Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Kerry discusses renewed bombing in Aleppo with Russia
• Dutch police arrest 'confused' man after airport terror tip-off
• Alleged NY bomber pleads not guilty to terror-related charges
• Factbox: Contenders for key jobs in Trump administration
• Return of the Neocons: Trump’s Surprising Cabinet Candidates
• Court rejects US soldier's request for asylum in Germany
• Intel chief: Russia eased hacking after US accused Kremlin
• Iraqi forces struggle to tell friend from foe in Mosul street battle
• Mauritius angered by Britain's Chagos Islands resettlement refusal
• Philippines' Duterte mulls leaving international court
• Sally Buzbee named Associated Press executive editor
• IS attacks in Mosul as poor visibility slows Iraqi advance
• What Duterte's potential withdrawal could mean for the ICC
• Packed Japan-US agenda for first Trump foreign talks
• Suicide attack kills at least 16 at Iraq wedding: officials
• Iraqi forces yet to seal off Mosul as battle enters second month
• 1 month in, Iraq still faces grueling urban combat in Mosul
• Suicide car bomb kills 12 at Sunni wedding near Baghdad: police sources
• The Latest: Obama 'cautiously optimistic' about Trump
• U.S. Mideast intelligence analysts felt superiors distorted findings
• Iraqis move on airports in month-old Mosul battle
• UK says Chagos islanders evicted for US base may not go home
• US disputes Jordan's claim that Americans caused shooting
• Kosovo police say terror attack on Israeli team prevented
• The Latest: Turkish leader says West is helping IS
• 2 Czechs arrested in Turkey, charged with terrorism
• Turkey aims to fully secure borders early next year with Syria campaign
• Giuliani's ties to foreign entities could be a complication
• In battered town seized from IS, Iraq's Yazidis dream of return
• Minnesota man given 30 years prison for Islamic State ties -media
• Ex-Pentagon chief Laird dies, advocated 'Vietnamization' policy

Kerry discusses renewed bombing in Aleppo with Russia Posted: 17 Nov 2016 05:20 PM PST U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday he discussed Ukraine and "all aspects" of Aleppo including renewed bombing in the Syrian city this week in a meeting with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Speaking to reporters after their one-on-one talk during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Peru, Lavrov denied that Russia's military was carrying out airstrikes in rebel-held Aleppo this week. "Our air force and the Syrian airforce only work in the provinces of Idlib and Homs to prevent the ISIL who might be leaving Mosul from getting to Syria," Lavrov said, referring to Islamic State militants in Iraq.

Dutch police arrest 'confused' man after airport terror tip-off Posted: 17 Nov 2016 04:04 PM PST Dutch police have arrested a "confused" homeless man suspected of triggering a security sweep at Rotterdam's airport Thursday after an anonymous tip-off about a possible terror threat. "Rotterdam police have detained an illegal immigrant with an outstanding sentence in connection with their investigation into a possible terror threat," the Royal Dutch Military Police announced on their Facebook page. "The suspect is a 45-year-old man without a fixed address and in a confused state, who has previously made similar false statements to the police," the military police said late Thursday.

Alleged NY bomber pleads not guilty to terror-related charges Posted: 17 Nov 2016 02:56 PM PST The suspect behind a bombing that wounded 31 people in New York in September pleaded not guilty to terrorism-related charges Thursday in a Manhattan federal court. Ahmad Khan Rahimi pleaded not guilty to all eight counts of the indictment, a spokesman for the prosecutor said. All counts are linked to homemade bombs he is suspected of planting in Manhattan and New Jersey.

Factbox: Contenders for key jobs in Trump administration Posted: 17 Nov 2016 01:03 PM PST By Ginger Gibson and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - New candidates to serve in U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet have emerged, 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. ...

Return of the Neocons: Trump’s Surprising Cabinet Candidates Posted: 17 Nov 2016 12:49 PM PST The neocon boys are back in town – and more than one could land a significant role in the emerging Trump administration. During the campaign, Donald Trump pointed to Hillary Clinton's authorization of the Iraq invasion an example of her flawed judgment and called the war a horrible mistake. Now he is at least entertaining the notion of hiring some of the most hawkish of the neoconservatives who supported the Iraq War.

Court rejects US soldier's request for asylum in Germany Posted: 17 Nov 2016 12:34 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — A Munich court on Thursday rejected a U.S. soldier's asylum application in Germany, arguing that he hasn't exhausted all avenues to leave the military.

Intel chief: Russia eased hacking after US accused Kremlin Posted: 17 Nov 2016 12:16 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Director of National Intelligence James Clapper said Thursday that Russia curtailed its election-related cyberactivity after the Obama administration accused Moscow of trying to interfere with the presidential race. The top U.S. intelligence official also said he had formally submitted a resignation letter effective at the end of President Barack Obama's term.

