Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Mississippi arrests: how social media is being used against the Islamic State
• Erdogan vows Turkey will fight PKK 'to last terrorist'
• Bush, Clinton trade blame over Iraq war
• U.S. denies reaching agreement with Turkey on Syria 'safe zone'
• US to push ahead with vexed Syria training mission
• FBI: Mississippi Teen Girl ISIS Wannabe Praised Chattanooga Shooting
• Illinois man pleads guilty to terrorism charge
• In Iraq's anticorruption reforms, a rejection of US-backed model
• No automatic return of sanctions if Iran breaks arms embargo: Kerry
• Dollar could suffer if U.S. walks away from Iran deal: John Kerry
• Iraq parliament votes to transform ruling system in boost for Abadi
• Jeb Bush says Hillary Clinton should share blame for Islamic State rise
• Schizophrenic California man in terrorism case is fit for trial: newspaper
• Oil price slumps to lowest level in more than 6 years
• Bush links Clinton to rise of Islamic State
• Bush: Clinton shares mistakes leading to Islamic State rise
• The Cheapest Solution to Childhood Obesity May Be One of the Most Effective
• The Amount of Money Lost to Ad-Blocking Is Skyrocketing
• Despite skepticism, US confident it can monitor Iran deal
• IS frees 22 Assyrian Christians in northeast Syria
• Russia, Saudis fail in talks to agree on fate of Syria's Assad
• With virtual reality, a 360-degree view inside Syria
• Who Will Be the First to Drop out of the GOP Presidential Sweepstakes?
• Father: New Jersey man had no intent to join Islamic State
• Maldives frees adventurers after US military base scare
• Illinois man pleads guilty to trying to join al Qaeda-linked group
• IS supporter in Florida pleads not guilty to bomb charge
• Turkish air strikes hit 17 Kurdish militant targets, military says
• Turkish warplanes strike PKK targets in southeast
• Bush Looks to Make Up for Past Blunders on Iraq Policy
• Iraq parliament approves PM's anti-corruption plan
• Why Iran’s Anti-Semitism Matters
• Iranian FM's visit to Turkey postponed
• Saudi Arabia rejects Russian calls to work with Assad against IS
• Iraq's parliament approves reform plan in rare show of unity
• Jeb Bush on offense: Clinton, Obama 'blind haste' opened door for ISIS
• Turkey carries out airstrikes, claims to hit 17 Kurdish militant targets
• Ted Cruz says it’s ‘foolish’ for Republicans to bash Donald Trump
• Turkey rescues 330 Greece-bound Syrians amid record surge of refugees

Mississippi arrests: how social media is being used against the Islamic State Posted: 11 Aug 2015 04:46 PM PDT Social media has been a powerful recruitment tool for the Islamic State, but authorities now appear to be using it as a weapon against it, judging by the latest arrest of young Americans who they say were looking to join the terrorist group. Federal authorities arrested Jaelyn Delshaun Young and Muhammad Oda Dakhlalla over the weekend on charges that they were attempting to join and support the Islamic State, also known as IS or ISIS.

Erdogan vows Turkey will fight PKK 'to last terrorist' Posted: 11 Aug 2015 04:35 PM PDT President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday vowed that Turkey would press on with its relentless campaign against Kurdish militants "until not one terrorist" was left, as Ankara launched new air strikes against the rebels. Turkey is currently pressing a two-pronged "anti-terror" offensive against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria and PKK militants in northern Iraq and the southeast following a wave of attacks. "We will continue our fight until weapons are laid down... and not one single terrorist remains within our borders," Erdogan said in a televised speech in Ankara.

Bush, Clinton trade blame over Iraq war Posted: 11 Aug 2015 03:52 PM PDT A decade of anger over the Iraq war resurfaced in the 2016 US election race Tuesday, with Jeb Bush and Hillary Clinton's campaigns trading blame about that country's continued instability. Twelve years after president George W. Bush led the United States into an unpopular and troubled conflict, his brother, now a Republican presidential hopeful, accused Democrats of abandoning Iraq before the job was done. Jeb Bush accused his Democratic White House rival, former Secretary of State Clinton, of allowing the brutal emergence of the Islamic State group by withdrawing troops from Iraq too fast.

