Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Warship honoring Marine christened at Maine shipyard
• Campaigning wraps up for critical Turkey vote
• Syrian MP: US decision to send troops is act of aggression
• U.N. and ICRC chide states for 'paralysis' in face of conflict
• US pledges nearly $100 million to support Syrian opposition
• Kerry does not rule out more US commandos in Syria
• Analysis: Obama crosses own red line with Syrian deployment
• New U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance launches offensive against Islamic State
• United Nations says two contractors detained in Yemen
• France's army chiefs, facing new threats, get new 'Pentagon'
• U.S., allies say conduct seven air strikes in Syria, 14 in Iraq
• Lonely Planet founder reprises original trip - on budget air
• 5 things to know about Turkey's Nov. 1 election
• Demirtas: 'Kurdish Obama' the man to beat in Turkey vote
• German U.N. official set to take up Libya post: diplomats
• Analysis: With Syria deployment, Obama crosses own red line
• US escalates involvement in Syria amid talks on Assad future
• Defense chief: US will keep adjusting to Islamic State fight

Warship honoring Marine christened at Maine shipyard Posted: 31 Oct 2015 04:22 PM PDT BATH, Maine (AP) — First in English, then in Spanish, the mother of a fallen Marine who shielded his comrades from an insurgent's grenade christened a new Navy destroyer in his honor.

Campaigning wraps up for critical Turkey vote Posted: 31 Oct 2015 01:44 PM PDT Opinion polls are predicting a replay Sunday of the shock June election which stripped the Justice and Development Party (AKP) of its majority after 13 years of single-party rule, leaving the country without a government after coalition talks failed. Turkey goes into the election more polarised than ever on ethnic and sectarian lines, and deeply on edge after the Ankara bombings blamed on Islamic State jihadists that killed 102 people, the worst in the country's modern history. The AKP of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is tipped to win between 40 and 43 percent of the vote, paving the way either for a shaky coalition that many analysts say will not last long -- or yet another election.

Syrian MP: US decision to send troops is act of aggression Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:34 AM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The United States' decision to send troops into Syria is an act of aggression because it does not have the government's agreement, a Syrian member of parliament said Saturday.

U.N. and ICRC chide states for 'paralysis' in face of conflict Posted: 31 Oct 2015 11:29 AM PDT By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and International Committee of the Red Cross President Peter Maurer made what they called an "unprecedented joint warning" on Saturday for states to stop conflicts, respect international law and aid refugees. "This flouts the very raison d'etre of the United Nations." They also called for states to rein in armed groups and hold them accountable for abuses, and to stop the use of heavy weapons in populated areas. The United Nations is struggling with an unprecedented array of conflicts and crises, with 60 million people made homeless, record demand for humanitarian aid, and little sign of peace talks bringing a swift end to wars in Libya, Syria or Yemen.

US pledges nearly $100 million to support Syrian opposition Posted: 31 Oct 2015 10:45 AM PDT MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — The United States ramped up its support for Syria's opposition with a pledge of nearly $100 million in fresh aid on Saturday. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia's top diplomat described the timing of the departure of Syrian President Bashar Assad and the withdrawal of foreign fighters as top sticking points to finding a lasting resolution to the civil war in Syria.

Kerry does not rule out more US commandos in Syria Posted: 31 Oct 2015 10:19 AM PDT Secretary of State John Kerry refused Saturday to rule out more US commandos being sent to Syria beyond the 50 already assigned to the fight against the Islamic State group. Speaking in the Kyrgyz capital during a tour of Central Asia, Kerry said he fully supported President Barack Obama's decision to put troops on the ground in Syria. "ISIL is the modern personification of evil," he said, using an alternative acronym for the jihadist force that has seized eastern Syria and northern Iraq.

Analysis: Obama crosses own red line with Syrian deployment Posted: 31 Oct 2015 09:15 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Even when President Barack Obama sent U.S. troops back to Iraq and ordered the military to stay in Afghanistan, he insisted Syria would remain off limits for American ground forces. Now he's crossed his own red line.

