Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• AP Analysis: Echoes of 1991 Gulf War linger on in Mideast
• US, Russia announce Syria ceasefire from Saturday
• Oil ends up 6 percent on lower shale output bet, equity rally
• US Uses $400M F-22 Raptor Jets in Syria Despite Not Needing Them
• Putin calls U.S.-Russia agreement on Syria a real step to stop bloodshed
• US, Russia agree on Syria cease-fire plan; questions remain
• US Libya strike probably prevented IS attack: Pentagon
• Trump-onomics Would Blow a Huge Hole in the Federal Budget
• Obama's Incredible Shrinking Welcome Mat Around the Globe
• IS gets millions in ransom for abducted Christians
• Islamic State rigs currency rates in Mosul to prop up finances
• New US-Russia plan sets Syria cease-fire for Saturday
• Bitter backlash for Iraq's 'no chocolate' cleric
• Lawyers for Assange ask Swedish court to overturn arrest warrant
• 4 Things Every Traveler Should Know About Global Entry
• Energy Agency braces for another year of cheap oil
• U.S.-led coalition sees fewer fighters, lower pay in Islamic State
• People-smuggling gangs net 6 billion euros in migrant traffic to Europe: Europol
• Sayyida Zeinab shrine: on frontline of Syria war
• Sea Services Face Future of Change
• Syria ceasefire calls mount after deadly jihadist attack
• Germany fears xenophobia taking hold in ex-communist east
• Across Europe, gay migrants face abuse in asylum shelters
• Assange lawyers ask Swedish court to drop warrant
• Thousands of migrants trapped in Greece as neighbors tighten restrictions
• UN warns of nuclear material falling into terrorist hands
• Top commanders of anti-IS coalition meet in Kuwait
• Iraq deploys reinforcements for new Anbar push: officer
• U.S. targets Islamic State with 19 strikes in Iraq, Syria
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• UN: IS bombs in Iraq's Ramadi hinder return of displaced
• Turkish PM announces plan to bolster beleaguered tourism sector
• Where will captured militants be held as terror fight grows?
• Saudi Arabia puts Shi'ites on trial for spying for Iran
• What to do if US begins capturing more suspected terrorists?
• Iraqi artist imagines life in a bomb suit
• Today in History
• Diane Sawyer, Ann Curry Laud Tina Fey at 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' NYC Screening
• The Latest: Sanders rallies supporters in South Carolina

AP Analysis: Echoes of 1991 Gulf War linger on in Mideast Posted: 22 Feb 2016 04:29 PM PST The 1991 Gulf War saw only 100 hours of ground fighting as U.S. forces entered Kuwait to end the Iraqi occupation, but echoes of that conflict have lingered for decades in the Middle East.

US, Russia announce Syria ceasefire from Saturday Posted: 22 Feb 2016 03:49 PM PST The United States and Russia on Monday announced plans for a landmark "cessation of hostilities" to take effect in war-torn Syria on February 27, excluding the main jihadist factions. The announcement drew a conditional acceptance from the main opposition grouping and came just one day after the deadliest jihadist attack in the nearly five-year war, with 134 people -- mostly civilians -- killed in a series of blasts near Damascus. In a joint statement, Washington and Moscow said the partial truce would begin at midnight Damascus time (2200 GMT Friday) and apply to parties to the conflict that have committed to the deal -- but not to the Islamic State (IS) group or Al-Nusra Front, an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Oil ends up 6 percent on lower shale output bet, equity rally Posted: 22 Feb 2016 01:02 PM PST By Barani Krishnan NEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil markets settled up as much as 6 percent on Monday as speculation about falling U.S. shale output and a rally in equities fed the notion that crude prices may be bottoming after a 20-month collapse. IEA executive director Fatih Birol told CERAWeek, an industry gathering in Houston, that crude oil at $80 a barrel would be good for both producers and consumers, although the agency said in a report a strong price rebound was unlikely under present market conditions.

