Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Iraqi militia threatens Islamic State's supply route to Syria
• Nimrud's broken glory lies in dust after Islamic State rampage
• Giuliani's foreign work complicates candidacy for top post
• Toxic pollutants choke Iraqi children caught in Islamic State retreat
• Factbox: Short list of potential picks for Trump administration
• Ex-Pentagon chief Laird dies, advocated 'Vietnamization' policy
• Coalition not backing Turkish move on Al-Bab: US
• Canada troops engaging in dozens of firefights with IS: general
• Noted Islamophobe denies role in Trump transition but says he’s open to helping
• Azerbaijan jails 7 who joined militants in Syria, Iraq
• Burning Less Coal Means Less Mercury in Your Tuna
• Canada says military trainers involved in frequent clashes in Iraq
• Kosovo arrests 19 on suspicion of planning IS attacks
• Trump, Pence have spoken with nearly 30 foreign leaders - statement
• Iraqi paramilitaries say reached airport west of Mosul
• Syria regime bombs rebels as Aleppo food aid runs out
• Top U.S. diplomat role an unlikely fit for 'tough guy' Giuliani
• Extensive cultural damage found in historic Iraqi city
• Strongman Leaders Around the World React to President-Elect Trump
• Obama lands in Berlin for farewell visit to closest ally Merkel
• Iraq Kurds won't 'retreat from areas retaken from Islamic State': Barzani
• Britain rules out resettlement of US naval base islands
• Veteran Finds Connections and Reduces Isolation Through Wounded Warrior Project
• Foreign medics treat wounded children in Iraq's Mosul
• The Latest: Iraqi forces push deeper into Mosul neighborhood
• EU unveils new security check system for travelers
• Iraqi Shi'ite group says about to reach airbase west of Mosul
• Parts of Mosul come back to life, but dangers are close by
• Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia
• Afghan officials: Suicide bomber kills 6 in Kabul
• Suicide bomber kills six in Kabul
• Terrorism deaths fall in 2015: annual global index
• Soccer-Postecoglou shrugs off Thai shock as road to Russia toughens
• Global terrorism deaths fall, but rise 650 percent in OECD countries: report
• Today in History
• Viceland to Launch Its First Non-English Channel in France
• Factbox: Short list of potential Trump administration picks
• A month into Mosul assault, tough fighting still ahead

Iraqi militia threatens Islamic State's supply route to Syria Posted: 16 Nov 2016 05:11 PM PST By Ahmed Rasheed, John Davison and Dominic Evans BAGHDAD/BASHIQA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi Shi'ite militias said on Wednesday they had driven Islamic State fighters from an air base west of Mosul, a victory which would threaten the Sunni group's supply route from Syria to its last major stronghold in Iraq. "The airport of Tal Afar has been liberated," Yusif al-Kallabi, a spokesman for Popular Mobilisation, a coalition of mainly Iranian-backed militias, told Iraqi state TV. The capture of the base, if confirmed, could be a significant development in the campaign to recapture Mosul, Islamic State's de facto capital since its forces swept through Iraq in 2014 and set up a self-declared caliphate in a swathe of Syria and northern Iraq.

Nimrud's broken glory lies in dust after Islamic State rampage Posted: 16 Nov 2016 05:11 PM PST By Stephen Kalin NIMRUD, Iraq (Reuters) - In a field outside an ancient palace in the Assyrian city of Nimrud, shattered remains of intricate carvings lie broken in the dust. Until two years ago, when Islamic State militants swept through northern Iraq, ransacking ancient cities, religious sites and palaces which the ultra-hardline Sunni Muslim zealots deem idolatrous. The ziggurat has been reduced to a pile of dirt, with tire tracks all over it, apparently flattened by bulldozers in the last two months before Islamic State fighters were driven out of the site by Iraqi forces on Sunday.

Giuliani's foreign work complicates candidacy for top post Posted: 16 Nov 2016 05:07 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Rudy Giuliani, President-elect Donald Trump's top candidate for top diplomat, has advised foreign political figures and worked for lobbying and security firms whose clients have had complicated relationships with the U.S. government.

