Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• France pushes U.N. to support fight against Islamic State
• Former U.S. drone operators say strikes feed Islamist militancy
• House defies Obama on Syrian refugees, as larger threat emerges
• Syrians detained in Honduras: Are there bigger risks than refugee program?
• Canada poll says more time needed for Syrian refugee checks
• The Latest: UN official: Wars create staggering needs
• Tehran slams 'Iranophobia' over UN rights criticism
• Ben Carson: Flying Planes Into Twin Towers 'Didn't Require a Great Deal of Sophistication'
• House votes to suspend US refugee program
• Terrorism top concern at Rio Olympics: security chief
• The Latest: Police in Rotterdam detain 3 people
• Balkans limit entry on migrant route to war refugees
• France wants UN to authorize 'all necessary measures' against IS
• Preserving the country's history at the Australian War Memorial
• Bipartisan push in Senate for war powers after Paris attacks
• Saudi Arabia will host conference to unite Syrian opposition
• New Islamic State video threatens attack on White House
• Hillary Clinton calls for increase in US air strikes against ISIS
• House votes to curb Syrian refugees, snubs Obama veto threat
• Jihadists in Europe stir visa debate in US
• Analysis: Obama refugee argument fails as Democrats desert
• Paris attacks 'ringleader' killed in police raid
• Italy and Sweden act against threat of militant attacks
• Here’s What Refugees Want Americans—and Politicians—to Know About Coming to the U.S.
• Clinton urges stepped-up fight against Islamic State in Syria
• Syrian family stuck in Moscow airport fined for trying to jump border
• Clinton: No troops in Syria, US must welcome refugees
• French UN draft asks states to 'redouble' efforts against IS
• European nations shut their borders to economic migrants
• Clinton Distances Herself from Obama in the Fight Against ISIS
• Clinton urges 'dramatic' improvement in intel sharing
• Clinton: US must push Arab leaders to confront Islamic State
• Hollande orders escalation of anti-IS strikes in Iraq, Syria
• France pushes U.N. members to back fight against Islamic State
• Jihadists' presence shows major Europe border failings: analysts
• Is Trump on a Slippery Slope to Fascism?
• New York defiant in face of IS video threat
• EU security measures up for debate in wake of Paris attacks
• Migrants fear Paris attacks have multiplied their woes

France pushes U.N. to support fight against Islamic State Posted: 19 Nov 2015 04:49 PM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France wants the United Nations Security Council to push all able states to join the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq after the militants claimed responsibility for downing a Russian plane over Egypt and attacks in Paris, Lebanon, Turkey, and Tunisia. France circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member council on Thursday that calls on countries "to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically" by the group, which is also known as ISIS and ISIL. On Wednesday, Russia submitted an edited draft of a text initially circulated to the council on Sept. 30.

Former U.S. drone operators say strikes feed Islamist militancy Posted: 19 Nov 2015 04:41 PM PST By Laila Kearney NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lethal U.S. drone strikes in the Middle East are fueling hatred towards the West and spurring the expansion of Islamist militant groups such as ISIS, a group of former U.S. military airmen said on Thursday. Four former drone operators have written an open letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to reevaluate his administration's use of drones, which critics say can engage innocent civilians and drive angry survivors into militancy. "You harm these people, and they're going to want revenge," former Staff Sergeant Brandon Bryant, who operated drones for the U.S. Air Force Predator program between 2007 and 2011, said at a news conference in New York.

House defies Obama on Syrian refugees, as larger threat emerges Posted: 19 Nov 2015 04:36 PM PST Since the terrorist attacks in Paris last week, Republicans and Democrats have been loudly fighting over the president's plan to take in 10,000 Syrian refugees – with the House on Thursday strongly passing a bill, 289 to 137, to essentially pause the plan, defying the president's veto threat. Lawmakers from both parties are pointing out a serious security gap in terrorist travel – loopholes in America's "visa waiver" program. The program allows passport holders from 38 countries, including France and Belgium, to enter the United States without a visa and stay for 90 days – a program affecting some 20 million travelers a year.

