Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• US evangelical leaders urge Christian acceptance of refugees
• Pentagon chief Carter calls use of personal email account 'a mistake'
• UN adopts resolution to disrupt Islamic State funds
• California shooters' ex-neighbor charged with supporting terrorists
• U.N. Security Council puts sanctions focus on Islamic State
• Obama reassures US on terror threat as 'fiancee visas' reviewed
• The Latest: Turkey plans visas for Syrians from 3rd nations
• Carter admits improper use of personal email account
• Syria activists in hiding after Islamic State group killing
• Israel and Turkey reach preliminary deal to restore ties - Israeli official
• These Are Some of the Faces of a Middle East Refugee Crisis You Didn't Know About
• Mother of beheaded Islamic State hostage condemns French politician Le Pen's photo stunt
• More social media vetting needed for U.S. visas: lawmakers
• Obama says no specific, credible terror threat over holidays
• Putin: Russia, US have narrowed their differences on Syria
• Iran, biggest economy outside WTO, says it's ready to join
• Carter calls 1st commando mission into Syria a success
• Pizza shop owner admits trying to recruit for Islamic State
• Kansas man charged in Islamic State bomb plot to change plea: court
• Montreal teen convicted of terrorism for trying to join IS group
• NY man pleads guilty to trying to support Islamic State
• Hezbollah slams Saudi-led anti-terror alliance
• Saudi bid to lead anti-terror campaign raises questions of intent
• Defense Secretary Will Be Investigated for Using Personal Email
• AP EXPLAINS: Why Trump can't shut down the Internet
• Defense Secretary Ash Carter used personal e-mail for work, Pentagon says
• Marina Naprushkina helps refugees and locals meet as equals at her gatherings in Berlin
• Pentagon chief admits 'mistake' in using personal email
• Falling knives and dead cats: When will the oil slump end?
• At least nine escape kidnappers in Iraq, cross into Kuwait: police, media
• Refugees become guides to Germany's historical treasures
• Pakistan says it's part of Saudi-led anti-terror coalition
• Erdogan says Turkey to annihilate Kurdish militants, 25 killed
• US defense chief Ashton Carter in Iraq's Arbil for IS talks
• Lawmakers to seek details on vetting for those bound for US
• Why the Air Force Is Offering Drone Pilots Six-Figure Bonuses
• U.S.-led coalition stages 18 air strikes against Islamic State: statement
• New Libya peace deal: What could go wrong? Plenty.
• Dutch protesters riot against refugee centre
• Massive spending and tax deal at a glance

US evangelical leaders urge Christian acceptance of refugees Posted: 17 Dec 2015 04:43 PM PST NASHVILLE, Tennessee (AP) — Evangelical leaders are urging fellow Christians to welcome refugees from Syria and Iraq despite opposition by many governors and presidential candidates.

Pentagon chief Carter calls use of personal email account 'a mistake' Posted: 17 Dec 2015 04:09 PM PST By Megan Cassela WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Thursday his occasional use of a personal email account for work-related matters was "a mistake" that he stopped a few months ago when it became clear to him it was against policy. Carter, speaking from an American base in Erbil in northern Iraq, told CBS News that he never sent anything classified from his personal account but did occasionally send "administrative" emails to his "immediate staff" from his iPhone. Carter's use of a private account was first reported by the New York Times on Wednesday.

UN adopts resolution to disrupt Islamic State funds Posted: 17 Dec 2015 04:00 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Thursday aimed at disrupting revenue that the Islamic State extremist group gets from oil and antiquities sales, ransom payments and other criminal activities — a goal that finance ministers agree will be challenging.

California shooters' ex-neighbor charged with supporting terrorists Posted: 17 Dec 2015 03:16 PM PST By Mark Hosenball and Alex Dobuzinskis WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A former neighbor suspected of supplying guns to the married couple who massacred 14 people in San Bernardino, California, was charged on Thursday with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, the U.S. Justice Department said. Enrique Marquez, 24, a friend of Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, who launched the Islamic State-inspired attack on Dec. 2 with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, 29, also told investigators he and Farook plotted earlier mass casualty attacks, prosecutors said. U.S. Attorney Eileen Decker said the two men conspired to commit "vicious" assaults on targets including a California community college and a state highway during rush hour.