Toxic pollutants choke Iraqi children caught in Islamic State retreat Posted: 16 Nov 2016 04:30 PM PST By Cathy Otten QAYYARA, Iraq (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Under a cloud of black smoke, a group of around a dozen children wearing flimsy sandals have gathered to play. Oil wells around the Iraqi town of Qayyara are still burning, weeks after they were torched by Islamic State militants in an attempt to slow the Iraqi army's advance. Under the shadow of an oil fire, the children are coated in black soot.

Factbox: Short list of potential picks for Trump administration Posted: 16 Nov 2016 04:20 PM PST By Ginger Gibson and Susan Cornwell (Reuters) - New candidates to serve in U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet emerged on Wednesday, including U.S. Senator Ted Cruz as a potential attorney general and North Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as secretary of state, as he works to fill administration positions ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20. Trump said on Sunday he would hire Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus as White House chief of staff and named Stephen Bannon, former head of the conservative website Breitbart News, as his chief strategist and senior counselor. ...

Ex-Pentagon chief Laird dies, advocated 'Vietnamization' policy Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:54 PM PST Melvin Laird, who as defense secretary under President Richard Nixon from 1969 to 1973 helped extricate U.S. forces from the morass of the Vietnam War in a policy he dubbed "Vietnamization," has died at age 94. Laird, a Republican from Wisconsin who once served in the U.S. House of Representatives, also maneuvered to get Nixon to pick Gerald Ford as vice president when Spiro Agnew resigned, was instrumental in creating the all-volunteer U.S. military and privately opposed Nixon's incursion into Cambodia.

Coalition not backing Turkish move on Al-Bab: US Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:44 PM PST The US-led international coalition battling to defeat the Islamic State group is not backing a drive by Turkish forces and Syrian rebels to retake a jihadist stronghold in northern Syria, the Pentagon said Wednesday. The US military spokesman said the United States had withdrawn some special forces soldiers who had been deployed to support the Turkish forces and their allies. "They are not a part of the advance in Al-Bab," he said.

Canada troops engaging in dozens of firefights with IS: general Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:00 PM PST Canadian special forces training Kurdish militia have directly engaged Islamic State fighters "a few dozen" times in the last month, sometimes shooting first, a general said Wednesday. The situation on the ground in Iraq has become politically awkward for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has shown a preference for supporting the Iraqis in their fight, over direct military intervention. Major-General Michael Rouleau told a press conference that Canadian special forces used sniper, small arms, mortar and anti-tank rockets against IS over the past month in response to threats to either themselves, Kurdish allies or civilians.

Noted Islamophobe denies role in Trump transition but says he’s open to helping Posted: 16 Nov 2016 02:22 PM PST The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources, and the New York Times reported Tuesday that Gaffney, who runs an Islamophobic think tank, would play an advisory role to the Trump transition team as it selects national security personnel. Gaffney has since denied those reports, stating he has not been contacted by the Trump camp, but made clear he would be open to an invitation.

Azerbaijan jails 7 who joined militants in Syria, Iraq Posted: 16 Nov 2016 01:31 PM PST BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — A court in Azerbaijan's capital has convicted seven Azerbaijani citizens accused of joining the Islamic State group and other alleged extremists in Syria and Iraq.

Burning Less Coal Means Less Mercury in Your Tuna Posted: 16 Nov 2016 01:07 PM PST A new study finds that the levels of mercury in these popular fish declined by about 19 percent between 2004 and 2012. Tuna sit at the top of the food chain, so their levels of mercury contamination build up to very high concentrations as they eat smaller fish over their long life spans. Tuna still contains pretty high mercury levels, the study found, so those health risks have not vanished.

Canada says military trainers involved in frequent clashes in Iraq Posted: 16 Nov 2016 01:02 PM PST By David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canadian military trainers in Iraq have clashed several dozen times with Islamic State militants over the last month as a campaign against the group intensifies, defense officials said on Wednesday. On three occasions, the troops were forced to use anti-armor rockets to destroy suspected car bombs at a distance, said Major-General Michael Rouleau, commander of Canada's special forces. The revelation could be awkward for Canada's Liberal government, which promised that the 200-strong training force would not take part in active combat.

