Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• U.S.-led strikes pound Islamic State in Iraq, kill 250 fighters
• Islamic State suspected after suicide bombers kill 42 at Istanbul airport
• Istanbul airport attackers seized on chaos to cause carnage
• ISIS 2 Years Later: From 'JV Team' to International Killers
• IS repels advance by US-backed Syria rebels near Iraq border
• Neymar, Costa star in Brazil Olympic football lineup
• CIA says still 'a ways to go' before significant progress made against Islamic State
• US-backed Syrian fighters seize haul of IS documents
• Tunisia medic killed in Turkey blast was seeking son in Islamic State: sources
• Obama points finger at IS after Istanbul attacks
• NYSE trader: Brexit? What Brexit?
• Islamic State forces Syria rebels to retreat from border area
• Iraq inks deal for $2.7 billion US military loan
• Soccer-Neymar, Douglas Costa named in Brazil's Olympic squad
• Airport attack hammers Istanbul's once-lofty ambitions
• Kosovo hands 13-year prison sentence to man plotting attacks
• In Europe and Asia, the U.S. Image Looks Better Under Obama
• Aside from 'Hamilton,' Revolutionary era inspires little art
• India arrests five suspected of plotting Islamic State attacks
• US gives Iraq $2.7B credit to buy military equipment
• Istanbul attack counters narrative that ISIS is 'losing'
• Fears for stranded Syrian refugees as Jordan blocks access
• IS repels US-backed Syria rebel offensive on Iraq route
• Dispatcher: 'Gunshots closer, multiple people screaming'
• Islamic State forces U.S.-backed rebels to retreat: rebel sources
• Iraq secures $2.7 billion U.S. loan from for military equipment
• Iraqi forces say press towards key air base south of Mosul
• Pushed Around and Left Out. The Frightening US Parallels to Brexit
• What Trump's First Intelligence Briefing Will Look Like
• Is This the Next Major Refugee Crisis?
• Malaysian police probe grenade attack, checking credibility of IS claim
• Jordan widens IS crackdown; signs of home-grown extremism
• U.S.-backed Syrian rebels clash with IS fighters in border town: rebel commander
• Firebomb attack outside Australian mosque
• 5,000-year-old ‘document’ shows workers were paid in beer
• Turkey terror: the militant groups behind attacks

U.S.-led strikes pound Islamic State in Iraq, kill 250 fighters Posted: 29 Jun 2016 05:19 PM PDT By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-led coalition aircraft waged a series of deadly strikes against Islamic State around the city of Falluja on Wednesday, U.S. officials told Reuters, with one citing a preliminary estimate of at least 250 suspected fighters killed and at least 40 vehicles destroyed. The strikes, which the officials said took place south of the city, where civilians have also been displaced, are just the latest battlefield setback suffered by Islamic State in its self-proclaimed "caliphate" of Iraq and Syria. Turkey pointed the finger at Islamic State on Wednesday for a triple suicide bombing and gun attack that killed 41 people at Istanbul's main airport.

Islamic State suspected after suicide bombers kill 42 at Istanbul airport Posted: 29 Jun 2016 04:37 PM PDT By Ayla Jean Yackley and Humeyra Pamuk ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey pointed the finger at Islamic State on Wednesday for a triple suicide bombing and gun attack that killed 42 people at Istanbul's main airport, and President Tayyip Erdogan called it a turning point in the global fight against terrorism. In the deadliest of a series of suicide bombings this year in Turkey, the attackers struck the busy airport, a symbol of Istanbul's role as the Muslim world's most open and cosmopolitan city, a crossroads between Europe and Asia.

Istanbul airport attackers seized on chaos to cause carnage Posted: 29 Jun 2016 03:32 PM PDT ISTANBUL (AP) — It was an attack that echoed the carnage earlier this year at the Brussels airport, down to the taxi that carried the men to their target: Inciting panic and then taking lethal advantage, three suicide attackers unleashed a deadly tide of bullets and bombs at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport, leaving 42 dead.