U.N. Security Council puts sanctions focus on Islamic State Posted: 17 Dec 2015 03:07 PM PST By Michelle Nichols and John Irish UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council warned on Thursday that some countries are failing to implement long-standing sanctions against Islamic State, as an unprecedented meeting of finance ministers put the global focus on cutting off the militant group's funds. The 15-member council unanimously adopted a U.S. and Russian-drafted resolution that ties together existing measures targeting Islamic State's finances and offers guidance on implementation in a bid to push more countries to act. It builds on a Security Council action in February that banned trade in antiquities from Syria, threatened sanctions on anyone buying oil from Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front militants and urged states to stop kidnap ransom payments.

Obama reassures US on terror threat as 'fiancee visas' reviewed Posted: 17 Dec 2015 03:04 PM PST President Barack Obama sought Thursday to reassure Americans they face no "credible" terror threat, as US authorities began a review of the visa system that let one of the San Bernardino shooters into the country. It was the third time in 10 days that Obama addressed America's counter-terrorism efforts in the wake of the mass shooting in California that is being investigated as a terror attack. "As I indicated in my address to the nation last week, we are in a new phase of terrorism including lone actors and small groups of terrorists like those in San Bernardino.

The Latest: Turkey plans visas for Syrians from 3rd nations Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:34 PM PST BRUSSELS (AP) — The latest news on the mass movement of asylum-seekers and migrants to Europe, including developments from an EU summit where leaders are discussing the issue. All times local.

Carter admits improper use of personal email account Posted: 17 Dec 2015 02:21 PM PST IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter acknowledged on Thursday he sometimes used a personal, unsecured email account to conduct official business after he took office in February, a practice he called "entirely my mistake."

Syria activists in hiding after Islamic State group killing Posted: 17 Dec 2015 01:30 PM PST ISTANBUL (AP) — The killing of the young Syrian activist took place close enough to his home in southern Turkey that his youngest brother heard his piercing scream. Ibrahim Abdelqader's attackers stabbed him dozens of times and left his partially decapitated corpse hanging from a doorframe.

Israel and Turkey reach preliminary deal to restore ties - Israeli official Posted: 17 Dec 2015 01:25 PM PST Israel and Turkey have reached a preliminary agreement to normalise relations, including the return of ambassadors to both countries, an Israeli official said on Thursday. The deal was reached during a recent meeting in Switzerland between the incoming head of Israel's Mossad intelligence agency, Yossi Cohen, Israeli envoy Joseph Ciechanover and Turkish foreign ministry under-secretary Feridun Sinirlioglu, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. A spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined comment.

These Are Some of the Faces of a Middle East Refugee Crisis You Didn't Know About Posted: 17 Dec 2015 01:15 PM PST Qaraqosh, Iraq, was turned into a war zone in August 2014 when ISIS fired mortars at the northern city. Tens of thousands of people fled their homes with just their families and their most prized possessions and headed to Erbil, Iraq. Here, about 560 Christian refugees from Qaraqosh ended up in the courtyard of the Mar Elia Chaldean Catholic Church.

Mother of beheaded Islamic State hostage condemns French politician Le Pen's photo stunt Posted: 17 Dec 2015 12:46 PM PST The mother of James Foley, the American hostage beheaded on camera by Islamic State last year, said on Thursday she was angry at French far-right politician Marine Le Pen for posting a graphic photo depicting the act on social media. The leader of the anti-immigration National Front (FN), which won almost a third of the votes in regional elections this month but is shunned as extremist by mainstream politicians, posted the photo on her Twitter account along with two others. "We are offended that awful image of our son's brutal murder be used publicly," Diana Foley said in an interview on Europe 1 radio.