Kosovo arrests 19 on suspicion of planning IS attacks Posted: 16 Nov 2016 01:01 PM PST By Fatos Bytyci PRISTINA (Reuters) - Police in Kosovo said on Wednesday they had arrested 19 people in the past 10 days on suspicion of having links with Islamic State and planning to carry out attacks in Kosovo and in neighboring Albania. The police said the suspects were in contact with an Islamic State member, the self-declared "commander of Albanians in Syria and Iraq", Lavdrim Muhaxheri, from whom they received orders to attack. "They were planning to commit terrorist attacks in Kosovo and also (an attack) against Israeli football team and their fans during the Albania-Israel match," Kosovo police said in a statement in the evening.

Trump, Pence have spoken with nearly 30 foreign leaders - statement Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:58 PM PST (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect Mike Pence have spoken with nearly 30 foreign leaders since winning the Nov. 8 election, Trump's transition team said in a statement on Wednesday. Discussions with many of the leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, were already public knowledge. Leaders from Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan were missing from the list, as were any African heads of state or leaders from Southeast Asia. (Reporting by Timothy Ahmann in Washington; Editing by Eric Beech)

Iraqi paramilitaries say reached airport west of Mosul Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:51 PM PST Iraqi paramilitary forces announced Wednesday that they had entered the Tal Afar airport west of Mosul and were fighting to clear pockets of Islamic State group jihadists inside it. The airport is located some six kilometres (four miles) south of the town of Tal Afar, the ultimate target of an operation billed as an attempt to cut off jihadists in Mosul from territory they control farther west. Fighting towards Tal Afar has so far been the main task for the Hashed al-Shaabi, an umbrella organisation for pro-government paramilitaries that is dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, in the massive operation aimed at recapturing Mosul that was launched on October 17.

Syria regime bombs rebels as Aleppo food aid runs out Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:32 PM PST Syrian government and Russian warplanes pounded rebel-held parts of northern Syria Wednesday, including battered second city Aleppo, where food aid rations were near-depleted after months of regime siege. It came as President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview that US president-elect Donald Trump could be a "natural ally" if he fights "terrorists". Damascus considers all those who oppose Assad's government to be "terrorists" like the Islamic State jihadist group, which Trump has said should be the focus of US involvement in Syria.

Top U.S. diplomat role an unlikely fit for 'tough guy' Giuliani Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:20 PM PST By Michelle Nichols and Nathan Layne NEW YORK (Reuters) - Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is now the leading candidate to become President-elect Donald Trump's secretary of state, but even some Republicans say his tough-guy personality and global business ties may be at odds with international diplomacy. Giuliani, 72, has been one of Trump's most vocal and high-profile supporters, and according to sources close to him and Trump, he is eager to become the top U.S. diplomat and expects a decision by Trump as early as next week. The other top candidate, the sources said, is former United Nations Ambassador John Bolton, a foreign policy hawk.

Extensive cultural damage found in historic Iraqi city Posted: 16 Nov 2016 12:15 PM PST NIMRUD, Iraq (AP) — Nearly a month into the fight to retake Mosul, government forces pushed Islamic State militants out of nearby Nimrud, home to some of Iraq's richest archaeological treasures. And when soldiers finally surveyed the extremists' destruction of the ancient sites, one said that those who carried it out "don't have a place in humanity."

Strongman Leaders Around the World React to President-Elect Trump Posted: 16 Nov 2016 09:40 AM PST As President-elect Donald Trump prepares a team that will transition into the White House this January, world leaders are preparing for their own transition: a relationship with the next U.S. president. Among those ready to work with President-elect Trump? In an interview on Portuguese television, President Assad, who has kept a firm grip on power in Syria despite five years of civil war, said a Trump administration would be a "natural ally" to Syria if Trump goes after terrorists.

Obama lands in Berlin for farewell visit to closest ally Merkel Posted: 16 Nov 2016 09:36 AM PST U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Berlin on Wednesday to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he has forged a close transatlantic alliance during eight years in office that President-elect Donald Trump may now call into question. Obama, who described Merkel ahead of the visit as his "closest international partner", will dine with the chancellor at Berlin's famous Adlon hotel directly next to the landmark Brandenburg Gate on Wednesday evening. The two leaders, who together tackled the global financial crisis, promoted free trade and forged an international accord to fight climate change, stressed their shared values in a joint guest piece for German magazine Wirtschaftswoche.

