Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Turkish warplanes strike PKK targets in northern Iraq
• US official says Marines expanding combat role in Iraq
• How US and Europe differ on fighting terror, integrating Muslims
• World Cup qualifying: Redknapp wins first match 8-0
• Kurdish rebels attack police station in southeast Turkey
• Sanders fighting perceptions he can't overcome Clinton edge
• Iraq says begins offensive to retake IS-held Mosul
• IS under pressure as troops advance on Palmyra, Mosul
• Belgian security forces under scrutiny after Brussels attacks
• China stay alive as Australia, Japan march on
• Carpet-bomb ISIS? Terrorism calls for longer-term approach
• The Latest: Russian officer killed near Palmyra in Syria
• Syrian forces fight their way into Palmyra, as Kerry and Putin hail thaw
• Will lessons learned in Ramadi help retake Mosul from ISIS forces?
• Timbuktu jihadist to stand trial on war crimes charge: ICC
• How Clinton’s Speech Capitalized on Disenchantment with Trump-Style GOP Foreign Policy
• Syrian government forces enter Islamic State-held Palmyra
• How Long Will It Take for the Iraqi’s to Recapture Mosul?
• Syrian army enters IS-held Palmyra, Mosul operation begins
• Europe must step up IS fight after Brussels: Pentagon
• DA: Prominent NYC ER doctor sexually assaulted more women
• The Latest: OSCE trains Albanian police for refugee influx
• DLA helps service members celebrate Palm Sunday, Easter
• Soccer-Thailand qualify as Redknapp's Jordan rout Bangladesh
• NATO breeds frustration, but is vital tool in IS fight
• Obama Faces Painful Choice in Syria as Peace Talks Falter
• Experts: Belgium often comes up short in preventing attacks
• First sexual assault charge filed over Cologne New Year's violence
• Islamic State video calls for jihad after Brussels blasts
• Iraq launches offensive against Islamic State south of Mosul
• Obama faces unprecedented Saudi criticism ahead of summit
• Morocco says arrests 9 suspected Islamist militants with Libya ties
• Kuwait oil company says it's found new oil and gas field
• Morocco says arrests nine suspected Islamist militants with Libya ties
• U.S. stages 34 strikes in Syria, Iraq against Islamic State: statement
• Iraq says it's launched offensive to recapture IS-held Mosul
• Trump says migration 'craziness' will push Britain to quit the EU
• Who’s really voting for Trump: Portraits beyond the polls
• Trump Might Win the Nomination, but Cruz Won the GOP
• Atlanta airport evacuated as U.S. on alert after Brussels attacks

Turkish warplanes strike PKK targets in northern Iraq Posted: 24 Mar 2016 04:12 PM PDT Turkish warplanes bombed and destroyed nearly a dozen targets belonging to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq late on Wednesday, the armed forces said, the latest operations targeting insurgent camps near the Turkish border. On Tuesday, warplanes struck shelters, caves and ammunition depots used by the Kurdish militants in northern Iraq and rural areas near the southeastern Turkish town of Semdinli. Security forces also killed 10 PKK fighters on Wednesday in clashes in the southeastern towns of Nusaybin, near the Syrian border, and Sirnak, near the Iraqi border, the army said.

US official says Marines expanding combat role in Iraq Posted: 24 Mar 2016 04:04 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The American combat role in Iraq appeared to expand on Thursday as U.S. Marines operating from a small outpost provided targeting assistance and artillery fire to support Iraqi troops inching forward to retake Mosul from Islamic State militants.

How US and Europe differ on fighting terror, integrating Muslims Posted: 24 Mar 2016 04:04 PM PDT 1. How do the US and European Muslim populations differ? By comparison, Europe's Muslim population was 44.1 million in 2010 and is expected to climb to 58 million by 2030, according to the Pew Research Center. Furthermore, Muslims make up a far greater share of the population in European cities than in American cities.

World Cup qualifying: Redknapp wins first match 8-0 Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:55 PM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp made a successful debut as coach of Jordan with an 8-0 victory over Bangladesh in Asian qualifying for the 2018 World Cup on Thursday.

