Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Two U.S. service members injured in Iraq, Syria: Pentagon
• Capitol Hill Buzz: McConnell dishes on Obama, conservatives
• Fear for civilians as Islamic State halts Iraqi army at gates of Falluja
• Rambo gets 20 years in prison for plotting to kill DEA agent
• Iraq faces tough IS resistance on Fallujah fringes
• Amid heavy clashes in Fallujah, fears rise for civilians
• UN alarmed about Iraqi families used as 'human shields'
• U.N. food agency prepares for deeper humanitarian crisis as battle for Mosul looms
• Libyan security forces pushing Islamic State back from vicinity of oil terminals
• Islamic State urges Muslims to destroy satellite TV sets
• A look at intelligence briefings for presidential candidates
• Spain asylum system 'obsolete': Amnesty
• IRAQ FALLUJAH
• US soldier wounded in Syria: Pentagon
• Iraq forces fear protracted IS last stand in Fallujah
• Dalai Lama says 'too many' refugees in Europe
• Paris plans to build migrant camp in north of city: mayor
• Turkey counts cost of conflict as Kurdish militant battle rages on
• Russia to Turkey: Withdraw your troops from Iraq - RIA cites Lavrov
• 45.8 Million People Are Enslaved Across The World
• Rio problems, doping issues, refugee athletes on IOC agenda
• In void left by Iraqi state, turf war partitions northern town
• How the Air Force Is Stopping Hackers and Lawmakers from Leaking B-21 Secrets
• Iraqi forces free two Yazidi women during assault on IS-held Falluja
• Spanish police arrest man accused of promoting Islamist militancy
• Out-Clintoning the Clintons
• Who should prevent violent extremism?

Two U.S. service members injured in Iraq, Syria: Pentagon Posted: 31 May 2016 04:00 PM PDT Two U.S. service members were injured over the weekend, one each in Iraq and Syria, a Pentagon spokesman said on Tuesday. "They were not on the front lines, they were not engaged in active combat, but they were hit in both cases by indirect fire and suffered injuries," Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said. The United States has authorized 4,087 troops in Iraq and 300 in Syria.

Capitol Hill Buzz: McConnell dishes on Obama, conservatives Posted: 31 May 2016 03:06 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is condescending. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid veers from friendly in private to nasty before TV cameras. And one of Washington's leading conservatives backstabs fellow Republicans.

Fear for civilians as Islamic State halts Iraqi army at gates of Falluja Posted: 31 May 2016 02:05 PM PDT By Maher Nazeh and Saif Hameed CAMP TARIQ, Iraq (Reuters) - Islamic State fighters halted an Iraqi army assault on the city of Falluja with a counter-attack at its southern gates on Tuesday, while the United Nations warned of peril for civilians trapped in the city and used by militants as human shields. The Iraqi army's assault on Falluja has begun what is expected to be one of the biggest battles ever fought against Islamic State, with the government backed by world powers including the United States and Iran, and determined to win back the first major Iraqi city that fell to the group in 2014. A week after Baghdad announced the start of the assault, its troops advanced in large numbers into the city limits for the first time on Monday, pouring into rural territory on its southern outskirts but stopping short of the main built-up area.

Rambo gets 20 years in prison for plotting to kill DEA agent Posted: 31 May 2016 01:23 PM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A onetime decorated U.S. Army sniper instructor known as Rambo was sentenced Tuesday to 20 years in prison for conspiring in a plot to kill a Drug Enforcement Administration agent.

Iraq faces tough IS resistance on Fallujah fringes Posted: 31 May 2016 12:29 PM PDT Iraqi forces faced tough resistance from the Islamic State group Tuesday as they attempted to enter the centre of Fallujah, where there were mounting fears for thousands of trapped civilians. A day after announcing a push into the jihadist stronghold, forces led by Iraq's elite counter-terrorism service had some way to go before retaking the city. After thrusting toward Fallujah from three directions on Monday, their biggest advance was from the south, where they pushed into the suburb of Naimiyah.

Amid heavy clashes in Fallujah, fears rise for civilians Posted: 31 May 2016 12:18 PM PDT CAMP TARIQ, Iraq (AP) — As Iraqi forces pressed an offensive Tuesday to dislodge Islamic State militants from Fallujah, conditions are worsening for tens of thousands of civilians trapped in the city, and a leading aid group raised alarm over an unfolding "human catastrophe."

UN alarmed about Iraqi families used as 'human shields' Posted: 31 May 2016 11:51 AM PDT The United Nations raised alarm Tuesday concerning the fate of 300-400 Iraqi families rounded up by Islamic State (IS) group jihadists, possibly for use as human shields in the battleground city Fallujah. UN officials have received "credible reports that families are being concentrated into the center of the city by Daesh and they are not allowed to leave these concentration points," said UN deputy representative to Iraq Lise Grande, using a term for the IS group. "That would suggest that Daesh could be using them or may intend to use them as some kind of human shield," she told reporters.