US Uses $400M F-22 Raptor Jets in Syria Despite Not Needing Them Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:40 PM PST The jets, some of the most sophisticated and priciest stealth fighter planes ever built, are not sitting out the Air Force's latest aerial operations in Iraq and Syria, as they did in previous campaigns in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya. Since their maiden mission in September 2014, F-22s have been "operating regularly" in the anti-ISIS campaign and have dropped more than 200 bombs on targets in 150 sorties, according to the Air Force. But these missions are not the ones for which the air-to-air combat specialist F-22 was initially designed, and the Air Force acknowledges that the pricey planes don't necessarily need to be the ones conducting them.

Putin calls U.S.-Russia agreement on Syria a real step to stop bloodshed Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:40 PM PST The agreements between Russia and the U.S. on a ceasefire in Syria are a real step toward halting the bloodshed and can be an example of action against terrorism, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday. "I'm convinced that the joint actions agreed with the American side are able to radically transform the crisis situation in Syria," Putin said in a special address broadcast on television and posted on the Kremlin's website. Putin's comments came after the United States and Russia announced plans for a cessation of hostilities in Syria, excluding Islamic State and Nusra Front militants, that would take effect starting on Saturday.

US, Russia agree on Syria cease-fire plan; questions remain Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:29 PM PST DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The United States and Russia have agreed on a new cease-fire for Syria that will take effect Saturday, even as major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved. Syria's warring government and rebels still need to accept the deal.

US Libya strike probably prevented IS attack: Pentagon Posted: 22 Feb 2016 12:06 PM PST A US air strike on an Islamic State training compound in Libya probably averted a mass shooting or a similar attack in Tunisia, a Pentagon spokesman said Monday. Friday's bombardment of the jihadist camp in Libya killed dozens of people, likely including senior IS operative Noureddine Chouchane. Officials say he helped plot two devastating IS-claimed attacks in neighboring Tunisia last year.

Trump-onomics Would Blow a Huge Hole in the Federal Budget Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:45 AM PST Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump frequently rails against the runaway, $19 trillion national debt and promises to bring it to heel if he is elected president. Taken together, his proposals for slashing tax revenues by as much as $12 trillion over the coming decade, leaving Social Security and other major entitlement programs unscathed and achieving his biggest savings by cutting "waste, fraud and abuse" are a recipe for record long-term deficits and debt.

Obama's Incredible Shrinking Welcome Mat Around the Globe Posted: 22 Feb 2016 11:29 AM PST Cuba, with an economy roughly the size of Amazon, Inc. that is frozen in time thanks to decades of Communist rule, is on the rapidly shrinking list of countries available to President Obama for a flattering photo-op. The only good news about Obama opening up the Caribbean Island to Americans is that Cuba can serve as a living museum, educating those who might be sucked in by the next Socialist playbook-waving Democrat. President Obama's planned visit to Cuba comes as numerous hot spots around the world are bursting into flame.

IS gets millions in ransom for abducted Christians Posted: 22 Feb 2016 10:49 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — The Islamic State group has collected millions of dollars in ransom for a group of Assyrian Christians it kidnapped in Syria a year ago, Christian officials and an opposition group said Monday, as the last of the 230 hostages were freed.

Islamic State rigs currency rates in Mosul to prop up finances Posted: 22 Feb 2016 10:49 AM PST By Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State militants in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul are manipulating the exchange rate between U.S. dollars and Iraqi dinars to squeeze money out of local people as coalition bombers attack the group's finances.     The U.S-led coalition has said that in addition to attacking Islamic State's fighters and leaders it will go after financial infrastructure too.     Air strikes have reduced Islamic State's ability to extract, refine and transport oil, a major source of revenue that is already suffering from the fall in world prices. Since October the coalition says it has destroyed at least 10 "cash collection points" estimated to contain hundreds of millions of dollars.     U.S. military officials say reports of Islamic State cutting fighters' wages by up to half are proof that the coalition is putting pressure on the group.

New US-Russia plan sets Syria cease-fire for Saturday Posted: 22 Feb 2016 10:20 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States and Russia agreed Monday on a new cease-fire for Syria that will take effect Saturday. However, major questions over enforcing and responding to violations of the truce were left unresolved, and where in Syria the fighting must stop and where counterterrorism operations can continue also must still be addressed.

