Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Why latest Islamic State beheading might be sending new message
• Violence costing Turkey precious tourism, even far from the fighting
• U.N. says air strikes on Yemen port could worsen aid crisis
• IS beheads aging Syrian antiquities scholar in Palmyra
• Thousands of Syrians ferried to Greek mainland as islands despair
• Eight Turkish soldiers killed in deadliest PKK attack
• IS beheads elderly ex-antiquities chief in Syria's Palmyra
• Army pilot, military cop are 1st women to pass Ranger School
• Seeking Refuge: Migrants trekking to EU find a helping hand in Macedonia
• Macedonia appeals for more trains to transport migrants
• Iraq inquiry finds officials grossly mismanaged Mosul crisis
• IS says American suicide bomber carried out Iraq attack
• Eight soldiers killed, Istanbul palace attacked as Turkish unrest mounts
• Second airship launched in test of missile defense system
• Germany expecting 800,000 migrants in 2015, 4x last year
• Can Republicans Hold the Senate? GOP Spending Money at Record Clip
• Key events in a month of Turkish unrest
• U.S. charges man in hoax threat to blow up Statue of Liberty
• Man charged over Statue of Liberty hoax bomb threat
• Germany expects refugee numbers to quadruple to record 800,000
• Islamic State beheads antiquities scholar for protecting ancient Palmyra
• Palestinian refugee schools to open despite cash crunch: UN
• Donald Trump’s first 100 days as president
• Shots fired at police guarding Istanbul palace; officer hurt
• McBee Expands International Practice with Addition of Mark Duffy
• Chelsea Manning found guilty of violating prison rules
• Saudi-led alliance wins Yemen battles, but peace remains elusive
• Women in the Military: Female SEALs?
• Escaped Yazidi sex slaves need mental health support-aid group
• Nearing milestone, Queen Elizabeth shows no sign of stepping aside
• Replace Obamacare with What? GOP Candidates Start Slinging Proposals
• Nearing record, Queen Elizabeth shows no sign of stepping aside
• Soccer-AFC move to resolve Guam-Iran World Cup row
• "I wasn't always a broken person": aid workers describe fieldwork
• Officials: Military likely to open most combat jobs to women
• Arab League vows military support for Libya, no word on air strikes
• Female combat roles in focus as first women become US Rangers
• Today in History
• Miles Teller In Talks to Star in PTSD Drama 'Thank You For Your Service'

Why latest Islamic State beheading might be sending new message Posted: 19 Aug 2015 04:28 PM PDT Khaled al-Asaad would not divulge to Islamic State militants where the antique treasures of his beloved Palmyra were carted off to and hidden before the Islamist extremists took control of the ancient Roman city in Syria earlier this year. For that, the renowned Syrian scholar of Palmyra's antiquities was beheaded publicly on Tuesday, his body hoisted to hang from one of the Roman pillars he had labored to preserve. Recommended: How much do you know about the Islamic State?

Violence costing Turkey precious tourism, even far from the fighting Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:33 PM PDT A surge of violent attacks across Turkey, the war in neighboring Syria, and political instability at home have plunged the country into a period of deep uncertainty, with Turkey's tourism sector taking a hit. While the sector had reported increased revenues in the first quarter, officials predict a decline of $5 billion in tourism revenue by the end of the year, with the number of foreigners visiting Turkey dropping amid the heightened security risks. Recommended: Think you know Turkey?

U.N. says air strikes on Yemen port could worsen aid crisis Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:17 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations aid chief Stephen O'Brien said on Wednesday that air strikes by Saudi-led coalition airplanes on Yemen's Red Sea port of Hodeida were unacceptable and could worsen the country's humanitarian crisis. Hodeida, controlled by Iranian-allied Houthi forces, has become a focal point of efforts to resupply the impoverished Arab state, battered by five months of war that has killed over 4,300 people. "These attacks are in clear contravention of international humanitarian law and are unacceptable," O'Brien said of the Tuesday attacks on the port during a briefing to the 15-member U.N. Security Council.

IS beheads aging Syrian antiquities scholar in Palmyra Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:12 PM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The 81-year-old antiquities scholar had dedicated his life to exploring and overseeing Syria's ancient ruins of Palmyra, one of the Middle East's most spectacular archaeological sites. He even named his daughter after Zenobia, the queen that ruled from the city 1,700 years ago.

