Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.N. mulls 'light' options to monitor possible Syria truce: envoys
• How Congress is holding Obama's feet to the fire on Iran
• France, Russia to 'strengthen' information exchange on IS
• About 20 killed, including civilians, in air strikes on Iraq's Mosul: witnesses
• Iran sees Israeli lobby behind U.S. visa waiver changes
• Turkey set to restore diplomatic ties with Israel. Why now?
• Islamic State lost 14 pct of its territory in 2015: report
• Obama: Trump exploiting blue-collar fears in campaign
• Migrant boat, life jackets displayed in London church
• Canada looking at 'wider' IS threats in Libya, Sinai
• The Christmas message at work everywhere
• Lindsey Graham’s Campaign Was Snake-Bit from the Start
• Lindsey Graham ends his 2016 presidential campaign
• Regime change debate creates unusual 2016 alliances
• Senator Lindsey Graham drops his US presidential bid
• Tunisia dismantles cell recruiting women for jihadists
• Iraqi army to start attack on ISIS-held Ramadi city in coming hours: Commander
• Florida Keys Community Invited to Support Our Nation's Veterans through Soldier Ride Community Ride
• U.S., allies conduct 12 strikes in Iraq, three in Syria: U.S. military
• Iraq welcomes Turkish decision to withdraw troops from the north
• Islamic State radio show seeks new recruits in Afghanistan
• Islamic State stopping civilians leaving Ramadi before attack: Iraq Defence Ministry
• Obama chides Republicans for lack of alternatives on Islamic State
• French defence minister in Moscow for anti-IS cooperation talks
• Brent crude oil falls to 2004 low as market rout heads into Christmas
• Taliban treated alongside angry soldiers in Afghan hospital
• Australia, Indonesia boost anti-terror co-operation
• Assad allies Russia, Iran in Mideast resurgence
• Obama's final year to test presidential powers
• Mariano Rajoy: Spain's no-frills, austere conservative
• Islamic State forced onto the defensive
• 12 Days Of Charitable Giving 2015: Wounded Warrior Project

U.N. mulls 'light' options to monitor possible Syria truce: envoys Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:58 PM PST By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations is mulling "light touch" options for monitoring a possible ceasefire in Syria that would keep its risks to a minimum by relying largely on Syrians already on the ground, diplomatic sources said. The U.N. Security Council on Friday unanimously called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to draw up within a month options for monitoring a ceasefire in Syria. It is the second time since the Syrian civil war broke out in March 2011 that the council backed a plan for peace talks and a truce.

How Congress is holding Obama's feet to the fire on Iran Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:55 PM PST The Iran nuclear deal may be signed, sealed, and on the road to implementation, but there are signs that the sparring between the Obama administration and Congress is merely taking new forms. The measure appears to force anyone who has traveled to Iran since 2011 to get a visa before visiting the United States. Some administration officials worry that this kind of provision could be opponents' way of undermining an agreement that they couldn't defeat outright.

France, Russia to 'strengthen' information exchange on IS Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:23 PM PST Russia and France have agreed to bolster efforts to share intelligence relating to the Islamic State jihadist group after the two countries vowed to cooperate militarily on the issue. "We have agreed to strengthen our exchange of military information, both on the strikes and the location of the different groups (in Syria)," French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said following talks with Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu. Le Drian said they had identified a method to assess the state of IS and other "terrorist groups" following air strikes conducted by both the Russian and French air forces.

About 20 killed, including civilians, in air strikes on Iraq's Mosul: witnesses Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:11 PM PST About 20 people, including at least 12 civilians, were killed on Monday in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, in two air strikes that destroyed houses believed to be used by Islamic State militants, six eyewitnesses and a medical source said. The two strikes happened within a 10-minute gap at about 3 p.m. local time (7.00 a.m. ET), targeting the houses of a local Islamic State commander and his son in the July 17 district of western Mosul, said the witnesses, contacted from Baghdad. Islamic State captured Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in 2014.  The United States and its allies have been carrying out air strikes against Islamist militants in Iraq since August 2014.

Iran sees Israeli lobby behind U.S. visa waiver changes Posted: 21 Dec 2015 01:07 PM PST By Sam Wilkin DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran said on Monday that Israeli lobbying was behind a new measure passed by the U.S. Congress that will prevent visa-free travel to the United States for people who have visited Iran or hold Iranian nationality. The measure, which President Barack Obama signed into law on Friday, also applies to Iraq, Syria and Sudan, and was introduced as a security measure after the Islamic State attacks in Paris and a similar attack in San Bernardino, California. Iran, a Shi'ite Muslim theocracy staunchly opposed to Sunni radicalism espoused by groups like Islamic State, says its inclusion on the list is intended to undermine a deal on its nuclear programme that Tehran reached with world powers, including the United States, in July, known as the JCPOA.

