Thursday shootings as "an act of domestic terrorism", the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was too early to speculate on motives.

Car bomb explodes in Riyadh, driver killed: Saudi government Posted: 16 Jul 2015 03:40 PM PDT A car bomb exploded Thursday night at a security checkpoint in the Saudi capital Riyadh, killing the driver and wounding two policemen, the interior ministry said. The blast came with the kingdom on alert for attacks by the Islamic State group of jihadists, who have been blamed for killing policemen and for slaughtering members of the minority Shiite community. The policemen were in a "stable condition" in hospital, the interior ministry said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency.

An Attack on a U.S. Military Recruitment Facility Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:29 PM PDT A gunman opened fire at two military recruiting stations in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Thursday morning, killing four U.S. Marines before dying in the attack. According to Ed Reinhold, the FBI Special Agent in Charge, the Marines were killed at a recruitment center where the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marines all share offices. The gunman was identified as Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez, 24, of Hixson, Tennessee.

Boko Haram militants kill a dozen villagers in Niger: sources Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:07 PM PDT Suspected Nigerian Boko Haram insurgents killed at least a dozen villagers and wounded several others in an attack in southeastern Niger on Wednesday night, security sources said. Boko Haram insurgents who are fighting to carve out an Islamist emirate in northeast Nigeria have stepped up attacks including raids and suicide bombings in Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria in recent weeks.

Police say kill six militants in Kyrgyz capital Posted: 16 Jul 2015 12:24 PM PDT Security forces said they killed six gunmen in two clashes in Kyrgyzstan's capital on Thursday, stoking fears of the spread of militancy in the politically turbulent region. Bursts of machinegun fire and explosions rang out from Bishkek's Gorky Street area, about a mile (1.5 km) from parliament and government buildings, people said on social media. "They were preparing a terrorist attack," National Security Committee spokesman Rakhat Sulaimanov said, adding it was not clear what group they belonged to.

France foils 'terror' attack on military Posted: 16 Jul 2015 12:22 PM PDT Three young men, including a former naval signalman, were being held Thursday by France's intelligence services, accused of plotting to kidnap and decapitate a member of the armed forces at a military base. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said security forces staged dawn raids on Monday and arrested four people, aged between 16 and 23, who were "planning to commit a terrorist act" at a French military installation.

Hungary to close refugee camps in populated areas Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:57 AM PDT Hungary plans to close its permanent refugee shelters in towns and cities and set up temporary camps outside urban areas instead, the latest response to a surge in migrants crossing its borders. The temporary shelters would be tented camps, Janos Lazar, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's chief-of-staff, said Thursday. Over the last two years, Hungary has been one of the main routes for people hoping to cross into Austria and Germany, most coming from Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and African countries.

Hungary puts inmates to work on border fence to bar migrants Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:29 AM PDT MORAHALOM, Hungary (AP) — Using materials prepared by inmates in Hungarian prisons, 900 soldiers will build a fence along Hungary's border with Serbia by December to stem the torrent of migrants, officials said Thursday — a project critics are comparing to Communist-era barriers like the Berlin Wall.

U.S. reports 31 air strikes against Islamic state in Syria and Iraq Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:19 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies carried out 31 air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq on Wednesday, a U.S. military statement said. Fifteen air raids were conducted near five Syrian cities, including five near Raqqa and four near Hasaka, said the statement issued on Thursday. Islamic State targets near Falluja, Ramadi and six other cities were hit in 16 air strikes in Iraq, it added. (Reporting by Mohammad Zargham; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Noose tightens around thousands caught in Iraq's Anbar offensive Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:10 AM PDT By Dominic Evans and Isabel Coles BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - As Iraqi forces prepare to try to recapture the city of Falluja, tens of thousands of civilians find themselves trapped between Islamic State militants ready to use them as human shields and a government suspicious of their loyalties. With the jihadists coercing them to stay, and a government blockade and shelling closing exit routes and cutting off supplies, there is "a vice, a noose around the neck of the population", Lise Grande, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, told Reuters. Iraq's Shi'ite Muslim-led government on Monday announced the start of operations to "liberate Anbar", the province west of Baghdad whose Sunni Muslim cities and towns along the Euphrates have since last year become strongholds of Islamic State.