Thousands of Syrians ferried to Greek mainland as islands despair Posted: 19 Aug 2015 02:02 PM PDT A Greek government-chartered ferry was transporting some 2,600 Syrian refugees to the Greek mainland on Wednesday, as islands struggling with an influx of migrants warned that the crisis is endangering public health. The Eleftherios Venizelos left the island of Kos with some 1,700 Syrian refugees on board, and picked up another 900 on the islands of Kalymnos, Leros and Lesbos. It had initially been scheduled to sail to the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Thursday morning.

Eight Turkish soldiers killed in deadliest PKK attack Posted: 19 Aug 2015 01:59 PM PDT An honour guard on duty outside the fabled Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul was also attacked by suspected Marxist militants, with the country on edge after a wave of attacks in the last month. Turkey is meanwhile still without a permanent government after inconclusive June 7 elections and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country was now "swiftly" heading to snap polls. The political and security instability has unnerved investors, with the embattled Turkish lira plunging to fresh lows against the dollar on another bruising day.

IS beheads elderly ex-antiquities chief in Syria's Palmyra Posted: 19 Aug 2015 01:48 PM PDT The Islamic State group beheaded the 82-year-old retired chief archaeologist of Palmyra after he refused to leave the ancient city, Syria's antiquities chief said. A UNESCO World Heritage site famed for well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins, Palmyra was seized from government forces in May, fuelling fears the IS jihadists might destroy its priceless heritage as it had done in other parts of Syria and Iraq. Syrian antiquities chief Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP he had urged Khaled al-Assaad to leave Palmyra, but he had refused.

Army pilot, military cop are 1st women to pass Ranger School Posted: 19 Aug 2015 01:27 PM PDT SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — An Apache helicopter pilot from Texas and a military police officer from Connecticut are the first women to complete the Army's grueling Ranger School, families of the soldiers confirmed Wednesday.

Seeking Refuge: Migrants trekking to EU find a helping hand in Macedonia Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:49 PM PDT It's around 10 p.m., and a train has just arrived at this lonely outpost on the northern edge of Macedonia. It's packed full of hundreds of refugees and migrants on the road to western Europe. A group of around half a dozen Macedonians is assembled, waiting for them with supplies they will need for the long trek to the next resting point, in Serbia.

Macedonia appeals for more trains to transport migrants Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:42 PM PDT Macedonia warned Wednesday it is running out of trains to transport the thousands of Syrian refugees heading toward the EU, and said it has urged its neighbours to help combat the "alarming situation". "The Macedonian Railway Company has no more capacity to carry all those who want to travel toward western European countries," the head of the state railway Nikola Kostov told Telma television channel. "The situation is alarming," Kostov said, referring to an influx of migrants that has already brought thousands of refugees to the Macedonian town of Gevgelija on the border with Greece, where they take trains to continue north towards Serbia and eventually the European Union.

Iraq inquiry finds officials grossly mismanaged Mosul crisis Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:40 PM PDT Top officials ignored ample warnings of an impending attack on Iraq's second city Mosul and grossly mismanaged the crisis that saw jihadists seize it, a parliamentary report obtained by AFP says. The Islamic State (IS) jihadist group's June 2014 capture of Mosul might have been avoided if senior officers and officials had performed competently and acted on multiple detailed intelligence reports warning of the attack. The report names a number of top officials, including ex-premier and now vice president Nuri al-Maliki, as responsible for the fall of the capital of Nineveh province.

IS says American suicide bomber carried out Iraq attack Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:29 PM PDT The Islamic State jihadist group said Wednesday that an American was among four suicide bombers who carried out attacks against Iraqi security forces in the Baiji area north of Baghdad. IS, which has been battling Iraqi forces for control of Baiji for months, said in an online statement that "Abu Abdullah al-Amriki" detonated an explosives-rigged four-by-four near the town. The jihadist group said another American carried out a suicide bombing against Iraqi forces fighting to retake the city of Tikrit earlier this year.

Eight soldiers killed, Istanbul palace attacked as Turkish unrest mounts Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:17 PM PDT By Nick Tattersall and Seyhmus Cakan ISTANBUL/DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Gunmen fired on police outside an Istanbul palace and a bomb killed eight soldiers in the southeast on Wednesday, heightening a sense of crisis as Turkey's leaders struggled to form a new government. The Istanbul governor's office said two members of a "terrorist group" armed with hand grenades and an automatic rifle were caught after attacking the Dolmabahce palace, popular with tourists and home to the prime minister's Istanbul offices. Militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) meanwhile killed eight soldiers with a roadside bomb in the southeastern province of Siirt, the military said, intensifying a conflict there after the breakdown of a two-year ceasefire last month.