Kurdish rebels attack police station in southeast Turkey Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:31 PM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Kurdish rebels on Thursday detonated a car bomb near a gendarmerie police station in southeast Turkey, wounding a number of soldiers, Turkish media reports said.

Sanders fighting perceptions he can't overcome Clinton edge Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:25 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernie Sanders may be drawing thousands of people to his rallies and raising millions of dollars online, but increasingly he's also having to make the case that his campaign isn't a lost cause.

Iraq says begins offensive to retake IS-held Mosul Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:19 PM PDT The Iraqi army said Thursday its troops and allied militia had launched what is expected to be a long and difficult offensive to retake the second city of Mosul, the Islamic State group's main hub in Iraq. The army and the Popular Mobilisation paramilitary force "have begun the first phase of conquest operations" in the northern Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, Iraq's joint operations command said in a statement. It said four villages had been taken between the town of Qayyarah, which is still held by IS, and Makhmur, where US-backed Iraqi forces have been massing in recent weeks.

IS under pressure as troops advance on Palmyra, Mosul Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:15 PM PDT Syrian troops on Thursday entered the ancient city of Palmyra and Iraqi forces launched an offensive against Mosul as pressure mounted on key strongholds of the Islamic State jihadist group. US Secretary of State John Kerry was meanwhile holding talks in Moscow to push for peace efforts in Syria, as UN envoy Staffan de Mistura said in Geneva that he was aiming to restart talks on April 9.

Belgian security forces under scrutiny after Brussels attacks Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:12 PM PDT A long list of blunders and missed opportunities by Belgian intelligence services in the run-up to the Brussels attacks has raised urgent questions across Europe about whether they could have prevented the carnage. The suicide bombers repeatedly slipped through the fingers of Belgian authorities -- with one of them remaining free to attack despite having been deported by Turkey as a jihadist just months earlier.

China stay alive as Australia, Japan march on Posted: 24 Mar 2016 01:21 PM PDT A Jiang Ning hat-trick kept China's faint World Cup hopes alive as big guns Australia and Japan blasted towards Russia 2018 with convincing wins on Thursday. Jiang, who plays at Hebei China Fortune alongside Ezequiel Lavezzi and Gervinho, powered China to a 4-0 home victory as they chase Group C's second spot in the penultimate round of games. China's cause was helped by Qatar, who beat Hong Kong 2-0 at home with goals from Hassan Khalid and Sebastian Soria.

Carpet-bomb ISIS? Terrorism calls for longer-term approach Posted: 24 Mar 2016 01:21 PM PDT The terrorist attacks in Brussels this week brought out a desire for a quick fix to Islamist radicalism – particularly among Republican presidential candidates – and for President Obama to get much faster to the "destroy" part of his "defeat and ultimately destroy" strategy for dealing with the Islamic State. Recommended: How much do you know about the Islamic State?

The Latest: Russian officer killed near Palmyra in Syria Posted: 24 Mar 2016 01:21 PM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The Latest on fighting against Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq (all times local):

Syrian forces fight their way into Palmyra, as Kerry and Putin hail thaw Posted: 24 Mar 2016 01:13 PM PDT By John Irish, Lesley Wroughton and Lisa Barrington GENEVA/MOSCOW/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Syrian troops backed by Russian air support fought their way into the Islamic State-held city of Palmyra on Thursday, their biggest offensive yet against the jihadist caliphate, as Moscow and Washington discussed how to help to end the civil war. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry met President Vladimir Putin in Moscow in an atmosphere that was noticeably more amiable than past meetings, reflecting new diplomacy the two Cold War superpowers have championed in recent weeks. In Geneva, where the first peace talks involving President Bashar al-Assad's government and his foes began this month, the opposing sides were expected to sign on to a U.N. document reflecting some initial common ground.

Will lessons learned in Ramadi help retake Mosul from ISIS forces? Posted: 24 Mar 2016 12:43 PM PDT The Iraqi military announced Thursday it was launching an offensive to retake Mosul, one of the republic's largest cities, from Islamic State (IS) militants who have occupied it since 2014. Iraqi forces have been building up for weeks in the town of Makhmur, about 60 miles southeast of Mosul, joined by Kurdish peshmerga and US troops. The peshmerga, from the Iraqi Kurdistan region that makes up much of northern Iraq, have been moving in on Mosul and have already cut off the city on three sides, according to Reuters.