Bitter backlash for Iraq's 'no chocolate' cleric Posted: 22 Feb 2016 09:57 AM PST Iraqis took to social media Monday to pile ridicule on a cleric who said in a sermon that people should cut down on chocolate bars to fight the economic crisis. At a Baghdad mosque on Friday, Sheikh Jalaleddin al-Saghir took aim at Iraqis' immoderate love of "Nestle" -- a generic term for chocolate bars which they pronounce "Nestelleh". "Brothers, chocolate bars are not necessary.

Lawyers for Assange ask Swedish court to overturn arrest warrant Posted: 22 Feb 2016 09:06 AM PST Lawyers for Julian Assange have asked a Swedish court to overturn an arrest warrant for the Wikileaks founder following a ruling by a U.N. panel that his stay in Ecuador's London embassy amounts to arbitrary detention. Assange, 44, took refuge at the embassy in June 2012 to avoid extradition to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning over allegations, which he denies, that he committed rape in 2010. "We consider that there have arisen a number of new circumstances which mean there is reason to review the earlier decision," Thomas Olsson, one of Assange's lawyers, said on Monday.

4 Things Every Traveler Should Know About Global Entry Posted: 22 Feb 2016 08:53 AM PST If you're a frequent international flier, the chance to breeze through airport security lines, hold onto your shoes and keep your sanity intact might be enough selling points to pay the $100 Global Entry fee. To help you weigh your options and decide whether it's a worthwhile investment, U.S. News solicited expert advice to identify the top factors travelers should consider before applying to Global Entry, along with key benefits of the program. Global Entry membership grants travelers a five-year enrollment period, enabling them to skip the slow-moving immigration lines and go directly to a kiosk to punch in their Trusted Traveler information and scan their passport.

Energy Agency braces for another year of cheap oil Posted: 22 Feb 2016 08:44 AM PST Oil prices will remain low at least until next year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) warned Monday, saying any 2017 recovery will be slow as massive oil stocks feed into the market. "We must say that today's oil market conditions do not suggest that prices can recover sharply in the immediate future -- unless, of course, there is a major geopolitical event," the International Energy Agency said in its medium-term report, which looks five years ahead. "Only in 2017 will we finally see oil supply and demand aligned but the enormous stocks being accumulated will act as a dampener on the pace of recovery in oil prices when the market, having balanced, then starts to draw down those stocks," it said.

U.S.-led coalition sees fewer fighters, lower pay in Islamic State Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:56 AM PST By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. estimates of the number of Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria have been reduced while cuts in their pay are evidence they are on the defensive, a spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition fighting the group said on Monday. Warren said increases in forced conscription, the recruitment of child soldiers and the use of elite fighters in common units were all evidence that Islamic State was seeing a slowing in the influx of foreign fighters.

People-smuggling gangs net 6 billion euros in migrant traffic to Europe: Europol Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:37 AM PST People-smuggling gangs netted up to 6 billion euros ($6.6 billion) last year, most of it from the traffic of migrants into Europe, the European Union's police agency Europol said in a report issued on Monday. Labeling people-smuggling as the "fastest growing criminal market in Europe", the report said: "This turnover (of 6 billion euros) is set to double or triple if the scale of the current migration crisis persists in the upcoming year." Europol and police forces in countries in Europe and beyond have identified more than 12,000 suspects active in gangs involved in smuggling in migrants since 2015.

Sayyida Zeinab shrine: on frontline of Syria war Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:30 AM PST The revered Sayyida Zeinab shrine near Damascus has become a symbol of the bloody sectarian fault line in Syria's war, targeted by Sunni jihadists and used as a rallying call by Shiite groups. For years, thousands of Shiite Muslims have visited the sacred site each day, circling the courtyard and chanting religious hymns. A string of devastating bomb attacks near the site on Sunday, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group, killed 120 people, including at least 90 civilians, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

Sea Services Face Future of Change Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:18 AM PST What worked in the past might be, at best, obsolete and, at worst, counterproductive, as the U.S. Navy deals with two potential peer rivals and possible conflicts ranging from asymmetrical sparring to overt maritime control. The three-day sea-services-centric conference, cosponsored by AFCEA International and the U.S. Naval Institute, centered on the theme, "How Do We Make the Strategy Work?" Experts examined issues through that lens, but suggestions outweighed conclusions. During the conference's opening keynote address, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe Adm. James G. Stavridis, USN (Ret.), said the threat picture largely influences the U.S. Navy's strategy.

