Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Syria regime kills dozens in raids, agrees aid convoys
• Clinton says Trump has 'lowered the bar' regarding protests
• Syrian army opens new front as Islamic State's many foes attack
• U.S. strikes Islamic State from Mediterranean carrier for first time
• US-backed Syrian fighters push toward IS stronghold in north
• France wants a conference on Israel-Palestine, without Israel or Palestine present
• Iran's Khamenei says U.S., 'evil' Britain can't be trusted: state TV
• Turkey ends security operations near Iraq, Syria border
• Attack on Iraqi civilians fleeing IS in Fallujah kills 2
• Exclusive: U.S. falters in campaign to revive Iraqi army, officials say
• Iraqi military takes a slow approach in battle for Fallujah
• NATO eyes new intel official to improve information sharing
• Security campaign against Kurdish militants in Turkish border town completed: sources
• Iraq forces inch into Fallujah: commanders
• IRAQ FALLUJAH
• High school dropouts show difficulty finding or keeping jobs
• State Department: terror dips worldwide, but IS remains a threat
• More than 1,000 Iraqi forces wounded in Fallujah op
• 'American Sniper' Co-Author Defends Chris Kyle's Military Record Over New Controversy
• A Range of Possibilities: Warriors Target Recovery
• Iran's top leader rules out cooperation with US against IS
• AP PHOTOS: Editor selections of the week in the Mideast
• Officials say 499 Islamic extremists pose threat in Germany
• Iraq SOMO head says so far, so good for OPEC's strategy
• As Iraq repays debt, Lukoil pledges to unlock investment
• Falluja is a 'tough nut to crack': Iraqi finance minister
• Thunderbirds pilot meets Obama shortly after ditching jet
• AP Analysis: In Trump takedown, Clinton finds her message
• Jordan marks Great Arab Revolt centennial with parade
• El Salvador wants to investigate ambassador for arms sales
• Clinton attacks Trump's foreign policy as a threat to U.S. safety

Syria regime kills dozens in raids, agrees aid convoys Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:04 PM PDT Syria's regime killed dozens of civilians with air strikes in and around Aleppo city on Friday, even as it agreed to allow access for ground convoys to deliver aid to 12 besieged areas. The raids on Aleppo were the most intense in more than a month, with dozens of barrel bombs -- crude, unguided explosive devices -- dropped on rebel-held eastern districts of the city, an AFP correspondent said. Fourteen people were killed when a bus they were travelling in was hit on the Castello road, a key rebel supply route out of Aleppo, the civil defence said.

Clinton says Trump has 'lowered the bar' regarding protests Posted: 03 Jun 2016 03:59 PM PDT WESTMINSTER, Calif. (AP) — Hillary Clinton said Friday that Donald Trump has "lowered the bar" with regard to keeping the peace at his rallies and creating an environment that encourages dialogue.

Syrian army opens new front as Islamic State's many foes attack Posted: 03 Jun 2016 02:34 PM PDT By Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian army backed by Russian air strikes has opened a major new front against Islamic State, the third big assault on the self-proclaimed caliphate this week after Iraqi forces attempted to storm a city and a Syrian militia advanced with U.S. support. The week's three big offensives are some of the most aggressive campaigns against Islamic State since it declared its aim to rule over all Muslims from parts of Iraq and Syria two years ago. Heavy Russian air strikes hit Islamic State-held territory in eastern areas of Syria's Hama province, near the boundary of Raqqa province on Friday.

U.S. strikes Islamic State from Mediterranean carrier for first time Posted: 03 Jun 2016 02:09 PM PDT (Reuters) - U.S. fighter jets on Friday launched the first strikes against Islamic State targets from an aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean Sea since the start of the two-year campaign against the militant group, the U.S. Navy said. The jets flew from the USS Harry S. Truman after the ship moved into the Mediterranean through the Suez Canal, marking the first air strikes conducted by a carrier group in that region since the Iraq war began in 2003, Navy officials said. Previous strikes were launched solely by U.S. and allied pilots from carriers in the Gulf or from land bases in Bahrain, Turkey and other countries.

US-backed Syrian fighters push toward IS stronghold in north Posted: 03 Jun 2016 01:45 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-backed fighters pushed ahead in their offensive in northern Syria on Friday, getting closer to a stronghold of the Islamic State group, opposition activists said.

France wants a conference on Israel-Palestine, without Israel or Palestine present Posted: 03 Jun 2016 01:41 PM PDT This peace conference is set to expand the stalled peace process, which has become mostly a three-player show between the United States, Israel, and Palestine. Organizers hope to offer a more decisive role to the Arab states, who have sent representatives, and to Europe, which wants to use its economic power as leverage for diplomatic power, as The Wall Street Journal reports. Recommended: How much do you know about Israel?

Iran's Khamenei says U.S., 'evil' Britain can't be trusted: state TV Posted: 03 Jun 2016 01:34 PM PDT By Parisa Hafezi ANKARA (Reuters) - Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Friday Tehran had no intention of cooperating on regional issues with its main enemies, the United States and "evil" Britain. Khamenei also accused Washington of not being committed to a nuclear deal reached between Tehran and six major powers, including the United States, in 2015 that aims to curb the country's disputed nuclear program. Under the agreement, economic sanctions were lifted in January after Iran suspended sensitive nuclear work that the West suspects was aimed at creating a nuclear bomb.

