Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.S. envoy for anti-Islamic State coalition Allen to step down
• UN: Global food needs are outstripping donor generosity
• Iraq, Nigeria star at UN counter-terrorism summit
• Parents feared Canadian teen could carry out terror attack: prosecutor
• Trial begins in Vegas in 2010 slaying of US airman from Guam
• Air strikes kill two notorious jihadists: Pentagon
• Militants, migrants, pope and Putin to headline at United Nations
• US: military talks with Moscow tied to Syria political path
• Brian Williams returns to television news on MSNBC after suspension
• Ex-CIA chief Petraeus calls for more US action in Syria
• Brian Williams returns to airwaves for pope coverage
• Brian Williams returns to air to anchor MSNBC's coverage of pope's arrival
• Zico says FIFA elections outdated, lack legitimacy
• Kerry: US hopes Russia, Iran will be helpful in Syria
• Soccer-Zico says FIFA elections outdated, lack legitimacy
• More Veterans Set to Go From Protecting America to Feeding America
• Pro-Kurdish ministers quit Turkish cabinet amid tension over violence
• Petraeus apologizes for giving classified info to mistress
• Illinois man accused of trying to join Islamic State may face trial
• David Petraeus Apologizes for Giving Classified Info to Alleged Mistress, Talks Syria Strategy
• Kurdish ministers quit Turkey govt over 'logic of war' against Kurdish rebels
• With refugees, German Muslim minority could be Europe's largest
• The Latest: UN in Italy finishes migrant center checks
• Iraqi Kurds reassert right to export oil to U.S. despite court ruling
• Refugees Will Cost Germany At Least Ten Billion Euros, Says Think Tank
• Some notable moments between popes and US presidents
• South Africa investigates $5 million seizure at airport
• German intelligence chief warns Islamists could target refugees
• The Lack of American National Security
• Germany's Merkel pays tribute to predecessor's reforms
• OECD tells Europe to act fast with 1 million migrants expected
• German intelligence 'concerned' Islamists recruiting refugees
• Britain has not discussed Syrian military action with Russia - Fallon
• Iran's president claims his military best defense against IS
• B-B-B-Bernie and the Jets
• Iran best defence against Mideast 'terror': Rouhani
• Raids in Berlin over suspected recruitment for IS: police
• Deep in the forest, Dutch prepare to welcome migrants
• Analysis: For Walker, a cascade of troubles ends campaign
• Syrians who died in truck in Austria sought new life: relative

U.S. envoy for anti-Islamic State coalition Allen to step down Posted: 22 Sep 2015 04:01 PM PDT The U.S. special envoy for countering the Islamic State militant group, retired General John Allen, plans to step down for personal reasons, a U.S. official said on Tuesday. Allen, a retired U.S. Marine four star general and a former commander of NATO and U.S. Forces in Afghanistan, had originally agreed to serve in the job for six months and has done it for a year, said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. While acknowledging disagreements within Washington over U.S. policy toward the militant group, which has seized control of parts of Iraq and Syria, the U.S. official said Allen's plan to step down reflected personal, not professional, factors.

UN: Global food needs are outstripping donor generosity Posted: 22 Sep 2015 03:04 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The head of the U.N. food agency said Tuesday the overwhelming humanitarian needs in crises from Syria, Yemen and Iraq to South Sudan and Africa's Sahel region are outstripping the generosity of donors, and it is seeking new sources of money.

Iraq, Nigeria star at UN counter-terrorism summit Posted: 22 Sep 2015 03:00 PM PDT Iraqi leader Haider al-Abadi and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari are among more than 100 leaders taking part in a counter-terrorism summit hosted by President Barack Obama at the United Nations next week. A total of 104 countries are invited to the September 29 summit that will take stock of the US-led campaign to defeat Islamic State jihadists, one year after it was launched. Iran however has not been invited to the event even though it is playing a major role in the fight against IS in neighboring Iraq, providing military advisers, weapons and trainers to the Iraqi army and Shiite militias.