More social media vetting needed for U.S. visas: lawmakers Posted: 17 Dec 2015 12:43 PM PST U.S. lawmakers hammered federal immigration officials on Thursday for not closely reviewing social media posts in vetting visa applicants, while the officials said they are now doing this but finding the results so far to be inconclusive. In another round of criticism for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over the issue, a House of Representatives committee questioned Leon Rodriguez, director of U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, at a hearing. U.S. officials have acknowledged that no one was routinely checking visa applicants' social media postings at the time when an application came in from Tashfeen Malik, one of the two shooters in the San Bernardino killings.

Obama says no specific, credible terror threat over holidays Posted: 17 Dec 2015 12:19 PM PST McLEAN, Va. (AP) — President Barack Obama said Thursday that U.S. intelligence and counterterrorism officials have received no specific, credible information suggesting a potential terrorist attack against the United States. He said Americans must be vigilant this holiday season.

Putin: Russia, US have narrowed their differences on Syria Posted: 17 Dec 2015 12:10 PM PST MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin was both cordial and coarse in his year-end news conference Thursday, saying the U.S. and Russia have narrowed their differences on Syria and share the same view of how to settle the conflict.

Iran, biggest economy outside WTO, says it's ready to join Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:58 AM PST By Tom Miles GENEVA (Reuters) - Iran is prepared to negotiate its way into the World Trade Organization, Industry Minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh said on Thursday, building on the momentum of a landmark nuclear deal as Tehran restores international economic links after years of sanctions. "Now that years of intensive negotiations have finally cleared all the misunderstandings around Iran's nuclear activities, we are taking the next step towards integrating more deeply into the global economy." Tehran sealed an accord with world powers in July, agreeing to curb sensitive parts of its nuclear programme in return for an easing of international sanctions. The breakthrough, after more than a decade of deadlock, is prompting keen interest from foreign firms in striking business deals in Iran.

Carter calls 1st commando mission into Syria a success Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:55 AM PST IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter says the first mission by a new team of special operations forces into Syria was successful in identifying Syrian Arab fighters the coalition can work with to oust Islamic State militants from their self-proclaimed capital of Raqqa.

Pizza shop owner admits trying to recruit for Islamic State Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:47 AM PST An upstate New York pizza shop owner admitted Thursday he tried to recruit fighters for the Islamic State group in Syria.

Kansas man charged in Islamic State bomb plot to change plea: court Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:25 AM PST John T. Booker Jr. notified the court on Wednesday he intends to change his plea, according to the U.S. District Court in Topeka, Kansas. A hearing on Booker's request was set for Jan. 12 before U.S. District Judge Carlos Murguia in Kansas City. An attorney for Booker could not be reached immediately for comment.

Montreal teen convicted of terrorism for trying to join IS group Posted: 17 Dec 2015 11:10 AM PST A Canadian teen on Thursday became only the second person in this country to be convicted of a terrorist offense for seeking to fly overseas and join an extremist group. The immigrant parents of the 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named under a Canadian law protecting minors, had turned him in to police over concerns he had become radicalized by the Islamic State group.

NY man pleads guilty to trying to support Islamic State Posted: 17 Dec 2015 10:30 AM PST A New York man pleaded guilty on Thursday to attempting to recruit fighters to join Islamic State in Syria. Mufid A. Elfgeeh, 31, of Rochester, New York entered a guilty plea to two terrorism-related counts before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wolford in federal court in Rochester.

Hezbollah slams Saudi-led anti-terror alliance Posted: 17 Dec 2015 10:22 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Lebanon's Hezbollah group on Thursday denounced this week's announcement of a new Saudi-led "Islamic military alliance" and the Lebanese prime minister's decision to join it. The Shiite militant group also accused the Sunni kingdom of practicing "state terrorism" and spreading extremist ideology.

Saudi bid to lead anti-terror campaign raises questions of intent Posted: 17 Dec 2015 10:06 AM PST Saudi Arabia's attempt to form an umbrella coalition of Muslim nations to combat terrorism is reviving its decades-old failed aspirations to lead the Muslim world while also risking wider Sunni-Shiite sectarian strife, observers say. Announcing the new 34-member coalition, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al Jubeir said Tuesday that the alliance would take a "two-track" approach in battling terrorism: militarily and ideologically. Some question whether Saudi Arabia can lead a wider ideological and tactical war against a form of extremism that its own policies have allowed to expand.