Second airship launched in test of missile defense system Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:15 PM PDT On Wednesday, The North American Aerospace Defense Command launched the second of two helium-filled airships near Baltimore to test an East Coast missile defense system. The launch at the Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground completes the aerial part of the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor System, or JLENS. Here's what it's all about:

Germany expecting 800,000 migrants in 2015, 4x last year Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:04 PM PDT BERLIN (AP) — Germany could see as many as 800,000 migrants arriving this year — four times the number from last year, its interior minister said Wednesday.

Can Republicans Hold the Senate? GOP Spending Money at Record Clip Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:00 PM PDT Barely eight month after taking control of the Senate, Republicans are gearing up for the 2016 election as if their lives depended on it. While most of the political focus has been on Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the rest of the presidential field, Senate Republicans and their allies appear headed for record fundraising and media spending to preserve or slightly improve on their modest 55 to 44 seat majority. Indeed, as Roll Call reported Wednesday, spending by incumbent Senate Republicans and outside conservative political action committees totals $13.3 million so far -- a seven-fold increase over what was spent at this same point in the previous election cycle.

Key events in a month of Turkish unrest Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:32 AM PDT Istanbul (AFP) - Eight Turkish soldiers were killed in an attack on Wednesday and militants in Istanbul launched an attack on the palace housing the prime minister's offices.

U.S. charges man in hoax threat to blow up Statue of Liberty Posted: 19 Aug 2015 11:15 AM PDT LUBBOCK, Texas/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Federal authorities on Wednesday charged a West Virginia man with making a hoax threat to blow up the Statue of Liberty in April, prompting the evacuation of thousands of tourists from Liberty Island in New York harbor. Jason Paul Smith, 42, was accused of making the threat in an April 24 call in which he identified himself as an "ISI terrorist" named Abdul Yasin, and said "we" were planning to "blow up" the landmark. Authorities suspect a fugitive named Abdul Rahman Yasin of involvement in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center in Manhattan.

Man charged over Statue of Liberty hoax bomb threat Posted: 19 Aug 2015 10:17 AM PDT A 42-year-old American was arrested in Texas on Wednesday and charged with making a hoax bomb threat at the Statue of Liberty that forced the evacuation of 3,230 people, officials said. Jason Smith from West Virginia allegedly called emergency services identifying himself as "Abdul Yasin" and as an "ISI terrorist" saying that "we" are preparing to blow up the statue. The statue and its surrounding island, one of the most visited monuments in the United States, was evacuated on April 24 and closed for the rest of the day after the bomb threat was made.

Germany expects refugee numbers to quadruple to record 800,000 Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:58 AM PDT By Erik Kirschbaum BERLIN (Reuters) - The number of asylum-seekers and refugees to Germany will quadruple to a record 800,000 this year compared with last, more than twice as many as the 300,000 new arrivals forecast in January, the government said on Wednesday. Germany, which has become a magnet for refugees fleeing war, violence and poverty in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, has criticized European Union partners for not doing more as 218,221 people arrived seeking asylum in the first six months alone. "We've got to reckon there will be 800,000 people coming to Germany as refugees or seeking asylum," said Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere who only three months ago raised the original 300,000 forecast to 450,000.

Islamic State beheads antiquities scholar for protecting ancient Palmyra Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:08 AM PDT Islamic State (IS) militants beheaded renowned antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad in the ancient town of Palmyra Tuesday after he refused to reveal the location of treasures in the site. The extremist group held the 81-year old scholar for about a month before murdering him in front of dozens in a square outside the town's museums, according to the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) and the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Militants then took Mr. al-Asaad's body to Palmyra's archaeological site and hung him from one of the Roman columns, Maamoun Abdulkarim, the head of the Antiquities and Museums Department in Damascus, told SANA.

Palestinian refugee schools to open despite cash crunch: UN Posted: 19 Aug 2015 09:08 AM PDT The United Nations said Wednesday the academic year for Palestinian refugee children will start as scheduled despite a funding crisis which had threatened the schooling programme. "I am pleased to declare the 2015/16 UNRWA school year open. Students will return to school according to plan in Palestine on 24 August, in Jordan on 1 September, in Lebanon on 7 September and in Syria on 13 September," said Pierre Krahenbuhl, head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the Middle East.

