Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Republican politicians jumped the gun on terrorism suspect's arrest: sources
• The Latest: Brother of Iraqi refugee returned to Wisconsin
• Australian prime minister to discuss security during US trip
• Refugee program decried after Iraqis' terror-related arrests
• Cologne feels anxiety and anger about Merkel's refugee policy
• Why NATO says it's time to stop hugging the Russian bear
• U.S. meets tech leaders, forms task force to fight online militants
• Cologne police chief dismissed over New Year's Eve assaults
• Marine Corps debate over women in combat continues to roil
• Erdogan says attempted Islamic State attack vindicates Iraq deployment
• Iraq denies Turkish forces in north clashed with Islamic State 'recently': state TV
• Australia's prime minister to visit the White House
• IS sympathizer shoots Philadelphia cop in 'chilling' ambush
• US drone crashes in Iraq; not shot down by enemy fire
• Obama, Australia's Turnbull to meet at White House on January 19
• For black Americans and veterans, Big job gains in 2015
• Arrests of Iraqi refugees increase pressure in US Congress
• German spies revive internet snooping work with US: reports
• Timeline of IS expansion in Libya
• WHO approves S. Korean producer to double cholera vaccine supply
• Arrests of Iraqi refugees increases pressure in Congress
• Dummy US missile disappears, turns up in Cuba
• IS militant in Syria kills his mother in public for apostasy
• Starvation in Madaya: How Hezbollah role in siege could hurt it in Lebanon
• The Next Article You Should Read on the GOP Race: Military-Strategist Assessment of the Trump Wave
• Republicans weigh new rules for Islamic State fight
• Fake suicide vest attacker identified by family: French investigators
• Paris prosecutor casts doubt on identity of man shot dead
• Alleged terrorist recruiter freed to Kuwait from Guantanamo
• Arrest of Syrian refugee with ISIS ties reignites asylum concerns
• French police seek identity of fake suicide vest attacker
• Man facing U.S. terrorism charges to appear in Houston court
• Britons held in Hungary in breach of anti-terrorism laws, jailed
• Germany confirms most mob attack suspects were asylum seekers
• Turkish police detain pro-Kurdish opposition members in Istanbul raid
• Transcripts show close ties between Blair and Clinton
• US, allies launch 23 air strikes in Iraq, three in Syria against IS
• Migrants in Germany fear backlash after sex assaults
• Morocco arrests seven on suspicion of Islamic State ties
• Attack on Iraqi military base justifies Turkish deployment: Erdogan

Republican politicians jumped the gun on terrorism suspect's arrest: sources Posted: 08 Jan 2016 05:04 PM PST Two Texas politicians made public details of an investigation into a terrorism suspect while it was still in progress, potentially jeopardizing the inquiry, three sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick released statements on Thursday with details about the case contained in documents that were still under court seal, the sources said. Abbott was briefed on the case by the Texas Department of Public Safety, but was not informed that it was under seal, said Abbott's spokesman, John Wittman.

The Latest: Brother of Iraqi refugee returned to Wisconsin Posted: 08 Jan 2016 04:51 PM PST HOUSTON (AP) — The latest on two Iraqi-born men who came to the U.S. as refugees and have been arrested on terrorism-related charges by federal authorities in Texas and California: (all times local)

Australian prime minister to discuss security during US trip Posted: 08 Jan 2016 04:44 PM PST CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister says he will discuss with President Barack Obama regional security and combatting the Islamic State movement when he visits Washington this month.

Refugee program decried after Iraqis' terror-related arrests Posted: 08 Jan 2016 04:39 PM PST LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. refugee program came under fresh criticism Friday after federal authorities revealed that two Iraqi-born men arrested on terrorism-related charges had come to America as refugees.