Defense Secretary Will Be Investigated for Using Personal Email Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:45 AM PST Just when the controversy over Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while Secretary of State had fallen out of the public eye, despite an ongoing FBI investigation, the Obama administration's critics have a new potential target: Defense Secretary Ash Carter. The New York Times reports that Carter used a personal email account to conduct official business, a violation of Pentagon rules. Compounding the error in judgment is that Carter, a physicist, continued to use the account for two months or possibly longer after Clinton's use of a "homebrew" email arrangement was uncovered by the House Select Committee on Benghazi.

AP EXPLAINS: Why Trump can't shut down the Internet Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:29 AM PST Donald Trump says the government must work with "brilliant people" in Silicon Valley to keep violent extremists offline, even if it means shutting down parts of the Internet. But what he's proposing ...

Defense Secretary Ash Carter used personal e-mail for work, Pentagon says Posted: 17 Dec 2015 09:28 AM PST The Times says it obtained from the Defense Department 72 work-related emails Carter sent or received from his personal e-mail account during the month of April through a Freedom of Information Request, and that officials have confirmed knowledge of such email use. Recommended: How much do you know about Hillary Rodham Clinton? In April of 2012, the Department of Defense established a policy that prohibits any employee from using a personal e-mail account to send or receive government-related communications.

Marina Naprushkina helps refugees and locals meet as equals at her gatherings in Berlin Posted: 17 Dec 2015 08:59 AM PST It's Tuesday evening in Berlin and the Neue Nachbarschaft community center is a hive of activity. Marina Naprushkina, an artist and activist, and the group's founder, waits by the door to greet arrivals, who are swiftly matched with partners for a German conversation meetup. Advertised by good old-fashioned word of mouth, Neue Nachbarschaft, which translates to "new neighborhood," has blossomed into a community of roughly 400 refugees and asylum seekers, along with a host of willing volunteers.

Pentagon chief admits 'mistake' in using personal email Posted: 17 Dec 2015 08:36 AM PST US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter acknowledged Thursday making a "mistake" when he used his personal email for government business in the early part of his tenure, triggering concerns hackers could access sensitive information. The revelation comes in the wake of the uproar over Hillary Clinton's use of a personal email account while serving as secretary of state. Speaking to CBS News while on a visit to Iraq, Carter said he had used his iPhone to send administrative messages, none of which contained classified information, to his immediate staff.

Falling knives and dead cats: When will the oil slump end? Posted: 17 Dec 2015 07:25 AM PST As oil traders have learned time and again, picking a bottom in today's glutted global market can be a fool's game: just when prices start to rebound, as they have three times this year, a wave of renewed bearishness smacks them back down. With oil resuming its southward march due to yet more oversupply, closing in on $35 a barrel after trading at $100 in June 2014, any number of factors could indicate when the rout may finally be over - for real this time. The United States is still pumping near-record volumes of crude, while OPEC is keeping output near all-time highs to maintain market share.

At least nine escape kidnappers in Iraq, cross into Kuwait: police, media Posted: 17 Dec 2015 07:12 AM PST At least nine people who were part of a hunting group kidnapped in southern Iraq managed to escape and have now crossed into Kuwait, police and media said on Thursday. "Some of the hunters, at least nine, managed to escape the camp and the kidnappers failed to spot them," Iraqi police colonel Ali Mutaiwit told Reuters on Thursday. "Other Asian men were left in the camp by the gunmen ... The hunters and the Asians were sent by authorities to Kuwait through the Safwan border crossing," but there was still no information on the location of the others, he added.

Refugees become guides to Germany's historical treasures Posted: 17 Dec 2015 07:12 AM PST BERLIN (AP) — It may be the primary language on the artifacts, but Arabic is a language rarely spoken by the visitors to Berlin's Museum of Islamic Art. That's about to change, though.

