Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• 16 dead, 30 wounded in three blasts in northeast Syria: monitor
• Twin suicide bombs in northeast Syria kill or wound dozens: Kurds, monitoring group
• US says Iran launched 'provocative' rocket test near ships
• Iraqi PM says Turkey not respecting agreement to withdraw troops
• Funeral for soldier and NYPD officer killed in Afghanistan
• VP Joe Biden to meet with leaders in Turkey in mid-January
• UN offers to help Iraqi refugees return to Ramadi
• Iraq's Abadi says Turkey not respecting agreement to withdraw troops
• Militants, booby-trapped houses in Ramadi to delay civilians' return
• Shooting at ancient citadel in Russia's Caucasus, one dead
• The World According to Russia
• U.S. vice president to visit Turkey next month, to meet with Erdogan: officials
• Thousands of homes destroyed in Iraq's Ramadi
• Paris accomplice killed in Syria as US strikes at ISIS 'head of the snake'
• Iraq risks losing generation due to lack of schools, healthcare: UNICEF
• Iraq tells Turkey to pull out of north, threatens action
• Philippine troops battle militants in south, at least 9 dead
• Baghdad Blasts: Earthquake Detectors Map Sounds of War
• Asylum-seekers in Sweden fear refugee shelter is haunted
• U.S. leads 28 air strikes against Islamic State: statement
• Israel cracks down on Islamic State volunteers
• Donald Trump Debuts 'Star Wars'-Themed Attack Ad Aimed at Obama
• 10 Things to Know for Wednesday
• Clinton: Islamic State persecution of Christians, Yazidis, a genocide
• Islamic State suffers double blow as Ramadi falls, leaders killed
• Choosing a New Path for a Brighter Future
• Twitter Updates Rules to Combat Abusive Behavior, Hateful Conduct
• Jihadists holding over 3,000 Yazidis hostage: activist

16 dead, 30 wounded in three blasts in northeast Syria: monitor Posted: 30 Dec 2015 03:53 PM PST At least 16 people were killed and 30 wounded by explosions in three restaurants in the northeast of Syria on Wednesday, a monitoring group said, in attacks claimed by the Islamic State group. At least one of the blasts in the city of Qamishli was caused by a suicide bomber, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP. An AFP correspondent in the city said the suicide attack took place in a restaurant in a Christian neighbourhood.

Twin suicide bombs in northeast Syria kill or wound dozens: Kurds, monitoring group Posted: 30 Dec 2015 03:02 PM PST Twin suicide bombings hit two restaurants in a Kurdish-controlled city in northeastern Syria on Wednesday, killing or wounding dozens of people, a Kurdish official and a group monitoring the war said. The explosions took place in Qamishli, near the Turkish border, the Kurdish YPG militia's Redur Xelil told Reuters. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 16 people were killed and more than 22 wounded from the blasts in an area inhabited by Christians.

US says Iran launched 'provocative' rocket test near ships Posted: 30 Dec 2015 02:20 PM PST DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. on Wednesday accused Iran of launching a "highly provocative" rocket test last week near its warships and commercial traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, exposing how tensions between the two countries could escalate even after a landmark nuclear deal.

Iraqi PM says Turkey not respecting agreement to withdraw troops Posted: 30 Dec 2015 01:10 PM PST By Saif Hameed and Ece Toksabay BAGHDAD/ANKARA (Reuters) - Iraq's prime minister accused Turkey on Wednesday of failing to respect an agreement to withdraw its troops from the country's north and its foreign minister said if forced, Iraq could resort to military action to defend its sovereignty. The diplomatic dispute flared after Turkey deployed a force protection unit of around 150 troops earlier this month, citing heightened security risks near Bashiqa military base where its troops were training an Iraqi militia to fight Islamic State insurgents in nearby Mosul. Iraqi security forces have had only a limited presence in Nineveh province, where the camp is located, since collapsing in June 2014 in the face of a lightning advance by Islamic State.

Funeral for soldier and NYPD officer killed in Afghanistan Posted: 30 Dec 2015 12:39 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — The 4-year-old son of a fallen U.S. soldier saluted his father's flag-draped casket Wednesday as it was carried from St. Patrick's Cathedral following a funeral Mass attended by hundreds of uniformed police officers.

VP Joe Biden to meet with leaders in Turkey in mid-January Posted: 30 Dec 2015 11:33 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Turkey next month amid the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group.

UN offers to help Iraqi refugees return to Ramadi Posted: 30 Dec 2015 11:16 AM PST UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon offered Wednesday to help Iraq restore basic services to Ramadi and allow refugees to quickly return to the city after it was recaptured from jihadists. Ban made the offer during a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi who visited Ramadi after his forces drove out Islamic State fighters.