U.S. denies reaching agreement with Turkey on Syria 'safe zone' Posted: 11 Aug 2015 03:47 PM PDT By Gulsen Solaker ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey said on Tuesday it had agreed with the United States on terms for setting up a "safe zone" inside northern Syria as part of their campaign against Islamic State militants, but the U.S. State Department denied there was any such agreement. The two NATO allies have been working on plans to provide air cover for Syrian rebels and to sweep Islamic State from land along the Turkish border. CNN Turk quoted Turkish foreign ministry undersecretary Feridun Sinirlioglu as saying the countries had agreed to create a 98 km (61 miles) long and 45 km wide area to be patrolled by members of the opposition Free Syrian Army.

US to push ahead with vexed Syria training mission Posted: 11 Aug 2015 03:28 PM PDT President Barack Obama's administration vowed to press ahead with a half-billion-dollar mission to train Syrian opposition fighters Tuesday, despite fears that its initial failures have dented US credibility. After the routing of a 54-strong US-trained force by Al-Qaeda allied rebels, Pentagon spokeswoman Commander Elissa Smith told AFP there was no plan to pause or scale back the program. The mission aims to train around 5,400 vetted Syrians each year for three years, to combat the militant Islamic State group, which has brought its severe brand of Sharia law to swathes of northern and eastern Syria.

FBI: Mississippi Teen Girl ISIS Wannabe Praised Chattanooga Shooting Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:56 PM PDT Before a 19-year-old girl from a small city in Mississippi was charged with attempting to travel to Syria to join ISIS, the young woman allegedly praised the Chattanooga shooting, which claimed the lives of five American servicemen. "What makes me feel bette[r] after just watching the news is that an akhi [brother] carried out an attack against US marines in TN! Alhamdulillah [Thanks be to God], the numbers of supporters are growing," Starkville resident Jaelyn Delshaun Young told an undercover FBI agent in a conversation online on July 17, a day after the deadly shooting, according to the FBI. Overnight authorities unsealed a criminal complaint against Young and 22-year-old Muhammad Oda Dakhlalla, another Mississippi resident.

Illinois man pleads guilty to terrorism charge Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:11 PM PDT CHICAGO (AP) — A man from suburban Chicago changed his plea to guilty Tuesday on a terrorism charge that he tried to join an al-Qaida-affiliated group fighting Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime.

In Iraq's anticorruption reforms, a rejection of US-backed model Posted: 11 Aug 2015 02:10 PM PDT The Iraqi parliament's approval Tuesday of anticorruption reforms eliminates top political posts established to address US demands for broader representation of Iraq's ethnic groups as a means of enhancing government legitimacy. Far from garnering support, however, the three vice presidential positions and three deputy prime ministers were seen as expensive political appointments that did little to enhance the competence of the government in its dealings with pressing security and social policy challenges. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the move after widespread protests over an inadequate government response to a severe heat wave that underscored its broader shortcomings.

No automatic return of sanctions if Iran breaks arms embargo: Kerry Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:38 PM PDT By Louis Charbonneau and Michelle Nichols NEW YORK (Reuters) - Violations of an arms embargo by Iran or restrictions on its missile program would not force an automatic reinstatement or "snapback" of United Nations sanctions under a landmark nuclear deal, although other options would be available, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Tuesday. "The arms embargo is not tied to snapback," Kerry said.

Dollar could suffer if U.S. walks away from Iran deal: John Kerry Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:38 PM PDT By Warren Strobel NEW YORK (Reuters) - If the United States walks away from the nuclear deal with Iran and demands that its allies comply with U.S. sanctions, a loss of confidence in U.S. leadership could threaten the dollar's position as the world's reserve currency, the top U.S. diplomat said on Tuesday. "If we turn around and nix the deal and then tell them, 'You're going to have to obey our rules and sanctions anyway,' that is a recipe, very quickly ... for the American dollar to cease to be the reserve currency of the world," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said at a Reuters Newsmaker event.

Iraq parliament votes to transform ruling system in boost for Abadi Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:15 PM PDT By Saif Hameed and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's parliament voted unanimously on Tuesday for the biggest shakeup in its governing system since the U.S. military occupation, eliminating entire layers of government and giving Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi new powers. Abadi has sought to transform a system which critics said encouraged corruption and incompetence, depriving Iraqis of basic services while undermining government forces in the battle against Islamic State militants. Nuri al-Maliki, Abadi's predecessor, will lose the job of vice president he had held since stepping down as prime minister in 2014 after eight often divisive years in power.

