Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Low-polling Republican candidates bash Trump in pre-debate gathering
• AP Interview: IRC boss slams anti-migrant tactics in Hungary
• Arab solidarity, fear of Iran bring hi-tech Gulf troops to Yemen desert
• UN Ambassador Samantha Power: 'US will resettle more refugees'
• Hungarian police clash with migrants at Serbian border
• The Latest: Hundreds seek to cross Turkey-Greece border
• Charity that helped academics flee Nazis aids Syrians, Iraqis
• Intel edits didn't change view of US-Islamic State stalemate
• Funeral services held for Michigan firefighter hit by pickup
• US general: Only handful of Syrian fighters remain in battle
• Only handful of U.S.-trained Syrian rebels still fighting: general
• Refugees see last chance for Europe before winter closes route from Turkey
• Lawmakers slam US strategy in Syria
• U.S. general says never ordered Islamic State intelligence manipulation
• How many Syrian refugees to accept? Poll finds U.S. divided
• Assad chides West over refugee crisis as air war heats up
• From critic to advocate: Jon Stewart throws weight behind New York firefighters
• Saudi police arrest two after shootout, seize bomb belt
• Syrians flee to Europe from overwhelmed Mideast
• Syrian refugees seek new passports as a ticket to Europe
• Kerry: US weighs Russia offer of military talks on Syria
• Mercy Corps To Congress: Syrian Refugees Worse Off Than A Year Ago
• Tajikistan says destroyed militant group behind deadly clashes
• The Fight to Save Syria's Antiquities From the Hands of ISIS
• UAE says spent $1.1 bln to help Syria refugees, fight IS
• Obama mulled not going to Oslo to pick up Nobel: book
• A look at shifting routes migrants are taking into Europe
• What roadside bomb takes away, guide dogs return tenfold
• Can Putin Save Assad in Syria?
• Inspirational Trek through Music City to Aid Injured Veterans in their Recovery
• First stop for new arrivals in Germany: bureaucracy
• Saudi police seize suspected militants with guns and suicide vest
• Europol tracking 30,000 suspected people smugglers
• Assad says his priority is 'defeating terrorism' in Syria
• Anatomy of Jaylen Fryberg's High School Murder-Suicide
• A Father Most Wanted in the Aftermath of His Son's High School Murder-Suicide
• Two of 18 kidnapped Turkish workers freed in Iraq
• Are jihadists hiding among refugees? Unlikely, analysts say
• Two Turkish workers kidnapped in Baghdad are released
• Iraq: 2 of 18 kidnapped Turkish workers released in Basra

Low-polling Republican candidates bash Trump in pre-debate gathering Posted: 16 Sep 2015 05:00 PM PDT By Steve Holland and Erin McPike SIMI VALLEY, Calif. (Reuters) - Low-polling Republican presidential candidates attempted to cast doubt on lead rival Donald Trump on Wednesday, venting their frustrations at the state of the 2016 race by calling the billionaire a fake conservative with a checkered business past. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former New York Governor George Pataki led the charge against Trump at a debate of four candidates who did not have enough strength in opinion polls to make it to a prime-time debate later. The so-called "undercard" debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library of four candidates immediately preceded the main event featuring Trump and 10 other Republicans who are doing the best in the polls.

AP Interview: IRC boss slams anti-migrant tactics in Hungary Posted: 16 Sep 2015 04:59 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Events on the Serbia-Hungarian border where police tear-gassed crowds of migrants including women and children reveal "a dark side of the European character," the chief of the International Rescue Committee said Wednesday.

Arab solidarity, fear of Iran bring hi-tech Gulf troops to Yemen desert Posted: 16 Sep 2015 04:41 PM PDT "Me, I don't know very much about Yemen, but Sheikh Mohammed knows much more and we must do our duty," said Salem, referring to the ruler of Dubai who is also the prime minister of the UAE. "I know Yemen's an important country and next to all of ours. Iran won't stop until it spreads its Persian empire over everywhere here," said Salem, a bearded youth wearing a camouflage head wrap and designer sunglasses.