Turkey set to restore diplomatic ties with Israel. Why now? Posted: 21 Dec 2015 12:57 PM PST After more than five years of deep hostility, Turkey and Israel are poised to restore full diplomatic relations, which were severed in 2010 after Israeli commandos killed nine Turkish activists in a raid on a Gaza-bound Turkish aid ship. At the time the ties were severed, Turkey had reoriented its foreign policy away from the West and toward the Muslim world. Restoring diplomatic relations now makes sense for Turkey, analysts say, as it grapples with the conflicts in Syria and Iraq and their possible impact on its energy supplies.

Islamic State lost 14 pct of its territory in 2015: report Posted: 21 Dec 2015 12:56 PM PST The Islamic State (IS) group lost around 14 percent of its territory in 2015, while Syria's Kurds almost tripled the land they control, thinktank IHS Jane's said on Monday. The development is a blow to the group, given that its aim is to capture and hold territory to expand its so-called "caliphate", within whose borders it imposes a severe and bloody form of what it calls Islamic law. The jihadist group's losses include the strategically important town of Tal Abyad on Syria's border with Turkey, the Iraqi city of Tikrit, and Iraq's Baiji refinery.

Obama: Trump exploiting blue-collar fears in campaign Posted: 21 Dec 2015 12:08 PM PST HONOLULU (AP) — President Barack Obama, in a broadside against the leading Republican presidential candidate, says billionaire Donald Trump is "exploiting" the fears that working-class men in particular have about the economy and stagnant wages.

Migrant boat, life jackets displayed in London church Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:51 AM PST A capsized rubber dinghy used by a group of migrants to reach the Greek island of Lesbos earlier this year has been suspended mid-air in a London church in a poignant Christmas homage unveiled on Monday. The installation entitled "Flight" by British artist Arabella Dorman has been set up in the nave of historic St James's Church in Piccadilly, close to the city's main shopping and entertainment district. "I saw the Christmas story played out on the beaches.

Canada looking at 'wider' IS threats in Libya, Sinai Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:46 AM PST Canada is taking a "wider" look at the danger posed by the Islamic State group in Libya and the Sinai peninsula, its defense minister said Monday during an unannounced visit to Iraq. "We need to look wider than the current threats that we face in Syria and Iraq," Harjit Sajjan said during a conference call from Arbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, where he met with Kurdish commanders and Canadian special forces. "I have to get a good sense of where the evolution of the mission is going, and the evolution of the mission is going to be based on where Daesh is going to go," Sajjan said, using an Arabic acronym for the IS group.

The Christmas message at work everywhere Posted: 21 Dec 2015 11:03 AM PST To Christians around the world, Christmas is a time for giving, not only with gifts but in many ways. They tie the holiday to the humble origins of Jesus, born in a stable to a couple in need of shelter yet offering a promise of love for all (Christian or not). Today, the giving spirit is stronger than ever, according to the latest World Giving Index. In short, generosity toward strangers rose last year. And just as well. The number of people displaced by conflict is at its highest since World War II. ...

Lindsey Graham’s Campaign Was Snake-Bit from the Start Posted: 21 Dec 2015 09:45 AM PST Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is a strong contender to be secretary of defense if the Republicans win the White House next year, but his bid for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination was snake-bit from the start. The former House member and close ally of Senate Armed Services Committee Chair John McCain (R-AZ) was a quintessential government insider just at the moment when GOP voters were growing hungry for iconoclastic outsiders like Donald Trump and Ben Carson who knew little about government or policy but promised to shake things up.

Lindsey Graham ends his 2016 presidential campaign Posted: 21 Dec 2015 09:42 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham ended his 2016 campaign for president Monday, saying he remains committed to working to achieve security for the American people and helping the GOP expand its base.

Regime change debate creates unusual 2016 alliances Posted: 21 Dec 2015 09:11 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — America's 2016 presidential candidates are split on promoting regime change in the Middle East, but not along the usual party lines.