Iraq Kurds won't 'retreat from areas retaken from Islamic State': Barzani Posted: 16 Nov 2016 08:31 AM PST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Kurdish Peshmerga forces "will not retreat from areas retaken" from Islamic State militants in Iraq, Kurdistan President Massoud Barzani said on Wednesday, according to local Rudaw TV station. Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the war on Islamic State, backing the Iraqi government forces battling the ultra hardline Sunni group in their last major city stronghold Mosul. The U.S.-led coalition is also providing air and ground support. ...

Britain rules out resettlement of US naval base islands Posted: 16 Nov 2016 07:40 AM PST Britain on Wednesday ruled out resettling inhabitants of the British-controlled Chagos Islands in their homeland, promising £40 million (47 million euros, $50 million) for the exiled communities instead. The announcement marks the latest twist in a dispute following the expulsion of the Indian Ocean islands' residents in 1973 and the establishment of a vital US military base on one of its atolls, Diego Garcia. The government also said it was renewing the agreement with the United States to host the base, which would have run out this year, until 2036.

Veteran Finds Connections and Reduces Isolation Through Wounded Warrior Project Posted: 16 Nov 2016 07:22 AM PST BEDFORD, Texas, Nov. 16, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- For U.S. Army veteran Demecia Rogers, the rough years began during her deployment to Iraq in 2003. When the U.S. began its war with Iraq, Demecia went downrange to do her part as a communications specialist with the 63rd Chemical Company, 101st Airborne Division. Due to a back injury she sustained while deployed, Demecia was eventually given a medical discharge from the Army, and she said her official goodbyes to military service in May of 2005.

Foreign medics treat wounded children in Iraq's Mosul Posted: 16 Nov 2016 07:20 AM PST Foreign medics are helping Iraqi special forces personnel treat a growing number of children wounded by intense urban warfare inside the jihadist-held city of Mosul. Car bombs, sniper fire and booby traps have led to mounting casualties in the east of the city, where advancing Iraqi troops are battling Islamic State group fighters. Three foreign medics working with the Academy of Emergency Medicine, a Slovakian charity, have teamed up with more than a dozen Iraqi special forces medical personnel to treat wounded civilians and soldiers.

The Latest: Iraqi forces push deeper into Mosul neighborhood Posted: 16 Nov 2016 06:23 AM PST MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — The Latest on the campaign to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group (all times local):

EU unveils new security check system for travelers Posted: 16 Nov 2016 05:21 AM PST BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Wednesday unveiled plans for a new system of security checks on travelers permitted to enter Europe without visas in an effort to crack down on extremists.

Iraqi Shi'ite group says about to reach airbase west of Mosul Posted: 16 Nov 2016 04:08 AM PST An Iraqi Shi'ite paramilitary group said on Wednesday it is about to storm the Tal Afar airbase, west of Mosul, as part of the military campaign to retake the last major city under control of Islamic State in Iraq. Some Islamic State fighters have already pulled out from the base and moved to the town of Tal Afar, Jafaar Hussaini, a spokesman for Kata'ib Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed group, told Reuters. Kata'ib Hezbollah is a main component of the Popular Mobilisation, a coalition of mainly Shi'ite militias that joined the U.S.-backed campaign on Mosul end of October.

Parts of Mosul come back to life, but dangers are close by Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:24 AM PST By Michael Georgy MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Emboldened by machinegun fire on Islamic State snipers along Mosul's frontlines, a few residents are emerging from their homes in pockets of the city where Iraqi forces have dislodged the jihadists. In al-Zahraa in eastern Mosul, shopkeepers swept away broken glass and neighbors were starting to interact again, days after Islamic State fighters were ousted from the neighborhood. "We need the army to stay here for 10 years to protect us," sewing shop owner Omar Sibawee said as special forces on a nearby rooftop opened fire at buildings where jihadists were holed up.

Special Report: Under siege in Mosul, Islamic State turns to executions and paranoia Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:10 AM PST By Samia Nakhoul and Michael Georgy ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A few weeks ago, a person inside Mosul began to send text messages to Iraqi military intelligence in Baghdad. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State, "has become intemperate," said the early November message, written by an informant inside the city who has contact with the group but is not a member of it. The texts, along with interviews with senior Kurdish officials and recently captured Islamic State fighters, offer an unusually detailed picture of the extremist group and its leader's state of mind as they make what may be their last stand in Iraq.