UN Ambassador Samantha Power: 'US will resettle more refugees' Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:59 PM PDT Last week, President Obama requested that the US take in 10,000 Syrian refugees in 2016. Speaking to a group of reporters at a Monitor-hosted lunch on Wednesday, Samantha Power, the US permanent representative to the United Nations, suggested that the number could go higher. Take our Foreign Service Exam.

Hungarian police clash with migrants at Serbian border Posted: 16 Sep 2015 02:49 PM PDT HORGOS, Serbia (AP) — Hungarian police used tear gas and water cannons on hundreds of migrants who broke through a razor wire fence on the border with Serbia on Wednesday, while migrants prevented from moving through Hungary increasingly began taking a longer route into Western Europe through Croatia.

The Latest: Hundreds seek to cross Turkey-Greece border Posted: 16 Sep 2015 02:14 PM PDT HORGOS, Serbia (AP) — The latest developments as European governments rush to cope with the huge number of people moving across Europe. All times local (CET):

Charity that helped academics flee Nazis aids Syrians, Iraqis Posted: 16 Sep 2015 02:07 PM PDT A British foundation created in 1933 to help academics flee Nazi Germany has found a new calling helping Syrian and Iraqi academics escape in the hope that one day they will return and rebuild. Of the 2,000 academics who were helped to escape the Nazi regime and continue their work abroad, 16 went on to win Nobel prizes. Currently, the foundation supports 140 academics and their families, many of whom intend to return to their countries of origin once it is safe.

Intel edits didn't change view of US-Islamic State stalemate Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:58 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The alleged effort to put the best face on intelligence estimates about the U.S.-led anti-Islamic State campaign has not shaken the government-wide assessment that the airstrikes have so far failed to fundamentally weaken the militant group, current and former intelligence officials say.

Funeral services held for Michigan firefighter hit by pickup Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:57 PM PDT EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Hundreds of mourners gathered Wednesday in an arena on the Michigan State University campus to honor a firefighter who was killed while collecting money for charity in what authorities say was a deliberate hit-and-run.

US general: Only handful of Syrian fighters remain in battle Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:53 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — No more than five U.S.-trained Syrian rebels are fighting the Islamic State, astoundingly short of the envisioned 5,000, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East told angry lawmakers on Wednesday. They branded the training program "a total failure."

Only handful of U.S.-trained Syrian rebels still fighting: general Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:47 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Only a handful of U.S.-trained Syrian rebels are still fighting in Syria, a top U.S. general told Congress on Wednesday, a stark admission of setbacks to a fledgling military program that critics have already pronounced a failure. The U.S. military began training in May for up to 5,400 fighters a year, in what was seen as a test of President Barack Obama's strategy of having local partners combat Islamic State militants and keep U.S. troops off the front lines. U.S. officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that a review is underway that could result in scaling back and reenvisioning the program.

Refugees see last chance for Europe before winter closes route from Turkey Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:25 PM PDT By Ayla Jean Yackley ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Hundreds of Syrians and other migrants thronged a small park in central Istanbul on Wednesday, hoping for a last chance to reach Europe before poor weather makes their favored route from Turkey to Greece too dangerous to undertake. "It is time to go, while the door to Europe is open," said Zopir, 20, who fled the Syrian town of Deir al-Zor three years ago and now wants to reach Europe before his wife, eight months pregnant, gives birth. "I am afraid, but I am ready." Zopir scraped together 8,000 euros ($9,000) for their trip, which begins in and near the park in Aksaray, a working-class district of Istanbul, by hiring a "dealer": a front man for smugglers who help refugees reach the Aegean coast.

Lawmakers slam US strategy in Syria Posted: 16 Sep 2015 01:00 PM PDT Senior US lawmakers on Wednesday blasted defense officials over America's strategy against the Islamic State group, and vented outrage over allegations military officials "cooked" intelligence to overstate coalition successes in Syria. Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee were astonished to learn a half-billion-dollar program to train moderate Syrian rebels had gotten off to a disastrous start, and said it was time to implement "safe zones" over parts of Syria to prevent forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad from dropping barrel bombs. The hearing came as President Barack Obama's administration draws criticism over US-led efforts to "degrade and ultimately destroy" the Islamic State group, which despite dozens of daily air strikes maintains control over parts of Iraq and Syria and has affiliates across the region from Lebanon to Yemen, Libya and Egypt.

