Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• American Muslims fear a new wave of Islamophobia
• Bombings kill 13 in Shiite areas of Baghdad
• New look Australia cabinet features a first - female defense minister
• US increases aid to Syrian refugees
• IS executes 10 people accused of being gay in Syria: monitor
• Why Syrian refugees don’t flee to Islamic State caliphate
• France softens stance on Assad departure: Figaro
• As Russian Weapons Stream In, How Far Will Putin Go in Syria?
• Activists report 75 US-trained rebels return to Syria
• German vice chancellor calls for more refugee aid in Mideast
• Finland prepared to start border controls: interior minister
• Turkish officer misses own wedding over fears of Kurdish rebel attacks
• Kerry Wants to Accept More Syrian Refugees, but Will Congress Allow It?
• Car bomb in Baghdad neighborhood kills 11 people
• CNN hires foreign correspondent Clarissa Ward from CBS News
• Study: Defectors call Islamic State brutal, corrupt
• Vote for Erdogan party a ballot for 'return of peace': Turkey PM
• Macedonian police abused migrants: HRW
• As Turkish election looms, Erdogan presses pro-Kurdish opposition
• Finland split over biggest refugee influx since Russian Revolution
• ISIS Defectors Reveal Frustration Over Corruption, Atrocities and Sunni Infighting: Study
• Some Iraqis ditch fight against Islamic State for life in Europe
• Pentagon promotes 'Lean In' groups to boost women in leadership
• Turkish jets hit Kurdish militant targets in southeast Turkey: military
• IS defectors 'disillusioned with killing Muslims'
• Croatia says wants Greece to stop sending migrants to rest of Europe
• EU Leaders at Odds Over Migrant Crisis as Week of Summits Gets Underway
• Common solvent keeps killing workers, consumers
• For refugees in Australia, resettlement first step in road

American Muslims fear a new wave of Islamophobia Posted: 21 Sep 2015 04:46 PM PDT By Tim Reid ANAHEIM, Calif. (Reuters) - Muslim Americans responded with a mix of frustration, exasperation and anger to what many see as a growing wave of Islamophobia fueled by two of the Republican Party's most popular presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Ben Carson. At the Islamic Institute of Orange County, which houses a mosque and a school in Anaheim, in southern California, tensions were already mounting since a group of white men screamed at mothers and children arriving at the center on this year's anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, calling them cowards who did not belong in America. Many of the country's 2.8 million Muslims say such tensions could become uglier during a presidential race that they fear is already tapping a vein of anger and bigotry.

Bombings kill 13 in Shiite areas of Baghdad Posted: 21 Sep 2015 04:40 PM PDT Bombs exploded in two Shiite-majority areas of Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 13 people, security and medical officials said. The Islamic State jihadist group, which overran swathes of Iraq in June last year, claimed responsibility for the Ameen car bombing in a statement posted online.

New look Australia cabinet features a first - female defense minister Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:51 PM PDT By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Monday swore in its first female defense minister, Senator Marise Payne, who will oversee open-ended military engagements in two countries and some of the country's most important defense contracts in a generation. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull last week ousted long-time rival Tony Abbott as leader of their ruling Liberal Party, citing a chaotic management style and dismal poll numbers. Turnbull's cabinet which was sworn in on Monday features five women, more than double the previous number.

US increases aid to Syrian refugees Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:55 PM PDT The United States will add another $419 million dollars to help civilians endangered by the fighting in Syria, officials said Monday, after criticism Washington is not doing enough to help refugees. Washington has been by far the single biggest humanitarian donor to Syrians and the additional funds will bring the sum it has spent since the start of the conflict in early 2011 to $4.5 billion. President Barack Obama has promised that 10,000 will be admitted over the next fiscal year, but the main US priority is helping refugees in camps in the region while seeking a long-term settlement to the conflict.

IS executes 10 people accused of being gay in Syria: monitor Posted: 21 Sep 2015 01:41 PM PDT The Islamic State jihadist group executed nine men and a boy it accused of being gay in central and northern Syria on Monday, a monitoring group said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the jihadists shot dead seven men in Rastan, a town in Homs province of central Syria, "after accusing them of being homosexual". IS also executed two men and the boy in the town of Hreitan, in the northern province of Aleppo, for the same reason, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

Why Syrian refugees don’t flee to Islamic State caliphate Posted: 21 Sep 2015 01:29 PM PDT People around the world have reacted differently to images of refugees desperately trying to reach Europe from Syria's four-year civil war. Since last year, the jihadi group has tried to set up an idealized Islamic society, or caliphate, and attract Sunni Muslims with its anti-Western message.

France softens stance on Assad departure: Figaro Posted: 21 Sep 2015 01:03 PM PDT France will not demand Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's departure as a precondition for peace talks, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Le Figaro in an interview. "If we require, even before negotiations start, that Assad step down, we won't get far," Fabius was quoted as saying in a preview of the French daily's Tuesday edition. The comments represent a softening of France's position towards Assad, whose four-year war against rebel groups and Islamic State fighters has claimed more than 200,000 lives.