Timbuktu jihadist to stand trial on war crimes charge: ICC Posted: 24 Mar 2016 12:36 PM PDT A Malian jihadist will go on trial for an attack on the world heritage site of Timbuktu in an unprecedented case before the International Criminal Court, war crimes judges ruled Thursday. The ICC judges ruled they would "commit" Mahdi to trial for "the war crime of attacking buildings dedicated to religion and historic monuments" in 2012, when many of the ancient shrines were destroyed. Mahdi, aged about 40, is the first jihadist suspect to appear before the ICC and the first person to face a war crimes charge for an attack on a global historic and cultural monument.

How Clinton’s Speech Capitalized on Disenchantment with Trump-Style GOP Foreign Policy Posted: 24 Mar 2016 12:00 PM PDT For years, Americans have viewed Democrats as more tolerant and concerned about the poor and lower middle class than their Republican rivals, but they gave the GOP a much stronger grade when it came to the stewardship of foreign policy and national defense. A  February 2015 national survey by the Pew Research Center found that by a 51 percent to 31 percent margin, Americans believed that Republicans would do a better job than Democrats in combatting terrorist threats at home.

Syrian government forces enter Islamic State-held Palmyra Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:55 AM PDT Syrian government forces fought their way into Palmyra on Thursday as the army backed by Russian air cover sought to recapture the historic city from Islamic State (IS) insurgents, Syrian state TV and a monitoring group said. The Syrian army earlier this month launched a concerted offensive to retake Palmyra, which the ultra-hardline Islamist militants seized in May 2015, to open a road to the mostly IS-held eastern province of Deir al-Zor. Islamic State has blown up ancient temples and tombs since capturing Palmyra, something the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO has called a war crime.

How Long Will It Take for the Iraqi’s to Recapture Mosul? Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:45 AM PDT The offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq's second largest city, has reportedly begun but neither Washington nor Baghdad will be hoisting a "Mission Accomplished" banner any time soon. The attack kicked off with Iraqi forces¸ supported by U.S. airstrikes and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, freeing towns about 40 miles south of the city, which fell to the Islamic State during the group's 2014 blitzkrieg that saw it capture large swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria. "Operations to liberate areas surrounding Mosul launched today," Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi tweeted early Thursday.

Syrian army enters IS-held Palmyra, Mosul operation begins Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:32 AM PDT DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Syrian government forces pushed into the ancient town of Palmyra, where Islamic State militants appeared on the verge of collapse Thursday, while in Iraq, a military spokesman announced the start of a long-awaited operation to recapture the IS-held northern city of Mosul.

Europe must step up IS fight after Brussels: Pentagon Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:26 AM PDT The Brussels attacks are a stark reminder that European countries need to step up their efforts against the Islamic State group, US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said. The United States has been pressing its European and Arab allies to contribute more to the US-led campaign against the group in Iraq and Syria. "The thing that I think the Brussels event is going to further signify to Europeans is that they -- as we have been accelerating our campaign to defeat ISIL in Syria, in Iraq and elsewhere -- they need to accelerate their efforts and join us," Carter told CNN on Wednesday.

DA: Prominent NYC ER doctor sexually assaulted more women Posted: 24 Mar 2016 11:12 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — A prominent former New York City emergency room doctor already charged with sexually assaulting two women in his care has been indicted on new charges that he sexually assaulted two other women he treated, prosecutors announced Thursday.

The Latest: OSCE trains Albanian police for refugee influx Posted: 24 Mar 2016 10:37 AM PDT WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The Latest on the flow of migrants into Europe (all times local):

DLA helps service members celebrate Palm Sunday, Easter Posted: 24 Mar 2016 10:20 AM PDT PHILADELPHIA, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Military service members around the world observed Palm Sunday and will celebrate Easter with some help from Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support. More than 16,000 pounds of ham and 6,660 pounds of salmon were provided by the Subsistence supply chain for troops serving in Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait and Afghanistan in time to enjoy an Easter meal March 27, said Anthony Amendolia, Subsistence customer operations supervisor. The Clothing and Textiles supply chain delivered 270 bottles of grape juice and 83 cases of sacramental wine to be used during Easter services, said Earl Joyner, a contract specialist with C&T.