Cologne feels anxiety and anger about Merkel's refugee policy Posted: 08 Jan 2016 03:48 PM PST By Joseph Nasr COLOGNE, Germany (Reuters) - The heavy police presence outside Cologne's Gothic cathedral is not enough to make 16-year-old Lisa Elsner feel safe going out in a city-center still reeling from mass assaults on women on New Year's Eve. The area is a bustling hub not only for many of Cologne's 1.2 million people but also for the tourists seeking out its historic sights, and the thousands of revelers due in town for days of raucous Rhineland carnival - now just four weeks away. The German Interior Ministry said on Friday that, out of 32 suspects identified so far, 27 were from North Africa or the Middle East, and 22 were seeking asylum.

Why NATO says it's time to stop hugging the Russian bear Posted: 08 Jan 2016 03:32 PM PST In little-noticed remarks this week, NATO's supreme allied commander, US Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, said that for too long, the United States has "hugged the bear" of Russia. This toughness should come in the form of more US troops to Europe, he said, and more "high end" training to prepare American forces for a potential battle against the former cold war foe. The remarks, made while Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was visiting Europe this week, have struck some as a bit alarmist.

U.S. meets tech leaders, forms task force to fight online militants Posted: 08 Jan 2016 03:19 PM PST By Dustin Volz and Mari Saito WASHINGTON/SAN JOSE (Reuters) - The Obama administration on Friday sent its top national security officials to meet tech industry leaders in Silicon Valley and announced a new task force to counter online propaganda as the United States tries to crack down on the unprecedented use of the Internet by jihadists. White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough led a high-level government delegation that held talks with representatives from some of the country's biggest technology companies, including Apple CEO Tim Cook. It was the latest effort by the Obama administration to cajole tech firms to be more cooperative with the intelligence community following a rift prompted by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden's disclosures, which detailed government surveillance.

Cologne police chief dismissed over New Year's Eve assaults Posted: 08 Jan 2016 03:18 PM PST BERLIN (AP) — The police chief of the German city of Cologne was dismissed Friday amid mounting criticism of his force's handling of a string of New Year's Eve sexual assaults and robberies blamed largely on foreigners.

Marine Corps debate over women in combat continues to roil Posted: 08 Jan 2016 02:53 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Marine general predicted Friday that the Defense Department's vows to maintain the same standards for women and men in combat jobs won't last, saying the military will eventually be pressured to lower the qualifications so more women can serve in jobs like the Marine infantry.

Erdogan says attempted Islamic State attack vindicates Iraq deployment Posted: 08 Jan 2016 02:48 PM PST By Tulay Karadeniz and Stephen Kalin ANKARA/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - An attempted attack by Islamic State on a military base in northern Iraq shows Turkey's decision to deploy troops there was justified, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday, suggesting Russia was stirring up a row over the issue. Turkey deployed a force protection unit of around 150 troops to northern Iraq in December citing heightened security risks near Bashiqa, where its soldiers have been training an Iraqi militia to fight Islamic State.

Iraq denies Turkish forces in north clashed with Islamic State 'recently': state TV Posted: 08 Jan 2016 02:32 PM PST Iraq's joint operations command denied on Saturday that Turkish forces based in northern Iraq had been attacked by Islamic State or had clashed with the militants, refuting claims by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. "The joint operations command denies there was a terrorist attack on the position of Turkish forces in Bashiqa by the terrorist Daesh (Islamic State) recently," said a news flash on state television, referring to a military base near Mosul.

Australia's prime minister to visit the White House Posted: 08 Jan 2016 01:53 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says Australia's prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, will meet with President Barack Obama on Jan. 19 as he makes his first trip to Washington since being sworn-in last September.

IS sympathizer shoots Philadelphia cop in 'chilling' ambush Posted: 08 Jan 2016 01:49 PM PST A man claiming allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group shot and seriously wounded a policeman in Philadelphia, opening fire multiple times at point-blank range with a stolen police gun before he was arrested, officials said Friday. The apparent assassination attempt comes amid heightened security in the United States following last month's assault by a radicalized Muslim couple in California that killed 14 people, and the November terror attacks in Paris. Policeman Jesse Hartnett, 33, was shot three times in his left arm as he sat in his patrol car late Thursday in the northeastern city.

US drone crashes in Iraq; not shot down by enemy fire Posted: 08 Jan 2016 01:40 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. military officials say an American Predator drone crashed Thursday in Iraq but say it was not shot down by enemy fire.