Jeb Bush says Hillary Clinton should share blame for Islamic State rise Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:15 PM PDT By Steve Holland WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush on Tuesday will launch an attack on Democrat Hillary Clinton's handling of Iraq when she was secretary of state, saying she must bear some of the blame for the rise of Islamic State militants. Bush is to deliver a 9 p.m. EDT foreign policy speech at the Ronald Reagan presidential library in Simi Valley, California, site of the next debate, on Sept. 16, between candidates for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. Bush will say President Barack Obama's failure to obtain an agreement with the Iraqi government to leave a U.S. contingency force behind in Iraq created a security vacuum that left the region open to the growth of Islamic State, which now occupies big swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria.

Schizophrenic California man in terrorism case is fit for trial: newspaper Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:13 PM PDT A California man diagnosed in jail with schizophrenia has been declared competent to stand trial on charges he attempted to travel to Syria to support the Islamic State militant group, the Sacramento Bee reported. Nicholas Teausant, 21, of the central California community of Lodi, was arrested last year in an undercover operation some in the Muslim community have said was an example of investigators using a sting operation to take advantage of a vulnerable individual.

Oil price slumps to lowest level in more than 6 years Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:07 PM PDT The price of U.S. crude oil has tumbled to its lowest level in more than six years.

Bush links Clinton to rise of Islamic State Posted: 11 Aug 2015 01:04 PM PDT BURBANK, California (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush will step up his criticism of Hillary Rodham Clinton and her tenure as secretary of state on Tuesday, arguing in a speech on foreign policy the Democratic front-runner shares in the mistakes that he says led to the rise of the Islamic State.

Bush: Clinton shares mistakes leading to Islamic State rise Posted: 11 Aug 2015 12:56 PM PDT BURBANK, California (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush will step up his criticism of Hillary Rodham Clinton and her tenure as secretary of state on Tuesday, arguing in a speech that the Democratic front-runner shares in the mistakes that he says led to the rise of the Islamic State.

The Cheapest Solution to Childhood Obesity May Be One of the Most Effective Posted: 11 Aug 2015 12:55 PM PDT Efforts to combat childhood obesity often focus on taking things away: From removing soda machines from school to removing sugar, fat, and processed grains from cafeteria menus, it has been a battle of subtraction. According to a new study conducted by researchers at the University of Arkansas, however, giving them free fruits and vegetables is. The study, published in the journal Applied Economics Perspective and Policy, looked at the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program.

The Amount of Money Lost to Ad-Blocking Is Skyrocketing Posted: 11 Aug 2015 12:45 PM PDT In the perpetual cat and mouse game between marketers and Internet users, the utilization of ad-blocking software by Web surfers is growing rapidly — and it's costing advertisers billions. In 2014, ad-blocking in the U.S. cost an estimated $5.8 billion in lost advertising revenue. Websites that cater to younger users — a demographic advertisers are eager to target — are the ones most significantly affected by ad-blocking.

Despite skepticism, US confident it can monitor Iran deal Posted: 11 Aug 2015 12:34 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Iran's intelligence agencies have penetrated CIA front companies, executed Western agents and captured a sophisticated U.S. drone.

IS frees 22 Assyrian Christians in northeast Syria Posted: 11 Aug 2015 12:23 PM PDT The Islamic State group released 22 Assyrian Christians that it had abducted in northeastern Syria almost six months ago, activist groups said. The Assyrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fate of the minority, said the 22 hostages included 14 women. The release was "the result of the tireless efforts and negotiations by the Assyrian Church of the East in the city of Hasakeh," the group said.

Russia, Saudis fail in talks to agree on fate of Syria's Assad Posted: 11 Aug 2015 12:07 PM PDT By Katya Golubkova and Gabriela Baczynska MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia and Saudi Arabia failed in talks on Tuesday to overcome their differences on the fate of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a central dispute in Syria's civil war that shows no sign of abating despite renewed diplomacy. Russia is pushing for a coalition to fight Islamic State insurgents -- who have seized swathes of northern and eastern Syria -- that would involve Assad, a longtime ally of Moscow.

