Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• British parliament votes to bomb Islamic State in Syria
• British bombers take off from Cyprus base after UK parliament vote
• Obama welcomes British vote on anti-IS air campaign
• British bombers take off from Cyprus base after parliament vote
• Britain to join Syria air strikes against IS after vote
• The Latest: Obama applauds Britain vote
• Stranded migrants clash with police on Greek-Macedonian border
• Tourism industry anxious as Congress mulls visa-program changes
• British parliament votes for air strikes against militants in Syria
• AP Conversation: Cruz: US more secure with Assad in power
• New Special Ops 'Targeting Force' Combatting ISIS May Have Fewer Than 100 Service Members
• AP FACT CHECK: Bush numbers off on bombing missions in Syria
• Middle East investment in U.S. property rises as returns drag at home
• Russia accuses Turkey's Erdogan over IS oil trade
• US rejects Russian charge that Turkey buys IS oil
• Islamic State releases video claiming to kill Russian spy
• The latest target for armed civilians patrolling US-Mexico border? Terrorists
• Review: Spike Lee's blistering 'Chi-Raq' burns with rage
• IS tightens Libya grip as world focuses on Iraq, Syria
• Russia says it has proof Turkey involved in Islamic State oil trade
• Diplomatic oil on Middle East's trouble waters
• IS expansion in Libya
• U.S. rejects Russian charge that Turkey involved in Islamic State oil smuggling
• Parliament no place for tear gas, Kerry tells Kosovo
• Slovakia files court challenge to EU migrant quotas: PM 
• Without naming names, John McCain frets about top of GOP ticket in 2016
• Canada's swift resettlement offers hope to Syria refugees
• New U.S. force for Iraq to number around 100: U.S. military
• Iraq briefed on U.S. special forces plan, Kerry says
• Iraqi leader backs U.S. effort to send more special ops: White House
• Islamic State video purportedly shows killing of Russian spy: monitoring group
• Pakistan executes four militants for roles in Peshawar school massacre
• UK lawmakers vote to launch airstrikes on IS in Syria
• Spat with Russia prompts Ankara to reconfigure trade ties
• Putin: Turkey Buys Oil from ISIS, and Erdogan Knows All About It
• IS in Syria beheads alleged Russian spy: video
• Kerry urges NATO to 'step up' IS fight, praises Britain
• Iraq does not need foreign ground forces to defeat IS: PM
• Britain's Cameron urges use of 'Daesh' for IS group

British parliament votes to bomb Islamic State in Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2015 04:22 PM PST By Elizabeth Piper and Kylie MacLellan LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's parliament voted on Wednesday to launch bombing raids against Islamic State in Syria, supporting Prime Minister David Cameron's case that the country needs to help destroy militants who are "plotting to kill us". Given Britain's diminished role on the world stage, the victory hands Cameron the chance to restore Britain's standing in global affairs. "Britain is safer tonight because of the decision that the House of Commons has taken," foreign minister Philip Hammond told Sky News.

British bombers take off from Cyprus base after UK parliament vote Posted: 02 Dec 2015 04:19 PM PST Two British fighter jets took off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus early on Thursday shortly after Britain's parliament voted to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria, a Reuters witness said. The destination of the two jets was not immediately clear and there was no comment from British authorities. RAF Akrotiri has been used as a launchpad for attacks on Islamic State targets in Iraq for just over a year, and late on Wednesday Britain's parliament broadened its scope for targeting targets in Syria.

Obama welcomes British vote on anti-IS air campaign Posted: 02 Dec 2015 04:18 PM PST US President Barack Obama hailed a vote Wednesday by British lawmakers to join the air campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria. Parliamentarians voted by an overwhelming majority to expand British participation in a counter-Islamic State air war in Iraq to neighboring Syria, offering Prime Minister David Cameron a much needed foreign policy victory. Cameron had been humiliated in 2013 when parliament voted against strikes against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, a vote that left Obama isolated in pressing for air strikes in response to chemical weapons use.

