Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama to Republican leaders: why are you still endorsing Trump?
• Republican rift widens as Trump declines to endorse Ryan, McCain
• Trump campaign asks Capitol Hill to back him in Khan controversy
• Trump dismisses Buffett's rebuke over his business judgment
• The Latest: Trump: People without ID will 'vote 10 times'
• UK lawmakers say Europe's efforts over migration crisis 'lamentable'
• In blow to GOP unity, Trump refuses to back Ryan, McCain
• Trump says not ready to back House Speaker Ryan, McCain
• Obama says supporting Libya's fight with Islamic State is in U.S. interest
• Trump is 'unfit,' Obama says, challenging GOP to end support
• Republican tensions rise as Trump withholds support for leading figures
• Clinton extends lead over Trump to 8 percentage points: Reuters/Ipsos
• Libyan forces advance in IS bastion as US keeps up air strikes
• Here’s What Happens If Trump Decides to Quit
• Despite controversy, supporters back brash Trump talk
• Obama: Libya airstrikes critical to US security
• Australia sees abuse in Nauru migrant camp as deterrent: rights groups
• The IS in Libya: key dates
• Trump accepts a Purple Heart amid veteran controversy
• Trump talk of cutting US forces in Korea has rocky precedent
• Raids in Libya's Sirte in US national interest: Obama
• Obama says supporting Libya's fight vs Islamic State in U.S. interest
• Trump ally Christie calls criticisms of slain soldier's family 'inappropriate'
• Factbox: Gold Stars mark sacrifices of U.S. military families
• Clinton accuses Trump of scapegoating Muslim soldier's parents
• Trump says 'much easier' to get Purple Heart as gift from vet
• First Republican congressman pledges to vote Clinton
• Senate Republicans on the spot over Trump comments on Khan
• Iraq PM bans travel by officials accused of corruption
• Why US airstrikes in Libya could mean deeper involvement in war against ISIS
• Pence's role emerges as Trump's counterbalance
• Warren Buffett Scolds Donald Trump: Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir?
• Trump suggests general election could be 'rigged'
• France buries priest murdered by Islamist militants
• Iraqi Prime Minister bans travel for MPs accused of defense corruption
• Iraq prime minister issues travel ban for some lawmakers
• Knights of Columbus Donate Service Hours Valued at $1.7 Billon
• Libyan forces wary of Islamic State redoubt despite U.S. support
• The Latest: Turkey's Erdogan blasts EU over migrant deal

Obama to Republican leaders: why are you still endorsing Trump? Posted: 02 Aug 2016 05:54 PM PDT By Jeff Mason and Doina Chiacu WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama issued a scathing attack of Donald Trump on Tuesday for criticizing a Muslim family whose U.S. Army captain son was killed in Iraq, and he challenged Republican leaders to withdraw support for their "unfit" nominee. Obama's comments added to a growing number of statements from Republicans and Democrats lambasting Trump for his criticism of Khizr and Ghazala Khan, who appeared at the Democratic National Convention last week. Trump questioned whether Mrs. Khan did not speak at the convention because she was prevented from doing so by her religion and he characterized Mr. Khan's criticism of him as "vicious." Families who lose sons or daughters who serve in the U.S. military are called Gold Star families.

Republican rift widens as Trump declines to endorse Ryan, McCain Posted: 02 Aug 2016 05:54 PM PDT Trump told The Washington Post in an interview that he could endorse neither Ryan, the top U.S. elected Republican, nor McCain, a U.S. senator from Arizona and a former Republican presidential nominee, as they face challenges in their states' primary contests ahead of the Nov. 8 general election. Both Ryan and McCain had criticized Trump's feud with the family of Army Captain Humayun Khan, who died in the line of duty in Iraq in 2004 and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for bravery after his death.

Trump campaign asks Capitol Hill to back him in Khan controversy Posted: 02 Aug 2016 05:54 PM PDT By Richard Cowan and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Republican Donald Trump's presidential campaign appealed to Capitol Hill for support on Monday as his attacks on the Muslim parents of a decorated American soldier killed in Iraq drew sharp rebukes from fellow party members. Trump's criticism of Khizr Khan and Ghazala Khan, who took the stage at last week's Democratic convention, sparked growing concern and dismay from Republican lawmakers responding to the latest Trump outburst to blindside his party colleagues. Republican Senator John McCain, a former prisoner of war and the most prominent veteran in Congress, along with the commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, joined the chorus of condemnation, reflecting the highly regarded place the military and its veterans hold with many in the United States.

