Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.S. Army names first female infantry officer
• Knights of Columbus CEO: UN Has Vital Role in Resolving Genocide in Middle East
• House committee votes to require women to register for draft
• Biden visits Iraq in show of support amid multiple crises
• U.S. military softens claims on drop in Islamic State's foreign fighters
• Iran complains to UN about US ruling on assets
• The Latest: Biden leaves Iraq, next stop Rome
• Islamic State turns to selling fish, cars to offset oil losses: report
• Obama expects U.S. to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees this year
• Italy says Austria 'wasting money' in migrant border row
• Joe Biden in Baghdad: Is the US making headway against ISIS?
• Biden to meet Kurdish officials in unannounced visit to Erbil
• While Clinton Braces for Trump, Sanders Sets Sights on Convention Platform
• Transcript of Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy Speech, April 27, 2016
• Republicans, Obama immigration chief clash over criminal immigrants
• Pentagon working to 'take out' Islamic State's Internet
• White House says Biden's visit is a good indication of U.S. support for Iraq
• Iraqi authorities shut down Al Jazeera's Baghdad bureau
• Trump Speech Elicits Little World Reaction
• US Vice President Biden on surprise visit to Iraq
• Italy says uncovers possible plot to attack Rome, arrests suspects
• UK's Labour suspends ex-London mayor over Hitler remarks
• Carter defends US strategy for defeating Islamic State group
• ISIS and the ‘Loser Effect’
• Donald Trump and the GOP Tradition of Foreign-Policy Incoherence
• Biden meets PM Abadi in Baghdad to discuss security: state TV
• After hostage beheading, is Philippines facing IS threat?
• Congressional measure to draft women progresses over author's objections
• U.S., allies stage 22 strikes against Islamic State -U.S. military
• Bahrain sentences 8 to life in prison on terrorism charges
• Iraq shuts Al-Jazeera bureau for 'instigating violence'
• Saudi Arabia will struggle to kick its addiction to oil: Kemp
• Turkey: 15 detained in connection to suicide bombing
• Trump, Clinton wins solidify movement toward nomination
• U.S. lawmakers debate funding gimmick in defense policy bill

U.S. Army names first female infantry officer Posted: 28 Apr 2016 04:36 PM PDT Captain Kristen Griest became the U.S. Army's first female infantry officer this week, the Army said, in a milestone for the U.S. military as it opens up combat roles for women. Griest was one of two women who made history last year after becoming one of the first female soldiers to pass the Army's grueling course to qualify for the elite Rangers unit. Earlier this month, the Army said it had approved requests from more than 20 women to enter the infantry and armor branches, both of which face the possibility of combat.

Knights of Columbus CEO: UN Has Vital Role in Resolving Genocide in Middle East Posted: 28 Apr 2016 04:30 PM PDT NEW YORK, April 28, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The United Nations can play a vital role in helping resolve the genocide and related humanitarian crisis now unfolding in the Middle East, said Knights of Columbus CEO Carl Anderson in a presentation at the world body's headquarters in New York. Anderson spoke at the U.N. as part of a panel discussion sponsored by the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See that focused on human rights abuses, including the persecution of Christians and other religious minorities, in the Middle East and elsewhere.

House committee votes to require women to register for draft Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:57 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Women would be required to register for the military draft under a House committee's bill that comes just months after the Defense Department lifted all gender-based restrictions on front-line combat units.

Biden visits Iraq in show of support amid multiple crises Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:33 PM PDT By Roberta Rampton and Stephen Kalin ERBIL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and other top officials in unannounced visits to Baghdad and Erbil on Thursday to show support for a government battling Islamic State amid political and economic crises. It was the first visit for Biden, the White House's point person on Iraq, since U.S. forces withdrew in 2011 after nearly nine years of occupation. Islamic State, also known as ISIL, seized large portions of Iraq and neighboring Syria in 2014.

U.S. military softens claims on drop in Islamic State's foreign fighters Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:31 PM PDT By Warren Strobel and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. military on Thursday retreated from a top general's claim this week that the number of foreign fighters joining Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has plummeted by as much as 90 percent. Air Force Major General Peter Gersten, deputy commander for operations and intelligence in the U.S.-led coalition battling Islamic State, told reporters on Tuesday that the number of foreign fighters joining the group had fallen to 200 a month from between 1,500 and 2,000. U.S. Army Colonel Steve Warren, a Baghdad-based spokesman for the coalition, told Reuters that the official estimate is higher than the one Gersten offered, although he did not provide a precise figure.