As Russian Weapons Stream In, How Far Will Putin Go in Syria? Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:52 PM PDT As the situation in Syria becomes more and more complex, a seemingly minor bit of news over the weekend signaled just how little it might take to turn what is currently a regional struggle with some international participation into a much broader conflict. On Monday, Russian media reported that what appeared to be a mortar shell, fired from an area controlled by fighters believed to be loyal to the terrorist group ISIS, had been fired at the grounds of the Russian embassy in Damascus. According to the government-run news agency TASS, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement issued Monday morning read, "At 09:00 a.m. on September 20, a mortar shell hit the territory of the Russian embassy in Damascus.

Activists report 75 US-trained rebels return to Syria Posted: 21 Sep 2015 12:01 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Several dozen U.S.-trained rebels have returned to Syria after receiving training in Turkey, crossing the border in gun-mounted four-wheel drives, a rebel representative said Monday.

German vice chancellor calls for more refugee aid in Mideast Posted: 21 Sep 2015 11:38 AM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Germany's vice chancellor began a two-day visit to Jordan on Monday, after urging the international community to increase aid to desperate Syrian refugees in the kingdom and other regional host countries to slow their migration to Europe.

Finland prepared to start border controls: interior minister Posted: 21 Sep 2015 11:06 AM PDT Finland is prepared to start national border controls amid a growing influx of asylum seekers from neighboring Sweden, interior minister Petteri Orpo said on Monday. "We have readiness for that (border controls) at any time, and we have already considerably tightened our policies," Orpo told Reuters by telephone. In recent days, about 500 refugees have crossed the Finnish land border in Tornio, near the Arctic Circle, after a long journey through Sweden.

Turkish officer misses own wedding over fears of Kurdish rebel attacks Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:12 AM PDT A Turkish policeman missed his own wedding party after being denied permission to leave his station in the southeast, where Kurdish rebels have killed scores of security force members, local media reported Monday. Ahmet Karavelioglu, 25, had received the green light from his paramilitary police unit to attend the celebration in southern Osmaniye province on September 18, Dogan news agency reported.

Kerry Wants to Accept More Syrian Refugees, but Will Congress Allow It? Posted: 21 Sep 2015 10:00 AM PDT U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's announcement on Sunday that the United States would significantly boost the number of Syrian refugees it would take in, increasing from a previous level of 70,000 to 100,000 migrants by 2017, may make for a good headline, but it's far from a done deal. "This step is in keeping with America's best tradition as a land of second chances and a beacon of hope," Kerry said Sunday during a press conference in Berlin. Related: Can the U.S. Handle 100,000 Syrian Refugees?

Car bomb in Baghdad neighborhood kills 11 people Posted: 21 Sep 2015 09:30 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — A car bombing in a Baghdad neighborhood killed 11 people and wounded 42 on Monday, Iraqi officials said.

CNN hires foreign correspondent Clarissa Ward from CBS News Posted: 21 Sep 2015 09:19 AM PDT Award-winning foreign correspondent Clarissa Ward is joining CNN, the network announced Monday. Her move concludes a four-year stint at CBS News, where she reported for all of that network's news programs, ...

Study: Defectors call Islamic State brutal, corrupt Posted: 21 Sep 2015 09:09 AM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — A survey of defectors from the Islamic State group has found many quit the organization because they felt it was too brutal or corrupt, or because it made war too frequently against other Sunni Muslims.

Vote for Erdogan party a ballot for 'return of peace': Turkey PM Posted: 21 Sep 2015 09:00 AM PDT Turkey's prime minister urged voters Monday to back the ruling party in November polls "so that peace returns to Turkey", where the army is engaged in a bloody battle with Kurdish militants. Ahmet Davutoglu sought to rally the faithful at a mass gathering of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Ankara with a rousing speech to present the party's candidates in snap November 1 polls. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the election after his AKP party lost its governing majority for the first time in June 7 elections, forcing it into coalition talks that ended in failure.

Macedonian police abused migrants: HRW Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:40 AM PDT Human Rights Watch on Monday accused Macedonian police of having mistreating migrants and asylum seekers in transit through its territory on their way to the European Union. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers and migrants -– many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia -– entering the country every day.

As Turkish election looms, Erdogan presses pro-Kurdish opposition Posted: 21 Sep 2015 08:32 AM PDT By Orhan Coskun and Ece Toksabay ANKARA (Reuters) - At an "anti-terrorism rally" this weekend, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan looked out over a sea of red national flags and implored supporters to vote on Nov.1 for "domestic" candidates. "I think you understand what I mean, don't you?" he thundered to the crowds in Istanbul's working-class district of Yenikapi, where pro-government media said hundreds of thousands came out to protest against violence in the restive southeast. Erdogan's target was clear to all: the pro-Kurdish opposition, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), that had helped strip the ruling AK Party of its majority in June.

Finland split over biggest refugee influx since Russian Revolution Posted: 21 Sep 2015 07:52 AM PDT Finland is experiencing its biggest influx of refugees since the Russian Revolution with hundreds of migrants arriving each day via Sweden, but their presence is angering some in the recession-hit country. Finland, whose Lapland steppe forms the European Union's northernmost border, expects to receive 25,000 to 30,000 asylum applications this year, compared to 3,600 in 2014. After an exhausting and often perilous journey to Europe, they travel to the northern Swedish town of Haparanda, turning their backs on Sweden's long processing times to instead cross the border by foot into the Finnish town of Tornio.

