Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iranian Revolutionary Guards fired rockets near U.S. warships in Gulf: U.S.
• IS leader linked to Paris attacks 'mastermind' killed in Syria
• US official: Airstrikes have killed 10 Islamic State leaders
• Gains in Iraqi city vindicate US-led strategy, at high cost
• The measure of progress against Islamic State
• Iraq PM visits newly reconquered Ramadi
• Son of 'Tottenham Ayatollah' killed in Iraq: sources
• IRAQ RAMADI
• Of 69 Journalists Killed in 2015, Many Were Targets of Terrorists
• Sunni tribal fighters deployed in reconquered Ramadi areas
• Back-to-back losses in Iraq and Syria deal blow to IS
• 110 journalists killed in 2015, mostly in 'peaceful' countries
• Iraq's Abadi plants flag in Ramadi to mark Islamic State defeat
• Belgium arrests two over suspected New Year attack plot
• Exclusive: Iraqi army needs Kurds' help to retake Mosul - Zebari
• Russia may be 'flexible' on easing of U.N. sanctions against Taliban: TASS
• Turkey's Erdogan meets king in Saudi Arabia for Syria talks
• Pakistan police arrests eight suspected IS militants
• Exclusive: Islamic State ruling aims to settle who can have sex with female slaves
• Officials: Pakistan detains 13 alleged IS supporters
• Belgium arrests two suspects over New Year's holiday plot
• Iraq, Syria, France deadliest places for reporters in 2015
• U.S.-led coalition stages 31 strikes against Islamic State: statement
• Portuguese party leader who was foreign minister stands down
• How Qatar Is Funding al-Qaeda -- and Why That Could Help the US
• Erdogan: 'clear provocation' from pro-Kurdish HDP leader
• Prosthetic limbs put Pakistani terror survivors together again
• Emirati charged for plot on Abu Dhabi F1 circuit: media
• Report: 69 journalists died on the job in 2015
• Today in History

Iranian Revolutionary Guards fired rockets near U.S. warships in Gulf: U.S. Posted: 29 Dec 2015 04:31 PM PST Iranian Revolutionary Guards launched rockets near the U.S. aircraft-carrier Harry S. Truman and other warships as they were entering the Gulf on Saturday, giving only brief notice in a "highly provocative" act, a U.S. military spokesman said on Tuesday. NBC News, citing unnamed U.S. military officials, said the Guards were conducting a live-fire exercise and the Truman came within about 1,500 yards (meters) of a rocket.

IS leader linked to Paris attacks 'mastermind' killed in Syria Posted: 29 Dec 2015 02:53 PM PST An Islamic State leader with "direct" ties to the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks was among 10 of the group's higher-ups killed in Syria and Iraq this month, the Pentagon said Tuesday. The US military says such strikes are helping to weaken the jihadist group, which captured large parts of Iraq and Syria last year but has recently seen significant setbacks including this week's loss of Ramadi in Iraq. Baghdad-based US military spokesman Colonel Steve Warren said French national Charaffe el Mouadan was killed in a US-led coalition strike on December 24.

US official: Airstrikes have killed 10 Islamic State leaders Posted: 29 Dec 2015 02:39 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and coalition airstrikes killed 10 Islamic State leaders over the past month, including several linked to the Paris attacks or other plots against the West, a U.S. military official in Iraq said Tuesday.

Gains in Iraqi city vindicate US-led strategy, at high cost Posted: 29 Dec 2015 12:47 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — The advance of Iraqi forces into the heart of Ramadi, a restive city that fell to the Islamic State group earlier this year, in some ways vindicated the U.S.-led coalition's strategy for rolling back the extremists -- but victory has come at a high cost, and the same tactics might not work elsewhere.

The measure of progress against Islamic State Posted: 29 Dec 2015 12:41 PM PST To watch the war against Islamic State from afar, it might be easy to measure progress by military triumphs. Indeed, the retaking of the city of Ramadi by Iraqi forces this week is a significant territorial victory. The disaffected, especially the Sunni minority in Iraq, fell easily into the hands of IS fighters.