Syrians detained in Honduras: Are there bigger risks than refugee program? Posted: 19 Nov 2015 04:18 PM PST This week, President Obama and mostly Republican governors and members of Congress have been heatedly sparring over the president's plan to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees over the next year – Mr. Obama invoking American values, his critics blasting him for disregarding US security. Meanwhile, the Syrians stopped in Tegucigalpa received little attention. Recommended: Do you understand the Syria conflict?

Canada poll says more time needed for Syrian refugee checks Posted: 19 Nov 2015 04:03 PM PST Canadians believe the new Liberal government should take a longer time to run security checks on the Syrian refugees it plans to bring in, or else take fewer refugees, a poll released on Thursday found. The Angus Reid survey showed that 46 percent of respondents thinking last Friday's attacks in Paris should cause the government to go ahead and accept 25,000 Syrians as planned but to take longer for security checks. A further 13 percent said it should cause them to take fewer Syrian refugees than planned and another 22 percent to not take any at all.

The Latest: UN official: Wars create staggering needs Posted: 19 Nov 2015 04:01 PM PST SKOPJE, Macedonia (AP) — The latest news as hundreds of thousands make their way across Europe in search of safety and a better life. All times local:

Tehran slams 'Iranophobia' over UN rights criticism Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:53 PM PST Iran on Thursday accused countries backing a UN resolution criticizing its rights record of spreading "Iranophobia" and said they should instead focus on the threat from violent Islamic extremists. The resolution drafted by Canada was backed by a vote of 76 to 35 with 68 abstentions in a UN General Assembly committee. The resolution expresses "serious concern" over the use of the death penalty in Iran and calls on Tehran to end torture and other cruel treatment.

Ben Carson: Flying Planes Into Twin Towers 'Didn't Require a Great Deal of Sophistication' Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:50 PM PST Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson doubled down on his previous language this morning, saying that al Qaeda was not an existential threat to the United States in 2001 and 2003. Today, he told ABC News that ISIS is more of a threat now than al Qaeda was in 2001 and 2003.

House votes to suspend US refugee program Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:38 PM PST The House of Representatives voted Thursday to ban Syrian and Iraqi refugees from entering the United States until tougher screening measures are in place, a move some slammed as giving in to xenophobia after the Paris attacks. Nearly four dozen Democrats went against their president to support the measure. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its fate is uncertain, but it sets up a clash with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the bill and has criticized Republicans for "hysteria" and falling short of their humanitarian duty to take in the oppressed.

Terrorism top concern at Rio Olympics: security chief Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:34 PM PST The risk of a terrorist attack is the main security fear at the Rio Olympics, a top official said Thursday, with the Paris attacks highlighting the potential for Brazil to be sucked into conflict for the first time with Islamic extremists. "Terrorism is the number one worry," Jose Mariano Beltrame, the security chief for the state of Rio de Janeiro, told a news conference. With a low profile in international conflicts and no connection to US and European entanglements in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria, Brazil has never been targeted by Islamist groups.

The Latest: Police in Rotterdam detain 3 people Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:32 PM PST PARIS (AP) — The latest on the deadly attacks in Paris. (All times local):

Balkans limit entry on migrant route to war refugees Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:22 PM PST Countries along the migrant route through the Balkans have begun tightening restrictions by accepting only those fleeing war, causing a backlog of hundreds of people Thursday on the Greek-Macedonian border. Hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty across the Mediterranean have travelled up from Greece through the Balkans this year, aiming to start new lives in more prosperous northern European countries. "Croatia is accepting migrants only from war-affected countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan," a Croatian police spokeswoman Marina Mandic told AFP.

France wants UN to authorize 'all necessary measures' against IS Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:17 PM PST France asked the UN Security Council Thursday to authorize countries to "take all necessary measures" to fight the Islamic State group after the jihadists claimed responsibility for the Paris attacks. A draft resolution presented to the 15-member council called on UN member states to "redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts" committed by IS and other extremist groups linked to Al-Qaeda. The French draft resolution does not provide any legal basis for military action and does not invoke chapter seven of the UN charter that authorizes the use of force.