U.N. food agency prepares for deeper humanitarian crisis as battle for Mosul looms Posted: 31 May 2016 11:47 AM PDT By Sebastien Malo ERBIL, Iraq (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) is working on contingency plans that up to 700,000 people could be displaced by a planned offensive to retake Iraq's second largest city from Islamic State, according to its head in Iraq. Iraqi forces, with help from a U.S.-led coalition, are expected to push later this year to retake Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital in Iraq. WFP's country director in Iraq, Jane Pearce, said she feared the violence ahead but remained confident the agency was as well-prepared as possible for the event.

Libyan security forces pushing Islamic State back from vicinity of oil terminals Posted: 31 May 2016 11:44 AM PDT By By Ayman al-Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - Libyan security forces captured a second town from in as many days from Islamic State, a spokesman said, pushing the militant group back toward its stronghold of Sirte and away from positions near major oil terminals. The Petroleum Facilities Guard took control of Nawfiliyah, about 130 km (80 miles) from Sirte, though fighting outside the town raged on and some PFG members had been wounded, spokesman Ali al-Hassi said. The PFG captured the nearby town of Ben Jawad on Monday after clashes that killed five of its combatants.

Islamic State urges Muslims to destroy satellite TV sets Posted: 31 May 2016 11:39 AM PDT Islamic State on Tuesday urged Muslims to destroy their satellite TV sets to prevent hostile channels "destroying their beliefs and polluting their ethics". The ultra-hardline Sunni group issued its call as military pressure increased against it with offensives targeting its strongholds in Raqqa, Syria, and in Falluja, west of Baghdad. "The enemies of Islam are waging a media war on the Islamic State that is no less dangerous than the military campaign," the group said in a video on its official Telegram account, filmed in Raqqa and monitored in Egypt.

A look at intelligence briefings for presidential candidates Posted: 31 May 2016 11:25 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Harry S. Truman, who became president on April 12, 1945, upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, didn't learn about the Manhattan Project to develop an atomic bomb until his 12th day in office. Vowing never to leave another president uninformed, Truman began the practice of giving presidential nominees intelligence briefings to prepare them for the demands of the job. A look at how some of them went:

Spain asylum system 'obsolete': Amnesty Posted: 31 May 2016 11:21 AM PDT Amnesty International called Tuesday on Spain to reform an asylum system it labelled "inefficient, obsolete and discriminatory", blasting the "embarrassing" low number of refugees that have been taken in. After interviewing more than 80 asylum seekers and refugees and visiting several reception centres, the rights group concluded these faced big -- often years-long -- waits for their cases to be dealt with, coupled with inadequate financial aid that forced some onto the streets. "There are governments like ours that don't have the will to take in (refugees), that welcome them in dribs and drabs, despite public opinion that on the whole wants to take them in, as do most regional public administrations," Amnesty Spain director Esteban Beltran told reporters.

IRAQ FALLUJAH Posted: 31 May 2016 11:08 AM PDT Map locates details of the Fallujah battle in Iraq.; 2c x 4 inches; 96.3 mm x 101 mm;

US soldier wounded in Syria: Pentagon Posted: 31 May 2016 11:07 AM PDT A US soldier deployed in Syria to advise rebel groups fighting the Islamic State group was wounded over the weekend, the Pentagon said Tuesday. US military spokesman Jeff Davis said the soldier was wounded by "indirect fire" -- a term that typically refers to rocket or artillery fire -- north of Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital. Davis said it is the first American casualty in Syria that he is aware of since US military advisory deployed there at the end of last year.

Iraq forces fear protracted IS last stand in Fallujah Posted: 31 May 2016 10:50 AM PDT The tightening siege of Fallujah is trapping jihadists in the city and Iraqi fighters predict that the Islamic State group could make a longer and bloodier last stand than usual. By the time Iraqi forces picked their way through a dense network of roadside bombs and booby traps and reached the hearts of Ramadi and Tikrit last year, most enemy fighters had vanished. While many of IS's most senior commanders, including the foreign leaders, are reported to have fled Fallujah, Iraqi troops expect to encounter more than a small residual IS force.

Dalai Lama says 'too many' refugees in Europe Posted: 31 May 2016 09:21 AM PDT The Dalai Lama said in an interview published Tuesday that Europe has accepted "too many" refugees, and that they should eventually return to help rebuild their home countries. On the other hand, there are too many now," he said, according to the German translation of the interview in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. "Europe, for example Germany, cannot become an Arab country," he added with a laugh, the daily reported.

Paris plans to build migrant camp in north of city: mayor Posted: 31 May 2016 08:56 AM PDT Municipal authorities in Paris plan to build a camp to house several hundred refugees in the French capital, the mayor said on Tuesday, criticizing the dire living conditions for migrants who have fled to Europe. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said city services were looking for a site in the north of the city and that the camp could be built within two months. Hidalgo cited as a model a migrant camp made up of modular cabins housing about 2,500 people in Grand-Synthe on the northern French coast.