British bombers take off from Cyprus base after parliament vote Posted: 02 Dec 2015 04:14 PM PST Two British fighter jets took off from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus early on Thursday shortly after parliament voted to bomb Islamic State targets in Syria, a Reuters witness said. The destination of the two jets was not immediately clear and there was no comment from British authorities. RAF Akrotiri has been used as a launchpad for attacks on Islamic State targets in Iraq for just over a year, and late on Wednesday parliament broadened its scope for targeting targets in Syria.

Britain to join Syria air strikes against IS after vote Posted: 02 Dec 2015 03:54 PM PST Britain will join the US-led bombing campaign against Islamic State (IS) jihadists in Syria after MPs voted Wednesday in favour of air strikes. Prime Minister David Cameron secured the strong mandate he had sought with 397 of MPs voting in favour and 223 against, a majority of 174, after over 10 hours of passionate and often angry debate. "I believe the house has taken the right decision to keep the UK safe -- military action in Syria as one part of a broader strategy," Cameron wrote on Twitter.

The Latest: Obama applauds Britain vote Posted: 02 Dec 2015 03:43 PM PST LONDON (AP) — The latest developments regarding the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq: All times local:

Stranded migrants clash with police on Greek-Macedonian border Posted: 02 Dec 2015 03:37 PM PST Macedonian police fired tear gas at hundreds of mostly Pakistani migrants who tried to storm into the Balkan country from Greece on Wednesday demanding passage to wealthier northern Europe. About 1,500 Pakistanis, Moroccans and Iranians have been stuck in no-man's land between Greece and Macedonia for weeks after non-EU Balkan states began filtering migrants and granting passage only to refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Protests have swelled among desperate migrants stranded for days in squalid tent camps on the border near the Greek town of Idomeni in temperatures barely above freezing.

Tourism industry anxious as Congress mulls visa-program changes Posted: 02 Dec 2015 02:48 PM PST Lawmakers were introducing legislation this week tightening the program that allows millions to travel to the United States without a visa, as Congress moves to enhance security following the deadly Paris attacks. "Now we're looking at the Visa Waiver Program, those gaps and vulnerabilities in that," number two House Republican Kevin McCarthy told CNN Wednesday. "You'll see it roll out tomorrow" in the House of Representatives, he added on Fox, adding that it would be introduced on the floor of the chamber next week.

British parliament votes for air strikes against militants in Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2015 02:43 PM PST LONDON (Reuters) - British lawmakers voted by 397 to 223 on Wednesday in favor of launching air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria after more than 10 hours of debate. Britain has been bombing in Iraq for more than a year and Prime Minister David Cameron had urged lawmakers to back extending air strikes to Syria to target militants he said were plotting attacks on the West. (Reporting by Kylie MacLellan, editing by Elizabeth Piper)

AP Conversation: Cruz: US more secure with Assad in power Posted: 02 Dec 2015 02:35 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz says the U.S. is more secure with Syrian President Bashar Assad in power, accepting one of the Middle East's most brutal dictators as an unfortunate ally in the fight against the Islamic State.

New Special Ops 'Targeting Force' Combatting ISIS May Have Fewer Than 100 Service Members Posted: 02 Dec 2015 02:25 PM PST The "Expeditionary Targeting Force" to combat ISIS, first announced by Secretary of Defense Ash Carter on Tuesday, will likely number less than 100, U.S. officials said today. The deployment of the force to Iraq will require raising the current authorized troop cap of 3,550 by 100 more personnel, U.S. military spokesman Col. Steve Warren told Pentagon reporters today, speaking from Baghdad. The majority the new Expeditionary Targeting Force will consist of enablers and other personnel who will support the "very small number" of "trigger-pullers," Warren said, noting that the targeting force will conduct raids, focusing on high-value targets, flowing between both sides of the border between Iraq and Syria.

AP FACT CHECK: Bush numbers off on bombing missions in Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2015 02:24 PM PST GOOSE LAKE, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush frequently pans the Obama administration's war against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria for being too timid in its bombing campaign. But some statistics he cites to bolster his argument are wrong or outdated.