Preserving the country's history at the Australian War Memorial Posted: 19 Nov 2015 03:04 PM PST The Australian War Memorial has been growing its digital asset repository for the last five years as it continues to digitise its archive of photos, videos, and other memorabilia.

Bipartisan push in Senate for war powers after Paris attacks Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:55 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Paris attacks have given new impetus to a bipartisan push to approve new war powers to fight Islamic State militants, with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday joining Republican and Democratic lawmakers in calling for what would be the first war vote in Congress in 13 years.

Saudi Arabia will host conference to unite Syrian opposition Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:53 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Saudi Arabia will host a conference in mid-December to try to unite the Syrian opposition ahead of new peace talks, a key issue in stepped up efforts to end the nearly five-year civil war, the country's U.N. ambassador said Thursday.

New Islamic State video threatens attack on White House Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:30 PM PST Islamic State militants released a video on Thursday threatening the White House with suicide bombings and car blasts and vowing to conduct more attacks on France. The six-minute video released by Islamic State fighters in Iraq applauds last week's Paris attacks, according to a translation of the Arabic provided by the Maryland-based SITE Intelligence Group. The latest threat comes one day after the militant group put out a video showing scenes of New York City, which suggested it was also a target.

Hillary Clinton calls for increase in US air strikes against ISIS Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:24 PM PST Hillary Clinton has shifted her focus regarding Syria: she is now urging Congress to pass a bill approving stronger military action against the Islamic State (IS). "This is no time to be scoring political points.

House votes to curb Syrian refugees, snubs Obama veto threat Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:22 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. House voted overwhelmingly Thursday to erect high hurdles for Syrian and Iraqi refugees coming to American shores, dividing the president's own Democratic party as lawmakers reflected the anxiety of voters back home.

Jihadists in Europe stir visa debate in US Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:03 PM PST US lawmakers on edge after the Paris attacks launched by French and Belgian jihadists are calling into question a program that allows Europeans to travel to America without a visa. Members of Congress including some in President Barack Obama's Democratic Party have vowed to close loopholes, introducing legislation Thursday aimed at preventing Islamic State extremists from slipping into the United States. Following deadly attacks against satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo last January in Paris, US lawmakers grew concerned about the travel freedoms afforded to nationals of 38 countries, including 23 in the European Union, plus Australia, Chile, Japan, Norway, Singapore and others.

Analysis: Obama refugee argument fails as Democrats desert Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:02 PM PST MANILA, Philippines (AP) — As anxiety about Syrian refugees entering the U.S. took hold this week, President Barack Obama was having none of it. Halfway across the globe, he scolded politicians questioning his plan to take in 10,000 Syrians in light of the Paris attacks, dismissing them as fear-mongers scoring political points.

Paris attacks 'ringleader' killed in police raid Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:01 PM PST The Islamic State jihadist suspected of orchestrating the Paris attacks was killed in a major police raid in the French capital, prosecutors confirmed Thursday, raising troubling questions about a breakdown in intelligence and European border security. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian of Moroccan origin linked to a series of extremist plots in Europe over the past two years, died in Wednesday's assault by elite police units on an apartment in northern Paris. The 28-year-old was thought to have been in Syria -- where he had boasted of planning attacks on the West -- and his presence in France will renew debate about Europe's border controls and monitoring of fighters returning from Syria.

Italy and Sweden act against threat of militant attacks Posted: 19 Nov 2015 02:01 PM PST ROME/STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Police in Italy and Sweden hunted suspected militants and increased security around public buildings on Thursday after receiving reports that attacks might be planned on their soil following last week's mass killings in Paris. The threat assessment level was at its highest ever, meaning a high probability "persons have the intent and ability to carry out an attack". Italy's foreign minister said possible attacks could be aimed at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome or the cathedral or La Scala theater in Milan.