Iraq PM visits newly reconquered Ramadi Posted: 29 Dec 2015 12:38 PM PST Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday visited Ramadi, a day after federal forces announced the liberation of the city from the Islamic State group, clinching a landmark victory. Abadi arrived by helicopter in the battle-scarred city, which lies around 100 kilometres (60 miles) west of Baghdad and is the capital of the province of Anbar, an AFP correspondent reported. The premier vowed Monday, after counter-terrorism forces raised the flag above the key government complex in Ramadi, to rid the whole country of IS by the end of 2016.

Son of 'Tottenham Ayatollah' killed in Iraq: sources Posted: 29 Dec 2015 11:56 AM PST A son of the Syrian-born radical cleric Omar Bakri has been killed in Iraq fighting alongside the Islamic State group, security sources said Tuesday. The Popular Mobilisation, a paramilitary group, said that it and the security forces had killed Bilal Omar Bakri. A Lebanese security source confirmed that Bilal Omar Bakri, who was in his late 20s, had been killed "fighting in the ranks of IS" in Salaheddin province.

IRAQ RAMADI Posted: 29 Dec 2015 11:30 AM PST Map gives details of Ramadi, Iraq.; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm;

Of 69 Journalists Killed in 2015, Many Were Targets of Terrorists Posted: 29 Dec 2015 11:05 AM PST "Of 69 journalists killed for their work in 2015, 40 percent died at the hands of Islamic militant groups such as Al-Qaeda and Islamic State," according to a report released Tuesday from the Committee to Protect Journalists, an independent, nonprofit advocacy group that supports press freedoms around the world. With 13 journalists killed—mostly reporters, cameramen and photographers—Syria was the deadliest place for news production in 2015. The report says the number of deaths in Syria has dropped, but attributes that, in part, to the fact that many major news organizations have pulled back reporters from the field there.

Sunni tribal fighters deployed in reconquered Ramadi areas Posted: 29 Dec 2015 11:03 AM PST "Five hundred members of the tribes from the Hashed arrived in northern Ramadi to participate in operations there and hold the liberated areas," said Major General Ismail Mahalawi, who heads Anbar operations command. "Five units of tribal forces arrived today and hold the areas of Jaraishi, Zawiyah and Albu Faraj north of Ramadi," said their leader, Tareq Yusef al-Asal. The provincial headquarters had been the epicentre of the fighting since Iraqi forces punched through IS defences a week ago to cap a months-long operation to retake Ramadi.

Back-to-back losses in Iraq and Syria deal blow to IS Posted: 29 Dec 2015 10:53 AM PST The Islamic State group's self-proclaimed "caliphate" is far from dead but back-to-back losses in Syria and Iraq have turned a series of setbacks for the jihadists into a losing streak. IS's seizure of Ramadi in Iraq in May along with Palmyra in Syria sent the alarming signal that it could still expand a year after seizing swathes of the two countries. It has since retreated however, and recently losses have come in quick succession: Baiji, Sinjar and now Ramadi -- all in Iraq -- as well as a key dam on the Euphrates in Syria.

110 journalists killed in 2015, mostly in 'peaceful' countries Posted: 29 Dec 2015 10:35 AM PST A total of 110 journalists were killed around the world in 2015, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday, noting that while many died in war zones the majority were killed in supposedly peaceful countries. Sixty-seven journalists were killed in the line of duty, the watchdog group said in its annual roundup, listing war-torn Iraq and Syria as most dangerous places for journalists with 11 and 10 fatalities respectively, followed by France, where eight journalists were killed in a jihadist assault on a satirical magazine. A further 43 journalists around the world died in circumstances that were unclear and 27 non-professional "citizen-journalists" and seven other media workers were also killed, RSF said.