Iran complains to UN about US ruling on assets Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:18 PM PDT Iran told the United Nations on Thursday that it reserves the right to take "counter-measures" in response to a US court decision to use Tehran's frozen assets to compensate US victims of terror attacks. "It is in fact the United States that must pay long overdue reparations to the Iranian people for its persistent hostile policies," wrote Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

The Latest: Biden leaves Iraq, next stop Rome Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:35 PM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The Latest on Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Iraq (all times local):

Islamic State turns to selling fish, cars to offset oil losses: report Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:25 PM PDT By Stephen Kalin BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State earns millions of dollars a month running car dealerships and fish farms in Iraq, making up for lower oil income after its battlefield losses, Iraqi judicial authorities said on Thursday. Security experts once estimated the ultra-radical Islamist group's annual income at $2.9 billion, much of it coming from oil and gas installations in Iraq and Syria. The U.S.-led coalition has targeted Islamic State's financial infrastructure, using air strikes to reduce its ability to extract, refine and transport oil and so forcing fighters to reportedly take significant pay cuts.

Obama expects U.S. to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees this year Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:22 PM PDT By Jeff Mason and Julia Edwards WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Thursday he expected the United States would meet a goal of admitting 10,000 Syrian refugees before the end of the year despite delays and opposition from critics concerned about security implications. As Europe grappled with Syrians fleeing the country's civil war last autumn, Obama promised to admit 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of fiscal year 2016. "We're going to keep on pushing," Obama said when asked on Thursday whether the goal would be achieved.

Italy says Austria 'wasting money' in migrant border row Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:06 PM PDT Italy told Austria Thursday it would prove Vienna was "wasting money" on anti-migrant measures and closing the border between the two countries would be "an enormous mistake". Austrian Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka, who has vigorously defended the controversial package which was driven by a surge of the far right, met his counterpart Angelino Alfano over the plans, which have infuriated Italians. Alfano said "the numbers do not support" fears of a mass movement of migrants and refugees across the famous Brenner Pass in the Alps.

Joe Biden in Baghdad: Is the US making headway against ISIS? Posted: 28 Apr 2016 02:04 PM PDT Mr. Biden's visit to Iraq is just one of many he has made throughout the Obama administration in order to shore up the Iraqi government. "Iraq is a central theatre in the fight against the Islamic State. As a result, the US has every interest in trying to bolster the Iraqi government," says Steven Cook of the Council on Foreign Relations in a phone interview with The Christian Science Monitor.

Biden to meet Kurdish officials in unannounced visit to Erbil Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:36 PM PDT ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit on Thursday to Erbil, the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, to show support for the Kurdish government. The Pentagon announced last week it would provide up to $415 million to Kurdish peshmerga forces, who have played an important role in pushing back Islamic State in northern Iraq. Erbil is also locked in disputes with Baghdad over an oil revenue-sharing deal and the region's contested borders including, around the oil city of Kirkuk. ...

While Clinton Braces for Trump, Sanders Sets Sights on Convention Platform Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:15 PM PDT With the disclosure that he is scaling back his campaign organization by 200 or more workers, Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont on Wednesday began shifting from a Democratic presidential candidate to how to place his distinctive liberal stamp on the party's platform this summer. Just a day after former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton soundly defeated Sanders in four out of five important primary contests in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and all but sewed up the nomination, Sanders told The New York Times that his goal was to beef up his delegate count to enhance his standing at the convention. Sanders said that if he could somehow beat out Clinton in delegate-rich California in the primary finale June 7, "it will send a real message to the American people and to the delegates that this is a campaign moving in the direction it should," he told The Times.

Transcript of Donald Trump’s Foreign Policy Speech, April 27, 2016 Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:15 PM PDT It is time to shake the rust off of America's foreign policy. My foreign policy will always put the interests of the American people, and American security, above all else. America First will be the major and overriding theme of my administration.

Republicans, Obama immigration chief clash over criminal immigrants Posted: 28 Apr 2016 12:13 PM PDT The chief of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said on Thursday her agency released 19,723 undocumented immigrants last year who had been convicted of crimes, drawing a volley of criticism from Republican lawmakers. In a heated exchange at a congressional hearing into crime committed by illegal immigrants, Republicans grilled top Obama administration immigration official Sarah Saldana. The issue is at the heart of Republican demands for tighter control of U.S. borders and has often featured in rhetoric over immigration in the 2016 presidential election campaign.