ISIS 2 Years Later: From 'JV Team' to International Killers Posted: 29 Jun 2016 01:45 PM PDT In that time, the group has gone from obscurity, mocked by President Barack Obama as a terrorist "JV team," to the world's most brutal terrorist network, not only responsible for thousands of deaths in the Middle East but also linked to hundreds more in dozens of terrorist plots in the West. ISIS currently controls thousands of square miles in Iraq and Syria, though the U.S. military says the group been pushed out of swaths of land, especially in Iraq, since a territorial high point in late summer 2014. In January of that year in a New Yorker profile, Obama made the "JV team" remark.

IS repels advance by US-backed Syria rebels near Iraq border Posted: 29 Jun 2016 01:10 PM PDT BEIRUT (AP) — Islamic State militants on Wednesday pushed back U.S.-trained Syrian rebels from the outskirts of a town on the Iraqi border, in a setback to a budding offensive that aims to sever the militants' transit link between the two countries, a rebel spokesman said.

Neymar, Costa star in Brazil Olympic football lineup Posted: 29 Jun 2016 12:03 PM PDT Strikers Neymar and Douglas Costa head a young Brazil Olympic football squad looking to bounce back from humiliation in the Copa America Centenario, stand-in coach Rogerio Micale announced Wednesday. On home soil in next month's Games in Rio two years after their devastating 7-1 semi-final loss to Germany, Brazil are bidding to add Olympic gold to their three silver medals, two bronze and five World Cup titles. Barcelona's Neymar, Costa of Bayern Munich and goalkeeper Fernando Prass, 37, are the only players aged over 23 in the squad.

CIA says still 'a ways to go' before significant progress made against Islamic State Posted: 29 Jun 2016 11:46 AM PDT WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The head of the Central Intelligence Agency John Brennan said on Wednesday there was still "a ways to go" before significant progress could be claimed against Islamic State's ability to propagate its narrative and incite attacks. Brennan, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, said that most of the militant group's attacks are directed or orchestrated by the group's external operations cell in the Syria-Iraq theater. (Reporting by Jonathan Landay and Warren Strobel; Writing by Yara Bayoumy)

US-backed Syrian fighters seize haul of IS documents Posted: 29 Jun 2016 11:17 AM PDT US-backed Syrian fighters battling the Islamic State group have snatched thousands of documents, cellphones and other digital devices from the jihadists, a Pentagon official said Wednesday. The seizure came as an anti-IS force comprising Kurdish and Syrian Arab fighters hones in on the northern city of Manbij, an important waypoint between the Turkish border and Raqa, the jihadists' de facto capital. Colonel Chris Garver, a spokesman for the US-led anti-IS campaign, said Syrian Arab fighters were establishing "footholds" on the southern and western edges of Manbij, and had seized entrances to an intricate jihadist tunnel complex.

Tunisia medic killed in Turkey blast was seeking son in Islamic State: sources Posted: 29 Jun 2016 11:13 AM PDT A Tunisian military doctor seeking to retrieve his son who had joined Islamic State in Syria was among those killed in Tuesday's suicide attack by militants at Istanbul airport, a security sources said on Wednesday. Three suspected Islamic State suicide bombers opened fire and blew themselves up in Istanbul's main airport on Tuesday evening, killing 41 people and wounding 239 in the deadliest in a series of suicide bombings this year in Turkey. The Tunisian Defence Ministry confirmed that Brigadier General Fathi Bayoudh, a military hospital doctor, was among those killed.

Obama points finger at IS after Istanbul attacks Posted: 29 Jun 2016 10:59 AM PDT President Barack Obama joined Turkey Wednesday in pointing the finger at the Islamic State group after the latest attack to rock the US ally left 41 dead at Istanbul airport. Obama telephoned President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to offer US security assistance in the wake of the assault, which was set to feature prominently at a three-way US-Mexican-Canadian summit taking place in Ottawa. "Let me just publicly extend my deepest condolences to the people of Turkey for the terrible attack that took place in Istanbul," Obama told reporters in the Canadian capital.

NYSE trader: Brexit? What Brexit? Posted: 29 Jun 2016 10:06 AM PDT What we are witnessing right now is the quintessence of risk markets: true price discovery based on facts known at the moment.