Parents feared Canadian teen could carry out terror attack: prosecutor Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:51 PM PDT By Nelson Wyatt MONTREAL (Reuters) - The youngest person on trial for terrorism offenses in Canada was spiraling out of control before his arrest, with his parents fearful he could carry out an attack, a prosecutor told a Montreal youth court on Tuesday. The 16-year-old boy's mother was not aware of any specific plans, but expressed her fears to police after he was arrested in October 2014 for robbing a Montreal convenience store when he was 15, prosecutor Lyne Decarie said. RCMP have said Montreal police alerted the federal force when they realized the youth had become radicalized.

Trial begins in Vegas in 2010 slaying of US airman from Guam Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:32 PM PDT LAS VEGAS (AP) — A death penalty trial has begun in Las Vegas for a Nevada ex-convict accused of plotting with his girlfriend the ambush slaying of her husband, a U.S. Air Force service member and Iraq War veteran from Guam.

Air strikes kill two notorious jihadists: Pentagon Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:17 PM PDT Coalition forces killed a senior leader of the Islamic State group in an air strike in Iraq, the Pentagon said Tuesday, also confirming the death in Syria of a French jihadist. Abu Bakr al-Turkmani, who died September 10 in a strike in Tal Afar in northern Iraq, was a "slave facilitator" who had been involved in the sexual trafficking of Yazidi minority women, a US defense official separately told AFP. "He was an ISIL administrative emir, he was part of Al-Qaeda in Iraq before joining ISIL and was a close associate to multiple ISIL senior leaders in Iraq," Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook told reporters, using an alternative acronym for the Islamic State group.

Militants, migrants, pope and Putin to headline at United Nations Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:03 PM PDT By Michelle Nichols and Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - World leaders will gather for their annual meeting at the United Nations starting Friday as Europe faces a flood of asylum seekers, many fleeing Syria's civil war in the worst humanitarian crisis since the world body was created 70 years ago. Islamic State will also top the agenda. U.S. President Barack Obama will host a counterterrorism meeting, with over 100 countries invited, that will address Islamic State, foreign terrorist fighters and violent extremism.

US: military talks with Moscow tied to Syria political path Posted: 22 Sep 2015 01:53 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter is still unsure of Russia's military intentions in Syria but intends no further conversations unless Moscow agrees to participate in talks aimed at a political solution to the civil war, Carter's spokesman said Tuesday.

Brian Williams returns to television news on MSNBC after suspension Posted: 22 Sep 2015 01:27 PM PDT By Katie Reilly NEW YORK (Reuters) - TV newsman Brian Williams, who was suspended for fabricating a story about being on a helicopter shot down in the Iraq war, returned to the air on Tuesday as a breaking news anchor on cable channel MSNBC to cover the pope's arrival in America. Williams, 56, lost his job as news anchor of NBC's flagship "Nightly News" program in June after an internal investigation established he had exaggerated various events involving his reporting from the field. "Good day, I'm Brian Williams at MSNBC headquarters here in New York," he said in the on-air introduction for his new role before launching into a preview of Pope Francis' first visit to the United States.

Ex-CIA chief Petraeus calls for more US action in Syria Posted: 22 Sep 2015 01:03 PM PDT Former CIA chief David Petraeus said Tuesday that the United States should play a more active role in Syria, including setting up safe havens and implementing no-fly zones to prevent regime planes dropping barrel bombs. The retired four-star general, who became a household name in America after overseeing the troop "surge" in Iraq in 2007, also gave an emotional apology for sharing classified information with his mistress in a scandal that led to his resignation from the Central Intelligence Agency.

Brian Williams returns to airwaves for pope coverage Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:43 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Brian Williams returned to the airwaves of MSNBC to anchor coverage of the visit of Pope Francis to the United States on Tuesday, his first day back at work following his suspension from NBC News and demotion for misleading viewers about his role in news stories.

Brian Williams returns to air to anchor MSNBC's coverage of pope's arrival Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:38 PM PDT The former "NBC Nightly News" anchor was suspended for six months in February for fabricating stories about his reporting.

Zico says FIFA elections outdated, lack legitimacy Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:10 PM PDT By Brian Homewood ZURICH (Reuters) - FIFA presidential candidate Zico believes that the rules for electing the head of soccer's governing body are unfair, outdated and subject voting federations to outside pressure. Speaking to Reuters on a tram taking him to FIFA headquarters to meet president Sepp Blatter, Zico said it was wrong that candidates had to have written backing from five national football associations. "I knew about this and the difficulties other candidates went through but you always have to try in life," he said during a 20-minute journey on the number six.