Pentagon working to 'take out' Islamic State's Internet Posted: 28 Apr 2016 11:03 AM PDT The US military's secretive Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) is working to destroy the Islamic State group's Internet connections and leave the jihadists in a state of "virtual isolation," Pentagon chiefs said Thursday. In what he described as the command's "first major combat operation," Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said CYBERCOM is playing an important role in the US-led military operation against the IS group in Iraq and Syria.

White House says Biden's visit is a good indication of U.S. support for Iraq Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:43 AM PDT The White House on Thursday said Vice President Joe Biden's unannounced visit to Iraq to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi was a "good indication" of U.S. support of the prime minister's efforts to unify that country. "This is a good indication of the United States continued support for Prime Minister Abadi's efforts to unify the nation of Iraq to confront ISIL," spokesman Josh Earnest said, using another name for Islamic State.

Iraqi authorities shut down Al Jazeera's Baghdad bureau Posted: 28 Apr 2016 10:19 AM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Al Jazeera Media Network says Iraqi authorities have shut down their bureau in Baghdad and banned its journalists from reporting in the country.

Trump Speech Elicits Little World Reaction Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:38 AM PDT Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump delivered on Wednesday what was billed as his vision of America's place in the world, and the world was largely silent. World leaders refrained from commenting on the GOP front-runner's speech, which his campaign staff had said in advance was a major talk on foreign policy. Overseas media and analysts, however, were largely unanimous in their assessment of Trump's speech: there's no there, there.

US Vice President Biden on surprise visit to Iraq Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:32 AM PDT US Vice President Joe Biden held talks in Baghdad Thursday during an unannounced visit to Iraq, whose leadership has been locked in a protracted political crisis even as its forces battle jihadists. "The vice president has arrived in Iraq for meetings with (the) Iraqi leadership focused on encouraging Iraqi national unity and continued momentum in the fight against ISIL," his office said, using an acronym for the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group. Biden met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi shortly after stepping off the C-17 military transport plane that flew him to Baghdad.

Italy says uncovers possible plot to attack Rome, arrests suspects Posted: 28 Apr 2016 09:02 AM PDT Italian police issued arrest warrants on Thursday for six people suspected of conspiring to join Islamic State, and court documents said three of them had been discussing possible attacks on the Vatican and the Israeli embassy in Rome. Four of the suspects - a couple living near Lake Como, a 23-year-old-man and a woman, all of them Moroccans - were detained in Italy on Thursday, Milan prosecutor Maurizio Romanelli told a news conference. The other two - a Moroccan man and his Italian wife - left Italy last year, traveled to Iraq and Syria and are still on the loose, Romanelli added.

UK's Labour suspends ex-London mayor over Hitler remarks Posted: 28 Apr 2016 08:56 AM PDT Britain's opposition Labour Party on Thursday suspended former London mayor Ken Livingstone after he said Adolf Hitler supported Zionism, in a furious row over anti-Semitism that is dividing the party. "Ken Livingstone has been suspended by the Labour Party, pending an investigation, for bringing the party into disrepute," a Labour spokesman said. Livingstone told BBC radio: "When Hitler won his election in 1932 his policy then was that Jews should be moved to Israel.

Carter defends US strategy for defeating Islamic State group Posted: 28 Apr 2016 08:39 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter defended the U.S. strategy for defeating Islamic State militants, telling Congress on Thursday that U.S.-backed local forces in Iraq and Syria are making substantive gains toward retaking the extremist group's strongholds.

ISIS and the ‘Loser Effect’ Posted: 28 Apr 2016 08:17 AM PDT In 2014, ISIS racked up a series of stunning successes as it pushed through Iraq and Syria, gaining momentum and new recruits with each victory. But in recent weeks, Syrian government forces liberated the city of Palmyra from ISIS, signifying a broader retreat for the extremist group over the past year. Can ISIS survive the label of loser?

Donald Trump and the GOP Tradition of Foreign-Policy Incoherence Posted: 28 Apr 2016 07:19 AM PDT Making fun of the foreign-policy speech Donald Trump gave yesterday is easy. He said, "'America First' will be the major and overriding theme of my administration," thus borrowing the slogan of those Americans who opposed America's entry in World War II. Then, three sentences later, he praised America's victory in World War II. He warned that, "our friends are beginning to think they can't depend on us" while simultaneously vowing to be "unpredictable" and threatening to pull out of NATO. He called for "a long-term plan to halt the spread and reach of radical Islam" while vowing to destroy ISIS "very, very quickly."