U.S. general says never ordered Islamic State intelligence manipulation Posted: 16 Sep 2015 12:57 PM PDT The head of the U.S. military's Central Command on Wednesday told a Senate hearing on the conflict against Islamic State that he never asked for intelligence reports to be skewed to present a more positive view of military operations in Iraq and Syria. General Lloyd Austin made the comments after the Pentagon's inspector general confirmed last week that it had opened an investigation into allegations Central Command officials had suppressed intelligence.

How many Syrian refugees to accept? Poll finds U.S. divided Posted: 16 Sep 2015 12:42 PM PDT Few Americans want their country to take in more Syrian refugees even though many believe the United States should do more to help those fleeing the Middle Eastern country's brutal civil war, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Wednesday. As European countries struggle to cope with an influx of Syrians fleeing their war-torn country, the survey found that Americans are similarly divided on accepting refugees. The United States has taken in 1,500 refugees since the start of the Syrian war in 2011, and President Barack Obama has committed to accepting 10,000 more over the coming year.

Assad chides West over refugee crisis as air war heats up Posted: 16 Sep 2015 12:33 PM PDT Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has chided Western nations for "crying" over refugees flooding into Europe, claiming that their support for "terrorists" lies at the roots of his country's crisis. Washington, meanwhile, told close Damascus ally Moscow that Assad has no role in the war against IS in Syria and must step down to allow a political settlement. Assad, according to a transcript made available Wednesday, said refugees were leaving Syria "mainly because of the terrorists and because of the killing, and second because of the results of terrorism".

From critic to advocate: Jon Stewart throws weight behind New York firefighters Posted: 16 Sep 2015 12:33 PM PDT Comedian Jon Stewart joined members of the New York City Fire Department to urge Congress to extend healthcare benefits for first responders after the 9/11 attacks at a rally Wednesday in front of the Capitol. In 2010, Mr.Stewart was influential in persuading Congress to pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which had been stuck in congressional purgatory since 2006 because of the bill's $7.4 billion price tag. Over 70,000 of the police officers and firefighters who worked for months to clean up the site after the terrorist attacks suffer from serious ailments that doctors say are linked to their exposure to harmful materials at Ground zero.

Saudi police arrest two after shootout, seize bomb belt Posted: 16 Sep 2015 12:29 PM PDT Police in Saudi Arabia said Wednesday they had arrested two suspected militants and were hunting two others who fled following shootouts and raids that netted automatic weapons and a bomb belt. The gunfire occurred in separate districts of Riyadh on Tuesday night as officers pursued an investigation into "deviant groups," the interior ministry said in a statement. Saudi authorities use the term to refer to Islamic extremists, although the ministry did not specifically mention any group.

Syrians flee to Europe from overwhelmed Mideast Posted: 16 Sep 2015 12:23 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — The massive increase in Syrians seeking refuge in Europe is largely driven by the inability of overwhelmed Mideast countries to cope with the crisis as resources dry up, a senior official with the International Organization for Migration said Wednesday.

Syrian refugees seek new passports as a ticket to Europe Posted: 16 Sep 2015 11:54 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — A months-old Syrian government decision to start issuing passports to Syrians who fled their war-ravaged country is quietly contributing to the large exodus of refugees to Europe.

Kerry: US weighs Russia offer of military talks on Syria Posted: 16 Sep 2015 11:41 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is weighing an offer from Russia to have military-to-military talks and meetings on the situation in Syria amid increasing U.S. concern and uncertainty about Russia's military buildup there, Secretary of State John Kerry said Wednesday.

