Yahoo! News: Iraq

---

• Obama says there's reason for skepticism on Syria ceasefire
• Obama says US to pursue campaign against IS 'on all fronts'
• Obama: No illusions about Syria ceasefire, will work to make it succeed
• Greece pulls Austria envoy as migrant crisis nears breaking point
• 19 retired U.S. generals, admirals back Clinton's stance on Guantanamo
• Libyan forces battle Islamic State in Sabratha, three killed
• Canada moves to repeal law that revokes citizenship in terror cases
• Report: How 51 Companies Are Legally Supplying ISIS With Bomb-Making Material
• IS claims suicide bombings in Iraqi capital that kills 15
• Migrants stranded on Greece's highways as borders close
• Two suicide bombers kill 15 at Shi'ite mosque in Baghdad
• Saudi piles pressure on Lebanon for siding with Iran
• Russia, Syrian army pound rebels ahead of fighting halt
• French court upholds radical mosque's closure outside Paris
• Africa, Asia reaffirm FIFA backing for Sheikh Salman
• Afghan child gets a Lionel Messi jersey: How sports build bridges
• EU lawmakers call for Saudi arms embargo despite lobbying
• The Two ISIS Battles That Could Change the Face of the Middle East
• Kerry: Iran has withdrawn Guards from Syria
• Man behind Iran's mass barring of candidates contests assembly vote
• Political future of heavyweight Rafsanjani may rest on Iran poll
• Greece recalls Vienna ambassador in row over worsening migrant logjam
• The Latest: Dead pig found at German mosque building site
• US: Rebel forces to move against IS headquarters in Syria
• U.S. sees capture of Syria town key to dismantling Islamic State
• Carter: Syrian forces moving to retake key Syrian towns
• Australia warns of possible terror attack in Indonesia
• Turkey says Syria ceasefire is not binding if it threatens security
• Kurdish solidarity in Turkey's restive southeast frustrates its Syria policy
• Bahrain jails four men on terrorism charges: prosecutor
• Obama says cautious about expectations for Syria deal
• French advisers helping Libyan forces fight Islamic State in Benghazi: Libyan commander
• Israel says Sudanese who wounded soldier was Islamic State sympathizer
• Spain arrests man in North African enclave for promoting Islamist militancy
• Iran elections: key facts about the Islamic republic
• Want To Know Where To Live? These Cities Are Best For Quality Of Life
• Australia unveils 'massive' increase in defence spending
• Nigeria army foils Boko Haram attack: military
• Trapped between Iraq frontlines, refugees illustrate Sunni Arab predicament

Obama says there's reason for skepticism on Syria ceasefire Posted: 25 Feb 2016 04:42 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — With a proposed cease-fire in Syria quickly approaching, President Barack Obama said Thursday it's a certainty that there will continue to be fighting but that the agreement has the potential to reduce the violence, get food and aid to Syrians who are suffering and lead to negotiations to end the civil war.

Obama says US to pursue campaign against IS 'on all fronts' Posted: 25 Feb 2016 04:11 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama directed his national security team Thursday to press the U.S.-led international campaign to destroy the Islamic State group "on all fronts." He also expressed hope that a proposed cease-fire in Syria will lead to a political settlement to end the civil war and allow a more intense focus on IS.

Obama: No illusions about Syria ceasefire, will work to make it succeed Posted: 25 Feb 2016 04:08 PM PST U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday the United States would do everything it could to make a ceasefire in Syria succeed despite significant question marks over whether the agreement will hold. The United States, Russia and other parties have agreed to a "cessation of hostilities" in Syria that is set to begin Saturday from midnight. After a meeting with his national security team at the State Department, Obama expressed U.S. resolve to try to make the deal work but cautioned there were reasons for skepticism.

Greece pulls Austria envoy as migrant crisis nears breaking point Posted: 25 Feb 2016 02:43 PM PST Greece furiously recalled its ambassador from Austria and Brussels warned the bloc's migration system could collapse within 10 days as Europe's refugee crisis neared breaking point on Thursday. Further chaos loomed as a French court approved the partial evacuation of the "Jungle" migrant camp near the port of Calais on the coast, a move that Belgium fears will send Britain-bound migrants coming its way. Attempts by EU interior ministers meeting in Brussels to agree a unified response to the biggest migration crisis in the bloc's history frayed over the fact that many states are increasingly taking matters into their own hands.

