Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Russia, China are greatest cyberthreats, but Iran is growing
• Obama on Islamic State group: 'We will defeat them'
• Iraq's food business grows despite war, economic slump
• Senator: Islamic State fight could become 'grinding failure'
• U.S., Iran keep Iraqi PM in place as he challenges ruling elite
• Germany could lift border controls in May: interior minister
• Sanders Reminds Everyone of His Worst Weakness
• Senator blasts administration's fight against Islamic State
• John McCain warns IS fight headed for 'slow, grinding failure'
• The Top 15 Military Spenders in the World
• Iraqi forces face heavy resistance in IS-held town
• Europeans spend 24 bn euros on illegal drugs annually: report
• World must unite to stem 'mushrooming' violent extremism: UN
• Marine Corps dog who lost leg in Afghanistan awarded gallantry medal
• IRAQ HIT
• US military cyber head questions Beijing's spying activities
• Islamic State says it is behind killing of Saudi policeman
• US designates Paris attacks suspect 'global terrorist'
• Turkey to readmit more migrants from Greece as EU deal faces protests
• Family Research Council to Host International Religious Freedom Panel With Leading Experts
• Saudi police colonel shot dead in IS-claimed attack
• Global military spending nearly $1.7T amid Mideast conflicts
• Intrepid War Correspondent to Receive Coveted International Media Award
• U.S., allies conduct 25 strikes against Islamic State -U.S. military
• Saudi king sets aside frustrations with Egypt for state visit
• Wounded Warrior Project Doubles Down on Advocacy Efforts on Capitol Hill
• Albanian prosecutors urge heavy jail time for 9 Muslims
• Turkey bombs militants in Iraq, declares curfew in southeast as clashes erupt
• The Nightmare Scenario Facing Iraq – and the US
• 10 Things to Know for Today
• Turkey conducts airstrikes against PKK rebels in northern Iraq: military
• IS in deadly gas attack on Syria army: state media
• US says Iran forces pulling back in Syria; others say no
• Saudi Arabia's bitter Lebanese divorce
• Today in History
• Lester Holt on His Rise to the Top and Replacing Friend Brian Williams: "This Wasn't About Us"
• 'Steely' Clark seen as a natural for UN top job
• U.S. firm to de-mine Iraqi city of Ramadi retaken from Islamic State

Russia, China are greatest cyberthreats, but Iran is growing Posted: 05 Apr 2016 04:50 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia and China present the greatest cyber security threat to the U.S., but Iran is trying to increase and spend more on its capabilities, the Navy admiral in charge of the military's Cyber Command told Congress Tuesday.

Obama on Islamic State group: 'We will defeat them' Posted: 05 Apr 2016 04:19 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is underscoring that destroying the Islamic State group is his top priority.

Iraq's food business grows despite war, economic slump Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:22 PM PDT Iraqi businessman Zaid Nazo has always been sure of his nation's deep passion for food and wasn't afraid to dream big when he transformed his small Baghdad coffee shop in 1999 into a casual dining and ...

Senator: Islamic State fight could become 'grinding failure' Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:10 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration's fight against the Islamic State is at risk of becoming a "grinding failure for our nation," an influential Republican senator said Tuesday, illustrating the mounting frustrations in Congress with the U.S. strategy to defeat the extremist group.

U.S., Iran keep Iraqi PM in place as he challenges ruling elite Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:45 PM PDT By Stephen Kalin and Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United States and Iran have formed an unlikely tacit alliance behind Iraq's prime minister as he challenges the ruling elite with plans for a non-political cabinet to fight corruption undermining the OPEC nation's economic and political stability. Local calls for Haider al-Abadi's removal -- including one by his predecessor as prime minister Nuri al-Maliki -- had been growing as he pursued a reshuffle aimed at addressing graft, which became a major issue after oil prices collapsed in 2014 and strained the government's finances as it launched a costly campaign against Islamic State. Sources familiar with the matter said U.S. and Iranian efforts helped stave off an attempt last week to unseat Abadi by Maliki, the head of the Shi'ite Dawa party who controls nearly a third of the seats in parliament.

Germany could lift border controls in May: interior minister Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:33 PM PDT Germany could lift temporary border controls brought in last year to help stem the migrant flow by mid-May if the number of arrivals continues to dwindle, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Tuesday. "We would not extend the border controls beyond May 12 if the numbers remain this low," he told Austrian national broadcaster ORF, referring to a recent drop in arrivals following the closure of the main Balkan migrant trail. De Maiziere made the comments following a meeting of interior ministers from German-speaking countries in the Austrian capital.