Mercy Corps To Congress: Syrian Refugees Worse Off Than A Year Ago Posted: 16 Sep 2015 11:30 AM PDT WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, a senior official with the global organization Mercy Corps tells of deteriorating humanitarian and security conditions in Syria and Iraq and warns of even greater troubles ahead. Michael Bowers, Vice President for Humanitarian Leadership and Response, highlights the spiraling humanitarian crises in both Syria and Iraq against the backdrop of the rise of the Islamic State. Bowers' appearance comes within days of his return from Lesbos, Greece, a landing spot for many refugees fleeing to Europe.

Tajikistan says destroyed militant group behind deadly clashes Posted: 16 Sep 2015 11:13 AM PDT Tajikistan said Wednesday that it had eliminated a group of Islamist rebels in a series of battles that left 46 people dead. The interior ministry of the impoverished ex-Soviet country bordering Afghanistan said it had killed 33 rebels including the group's commander ex-deputy defence minister Abduhalim Nazarzoda since September 4, also claiming the lives of 13 security officials and left more than ten people wounded, the ministry said. Nazarzoda -- who served as deputy defence minister until his dismissal earlier this month -- was among those killed by government forces on Wednesday, the authorities said.

The Fight to Save Syria's Antiquities From the Hands of ISIS Posted: 16 Sep 2015 10:42 AM PDT In a side wing of the now-closed National Museum in Damascus, two dozen young archaeologists are working quietly and methodically. They are part of the 2,500-person team from Syria's Department of Antiquities that has spent the past three years evacuating pieces from the country's national museums amid Syria's devastating war, now in its fifth year. "It's not just Syrian heritage, it's humanity's heritage, it's your heritage," the Director General of Antiquities Maamoun Abdulkarim told ABC News.

UAE says spent $1.1 bln to help Syria refugees, fight IS Posted: 16 Sep 2015 10:38 AM PDT The United Arab Emirates said on Wednesday it has spent "around $1.1 billion" helping Syrian refugees and on the fight against the Islamic State group. The announcement follows criticism of rich Arab states for failing to take in Syrian refugees, as hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the conflict risk their lives to reach Europe. "UAE total humanitarian aid to Syrian refugees amounted to around $581.5 million," said State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, providing a breakdown of the oil-rich federation's aid to Syria since the conflict began in 2011.

Obama mulled not going to Oslo to pick up Nobel: book Posted: 16 Sep 2015 09:59 AM PDT Oslo (AFP) - The White House asked if US President Barack Obama really had to travel to Oslo to pick up his surprise Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, a book due out in Norway on Thursday reveals.

A look at shifting routes migrants are taking into Europe Posted: 16 Sep 2015 09:53 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — Refugees and migrants are making their way into Europe by the hundreds of thousands, adjusting their routes as some become too dangerous and others are blocked by authorities. Most want to get to Germany, Sweden and other northern European countries considered more welcoming than their counterparts to the south. Here's a look at how their paths to new lives are changing:

What roadside bomb takes away, guide dogs return tenfold Posted: 16 Sep 2015 08:46 AM PDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jernigan lost his eyesight and part of his brain in Iraq in 2004. But he insists, thanks to a couple of dogs, he found more than he lost.

Can Putin Save Assad in Syria? Posted: 16 Sep 2015 08:17 AM PDT Russia has joined the fight against ISIS, complicating American goals on the battlefield and beyond.

Inspirational Trek through Music City to Aid Injured Veterans in their Recovery Posted: 16 Sep 2015 07:32 AM PDT Participants often find Soldier Ride to be a life-changing experience as they connect with fellow service members who are battling the same struggles. What may appear as a fun getaway actually serves as an inspirational weekend retreat packed with team-building activities designed to provide veterans with an opportunity to lean on one another for support and the empowerment they need to take on civilian life. Before the bike ride, each disabled veteran is fit with adaptive equipment to meet their specific needs.

First stop for new arrivals in Germany: bureaucracy Posted: 16 Sep 2015 07:28 AM PDT PASSAU, Germany (AP) — In the corner of a vast industrial complex above this southeastern German city, Syrians, Iraqis, Afghans and others get their first taste of the country's infamous bureaucracy.