Soccer-Thailand qualify as Redknapp's Jordan rout Bangladesh Posted: 24 Mar 2016 10:19 AM PDT Thailand drew 2-2 with former Asian champions Iraq on Thursday to book their spot in the next round of World Cup qualifying, while new Jordan manager Harry Redknapp enjoyed an emphatic 8-0 win over Bangladesh on his international debut. Hamza Al Daradreh hit a first-half hat-trick in the blow out win for the former Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United manager which set Jordan up for a Group B Sydney shootout on Tuesday with Asian champions Australia, who earlier thumped Tajikistan 7-0. The Socceroos only need to draw to ensure top spot and progress to the 12-team third round of Asian qualifiers, but that result could also see Jordan go through as one of the four best runners-up across the eight groups.

NATO breeds frustration, but is vital tool in IS fight Posted: 24 Mar 2016 09:56 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — America's substantial support for NATO, both in money and military aid, has long been a source of frustration for U.S. leaders, and some have questioned the organization as a throwback to the Cold War era.

Obama Faces Painful Choice in Syria as Peace Talks Falter Posted: 24 Mar 2016 09:48 AM PDT Following the ceasefire in Syria negotiated a month ago by Washington and Moscow, Secretary of State John Kerry must now work out a long-term settlement in Syria. Any agreement involves not only the Assad regime and the Russians — a daunting duo — but also 34 groups backed by Saudi Arabia, including several jihadist organizations. • Will Washington work with the Russians, whose eagerness for a settlement is perfectly evident, or does great-power rivalry foreclose this option?

Experts: Belgium often comes up short in preventing attacks Posted: 24 Mar 2016 09:16 AM PDT BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgium has come up short in its efforts to prevent extremist attacks time and again, experts say — failing to coordinate intelligence, investigate suspects and control its borders.

First sexual assault charge filed over Cologne New Year's violence Posted: 24 Mar 2016 08:53 AM PDT German authorities have brought the first sexual assault charge stemming from New Year's Eve mob violence in the western city of Cologne against an Algerian man, prosecutors said Thursday. The 26-year-old suspect is believed to have groped a woman while he and around 10 other men surrounded her at the city's main train station, a spokesman for the Cologne administrative court told AFP. "The first sexual assault charge has now been filed," the spokesman said, nearly three months after the events that inflamed public debate about a huge influx of refugees and migrants to Germany.

Islamic State video calls for jihad after Brussels blasts Posted: 24 Mar 2016 07:57 AM PDT Islamic State released a video on social media on Thursday calling on its followers to claim victory and wage jihad after deadly blasts in Brussels this week that the group said it had carried out. In the footage, Islamic State noted that Belgium was part of a coalition fighting militants in the Middle East. It featured the training of Belgian militants suspected in the Nov. 13 shooting and suicide bombing rampage by Islamic State that killed 130 people in Paris.

Iraq launches offensive against Islamic State south of Mosul Posted: 24 Mar 2016 07:13 AM PDT By Isabel Coles and Saif Hameed BAGHDAD/ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq's armed forces went on the offensive against Islamic State in the northern province of Nineveh on Thursday in what Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi described as the first phase of a campaign to liberate areas around the city of Mosul. The assault was launched from the Makhmour area, to which thousands of Iraqi troops have deployed in recent weeks, setting up base alongside Kurdish peshmerga and U.S. forces around 60 km south of Mosul, Islamic State's main bastion. Iraqi officials say they will retake Mosul this year but, in private, many question whether the army, which partially collapsed when Islamic State overran a third of the country in June 2014, will be ready in time.

Obama faces unprecedented Saudi criticism ahead of summit Posted: 24 Mar 2016 06:02 AM PDT Blunt assessments by Barack Obama of longtime US ally Saudi Arabia have triggered unprecedented Saudi criticism of the president as he prepares to visit for a key summit with Gulf allies next month. Obama's comments, published in the April edition of US magazine The Atlantic, have met with a chorus of outrage across the kingdom's tightly controlled media and the pan-Arab newspapers it owns. One of Saudi Arabia's most recognisable faces in the West, former ambassador to Washington Prince Turki al-Faisal, has helped lead the charge.