Syria ceasefire calls mount after deadly jihadist attack Posted: 22 Feb 2016 07:01 AM PST Efforts intensified for a partial truce in Syria as fighting raged near Aleppo on Monday and after the country suffered its bloodiest jihadist attack in nearly five years of war. US President Barack Obama and Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin are expected to speak in the coming days after Washington announced a provisional agreement had been reached on an imminent "cessation of hostilities". US Secretary of State John Kerry announced the deal on Sunday, as a string of suicide bombings in areas near a Shiite shrine outside Damascus and in the city of Homs killed at least 184 people.

Germany fears xenophobia taking hold in ex-communist east Posted: 22 Feb 2016 06:41 AM PST Germany fears xenophobia is taking root in its former communist east, where Islamophobic movement PEGIDA was born and where two recent incidents involving anti-migrant mobs shocked the country. The ugly scenes of 20 to 30 apparently drunken onlookers cheering as a would-be asylum seeker home went up in flames Sunday in the town of Bautzen in Saxony state prompted one politician to warn that the region risked becoming a "failed state". The outrage was compounded by the fact it came just two nights after 100 people angrily shouted "We are the people" while trying to block a bus carrying about 20 asylum seekers to a new shelter in Clausnitz, another Saxony town.

Across Europe, gay migrants face abuse in asylum shelters Posted: 22 Feb 2016 06:33 AM PST BERLIN (AP) — Alaa Ammar fled Syria to escape not just civil war but also the threat of persecution as a gay man. Yet when he arrived in The Netherlands last spring, he did not find the safe haven he craved.

Assange lawyers ask Swedish court to drop warrant Posted: 22 Feb 2016 06:26 AM PST Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Monday they had asked a Stockholm court to lift a pan-European warrant for his arrest over a 2010 rape allegation. "I think (the opinion of the UN working group) is an important fact and should be taken into account," Tomas Olsson, a lawyer for Assange, told AFP.

Thousands of migrants trapped in Greece as neighbors tighten restrictions Posted: 22 Feb 2016 06:02 AM PST By Lefteris Papadimas ATHENS (Reuters) - Thousands of migrants were stranded in northern Greece on Monday after neighboring Macedonia demanded additional identification from people seeking to cross the border and head to Western Europe, witnesses said. European leaders are concerned that migrants passing through austerity-hit Greece to more prosperous countries could end up stranded if Greece's northern neighbors tighten border controls. Greek officials say the flow of people across the border slowed after Macedonia demanded additional identification from people seeking passage.

UN warns of nuclear material falling into terrorist hands Posted: 22 Feb 2016 06:01 AM PST VIENNA (AP) — The head of the U.N. nuclear agency warned Monday of the dangers of nuclear material falling into the hands of terrorists and urged world nations to apply an agreement meant to minimize such dangers.

Top commanders of anti-IS coalition meet in Kuwait Posted: 22 Feb 2016 05:57 AM PST Top military commanders from 30 nations fighting the Islamic State group gathered Monday in Kuwait to discuss ways to defeat the jihadists who occupy large areas in Syria and Iraq. Chief of staff of host country Kuwait, General Mohammad al-Khader, urged increased efforts to defeat extremists worldwide. Countries attending the Kuwait meeting include the United States, Britain, France, as well as Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Iraq deploys reinforcements for new Anbar push: officer Posted: 22 Feb 2016 05:39 AM PST Iraq deployed reinforcements to a military base in Anbar on Monday for an impending operation against the Islamic State group in the western province, a senior officer said. IS overran large parts of Anbar province in 2014, but Iraqi forces recaptured provincial capital Ramadi from the jihadists and are now setting their sights on areas farther up the Euphrates river valley. "Major military reinforcements... arrived today to the Ain al-Asad base," army Major General Ali Ibrahim Daboun said.