Donald Trump’s first 100 days as president Posted: 19 Aug 2015 08:39 AM PDT We imagine what might happen if voters actually elect him.

Shots fired at police guarding Istanbul palace; officer hurt Posted: 19 Aug 2015 08:32 AM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish police arrested two people Wednesday after a hand grenade was hurled and shots were fired at officers guarding Istanbul's Dolmabahce Palace, an Ottoman-era palace that is a major tourist attraction, the Istanbul governor's office said. One police officer was slightly injured, according to the country's state-run news agency.

McBee Expands International Practice with Addition of Mark Duffy Posted: 19 Aug 2015 08:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON, Aug. 19, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- McBee Strategic Consulting (MSC), LLC, a leading advocacy and strategic communications firm, today announced that it has hired Mark Duffy as a Manager in its communications practice.Immediately prior to joining McBee, Duffy served as senior account executive at Qorvis MSLGROUP where he served as the account manager for the Embassy of the People's Republic of China. Duffy has provided strategic counsel, media relations and public diplomacy expertise working closely with a number of sovereign government and international clients. ...

Chelsea Manning found guilty of violating prison rules Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:33 AM PDT WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Convicted national security leaker Chelsea Manning was found guilty Tuesday of violating prison rules and will receive three weeks of recreational restrictions at the Kansas military prison where she's serving her 35-year sentence, her attorney said.

Saudi-led alliance wins Yemen battles, but peace remains elusive Posted: 19 Aug 2015 07:12 AM PDT By Mohammed Ghobari and Noah Browning SANAA/DUBAI (Reuters) - Emirati tanks heave across southern Yemen's stony wastes and Apache helicopters from a Saudi-led coalition, dubbed "black genies" by local media, rule its skies, helping fighters loyal to the exiled government win the initiative against an Iran-allied militia. The advanced weapons deployed by Gulf Arab states have powered the local fighters into territory controlled by the Houthi group, reversing the tide in a civil war linked to a regional power struggle between Sunni Muslim states and Iran. "People are hoarding food or else fleeing to the countryside and there are Houthi fighters everywhere in the streets." Yemen's foreign minister in exile has upped the ante, saying the war may soon end with the violent downfall of the Houthis' leader and their ally, ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Women in the Military: Female SEALs? Posted: 19 Aug 2015 06:03 AM PDT Updated on August 19 at 10:55 a.m. ET The Navy's top admiral tells Defense News and the Navy Times "there is no reason" why women cannot join the elite Navy SEALs if they can pass the notoriously difficult training program.

Escaped Yazidi sex slaves need mental health support-aid group Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:46 AM PDT By Chris Arsenault TORONTO (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - A year after their capture by Islamic State militants, escaped sex slaves from the Yazidi minority are reaching northern Iraq, but get almost none of the psychological support they need after their ordeal of rape, torture and captivity, an aid group said. A center set up by the Yazidi support group YAZDA in Kurdish-controlled Dohuk, northern Iraq, has received more than 400 Yazidi former captives, YAZDA staffer Jameel Chomer said. "We are still receiving three or four escaped slaves each week," Chomer told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Nearing milestone, Queen Elizabeth shows no sign of stepping aside Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:29 AM PDT By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - After 63 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth next month becomes Britain's longest-ruling monarch but there is little prospect of her stepping aside, as other ageing European crowned heads have done, in favour of her son, Charles. "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family," Elizabeth said in a 21st birthday broadcast to the nation in 1947. The milestone of overtaking Victoria has already prompted speculation as to whether Elizabeth might step aside.

Replace Obamacare with What? GOP Candidates Start Slinging Proposals Posted: 19 Aug 2015 05:00 AM PDT Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) have started what could turn out to be an avalanche of proposals by GOP presidential candidates to repeal and replace Obamacare, but the repeal part seems to be the only thing the hopefuls can agree on. Walker's plan, outlined Tuesday in a 15-page policy paper that provides no price tag, would junk President Obama's signature domestic policy achievement for one centered on an age-based, refundable tax-credit system. The subsidies would be given to people who aren't eligible for employer-provided insurance or Medicare, and range from $900 per year for someone under 17 to $3,000 for a person over 50.