Obama, Australia's Turnbull to meet at White House on January 19 Posted: 08 Jan 2016 01:16 PM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama will meet with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Jan. 19 in Washington, the White House said in a statement. The leaders are expected to discuss the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal and the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, the White House said. (Reporting by Roberta Rampton; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

For black Americans and veterans, Big job gains in 2015 Posted: 08 Jan 2016 01:13 PM PST Black Americans made big strides in the job market in 2015, achieving their lowest unemployment rate since before the recession. The black unemployment rate fell to 8.3 percent in December, the best showing ...

Arrests of Iraqi refugees increase pressure in US Congress Posted: 08 Jan 2016 12:58 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. House Republicans renewed their call Friday for swift Senate action on a bill cracking down on Syrian and Iraqi refugees, following the arrests of two Iraqi-born men on terrorism-related charges.

German spies revive internet snooping work with US: reports Posted: 08 Jan 2016 12:00 PM PST Germany's BND intelligence agency has resumed joint internet surveillance with the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) after halting collaboration with Washington last year following a row over spying practices, German media reported. Last May, German intelligence sources told Reuters that the BND had stopped sending the NSA information gathered from its surveillance station in Bad Aibling in Bavaria. German newspapers on Friday said that collaborations at the Bad Aibling station have been resumed and the NSA is again being supplied with intelligence by the BND.

Timeline of IS expansion in Libya Posted: 08 Jan 2016 11:52 AM PST Tripoli (AFP) - The Islamic State group, which has claimed two deadly attacks in Libya, moved in 2014 into the country, fertile ground for jihadists after the ouster of dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

WHO approves S. Korean producer to double cholera vaccine supply Posted: 08 Jan 2016 11:44 AM PST The World Health Organization said Friday it had approved a South Korean company as the third producer of an oral vaccine against cholera, in a bid to double global stockpiles and address dire shortages. The oral vaccine used to fight epidemics of the acute diarrhoeal infection, which can kill within hours due to rapid dehydration, is scarce and until now only used in rare cases to urgently stop the spread of the disease. WHO said it had approved South Korean biopharmaceutical firm EUBiologics to make the vaccine, implying "a potential doubling of the available vaccine for this year," to six million doses, Stephen Martin of WHO's epidemic diseases unit told reporters in Geneva.

Arrests of Iraqi refugees increases pressure in Congress Posted: 08 Jan 2016 11:39 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are renewing their call for swift Senate action on their bill cracking down on Syrian and Iraqi refugees. That follows the arrests of two Iraqi-born men on terror charges.

Dummy US missile disappears, turns up in Cuba Posted: 08 Jan 2016 11:21 AM PST A dummy training version of a US Hellfire missile was shipped to Cuba after an apparent mix-up by commercial cargo handlers in Europe, a source said Friday, confirming media reports. The Hellfire is produced by US defense giant Lockheed Martin along with an inert version known as a "Captive Air Training Missile" stripped of its warhead, fuse, gyroscope and motor. In summer 2014, Lockheed received export approval from the US State Department to send a dummy missile to a NATO training exercise in Spain and flew one out of Orlando, Florida.

IS militant in Syria kills his mother in public for apostasy Posted: 08 Jan 2016 10:57 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — An Islamic State fighter shot and killed his own mother before onlookers at a public square in the Syrian city of Raqqa after he was told that she was not a true believer, activists reported Friday, the latest in IS's brutal public killings over the past two years in the de facto capital of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.

Starvation in Madaya: How Hezbollah role in siege could hurt it in Lebanon Posted: 08 Jan 2016 10:55 AM PST Broadcast images of emaciated children and tales of starving Syrians forced to eat grass and leaves in the besieged town of Madaya have provoked horror around the world. In Lebanon, they have fuelled criticism of Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite militia that is encircling the town alongside Syrian troops. Stung by the criticism, Hezbollah has shot back, blaming anti-regime fighters for monopolizing the dwindling food supplies in Madaya and refusing to allow civilians to leave.