Afghan officials: Suicide bomber kills 6 in Kabul Posted: 16 Nov 2016 03:07 AM PST KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A suicide bomber on a motorbike killed six people in Kabul on Wednesday in an attack targeting a minibus with security agents working for the government. The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan promptly claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Suicide bomber kills six in Kabul Posted: 16 Nov 2016 02:58 AM PST A suicide bomber on foot struck a government vehicle in Kabul Wednesday, killing at least six people and wounding 10 others, officials said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. The latest bombing to hit the Afghan capital came during the morning rush hour, as militants intensify nationwide attacks on the Western-backed government. "A suicide attacker on foot targeted a vehicle belonging to security forces in downtown Kabul," interior ministry spokesman Sediq Sediqqi told AFP.

Terrorism deaths fall in 2015: annual global index Posted: 16 Nov 2016 02:08 AM PST Terrorism deaths fell last year thanks to a weakening of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Boko Haram in Nigeria, but both groups expanded their geographic reach, a new index revealed Wednesday. Some 29,376 people died from terrorism in 2015, down 3,389 on the previous year and the first fall since 2010, according to the Global Terrorism Index published by the Institute for Economics and Peace. This fall was thanks largely to 5,556 fewer deaths in Iraq and Nigeria -- a reduction of one third since 2014 -- as military operations weakened IS and Boko Haram.

Soccer-Postecoglou shrugs off Thai shock as road to Russia toughens Posted: 15 Nov 2016 09:19 PM PST Australia coach Ange Postecoglou tried to stay upbeat after the surprise 2-2 draw away to Thailand even as the road to a fourth successive World Cup became a lot tougher for the Socceroos. Australia's timid display at Bangkok's Rajamangala National Stadium tipped them to third in Asia's Group B behind Saudi Arabia and Japan, outside the top two spots that guarantee automatic qualification. The Socceroos could not blame preparations for their disjointed display, having arrived early for a week-long training camp ahead of the clash against the group's bottom team, who were on zero points after the four previous rounds.

Global terrorism deaths fall, but rise 650 percent in OECD countries: report Posted: 15 Nov 2016 09:07 PM PST By Michael Holden LONDON (Reuters) - Deaths from terrorism in OECD countries increased by 650 percent last year despite a marked fall globally as Islamic State (IS)and Boko Haram militants suffered military defeats at home but committed more attacks abroad, a report said on Wednesday. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) said worldwide there had been 29,376 deaths caused by terrorism in 2015, a drop of 10 percent and the first fall in four years, as action against Islamist militants IS in Iraq and Boko Haram in Nigeria cut the numbers killed there by a third. It said 21 of the 34 OECD member countries had witnessed at least one attack with most deaths occurring in Turkey and France where coordinated attacks by IS gunmen and suicide bombers at the Bataclan music venue, a soccer stadium and several cafes in Paris last November killed 130 people.

Today in History Posted: 15 Nov 2016 09:01 PM PST Today in History

Viceland to Launch Its First Non-English Channel in France Posted: 15 Nov 2016 09:00 PM PST "There's going to be a huge backlash and counterculture and a DIY punk resurgence and we will tap into that," said CEO Shane Smith of Gen Y's reaction to the victory of Donald Trump.

Factbox: Short list of potential Trump administration picks Posted: 15 Nov 2016 06:22 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has announced the two top White House advisers but still has many key administration positions to fill ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20.

A month into Mosul assault, tough fighting still ahead Posted: 15 Nov 2016 04:50 PM PST Iraqi forces have broken into jihadist-held Mosul and recaptured neighbourhoods inside the city, but a month into their offensive, there are still weeks or more of potentially heavy fighting ahead. Iraq launched the massive operation to recapture Mosul, which has been held by the Islamic State group since 2014, on October 17, advancing on the city from the north, east and south. "Fighting inside of the city is likely to grow increasingly more difficult as the (Iraqi forces) progress through Mosul's more modern eastern neighbourhoods towards its older, denser centre," said Patrick Martin, an Iraq analyst at the Institute for the Study of War.

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