Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.S.-backed forces open major front in Syria war
• Kristol Is Clear
• Observers Fear 'Dirty Brigade' Atrocities After ISIS Fight in Fallujah
• Islamic State faces major assaults on two fronts in Iraq, Syria
• Wounded Warriors Leave the Fear of the Ocean Behind and Dive Right In!
• Deployed U.S. military service members more likely to suffer bone and joint injuries outside of combat
• Iran tells Saudi: 'We'll leave Iraq when Iraq asks'
• World's longest rail tunnel opens in Switerland, boosting EU transit and ties
• Iraq's Fallujah op slowed by civilians, IS resistance
• The Latest: Albanian migrants set up camp above French port
• Islamic State seen shifting to more international attacks: UN
• Coalition strikes pound IS stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria: Pentagon
• Iran minister rejects Trump vow to renegotiate nuclear deal
• As residents starve in battle for Falluja, Iraq detains men who flee
• Could a millionaire businessman save Iraq’s Sunnis?
• In Fallujah fight, top Shiite cleric urges restraint toward Sunni civilians
• Ahead of meeting, OPEC seems close to riding out price slump
• Iraq stalls Falluja assault 'to protect civilians'
• U.N. sounds alarm about Falluja children, food supply
• Media Goes Too Easy on Donald Trump (Guest Column)
• Jordan king swears in new government to prepare for elections
• At least 20,000 children trapped in Iraq's Fallujah: UN
• In rare compromise, Nigerian emerges as frontrunner for OPEC boss
• Turkish army kills 14 Islamic State militants near Aleppo
• From a young activist, a show of anger at Egypt's courts
• 'Dark money': a pro-veteran nonprofit's political weapon
• Former Mexican President Vicente Fox on Why Donald Trump "Couldn't Even Clean the Cape" of Ronald Reagan (Q&A)
• Which Is Worse — That Donald Trump Lies So Much, or That He's So Bad at Lying? (Guest Column)

U.S.-backed forces open major front in Syria war Posted: 01 Jun 2016 04:36 PM PDT By Phil Stewart and John Davison WASHINGTON/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Thousands of U.S.-backed fighters opened a major new front in Syria's war, launching an offensive to drive Islamic State out of a swathe of northern Syria it uses as a logistics base and appearing to make swift initial battlefield advances. A small number of U.S. special operations forces will support the push on the ground to capture the "Manbij pocket" of territory, acting as advisers and staying back from the front lines, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss military planning. The operation will also count on air power from the U.S.-led coalition, which pounded Islamic State positions near Manbij with 18 strikes on Tuesday, including six militant tactical units, two headquarters facilities and a training base.

Kristol Is Clear Posted: 01 Jun 2016 12:43 PM PDT Republicans are lining up behind Donald Trump, but Bill Kristol is still trying to stop him. Too bad pundits are conflating his chances of success with its virtue.

Observers Fear 'Dirty Brigade' Atrocities After ISIS Fight in Fallujah Posted: 01 Jun 2016 12:39 PM PDT As the Iraqi military digs in against ISIS in the battle for Fallujah, American human rights advocates and Iraqi activists are voicing alarm about the potential for more sectarian atrocities from some Iraqi forces and their militia allies in the event of victory – a possible continuation of captives being tortured and executed with impunity, often on camera. Over the weekend Iraqi officials confirmed that Iraq's controversial Popular Mobilization Forces [PMFs], Shiite-dominated militia groups, are participating in the fight for Fallujah, just west of Baghdad in central Iraq. Human Rights Watch and the U.S. Departments of State and Defense have reported continued instances of war crimes over the past year in Sunni areas north of Baghdad such as Tikrit — showing that some groups in the military and militias on Baghdad's payroll have not stopped committing abuses since an ABC News investigation revealed widespread atrocities posted on social media 14 months ago.

Islamic State faces major assaults on two fronts in Iraq, Syria Posted: 01 Jun 2016 12:36 PM PDT By Maher Nazeh and Phil Stewart SOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF FALLUJA, Iraq/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Islamic State insurgents faced major assaults on two fronts in both Iraq and Syria on Wednesday in what could prove to be some of the biggest operations to roll back their caliphate since they proclaimed it in 2014. In Syria, U.S.-backed militia with thousands of Arab and Kurdish fighters were reported to have captured villages near the strategically-important Turkish border after launching a major operation to cut off Islamic State's last access route to the outside world. In Iraq, Prime Minister Haider Abadi ordered his troops to slow an advance at the gates of Falluja, Islamic State's closest redoubt to the capital Baghdad, to limit harm to civilians, two days after the army poured into rural areas on the city's outskirts.

Wounded Warriors Leave the Fear of the Ocean Behind and Dive Right In! Posted: 01 Jun 2016 11:44 AM PDT LA JOLLA, Calif., June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- He was used to wearing camouflage, boots, and a combat utility uniform, but not a mask, fins, and a snorkel. "I had never been snorkeling," says U.S. Marine veteran Timothy Johnson. Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) recently brought Timothy and other wounded warriors together for a front row seat to the vast variety of marine life in La Jolla, California.