The Next Article You Should Read on the GOP Race: Military-Strategist Assessment of the Trump Wave Posted: 08 Jan 2016 10:45 AM PST Fighter pilot John Boyd (Air Force photo) This article, "A Military Strategist Explains Why Donald Trump Leads and How He Will Fail," is more than three weeks old. But I just saw it today, thanks to reader Seth K; and it stands up better and is more forward-looking than most of what you're reading now about the race.

Republicans weigh new rules for Islamic State fight Posted: 08 Jan 2016 10:34 AM PST Top US Republicans are weighing a new legal authorization for President Barack Obama's fight against the Islamic State group, one that could leave the door open for ground troop deployments. Speaker Paul Ryan is canvasing support among key party leaders in the House of Representatives for a new authorization for the use of military force, according to leadership aides. The White House and its political foes have sparred over a vote on the measure, which Republicans fear could be seen as an unwarranted endorsement of Obama's policies in an election year.

Fake suicide vest attacker identified by family: French investigators Posted: 08 Jan 2016 10:33 AM PST The man shot dead by police after trying to storm a Paris police station brandishing a meat cleaver appears to have been identified by his family, a source close to the investigation said Friday. The man, who attacked the police station on Thursday wearing a fake suicide vest, was said to be a Tunisian named Tarek Belgacem.

Paris prosecutor casts doubt on identity of man shot dead Posted: 08 Jan 2016 09:25 AM PST By Sophie Louet PARIS (Reuters) - Paris Prosecutor Francois Molins cast doubt on the identity of a man shot dead by police in the capital on Thursday, as authorities sought to establish whether he was acting alone or with support. The man was killed as he tried to enter a police station wielding a meat cleaver, on the first anniversary of the deadly Islamist attacks on the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine. An official account said the man, identified by a judicial source soon after the attack as Moroccan-born, shouted Allahu Akbar, (God is Greatest), and was wearing what turned out to be a fake suicide belt.

Alleged terrorist recruiter freed to Kuwait from Guantanamo Posted: 08 Jan 2016 08:52 AM PST MIAMI (AP) — An alleged recruiter for the al-Qaida terrorist organization was released Friday from the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and sent home to Kuwait, part an ongoing effort to winnow down the number of men held at the detention center and eventually close it.

Arrest of Syrian refugee with ISIS ties reignites asylum concerns Posted: 08 Jan 2016 08:34 AM PST Two men have been arrested on terror-related charges in California and Texas, according to authorities. The arrests were made after the accused allegedly sought to aid terrorist organizations affiliated with Islamic State (IS), say court documents. One of the two arrested is a refugee from Syria, raising fresh concerns over the US program to resettle refugees from Syria and other countries with territory controlled by terrorists.

French police seek identity of fake suicide vest attacker Posted: 08 Jan 2016 08:22 AM PST French anti-terror investigators were on Friday seeking to identify a man shot dead while trying to storm a Paris police station brandishing a meat cleaver and wearing a fake suicide vest. The man was killed by officers as he ran towards the entrance of the police station shouting "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") on Thursday, exactly a year to the day since the massacre of journalists at the Charlie Hebdo newspaper. The note, written in Arabic with a hand-drawn flag of the Islamic State group (IS), gave his name as Tarek B, said a source close to the investigation.

Man facing U.S. terrorism charges to appear in Houston court Posted: 08 Jan 2016 08:11 AM PST A Palestinian born in Iraq who entered the United States as a refugee more than five years ago is due to appear in federal court in Houston on Friday on charges he supplied support to Islamic State and lied to U.S. officials. Omar Faraj Saeed Al-Hardan, thought to be 24, was one of two Middle Eastern men whose arrests on terrorism-related charges U.S. authorities announced Thursday. Neither was charged with plotting an attack on the United States.