Morocco says arrests 9 suspected Islamist militants with Libya ties Posted: 24 Mar 2016 05:55 AM PDT Morocco said on Thursday it had dismantled a suspected militant cell linked to Islamic State's affiliate in Libya and that some of the nine men arrested were planning attacks in the North African kingdom. It was the latest in a series of radical Islamist groups Morocco says it has broken up. An interior ministry statement said the cell was operating in the city of Marrakesh, the coastal town of Sidi Bennour and in Smara, which is in the neighbouring territory of Western Sahara.

Kuwait oil company says it's found new oil and gas field Posted: 24 Mar 2016 05:31 AM PDT KUWAIT CITY (AP) — Kuwait's state oil company says it has discovered a new oil and gas field in the Western part of the country.

Morocco says arrests nine suspected Islamist militants with Libya ties Posted: 24 Mar 2016 05:25 AM PDT Morocco said on Thursday it had dismantled a suspected militant cell linked to Islamic State's affiliate in Libya and that some of the nine men arrested were planning attacks in the North African kingdom. It was the latest in a series of radical Islamist groups Morocco says it has broken up. An interior ministry statement said the cell was operating in the city of Marrakesh, the coastal town of Sidi Bennour and in Smara, which is in the neighboring territory of Western Sahara.

U.S. stages 34 strikes in Syria, Iraq against Islamic State: statement Posted: 24 Mar 2016 05:19 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S.-led coalition conducted 34 strikes in Syria and Iraq against Islamic State on Wednesday in its latest round of daily strikes against the militants, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement. In Syria, eight strikes near four cities - Al Hawl, Manbij, Mar'a and Palmyra -- hit seven of the militant groups' fighting positions and three tactical units, among other targets, the coalition said in the statement released on Thursday. ...

Iraq says it's launched offensive to recapture IS-held Mosul Posted: 24 Mar 2016 03:39 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The Iraqi military backed by U.S.-led coalition aircraft on Thursday launched a long-awaited operation to recapture the northern city of Mosul from Islamic State militants, a military spokesman said.

Trump says migration 'craziness' will push Britain to quit the EU Posted: 24 Mar 2016 03:12 AM PDT By William Schomberg and Kate Holton LONDON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said he thought Britain would vote to leave the European Union in a June 23 referendum because of concerns about high levels of migration. "With the craziness that is going on with the migration, with people pouring in all over the place, I think that Britain will end up separating from the EU, that's my opinion," Trump said in an interview with ITV television broadcast on Thursday. Opinion polls suggest Britain is divided on membership, with around a fifth of voters still undecided, and that migration is voters' top concern.

Who’s really voting for Trump: Portraits beyond the polls Posted: 24 Mar 2016 03:00 AM PDT Who are Donald Trump's supporters? That's the question every pollster, pundit and politico has been asking ever since the Manhattan mogul launched his candidacy, ascended to the top of the polls and kicked off the GOP primary battle as we know it.

Trump Might Win the Nomination, but Cruz Won the GOP Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:30 AM PDT Some still speak of lanes long after Donald Trump proved this artificial structure an illusion, mustering support from across the Republican base while the other "lanes" largely failed to materialize. Jeb Bush epitomized the establishment lane. Long the choice of Republican donors and leadership, the former governor of Florida ended up as Trump's main foil in his attacks on the present-day Republican Party.

Atlanta airport evacuated as U.S. on alert after Brussels attacks Posted: 24 Mar 2016 02:10 AM PDT By Patricia Zengerle and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Atlanta's airport was briefly evacuated on Wednesday over a suspicious package while U.S. law enforcement agencies and travelers were on edge a day after deadly suicide bombings by Islamist militants rocked Brussels. Passengers were ordered out of public areas of the domestic terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, the United States' busiest by passenger volume, but the site was quickly cleared and operations resumed, airport officials said. Parts of Denver airport were also evacuated on Tuesday, hours after at least 31 people were killed and 271 wounded in attacks on Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train, as airports across the United States tightened security.

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