Womenheart Announces 8 National Hospital Alliance Membership Grant Recipients To Advance Women's Heart Health In Underserved Communities Posted: 16 Jul 2015 11:09 AM PDT WASHINGTON, July 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Thanks to a generous grant from the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation through its Every Heartbeat Matters initiative, WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease announced today that it has awarded eight National Hospital Alliance membership grants to hospitals in underserved communities to provide much-needed support and education to their women heart patients. The WomenHeart National Hospital Alliance (NHA) is the nation's only partnership program between WomenHeart and progressive hospitals committed to advancing women's heart health and gender specific cardiovascular care. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, killing more women each year that all cancers combined.

Iraq closes border crossing with Jordan to cut funds to militants Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:46 AM PDT Iraq said it was closing its main border crossing with Jordan on Thursday until further notice, days after security forces and Shi'ite militias launched an offensive to reclaim the western province of Anbar from Islamic State militants. An Iraqi army officer who saw a copy of an Interior Ministry letter sent to his brigade said authorities closed the Tureibil crossing to deprive Islamic State of funds raised from truck drivers forced to pay a tax on each cargo coming in from Jordan. A triple suicide bombing at the Tureibil crossing in April was claimed by Islamic State, which controls most of Anbar and large tracts of northern Iraq, captured in a rapid offensive last summer.

Swedes waiting for Ecuador as Assange deadline looms Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:43 AM PDT Swedish prosecutors said Thursday that they were still waiting for Ecuador's permission to question WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in London, as the statute of limitations nears for some of his alleged crimes. The Australian vehemently denies the 2010 allegations by two Swedish women -- one who claims rape and another who alleges sexual assault -- and has been ensconced in Ecuador's embassy in London since 2012 to avoid extradition. "We are still waiting for permission from Ecuador to carry out the hearing at the embassy in London," the office of prosecutor Marianne Ny told AFP.

Israeli-Canadian woman fought IS to stop 'genocide' Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:22 AM PDT JERUSALEM (AP) — A Canadian-born Israeli woman who joined a Kurdish militia to fight against the Islamic State group said that after a stint in prison, she felt compelled to do something positive with her life and battle against the "genocide" unfolding in Syria and Iraq.

Kurdish fighters besiege IS gunmen in Syria's Hassakeh city Posted: 16 Jul 2015 10:10 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Kurdish fighters besieged members of the Islamic State group Thursday in the northeastern Syrian city of Hassakeh as they pushed forward under the cover of airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition, an activist group and the main Kurdish militia in Syria said.

Iraqis brave searing heat in finals days of Ramadan Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:54 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi policeman Ziad Radi is no stranger to hot weather, but his sun-blasted face is testament that even for seasoned Iraqis, the weather on Thursday was almost too hot to bear.

UK sends new spy plane to 'Battle of Britain' against IS Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:46 AM PDT Britain will send another spy plane to fly over Iraq and Syria in what Defence Secretary Michael Fallon called a "new Battle of Britain" Thursday, as it edges towards joining US-led air strikes in Syria. Fallon announced Britain would take delivery of a new Airseeker plane next month, which would "shortly after" be deployed to carry out reconnaissance of suspected Islamic State (IS) group targets.

As Syrian Kurds advance against Islamic State, other ethnic groups flee Posted: 16 Jul 2015 09:44 AM PDT By Humeyra Pamuk AKCAKALE, Turkey (Reuters) - Cemal Dede fled his home in a remote Turkmen village in Syria after warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State bombed the house next door. Dede says the Kurdish YPG militia did not let his family of seven return to Dedeler near the Turkish border, telling him it was now Kurdish territory and Turkmens like him had no place there. "When Islamic State was there, they persecuted people.