ISIS Defectors Reveal Frustration Over Corruption, Atrocities and Sunni Infighting: Study Posted: 21 Sep 2015 07:36 AM PDT Furthermore, Western governments should protect these defectors from reprisals and legal "disincentives" to encourage them to speak out about the group, the study says. The jihadi monitoring think tank, which has tracked foreign fighters traveling to and from the terror group's self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq and Syria, has recorded 58 defectors in total but says that these only "represent a small fraction" of the total number as there are many more who are unwilling to come forward for fear of reprisals or imprisonment.

Some Iraqis ditch fight against Islamic State for life in Europe Posted: 21 Sep 2015 05:54 AM PDT By Saif Hameed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Some Iraqi soldiers are abandoning their posts and joining a wave of civilian migrants headed to Europe, raising new doubts about the cohesion of the country's Western-backed security forces in the fight against Islamic State militants. Interviews with migrants and an analysis of social media activity show scores of fighters from the national army, police and special forces as well as Shi'ite militias and Kurdish peshmerga have left in recent months or plan to go soon. The inability of Iraq to retain its soldiers threatens to further erode morale in a military that has partially collapsed twice in the past year in the face of the Islamic State militant group.

Pentagon promotes 'Lean In' groups to boost women in leadership Posted: 21 Sep 2015 05:29 AM PDT U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter, keen to expand the number of women and minorities in military leadership, on Monday will endorse "Lean In" discussion groups sparked by Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg's bestselling book, a senior defense official said. Carter and Sandberg will meet at the Pentagon with 15 women from all ranks and military services who already lead Lean In groups, followed by a news conference, where Carter will promote creation of more such groups, at government facilities and even during working hours. In recent years, the Pentagon has stepped up its recruitment of women and minorities, and is moving to open more - if not all - combat jobs to women, a continuing source of debate among military and civilian leaders.

Turkish jets hit Kurdish militant targets in southeast Turkey: military Posted: 21 Sep 2015 04:45 AM PDT ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish warplanes have bombed Kurdish militant targets in southeastern Turkey, destroying ammunition and fuel depots and killing five militants, the army said on Monday. The air strikes in the southeastern province of Hakkari on Sunday come amid a surge of attacks against the military by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). On Saturday, the military said it had killed at least 55 militants in attacks on PKK camps in northern Iraq. (Writing by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Ralph Boulton)

IS defectors 'disillusioned with killing Muslims' Posted: 21 Sep 2015 04:45 AM PDT A growing number of "disillusioned" Islamic State fighters are defecting from the jihadist group and could be used by governments to deter potential recruits, a report published Monday said. At least 58 people have left the group and publicly spoken about their defection since January 2014, according to the report by the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation and Political Violence (ISCR) at King's College London.

Croatia says wants Greece to stop sending migrants to rest of Europe Posted: 21 Sep 2015 04:34 AM PDT By Aleksandar Vasovic OPATOVAC, Croatia (Reuters) - Croatia will demand that Greece stop moving migrants from the Middle East on to the rest of Europe, Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic said on Monday. EU interior ministers are to meet on Tuesday in an attempt to find a solution to Europe's biggest migrant crisis since World War Two, with almost half a million asylum seekers reaching its territory this year. ‎"The flow of migrants from Greece must be stopped. "It is absolutely unacceptable to have Greece emptying its refugee camps and sending people towards Croatia via Macedonia and Serbia," Ostojic added.

EU Leaders at Odds Over Migrant Crisis as Week of Summits Gets Underway Posted: 21 Sep 2015 03:08 AM PDT Today marks the start of a week of intense political activity, as bitterly divided European leaders try to find a solution to the worst refugee crisis since World War II at a series of summits. Foreign ministers from four eastern European countries will hold talks on the issue on Monday afternoon, while EU interior ministers are to meet on Tuesday, and European leaders will attend an extraordinary summit on Wednesday. The foreign ministers of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are expected to continue to voice their opposition to Germany's demands for migrants to be evenly distributed across the continent when they convene today, according to the symbolic" number of refugees.

Common solvent keeps killing workers, consumers Posted: 21 Sep 2015 02:00 AM PDT Methylene chloride, in products such as paint strippers, has killed dozens of people since 1980 with no action from regulators.

For refugees in Australia, resettlement first step in road Posted: 21 Sep 2015 01:22 AM PDT It has been almost 16 years since Riz Wakil stepped off a dilapidated wooden boat onto a remote northern Australian territory, ending 11 terrifying days at sea huddled up against 76 other asylum-seekers. Now Wakil is a father of two who runs several businesses -- but the sight of hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing to Europe is a disturbing reminder both of what he left behind, and of how the risky journey was just the beginning of the challenges he faced in creating a new life. "The incidents of the past, the suffering of my family in Afghanistan, that never goes away," Wakil, from the Hazara ethnic minority, told AFP in the diverse western Sydney suburb of Auburn.

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