19 retired U.S. generals, admirals back Clinton's stance on Guantanamo Posted: 25 Feb 2016 02:09 PM PST (Reuters) - A group of 19 retired U.S. generals and admirals on Thursday backed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's position on the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo and torture and called for an end to the "dangerous rhetoric" from her Republican opponents. "The Republican candidates have turned this into a game to see who can seem toughest. Republican candidates have opposed an Obama administration plan to close the Guantanamo Bay prison in Cuba.

Libyan forces battle Islamic State in Sabratha, three killed Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:40 PM PST By Ahmed Elumami TRIPOLI (Reuters) - Libyan forces battled to clear Islamic State insurgents from the western city of Sabratha on Thursday, in fighting that killed at least three Libyans and one of the militants, officials said. Islamic State has gained ground rapidly in Libya in the last year, controlling the city of Sirte and attacking oil ports, as it takes advantage of the conflict between the country's two rival governments and their armed factions. U.S. warplanes hit Islamic State in Sabratha last week, a sign of growing Western engagement against the militant group in Libya as it expands beyond its original territory in Iraq and Syria.

Canada moves to repeal law that revokes citizenship in terror cases Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:28 PM PST Canada's Liberal government on Thursday introduced a bill to stop stripping citizenship from dual nationals convicted of terrorism and other serious crimes, moving to scuttle a measure introduced by the previous Tory administration. "This law created two classes of Canadians," Immigration Minister John McCallum told a press conference. The proposed policy change in Ottawa comes as French lawmakers decide on a measure that would strip citizenship from dual nationals convicted of terrorism, while British law allows the government to take away the citizenship of terrorism suspects even if it leaves them stateless.

Report: How 51 Companies Are Legally Supplying ISIS With Bomb-Making Material Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:25 PM PST More than 50 companies worldwide are legally supplying the Islamic State with bomb-making material, either willingly or because they and the countries in which they operate are failing to monitor the sales, according to a Conflict Armament Research report released today. While there is no evidence in the report released today to prove direct transfer between the countries and firms involved, and IS, it shows that companies are extensively supplying local markets with material such as chemical precursors, detonating cords, detonators, cables, wires and other electronic components, and that the Islamic State has the reach to acquire them. The way it works is that large manufacturers are selling material and components to regional distributors, who then sell to local distributors, CAR's Executive Director James Bevan told ABC News, adding: "it gets fuzzy at the local level.

IS claims suicide bombings in Iraqi capital that kills 15 Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:12 PM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Suicide bombers hit a Shiite religious building and a military checkpoint in a Shiite-majority neighborhood of Baghdad Thursday, killing 15 people, an Iraqi security official said.

Migrants stranded on Greece's highways as borders close Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:11 PM PST IDOMENI, Greece (AP) — Groups of frustrated migrants, including families with small children, walked along north-bound Greek highways Thursday hoping to reach Macedonia after authorities stopped their buses to ease a bottleneck on the practically blocked border.

Two suicide bombers kill 15 at Shi'ite mosque in Baghdad Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:00 PM PST Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a Shi'ite mosque in Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 15 people in an attack claimed by Islamic State militants. The first bomber detonated his vest inside the mosque and the second blew himself up when security forces gathered at the site of the initial blast. Four of the victims were members of the security forces, the sources said.

Saudi piles pressure on Lebanon for siding with Iran Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:44 AM PST BEIRUT (AP) — Saudi Arabia has lashed out at Lebanon, cutting off billions of dollars of aid and telling its citizens to leave the country, after Beirut sided with Iran in the fallout over the execution of a Saudi Shiite cleric, in a diplomatic dispute that threatens Lebanon's struggling economy.

Russia, Syrian army pound rebels ahead of fighting halt Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:13 AM PST By Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - Russian warplanes bombed Syrian rebel-held areas in northwestern Syria and government forces pounded a suburb of the capital on Thursday, ahead of a planned halt to fighting which rebels predicted Damascus and Moscow would ignore. The "cessation of hostilities" agreed by the United States and Russia is due to take hold on Saturday morning from midnight. Damascus has agreed to the deal, as has the main opposition alliance, though it is only ready to commit for two weeks given its deep reservations.