U.S. targets Islamic State with 19 strikes in Iraq, Syria Posted: 22 Feb 2016 04:38 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies staged 19 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Sunday in its latest round of daily attacks on the militant group, according to the coalition leading the operations. In a statement released on Monday, the Combined Joint Task Force said it launched 14 strikes in Syria concentrated near Al Hasakah, where they hit five Islamic State tactical units and destroyed four building and four vehicles. Other strikes hit near Al Hawl, Ayn Isa and Dayr Az Zawr. ...

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 22 Feb 2016 03:51 AM PST Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

UN: IS bombs in Iraq's Ramadi hinder return of displaced Posted: 22 Feb 2016 03:36 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — The U.N. mission in Iraq said on Monday that bombs planted by the Islamic State group are hindering the return of displaced families to the country's western city of Ramadi, nearly two months since Iraqi forces, aided by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and Sunni fighters took it back from the extremists.

Turkish PM announces plan to bolster beleaguered tourism sector Posted: 22 Feb 2016 01:48 AM PST Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu unveiled a plan on Monday to support Turkey's tourism sector, hit by tensions with Russia and domestic insecurity, including a 255 million lira ($87 million) grant and a facility to allow tourism firms to restructure debt. Turkey is especially popular with German tourists, but has seen demand fall after a suicide bomber killed 10 Germans in Istanbul in January. Russians have meanwhile been told to stay away by Moscow after Turkey shot down a Russian jet near the border with Syria last October.

Where will captured militants be held as terror fight grows? Posted: 22 Feb 2016 01:10 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has refused to send any suspected terrorists captured overseas to the American detention center at Guantanamo Bay. But if the U.S. starts seizing more militants in expanded military operations, where will they go, who will hold them and where will they be tried?

Saudi Arabia puts Shi'ites on trial for spying for Iran Posted: 21 Feb 2016 10:53 PM PST Saudi Arabia has put 32 people on trial, including 30 members of its own Shi'ite Muslim minority, accused of spying for Iran, several local newspapers and television reported on Monday. The trial is the first in recent memory for Saudis accused of spying and may stoke tensions between local Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims and with Iran, which strongly denied the accusations at the time. The bitter rivalry between the Sunni-ruled kingdom and Iran, a Shi'ite theocracy, has aggravated wars and political struggles in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and Bahrain and is regarded by many analysts as a cause of regional instability.

What to do if US begins capturing more suspected terrorists? Posted: 21 Feb 2016 09:19 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama has refused to send any suspected terrorists captured overseas to the detention center at Guantanamo Bay. But if the U.S. starts seizing more militants in expanded military operations, where will they go, who will hold them and where will they be tried?

Iraqi artist imagines life in a bomb suit Posted: 21 Feb 2016 09:12 PM PST The man in the bulky bomb disposal suit waved at a gaggle of awed children as he walked down a Baghdad street and sat outside a small cafe to drink tea. Iraqi artist Hussein Adil designed the mock bomb suit -- complete with huge helmet and visor -- himself for this performance. The inspiration for his "bomb suit happening" was the death last year in a suicide car bombing of his close friend Ammar al-Shahbander, a much-loved journalist.

Today in History Posted: 21 Feb 2016 09:00 PM PST Today in History

Diane Sawyer, Ann Curry Laud Tina Fey at 'Whiskey Tango Foxtrot' NYC Screening Posted: 21 Feb 2016 09:00 PM PST "'Why is it that everyone else gets to do a war movie and I don't get to do a war movie?'" Lorne Michael recalled. "I said, 'Perfect, because I know right now, Paramount is desperate for big-budget Taliban comedy.'"

The Latest: Sanders rallies supporters in South Carolina Posted: 21 Feb 2016 08:09 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the 2016 presidential race as Republicans look back on South Carolina's primary and ahead to Nevada's caucuses on Tuesday and Democrats move past their Nevada contest and await a South Carolina faceoff on Saturday (all times local):

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