Turkey counts cost of conflict as Kurdish militant battle rages on Posted: 31 May 2016 06:24 AM PDT By Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's conflict with Kurdish militants, said to have killed more than 5,000 people since July, has also destroyed at least 6,000 buildings that will cost approaching 1 billion lira ($340 million) to rebuild, according to a government estimate. Large swathes of towns in the mainly Kurdish southeast have been devastated by daily shelling, blasts and gunfire in battles that are still raging, even as President Tayyip Erdogan says the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is in its "death throes". Turkish warplanes struck overnight at PKK gun positions and shelters in Semdinli by the border with Iraq and Iran, the army said.

Russia to Turkey: Withdraw your troops from Iraq - RIA cites Lavrov Posted: 31 May 2016 04:13 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia demands that Turkey withdraw its troops from Iraq, the RIA news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying on Tuesday. "This (keeping troops in Iraq) is an absolutely unacceptable position," it cited Lavrov as saying. "In principle, I believe that what the Turks are doing deserves far greater public attention on the part of our Western partners." (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

45.8 Million People Are Enslaved Across The World Posted: 31 May 2016 04:00 AM PDT 28% more people across the world are trapped in modern slavery than previously estimated, according to the Global Slavery Index 2016Walk Free Foundation's Andrew Forrest calls on top ten economies of the world to enact laws to ensure all organisations are held accountable for modern slavery in their supply chainsSignificant increase in the estimation of the total number of people enslaved due to enhanced research methodologyNorth American governments are taking action to respond to modern slavery through national legislation and policiesThe most accurate up-to-date analysis of slavery in ...

Rio problems, doping issues, refugee athletes on IOC agenda Posted: 31 May 2016 03:47 AM PDT LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — With the opening ceremony in Rio de Janeiro just over two months away, Olympic leaders have plenty of troubling issues to deal with this week.

In void left by Iraqi state, turf war partitions northern town Posted: 31 May 2016 03:47 AM PDT By Isabel Coles TUZ KHURMATO, Iraq (Reuters) - In some places, the line dividing this town in northern Iraq takes the form of blast walls and barricades that bring its run-down streets to an abrupt end. Elsewhere it is visible only to the people of Tuz Khurmato, who instinctively know where their own domain ends and hostile territory begins. Tuz Khurmato offers a taste of what partition is like on the ground two years after Islamic State blitzed through Iraq, animating sectarian and ethnic rivalries and unleashing complex new power struggles that could further fracture the country.

How the Air Force Is Stopping Hackers and Lawmakers from Leaking B-21 Secrets Posted: 31 May 2016 03:15 AM PDT How much should the public really know about the Air Force's next-generation bomber? The legislation, which the powerful committee approved last week, directs the Pentagon's Inspector General to review the security strategy for the budget-busting Long Range Strike-Bomber, designated the B-21, and provide an "assessment" back to Capitol Hill about what the general public should be let in. The Air Force awarded the contract to Northrop Grumman last October for the B-21 program, which could cost $100 billion over its lifetime.

Iraqi forces free two Yazidi women during assault on IS-held Falluja Posted: 31 May 2016 03:13 AM PDT Two Yazidi women have been rescued from Islamic State captivity in Falluja by Iraqi forces during an ongoing offensive to retake the militant stronghold, a representative of the minority said on Tuesday. Vian Dakhil, a Yazidi member of the Iraqi parliament, thanked the army for rescuing the two women on Monday in a post on her official Twitter account. More than 5,000 Yazidis, mostly women and children, were captured and enslaved by the militants when they overran the Sinjar area in northwestern Iraq in the summer of 2014, purging the minority they consider to be devil worshippers.

Spanish police arrest man accused of promoting Islamist militancy Posted: 31 May 2016 12:02 AM PDT MADRID (Reuters) - Spanish police arrested a man from Pakistan in Barcelona on Tuesday accused of promoting Islamist militancy via social media, the Interior Ministry said in a statement. The man had been promoting the actions of various groups operating in the conflict zones of Syria and Iraq, especially Islamic State, the ministry said. Including Tuesday's arrests, Spain has detained 24 people so far this year with suspected links to Islamist militancy. (Reporting by Paul Day)

Out-Clintoning the Clintons Posted: 30 May 2016 02:10 PM PDT This wasn't the first time Mr. Trump has expounded on this theme, and frequent repetition has not made his views any more coherent. Mr. Trump says we ought to steer clear of the Middle East's imbroglios—but then says we should seize its oil fields. Point them out to his admirers and apologists, and they'll say you're missing the deeper point, which is that Mr. Trump is reflecting the anger of everyday Americans who want a pragmatist in the White House whose instinct is to put America first and negotiate the details later.

Who should prevent violent extremism? Posted: 30 May 2016 11:47 AM PDT Where exactly is the frontline against extremist violence these days? In one global forum after another on terrorism, that's a question many world leaders seem to be asking. In April, for example, the UN Security Council held a discussion that highlighted different views on ways to counter "the narratives and ideologies" of terrorists.

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