French court upholds radical mosque's closure outside Paris Posted: 25 Feb 2016 11:01 AM PST PARIS (AP) — A French high court has upheld the closure of a mosque outside of Paris because of evidence the Muslim place of worship had been infiltrated by radical Islamists.

Africa, Asia reaffirm FIFA backing for Sheikh Salman Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:51 AM PST The African and Asian football confederations on Thursday kept up their campaign for Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim al Khalifa to become the next FIFA president. Sheikh Salman vowed not to "mortgage" the crisis-torn world football body's future to win votes in his battle with four rivals led by Gianni Infantino, the UEFA general secretary. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) leadership reaffirmed their support for the Bahrain royal at meetings in Zurich ahead of Friday's vote.

Afghan child gets a Lionel Messi jersey: How sports build bridges Posted: 25 Feb 2016 10:26 AM PST The lives of an international soccer star and a 5-year-old from a rural village in Afghanistan may not appear much alike, but the two are connected by passion for the sport. International soccer fans were impressed with a photo of a young Afghan boy that went viral on social media in January. The boy, 5-year-old Murtaza Ahmadi, wore a Lionel Messi Barcelona soccer jersey made from a plastic bag, Chris Borg reported for CNN.

EU lawmakers call for Saudi arms embargo despite lobbying Posted: 25 Feb 2016 09:52 AM PST BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union lawmakers called on Thursday for an EU arms embargo against Saudi Arabia over airstrikes and a naval blockade in Yemen, despite lobbying by the kingdom.

The Two ISIS Battles That Could Change the Face of the Middle East Posted: 25 Feb 2016 09:45 AM PST In 2014, when he was prime minister, Erdogan was accused of high treason for supplying weapons to al-Qaeda and ISIS that included 1,000 mortar shells, 1,000 rifled artillery shells, 50,000 machine gun rounds and 30,000 rifle bullets. It's no surprise, then, that Turkey is currently playing a dangerous game of poker with Russia, the United States, and its neighbors in the region. Aleppo, Syria's largest city, and Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, are both at risk.

Kerry: Iran has withdrawn Guards from Syria Posted: 25 Feb 2016 09:41 AM PST Iran has withdrawn a "significant number" of its Revolutionary Guards troops from the Syrian battlefield, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Thursday. Iran is an ally of Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and has sent members of the elite force to act as "advisers" to his forces and to organize militia units with volunteers from Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. Tehran also arms and supports Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, which has itself dispatched forces to shore up the Syrian regime against local rebel forces.

Man behind Iran's mass barring of candidates contests assembly vote Posted: 25 Feb 2016 09:23 AM PST (Reuters) - Powerful anti-Western cleric Ahmad Jannati will almost certainly be re-elected to Iran's Assembly of Experts on Friday, putting him in position to play a key role in its selection of the next supreme leader if and when Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dies. Elections for parliament are also scheduled for Friday, but it is the outcome of the assembly vote that is likely to have a much greater long-term impact, given that it has exclusive power to select, monitor and dismiss Iran's most powerful authority. In remarks echoed by Khamenei, Jannati this week accused the United States and Britain of trying to influence Friday's votes.

Political future of heavyweight Rafsanjani may rest on Iran poll Posted: 25 Feb 2016 09:23 AM PST (Reuters) - Elections on Friday for the body that selects Iran's supreme leader could be the last hurrah for Iran's best known political grandee, former president Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who has loomed large in the history of the Islamic Republic. If Rafsanjani is unable to muster the votes to secure his seat on the Assembly of Experts, it could signal the beginning of his exit from political life in Iran. Few have wielded such influence in modern Iran as the 81-year-old, but since 2009 he and his family have faced criticism from hardliners over their support for the opposition movement which lost that year's disputed election to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Greece recalls Vienna ambassador in row over worsening migrant logjam Posted: 25 Feb 2016 09:06 AM PST By Lefteris Papadimas and George Georgiopoulos ATHENS (Reuters) - Struggling with a growing logjam of refugees, Greece recalled its ambassador to Vienna on Thursday in protest at moves by Austria and Balkan states to make it harder for migrants to head north across Europe. The unusual step reflected Greek fury at being excluded from a meeting of Balkan states in Vienna on Wednesday to coordinate border restrictions across the region to limit the flow. "Greece will not become a Lebanon or a warehouse of souls," said migration minister Yannis Mouzalas.

