Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Global military spending nearly $1.7T amid Mideast conflicts
• Singapore man charged with illegal exports to Iran
• Islamic state militants use mustard gas in attack on Deir Zor airport: Syrian state TV
• Threats of terrorism, migration will worsen without greater action, warns forum
• Just 10 percent of world military spending could knock off poverty: think tank
• U.S. transfers two Libyans to Senegal from Guantanamo prison
• US says Iran forces pulling back in Syria; others say no
• Bond actor calls for more funding for UN anti-mine agency
• Destruction, razed monastery left behind by IS in Syria town
• EU begins shipping migrants in Greece back to Turkey
• US says strike targeted top Qaeda official in Syria
• Turkey says detains two suspected Islamic State militants near Syria border
• U.S. firm to de-mine Iraqi city of Ramadi retaken from Islamic State
• Iraqi forces enter IS-held Hit, thousands flee fighting
• Obama defends NATO as a 'lynchpin'
• U.S. behind strike that killed Nusra Front's Abu Firas: officials
• IS bombings, mortar fire and clashes kill 22 in Iraq
• U.S. extradites Singapore man for exporting Iraq bomb parts
• Obama, NATO chief discuss Islamic State, Libya
• Google removes Afghan Taliban smartphone app
• Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Event Comes to the Nation's Capital and The White House
• ICIJ: The world's whistleblower
• The Latest: Erdogan criticizes Europe for returning migrants
• Report: Albanian Muslim cleric accused of joining IS killed
• Iranian commandos deployed to Syria as advisers: officer
• U.S. says it killed IS militant who killed Marine in Iraq
• Wave of suicide attacks kill at least 29 people across Iraq
• The Latest: Iraqi troops capture key village outside Mosul
• U.S., allies conduct 24 strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military
• Turkey must stop meddling in other states' affairs, end support of terrorism, Russia says
• About 25 killed in suicide attacks, shelling across Iraq
• 'Finish Line': Play tells stories of Boston Marathon bombing
• Coalition planes destroy Islamic State-occupied Turkish consulate in Mosul: ministry
• Today in History
• Logo Adds 'Mind/Game' and Three More Documentaries to 2016 Slate (Exclusive)
• What Sarah Palin Should Have Taught Donald Trump

Global military spending nearly $1.7T amid Mideast conflicts Posted: 04 Apr 2016 05:00 PM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Global military spending rose in 2015 to nearly $1.7 trillion, the first increase in several years, driven by conflicts including the battle against the Islamic State group, the Saudi-led war in Yemen and fears about Iran, a report released Tuesday shows.

Singapore man charged with illegal exports to Iran Posted: 04 Apr 2016 04:41 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — A Singapore man accused of helping to export technology to Iran that was later found in undetonated improvised explosive devices has been extradited to the United States to face charges, the Justice Department said Monday.

Islamic state militants use mustard gas in attack on Deir Zor airport: Syrian state TV Posted: 04 Apr 2016 04:02 PM PDT Islamic State militants attacked Syrian army troops with mustard gas in an offensive against a Syrian military airport in the eastern province of Deir al-Zor that borders Iraq, state media said on late Monday. Syrian state media did not disclose how many casualties were sustained in the latest drive by the hardline fundamentalist Sunni militants to capture the heavily defended airport located south of Deir al Zor city, whose main neighborhoods are under the militants control.

Threats of terrorism, migration will worsen without greater action, warns forum Posted: 04 Apr 2016 03:38 PM PDT By Belinda Goldsmith STOCKHOLM (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - The threat of terrorism and global migration will grow worse in both rich and poor nations without greater worldwide cooperation to tackle the root causes of poverty and extremism, leaders of an international forum on peace building said on Tuesday. The Swedish co-chair of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) said recent violent extremism - such as the attacks in Paris and Brussels - coupled with mass migration present major challenges to all nations. Sweden's Minister for International Development Cooperation Isabella Lövin called for all nations to speed up and scale up efforts to tackle the causes of conflict and achieve a global goal to end extreme poverty by 2030.

Just 10 percent of world military spending could knock off poverty: think tank Posted: 04 Apr 2016 03:38 PM PDT By Belinda Goldsmith STOCKHOLM (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - World military spending rose 1 percent in 2015, the first annual increase in four years, a Stockholm think tank said on Tuesday as it estimated 10 percent of this could cover the costs of global goals aiming to end poverty and hunger in 15 years. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said military expenditure nudged up to almost $1.7 trillion last year, with the United States accounting for by far the greatest amount despite its spending dipping 2.4 percent to $596 billion. SIPRI said military expenditure amounted to 2.3 percent of global gross domestic product - and 10 percent of this would be enough to fund the global goals agreed upon by United Nations' 193 member states in September to end poverty and hunger by 2030.