Iraq closes border crossing with Jordan until further notice Posted: 16 Jul 2015 08:57 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq closed its border with Jordan until further notice, in part to deprive Islamic State militants of taxes they impose on cargo trucks driving through their territory, a senior Iraqi military official said Thursday.

Iran's conservatives take aim at nuclear deal Posted: 16 Jul 2015 08:27 AM PDT By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin Nouri DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's security hawks have begun sniping at their country's historic nuclear deal, emboldened a day after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described some of the world powers that signed it as "untrustworthy". Khamenei's remark will be understood by Iranians to refer largely to the United States and Britain, the "Great and Little Satans" long reviled by Iran's revolutionary theocracy for their support of the Shah, overthrown in 1979. The comment carries weight, because the conservative cleric is the ultimate arbiter of high state policy under Iran's unwieldy dual system of clerical and republican rule.

Islamic State says it launched rocket attack on Egypt navy vessel Posted: 16 Jul 2015 08:17 AM PDT By Eric Knecht and Ali Abdelaty CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Islamic State affiliate said on Thursday it fired a rocket at an Egyptian naval vessel in the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of Israel and the Gaza Strip. The militant group Sinai Province has focused mainly on attacking Egyptian soldiers and police in the Sinai peninsula, killing hundreds since the army toppled Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

Islamic State punishes 94 it said violated Ramadan fast: Syria monitor Posted: 16 Jul 2015 06:10 AM PDT Islamic State militants have punished at least 94 people including five teenagers, accusing them of violations during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, a rights group monitoring the Syrian conflict said on Thursday. The people were flogged, hung up by their arms or put in metal cages by the Sunni Muslim militant group in incidents documented since the start of Ramadan last month, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Islamic State, which controls tracts of territory in Syria and Iraq, has regularly killed and abused people it says have violated its ultra-hardline interpretation of Islam.

French say 3 suspected extremists planned to behead officer Posted: 16 Jul 2015 05:18 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — Three suspects arrested this week in a plot to attack a French military base had planned to decapitate an officer and film the scene, a judicial official said Thursday.

The Ghost Nations You Never Knew Existed Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:00 AM PDT Wannabe nations can persist for years, running their own affairs, lonely and unrecognized.

Thikra Alwash, Baghdad's First Female Mayor Posted: 16 Jul 2015 01:00 AM PDT In Iraq, a civil engineer turned civil servant has a heady task: rebuilding a ravaged city.

Today in History Posted: 15 Jul 2015 09:00 PM PDT Today is Thursday, July 16, the 197th day of 2015. There are 168 days left in the year.

Exclusive: Full text of Reuters interview with U.S. National Security Adviser Susan Rice Posted: 15 Jul 2015 06:51 PM PDT Reuters White House Correspondent Jeff Mason interviewed Susan Rice, National Security Adviser to President Barack Obama, on Wednesday on the Iran nuclear deal. It gives Iran 24 days before it has to grant access to suspicious sites. In the first instance, recall that all of Iran's known nuclear facilities will be under 24-7 monitoring, continuous monitoring, by the IAEA, so that's the first point.

Amazon to distribute Spike Lee's latest film 'Chiraq' Posted: 15 Jul 2015 06:24 PM PDT Acclaimed African-American filmmaker Spike Lee's new movie "Chiraq" about violence in inner-city Chicago will be the first original film to be distributed by the new Amazon Studios, the company said Wednesday. The film will be distributed first in theaters and later online, but Amazon has not yet announced a timeline for either release. "I'm honored to be part of the film that will launch Amazon Studios and to tell a story that is so important," Lee said in a statement.

Obama: Iran deal is only alternative to more Mideast war Posted: 15 Jul 2015 05:14 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.

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