Middle East investment in U.S. property rises as returns drag at home Posted: 02 Dec 2015 02:15 PM PST The boarded-up building sat vacant on a tattered block in San Francisco until a small New York developer and a Kuwaiti real estate partner snapped it up in April 2014, attracted by the proximity to Twitter Inc and other tech companies. Over the next year and a half, New York's Synapse Development Group worked to win approval to redevelop the 1904 landmark on Market Street into a 203-room hotel run by London-based Yotel. The Kuwait Real Estate Co , or Aqarat, later approached Synapse to deepen the two firms' ties as general partners, and they plan to invest $25 million in the future.

Russia accuses Turkey's Erdogan over IS oil trade Posted: 02 Dec 2015 01:35 PM PST Russia on Wednesday accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his family of involvement in illegal oil trading with Islamic State jihadists, ratcheting up the heat in a dispute over Ankara's downing of one of Moscow's warplanes. The Turkish strongman accused Moscow of "slander" over claims his country had bought oil from IS, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov agreed to meet his counterpart from Ankara for the first high-level face-to-face talks since the ferocious war of words erupted last week. Ties between NATO member Turkey and Russia have been strained since Ankara shot down the jet on its border with Syria on November 24, with President Vladimir Putin accusing Ankara of downing the jet to protect oil supply lines to Turkish territory.

US rejects Russian charge that Turkey buys IS oil Posted: 02 Dec 2015 01:12 PM PST The United States strongly denied Wednesday a Russian claim that the Turkish government buys smuggled Syrian oil from the Islamic State jihadist group. A State Department spokesman admitted that there was a longstanding issue of oil being illegally transported to Turkey from wells in what is now IS territory. "We reject, outright, the premise that the Turkish government is in league with ISIL to smuggle oil across its borders," spokesman Mark Toner said.

Islamic State releases video claiming to kill Russian spy Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:59 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — The Islamic State group on Wednesday released a video in which a Russian-speaking man confesses to spying for Russia's security service and then is shown apparently being beheaded by another Russian-speaking man.

The latest target for armed civilians patrolling US-Mexico border? Terrorists Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:58 PM PST For years, volunteer groups of armed civilians have patrolled the US-Mexico border in a personal crusade against illegal immigration, drug smuggling, and human trafficking. Now, in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, some of these civilian patrols are turning their focus to another threat: terrorists trying to slip through the southern border. "We have pictures from trail cameras that show Somalis and Middle Eastern guys with beards and everything else, but nobody is listening," Tim Foley, Field Operations Director of Arizona Border Recon, told The Washington Post last week. "We're going to have something like Paris had.

Review: Spike Lee's blistering 'Chi-Raq' burns with rage Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:46 PM PST More alive than most of the year's films put together, Spike Lee's "Chi-Raq" is urgent agitprop that pulsates with unalloyed rage for the "self-inflicted genocide" of South Chicago and explodes with full-hearted (and gloriously lewd) pleas for peace.

IS tightens Libya grip as world focuses on Iraq, Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:44 PM PST The Islamic State group has strengthened its grip in its Libyan stronghold Sirte as new recruits and foreign fighters join its ranks while world attention focuses on Iraq and Syria. Experts and sources in Libya say Sirte has become a new focal point for the jihadist group as it comes under increasing pressure in its traditional Iraqi and Syrian power bases. "It is clear 'IS central' made an investment on Libya a long time ago," in a strategy dating back almost two years, said Mattia Toaldo, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Russia says it has proof Turkey involved in Islamic State oil trade Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:27 PM PST By Maria Tsvetkova and Lidia Kelly MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's defense ministry said on Wednesday it had proof that Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan and his family were benefiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq. Moscow and Ankara have been locked in a war of words since last week when a Turkish air force jet shot down a Russian warplane near the Syrian-Turkish border, the most serious incident between Russia and a NATO state in half a century. Erdogan responded by saying no one had the right to "slander" Turkey by accusing it of buying oil from Islamic State, and that he would stand down if such allegations were proven to be true.

Diplomatic oil on Middle East's trouble waters Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:21 PM PST In the view of American diplomats, the Middle East is experiencing unprecedented instability. Armed conflict has split apart Syria, Yemen, and Libya. Sunni-Shiite tensions are running high inside Iraq and Lebanon and especially between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

IS expansion in Libya Posted: 02 Dec 2015 12:14 PM PST TRIPOLI (Libya) (AFP) - The Islamic State group, which has already seized swathes of Iraq and Syria, has moved into Libya, a fertile ground for jihadists since dictator Moamer Kadhafi was ousted in 2011.