Iraq's Abadi plants flag in Ramadi to mark Islamic State defeat Posted: 29 Dec 2015 10:27 AM PST By Ahmed Rasheed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi planted the national flag in Ramadi on Tuesday after the army retook the city center from Islamic State a day earlier, a victory that could help vindicate his strategy for rebuilding the military after stunning defeats. If the Anbar provincial capital can be fully secured and re-populated, it would be the first major success for the U.S.-trained force that fled 18 months ago as jihadist Islamic State militants surged through northern and western Iraq. Three mortar rounds landed about 500 meters (0.3 miles) from Abadi's location during his visit, three security sources said.

Belgium arrests two over suspected New Year attack plot Posted: 29 Dec 2015 09:43 AM PST Belgian police have arrested two people suspected of plotting attacks in Brussels during New Year festivities, just weeks after the jihadist bombings and shootings in Paris which were allegedly planned in Belgium. The federal prosecutor's office in Brussels, the home of the European Union and NATO, said Tuesday that police seized military-style training uniforms, computer hardware and Islamic State propaganda material in raids around the capital Brussels and in the Liege region.

Exclusive: Iraqi army needs Kurds' help to retake Mosul - Zebari Posted: 29 Dec 2015 09:26 AM PST By Maher Chmaytelli and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The Iraqi army will need the Kurds' help to retake Mosul, the largest city under the control of Islamic State with the planned offensive expected to be very challenging in a region home to rival religious and ethnic groups, an Iraqi minister said. Mosul, 400 km (250 miles) north of Baghdad, has been designated by the government as the next target for Iraq's armed forces after they retook the western city of Ramadi, the first major success of the U.S.-trained force that initially fled in the face of Islamic State's advance 18 months ago. Retaking the mostly Sunni city of Mosul would be hard as the local and regional players in northern Iraq have diverging agendas.

Russia may be 'flexible' on easing of U.N. sanctions against Taliban: TASS Posted: 29 Dec 2015 08:24 AM PST Russia is ready "to show flexibility" on the possible easing of sanctions imposed on Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents by the U.N. Security Council, TASS news agency quoted a senior Russian diplomat on Tuesday as saying. Russia supports Afghanistan government policy aimed at achieving national reconciliation, Zamir Kabulov, a department chief at Russia's Foreign Ministry and President Vladimir Putin's special envoy on Afghanistan, was quoted as saying.

Turkey's Erdogan meets king in Saudi Arabia for Syria talks Posted: 29 Dec 2015 08:24 AM PST RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Hours before he arrived in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Syria's president of "mercilessly" killing hundreds of thousands of people and criticized Russia for backing him.

Pakistan police arrests eight suspected IS militants Posted: 29 Dec 2015 07:53 AM PST Pakistani police have arrested eight suspected members of the Islamic State group for planning to establish a terrorist network and carry out attacks, officials said Tuesday. The eight suspects were arrested after anti-terror police raided their hideout in Daska, central Punjab, provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told AFP. "All of them are young and in their 20's. Police also recovered Daesh literature and CDs," Sanaullah added "They were taking instruction via the Internet from a person named Abu Muawiyah".

Exclusive: Islamic State ruling aims to settle who can have sex with female slaves Posted: 29 Dec 2015 07:43 AM PST By Jonathan Landay, Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Islamic State theologians have issued an extremely detailed ruling on when "owners" of women enslaved by the extremist group can have sex with them, in an apparent bid to curb what they called violations in the treatment of captured females. The ruling or fatwa has the force of law and appears to go beyond the Islamic State's previous known utterances on slavery, a leading Islamic State scholar said. It sheds new light on how the group is trying to reinterpret centuries-old teachings to justify the rape of women in the swaths of Syria and Iraq it controls.

Officials: Pakistan detains 13 alleged IS supporters Posted: 29 Dec 2015 07:34 AM PST MULTAN, Pakistan (AP) — Pakistani counterterrorism forces have detained 13 local militants who were trying to set up an Islamic State affiliate, two officials said Tuesday.