Turkey ends security operations near Iraq, Syria border Posted: 03 Jun 2016 12:59 PM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey's state-run news agency says security operations have ended in two flashpoint districts of the southeast.

Attack on Iraqi civilians fleeing IS in Fallujah kills 2 Posted: 03 Jun 2016 12:43 PM PDT CAMP TARIQ, Iraq (AP) — A bomb attack on a group of civilians fleeing the Islamic State group-held city of Fallujah on Friday killed two people and wounded three, Iraqi federal police and eye witnesses said.

Exclusive: U.S. falters in campaign to revive Iraqi army, officials say Posted: 03 Jun 2016 12:22 PM PDT A 17-month U.S. effort to retrain and reunify Iraq's regular army has failed to create a large number of effective Iraqi combat units or limit the power of sectarian militias, according to current and former U.S. military and civilian officials. Concern about the shortcomings of the American attempt to strengthen the Iraqi military comes as Iraqi government forces and Shi'ite militias have launched an offensive to retake the city of Falluja from Islamic State. The continued weakness of regular Iraqi army units and reliance on Shi'ite militias, current and former U.S. military officials said, could impede Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's broader effort to defeat Islamic State and win the long-term support of Iraqi Sunnis.

Iraqi military takes a slow approach in battle for Fallujah Posted: 03 Jun 2016 11:49 AM PDT CAMP TARIQ, Iraq (AP) — The battle for Fallujah is shaping up to be unlike any of the other assaults in the Iraqi military's town-by-town war with the Islamic State group.

NATO eyes new intel official to improve information sharing Posted: 03 Jun 2016 11:00 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Spurred on by persistent threats from Russia and recent attacks in Europe, NATO will likely establish a new high-level intelligence coordinator to improve information sharing among allies, a senior defense official said Friday.

Security campaign against Kurdish militants in Turkish border town completed: sources Posted: 03 Jun 2016 10:24 AM PDT Turkish security forces called an end to operations in the town of Nusaybin near the Syrian border and in Sirnak province near the border with Iraq on Friday, security sources said, after nearly three months of clashes in which more than 1,000 people dead were killed. Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeast has been engulfed by the worst violence in two decades after the collapse of a ceasefire between the state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in July. While security forces completed Nusaybin and Sirnak operations, a round-the-clock curfew was still in place, the sources said.

Iraq forces inch into Fallujah: commanders Posted: 03 Jun 2016 10:08 AM PDT Iraqi forces made progress Friday in their assault on Fallujah, moving into a southern neighbourhood of the Islamic State group's bastion, commanders said. An AFP photographer embedded with interior ministry SWAT teams said Iraqi forces had managed to enter the Shuhada neighbourhood, on the southern edge of the city centre. "The security forces have advanced from Naimiya neighbourhood to Shuhada," Lieutenant General Abdelwahab al-Saadi, the operation's overall commander, told AFP.

IRAQ FALLUJAH Posted: 03 Jun 2016 09:48 AM PDT Map locates details of the Fallujah battle in Iraq.; 2c x 3 inches; 96.3 mm x 76 mm;

High school dropouts show difficulty finding or keeping jobs Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:36 AM PDT Unemployment rates for most demographic groups fell in May. But that's not necessarily good news. The latest U.S. jobs report revealed stark educational disparities. The jobless rate for those without ...

State Department: terror dips worldwide, but IS remains a threat Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:20 AM PDT During a heated election season, the threats of global terrorism have often been invoked on the campaign trail. There were 11,774 terrorist attacks in 92 countries in 2015, as CNN reported: 13 percent less than the previous year, according to figures compiled by researchers at the University of Maryland that were included in the country-by-country report. Recommended: How much do you know about the Islamic State?

More than 1,000 Iraqi forces wounded in Fallujah op Posted: 03 Jun 2016 08:17 AM PDT More than 1,000 members of the Iraqi forces have been wounded since the start of the operation to retake Fallujah from the Islamic State group, a health official said Friday. "We have received 1,119 wounded since the start of the operation," a senior Baghdad health official told AFP on condition of anonymity. "The wounded fighters were treated at Kadhimiya, Abu Ghraib, Al Karama, Al Karkh and Yarmuk hospitals," he said.

'American Sniper' Co-Author Defends Chris Kyle's Military Record Over New Controversy Posted: 03 Jun 2016 07:50 AM PDT In an interview, Scott McEwen, co-author of 'Sniper,' fires back at recent allegations that Kyle embellished his medal count: "The left doesn't like heroes from the military like Chris who are larger than life."

A Range of Possibilities: Warriors Target Recovery Posted: 03 Jun 2016 07:01 AM PDT OTTAWA, Kan., June 3, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- During a recent Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) event at Gun Guys in Ottawa, Kansas, injured veterans experienced firsthand what is possible when exposed to social events that get them out of the house, engaged with their service brothers and sisters, and committed to their healthy transition to civilian life. "This was my first event," said Kristopher Loveless, a retired U.S. Army sergeant who deployed three times to Iraq as a transportation driver. "The other vets and I had good laughs," said Kristopher.