Here’s What Refugees Want Americans—and Politicians—to Know About Coming to the U.S. Posted: 19 Nov 2015 01:48 PM PST The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation to create new screening procedures for Syrian refugees seeking safety in the United States, threatening to impose a new layer of bureaucracy on what refugees and advocates say is already a difficult, years-long process. The vote came despite a veto threat from the Obama administration, which called the proposed changes "untenable," according to The New York Times, because they would require top brass at the FBI, Homeland Security, and other national security organizations to sign off on every single applicant from Syria and Iraq. Politicians outside Washington have called for similar restrictions or outright bans on the entry of Syrian refugees into the U.S., making a campaign issue of a crisis that has forced an estimated 3 million Syrians to flee their country.

Clinton urges stepped-up fight against Islamic State in Syria Posted: 19 Nov 2015 01:33 PM PST By Luciana Lopez NEW YORK (Reuters) - Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Thursday urged a tougher approach to fighting Islamic State militants than President Barack Obama has pursued, with an intensified air campaign and more U.S. special forces and trainers. Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the former secretary of state offered her most expansive view to date on how to counter a growing militancy that launched attacks in Paris last Friday in which 129 people died. "Our goal is not to deter or contain ISIS, but to defeat and destroy ISIS," she said, using a common acronym for the group, in what amounted to an implicit criticism of Obama, who said days before the Paris attacks that it had been contained.

Syrian family stuck in Moscow airport fined for trying to jump border Posted: 19 Nov 2015 01:31 PM PST A Syrian family of six that has been blocked for over two months in a transit zone in Moscow airport was fined 5,000 rubles (72 euros, $77) Thursday for attempting to illegally enter Russia. A court in the Moscow suburb of Khimki found Hassan and Gulistan Ahmad guilty "of trying to illegally cross the border" with their four children aged between three and 12 on September 10, an AFP correspondent reported from the courtroom. The family was accused of trying to enter Russia on fake passports, despite having obtained valid visas from the Russian embassy in Iraq.

Clinton: No troops in Syria, US must welcome refugees Posted: 19 Nov 2015 12:50 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed Thursday to keep American troops out of Syria, saying in a sweeping foreign policy address she would resist sending forces to fight Islamic State militants even if there were an attack within the U.S.

French UN draft asks states to 'redouble' efforts against IS Posted: 19 Nov 2015 12:17 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — France circulated a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Thursday that calls on all countries to "redouble and coordinate their efforts" to prevent further attacks by the Islamic State group and similar groups and "eradicate the safe haven they have established over significant parts of Iraq and Syria."

European nations shut their borders to economic migrants Posted: 19 Nov 2015 12:10 PM PST BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Most nations along Europe's refugee corridor abruptly shut their borders Thursday to those not coming from war-torn countries such as Syria, Afghanistan or Iraq, leaving thousands desperately seeking a better life in the continent stranded at Balkan border crossings.

Clinton Distances Herself from Obama in the Fight Against ISIS Posted: 19 Nov 2015 12:04 PM PST Hillary Clinton's plan for fighting ISIS walks a fine line between her hawkish Republican rivals and the administration she once served in. In a speech Thursday, the former secretary of state said the U.S. and its allies should intensify the fight against the extremist group and called for the establishment and enforcement of a no-fly zone over Syria, a step President Obama has been loath to take. In splitting the gap between the Obama and Bush doctrines, Clinton once again signaled that her administration would emphasize compromise.

Clinton urges 'dramatic' improvement in intel sharing Posted: 19 Nov 2015 12:00 PM PST Hillary Clinton called Thursday for dramatic improvements in intelligence sharing in light of the Paris attacks, criticizing the failure of European countries to consistently tip each other off to jihadist activities. Clinton made the remarks in a speech in New York that also faulted US allies such as Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar for not doing enough to stop the flow of money and fighters to Islamic State, the extremist group that took responsibility for the attacks Friday that left 129 people dead. "The entire world must be part of this fight, but we must lead it," she told the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, in a tone noticeably more hawkish than many of her Democratic colleagues.