Kerry: US hopes Russia, Iran will be helpful in Syria Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:08 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the Obama administration hopes Russia and Iran will play a positive role in Syria and back a political transition for the country to end the current conflict and blunt the Islamic State group.

Soccer-Zico says FIFA elections outdated, lack legitimacy Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:05 PM PDT By Brian Homewood ZURICH, Sept 22 (Reuters) - FIFA presidential candidate Zico believes that the rules for electing the head of soccer's governing body are unfair, outdated and subject voting federations to outside pressure. Speaking to Reuters on a tram taking him to FIFA headquarters to meet president Sepp Blatter, Zico said it was wrong that candidates had to have written backing from five national football associations. "I knew about this and the difficulties other candidates went through but you always have to try in life," he said during a 20-minute journey on the number six.

More Veterans Set to Go From Protecting America to Feeding America Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:58 AM PDT For 200,000 U.S. service members transitioning out of the military each year, returning to civilian life will mean trading in their combat boots for a tractor and rubber galoshes, thanks to new farming-focused job-training programs created by the United States Department of Agriculture. Last week, the USDA and the Department of Defense announced that agriculture will be one of the industries in which the government will provide career assistance and counseling programs to service members finishing their term of enlistment. The program will give veterans the opportunity to gain farming skills through classroom instruction and registered apprenticeships from experienced farmers.

Pro-Kurdish ministers quit Turkish cabinet amid tension over violence Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:49 AM PDT By Ercan Gurses and Orhan Coskun ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey moved swiftly on Tuesday to replace two ministers from a pro-Kurdish party who quit its interim government amid rising tensions after a ceasefire with Kurdish militants collapsed in July. President Tayyip Erdogan has stepped up criticism of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) since it won 13 percent of the vote in June polls, depriving the AK Party (AKP) of an overall majority for the first time since 2002. With a re-run of the vote set for Nov. 1, Erdogan, who founded the AKP, has accused the HDP opposition of links to fighters of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), deemed a terrorist organization by both Washington and Ankara.

Petraeus apologizes for giving classified info to mistress Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:49 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus apologized to Congress on Tuesday for sharing classified information with his biographer-mistress, then pivoted from personal to battlefield policy and labeled the current U.S. strategy for fighting Islamic State in the Middle East "inadequate."

Illinois man accused of trying to join Islamic State may face trial Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:37 AM PDT A federal judge on Tuesday said he wanted to set a trial date for a Chicago-area man accused of trying to provide support to Islamic State militants, as prosecutors and the defense failed to reach a plea deal in the case. Mohammed Hamzah Khan, 20, of the Chicago suburb of Bolingbrook is charged with trying to provide material support to Islamic State militants after he tried to travel with his two younger siblings to the Middle East to join the group. Khan's defense lawyer and federal prosecutors have been trying to reach a plea deal, but were not ready to present one to the judge at a status hearing in federal court in downtown Chicago on Tuesday.

David Petraeus Apologizes for Giving Classified Info to Alleged Mistress, Talks Syria Strategy Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:15 AM PDT Retired Gen. David Petraeus apologized today to lawmakers for sharing classified information with his biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell in what was his first public testimony before lawmakers since resigning as CIA director. Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Petraeus said the U.S. military should stop Assad's use of devastating and indiscriminate barrel bomb attacks, which most observers agree are cause for a majority of the death in Syria and the subsequent human migration. "We could tell Assad that barrel bombs need to end or we could stop their air force from flying," Petraeus said.

Kurdish ministers quit Turkey govt over 'logic of war' against Kurdish rebels Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:10 AM PDT Two Kurdish ministers accused Turkey's government of promoting a "logic of war" as they quit the cabinet on Tuesday, two months after the resumption of fighting between the army and Kurdish rebels. EU Affairs Minister Ali Haydar Konca and Development Minister Muslum Dogan said the state's two-month-old offensive against the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) had created a "hellish" situation "especially in the Kurdish cities". "A logic of war has been put into place," Konca, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democracy Party (HDP), told a press conference, describing the climate in the country as worse than during the height of the conflict between the state and the rebels in the 1990s.