Deployed U.S. military service members more likely to suffer bone and joint injuries outside of combat Posted: 01 Jun 2016 10:58 AM PDT ROSEMONT, Ill., June 1, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Since September 11, 2001, an estimated 60,000 U.S. military service members have been injured in combat during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Nearly 45,000 (75 percent) of all combat injuries are caused by improvised explosive devices, also known as IEDs. Approximately two out of five service members with combat injuries (40 percent) have suffered fractures, traumatic amputations, and injuries to the spine. ...

Iran tells Saudi: 'We'll leave Iraq when Iraq asks' Posted: 01 Jun 2016 10:44 AM PDT Iran's foreign minister said on Wednesday that Tehran had no intention of leaving Iraq and criticised "arrogant" Saudi Arabia for accusing it of stoking sectarian violence. "We will leave Iraq whenever Iraq asks us to. On Sunday, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of sowing "sedition and division" in Iraq and sending in Shiite militias, and urged Tehran to "stop intervening" in the affairs of its neighbours.

World's longest rail tunnel opens in Switerland, boosting EU transit and ties Posted: 01 Jun 2016 10:35 AM PDT Switzerland's Gotthard Base Tunnel opened Wednesday as an impressive feat of both engineering and European diplomacy.

Iraq's Fallujah op slowed by civilians, IS resistance Posted: 01 Jun 2016 10:32 AM PDT After a week of shaping operations aimed at sealing the siege of Fallujah, which lies just 50 kilometres (30 miles) west of Baghdad, elite forces launched a new, more aggressive phase on Monday morning. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said concern for the estimated 50,000 civilians the United Nations has said IS was using as human shields was slowing progress. "It would've been possible to end the battle quickly if protecting civilians wasn't one of the foundations of our plan," he told commanders in comments broadcast by state television.

The Latest: Albanian migrants set up camp above French port Posted: 01 Jun 2016 10:25 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on Europe's migration crisis (all times local):

Islamic State seen shifting to more international attacks: UN Posted: 01 Jun 2016 10:19 AM PDT The Islamic State group is moving into a new phase of warfare that is likely to lead to more attacks on international civilian targets, according to a new report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. In the last six months, IS has been linked to attacks in 11 countries that have killed over 500 people, in Bangladesh, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Lebanon, Pakistan, Russia, Turkey and the United States. "Recent international attacks perpetrated by members of ISIL demonstrate that the terrorist group is now moving into a new phase, with the increased risk that well-prepared and centrally directed attacks on international civilian targets may become a more frequent occurrence," said the report obtained by AFP on Wednesday.

Coalition strikes pound IS stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria: Pentagon Posted: 01 Jun 2016 09:43 AM PDT The US-led international coalition fighting the Islamic State group said Wednesday it had conducted 18 air strikes near the strategic town of Manbij in northern Syria, opening a new front against the jihadists. The announcement of the strikes followed word from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that US backed Kurdish and Arab fighters had thrust into the key jihadist-held pocket along the Turkish border. "The offensive is on" to take Manbij, said a US defense official, who asked not to be identified.

Iran minister rejects Trump vow to renegotiate nuclear deal Posted: 01 Jun 2016 09:32 AM PDT STOCKHOLM (AP) — Iran's foreign minister says the nuclear deal reached last year with world powers can't be renegotiated despite Republican presidential contender Donald Trump's pledge to do so if elected.

As residents starve in battle for Falluja, Iraq detains men who flee Posted: 01 Jun 2016 07:54 AM PDT By Haider Kadhim and Saif Hameed GARMA VILLAGE, Iraq (Reuters) - Desperate for food and water, residents are fleeing the Iraqi city of Falluja as Islamist militants seek to fend off an assault by the army, only for hundreds to be detained by the authorities on suspicion of siding with those they are escaping. A week after Baghdad announced the start of its offensive on Falluja, its troops advanced into the city limits for the first time on Monday, pouring into rural territory on its southern outskirts but stopping short of the main built-up area. By Wednesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi called a pause to the advance because of concerns about the safety of the tens of thousands of people still believed trapped inside.

Could a millionaire businessman save Iraq’s Sunnis? Posted: 01 Jun 2016 07:36 AM PDT By Ned Parker ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - For at least a decade, Iraqi business mogul Khamis Khanjar has bankrolled Sunni politicians and fighters alike. Now, he wants to use his multi-million dollar fortune to create an autonomous region for Iraq's Sunnis. Khanjar's emergence from backroom deal-maker to would-be Sunni champion is just one sign of Iraq's continued political drift.

In Fallujah fight, top Shiite cleric urges restraint toward Sunni civilians Posted: 01 Jun 2016 07:06 AM PDT As fighting began to recapture Fallujah from militants of the self-declared Islamic State (IS), Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric went to unusual lengths to warn against sectarian killing. "Don't be extreme … don't be treacherous," said Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, who commands a massive following and effectively recruited tens of thousands of the Shiite militiamen that have been fighting IS. Mr. Sistani's call to respect the "ethics of jihad," by invoking the words of the Muslim Prophet Mohammad, signals his desire both to calm Iraq's sectarian fires and to lessen anti-Shiite propaganda.