Nearing record, Queen Elizabeth shows no sign of stepping aside Posted: 19 Aug 2015 04:04 AM PDT By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - After 63 years on the throne, Queen Elizabeth next month becomes Britain's longest-ruling monarch but there is little prospect of her stepping aside, as other aging European crowned heads have done, in favor of her son, Charles. "I declare before you all that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family," Elizabeth said in a 21st birthday broadcast to the nation in 1947. The milestone of overtaking Victoria has already prompted speculation as to whether Elizabeth might step aside.

Soccer-AFC move to resolve Guam-Iran World Cup row Posted: 19 Aug 2015 03:25 AM PDT By Patrick Johnston KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 (Reuters) - The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have stepped in to resolve a row that led to Guam threatening to cancel their World Cup qualifier in Iran after complaints from the U.S. territory that Tehran had delayed visa applications. Guam said they started the visa process "months ago" for the Sept. 3 fixture but were still waiting on an authorisation code from the Iranian Football Federation so that the required documents could be completed for their players. The AFC told Reuters on Wednesday they had received a letter from the Guam Football Association on the matter but expected all to be resolved by Friday after speaking with both parties.

"I wasn't always a broken person": aid workers describe fieldwork Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:27 AM PDT Globally, one third fewer aid workers were killed, wounded or kidnapped in 2014 than the all-time high of 460 in 2013, because fewer were deployed to dangerous regions, according to the group Humanitarian Outcomes. Last year 120 aid workers were killed, 88 wounded and 121 kidnapped, with Afghanistan, Syria, South Sudan, Central African Republic and Pakistan recording the most attacks on staff, said the group, which has been collecting aid worker casualty data since 2005. Seven years ago, the United Nations designated Aug. 19 as World Humanitarian Day to honour aid workers killed in the line of duty and recognise others who face danger delivering much-needed assistance.

Officials: Military likely to open most combat jobs to women Posted: 19 Aug 2015 12:05 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Two women have now passed the Army's grueling Ranger test, and even tougher and more dangerous jobs could lie ahead. The military services are poised to allow women to serve in most front-line combat jobs, including special operations forces, senior officials told The Associated Press.

Arab League vows military support for Libya, no word on air strikes Posted: 18 Aug 2015 11:58 PM PDT By Omar Fahmy CAIRO (Reuters) - The Arab League pledged military support on Tuesday to help Libya's internationally recognised government fight Islamic State, but did not publicly agree to a request for air strikes. A communique issued after an Arab League meeting in Cairo said there was an urgent need for an "Arab strategy" to fight Islamic State in Libya, but did not mention specifics. On Saturday, Libya's official government, based in the east of the country after a rival group pushed it out of the capital last year, asked fellow Arab states to conduct air strikes against Islamic State in the central city of Sirte where the hardline Islamists crushed rival fighters.

Female combat roles in focus as first women become US Rangers Posted: 18 Aug 2015 10:13 PM PDT With the first female soldiers about to make history as elite Rangers, the US Army is in the process of making official what began in the field long ago. "It's an important moment in many ways," Janine Davidson, a former Air Force aircraft commander and senior pilot, said just days before two women graduate from the grueling Ranger School combat leadership course, joining an all-male club for the first time. Women, who make up about 15 percent of the military's active duty service members, have for decades increasingly held combat roles and died in the line of duty, added the former deputy assistant secretary of defense.

Today in History Posted: 18 Aug 2015 09:01 PM PDT Today is Wednesday, August 19, the 231st day of 2015. There are 134 days left in the year.

Miles Teller In Talks to Star in PTSD Drama 'Thank You For Your Service' Posted: 18 Aug 2015 09:00 PM PDT Miles Teller is in early negotiations to star in Thank You for Your Service, DreamWorks'; post-traumatic stress disorder drama.Jason Hall, who wrote the script for the Oscar-winning war drama American Sniper, wrote the script for Service and is making his directorial debut with the project.The script follows three U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq who struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, coping with the horrific memories of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they';ve left the battlefield.The project is based on the book by David Finkel and published in October 2014.Teller is coming off Fox';s reboot of Fantastic Four, in which he starred as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic. He just wrapped Arms and the Dudes, the Warners comedy with Jonah Hill and directed by Todd Phillips.He is repped by CAA and Stone Meyer.

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