Trump dismisses Buffett's rebuke over his business judgment Posted: 02 Aug 2016 05:54 PM PDT "I don't care much about Warren Buffett," Trump said on the FOX Business television network Tuesday morning, a day after Buffett lashed out at Trump in a speech at a campaign rally for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Buffett, a widely followed investor who is chairman and chief executive officer of Berkshire Hathaway Inc, scorned Trump's 1995 move to list Trump hotels and casino resorts on the New York Stock Exchange, saying it lost money for the next decade and that "a monkey" would have outperformed Trump's company.

The Latest: Trump: People without ID will 'vote 10 times' Posted: 02 Aug 2016 04:48 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the U.S. presidential campaign. (all times EDT):

UK lawmakers say Europe's efforts over migration crisis 'lamentable' Posted: 02 Aug 2016 04:06 PM PDT European Union attempts to tackle the migration crisis have been a failure, amounting to "too little, too late" with not enough being done to tackle people-smugglers, a committee of British lawmakers said on Wednesday. "Europe's efforts to address this colossal refugee crisis have been lamentable," said Keith Vaz, chairman of the British parliament's Home Affairs Committee. "The atrocious conditions in migrant camps within and on the borders of the richest countries on earth is a source of shame." A flood of refugees from the Middle East and Asia, many escaping conflict in Syria and Iraq, has grown into Europe's worst migration crisis since World War Two.

In blow to GOP unity, Trump refuses to back Ryan, McCain Posted: 02 Aug 2016 04:02 PM PDT DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Tuesday that he is refusing to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. John McCain, two of the party's most powerful members. He also ripped into New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte in the same interview with the Washington Post. All three have primary challengers and each disapproved of Trump's criticism of the Muslim American parents of an Army captain killed in Iraq.

Trump says not ready to back House Speaker Ryan, McCain Posted: 02 Aug 2016 03:41 PM PDT Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump said Tuesday he was "not quite" ready to endorse House Speaker Paul Ryan in his upcoming primary, a stunning rebuke to the party's top elected official. With little more than three months before the White House election Trump, in an interview with The Washington Post, also said he was not prepared to endorse Republican Senator John McCain in his re-election bid in Arizona. The real-estate tycoon also lashed out at another Republican US senator, Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, as weak and disloyal.

Obama says supporting Libya's fight with Islamic State is in U.S. interest Posted: 02 Aug 2016 03:15 PM PDT President Barack Obama said on Tuesday it is in the U.S. national security interest to support Libya's emerging government's fight against Islamic State, a day after his administration said it launched air strikes there. The move marks the opening of a new front by the U.S. administration in the war against Islamic State, which, under added pressure in its Syria and Iraq strongholds, is increasingly resorting to planning attacks abroad. Obama said the air strikes were undertaken to make sure that Libyan forces were able to finish the job of fighting the radical militant group and to increase stability there.

Trump is 'unfit,' Obama says, challenging GOP to end support Posted: 02 Aug 2016 03:13 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — In a searing denouncement, President Barack Obama castigated Donald Trump as "unfit" and "woefully unprepared" to serve in the White House. He challenged Republicans to withdraw their support for their party's nominee, declaring "There has to come a point at which you say 'enough.'"

Republican tensions rise as Trump withholds support for leading figures Posted: 02 Aug 2016 02:31 PM PDT By Alana Wise and Jeff Mason WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. presidential nominee Donald Trump ratcheted up tensions in his Republican Party on Tuesday, denying leading figures support in their re-election bids, while his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton won her first endorsement from a Republican lawmaker. President Barack Obama blasted Trump as unfit to be president and questioned why any Republican would support the New York businessman seeking his first public office. "The question I think that they have to ask themselves is, if you are repeatedly having to say in very strong terms that what he has said is unacceptable: Why are you still endorsing him?" Obama, a Democrat, said at a White House news conference with Singapore's prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong.

Clinton extends lead over Trump to 8 percentage points: Reuters/Ipsos Posted: 02 Aug 2016 02:21 PM PDT Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton extended her lead over Republican rival Donald Trump to eight percentage points, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Tuesday, from six points on Friday. The bump for Clinton followed the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia last week at which Clinton and her supporters painted an optimistic portrait of America, and came amid controversy over Trump's comments about the parents of a slain Muslim U.S. soldier. About 43 percent of likely voters favor Clinton, 35 percent favor Trump, and 9 percent picked "Other," according to the July 28-Aug. 1 online poll of 1,289 likely voters.