Sanders Reminds Everyone of His Worst Weakness Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:24 PM PDT The Vermont Senator, who has been lampooned for calling a reduction of income inequality the solution to a wide range of complex problems, has for months been in a battle with a frontrunner, Hillary Clinton, who brings four years a secretary of state to the table as part of the case she's making to the voters. Sanders, whose focus has always been on domestic policy, doesn't appear to have used that time to think over some of the major security and foreign policy issues confronting the country – like the Israel-Palestine conflict, the treatment of captured terrorists or the legality of drone strikes.

Senator blasts administration's fight against Islamic State Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:06 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration's fight against the Islamic State is at risk of becoming a "grinding failure for our nation," an influential Republican senator said Tuesday in a broadside that illustrated the mounting frustrations in Congress with the U.S. strategy to defeat the extremist group.

John McCain warns IS fight headed for 'slow, grinding failure' Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:17 PM PDT Senior Republican lawmaker John McCain warned Tuesday the US-led coalition is headed for "slow, grinding failure" unless it scales up the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq. "I bore witness to the failed policy of gradual escalation that ultimately led to our nation's defeat in the Vietnam War," Senator McCain, a Navy veteran who heads the Senate Armed Services Committee and ran against Barack Obama in 2008, wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Ash Carter. McCain said military commanders had told him they have been hamstrung in their pursuit of the IS group.

The Top 15 Military Spenders in the World Posted: 05 Apr 2016 01:00 PM PDT Global military spending increased to $1.7 trillion in 2015, with the U.S. being the biggest spender by a wide margin. Overall, military expenditures were equal to 2.3 percent of the global gross domestic product. Some countries, such as China, do not participate and estimates are used.

Iraqi forces face heavy resistance in IS-held town Posted: 05 Apr 2016 12:30 PM PDT HIT, Iraq (AP) — Heavy resistance has slowed Iraqi forces Tuesday as they pushed toward the center of a town held by Islamic State militants in western Anbar province, commanders at the scene said.

Europeans spend 24 bn euros on illegal drugs annually: report Posted: 05 Apr 2016 12:09 PM PDT EU citizens spend more than 24 billion euros ($27.3 billion) every year on illegal drugs such as cannabis and heroin, a European watchdog said Tuesday, warning of links between the trade and terrorism. The report said cannabis, which accounts for the biggest illegal retail market, was mainly grown in the European Union, while heroin, the second biggest market, was now being produced in some EU member states. Alexis Goosdeel, the head of the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), which produced the report, estimated the annual spending on the illegal drugs at the massive 24 billion euro figure.

World must unite to stem 'mushrooming' violent extremism: UN Posted: 05 Apr 2016 11:40 AM PDT Countries must urgently cooperate to halt the spread of violent extremism around the globe, the United Nations said Tuesday, ahead of a high-level conference focused on preventing dangerous radicalisation. Jehangir Khan, head of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre, warned that the problem of violent extremism was "mushrooming" and constituted a "clear and present danger" worldwide. "Everybody is potentially affected by violent extremism.

Marine Corps dog who lost leg in Afghanistan awarded gallantry medal Posted: 05 Apr 2016 10:33 AM PDT The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals awarded a 12-year-old U.S. Marine Corps dog named Lucca the prestigious Dickin Medal.

IRAQ HIT Posted: 05 Apr 2016 10:30 AM PDT Map locates Hit, Iraq, where Iraqi forces are fighting for control of the town; 1c x 2 inches; 46.5 mm x 50 mm;

US military cyber head questions Beijing's spying activities Posted: 05 Apr 2016 10:09 AM PDT Six months after Washington and Beijing agreed not to conduct cyber attacks on each other's private sector for commercial gain, a top US spy questioned Tuesday whether China has cut such activities. In September 2015, President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping announced an accord under which neither the United States nor the Chinese government would conduct cyber-enabled theft of intellectual property.

Islamic State says it is behind killing of Saudi policeman Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:18 AM PDT RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A Saudi affiliate of the Islamic State group said Tuesday it was behind the assassination of a police colonel who was shot dead outside the capital, Riyadh, in the second attack by the group in recent days.

US designates Paris attacks suspect 'global terrorist' Posted: 05 Apr 2016 09:16 AM PDT The United States on Tuesday designated a leading suspect in last year's jihadist attacks on Paris, Salah Abdeslam, as a "global terrorist" under US law. The order, announced by the State Department, freezes any assets held by Abdeslam in US jurisdictions and forbids Americans from doing business with him. "Belgian-born French citizen Salah Abdeslam is an operative for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant," it said, using a former name of the Islamic State group.