Saudi police seize suspected militants with guns and suicide vest Posted: 16 Sep 2015 06:59 AM PDT Saudi police captured two suspected militants, along with several weapons and an explosive vest, in two raids around the capital Riyadh late on Tuesday, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. Sunni Muslim militants sympathetic to the Islamic State group have staged a series of attacks in the conservative Islamic kingdom this year, including suicide bombings in mosques used by Shi'ites and security forces, and shootings of police. Police evacuated neighboring houses and cordoned off a building in Riyadh's al-Mounsiya district before a firefight with suspects Saeed al-Zahrani, 21, and Mohammed al-Zahrani, 19, who were both arrested.

Europol tracking 30,000 suspected people smugglers Posted: 16 Sep 2015 06:45 AM PDT As many 30,000 people could be involved in the trafficking gangs charging refugees thousands of euros for a perilous trip to Europe, the head of Europe's police agency said on Wednesday. Rob Wainwright said the discovery of 71 bodies in the back of a truck in Austria last month led Europol to the massive people smuggling operation and the identification of that number of suspects - far larger than the agency had thought. "The tragic incident in Austria is symptomatic of an explosion in the criminal problem we are seeing right now," he told Reuters.

Assad says his priority is 'defeating terrorism' in Syria Posted: 16 Sep 2015 04:29 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview aired Wednesday that his priority is "defeating terrorism" in Syria and urged all political and armed factions in the country to unite in the fight against terrorist groups.

Anatomy of Jaylen Fryberg's High School Murder-Suicide Posted: 16 Sep 2015 04:11 AM PDT Ray Fryberg was once a respected member of the Tulalip Tribes of Washington. Then his son, Jaylen, perpetrated the deadliest high school shooting in a decade.

A Father Most Wanted in the Aftermath of His Son's High School Murder-Suicide Posted: 16 Sep 2015 04:11 AM PDT Before sunrise one morning in July, a day Ray Fryberg Jr. was scheduled to appear in court, someone smashed the windows of his car. It was the first of two lunch periods, and at Jaylen's request, some of them had cut class so they could all eat together.

Two of 18 kidnapped Turkish workers freed in Iraq Posted: 16 Sep 2015 04:09 AM PDT Two of 18 Turkish workers kidnapped by gunmen in Baghdad this month have been freed in the southern province of Basra, Turkish and Iraqi officials said on Wednesday. The men were among 18 employees of major Turkish construction firm Nurol Insaat kidnapped on September 2 in the Sadr City area of north Baghdad, where they were working on a football stadium project. The kidnapping was claimed by an unknown militant group that presented itself as Shiite, and top cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has demanded that they be released.

Are jihadists hiding among refugees? Unlikely, analysts say Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:58 AM PDT Warnings that jihadists bent on violence may be sneaking into Europe disguised as refugees are growing louder, but analysts say extremists do not need to board rickety rubber dinghies to infiltrate the continent. Politicians have for weeks been sounding the alarm over the risk of bloodthirsty radicals making their way to Europe undetected in the flood of desperate migrants, and even Pope Francis warned this week of the "risk of infiltration". While experts say this scenario is not impossible, they argue that groups such as the Islamic State have far more sophisticated means to reach Europe to carry out attacks.

Two Turkish workers kidnapped in Baghdad are released Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:30 AM PDT Two of the 18 Turkish workers kidnapped in Baghdad this month have been released near the southern oil city of Basra, the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad said on Wednesday. The Turkish workers appeared in a video days after their abduction, apparently held by an armed group that used a familiar Shi'ite Muslim slogan and threatened to attack Turkish interests in Iraq if its demands were not met. Baghdad has struggled to rein in Shi'ite militias, many of which fought the U.S. occupation and are now seen as a critical weapon against the Sunnin Muslim militants of Islamic State.

Iraq: 2 of 18 kidnapped Turkish workers released in Basra Posted: 16 Sep 2015 03:25 AM PDT BASRA, Iraq (AP) — Police say two of the 18 Turkish workers kidnapped early this month in Baghdad have been released in Iraq's southern Basra province.

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