Clinton: US must push Arab leaders to confront Islamic State Posted: 19 Nov 2015 11:53 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Hillary Rodham Clinton vowed to keep American troops out of Syria in a sweeping foreign policy address, saying she would resist sending forces to fight Islamic militants even if there's another terrorist attack within the US.

Hollande orders escalation of anti-IS strikes in Iraq, Syria Posted: 19 Nov 2015 11:43 AM PST President Francois Hollande on Thursday ordered French air strikes against Islamic State jihadists to be stepped up in Iraq as well as Syria following the Paris attacks, his office said. "Francois Hollande gave the necessary instructions for the intensification of the military operations under way against Daesh in Syria as well as in Iraq," said a statement issued after he met senior cabinet ministers and military chiefs.

France pushes U.N. members to back fight against Islamic State Posted: 19 Nov 2015 11:29 AM PST By Michelle Nichols UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - France wants the United Nations Security Council to push all states who are able to join the fight against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq after the militants claimed the downing of a Russian plane in Egypt and attacks in Paris, Lebanon, Turkey, Tunisia. France circulated a draft resolution to the 15-member council on Thursday that also calls on countries "to redouble and coordinate their efforts to prevent and suppress terrorist acts committed specifically" by Islamic State. It sets up a showdown between France and Russia, which on Wednesday revived a bid for U.N. approval of international military action against Islamic State by submitting an edited draft of a text initially circulated to the council on Sept. 30.

Jihadists' presence shows major Europe border failings: analysts Posted: 19 Nov 2015 11:26 AM PST The presence in France of Belgian jihadist Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks who was killed by police on Wednesday, demonstrates major failings in Europe's borderless Schengen zone, experts say. The 28-year-old was one of the most wanted men in the world, featuring in numerous propaganda videos for the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. The group's top leaders chose him in June to organise attacks in France, Italy and Spain, according to an article in Intelligence Online, which monitors jihadist networks.

Is Trump on a Slippery Slope to Fascism? Posted: 19 Nov 2015 10:28 AM PST Donald Trump has already promised voters that as president he would create a special federal "deportation force" that would round up and summarily deport suspected illegal immigrants. Now, in a remarkable interview with Yahoo News, published Thursday, the billionaire former reality television star, who is leading in many Republican presidential polls, further clarified his grand vision of turning the U.S. into a police state. In the aftermath of the ISIS-orchestrated terror attacks in Paris last week, Trump moved quickly to stoke and then exploit the fear of such an attack on U.S. soil.

New York defiant in face of IS video threat Posted: 19 Nov 2015 10:21 AM PST A defiant New York on Thursday stared down an Islamic State propaganda video threatening the city as White House hopeful Hillary Clinton called for a US-led global fight to defeat the extremists. Less than a week after attacks killed 129 people in Paris, an IS video showed a man preparing a suicide vest and fingering its trigger, interlaced with footage of New York's Times and Herald Squares. Police immediately insisted there was "no current or specific threat," and Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton went to Times Square in the middle of the night to reassure residents.

EU security measures up for debate in wake of Paris attacks Posted: 19 Nov 2015 10:18 AM PST BRUSSELS (AP) — France and Belgium will urge their European partners on Friday to tighten gun laws, toughen border security and choke off funds to extremist groups, a week after at least 129 people were killed in attacks in Paris. But at an emergency meeting in Brussels, European Union interior and justice ministers will not agree on any new measures that could be immediately introduced to restore calm among countries rattled by the coordinated strikes in the French capital.

Migrants fear Paris attacks have multiplied their woes Posted: 19 Nov 2015 10:12 AM PST PRESEVO, Serbia (AP) — At the tender age of 16, Ahmad Fawad has three fears: He fears the Taliban gunmen who killed his family members in Afghanistan. He fears that once-welcoming European countries are shutting the doors after the carnage in Paris. And he fears that the very extremists who attacked his family at home are moving alongside him in the flow of humanity bound for Europe.

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