Belgium arrests two suspects over New Year's holiday plot Posted: 29 Dec 2015 05:52 AM PST Two suspects in possession of Islamic State propaganda, military-style clothing, and computer hardware have been arrested in Belgium on suspicion of plotting a New Year's Eve attack on Brussels, according to an announcement by local prosecutors there Tuesday. The announcement comes only a month after Belgium became the focus of intense global scrutiny in the manhunt for perpetrators of the Nov. 13 terror attacks in Paris, which killed 130 people and were carried out by at least nine people with connections to the European nation.

Iraq, Syria, France deadliest places for reporters in 2015 Posted: 29 Dec 2015 05:30 AM PST The Islamist attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo made France the third deadliest country for journalists in 2015, just behind Syria and Iraq, media freedom organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Tuesday. Sixty-seven journalists were killed globally this year, either targeted because of their work or dying while reporting, Paris-based RSF said in its annual report. Some 27 citizen (amateur)journalists and seven media workers were also killed.

U.S.-led coalition stages 31 strikes against Islamic State: statement Posted: 29 Dec 2015 04:42 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies targeted Islamic State with 31 air strikes on Monday in their latest daily operations against the militant group in Iraq and Syria, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement. In Iraq, 22 strikes near eight cities were concentrated near Ramadi and Mosul, hitting seven tactical units, two oil tanker trucks and multiple fighting positions, according to the Combined Joint Task Force statement released on Tuesday. ...

Portuguese party leader who was foreign minister stands down Posted: 29 Dec 2015 03:17 AM PST LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Paulo Portas, who in recent years served as Portugal's foreign minister and deputy prime minister, says he is stepping down as leader of the center-right Popular Party.

How Qatar Is Funding al-Qaeda -- and Why That Could Help the US Posted: 29 Dec 2015 03:15 AM PST Ask Americans to name the terror group they fear most, and they'll probably says ISIS, even though it was al-Qaeda that killed more than 3,000 people on 9/11/2001. The rivalry between the two terror groups has even prompted the unthinkable—that the U.S. and al-Qaeda would somehow work together to defeat ISIS. Last August General David Petraeus, former CIA director and commander of U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, urged the Pentagon to consider empowering al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front in Syria to fight ISIS.

Erdogan: 'clear provocation' from pro-Kurdish HDP leader Posted: 29 Dec 2015 02:39 AM PST Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday comments at the weekend from the leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) were a "clear provocation" and the party "will be taught a lesson" by the people and the law. Erdogan's broadside at HDP chief Selahattin Demirtas could further widen the gulf between the government and the Kurdish opposition. A Turkish prosecutor opened an investigation into Demirtas after he made calls for greater Kurdish self-governance, Dogan news agency reported on Monday.

Prosthetic limbs put Pakistani terror survivors together again Posted: 29 Dec 2015 02:03 AM PST Pakistani teen Ali Shah was on his way to school when he lost half of his right hand and his left leg after stepping on an IED -- the Taliban's weapon of choice in its decade long insurgency. Nearly a year on, he is set to receive a new leg at the Pakistan Institute of Prosthetic and Orthotic Sciences in Peshawar (PIPOS) where thousands have been treated, a lifeline for many in the country with some of the highest IED death rates in the world. Ali remembers the day he lost his limbs vividly.

Emirati charged for plot on Abu Dhabi F1 circuit: media Posted: 29 Dec 2015 01:50 AM PST The husband of an Emirati woman executed for murdering an American teacher has been charged with joining the Islamic State group and plotting attacks on Abu Dhabi's Formula 1 circuit, local media reported Tuesday. The man was charged by the UAE's Federal Supreme Court on Monday with seven terror-related offences, including planning to bomb the Yas Marina circuit and a US military base, The National newspaper said. The suspect was married to Alaa Bader al-Hashemi, who was executed in July after being convicted of the jihadist-inspired murder of US school teacher Ibolya Ryan, 47, in a toilet of an Abu Dhabi shopping mall in December last year.

Report: 69 journalists died on the job in 2015 Posted: 28 Dec 2015 10:45 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Sixty-nine journalists were killed around the world on the job in 2015. Twenty-eight of them were slain by Islamic militant groups, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Today in History Posted: 28 Dec 2015 09:01 PM PST Today in History

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