Britons held in Hungary in breach of anti-terrorism laws, jailed Posted: 08 Jan 2016 08:04 AM PST Two Britons were jailed on Friday after being arrested in Hungary where they were suspected of heading to Syria, in breach of strict travel constraints because they had convictions for terrorism offences. Trevor Brooks, 40, and Simon Keeler, 44, both well-known Islamists, were detained near Hungary's Romanian border in November having left Britain without informing the British authorities six days earlier. "They're yet to give us any indication as to why they left the UK and were traveling across Hungary, although clearly our concern is that they may have been trying to get to Syria," said Detective Chief Superintendent Terri Nicholson.

Germany confirms most mob attack suspects were asylum seekers Posted: 08 Jan 2016 07:13 AM PST Germany said Friday most suspects in the mob violence that marred Cologne's New Year's Eve celebrations were asylum seekers, fuelling calls to quickly deport criminal migrants. Unsettled by a record refugee influx, Germany has reacted with shock to news that women had to run a frightful gauntlet of groping, insults and robberies in an aggressive and drunken crush of around 1,000 men. A week after the chaotic scenes outside Cologne railway station, federal police said they had identified 31 suspects whose alleged offences were "mostly theft and causing bodily harm".

Turkish police detain pro-Kurdish opposition members in Istanbul raid Posted: 08 Jan 2016 06:58 AM PST By Humeyra Pamuk and Seyhmus Cakan ISTANBUL/DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish police detained six people including local officials from the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) on Friday in a raid on one of its Istanbul offices, days after President Tayyip Erdogan said he backed legal action against its members. Riot police and special forces took part in the operation, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency, which said the action was part of a crackdown on urban networks of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group's youth wing. Erdogan and the government accuse the HDP, parliament's third-biggest party, of being an extension of the PKK, which has fought a three-decade insurgency for greater Kurdish autonomy in the southeast and which is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.

Transcripts show close ties between Blair and Clinton Posted: 08 Jan 2016 06:42 AM PST LONDON (AP) — Bill Clinton confided in Tony Blair about his worries for Princess Diana's sons after her death in remarks that underscore the close relationship between the ex-U.S. president and former British prime minister.

US, allies launch 23 air strikes in Iraq, three in Syria against IS Posted: 08 Jan 2016 05:15 AM PST The U.S.-led coalition launched 23 air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and three in Syria on Thursday, the task force leading the operation said in a statement. The coalition said 22 strikes in Iraq were coordinated with that nation's government against Islamic State targets, and one strike was against inoperable coalition equipment. The strikes included seven in the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul and six in Ramadi, where Iraqi troops drove out most of the militants last week after a hard-fought offensive, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement on Friday.

Migrants in Germany fear backlash after sex assaults Posted: 08 Jan 2016 05:14 AM PST When asylum seeker Asim Vllaznim heard about the New Year's Eve spate of sexual attacks in Germany, blamed on a crowd of migrants, he says his spirits fell. "Our first reaction was: now the Germans will hate us," said the 32-year-old Kosovar, sitting with his family in their room at a migrant shelter in the western city of Cologne. Germany has been shocked by reports of fearful women running the gauntlet in a drunken and aggressive crowd of men, described by witnesses as being of Arab and North African appearance.

Morocco arrests seven on suspicion of Islamic State ties Posted: 08 Jan 2016 03:57 AM PST Morocco said on Friday its security forces had arrested a group of seven suspected Islamist militants linked to Islamic State, including the group's leader, who has been recruiting fighters. The North African kingdom, an ally of the West against Islamist militancy, has been on high alert since 2014, when IS took control of large swathes of northern Iraq and Syria. The group had been in contact with IS in Iraq and Syria and had tried to send fighters there for training so that they could return to carry out attacks on Moroccan soil, the interior ministry said in a statement.

Attack on Iraqi military base justifies Turkish deployment: Erdogan Posted: 08 Jan 2016 03:49 AM PST An attack by Islamic State militants on a military base in northern Iraq shows Turkey's decision to deploy troops there was justified, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Friday. Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul that 18 Islamic State militants were killed but no Turkish soldiers were harmed in the attack at the Bashiqa base in Iraq's Nineveh province. Turkey deployed a force protection unit of around 150 troops last month citing heightened security risks near Bashiqa, where its troops are training an Iraqi militia to fight Islamic State, and stirring a diplomatic row.

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