Iraq's Abadi says Turkey not respecting agreement to withdraw troops Posted: 30 Dec 2015 10:53 AM PST Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Wednesday that Turkey had not respected a commitment to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq, where they are training a Sunni Muslim militia to fight Islamic State. Abadi said in a statement that a Turkish delegation to Iraq had promised to announce upon returning to Ankara that Turkey would withdraw its troops, "but the Turkish government has not respected the agreement and we request that the Turkish government announce immediately that it will withdraw from Iraqi territory".

Militants, booby-trapped houses in Ramadi to delay civilians' return Posted: 30 Dec 2015 10:26 AM PST By Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - About 700 Islamic State fighters were believed to be hiding in the center and eastern outskirts of Ramadi on Wednesday, three days after Iraqi government forces claimed victory over the militants in the western city, the U.S.-led coalition said. The U.N. refugee agency, assisting families who have left the Anbar provincial capital, said that despite gains by security forces, conditions were not yet good enough for tens of thousands of displaced residents to return. Much of the center of Ramadi, which previously had a population exceeding 400,000, still needs to be cleared of explosives laid by the jihadist insurgents who seized the city 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad in May, the coalition said.

Shooting at ancient citadel in Russia's Caucasus, one dead Posted: 30 Dec 2015 09:53 AM PST One person was killed and 11 injured in a shooting at an ancient citadel in Russia's volatile North Caucasus region of Dagestan, officials said on Wednesday. The attack occurred on Tuesday night near the UNESCO heritage site in Derbent, which claims to be Russia's oldest city and celebrated its 2,000th anniversary this year. Islamist rebels in Dagestan, a restive region neighbouring Chechnya, have been increasingly flocking to the Islamic State group, which in June declared it had established a franchise there.

The World According to Russia Posted: 30 Dec 2015 09:13 AM PST "Do you realize what you have done?" Vladimir Putin demanded at the United Nations in September. The question was a rebuke to the American-led bloc of countries that initially viewed with optimism the Arab Spring, which began five years ago this month, but has since given way to chaos and Islamist violence across once-stable parts of the Middle East and North Africa. Those events, and much else, look different when viewed from Russia than they do from the United States, and a documentary that aired recently on Russian state television helps explain the worldview behind Putin's question.

U.S. vice president to visit Turkey next month, to meet with Erdogan: officials Posted: 30 Dec 2015 08:48 AM PST ANKARA (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden will visit Turkey on Jan. 23 and will meet President Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, sources from the Turkish prime minister's office said on Wednesday. Biden and Davutoglu discussed the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq in a phone call last week, amid tensions with Baghdad over the deployment of Turkish troops as part of a training mission. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Ece Toksabay; Editing by Nick Tattersall)

Thousands of homes destroyed in Iraq's Ramadi Posted: 30 Dec 2015 07:58 AM PST Months of fighting in Ramadi have caused extensive destruction, officials said Wednesday, warning that it was too soon for civilians to return to the Iraqi city after its recapture from jihadists. Iraqi forces declared victory on Sunday night in the Ramadi battle after wresting back control of the city's central government complex from the Islamic State group. "There is extensive destruction in the city as a result of terrorist activity and military operations," said Ibrahim al-Osej, a member of the Ramadi district council.

Paris accomplice killed in Syria as US strikes at ISIS 'head of the snake' Posted: 30 Dec 2015 07:06 AM PST An associate of the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks was killed in a US-led airstrike in Syria, the Pentagon said Tuesday, eliminating what officials say is one of the self-styled Islamic State's most active threats. US Army Col. Steve Warren identified the man as Charaffe al Mouadan, a Syrian-based operative who was linked to Abdel Hamid Abaaoud, leader of the Paris attacks. Warren said al Mouadan "had a direct link" with Mr. Abaaoud before the Paris attacks took place on Nov. 13, killing 130 people.

Iraq risks losing generation due to lack of schools, healthcare: UNICEF Posted: 30 Dec 2015 06:47 AM PST Preventing violence from depriving millions of children in Iraq of education and decent healthcare is a key humanitarian priority for the country in 2016, a senior U.N. official said on Wednesday. More than 2 million children in Iraq are out of school, up to 3 million more have had their education disrupted by the war, and nearly one in five schools have been damaged, destroyed or used for other purposes, the U.N. children's fund UNICEF says. "We're at risk of losing a generation through the lack of education, health and protection," Peter Hawkins, UNICEF's Representative in Iraq, told the Thomson Reuters Foundation during a brief trip to Britain.

Iraq tells Turkey to pull out of north, threatens action Posted: 30 Dec 2015 06:00 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq on Wednesday reiterated its demand that Turkish troops withdraw from a northern camp where they are training anti-Islamic State fighters, warning that it will consider military action if the soldiers remain.

Philippine troops battle militants in south, at least 9 dead Posted: 30 Dec 2015 05:40 AM PST MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine troops clashed Wednesday with about 100 Abu Sayyaf gunmen suspected of plotting attacks on New Year's Eve, leaving eight militants and one soldier dead, officials said.

