| The Latest: Democratic Sen. Heitkamp meets with Trump Posted: 02 Dec 2016 03:29 PM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President-elect Donald Trump (all times EST):
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| Trump allies move to stop Rust Belt recount Posted: 02 Dec 2016 01:53 PM PST  President-elect Donald Trump turned back to cabinet-building Friday after a victory rally in the Rust Belt, where allies of the billionaire were pushing to stop a vote recount in three states that were key to his victory. Three separate moves -- by lawyers for Trump, his supporters, and a top law enforcement official -- aim to stop recounts requested by Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, and now supported by Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign. While Trump resumed interviews with potential cabinet members and other officials at his Trump Tower headquarters in Manhattan, a team of his attorneys filed suit in Pennsylvania seeking to deny Stein's request.
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| A Cabinet of generals? Trump's choices get mixed reviews Posted: 02 Dec 2016 01:40 PM PST  Donald Trump's move to pack his administration with military brass is getting mixed reviews, as Congress and others struggle to balance their personal regard for the individuals he's choosing with a broader ...
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| Morocco arrests eight over alleged ties with IS Posted: 02 Dec 2016 01:19 PM PST  Morocco has arrested eight men with alleged ties to the Islamic State jihadist group active in the cities of Fez and Tangiers, the interior ministry said on Friday. An initial investigation pointed towards the men having ties with IS in Syria and Iraq, "recruiting and sending Moroccan volunteers" there. A study by the US-based Soufan Group said last December that at least 1,200 Moroccans had travelled to fight alongside IS in Iraq and Syria in the previous 18 months.
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| Six key issues facing Trump's Pentagon pick Posted: 02 Dec 2016 12:12 PM PST  How will President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, retired Marine general James Mattis, steer America's largest bureaucracy and the world's biggest war machine through what likely will be turbulent years to come? Trump has slammed the Iran nuclear deal, and Mattis has also challenged it. During the campaign, Trump said he would "bomb the shit" out of the IS group, pledged to kill the relatives of suspected terrorists and to torture captives.
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| International push aims to protect endangered heritage Posted: 02 Dec 2016 11:35 AM PST Representatives from dozens of countries gathered in Abu Dhabi on Friday to focus on setting up a $100-million fund to protect and restore heritage sites threatened by extremism and conflict. The two-day conference reflects growing international alarm over the destruction of ancient artefacts by Islamic State group jihadists using sledgehammers, bulldozers and explosives. "To succeed, we need to work together... united for heritage," UNESCO director Irina Bokova told participants. |
| Residents alarmed as Iraqi soldiers spray Shi'ite graffiti in Mosul Posted: 02 Dec 2016 10:51 AM PST  By Ulf Laessing MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - "We answer your call, O Hussein!" The traditional battle cry of Shi'ite Muslims, expressing loyalty to the 7th century martyred hero of their sect, has been spraypainted across buildings in Mosul by soldiers as they push out the hardline Sunni fighters of Islamic State. Troops and commanders say the slogan, sometimes sprayed over Islamic State's own graffiti, is meant to be an expression of victory for all Iraqis. Iraq won't improve after Daesh is gone." Islamic State, also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh, considers all Shi'ite Muslims heretics who must repent or die.
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| IS tactics evolving, may include car bombs: Europol Posted: 02 Dec 2016 10:13 AM PST  Terror networks such as the Islamic State group are evolving their tactics to attack soft targets in Europe, which could see the use of deadly car bombs, Europol warned on Friday. Jihadist attacks on EU member states have not yet involved "the use of home-made, commercial or military explosives in vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices" as in Syria or Iraq, Europe's police agency said in a report issued in The Hague. The group responsible for attacks in Paris a year ago and in Brussels in March wanted to deploy such devices until police actions forced them to change their plans, the report said.
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| Gone for 400 Years, Returned Beavers Get Protected Status in Scotland Posted: 02 Dec 2016 10:11 AM PST  Four centuries after beavers were hunted into extinction in Scotland, the fabulously furry swimming mammals are back, and they're here to stay. The Scottish government last week declared beavers to be a native and protected species following a five-year trial program to bring the animals back to the rivers in which they once swam. "We hope the announcement will pave the way for future formal releases in other locations," said Gavrielle Kirk-Cohen, public relations coordinator for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which works with the Scottish Wildlife Trust to manage the Scottish Beaver Trial.
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| Europe must brace for new, varied IS attacks: security chief Posted: 02 Dec 2016 10:10 AM PST  By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Islamic State will attack Europe again, security chiefs warned on Friday, and may add car bombs, cyber and chemical warfare to its local arsenal as European militants drift home after reverses in Syria and Iraq. Gilles de Kerchove, the European Union's Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, said it was impossible to know for sure how many militants were already in Europe plotting. "We have to be prepared because some of them will come to Europe," said de Kerchove, a veteran EU official whose Brussels office is packed with books and souvenirs from nine years of intensive travel and talking with Europe's troubled neighbors.
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| House passes $611 billion defense policy bill by wide margin Posted: 02 Dec 2016 10:01 AM PST  The Republican-led House on Friday overwhelmingly backed a $611 billion defense policy bill that rejects a number of President Barack Obama's key proposals for managing the nation's vast military enterprise. ...
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| Unemployment drops for black Americans and high school grads Posted: 02 Dec 2016 09:59 AM PST Many black Americans and people with only a high school education found jobs in November, helping reduce their unemployment rates to levels seen before the Great Recession ravaged the U.S. job market. ... |
| Iraqi troops bring to 23 districts retaken in Mosul Posted: 02 Dec 2016 09:37 AM PST  BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi special forces fighting Islamic State militants in the northern city of Mosul seized a new neighborhood on Friday and took full control of a densely-populated neighborhood, where troops happened upon a residential complex for IS fighters, according to two Iraqi field commanders.