The Latest: Dead pig found at German mosque building site Posted: 25 Feb 2016 08:58 AM PST BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on the migrant crisis in Europe (all times local):

US: Rebel forces to move against IS headquarters in Syria Posted: 25 Feb 2016 08:46 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. defense officials say Syrian rebel forces are preparing to go after the Islamic State group's de facto headquarters of Raqqa after retaking the key eastern town of Shaddadeh.

U.S. sees capture of Syria town key to dismantling Islamic State Posted: 25 Feb 2016 08:41 AM PST U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Congress on Thursday that the expected capture of the Syrian town of al-Shadadi would represent a key step toward dismantling Islamic State in Syria. Carter pointed to the battle for al-Shadadi as he cited "operationally significant strides" in the campaign against the Sunni militant group, including Iraq's recapture of the city of Ramadi from Islamic State last year. U.S. Marine Corps General Joseph Duford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the campaign against Islamic State now had the momentum in Iraq.

Carter: Syrian forces moving to retake key Syrian towns Posted: 25 Feb 2016 08:38 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Top U.S. defense officials say Syrian rebel forces are now preparing to go after the Islamic State's de facto headquarters of Raqqa after retaking the key eastern town of Shaddadeh.

Australia warns of possible terror attack in Indonesia Posted: 25 Feb 2016 06:30 AM PST SYDNEY (AP) — Australia's government warned on Thursday that terrorists may be in the advanced stages of preparing attacks in Indonesia, and urged travelers to exercise a high level of caution when visiting the Southeast Asian nation, including the popular tourist island of Bali.

Turkey says Syria ceasefire is not binding if it threatens security Posted: 25 Feb 2016 06:09 AM PST By Humeyra Pamuk and Daren Butler ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said on Thursday that Turkey would not be bound by the Syrian ceasefire plan if its security was threatened, and would take "necessary measures" against the Syrian Kurdish YPG and Islamic State if needed. The ceasefire process, initiated by Russia and the United States, could be complicated by NATO member Turkey's deep distrust of the Washington-backed Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, which controls territory in northern Syria near the Turkish border. Turkey regards the YPG as a terrorist group and fears it will further stoke unrest among its own Kurdish population.

Kurdish solidarity in Turkey's restive southeast frustrates its Syria policy Posted: 25 Feb 2016 06:08 AM PST By Ayla Jean Yackley DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - In a public cemetery next to a military air base in Turkey's mainly Kurdish southeast, flags of a Syrian Kurdish militia are draped over many of the tombstones. Death notices posted online by the People's Protection Units (YPG), a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State in north Syria, show about half of those killed on its front lines in the last three months alone were Turkish-born. Sertip Celik, a student in the Mediterranean town of Iskenderun, was one of thousands of Turkish Kurds to cross into Syria and join the fight against Islamic State, answering a call to arms by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged an insurgency against Turkey for three decades.

Bahrain jails four men on terrorism charges: prosecutor Posted: 25 Feb 2016 05:38 AM PST A Bahraini court sentenced four people to five years in prison for plotting to receive explosives and weapons training to carry out attacks in the Gulf Arab kingdom, the public prosecutor said in a statement on Thursday. Two of the suspects were convicted of facilitating the travel plans of the other two for the purpose of "carrying out terrorist crimes inside the kingdom of Bahrain", BNA said. Bahrain has reported a growing number of attacks using home-made explosives in the last two years and has accused Iran and its allies in the Shi'ite Lebanese militant group Hezbollah of sponsoring the plots.

Obama says cautious about expectations for Syria deal Posted: 25 Feb 2016 05:21 AM PST WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he was cautious about raising expectations regarding the agreement to pause hostilities in Syria. But, if some progress is made in Syria, then that will lead to a political process to end the five-year-old civil war in the country, Obama told reporters after a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah in the Oval Office. Obama said the United States is committed to helping Jordan deal with the refugees who have fled to its borders to escape the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. ...