With virtual reality, a 360-degree view inside Syria Posted: 11 Aug 2015 11:30 AM PDT The latest frontier in virtual reality could be closer to reality than fantasy. While video game creators and filmmakers have recreated the likes of Middle-earth and Jurassic World in VR, activist news ...

Who Will Be the First to Drop out of the GOP Presidential Sweepstakes? Posted: 11 Aug 2015 11:27 AM PDT Former Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania gets agitated when political analysts question why he is still in the race for the GOP presidential nomination when he is scoring less than 2 percent in the polls and has barely raised $1 million in campaign funds – a pittance compared with many of his rivals. This time, Santorum is so far behind the large Republican presidential field that the Pennsylvania Republican will be lucky to make it past the Iowa caucuses next January. With a record 17 Republicans seeking the 2016 presidential nomination – currently headed by real estate tycoon Donald Trump – the winnowing process is likely to begin soon.

Father: New Jersey man had no intent to join Islamic State Posted: 11 Aug 2015 11:17 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A New Jersey man who allegedly plotted with others to fight alongside Islamic State extremists had "no serious intentions" to join the group, his Jordanian father said Tuesday.

Maldives frees adventurers after US military base scare Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:56 AM PDT Seven foreigners detained in the Maldives on suspicion of illegally attempting to travel to a US military base in neighbouring Diego Garcia have been freed, the Maldivian government said Tuesday. The group was arrested as their boat operated by a 16-member local crew headed out of the southern atoll of Addu for what the authorities believed was an attempt to illegally enter the US military facility. The group's Italian tour operator, Giorgio Rosi Belliere, said he and his group of three Americans, a Canadian, a Hungarian and their Sri Lankan chef were ordered back to the southern atoll of Gan Monday after their boat was intercepted by the Maldivian coastguard.

Illinois man pleads guilty to trying to join al Qaeda-linked group Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:39 AM PDT A Chicago-area man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in federal court to a charge that he tried to travel overseas to join an al Qaeda-linked jihadist group in Syria. Abdella Ahmad Tounisi, 21, of Aurora, Illinois, was arrested in 2013 as he prepared to board a plane at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport bound for Istanbul, Turkey, prosecutors said. Tounisi, then 18, had spent four months conducting online research related to overseas travel and violent jihad, focusing specifically on Syria and the Jabhat al-Nusrah terrorist group, prosecutors said.

IS supporter in Florida pleads not guilty to bomb charge Posted: 11 Aug 2015 10:23 AM PDT A self-professed supporter of the Islamic State group pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges he plotted to set off a backpack bomb on a Florida beach. Harlem Suarez, 23, from Key West, Florida and a son of Cuban immigrants, is seeking a jury trial, his lawyer Richard Della Fera told reporters after the hearing in federal court. Suarez was arrested in July after acquiring material to make a backpack bomb he planned to detonate on a beach in Key West, according to court documents.

Turkish air strikes hit 17 Kurdish militant targets, military says Posted: 11 Aug 2015 09:27 AM PDT By Ece Toksabay and Seyhmus Cakan ANKARA/DIYARBAKIR (Reuters) - The Turkish military ratcheted up pressure on Kurdish militants with a fresh round of air strikes in the southeast of the country on Tuesday as the insurgents claimed responsibility for the bombing of a police station in Istanbul. Warplanes pounded 17 targets in the province of Hakkari on Monday and Tuesday, the military said, part of a renewed crackdown on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged a three-decade insurgency for Kurdish autonomy. NATO member Turkey started what it called a "synchronized war on terror" last month, attacking PKK fighters in northern Iraq and, less frequently, Islamic State militants in northern Syria.

Turkish warplanes strike PKK targets in southeast Posted: 11 Aug 2015 09:08 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish warplanes struck Kurdish rebel targets in a series of raids in southeast Turkey, the military said Tuesday, a day after heavy violence in the country left at least nine dead.

Bush Looks to Make Up for Past Blunders on Iraq Policy Posted: 11 Aug 2015 09:00 AM PDT Jeb Bush on Tuesday will attempt once again to move past his brother's handling of the Iraq war, as well as his own rhetorical blunders about the conflict, by placing blame for the rise of Islamic militants in the country squarely on Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration. The Iraq war has haunted the GOP in the last two presidential elections and created major headaches for the former Florida governor. Bush's 2016 presidential bid has been flawed because of his responses to questions on the topic.