Iran's top leader rules out cooperation with US against IS Posted: 03 Jun 2016 06:19 AM PDT TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's top leader on Friday ruled out any formal cooperation with America against the Islamic State group, their common adversary in Iraq and Syria, insisting that the United States remains a prime enemy of Tehran, despite a landmark nuclear deal with word powers.

AP PHOTOS: Editor selections of the week in the Mideast Posted: 03 Jun 2016 05:31 AM PDT In Iraq, elite counterterrorism forces have pushed into the southern edges of Fallujah, an Islamic State stronghold in the volatile western Anbar province.

Officials say 499 Islamic extremists pose threat in Germany Posted: 03 Jun 2016 05:28 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — Authorities in Germany are monitoring almost 500 Islamic extremists they believe pose a potential security threat, officials said Friday, a day after the arrest of three men suspected of planning to carry out an attack in the country for the Islamic State group.

Iraq SOMO head says so far, so good for OPEC's strategy Posted: 03 Jun 2016 04:12 AM PDT By Alex Lawler VIENNA (Reuters) - OPEC's strategy of letting the oil market balance itself is working as investment in the industry is falling and any recovery will take time to bring new supplies, a senior Iraqi oil official said on Friday. "OPEC let the market work and so far they are succeeding, because it's affected investment," Falah Alamri, the head of Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), told Reuters. Iraq is OPEC's second-largest producer.

As Iraq repays debt, Lukoil pledges to unlock investment Posted: 03 Jun 2016 03:51 AM PDT By Dmitry Zhdannikov VIENNA (Reuters) - Iraq has positively surprised oil majors by starting quickly to repay accumulated debts, the head of Russia's Lukoil said, pledging more investment to allow OPEC's second-largest producer to maintain stellar output growth. Iraq has become the world's fastest-growing oil producer with output up 50 percent since it signed contracts worth tens of billions of dollars with the likes of Lukoil, BP, Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell at the end of the last decade to help develop its huge oilfields. Debt repayment to majors for their investments has slowed even further over the past two years as oil prices collapsed - but Vagit Alekperov, the chief executive and a major shareholder of Lukoil, said the situation was changing.

Falluja is a 'tough nut to crack': Iraqi finance minister Posted: 03 Jun 2016 02:29 AM PDT By Maher Chmaytelli and Ahmed Rasheed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Islamic State is putting up a tough fight in Falluja and its recapture by the Iraqi army could take time, said Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshiyar Zebari. Falluja, located 50 kilometers (32 miles) west of Baghdad, has been a bastion of the Sunni insurgency that fought both the U.S. occupation of Iraq and the Shi'ite-led Baghdad government. Islamic State fighters raised their flag there in January 2014 before sweeping through much of Iraq's north and west, declaring a caliphate several months later, from Mosul.

Thunderbirds pilot meets Obama shortly after ditching jet Posted: 03 Jun 2016 12:50 AM PDT AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AP) — A Thunderbirds pilot ejected safely as his fighter jet crashed into a deserted Colorado area after soaring over the Air Force Academy's commencement ceremony. A rescue helicopter then ferried him to a face-to-face meeting with President Barack Obama.

AP Analysis: In Trump takedown, Clinton finds her message Posted: 03 Jun 2016 12:32 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Hillary Clinton may have found her message.

Jordan marks Great Arab Revolt centennial with parade Posted: 02 Jun 2016 10:06 PM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Jordan has celebrated 100 years since the Great Arab Revolt, led by King Abdullah II's great-grandfather, with a military parade of troops on camel back, attack helicopters and cannon fire.

El Salvador wants to investigate ambassador for arms sales Posted: 02 Jun 2016 06:17 PM PDT El Salvador prosecutors on Thursday asked Congress to allow the government to investigate the country's ambassador to Germany for illegal arms sales during his time in the Defense Ministry. Congress must approve criminal proceedings against any public official. The government said Ambassador Jose Atilio Benitez, 57, a retired general, committed fraud with more than 30 weapons that belonged to the armed forces, selling everything from military rifles to handguns on the black market.

Clinton attacks Trump's foreign policy as a threat to U.S. safety Posted: 02 Jun 2016 06:01 PM PDT By Amanda Becker WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lambasted Donald Trump's foreign policy platform as "dangerously incoherent" in a speech on Thursday that cast her Republican rival as both a frightening and laughable figure. In remarks that at times resembled a comedy roast, Clinton unleashed a torrent of polished zingers and one-liners to attack Trump's policies and character, suggesting Trump might start a nuclear war if elected to the White House simply because "somebody got under his very thin skin." "Donald Trump's ideas are not just different, they are dangerously incoherent," she said to a room of supporters in San Diego, California. "They're not even really ideas, just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds and outright lies." Clinton, the front-runner in the race to become the Democratic presidential nominee, delivered her speech as she seeks to shift her attention to the Nov. 8 election against likely rival Trump and away from Bernie Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, who is continuing his long-shot bid for the nomination.

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