French advisers helping Libyan forces fight Islamic State in Benghazi: Libyan commander Posted: 25 Feb 2016 05:09 AM PST By Ayman Al Warfalli BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - French military advisers have been helping coordinate Libyan forces fighting Islamic State insurgents in the eastern city of Benghazi, where pro-government brigades have been making progress, a senior Libyan military commander said on Thursday. It was the latest sign of U.S. and European engagement in trying to restore some order and security in anarchic Libya, where Western governments are looking to help local forces stop Islamic State expanding beyond its bastions in Iraq and Syria. "The French military group in Benghazi are just military advisers who provide consultations to the Libyan National Army in its battle against terrorism, but they are not fighting with our Libyan forces," special forces commander Wanis Bukhamada told Reuters.

Israel says Sudanese who wounded soldier was Islamic State sympathizer Posted: 25 Feb 2016 05:02 AM PST A Sudanese migrant who stabbed and wounded a soldier in Israel two weeks ago was motivated by Islamic State ideology, the Shin Bet internal security service said on Thursday. It was the first such attack by an African migrant during five months when Palestinians have intensified anti-Israeli street attacks including stabbing, shootings and car ramming. The bloodshed has been fueled by factors including a dispute over Jerusalem's a-la's mosque compound and the failure of several rounds of peace talks to secure the Palestinians an independent state in Israeli-occupied territory.

Spain arrests man in North African enclave for promoting Islamist militancy Posted: 25 Feb 2016 02:41 AM PST Spanish police arrested a Moroccan man in Spain's north African enclave of Ceuta on Thursday, accusing him of promoting Islamist militancy via social media, the Interior Ministry said. The arrest comes after a joint operation by Moroccan and Spanish police on Tuesday detained four people accused of recruiting people to fight in Syria and Iraq or carry out attacks in Spain or Morocco. Spanish police have detained 13 people with suspected links to Islamic State militants so far this year.

Iran elections: key facts about the Islamic republic Posted: 25 Feb 2016 02:23 AM PST Iran, which holds crucial elections on Friday, is an Islamic republic still rebuilding its international ties after implementing a deal with world powers on its long-controversial nuclear programme. The descendant of the Persian Empire, Iran, with an area of 1,648,195 square kilometres (659,278 square miles), was long a monarchy ruled by a shah and dominated by the Pahlavi dynasty from 1925 to 1979. In January 1979, Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was driven out by a popular revolt and Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a revolutionary Shiite cleric who had lived in exile for a decade and a half, made a triumphant return on February 1, 1979.

Want To Know Where To Live? These Cities Are Best For Quality Of Life Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:55 AM PST American cities were shut out of the top 25, with San Francisco coming in at 28.

Australia unveils 'massive' increase in defence spending Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:48 AM PST Australia unveiled a massive new investment in the nation's defence capabilities on Thursday to address what Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called "high stakes" and "momentous times" in Asia. Citing increased defence spending around the region and potential flashpoints in the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula, he said the government was committed to combating the most challenging strategic environment "we have faced in peacetime".

Nigeria army foils Boko Haram attack: military Posted: 25 Feb 2016 12:34 AM PST Nigeria's troops have a foiled a planned Boko Haram attack on a camp of displaced people in the northeastern town of Dikwa, previously targeted by the insurgents, the military said. "From all indications, the terrorists aimed at causing havoc at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp located at Dikwa," army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said in a statement late Wednesday. One soldier and a local vigilante assisting the military in the fight against Boko Haram were killed, he said.

Trapped between Iraq frontlines, refugees illustrate Sunni Arab predicament Posted: 24 Feb 2016 11:03 PM PST For three months, more than 500 men, women and children have been living in no-man's land in northern Iraq, caught in the crossfire between Kurdish forces and Islamic State. Stranded between frontlines in the Sinjar area, the group of Sunni Arabs wants to leave Islamic State's self-proclaimed caliphate, but is being denied passage by the Kurds, who have staked out their territory in the north and fear infiltration. In telephone interviews with Reuters, three men from the same village, including an elder, explained that if they turned back Islamic State would kill them for trying to escape.

You are subscribed to email updates from Iraq News Headlines - Yahoo! News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States