U.S. transfers two Libyans to Senegal from Guantanamo prison Posted: 04 Apr 2016 03:17 PM PDT By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Two Libyans held for more than a decade without trial at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been transferred to Senegal, the Pentagon said on Monday, as President Barack Obama pushes to close the facility before leaving office in January. The two men were the first of a group of about a dozen who are expected to be transferred in coming weeks to countries that have agreed to take them, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity. With the latest departures, there are now 89 prisoners at the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo.

US says Iran forces pulling back in Syria; others say no Posted: 04 Apr 2016 02:38 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is making the case that Iran is drawing down its elite fighting force from Syria in an effort to allay fears that Tehran is using its powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Syria to strengthen its influence across the Middle East. Yet the Iranian government said Monday it has dispatched commandos to the war and it is still taking high-ranking casualties.

Bond actor calls for more funding for UN anti-mine agency Posted: 04 Apr 2016 01:52 PM PDT UNITED NATIONS (AP) — British actor Daniel Craig on Monday called for more funding for the U.N. agency that defuses mines and other unexploded ordnance, saying the work it does increases the chances of survival for people and aid workers in conflict zones around the world.

Destruction, razed monastery left behind by IS in Syria town Posted: 04 Apr 2016 01:11 PM PDT QARYATAIN, Syria (AP) — Syrian troops fired their guns in celebration amid smoldering buildings inside the town of Qaryatain on Monday, hours after recapturing it from retreating Islamic State militants who had abducted and terrorized dozens of its Christian residents.

EU begins shipping migrants in Greece back to Turkey Posted: 04 Apr 2016 01:09 PM PDT ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A controversial European Union plan to stem the flow of refugees began Monday with the deportation of more than 200 people from Greek islands to Turkey, despite concerns over human rights and criticism that Europe was turning its back on refugees.

US says strike targeted top Qaeda official in Syria Posted: 04 Apr 2016 01:02 PM PDT A US air strike in Syria targeted Al-Qaeda members, reportedly killing its spokesman, and the Islamic State group has been forced from a key town in the latest setbacks for the jihadists. Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook said the US military conducted an air raid on a meeting of officials of Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front on Sunday in northeast Syria, targeting Abu Firas al-Suri and other leaders. "We assess that Al-Qaeda senior leader Abu Firas al-Suri was in that meeting and we are working to confirm his death," Cook said on Monday.

Turkey says detains two suspected Islamic State militants near Syria border Posted: 04 Apr 2016 12:35 PM PDT Turkish authorities have arrested two alleged members of the Islamic State militant group near the Syrian border on suspicion that they were planning a suicide bombing, officials said on Monday. The two men had been on the interior ministry's wanted list and were detained on Friday in the southeastern province of Gaziantep, the local governor's office said in a statement. Two other men were also detained alongside the two would-be suicide bombers, it said.

U.S. firm to de-mine Iraqi city of Ramadi retaken from Islamic State Posted: 04 Apr 2016 12:33 PM PDT By Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - A U.S. de-mining company is removing explosives and training Iraqis to dismantle the devices planted by Islamic State in the largest Iraqi city retaken from the militants, a diplomat and two U.S. officials said on Monday. Hundreds of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted throughout the streets and buildings of Ramadi, 100 km (60 miles) west of Baghdad, have delayed the return of around half a million displaced residents since the Iraqi military backed by U.S. air strikes recaptured the city three months ago.

Iraqi forces enter IS-held Hit, thousands flee fighting Posted: 04 Apr 2016 12:21 PM PDT HIT, Iraq (AP) — Iraqi forces have entered the town of Hit, a week after launching an operation to retake the western town from Islamic State group fighters, commanders at the scene said Monday.

Obama defends NATO as a 'lynchpin' Posted: 04 Apr 2016 12:05 PM PDT US President Barack Obama defended NATO Monday as a "lynchpin" of US and European security, responding to Republican candidate Donald Trump's recent assertions that the alliance is obsolete. "NATO continues to be a lynchpin, a cornerstone" of US and European defense policy, Obama said at the end of an Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. Without naming Trump, Obama stressed the key role NATO plays in many parts of the world, saying it has been an "extraordinary partner" in Afghanistan as well as in western efforts to stabilize Iraq and Libya and deal with the refugee crisis in Europe.