Iraqi forces struggle to tell friend from foe in Mosul street battle Posted: 17 Nov 2016 12:04 PM PST By Stephen Kalin MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - A vehicle shielded with metal plates and driven by a suicide attacker turned onto a main road filled with soldiers in eastern Mosul and burst into a ball of fire, causing several casualties. As it careered down the road it was riddled with gunfire as Iraqi forces responded to the latest Islamic State counterattack against their push to reclaim the northern city. This and what followed on Thursday were indicative of the challenges Iraq's U.S.-backed military faces in fighting enemies who are willing to kill themselves to defend their last major stronghold in the country while surrounded by well over a million civilians.

Mauritius angered by Britain's Chagos Islands resettlement refusal Posted: 17 Nov 2016 12:03 PM PST Britain's refusal to allow exiled former residents of a remote Indian Ocean territory to resettle there "deals an outrageous blow to human rights", the government of Mauritius, which plays host to many of the exiles, said on Thursday. The criticism comes a day after Britain ruled out resettling the former inhabitants of the Chagos Islands, who were expelled more than 40 years ago to make way for a US military base. In 1965 Britain purchased the Chagos Islands, an archipelago of 55 coral keys, from Mauritius, which at the time was a semi-autonomous territory of Britain.

Philippines' Duterte mulls leaving international court Posted: 17 Nov 2016 11:32 AM PST MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said Thursday he might follow Russia's example and withdraw from the International Criminal Court, where his critics say he could be charged over the thousands killed in his war on drugs.

Sally Buzbee named Associated Press executive editor Posted: 17 Nov 2016 11:12 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — Sally Buzbee, a veteran journalist with deep experience leading both international and U.S. news coverage, has been named executive editor and senior vice president of The Associated Press.

IS attacks in Mosul as poor visibility slows Iraqi advance Posted: 17 Nov 2016 11:09 AM PST MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — Cloudy skies neutralized air power in Mosul on Thursday, Iraqi forces said, hampering their advance in the northern city, although they still faced deadly attacks by Islamic State militants that killed seven civilians and two soldiers.

What Duterte's potential withdrawal could mean for the ICC Posted: 17 Nov 2016 11:05 AM PST Just one day after Russia's departure from the International Criminal Court, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to follow suit. Before flying to Peru for the annual summit of Asia-Pacific leaders, Mr. Duterte aligned himself with Russia in its decision to leave the tribunal. Recommended: Asia's troubled waters: What's going on in the South China Sea?

Packed Japan-US agenda for first Trump foreign talks Posted: 17 Nov 2016 10:57 AM PST That President-elect Donald Trump's first sitdown with a foreign leader is with Japan's Shinzo Abe is telling: the Republican billionaire's rise to power has rattled America's Asian allies. Faced with a nuclear-armed and provocative North Korea and a newly assertive China, Japan and South Korea rely on US leadership and close military, diplomatic and trade ties with Washington. If Trump calls this relationship into question -- as he did repeatedly on the campaign stump, before dialing back his rhetoric as Election Day approached -- it will mark a historic geopolitical shift.

Suicide attack kills at least 16 at Iraq wedding: officials Posted: 17 Nov 2016 10:52 AM PST A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle at a wedding gathering in a town west of the Iraqi capital on Thursday, killing at least 16 people, officials said. The attack, which took place in Amriyat al-Fallujah, a town in Anbar province 40 kilometres (25 miles) from the capital, also left more than 30 people wounded. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting civilians in Iraq.

Iraqi forces yet to seal off Mosul as battle enters second month Posted: 17 Nov 2016 10:29 AM PST By Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S.-backed offensive to crush Islamic State in its last major city stronghold in Iraq entered a second month on Thursday as forces arrayed against the hardline Sunni group sought finally to seal off Mosul from all sides. The militants have been steadily retreating from areas around Mosul into the city since the battle started on Oct. 17, with air and ground support from a U.S.-led coalition. Another breakthrough came on Wednesday, when Iranian-backed militias announced the capture of an air base west of Mosul, part of their campaign to choke off the route between the Syrian and Iraqi parts of the caliphate Islamic State declared in 2014.

1 month in, Iraq still faces grueling urban combat in Mosul Posted: 17 Nov 2016 10:09 AM PST MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — Layers of hastily erected barricades built from rubble and twisted metal trace Mosul's eastern front line where Iraqi forces and Islamic State group fighters are facing off in the dense neighborhoods and narrow alleyways of the country's second largest city.

Suicide car bomb kills 12 at Sunni wedding near Baghdad: police sources Posted: 17 Nov 2016 10:00 AM PST A suicide bomber detonated a car laden with explosives at a wedding in a Sunni town west of Baghdad on Thursday, killing 12 and wounding 35, police sources said. The attack appeared to have targeted Sunni provincial officials opposed to Islamic State who were attending the wedding in the town of Ameriyat Falluja, they said.