Pakistan says it's part of Saudi-led anti-terror coalition Posted: 17 Dec 2015 07:03 AM PST ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan has confirmed it's part of a Saudi-led "Islamic military alliance" against terrorism in the Muslim world but remained vague about when exactly it joined the new alliance.

Erdogan says Turkey to annihilate Kurdish militants, 25 killed Posted: 17 Dec 2015 06:34 AM PST By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Gunfire clattered constantly and smoke rose on Thursday from two towns in southeast Turkey and President Tayyip Erdogan said Kurdish militants would be "annihilated" in an intensifying urban battle that has killed 25 Kurdish militants in two days. The PKK's three-decades-old insurgency flared up again in July after the collapse of a two-year ceasefire, plunging Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast back into open conflict. Although traditionally rooted in the countryside, the PKK has shifted its focus in recent years to towns and cities in the southeast.

US defense chief Ashton Carter in Iraq's Arbil for IS talks Posted: 17 Dec 2015 06:21 AM PST US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter visited Arbil on Thursday for talks with Iraqi Kurdish officials on the war against the Islamic State group, an AFP journalist said. Iraqi Kurdish forces are a key US partner in the war against IS, which overran large parts of Iraq last year. Carter met with Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani during the visit to Arbil, the capital of the autonomous Kurdish region.

Lawmakers to seek details on vetting for those bound for US Posted: 17 Dec 2015 06:06 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The investigation of the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, was just hours old when lawmakers, law enforcement and the public started asking the same question: How did U.S. authorities miss the signs that a Pakistani woman asking for a visa because she was engaged to an American had been radicalized?

Why the Air Force Is Offering Drone Pilots Six-Figure Bonuses Posted: 17 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST Days after it unveiled a $3 billion roadmap to bolster its beleaguered drone fleet, the Air Force announced it will give the fleet's pilots $125,000 bonuses to keep flying for a few more years. Pilots who have six years flying experience following their undergraduate remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) training — at which point their service obligation expires — would receive five annual installments of $25,000 if they stay in the service, the Air Force said Tuesday in a statement. "It is important to ensure RPA pilots receive a bonus that is equitable to other pilots," Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said.

U.S.-led coalition stages 18 air strikes against Islamic State: statement Posted: 17 Dec 2015 05:31 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies on Wednesday conducted 18 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in its latest round of daily air attacks against the militant group, the coalition leading the operations said. In a statement released on Thursday, the U.S-led Combined Joint Task Force said 11 strikes near six Iraqi cities hit several tactical units, fighting positions and vehicles. Seven strikes near four cities in Syria also struck a training camp, a headquarters building and other targets, it said. (Reporting by Washington newsroom)

New Libya peace deal: What could go wrong? Plenty. Posted: 17 Dec 2015 04:30 AM PST Libyan officials from rival factions are on the verge of signing an agreement to form a national unity government that is the culmination of more than a year of United Nations-backed negotiations. The agreement, which has strong international backing, seeks to end the chaotic conflict that has allowed the Islamic State to take root in the North African nation and triggered its worst humanitarian crisis since the overthrow of dictator Muammar Qaddafi in 2011. The oil-rich nation is split between an Islamist-leaning government in the capital, Tripoli, and another based in the eastern coastal city of Tobruk.

Dutch protesters riot against refugee centre Posted: 17 Dec 2015 03:48 AM PST Dutch police fired warning shots and arrested 14 demonstrators when a protest by hundreds of people against the opening of a refugee centre turned violent, leaving several injured, officials said Thursday. Two policemen were among those hurt late Wednesday when demonstrators began throwing stones, bottles and firecrackers to protest against a planned centre for 1,500 migrants in the small Dutch village of Geldermalsen. District police chief Lute Nieuwerth said "the atmosphere badly deteriorated" when a group of about 70 to 80 people began to attack the officers called to the scene.

Massive spending and tax deal at a glance Posted: 17 Dec 2015 12:26 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A divided Congress has reached agreement on a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government for the 2016 budget year and extend $680 billion in tax cuts for businesses and individuals. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the legislation once Congress passes it. Here are the highlights:

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