U.S. behind strike that killed Nusra Front's Abu Firas: officials Posted: 04 Apr 2016 11:18 AM PDT The United States has carried out an air strike in Syria that killed a prominent leader of al Qaeda offshoot Nusra Front, Abu Firas al-Suri, U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday. Islamist rebel sources said Abu Firas, who was a former Syrian army officer discharged in the late 1970s because of his Islamist leanings, was a founding member of the militant group and had fought in Afghanistan in the 1980s.

IS bombings, mortar fire and clashes kill 22 in Iraq Posted: 04 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT Suicide bombings claimed by the Islamic State group, clashes and mortar fire killed at least 22 people in Iraq on Monday, security and medical officials said. In the deadliest blast, a suicide bomber struck a street in the southern port city of Basra, killing five people and wounding 10. The Islamic State group, "after the losses it suffered in western areas, is seeking to move the battle to the southern areas," where many of the forces fighting the jihadists are from, Basra Governor Majid al-Nasrawi told journalists.

U.S. extradites Singapore man for exporting Iraq bomb parts Posted: 04 Apr 2016 10:27 AM PDT By Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A Singapore man accused of illegally exporting U.S. parts found in explosives in Iraq, through Iran, has been extradited to the United States to face charges on Monday, the Justice Department said. Lim Yong Nam, 42, was indicted in 2010 for sending radio frequency modules from Minnesota to Iran between 2007 and 2008, violating a U.S. trade embargo. The parts were later found in unexploded improvised explosive devices (IED) in Iraq by U.S. coalition forces.

Obama, NATO chief discuss Islamic State, Libya Posted: 04 Apr 2016 10:13 AM PDT U.S. President Barack Obama and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday that NATO could help Libya counter Islamic State militants as well as train and assist troops in Iraq, Jordan and elsewhere to fight the insurgent group. "We are continuing to cooperate on an ongoing basis about operations potentially in areas like Libya where you have the beginnings of a government," Obama told reporters after meeting Stoltenberg in the Oval Office. Western governments have been concerned that Islamic State is expanding in Libya as the U.S.-led coalition squeezes the militants' territory in Syria and Iraq.

Google removes Afghan Taliban smartphone app Posted: 04 Apr 2016 09:35 AM PDT Google has removed a Taliban smartphone app from its online store, the US Internet giant said Monday, countering the tech-savvy Afghan militant group's increasing efforts to boost global visibility. The Taliban launched their foray into smartphone apps on Friday with a Pashto language app called "Alemarah", giving access to propaganda statements and videos. The digital campaign, first reported by the US-based SITE Intelligence Group, added to the Taliban's already robust social media presence and a website in five languages including English.

Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride Event Comes to the Nation's Capital and The White House Posted: 04 Apr 2016 08:55 AM PDT WASHINGTON, April 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The White House will host Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) Soldier Ride® as 55 of our nation's heroes begin their journey toward a strong recovery with fellow wounded veterans. Throughout the cycling event, participants will discover that Soldier Ride is not only a cycling event, it is a life-changing opportunity to heal their bodies and minds. In the spirit of recapturing military bonding, the participating injured service members will unite to ride over 51 miles around the nation's capital.Soldier Ride D.C. ...

ICIJ: The world's whistleblower Posted: 04 Apr 2016 08:44 AM PDT The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) is a collective of 190 journalists spanning more than 65 countries seeking to root out cross-border crime, corruption and abuse of power. In terms of size, "the 'Panama Papers' is likely the biggest leak of inside information in history," according to ICIJ. Founded in 1997 by US journalist Chuck Lewis and based in Washington, the ICIJ is a non-profit organization that has a small staff and a low-key profile.

The Latest: Erdogan criticizes Europe for returning migrants Posted: 04 Apr 2016 08:18 AM PDT ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Latest on the flow of migrants into Europe (all times local):

Report: Albanian Muslim cleric accused of joining IS killed Posted: 04 Apr 2016 08:11 AM PDT TIRANA, Albania (AP) — An Albanian Muslim cleric, who is on trial in absentia on terrorism charges for allegedly joining the Islamic State group in Syria, has been killed, according to his brother.