Iraq parliament approves PM's anti-corruption plan Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:48 AM PDT Iraq's parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's reform programme aimed at curbing the corruption and government waste that sparked widespread anger and weeks of protests. Abadi on Sunday proposed a series of measures to combat graft, streamline the government and improve services after the protests and a call from Iraq's top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani for drastic change. "It was unanimously approved," parliament speaker Salim al-Juburi announced to applause after the vote, which was held without a debate as soon as the plan was read in a session attended by 297 of 328 MPs.

Why Iran’s Anti-Semitism Matters Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:29 AM PDT Kerry responded provocatively—provocatively, that is, if you understand Iranian leaders, and in particular the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the way I understand them: as people theologically committed to the destruction of Israel. Quotes such as this one from Khamenei help lead me to this conclusion: "This barbaric, wolflike, and infanticidal regime of Israel which spares no crime has no cure but to be annihilated." The supreme leader does not specialize in nuance.

Iranian FM's visit to Turkey postponed Posted: 11 Aug 2015 08:11 AM PDT Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Tuesday postponed a scheduled visit to Turkey, officials said, with mystery surrounding the reason for the last-minute cancellation. The visit had been expected to touch on the Syria crisis, which has caused profound disagreements between Tehran and Ankara with Iran one of the last allies of Turkey's arch foe President Bashar al-Assad.

Saudi Arabia rejects Russian calls to work with Assad against IS Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:45 AM PDT Saudi Arabia's foreign minister on Tuesday poured cold water on Russian calls to join forces with the Syrian authorities against Islamic State jihadists, insisting it would never work with President Bashar al-Assad. Moscow -- one of Assad's few remaining allies -- has called for coordination between the Syrian government and members of an international coalition fighting the extremist group, which controls swathes of territory in Syria and Iraq.

Iraq's parliament approves reform plan in rare show of unity Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:16 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's parliament on Tuesday unanimously approved an ambitious reform plan that would cut spending and eliminate senior posts, including the three largely symbolic vice presidencies, following mass protests against corruption and poor services.

Jeb Bush on offense: Clinton, Obama 'blind haste' opened door for ISIS Posted: 11 Aug 2015 06:14 AM PDT In a speech on foreign policy he will give Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush is slated to condemn his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton for what he believes was her role in events that contributed to the ascent of the Islamic State militant group. "The threat of global jihad, and of the Islamic State in particular, requires all the strength, unity and confidence that only American leadership can provide," he will say. Recommended: How much do you know about Jeb Bush?

Turkey carries out airstrikes, claims to hit 17 Kurdish militant targets Posted: 11 Aug 2015 05:23 AM PDT The Turkish Air Force launched a new wave of strikes against Kurdish separatists overnight, as the conflict between Turkey and the Kurdish PKK group worsens. The Turkish military says that it struck 17 PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) targets overnight in Hakkâri Province, Turkey's southeastern tip bordering Iran and Iraq. The Associated Press reports that PKK forces also attacked a Turkish infantry brigade in nearby Sirnak Province, killing one soldier.

Ted Cruz says it’s ‘foolish’ for Republicans to bash Donald Trump Posted: 11 Aug 2015 04:49 AM PDT Ted Cruz says it's 'foolish' for Republicans to bash Donald Trump; Jeb Bush to tie Hillary Clinton to ISIS's rise; Rick Perry stops paying campaign staff; and more.

Turkey rescues 330 Greece-bound Syrians amid record surge of refugees Posted: 11 Aug 2015 04:42 AM PDT By Ayla Jean Yackley CESME, Turkey (Reuters) - The Turkish coastguard on Tuesday rescued 330 Syrians adrift in the Aegean Sea after failing to reach Greece, as the number of migrants attempting the treacherous passage to Europe surges. A spokesman for the Greek coastguard, Nikolaos Lagadianos, said it "categorically denied" the allegations, saying an incident had taken place off the Turkish town of Bodrum, further south, but that the Greek authorities had not been involved. Most are traveling to Greek islands in the Aegean from the nearby Turkish mainland.

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