Biden meets PM Abadi in Baghdad to discuss security: state TV Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:55 AM PDT BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Thursday to discuss political and security issues during an unannounced trip to Baghdad, state television said. The trip is the first time that Biden, the point person for the White House on Iraq, has visited the country since the United States withdrew its forces in 2011. He is the third and highest-level U.S. official to visit Iraq this month. (Reporting by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Alison Williams)

After hostage beheading, is Philippines facing IS threat? Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:11 AM PDT MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Months before Abu Sayyaf militants beheaded retired Canadian mining executive John Ridsdel in the tropical jungles of the southern Philippines, they showed him pleading for life in a video with three other hostages that demanded a record-high ransom.

Congressional measure to draft women progresses over author's objections Posted: 28 Apr 2016 06:04 AM PDT A bill requiring women to register for the draft has passed a Congressional committee, but the debate is not over yet. The author of an amendment that would include women in the draft voted against his own measure, saying he wants to spur a debate about which branch of government should make these decisions. "I think [Congress] should make this decision," said Rep. Duncan Hunter (R) of California, according to the Associated Press.

U.S., allies stage 22 strikes against Islamic State -U.S. military Posted: 28 Apr 2016 05:04 AM PDT The U.S.-led military coalition targeted Islamic State in Iraq and Syria with 22 strikes on Wednesday in its latest daily attack on the militant group, the coalition leading the operations said. In Iraq, one strike near the Islamic State-held Mosul hit an Islamic State weapons facility, the Combined Joint Task Force said in a statement on Thursday. Seven strikes in near Ayn Isa, Mar'a and Washiyah hit six Islamic State tactical units, among other targets, according to the task force.

Bahrain sentences 8 to life in prison on terrorism charges Posted: 28 Apr 2016 04:53 AM PDT DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A court in Bahrain has sentenced eight people to life in prison on various terrorism-related charges connected to protests by the country's majority Shiites demanding greater rights from the tiny-island nation's Sunni-led monarchy.

Iraq shuts Al-Jazeera bureau for 'instigating violence' Posted: 28 Apr 2016 04:31 AM PDT The Iraqi authorities have shut down the Al-Jazeera channel's Baghdad office, accusing Qatar's state-funded TV network of inciting violence and sectarianism. Iraq's Communications and Media Commission (CMC) sent the Al-Jazeera Media Network a letter informing it of a March 24 decision to withdraw the bureau's licence and close its office for one year. Al-Jazeera has repeatedly come under fire from the Iraqi authorities for coverage perceived as too friendly to the Islamic State jihadist group and hostile to the country's Shiite majority.

Saudi Arabia will struggle to kick its addiction to oil: Kemp Posted: 28 Apr 2016 03:31 AM PDT LONDON (Reuters) - "King Abdulaziz and the men who worked with him for the establishment of the state did not depend on oil and they established the kingdom without oil, and they ran this state without oil, and they lived in this state without oil," Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said in an televised interview on Monday. The deputy crown prince criticized the kingdom's subsequent "addiction" to oil which has "disrupted the development of many sectors in the past years" implying this was a relatively recent problem. The prince claimed his national transformation program would enable the kingdom to "live without oil" as early as 2020 ("Transcript of Prince Mohammed bin Salman's Interview", Al Arabiya, April 25).

Turkey: 15 detained in connection to suicide bombing Posted: 28 Apr 2016 01:23 AM PDT ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish authorities on Thursday detained 15 people in connection with a suicide bomb attack in the northwestern city of Bursa which wounded 13 people, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said.

Trump, Clinton wins solidify movement toward nomination Posted: 27 Apr 2016 07:58 PM PDT By James Oliphant INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton rapidly turned their fire on each other with an eye toward November's presidential election after rolling up strong wins in Northeastern states.     The New York billionaire easily defeated rivals John Kasich and Ted Cruz in all five states that held party nominating contests on Tuesday - Pennsylvania, Maryland, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware.

U.S. lawmakers debate funding gimmick in defense policy bill Posted: 27 Apr 2016 06:13 PM PDT U.S. lawmakers in the House Armed Services Committee began debating an annual defense policy bill on Wednesday that would shift $18 billion in Pentagon war-funding to other military needs. The House panel said that was enough to last through April 2017, giving the next president time to evaluate the security situation and make a supplemental budget request to Congress. Representative Madeleine Bordallo, a Democrat from Guam, said she was "concerned that the short-sighted budget gimmick ... may leave our troops short of funding required in the near future." But Representative Mac Thornberry, chairman of the committee, said that while "some people may call it a gimmick," the Democratic majority in 2008 had done something very similar.

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