Iranian commandos deployed to Syria as advisers: officer Posted: 04 Apr 2016 07:23 AM PDT Iran has sent commandos to Syria as advisers, a military official said on Monday, suggesting it is using its army as well as paramilitary forces to help President Bashar al-Assad's forces in the country's civil war. Tehran is Assad's main regional ally and has provided military and economic support to his fight against rebel groups and Islamic State militants. "We are sending commandos from army's Brigade 65 and other units to Syria as advisers," General Ali Arasteh, deputy chief liaison of the army's ground force, was quoted as saying by the Tasnim news agency.

U.S. says it killed IS militant who killed Marine in Iraq Posted: 04 Apr 2016 06:15 AM PDT The anti-Islamic State coalition conducting airstrikes in Iraq and Syria has killed the IS militant believed responsible for an attack on U.S. troops in northern Iraq last month that left a Marine dead, it said on Sunday. Militant Jasim Khadijah, a former Iraqi officer not considered a high-value target, was killed by a drone strike overnight in northern Iraq, coalition spokesman U.S. Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters in Baghdad. "We have information (that) he was a rocket expert, he controlled these attacks," said Warren, referring to the shelling of a base used by U.S. troops near the town of Makhmour, located between Mosul and Kirkuk.

Wave of suicide attacks kill at least 29 people across Iraq Posted: 04 Apr 2016 06:10 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Militants unleashed a wave of suicide attacks across Iraq on Monday, killing at least 29 people and wounding dozens, officials said.

The Latest: Iraqi troops capture key village outside Mosul Posted: 04 Apr 2016 05:20 AM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the interconnected conflicts in Iraq and Syria (all times local):

U.S., allies conduct 24 strikes against Islamic State: U.S. military Posted: 04 Apr 2016 04:37 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States and its allies conducted two dozen strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Sunday, the coalition leading the operations said. In a statement released on Monday, the Combined Joint Task Force said 14 strikes near seven cities in Syria, almost half of them near Al Hawl, hit several tactical units and destroyed vehicles, buildings and improvised explosive devices. ...

Turkey must stop meddling in other states' affairs, end support of terrorism, Russia says Posted: 04 Apr 2016 03:48 AM PDT MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said on Monday that Turkey should stop its interference into the internal affairs of neighboring nations and support of terrorism. "In general, it is important for our Turkish neighbors right now to aim at ending their meddling in the internal affairs of other states, be it Iraq or Syria," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. "There are enough facts and evidence that Turkey continues this interference and supports terrorism. ...

About 25 killed in suicide attacks, shelling across Iraq Posted: 04 Apr 2016 03:01 AM PDT About 25 people were killed on Monday across Iraq, most of them in suicide attacks targeting members of Shi'ite militias and military forces, security officials said. Islamic State, which controls territory in northern and western Iraq, claimed several of the attacks on statements on its Amaq news agency. A suicide car bomb blew up in the center of Basra, the largest city in Iraq, killing five people, and another targeted a convoy of the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF), a coalition of Shi'ite militias, killing five, in the town of Mashahdeh, north of Baghdad.

'Finish Line': Play tells stories of Boston Marathon bombing Posted: 03 Apr 2016 11:49 PM PDT BOSTON (AP) — Boston Marathon Bombing: The Play?

Coalition planes destroy Islamic State-occupied Turkish consulate in Mosul: ministry Posted: 03 Apr 2016 10:04 PM PDT ANKARA (Reuters) - Aircraft from a U.S.-led coalition on Monday destroyed the Turkish consulate compound in Mosul in northern Iraq which has been occupied by Islamist State militants since June 2014, the Turkish foreign ministry said. It said in a written statement that Turkey's views had been sought and its approval given for the air strikes, which were carried out at 3 a.m. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Kim Coghill)

Today in History Posted: 03 Apr 2016 09:01 PM PDT Today is Monday, April 4, the 95th day of 2016. There are 271 days left in the year.

Logo Adds 'Mind/Game' and Three More Documentaries to 2016 Slate (Exclusive) Posted: 03 Apr 2016 09:00 PM PDT Following the Chamique Holdsclaw doc are features about a gay Iraqi soldier, a women's prison and chefs.

What Sarah Palin Should Have Taught Donald Trump Posted: 03 Apr 2016 05:09 PM PDT The Sarah Palin of 2016 joins the original 2008 version at a Town Hall in Wisconsin yesterday (Kamil Krzaczynski / Reuters) I made one very bad call about the 2016 election, which I quickly confessed! It was the same bad call most other people made: that Donald Trump's lack of political experience and knowledge would make him the Herman Cain of this campaign cycle, and he would not get this far in the race. (I'm sticking by my call that he is not going to become president.)

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