Libyan forces advance in IS bastion as US keeps up air strikes Posted: 02 Aug 2016 02:04 PM PDT Libyan forces said Tuesday they were advancing inside the jihadist bastion of Sirte, as Washington conducted a second straight day of air strikes on Islamic State group positions in the city. US President Barack Obama defended the two-day-old air campaign, saying defeating the jihadists there was in America's national interest. The IS bastion, located just across the Mediterranean from Europe, has been shaken by weeks of fierce clashes between jihadists and fighters allied to Libya's UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA).

Here’s What Happens If Trump Decides to Quit Posted: 02 Aug 2016 01:50 PM PDT If there is one thing Donald Trump hates, it's a L-O-S-E-R. Related: Warren Buffett Scolds Donald Trump: Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir? Senators John McCain and Lindsay Graham were especially critical, a GOP congressman from New York said he would vote for Hillary Clinton, and a well-regarded political strategist said she was leaving the party until it regains its senses.

Despite controversy, supporters back brash Trump talk Posted: 02 Aug 2016 01:36 PM PDT Trump's unvarnished delivery has become a hallmark of his extraordinary White House campaign, getting him into trouble with strategists, military veterans and fellow Republicans as much as it endears him to his fans. "That is one of his draws," 53-year-old Shelley Schimkus, a stay-at-home mom who attended Trump's rally in Washington's Virginia suburbs on Tuesday, told AFP. On Monday, he called his Democratic opponent "the devil," ratcheting up the rhetoric from the "Crooked Hillary" sobriquet he has used throughout the year.

Obama: Libya airstrikes critical to US security Posted: 02 Aug 2016 01:34 PM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Libya continued for a second day Tuesday, as President Barack Obama called the new bombing campaign critical to protecting U.S. national security interests.

Australia sees abuse in Nauru migrant camp as deterrent: rights groups Posted: 02 Aug 2016 01:03 PM PDT By Matt Siegel SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia is ignoring the inhumane treatment of refugees held on the South Pacific island of Nauru as a means of deterring others from attempting the journey to Australia, two human rights groups said on Wednesday. Under Canberra's hard-line immigration policy, asylum seekers intercepted trying to reach Australia by boat are sent to a camp on Manus Island, in Papua New Guinea, or one in Nauru, which have drawn criticism for their harsh conditions and reports of abuse.

The IS in Libya: key dates Posted: 02 Aug 2016 12:49 PM PDT Tripoli (AFP) - Key dates since the Islamic State group (IS) moved into Libya in 2014 amid the chaos that followed the ouster of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

Trump accepts a Purple Heart amid veteran controversy Posted: 02 Aug 2016 12:34 PM PDT ASHBURN, Virginia (AP) — A military veteran gave his Purple Heart to Republican nominee Donald Trump on Tuesday, prompting the Republican nominee to declare that this was "much easier" than serving in combat.

Trump talk of cutting US forces in Korea has rocky precedent Posted: 02 Aug 2016 11:56 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has alarmed U.S. allies in Asia and elsewhere by suggesting that American military support should depend on their willingness to pay. But he would not be the first U.S. president to consider shaking up time-honored military deployments.

Raids in Libya's Sirte in US national interest: Obama Posted: 02 Aug 2016 11:38 AM PDT President Barack Obama defended Tuesday a two-day-old US air campaign against the Islamic State group in its Libyan stronghold of Sirte, saying defeating the jihadists there is in the US national interest. "It is in America's national security interest in our fight against ISIL to make sure (the GNA are) able to finish the job," Obama told a White House news conference, using an IS acronym.

Obama says supporting Libya's fight vs Islamic State in U.S. interest Posted: 02 Aug 2016 11:37 AM PDT President Barack Obama said on Tuesday it is in the U.S. national security interest to support Libya's emerging government's fight against Islamic State, a day after his administration said it launched air attacks there. The air attacks were undertaken to make sure that Libyan forces were able to finish the job of fighting the radical militant group and increase stability there, Obama said. The absence of stability in Iraq and Syria "has helped to fuel some of the challenges that we've seen in terms of the migration crisis in Europe," Obama said.