The Latest: Obama 'cautiously optimistic' about Trump Posted: 17 Nov 2016 09:57 AM PST BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on President Barack Obama's last official overseas trip (All times local):

U.S. Mideast intelligence analysts felt superiors distorted findings Posted: 17 Nov 2016 09:13 AM PST By Idrees Ali WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Officials in the U.S. military's Central Command, which oversees combat operations in the Middle East and South Asia, were much more likely than counterparts elsewhere to believe superiors distorted or suppressed their analyses, according to a government intelligence survey. Results of the December 2015 survey are likely to reinforce questions in Congress and elsewhere about whether the administration is pressuring officials to make over-optimistic claims about progress against Islamic State and the Taliban to help U.S. President Barack Obama leave office in January on a high note. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) survey, which had not been reported until now, was one of the main topics of a House intelligence committee hearing on Thursday.

Iraqis move on airports in month-old Mosul battle Posted: 17 Nov 2016 08:41 AM PST Iraqi forces piled pressure on the Islamic State group around Mosul Thursday, moving closer to cutting off the jihadists' escape route west to Syria and thrusting deeper into the east of the city. Pro-government paramilitary forces advancing on the town of Tal Afar, which commands the city's western approaches, entered its airport, while troops moving up from the south had the Mosul airport in their sights. Wounded civilians continued to stream out of the east of Mosul as government forces battled IS fighters on the streets.

UK says Chagos islanders evicted for US base may not go home Posted: 17 Nov 2016 07:56 AM PST LONDON (AP) — Indian Ocean islanders who were forced from their homes decades ago to make way for a U.S. military base have been told by the British government that they can never return.

US disputes Jordan's claim that Americans caused shooting Posted: 17 Nov 2016 05:43 AM PST AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — The U.S. Embassy in Jordan on Thursday disputed Amman's claim that U.S. trainers sparked a deadly shooting incident at a Jordanian military base this month by disobeying orders from Jordanian soldiers. The shooting killed three Americans.

Kosovo police say terror attack on Israeli team prevented Posted: 17 Nov 2016 05:34 AM PST PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kosovo police said Thursday they prevented simultaneous attacks by the Islamic State group, including on the Israeli national soccer team that played a World Cup qualifier in neighboring Albania.

The Latest: Turkish leader says West is helping IS Posted: 17 Nov 2016 05:19 AM PST MOSUL, Iraq (AP) — The Latest in the monthlong campaign to retake the city of Mosul from the Islamic State group (all times local):

2 Czechs arrested in Turkey, charged with terrorism Posted: 17 Nov 2016 04:18 AM PST PRAGUE (AP) — A Czech official says two Czech nationals have been arrested in Turkey and charged with belonging to a terror group.

Turkey aims to fully secure borders early next year with Syria campaign Posted: 17 Nov 2016 02:51 AM PST By Tulay Karadeniz ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey aims to have fully secured its borders in the first half of next year, Defence Minister Fikri Isik said on Thursday, as Turkish-backed forces pursue a campaign to clear Islamic State and Kurdish fighters from a strip of northern Syria. NATO member Turkey sent tanks, warplanes and artillery into Syria in August in support of mostly Arab and Turkmen rebels in a bid to drive Islamic State from a roughly 90 km (55-mile) stretch of border territory and prevent Kurdish militia fighters seizing ground in their wake. It has also sent military reinforcements to the border with northern Iraq, where the Kurdish militant PKK, which has fought a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state, has bases.

Giuliani's ties to foreign entities could be a complication Posted: 17 Nov 2016 12:50 AM 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.

In battered town seized from IS, Iraq's Yazidis dream of return Posted: 16 Nov 2016 11:23 PM PST By John Davison BASHIQA, Iraq (Reuters) - For the first time since Islamic State militants swept into Bashiqa two years ago forcing him to flee, 61-year-old Barakat has finally found work - on Sunday he will be coming back to help clear debris from the destruction wrought upon his home town. Bashiqa's residents fled in different directions and at different speeds when the militants took over in 2014 after sweeping into Iraq from Syria. "We left immediately," said Bakarat, a Yazidi like most people from the town.

Minnesota man given 30 years prison for Islamic State ties -media Posted: 16 Nov 2016 10:35 PM PST (Reuters) - A Somali-American man in Minnesota was sentenced on Wednesday to 30 years in prison for conspiring to aid the Islamic State militant group, local media reported. The man, Mohamed Farah, 22, is one of three scheduled to be sentenced on Wednesday for attempting to assist Islamic State in 2014 and early 2015. Farah was convicted in June of conspiring to commit murder in Syria on behalf of Islamic State and for lying to a grand jury and FBI agents.

Ex-Pentagon chief Laird dies, advocated 'Vietnamization' policy Posted: 16 Nov 2016 06:59 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.

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