U.S. rejects Russian charge that Turkey involved in Islamic State oil smuggling Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:59 AM PST The United States on Wednesday flatly rejected Russian allegations that the Turkish government was in league with Islamic State militants to smuggle oil from Syria. State Department spokesman Mark Toner told a news briefing that U.S. information was that Islamic State was selling oil at the wellheads to middlemen who in turn were involved in smuggling the oil across the frontier into Turkey. "We reject outright the premise that the Turkish government is in league with ISIL to smuggle oil across its borders," Toner said, using an acronym for the militant group.

Parliament no place for tear gas, Kerry tells Kosovo Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:49 AM PST By Arshad Mohammed PRISTINA (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry called on opposition lawmakers in Kosovo on Wednesday to stop setting off tear gas in parliament, and on the young country to combat corruption, Islamic radicalism and ethnic division. In the Balkans for the first time as secretary of state, Kerry's brief stop in Kosovo underscored Western concern over the slow pace of progress 16 years after a U.S.-led NATO air war set the former Serbian province on the road to independence. The country of 1.8 million people - mainly ethnic Albanians - faces a deepening political crisis over relations with former master Serbia, against a backdrop of widespread frustration at a lack of progress on democracy, corruption and Western integration.

Slovakia files court challenge to EU migrant quotas: PM  Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:27 AM PST Slovakia said Wednesday it had mounted a legal challenge to the EU's plan to distribute 160,000 asylum-seekers among member states under a quota system. "The Slovak republic has officially filed a lawsuit against the Council of the European Union, to the highest court ... in Luxembourg," leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico said. The European Court of Justice adjudicates in disputes over how EU law is interpreted and applied.

Without naming names, John McCain frets about top of GOP ticket in 2016 Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:22 AM PST John McCain, the senior senator from Arizona and the GOP's 2008 presidential nominee, knows he has a bull's-eye on his back. The tea party is going after Senator McCain in the Republican primary, as he seeks a sixth term in the Senate.

Canada's swift resettlement offers hope to Syria refugees Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:18 AM PST AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The only thing Mohammed, a civil war refugee from Syria, knew about Canada was that it's a bit cold. Yet he accepted on the spot when asked if he wanted to settle there and be ready to travel before the end of the year.

New U.S. force for Iraq to number around 100: U.S. military Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:13 AM PST A new force of special operations troops being deployed by the United States to Iraq will likely number around 100, U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren said on Wednesday. "It will be ... probably around 100, maybe a little bit less," said Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led military campaign against Islamic State. A cap on the number of U.S. forces authorized to operate in Iraq, currently at 3,550, would be raised by about 100, Warren said.

Iraq briefed on U.S. special forces plan, Kerry says Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:13 AM PST By Arshad Mohammed and Sabine Siebold BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The Iraqi government is fully briefed on U.S. plans to deploy American special forces to Iraq and the two governments will consult closely on where they will go and what they will do, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said on Wednesday. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Tuesday Washington would deploy a new force of special operations troops to Iraq to combat Islamic State militants who have seized swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Iraqi leader backs U.S. effort to send more special ops: White House Posted: 02 Dec 2015 11:12 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi supports the U.S. effort to send 'about 200' special operations forces to Iraq, White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Wednesday. Asked about Abadi's comments about Tuesday's announcement of additional U.S. troops headed to Iraq, Earnest said the remarks were directed at ground combat troops, not special operations forces. Earnest added that the prime minister raised concerns about statements by Republican senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham to send 10,000 U.S. troops to Iraq. ...

Islamic State video purportedly shows killing of Russian spy: monitoring group Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:42 AM PST A video released online by Islamic State on Wednesday purportedly showed the beheading of a man the group said was a Russian spy its fighters had captured and who had been in Syria and Iraq since last year, the SITE monitoring group reported. The video shows the man sitting in an orange jumpsuit and giving details of his apparent recruitment by Russian intelligence services. Then, in a different outdoor location, an Islamic State fighter, who in Russian threatens Russia and President Vladimir Putin with attacks, appears to cut the man's throat and cut his head off.