New U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance launches offensive against Islamic State Posted: 31 Oct 2015 08:51 AM PDT By John Davison BEIRUT (Reuters) - A newly formed U.S.-backed Syrian rebel alliance on Saturday launched an offensive against Islamic State in the northeast province of Hasaka, a day after the United States said it would send special forces to advise insurgents fighting the jihadists. It was the first declared operation by the Democratic Forces of Syria, which joins together a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia and several Syrian Arab rebel groups, since it announced its formation earlier this month. World powers and regional rivals are convening in Vienna to seek a solution to the four-year conflict in Syria that has escalated since Russia intervened a month ago with an intense air campaign.

United Nations says two contractors detained in Yemen Posted: 31 Oct 2015 08:08 AM PDT The United Nations said on Saturday two contractors with the world body had been detained in Yemen, but gave no further details on the incident. "Two contractors have been detained and DSS (Department of Safety and Security) is looking into it," a U.N. spokesman said without elaborating or confirming if the two were American citizens. A U.S. State Department official said it was aware of reports that two U.S. citizens had been detained at Sanaa airport in Yemen.

France's army chiefs, facing new threats, get new 'Pentagon' Posted: 31 Oct 2015 06:45 AM PDT PARIS (AP) — The building's walls are designed to withstand a missile strike and a highly secured operational room is hidden underground. France's army chiefs are moving into their new defense ministry, aimed at allowing a quicker response to the threats faced by the country — especially terrorism.

U.S., allies say conduct seven air strikes in Syria, 14 in Iraq Posted: 31 Oct 2015 06:16 AM PDT The U.S.-led coalition launched seven air strikes against Islamic State targets in Syria and 14 in Iraq on Friday, the military said in a statement. Four of the strikes in Syria were concentrated around Dayr Az Zawr, where they hit an Islamic State crude oil collection point and a petroleum pump as well as destroying a crane and mobile pump, the coalition said in a statement on Saturday. The others landed near the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa and al Hawl, it said.

Lonely Planet founder reprises original trip - on budget air Posted: 31 Oct 2015 06:01 AM PDT Tony Wheeler famously started the Lonely Planet series of travel guides in 1973 after embarking from London in a minivan, driving through the "hippie backpacker trail" in Asia and finally arriving in Sydney, where he and his wife Maureen had 27 cents between them. After selling the Lonely Planet enterprise for $133 million in 2007 to the BBC, Wheeler, 66, no longer needs to travel on the cheap.

5 things to know about Turkey's Nov. 1 election Posted: 31 Oct 2015 05:13 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey will hold a parliamentary election Sunday for the second time since June. Here are five things to know about the vote:

Demirtas: 'Kurdish Obama' the man to beat in Turkey vote Posted: 31 Oct 2015 03:25 AM PDT Selahattin Demirtas, the charismatic leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish party, is the man in the spotlight after he scored a stunning election breakthrough in June. Nicknamed the "Kurdish Obama" for his smooth rhetorical skills, Demirtas propelled his Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) into mainstream politics with a message that embodies the hopes of Turkey's biggest minority but also appeals to non-Kurds.

German U.N. official set to take up Libya post: diplomats Posted: 31 Oct 2015 02:44 AM PDT The United Nations Security Council on Friday approved the appointment of German U.N. official Martin Kobler as the new U.N. special envoy to Libya, said diplomats, though it was unclear when he would take over mediating stalled peace talks. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon notified the 15-member council in a letter, seen by Reuters, of his intention to replace the current envoy Bernardino Leon with Kobler. A senior U.N. diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Leon was currently due to leave on Nov. 6, but that could be extended if there was a sudden breakthrough in his mediation efforts.

Analysis: With Syria deployment, Obama crosses own red line Posted: 30 Oct 2015 09:04 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Even as President Barack Obama sent U.S. troops back to Iraq and ordered the military to stay in Afghanistan, he insisted Syria would remain off limits for American ground forces. Now the president has crossed his own red line.

US escalates involvement in Syria amid talks on Assad future Posted: 30 Oct 2015 08:17 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States escalated its fight against the Islamic State in Syria on Friday, pledging the first open deployment of military boots on the ground, even as U.S., Russian and other diplomats pressed a new peace effort that America hopes will hasten the departure of Bashar Assad.

Defense chief: US will keep adjusting to Islamic State fight Posted: 30 Oct 2015 06:42 PM PDT FAIRBANKS, Alaska (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Friday the decision to send special operations forces to Syria to work with local Kurdish and Arab fighters is unlikely to be the last significant adjustment to the U.S. fight against the resilient Islamic State group.

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