With refugees, German Muslim minority could be Europe's largest Posted: 22 Sep 2015 11:04 AM PDT By Tom Heneghan BERLIN (Reuters) - When the flood of Middle Eastern refugees arriving in Europe finally ebbs and asylum-seekers settle down in their new homes, Germany could unexpectedly find itself housing the continent's largest Muslim minority. The arrival of so many Syrians fleeing their country's brutal civil war is bound to change the face of Islam in Germany, which until now has been dominated by the Turks who first came as so-called "guest workers" in the 1960s. While refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq and other Muslim countries are also arriving, the Syrians make up the largest single contingent - estimated at about 45 percent - and have the best chances of being granted political asylum here.

The Latest: UN in Italy finishes migrant center checks Posted: 22 Sep 2015 10:52 AM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — The latest developments as European governments struggle to cope with the huge number of people moving across Europe. All times local:

Iraqi Kurds reassert right to export oil to U.S. despite court ruling Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:33 AM PDT Kurdistan reasserted its right to export oil independently to the United States and other countries on Tuesday despite a court ruling in favor of the Iraqi federal government, which has sought to block crude sales from the autonomous region. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans on Monday dismissed the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s bid to overturn an earlier ruling against a planned sale of oil to an unidentified buyer in the U.S. Iraq's federal government filed a lawsuit in a U.S. court last year to thwart the sale of the one million barrel cargo from the Kurdistan region in an ongoing dispute over the right to export oil. Kurdistan's Ministry of Natural Resources however said in a statement on Tuesday that the ruling would force the Iraqi oil ministry to drop its "baseless" lawsuit.

Refugees Will Cost Germany At Least Ten Billion Euros, Says Think Tank Posted: 22 Sep 2015 09:01 AM PDT The Ifo Institute, a Munich-based not-for-profit economic research group, says that the figure could in fact be higher as it does not take into account the cost of family members joining the refugees or any educational measures. Germany announced in August that it expects Deutsche Welle, a refugee summit held by the German parliament in July budgeted 5.6 billion euros ($6.3 billion) for an expected 450,000 asylum applications this year, before the estimated number of arrivals increased. In a new report, the Ifo Institute warns that a lack of educational opportunities in the crisis-afflicted states of Syria, Iraq, Nigeria and Afghanistan could prevent refugees from integrating successfully into the workforce.

Some notable moments between popes and US presidents Posted: 22 Sep 2015 07:45 AM PDT Some notable moments in the nearly 100-year history of meetings between the pope and American presidents:

South Africa investigates $5 million seizure at airport Posted: 22 Sep 2015 06:50 AM PDT JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African police said Tuesday that they are investigating whether more than $5 million seized from five passengers bound for Dubai in August may have been part of a fundraising scheme by Islamic extremists.

German intelligence chief warns Islamists could target refugees Posted: 22 Sep 2015 06:34 AM PDT The head of Germany's domestic intelligence services warned on Tuesday that radical Islamists could seek to recruit young refugees coming to the country. "There is a big worry that Islamists in Germany, on the pretext of offering humanitarian help, could try to take advantage of the migrants' situation to convert and recruit those seeking asylum," said Hans-Georg Maassen, the president of the BfV domestic intelligence agency. "Our attention is particularly focused on unaccompanied young refugees who could be easy prey for Islamists," Maassen said.

The Lack of American National Security Posted: 22 Sep 2015 06:00 AM PDT North Korea is controlled by an unpredictable leader whose weapons can reach our shores.  Libya, Syria, and Yemen have become failed states with much of their populations turning to ISIS. As a result, refugees have begun to enter Europe.  We must wake up and make our national security a top-priority before it's too late.

Germany's Merkel pays tribute to predecessor's reforms Posted: 22 Sep 2015 05:10 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute Tuesday to the economic reforms her predecessor launched — and to his campaigning skills that nearly stopped her from winning the top job a decade ago.

OECD tells Europe to act fast with 1 million migrants expected Posted: 22 Sep 2015 04:53 AM PDT By Brian Love PARIS (Reuters) - Europe can expect a record one million people to request asylum this year as refugees flee war Syria and Iraq in droves, and EU leaders must set their differences aside to meet the challenge, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development said. The plea from the Paris-based OECD, an agency which offers policy advice to the primarily wealthy countries that fund it, came as EU interior ministers sought yet again to agree on a shareout plan covering 120,000 refugees, at talks in Brussels. "Europe's leaders must take a historic stand in the face of this humanitarian tragedy," OECD chief Angel Gurria said.