Pakistan executes four militants for roles in Peshawar school massacre Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:42 AM PST Last year, on a grim day in December, seven gunmen armed with rifles and affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban stormed into an Army Public School in Peshawar, a northwestern city in Pakistan. Pakistan Army's Special Services Group killed all seven terrorists and rescued the remaining 960 students and staff. It was the deadliest terrorist attack to occur on Pakistan's soil.

UK lawmakers vote to launch airstrikes on IS in Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:33 AM PST LONDON (AP) — British lawmakers voted by a wide margin Wednesday to join the international campaign of airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Syria, after Prime Minister David Cameron asserted that bombing the "medieval monsters" in their heartland would make Britain safer.

Spat with Russia prompts Ankara to reconfigure trade ties Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:32 AM PST By Polina Devitt and Damir Khalmetov MOSCOW (Reuters) - Turkey's worsening dispute with Russia over the downing of a Russian warplane is prompting Ankara to prepare to source vital food and energy imports elsewhere, underscoring the dispute's potential to up-end lucrative trade ties. Turkish politicians have tried to ease tensions with Moscow after their air force shot down the Russian jet on Nov. 24, but the Kremlin has spurned their overtures, underlining the depth of its fury at what Vladimir Putin has called "a big mistake." It banned imports of some Turkish foodstuffs as part of a sanctions package, and on Wednesday Russia's defense ministry said it had proof that President Tayyip Erdogan and his family were benefiting from the illegal smuggling of oil from Islamic State-held territory in Syria and Iraq.

Putin: Turkey Buys Oil from ISIS, and Erdogan Knows All About It Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:30 AM PST After Russia began announcing the economic sanctions and travel restrictions against Turkey last week in response to the shooting down of a Russian bomber on the border of Turkey and Syria, there was a sense that there was another shoe waiting to drop. The sanctions are significant and will be felt in Turkey but they felt somehow insufficient, particularly in a high-profile diplomatic row between two leaders – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan – whose machismo is a core part of their public personas. By itself, that would have been enough to rouse Russia to real anger.

IS in Syria beheads alleged Russian spy: video Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:23 AM PST The Islamic State jihadist group released a video Wednesday purporting to show the execution of an alleged Russian spy in Syria. The video, which was circulated on social media, showed a prisoner wearing the orange tunic and trousers often seen on captives in IS's videos. It is the first video from the group to show the apparent execution of a Russian since Moscow began air strikes in support of Syria's government on September 30.

Kerry urges NATO to 'step up' IS fight, praises Britain Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:13 AM PST US Secretary of State John Kerry urged NATO allies Wednesday to intensify the fight against Islamic State, singling out Britain for praise as it looks set to join airstrikes against the jihadist group in Syria. Kerry meanwhile said that Russia could be an "extremely constructive player" in finding an eventual peace settlement in Syria, which has been consumed by civil war for more than four years. "I called on every NATO ally to step up support in the fight against Daesh (IS), striking at the organisation's core in Syria and Iraq," Kerry said after a meeting of foreign ministers from the 28 NATO states in Brussels.

Iraq does not need foreign ground forces to defeat IS: PM Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:11 AM PST Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Iraq does not need foreign ground troops to defeat the Islamic State group, after Washington announced it would deploy special forces to fight the jihadists. Abadi did not directly reject the deployment, of which US Secretary of State John Kerry said Baghdad had been informed before the announcement, but he insisted that any operations be coordinated with the Iraqi government. The presence of American ground forces is a contentious issue in Iraq, where the United States fought a nearly nine-year war, and it is politically expedient for Abadi to distance himself from the deployment.

Britain's Cameron urges use of 'Daesh' for IS group Posted: 02 Dec 2015 10:05 AM PST British Prime Minister David Cameron adopted the term "Daesh" to refer to the Islamic State group on Wednesday and urged others to follow suit to avoid lending the jihadists credibility. Cameron had previously used "ISIL" to refer to the extremist group, which is also known as "ISIS", before switching to Daesh, which has negative connotations and is based on an Arabic acronym first coined by a Syrian activist. "Daesh is clearly an improvement and I think it's important that we all try to use this language," Cameron told parliament during a debate on whether Britain should join air strikes against the group in Syria.

You are subscribed to email updates from Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States