Turkey to readmit more migrants from Greece as EU deal faces protests Posted: 05 Apr 2016 08:32 AM PDT By Orhan Coskun and Karolina Tagaris ANKARA/LESBOS, Greece (Reuters) - Turkey is ready to take in another 200 migrants deported from the Greek islands this week, a senior government official said, as it presses ahead with a disputed EU deal aimed at shutting down the main route for illegal migration into Europe. A first group of 202 migrants, mostly Pakistani and Afghan, were shipped back to Turkey on Monday under an agreement which will see Ankara take back all migrants and refugees who cross the Aegean to enter Greece illegally. In return, the European Union will take in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey and reward it with money, visa-free travel and progress in its EU membership negotiations.

Family Research Council to Host International Religious Freedom Panel With Leading Experts Posted: 05 Apr 2016 07:38 AM PDT WASHINGTON, April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Tomorrow, April 6, Family Research Council (FRC) will host several leading experts on religious freedom to discuss the rapid rise in persecution in key regions around the world.  Among other issues, the panel will discuss what actions can be taken in the wake of the State Department's recent genocide declaration concerning ISIS' policy of murdering Christians and other religious minorities. ...

Saudi police colonel shot dead in IS-claimed attack Posted: 05 Apr 2016 07:30 AM PDT A Saudi police colonel was shot dead in the Riyadh region on Tuesday, the interior ministry said, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group. Colonel Kattab Majid al-Hammadi was killed by gunfire "from an unknown source" in the town of Duwadimi, the ministry said in a statement, adding that an investigation has been launched. Najd Province, the IS affiliate in Saudi Arabia, said in a statement on Twitter that its jihadists had "assassinated" the officer.

Global military spending nearly $1.7T amid Mideast conflicts Posted: 05 Apr 2016 07:22 AM 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.

Intrepid War Correspondent to Receive Coveted International Media Award Posted: 05 Apr 2016 07:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON, April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CNN's Clarissa Ward, who has fearlessly reported on the devastation of war from global hotspots such as Syria and Iraq, will be honored by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) on Nov. 14 with its Excellence in International Reporting Award. The award will be presented at ICFJ's annual gala, Washington, DC's premier international media event. Television news icon Charlie Rose will receive ICFJ's Founders Award for Excellence in Journalism, and two outstanding international journalists to be named on May 17 will be honored with the Knight International Journalism Award.

U.S., allies conduct 25 strikes against Islamic State -U.S. military Posted: 05 Apr 2016 06:31 AM PDT The United States and its allies conducted 25 strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria on Monday, focusing on rebel forces near towns that guard the approach to the key Iraqi city of Mosul, the coalition leading the operations said on Tuesday. The coalition carried out six strikes near Sultan Abdallah south of Mosul, hitting fighting positions, a vehicle-borne explosives device, a rocket position, a trench and an assembly area, it said in a statement. It carried out four strikes against Islamic State forces near Kisik, west of Mosul, destroying a staging area, a bunker, a supply cache and a fighting position.

Saudi king sets aside frustrations with Egypt for state visit Posted: 05 Apr 2016 05:39 AM PDT By Angus McDowall and Lin Noueihed RIYADH/CAIRO (Reuters) - Despite years of mutual frustration and disappointment over diverging priorities, Saudi Arabia and Egypt remain fundamental to each other's security, a message King Salman's visit to Cairo this week is intended to reinforce. The rare foreign trip by the 80-year-old Saudi ruler will counter media commentary in both countries of discord between the richest Arab state and the most populous, to show Riyadh still backs Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. Gulf monarchies have lavished aid on Egypt since 2013, but have grown increasingly disillusioned at what they see as Sisi's inability to address entrenched corruption and inefficiency in the economy, and at Cairo's reduced role on the regional stage.

Wounded Warrior Project Doubles Down on Advocacy Efforts on Capitol Hill Posted: 05 Apr 2016 05:30 AM PDT WASHINGTON, April 5, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since its founding in 2003, Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) has recognized the importance of not only impacting the lives of wounded veterans, their caregivers, and families through direct programs and services, but also by working to improve the care and benefits systems which serve them. Today, WWP reaffirmed its commitment to the legislative priorities that will improve these systems and the quality of life of wounded veterans for a generation. "For more than a decade, the Wounded Warrior Project mission of honoring and empowering Wounded Warriors has improved the lives of injured service members, their families, and caregivers," said Jeremy Chwat, chief strategy officer at WWP.