Senator Lindsey Graham drops his US presidential bid Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:44 AM PST Lindsey Graham, the hawkish Republican senator who wants thousands of US troops in the Middle East and warned Americans against nominating Donald Trump for president, announced Monday he is exiting the White House race. "I am suspending my campaign, but never my commitment to achieving security through strength for the American people," Graham said in a video statement. In a crowded race that at one point had 17 candidates, Graham was swamped by political outsiders including Trump and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, as well as fellow Republican senators Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul, three higher-profile lawmakers.

Tunisia dismantles cell recruiting women for jihadists Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:44 AM PST Tunis (AFP) - Tunisia said on Monday it has dismantled a cell in the northern region of Bizerte recruiting women to marry jihadists fighting abroad and has made four arrests.

Iraqi army to start attack on ISIS-held Ramadi city in coming hours: Commander Posted: 21 Dec 2015 08:17 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraq's armed forces will start an operation to retake the western city of Ramadi from Islamic State militants very soon, army chief of staff Lt. General Othman al-Ghanemi told state TV on Monday."There is an ongoing operation to control a sector in preparation of the onslaught on the city center within the coming hours, God willing," he said.An Iraqi Defence Ministry spokesman said earlier that Islamic State militants were preventing civilians from leaving Ramadi before the planned attack on the city, which fell under control of the organization in May. ...

Florida Keys Community Invited to Support Our Nation's Veterans through Soldier Ride Community Ride Posted: 21 Dec 2015 07:30 AM PST KEY WEST, Fla., Dec. 21, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® presented by USAA® heads to South Florida in early January, and the entire community is invited to come out and support injured service members as they ride across Miami and the Florida Keys. On Sunday, January 10, the public will be able to ride alongside these brave men and women, or cheer them along on the route. ...

U.S., allies conduct 12 strikes in Iraq, three in Syria: U.S. military Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:39 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted 15 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement on Monday. In Iraq, a dozen strikes near four cities hit several Islamic State tactical units, vehicles, weapons caches, fighting positions and other targets, the Combined Joint Task Force said. Six strikes hit near Mosul, the Islamic State stronghold in northern Iraq, and four near Ramadi, where the Iraqi military on Sunday asked civilians to leave the city before a planned offensive. ...

Iraq welcomes Turkish decision to withdraw troops from the north Posted: 21 Dec 2015 04:31 AM PST Iraq on Monday welcomed an announcement by Turkey that it would pull its troops back from a base in northern Iraq, and said it hoped the withdrawal would be completed. The deployment of around 150 troops to the camp this month prompted Iraq to accuse Turkey of violating its sovereignty and lodge a formal complaint at the U.N. Security Council. Turkey withdrew some troops to another base inside Iraq's Kurdistan region last week and said it would continue to pull out of Nineveh province, where the camp is located.

Islamic State radio show seeks new recruits in Afghanistan Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:49 AM PST By Rafiq Sherzad JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - Islamic State militants in eastern Afghanistan have taken to the airwaves to win recruits as they try to build strength and replace the Taliban as the leading force in the Islamist insurgency. Officials have been increasingly concerned by the broadcasts, which encourage young people to find a sense of direction in the radical movement. If the broadcasts take hold, officials fear they will feed off a growing sense of hopelessness among many inured to war and struggling to get by in an increasingly tough economic climate.

Islamic State stopping civilians leaving Ramadi before attack: Iraq Defence Ministry Posted: 21 Dec 2015 03:17 AM PST Islamic State militants are preventing civilians from leaving Ramadi ahead of an attack planned by the Iraqi army to retake the western city that the militants captured in May, an Iraqi Defence Ministry spokesman said on Monday. "There are families that managed to escape the gangs of Daesh," the spokesman, Naseer Nuri, told Reuters, using a local derogatory name for the group. Iraqi military planes on Sunday dropped leaflets on Ramadi, asking residents to leave within 72 hours and indicating safe routes for their exit.

Obama chides Republicans for lack of alternatives on Islamic State Posted: 21 Dec 2015 02:02 AM PST By Julia Edwards HONOLULU (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama said his administration is open to some "legitimate criticism" for failing to adequately explain its strategy to counter Islamic State, though he chided Republican presidential candidates for criticizing his policy without offering an alternative. In a Dec. 17 interview set to air on NPR public radio at 5 a.m. ET on Monday, Obama attributed his low approval ratings for how he has handled terrorism to the saturation of Islamic State attacks in the media after the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people. Obama noted that the United States has carried out 9,000 strikes against the Islamic State and taken back towns including Sinjar, Iraq from the militant group.