Islamic State forces Syria rebels to retreat from border area Posted: 29 Jun 2016 09:57 AM PDT By Suleiman Al-Khalidi and Tom Perry AMMAN/BEIRUT (Reuters) - U.S.-backed Syrian rebels were pushed back from the outskirts of an Islamic State-held town on the border with Iraq and a nearby air base on Wednesday after the jihadists mounted a counter- attack, two rebel sources said. The New Syria Army rebel group had launched an operation on Tuesday aimed at capturing the town of Al-Bukamal from Islamic State and cutting supply and communications lines for the group between Syria and Iraq, the U.S. coalition fighting IS said. One rebel source said Islamic State fighters had encircled the rebels in a surprise ambush.

Iraq inks deal for $2.7 billion US military loan Posted: 29 Jun 2016 08:40 AM PDT Iraq secured a deal Wednesday for a $2.7 billion US loan to finance the buying of ammunition and maintenance of tanks and fighters used in the fight against the Islamic State group. A US embassy statement said the declaration of intent was signed by Ambassador Stuart Jones and Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari. The US Foreign Military Finance credit facility will help Iraq "defer payment for the purchase of ammunition and maintenance of its F-16s (jets) and M1A1 (Abrams) tanks," Jones said.

Soccer-Neymar, Douglas Costa named in Brazil's Olympic squad Posted: 29 Jun 2016 08:32 AM PDT By Rodrigo Viga Gaier RIO DE JANEIRO, June 29 (Reuters) - Barcelona's Neymar and Bayern Munich's Douglas Costa were chosen as over-age players for Brazil's Olympic squad on Wednesday in a selection packed with striking firepower. Gabriel Barbosa, the teenage Santos striker who scored on his Brazil debut last month, was also included as one of five forwards, along with Gremio's Luan and Gabriel Jesus, the coveted young Palmeiras striker. The other over-age player is Palmeiras goalkeeper Fernando Prass, coach Rogerio Micale told reporters in Rio de Janeiro. ...

Airport attack hammers Istanbul's once-lofty ambitions Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:53 AM PDT In 2012, a glistening tower of shops, offices and residences opened in Istanbul, an emblem of the brash attitude of an ancient city that prided itself as an international gateway between Asia and Europe. Those ambitions, increasingly dampened by internal conflict and spillover from the tumult in neighboring countries, were dealt another blow in the deadly assault on the city's main Ataturk Airport.

Kosovo hands 13-year prison sentence to man plotting attacks Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:46 AM PDT TIRANA, Albania (AP) — A Kosovo court has sentenced a man to 13 years in prison for preparing terrorist attacks.

In Europe and Asia, the U.S. Image Looks Better Under Obama Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:37 AM PDT Republican front-runner Donald Trump's slogan might be "Make America Great Again," but according to public opinion in a big slice of the world, the United States is in pretty good shape already. The U.S. global image is stronger in parts of Europe, Asia and North America than it was during the presidency of George W. Bush, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. The survey, conducted in 10 European countries, four major Asia-Pacific countries, Canada and the United States, found that half or more of those polled in every nation have a favorable opinion of the U.S. The exception was Greece, where only 38 percent rated the U.S. positively.

Aside from 'Hamilton,' Revolutionary era inspires little art Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:30 AM PDT NEW YORK (AP) — Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and 11 Tony Awards, "Hamilton" is a cultural phenomenon that stands as the most celebrated work of art ever inspired by the American Revolution.

India arrests five suspected of plotting Islamic State attacks Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:13 AM PDT Indian counter-terrorism officials on Wednesday arrested five men on suspicion of plotting a series of attacks across the country on behalf of Islamic State, two intelligence officials said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and local police raided 11 locations in the southern city of Hyderabad at dawn, seizing ammunition, explosive materials and cash. "We have ample proof to show that the suspects were working for ISIS (Islamic State) and also had direct connection with Syrian leaders," the first official told Reuters.

US gives Iraq $2.7B credit to buy military equipment Posted: 29 Jun 2016 07:04 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — The United States has extended a $2.7-billion credit facility to Iraq for the purchase of military equipment amid the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group.