Trump ally Christie calls criticisms of slain soldier's family 'inappropriate' Posted: 02 Aug 2016 11:22 AM PDT Chris Christie, a close ally of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, distanced himself on Tuesday from Trump's feud with the Muslim family of a slain U.S. Army captain, according to Politico. Christie, the governor of New Jersey, said criticisms of the family of Captain Humayan Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004, were "inappropriate." "I didn't see Mr. Khan's speech at the DNC, but I'll just say this: I'm a father and I just cannot imagine the pain of losing a child under any circumstances," said Christie, who endorsed Trump after ending his own White House bid, according to Politico, which quoted Christie's comments from a news conference at the New Jersey State House in Trenton.

Factbox: Gold Stars mark sacrifices of U.S. military families Posted: 02 Aug 2016 10:58 AM PDT A war of words between Donald Trump and the parents of a Muslim U.S. soldier killed in Iraq in 2004 is dominating the election campaign. Khizr and Ghazala Khan were criticized by the Republican presidential candidate after they appeared at the Democratic National Convention last Thursday and shared the story of their son, U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan. The Khans are what is known in the United States as a "Gold Star Family," meaning they have lost an immediate relative in a military action.

Clinton accuses Trump of scapegoating Muslim soldier's parents Posted: 02 Aug 2016 10:58 AM PDT By Amanda Becker CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio (Reuters) - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton accused Donald Trump on Sunday of scapegoating the parents of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq, after the Republican nominee took issue with remarks the soldier's father made at the Democratic National Convention. Trump, in an ABC interview that aired on Sunday, questioned why Ghazala Khan, mother of U.S. Army Captain Humayun Khan, stood quietly by her husband, Khizr Khan, as he took the stage at last week's Democratic convention in Philadelphia. Trump suggested the mother might not have been "allowed" to speak.

Trump says 'much easier' to get Purple Heart as gift from vet Posted: 02 Aug 2016 10:21 AM PDT Republican White House hopeful Donald Trump on Tuesday courted controversy when he said receiving a Purple Heart from a US military veteran was "much easier" than being awarded the medal given to those wounded in combat. The statement immediately started trending on Twitter, with some users mocking the billionaire real estate mogul for accepting the honor -- awarded by sitting US presidents -- while on the campaign trail. The comments also come as Trump is locked in a war of words with the parents of a Muslim American soldier killed in a suicide bombing in Iraq in 2004, after the father, Khizr Khan, addressed the Democratic National Convention and said Trump has "sacrificed nothing" for the country.

First Republican congressman pledges to vote Clinton Posted: 02 Aug 2016 10:09 AM PDT A three-term US representative from New York on Tuesday became the first Republican member of Congress to declare publicly that he will vote for Hillary Clinton for president. While other Republicans in the House have refused to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump, so far none of the others have promised to cross the aisle and vote for his Democratic rival on November 8, US media reported. Richard Hanna, who represents an eight-county district in upstate New York and is a former businessman, announced his decision in an interview and a letter on the opinion pages of local news site Syracuse.com.

Senate Republicans on the spot over Trump comments on Khan Posted: 02 Aug 2016 08:54 AM PDT WASHINGTON (AP) — The uproar over Donald Trump's criticism of a bereaved Army family put vulnerable GOP senators in a tight spot, underscoring anew the political challenges created for Republicans by their newly minted presidential nominee. And with the general election campaign now squarely underway, the firestorm over Trump's attacks on the Khan family is likely just a taste of trials to come as Republicans negotiate how closely to align with their volatile nominee.

Iraq PM bans travel by officials accused of corruption Posted: 02 Aug 2016 08:53 AM PDT Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has imposed a travel ban on several parliamentary officials accused of corruption, his office said Tuesday, but the parliament speaker rejected the order. Defence Minister Khalid al-Obeidi on Monday told parliament that speaker Salim al-Juburi and several lawmakers were corrupt and had sought to blackmail him. Abadi ordered a "temporary travel ban" against those accused, in order "to investigate the validity of the allegations", a statement from his office said.

Why US airstrikes in Libya could mean deeper involvement in war against ISIS Posted: 02 Aug 2016 08:41 AM PDT The United States carried out two airstrikes on Monday in the Libyan city of Sirte, in the first of what may be an extended military campaign against the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Libya. The airstrikes come after months of intensive reconnaissance by US Special Forces in a country still mired in the turmoil that followed the Western-backed deposing of former strongman Muammar Qaddafi in 2011.