French defence minister in Moscow for anti-IS cooperation talks Posted: 20 Dec 2015 11:27 PM PST French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian will meet with his Russian counterpart in Moscow on Monday to request an increase in strikes against the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria. Talks will also touch on how the two countries can share intelligence relating to the jihadist group, Le Drian told journalists before travelling to Russia. "We will discuss what we consider to be terrorist groups, and how Russia might increase its action against Daesh (an Arabic acronym for IS), which is our sole enemy," he said.

Brent crude oil falls to 2004 low as market rout heads into Christmas Posted: 20 Dec 2015 11:24 PM PST By Henning Gloystein SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Brent crude prices fell to levels last seen in 2004 on Monday, dropping below the lows hit during the 2008 financial crisis on renewed worries over an oil glut. Brent futures fell almost 2 percent and as low as $36.17 per barrel on Monday, the weakest since 2004 and below the $36.20 low reached on Christmas Eve 2008 before edging back to $36.42 at 0620 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) futures were down 24 cents at $34.49 per barrel and close to last Friday's 2015 lows.

Taliban treated alongside angry soldiers in Afghan hospital Posted: 20 Dec 2015 10:33 PM PST The insurgent was wounded while battling the Afghan army and is now flanked by soldiers throughout his medical treatment at the nation's largest military hospital. "We are treated in the same place, it's very strange but there is nothing I can do," says Mohammed, a soldier with a bullet wound to the leg who is just two rooms away from his enemy. The Taliban "have no dignity... they don't have enough courage to be soldiers so they destroy our country and kill".

Australia, Indonesia boost anti-terror co-operation Posted: 20 Dec 2015 09:21 PM PST Australia and Indonesia on Monday agreed to boost intelligence-sharing in the fight against terrorism, days after police arrested several men allegedly linked to a planned suicide bombing in Jakarta. During raids in several cities across Java island on Friday and Saturday, police detained five members of an alleged extremist network and seized chemicals, laboratory equipment and a flag inspired by the Islamic State group. The operation was reportedly sparked by a tip-off from the Australian Federal Police and the FBI.

Assad allies Russia, Iran in Mideast resurgence Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:55 PM PST After years of waning influence, Russia and Iran made a dramatic comeback in the Middle East in 2015 as they threw their support behind Syria's embattled President Bashar al-Assad. A decades-long backer of the Syrian regime, Moscow dramatically raised the stakes this year by deploying its air force to bomb rebels fighting Assad's army. "The resurgence of Iran and Russia is obvious, and their interventionism is increasingly unabashed," said Karim Bitar, head of research at the Institute for International and Strategic Affairs.

Obama's final year to test presidential powers Posted: 20 Dec 2015 08:06 PM PST Barack Obama has reveled in defying predictions that 2015 would make him a lameduck president, but securing his final year goals -- from closing Guantanamo to enacting gun control -- will test the limits of White House power. Many a commander-in-chief who bestrode Washington like a political Colossus can struggle to command much at all. In their final years, George W. Bush watched the economy fall off a cliff, Ronald Reagan was ensnared by the Iran-Contra scandal, Bill Clinton was impeached and Woodrow Wilson had a stroke.

Mariano Rajoy: Spain's no-frills, austere conservative Posted: 20 Dec 2015 07:16 PM PST Mariano Rajoy, who has the uphill task of trying to form a coalition government in Spain after his party won elections without an absolute majority, has turned his perceived dullness into a political strength. Positioning himself as a safe pair of hands who saved the country from economic collapse, Rajoy secured a narrow victory for his conservative Popular Party but now has to enter negotiations with other political groupings to continue leading Spain, or attempt to rule with a minority government.

Islamic State forced onto the defensive Posted: 20 Dec 2015 04:40 PM PST Stretched thin and under pressure by increasing air strikes, the Islamic State group has been forced into a defensive position in areas under its control in Syria and Iraq. Last year, the jihadist group declared a self-styled caliphate across the borders of Syria and Iraq, sweeping quickly into Mosul and Raqa. "In recent months, IS's positions along most of its fighting fronts in Syria and Iraq have turned defensive," says Iraqi expert Hisham al-Hashimi, who closely follows jihadist developments.

12 Days Of Charitable Giving 2015: Wounded Warrior Project Posted: 20 Dec 2015 01:58 PM PST It's the 12 Days Of Charitable Giving! First up: Wounded Warrior Project.

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