Ahead of meeting, OPEC seems close to riding out price slump Posted: 01 Jun 2016 06:01 AM PDT VIENNA (AP) — OPEC is not yet in safe harbor. But ahead of a top-level meeting, the 13-nation oil cartel appears close to weathering the storm of slumping crude prices that threatened to bankrupt some members and called into question its relevance.

Iraq stalls Falluja assault 'to protect civilians' Posted: 01 Jun 2016 05:56 AM PDT By Maher Nazeh SOUTHERN OUTSKIRTS OF FALLUJA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraq has delayed its assault on the city of Falluja because of fears for the safety of civilians, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Wednesday, as his forces halted at the city's edge in the face of ferocious resistance from Islamic State fighters. Abadi's decision to halt, two days after elite Iraqi troops poured into the city's rural southern outskirts, postpones what was expected to be one of the biggest battles ever fought against Islamic State. The government, backed by world powers including the United States and Iran, has vowed to win back the first major Iraqi city that fell to the group in 2014.

U.N. sounds alarm about Falluja children, food supply Posted: 01 Jun 2016 04:47 AM PDT Thousands of children are facing extreme violence in Falluja, which the Iraqi army is trying to retake from Islamic State, and food stocks in the besieged city are dwindling, the United Nations warned on Wednesday. At least 20,000 children remain inside the Islamic State's stronghold near Baghdad and face the risk of forced recruitment into fighting and separation from their families, the United Nations' children's agency UNICEF said.

Media Goes Too Easy on Donald Trump (Guest Column) Posted: 01 Jun 2016 04:20 AM PDT Polarization of news is not new, but its failure to ask the candidate tough questions — the ones that might cause him to refuse to call in to your morning show or provide hours of free TV content — will be the legacy of Campaign 2016.

Jordan king swears in new government to prepare for elections Posted: 01 Jun 2016 02:50 AM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Jordanian King Abdullah swore in a new government led by a business-friendly politician on Wednesday, charging him with preparing for parliamentary elections by September and pushing legislation to spur sluggish growth. Hani Mulki, 64, who has held a string of senior diplomatic and ministerial posts, is a former chief commissioner of Jordan's economic zone in the Red Sea port city of Aqaba. Official sources said the government is expected to maintain traditional support for U.S. policies in the region and continue with International Monetary Fund-guided reforms.

At least 20,000 children trapped in Iraq's Fallujah: UN Posted: 01 Jun 2016 12:26 AM PDT At least 20,000 children are trapped in jihadist bastion Fallujah under siege by Iraqi forces and face shortages and forced recruitment as fighters, the UN Children's Fund said on Wednesday. "UNICEF estimates that at least 20,000 children remain trapped in the city," the agency's Iraq representative Peter Hawkins said. The few residents who have managed to flee the Fallujah area since Iraqi forces launched an offensive against the Islamic State group on May 22-23 speak of severe shortages of food and drinking water.

In rare compromise, Nigerian emerges as frontrunner for OPEC boss Posted: 31 May 2016 11:47 PM PDT A Nigerian oil technocrat has emerged as frontrunner to take the top job at OPEC, with members seeing Mohammed Barkindo as what would be a rare compromise candidate to lead the group amid rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Barkindo has been a key face of the Nigerian oil industry for the past decade, during which various governments tried and effectively failed to reform national oil company NNPC. Today, Nigeria has alongside Venezuela become one of the main victims of oil's price collapse, with the country's output declining sharply due to militant attacks on pipelines and infrastructure.

Turkish army kills 14 Islamic State militants near Aleppo Posted: 31 May 2016 11:26 PM PDT ISTANBUL (Reuters) - The Turkish military shelled Islamic State targets north of the city of Aleppo in Syria, killing 14 militants, television channels reported, citing a statement from the General Staff. NATO member Turkey is a member of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. (Reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley; editing by Ralph Boulton)

From a young activist, a show of anger at Egypt's courts Posted: 31 May 2016 11:24 PM PDT CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian activist Sanaa Seif decided she had had enough of Egypt's justice system.

'Dark money': a pro-veteran nonprofit's political weapon Posted: 31 May 2016 09:01 PM PDT Vote Vets Action Fund is a major backer of Rep. Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox on Why Donald Trump "Couldn't Even Clean the Cape" of Ronald Reagan (Q&A) Posted: 31 May 2016 09:00 PM PDT The retired leader warns that Mexico could become the next Cuba, says the Republican nominee has already done "severe damage" to relations with his country and praises Hillary Clinton as Margaret Thatcher with compassion.

Which Is Worse — That Donald Trump Lies So Much, or That He's So Bad at Lying? (Guest Column) Posted: 31 May 2016 09:00 PM PDT In Trump vs. Hillary, one candidate is held to the standards of a reality TV star (outrageousness wins), another to those of an actual public official.

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