Istanbul attack counters narrative that ISIS is 'losing' Posted: 29 Jun 2016 06:30 AM PDT The attack on Istanbul's main airport by three suspected Islamic State suicide bombers not only targeted the commercial heart of Turkey's economy, but showed that the jihadist group can still strike with devastating effect despite losing ground and fighters in Syria and Iraq. The attack runs counter to the narrative that IS is "losing" in Iraq and Syria, and is therefore less of a danger, say analysts. As the nation that at first facilitated the flow of Islamist militants into Syria for several years but is now cracking down on IS, Turkey has become a critical target.

Fears for stranded Syrian refugees as Jordan blocks access Posted: 29 Jun 2016 06:24 AM PDT Concern is growing for tens of thousands of refugees on the Syrian-Jordanian border after Amman blocked access to a makeshift refugee camp following last week's deadly jihadist attack at the frontier. In stifling heat with minimal shelter and little access to food and water, some 70,000 refugees fleeing Syria's civil war have gathered at the Rukban border crossing in Jordan's remote northeast. For months they have been dependent on food and water from international aid agencies but since last week's attack have been cut off.

IS repels US-backed Syria rebel offensive on Iraq route Posted: 29 Jun 2016 06:13 AM PDT The Islamic State group pushed back an offensive by US-trained Syrian rebels on a key route linking jihadist territory in eastern Syria to Iraq, a monitor said Wednesday. The New Syrian Army, backed by US-led coalition strikes, had advanced overnight on IS territory near the Albu Kamal border crossing and adjacent town. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the NSA had seized the small Al-Hamdan airbase nearby, but IS had recaptured it by Wednesday afternoon.

Dispatcher: 'Gunshots closer, multiple people screaming' Posted: 29 Jun 2016 04:40 AM PDT ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Police dispatchers heard repeated gunfire, screaming and moaning from patrons of the Pulse nightclub who called to report that gunman Omar Mateen was opening fire inside the club, according to written logs released Tuesday.

Islamic State forces U.S.-backed rebels to retreat: rebel sources Posted: 29 Jun 2016 04:31 AM PDT U.S.-backed Syrian rebels were forced to retreat from the outskirts of an Islamic State-held town at the border with Iraq and a nearby air base on Wednesday after a counter attack by the jihadists, two rebel sources said. One of the rebel sources said Islamic State fighters had encircled the rebels in a surprise ambush. A spokesman of the New Syria Army, Muzahem al Saloum, confirmed they had retreated.

Iraq secures $2.7 billion U.S. loan from for military equipment Posted: 29 Jun 2016 03:41 AM PDT Iraq secured a $2.7 billion loan from the United States on Wednesday to fund ammunition and maintenance of fighter jets, tanks and other military equipment for use in the war against Islamic State. The deal will help Iraq service its F-16 fighter jets, M1A1 tanks, armored vehicles and attack helicopters as well as maintain navy ships and systems to protect the Umm Qasr port and southern oil platforms, the embassy added. Declining global oil prices and the costs of fighting Islamic State militants who seized a third of Iraq's territory in 2014 have hit government revenues, which rely almost completely on oil exports.

Iraqi forces say press towards key air base south of Mosul Posted: 29 Jun 2016 03:16 AM PDT Iraq's military said it advanced through northern villages held by Islamic State on Wednesday, on its way to an airfield which could serve as the staging ground for a future offensive on Mosul, the biggest city held by the militants. The troops are now around 45 km from the airbase at Qayara, less than two weeks after they set out from the refinery town of Baiji, military officials said. Retaking another refinery near Qayara with a production capacity of 16,000 barrels per day could also hit Islamic State's finances.

Pushed Around and Left Out. The Frightening US Parallels to Brexit Posted: 29 Jun 2016 02:30 AM PDT Hillary Clinton looks across the pond, and must loathe what she sees. UK's leaders were punished for neglecting middle class wages and hopes and instead pursuing grander ambitions – tighter bonds with Europe. Hillary must wonder, will we be next?

What Trump's First Intelligence Briefing Will Look Like Posted: 29 Jun 2016 01:00 AM PDT Why an intelligence briefing could feel like a cold shower for Trump.

Is This the Next Major Refugee Crisis? Posted: 29 Jun 2016 01:00 AM PDT Colombia has become a stopover for migrants - and, authorities worry, extremists.