Baghdad Blasts: Earthquake Detectors Map Sounds of War Posted: 30 Dec 2015 05:21 AM PST Seismic equipment that was installed in Iraq to detect earthquakes has also recorded plenty of other big bangs — explosions from nearby mortars and car bombs. In Baghdad throughout 2006, the sound of bombs was common. What happened at the ammunition depot, captured by onlookers on video, is referred to in the military as a "cook-off," when excessive heat causes ammunition to explode prematurely.

Asylum-seekers in Sweden fear refugee shelter is haunted Posted: 30 Dec 2015 05:17 AM PST STOCKHOLM (AP) — Thirty-five asylum-seekers have asked to be relocated from a refugee housing facility in southern Sweden because they believe it's haunted by ghosts, officials said Wednesday.

U.S. leads 28 air strikes against Islamic State: statement Posted: 30 Dec 2015 04:33 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies staged 28 air strikes on Tuesday against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the coalition leading the operations said in a statement. In Syria, four strikes near four cities struck tactical units and an oil pump station, and destroyed two vehicles and an excavator, according to a Combined Joint Task Force statement released Wednesday. In Iraq, 24 air strikes concentrated near Mosul and Ramadi struck bunkers, fighting positions and explosive devices among other targets, the statement said. (Reporting by Washington Newsroom)

Israel cracks down on Islamic State volunteers Posted: 30 Dec 2015 02:51 AM PST By Dan Williams JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Ayoob Kara, a deputy Israeli cabinet minister, used to double as an unofficial intermediary with the few of his fellow Arab citizens who have left to join Islamic State insurgents in Syria or Iraq. Negotiating discreetly through relatives and go-betweens, he would offer them reduced jail terms if they returned to Israel, cooperated with security services and helped deter other would-be Islamic State recruits by publicly disavowing the group. A half-dozen volunteers took the deal, Kara says.

Donald Trump Debuts 'Star Wars'-Themed Attack Ad Aimed at Obama Posted: 29 Dec 2015 09:00 PM PST The spot targets the president for going to see the new film rather than, as the ad claims, fighting terrorism.

10 Things to Know for Wednesday Posted: 29 Dec 2015 07:17 PM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Wednesday:

Clinton: Islamic State persecution of Christians, Yazidis, a genocide Posted: 29 Dec 2015 07:14 PM PST U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton on Tuesday said that Islamic State violence against Christians, Iraqi Yazidis and other religious minorities in the Middle East was genocide. "I think I was asked this a couple months ago, and I said that term carries with it legal import, it is a very important concept and label for behavior that deserves that name," Clinton said at a town hall in Berlin, New Hampshire, when asked about the Islamic State's killing of Christians, Yazidis, Kurdish Muslims and other religious minorities in the region. "I am now sure we have enough evidence, what is happening is genocide deliberately aimed at destroying lives and wiping out the existence of Christians and other religious minorities," Clinton said.

Islamic State suffers double blow as Ramadi falls, leaders killed Posted: 29 Dec 2015 06:17 PM PST By Ahmed Rasheed and Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S.-led forces have killed 10 Islamic State leaders in air strikes, including individuals linked to the Paris attacks, a U.S. spokesman said, dealing a double blow to the militant group after Iraqi forces ousted it from the city of Ramadi. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi planted the national flag in Ramadi after the army retook the city center from Islamic State, a victory that could help vindicate his strategy for rebuilding the military after stunning defeats. "Over the past month, we've killed 10 ISIL leadership figures with targeted air strikes, including several external attack planners, some of whom are linked to the Paris attacks," said U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren, a spokesman for the U.S.-led campaign against the Islamist group also known by the acronym ISIL.

Choosing a New Path for a Brighter Future Posted: 29 Dec 2015 05:39 PM PST WASHINGTON -- End-of-year-columns usually focus on the future, the sobering "what next?" To tell the truth, they are fruitcake columns -- sugary and basically indigestible because they overload us with things we know quite well will never happen, and the writer knows we know will never happen.Oh, we try to cheer up the reader: "Iraq wasn't really so bad! Think of all the Americans who will now want to go there on vacation!" Global warming? "Well, you know how those Republicans are. They never did like those ridiculously small, economically inefficient islands in the South Pacific. ...

Twitter Updates Rules to Combat Abusive Behavior, Hateful Conduct Posted: 29 Dec 2015 04:58 PM PST This article, Twitter updates rules to combat abusive behavior, hateful conduct, originally appeared on CNET.com.

Jihadists holding over 3,000 Yazidis hostage: activist Posted: 29 Dec 2015 04:04 PM PST Jihadists in Iraq and Syria are holding over 3,000 Yazidi hostages, a Yazidi activist once imprisoned by the Islamic State said Wednesday. "At this moment there are 3,400 people in detention who are Syrian or Iraqi," Nadia Murad Basee Taha told Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during a visit to Athens. "I call on you to convey my voice to the European Union because thousands of women and small children continue to be held hostage," said the 21-year-old Taha, a member of one of the Iraqi minorities hardest hit by jihadist atrocities.

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