Pence's role emerges as Trump's counterbalance Posted: 02 Aug 2016 08:21 AM PDT In the days after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's sharp exchange with the bereaved parents of a Muslim-American Army captain, his running mate has sought to soften Mr. Trump's emotional words. Gov. Mike Pence (R) of Indiana defended Trump's devotion to the military, and commitment to reform the Department of Veteran Affairs, and said Capt. Humayun Khan is an "American hero," after Trump questioned if Mr. Khan's mother, Ghazala, was forbidden from speaking at the Democratic National Convention Thursday because of her faith. Governor Pence's defense of Trump could be indicative of his emerging role on the campaign trail: explaining and, at times, mitigating Trump's incendiary comments.

Warren Buffett Scolds Donald Trump: Have You No Sense of Decency, Sir? Posted: 02 Aug 2016 08:15 AM PDT Add Warren Buffett to the list of Donald Trump's fellow billionaires who don't believe the Republican presidential nominee's claims of tremendous business acumen. At a Hillary Clinton campaign event yesterday in Omaha, the man famous for being one of the most successful investors in history looked back to 1995, when Trump took his casino business public, and said that in those years it was hard not to make money in the markets. "If a monkey had thrown a dart at the stock page, the monkey on average would have made 150 percent," Buffett said.

Trump suggests general election could be 'rigged' Posted: 02 Aug 2016 07:48 AM PDT COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has suggested that he fears the general election "is going to be rigged" — an unprecedented assertion by a modern presidential candidate.

France buries priest murdered by Islamist militants Posted: 02 Aug 2016 07:07 AM PDT By Antony Paone ROUEN, France (Reuters) - Mourners crammed into Rouen Cathedral on Tuesday for the funeral of the Roman Catholic priest knifed to death at his church altar, as France's political leaders sought ways to defeat home-grown Islamist violence. Father Jacques Hamel was leading morning mass in the nearby industrial town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray last Tuesday when the attackers stormed in, forced the 85-year-old to his knees and slit his throat while chanting in Arabic. Amid tight security at the thirteenth century gothic cathedral in northern France, a procession of senior clergy followed pallbearers who carried Hamel's coffin through the "Door of Mercy" and placed it on an ornate rug before the altar.

Iraqi Prime Minister bans travel for MPs accused of defense corruption Posted: 02 Aug 2016 06:48 AM PDT By Ahmed Rasheed and Saif Hameed BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday said six lawmakers accused of corruption in the defense sector would not be allowed to travel abroad until a parliamentary committee had completed an investigation. Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi on Monday accused Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jabouri and five other MPs of lobbying for businesses seeking contracts to sell overpriced planes, vehicles and other goods to the armed forces. The scandal comes at a critical time for Iraq as its armed forces gear up to recapture Mosul, the capital of Islamic State in Iraq, in what is meant to be a final push to defeat the militants.

Iraq prime minister issues travel ban for some lawmakers Posted: 02 Aug 2016 06:47 AM PDT BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister issued a travel ban on Tuesday for some sitting lawmakers and politicians amid corruption allegations that surfaced during the questioning in parliament of the country's defense minister.

Knights of Columbus Donate Service Hours Valued at $1.7 Billon Posted: 02 Aug 2016 06:21 AM PDT NEW HAVEN, Conn., Aug. 2, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Knights of Columbus set a new all-time record last year for charitable donations worldwide with $175,079,192 in donations and more than 73.5 million hours of service valued at $1.7 billion (U.S.). Canadian Knights donated $22,241,473, and gave over 9 million hours of service. The monetary value of the worldwide service hours is based on an estimate of Independent Sector, a network for nonprofit foundations, which listed the value of a 2015 volunteer hour as $23.56.

Libyan forces wary of Islamic State redoubt despite U.S. support Posted: 02 Aug 2016 06:16 AM PDT By Aidan Lewis and Goran Tomasevic SIRTE, Libya (Reuters) - A day after the United States began a formal campaign of air strikes against Islamic State's stronghold in Libya, anti-IS fighters welcomed Washington's involvement but remained wary of advancing for fear of mines and snipers. The initial U.S. strikes on Monday targeted a tank and two vehicles in Sirte, where the ultra-hardline militants are encircled in the heart of what has become an important base for the group beyond its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria. "If the United States is serious about these air strikes we are very pleased, and it will help us on the ground," said Husam Bakoush, a fighter with the Marsa brigade.

The Latest: Turkey's Erdogan blasts EU over migrant deal Posted: 02 Aug 2016 06:11 AM PDT BERLIN (AP) — The Latest on migration to Europe from Middle East and Africa (all times local):

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