Malaysian police probe grenade attack, checking credibility of IS claim Posted: 29 Jun 2016 12:23 AM PDT Malaysian police remained doubtful that militants were behind a grenade attack on a nightspot that wounded seven people, but were forced to reassess the possibility on Wednesday after an Islamic State claim of responsibility was posted on Facebook. Investigators had previously ruled out terrorism as the motive for Tuesday's attack on the bar in Puchong, a town outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, which wounded eight people, including a woman from China. The owner of the Movida bar also used Facebook to air suspicions that there was some personal grudge against two of his customers.

Jordan widens IS crackdown; signs of home-grown extremism Posted: 28 Jun 2016 11:31 PM PDT AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Two dozen men charged with supporting the Islamic State group squeezed into a cage in Jordan's state security court. After brief questioning from a judge, they filed back out, and guards ushered in the next group of accused militants.

U.S.-backed Syrian rebels clash with IS fighters in border town: rebel commander Posted: 28 Jun 2016 10:36 PM PDT U.S.-backed Syrian rebel forces were fighting street battles with Islamic State militants after entering their strategic stronghold along the border with Iraq, a rebel commander said on Wednesday. A rebel commander confirmed the rapid advances by the New Syria Army alliance of Arab rebel groups who had announced on Tuesday they had begun an attack to "liberate" the town along the Euphrates river in the oil rich Deir Zor province of Syria. "The clashes are in the town itself but the situation has not been decided yet," said the rebel commander from Asala wa-al-Tanmiya Front, a main group within the New Syria Army, told Reuters, asking not to be named.

Firebomb attack outside Australian mosque Posted: 28 Jun 2016 10:31 PM PDT A firebomb attack outside an Australian mosque while worshippers were at prayer was condemned Wednesday by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, with one Islamic leader calling it a "hate crime". No one was injured in Tuesday night's blast which destroyed a car parked outside a mosque and Islamic college in the Perth suburb of Thornlie. "It is believed an accelerant was used to start the fire," Western Australian police said in a statement, adding that three other vehicles were damaged in the incident.

5,000-year-old ‘document’ shows workers were paid in beer Posted: 28 Jun 2016 08:00 PM PDT Being paid in beer might be a dream for some people, but it was a reality for many workers in ancient times. And there's living proof that beer was an accepted pay for labor: A 5,000-year-old document that recorded these transactions. DON'T MISS: Galaxy Note 7: How does 6GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage sound? Discovered in the city of Uruk, Iraq, the clay tablet above is a pay stub that contains records for beer due. "We can see a human head eating from a bowl, meaning 'ration,' and a conical vessel, meaning 'beer.' Scattered around are scratches recording the amount of beer for a particular worker," Alison George wrote in New Scientist . As Ars Technica points out, Uruk was quite a place to live in ancient Mesopotamia. The city enjoyed impressive architectural marvels and people were trading goods for money. They even had tablets, like the one above, which they used to jot down thoughts in letters or keep track of beer owed, using a writing system called cuneiform. The document above is an important finding because it proves the concept of employees and employers existed during those times. We have no idea why workers would agree to be paid in beer in the first place rather than money, but employers must have had large amounts of beer to afford to pay their employees in alcohol. And the irony doesn't escape us: somewhere around Uruk, some clever person might have been paying people to make large quantities beer with – you guessed it – beer. Paying people in alcohol isn't a new practice and it's not restricted to the Mesopotamian region. Some of the people who build the pyramids received some four to five liters of beer per day for their work, Ars says. With all that alcohol flowing, it's amazing they did such a good job.

Turkey terror: the militant groups behind attacks Posted: 28 Jun 2016 05:10 PM PDT Turkey has been hit by a wave of attacks over the past year that have claimed the lives of more than 260 people, mainly in the capital Ankara and the country's biggest city Istanbul. IS jihadists have been blamed for some of the bloodiest assaults in Turkey, including an October 2015 attack on a pro-Kurdish peace rally in Ankara that killed 103 people in the worst attack in Turkey's modern history. Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Wednesday that the group, also known as Daesh, was likely to have been behind the carnage at Istanbul airport which killed 41 people including foreigners and wounded more than 200.

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