Albanian prosecutors urge heavy jail time for 9 Muslims Posted: 05 Apr 2016 05:28 AM PDT TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albanian prosecutors have asked for 15-to-20 years of jail time each for nine Muslims, including two preachers, accused of recruiting and sending more than 70 men to join rebel groups in Syria.

Turkey bombs militants in Iraq, declares curfew in southeast as clashes erupt Posted: 05 Apr 2016 04:41 AM PDT By Seyhmus Cakan DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkey bombed Kurdish militant targets in northern Iraq on Tuesday and declared a curfew in a southeastern town after a rocket attack, as Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu vowed Ankara would not step back in its crackdown on the rebels. Gunfire rang out through the night in Silopi, near the Iraqi border, where the curfew was imposed after one police officer was killed and four were wounded when a rocket hit their armoured vehicle, security sources said. In Iraq, Turkish F-16 and F-4 warplanes destroyed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ammunition stores and shelters overnight in the mountainous Qandil area, where the group is based, the army said.

The Nightmare Scenario Facing Iraq – and the US Posted: 05 Apr 2016 03:15 AM PDT Just as the Iraqi government announced the beginning of the operations to liberate Mosul, the country's second largest city, Iraq's internal political turmoil threatens to reverse what has been achieved against ISIS. The Iraqi army launched an offensive 12 days ago to capture a group of villages south of Mosul. Since last summer, thousands of Iraqis have been demonstrating against government corruption and the lack of public services.

10 Things to Know for Today Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:49 AM PDT Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:

Turkey conducts airstrikes against PKK rebels in northern Iraq: military Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:47 AM PDT The Turkish military said on Tuesday it had carried out airstrikes on Monday in northern Iraq against targets belonging to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). The Turkish Armed Forces said it hit weapon stores, shelters and other PKK sites in the Qandil area of northern Iraq, in a statement posted on its website. Iraqi Kurdistan's mountainous, remote Qandil region is the main base for the PKK.

IS in deadly gas attack on Syria army: state media Posted: 05 Apr 2016 02:27 AM PDT The Islamic State group has mounted a deadly gas attack against Syrian troops at a besieged eastern airbase, state news agency SANA said, the latest report of the jihadists' use of chemical weapons. SANA did not say precisely how many soldiers had been killed in the attack on the government-controlled airbase outside the divided eastern city of Deir Ezzor. "Daesh (IS) terrorists attacked Deir Ezzor military airport with rockets carrying mustard gas, causing some people to suffocate," it reported late Monday.

US says Iran forces pulling back in Syria; others say no Posted: 05 Apr 2016 12:35 AM 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.

Saudi Arabia's bitter Lebanese divorce Posted: 04 Apr 2016 11:03 PM PDT By Dominic Evans and Angus McDowall BEIRUT/RIYADH (Reuters) - The waspish cartoon in a Saudi-owned newspaper summed up the anger behind Riyadh's decision to cancel billions of dollars in military aid and suspend decades of engagement in Lebanon's fraught politics. "The State of Lebanon: April Fool", it read. The cartoon's stinging message, that the Lebanese government is a fictitious joke, reflects Saudi Arabia's conviction that the Shi'ite group Hezbollah, backed by Riyadh's regional rival Iran, now pulls the strings in Beirut.

Today in History Posted: 04 Apr 2016 09:01 PM PDT Today is Tuesday, April 5, the 96th day of 2016. There are 270 days left in the year.

Lester Holt on His Rise to the Top and Replacing Friend Brian Williams: "This Wasn't About Us" Posted: 04 Apr 2016 09:00 PM PDT Holt, named one of THR's 35 Most Powerful People in Media in the New York issue, publishing Wednesday, took over the anchor chair at NBC News during crisis. He now dominates ratings (and the newsroom) with a quiet, understated confidence that reveals more work ethic than ego — hence, that "Iron Pants" nickname.

'Steely' Clark seen as a natural for UN top job Posted: 04 Apr 2016 08:58 PM PDT Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has forged a formidable reputation in her homeland, with political allies noting her "steely determination" as she bids to become the first woman to lead the United Nations. Clark, who on Monday announced her candidacy for the UN secretary-general's role after months of speculation, led New Zealand's centre-left Labour government for three successive terms from 1999-2008. The 66-year-old then went on to head the UN's largest agency, the UN Development Programme (UNDP), making her the highest-ranking woman at the world body.

U.S. firm to de-mine Iraqi city of Ramadi retaken from Islamic State Posted: 04 Apr 2016 06:07 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.

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