German intelligence 'concerned' Islamists recruiting refugees Posted: 22 Sep 2015 04:20 AM PDT German intelligence warned Tuesday that the number of Islamic extremists in the country had increased sharply in recent months and expressed serious concern that they were recruiting among refugees. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV), Germany's domestic security watchdog, said the number of radical Salafists had surged to 7,900 in September from 7,500 in June, and that many were trying to lure asylum-seekers into their ranks. "We are very concerned that Islamists in Germany are trying, under the cover of humanitarian assistance, to exploit the situation of the refugees for their own ends and to proselytise and recruit among asylum-seekers," BfV president Hans-Georg Maassen said in a statement.

Britain has not discussed Syrian military action with Russia - Fallon Posted: 22 Sep 2015 03:56 AM PDT Britain has not discussed military action in Syria with Russia, British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said on Tuesday, adding that Moscow's action in the last few weeks had further complicated the situation there. "We have not discussed military operations against ISIL (Islamic State) in Syria with the Russians," Fallon told British defence and security think tank Royal United Services Institute.

Iran's president claims his military best defense against IS Posted: 22 Sep 2015 03:49 AM PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — The Iranian president lauded his country's military as the most reliable force to take on "terrorists in the region," a reference to the extremist Islamic State group, in a speech during an annual military parade Tuesday.

B-B-B-Bernie and the Jets Posted: 22 Sep 2015 03:28 AM PDT You know him as a grumpy socialist, but Vermonters know Bernie Sanders is also a pol who brings home the pork.

Iran best defence against Mideast 'terror': Rouhani Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:58 AM PDT Iran's armed forces are the best defence against "terror" in the Middle East, President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, urging regional countries not to rely on world powers. "Today, the largest power against intimidation and terror is our armed forces," Rouhani said at a massive military parade in Tehran. Iran has played a major role in the fight against the Islamic State group in neighbouring Iraq independently of the US-led coalition.

Raids in Berlin over suspected recruitment for IS: police Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:11 AM PDT German police carried out dawn raids in Berlin Tuesday targeting individuals suspected of inciting people to go and fight for the Islamic State group in Syria. A 19-year-old Macedonian thought to be currently in Syria is also suspected of involvement in the recruitment drive, it said. "We are looking for evidence to see whether these allegations are true," a police spokesman said.

Deep in the forest, Dutch prepare to welcome migrants Posted: 22 Sep 2015 02:01 AM PDT Deep in a tranquil Dutch forest a transformation is taking place, as the Netherlands scrambles to set up camp for thousands of migrants who will start arriving this week. Between Wednesday and Friday the first of 3,000 desperate asylum-seekers are expected to stream through the gates at Heumensoord outside the eastern Dutch city of Nijmegen on the border with Germany. The site is an obvious choice: in the summer some 5,000 soldiers camp here to take part in Europe's largest walk, the Nijmegen Four Day Marches, and infrastructure such as water and power already exists.

Analysis: For Walker, a cascade of troubles ends campaign Posted: 22 Sep 2015 12:31 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — For Scott Walker, it wasn't one thing that led to the demise of his presidential campaign. It was just about everything.

Syrians who died in truck in Austria sought new life: relative Posted: 21 Sep 2015 11:59 PM PDT By Rodi Said QAMISHLI, Syria (Reuters) - Three Syrian refugees, who were among 71 people found dead last month in the back of a truck in Austria, had dreamed of a better life in Germany with a smuggler having promised to get them there by car, a relative of two of the men said. Speaking in Syria's northeastern city of Qamishli, Jihad Doroush told Reuters his last contact with his two brothers-in-law and their friend had been an Aug. 25 telephone call from Serbia about their plans to travel via Hungary and Austria. The men, 34-year-old Hussein Khalil Mustafa, his brother Raman Khalil Mustafa, 21, and their friend Massoud Mohamed Yousef, had already spent months traveling through four countries to reach Serbia.

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