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| Status of main battle fronts in Iraq and Syria Posted: 02 Dec 2016 09:30 AM PST  Rebels put up fierce resistance against Syrian government forces in the key district of Sheikh Saeed on the southeast edges of the battered city. In preparation for street-by-street fighting in rebel-held eastern districts, hundreds of fighters from Syria's elite Republican Guard and Fourth Division arrived in Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. More than 300 civilians, including dozens of children, have been killed in east Aleppo since the government offensive began on November 15, the monitoring group said.
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| Enter the generals: Why Trump's cabinet picks give Pentagon pause Posted: 02 Dec 2016 09:02 AM PST It is what many former military officials consider a "good news, bad news" story for the Pentagon, which, despite its implicit focus on waging war, has a long – and necessary, analysts are quick to add – tradition of civilian, rather than military, leadership. "The good news is that he's incredibly competent and knows what wars mean," says retired Gen. David Barno, a four-star general who commanded US troops in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005. It is a concern that the Trump transition team has acknowledged, particularly given that Mattis would be the second retired general tapped to serve in the administration, and Trump is said to be eying a third. |
| Russia not serious in talks with Syrian rebels: opposition official Posted: 02 Dec 2016 08:36 AM PST  By Angus McDowall and Tom Perry BEIRUT (Reuters) - A senior Syrian opposition official accused Russia on Friday of procrastinating in talks with rebels over Aleppo, signaling no progress in diplomacy which rebels hoped would ease dire conditions in the city where they are in danger of defeat. Buoyed by its rapid capture of several whole neighborhoods, the government on Friday took journalists on an escorted tour of the ruined northeast Aleppo districts which fell on Sunday and Monday, and which the army is sweeping for mines. The rebels' talks with Russia, the most powerful ally of President Bashar al-Assad, in Ankara point to the bad set of options they face.
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| Trump to nominate retired Gen. James Mattis to lead Pentagon Posted: 02 Dec 2016 08:30 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Breaking once more from presidential custom, Donald Trump is turning to a military man to steer the U.S. military, choosing retired Gen. James Mattis, who will be the first career officer to lead the Pentagon since just after World War II.
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| White House announces support for women in military draft Posted: 02 Dec 2016 08:02 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration has declared its support for requiring women to register for the military draft, a symbolic but significant shift that reflects the U.S. military's evolution from a male-dominated force to one seeking to incorporate women at all levels.
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| Empowered Shiite militias poised to dominate key Iraq town Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:57 AM PST  AIN AL-JEHESH, Iraq (AP) — On the road to Tal Afar, an Iraqi city near Syria that's been key to sectarian catastrophes in both countries over the past decade, a mosaic of rag-tag troops advancing against Islamic State militants have one symbol in common.
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| Ex-IS sex slave fearful for Yazidi women left behind Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:55 AM PST  Haifa, an Iraqi Yazidi, held up her fingers to show the number of fighters from the Islamic State jihadist group who had bought and sold her for sex during her more than two years in captivity. With an Iraqi campaign now in full swing to wrest back control of Mosul from IS, the Yazidis are fearful for as many as thousands of members of their community still in jihadist hands in the city. "There were seven," Haifa said, including men from Egypt, Morocco and a Palestinian.
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| Europol warns of new terror tactics, fresh threats to Europe Posted: 02 Dec 2016 06:20 AM PST  Europol warned Friday that the Islamic State group could launch fresh attacks in Europe in the near future, and the agency's director said police forces across the continent are investigating more than ...
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| Exclusive: Iraqi commanders examined strategy shift to avert Mosul war of attrition Posted: 02 Dec 2016 05:43 AM PST  By Ahmed Rasheed and Dominic Evans BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Facing brutal urban warfare in Mosul and with their push slowed by the presence of one million residents, Iraqi commanders examined changing strategy last week to help civilians leave to give the army a free hand to strike Islamic State fighters. The proposal, a sign of frustration at slow progress in the six-week campaign against Islamic State in Mosul, was ultimately dismissed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and his generals, military sources told Reuters in interviews. Islamic State militants who have controlled the city since mid-2014 have waged a lethal defense, deploying snipers, mortar fire and 600 suicide car bombers, as well as attacks launched from a network of tunnels beneath residential neighborhoods.
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| Iraqis desperate to return to homes rigged with bombs by Islamic State Posted: 02 Dec 2016 05:24 AM PST  By John Davison BASHIQA, Iraq (Reuters) - Khedr Selim trod gingerly through the rubble of his old home, desperate to move back in with his family after two years on the run, but terrified in case Islamic State fighters, driven out at last, had wired the house to explode. Just days earlier two former residents of his hometown Bashiqa visited their house for the first time since fleeing two years ago. The explosives need to be cleared from the town before we can even clean up the rubble, let alone come back to live," he said.
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| Trump to nominate retired General Mattis for Pentagon Posted: 02 Dec 2016 05:18 AM PST  By Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday night he would nominate retired Marine Corps General James Mattis, known as "Mad Dog" and renowned for his tough talk and battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan, to lead the Pentagon. "We are going to appoint 'Mad Dog' Mattis as our secretary of defense," Trump told a rally in Cincinnati. The choice of a seasoned military strategist would be another indication that Trump, a Republican, intends to steer U.S. foreign policy away from Democratic President Barack Obama's increased reliance on U.S. allies to fight Islamist militants and to help deter Russian and Chinese aggression in Europe and Asia.
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| Trump fills top jobs for his administration Posted: 02 Dec 2016 05:18 AM PST (Reuters) - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump said on Thursday he would name retired Marine Corps General James Mattis as defense secretary. The following is a list of Republican Trump's selections for top jobs in his administration. All the posts but that of national security adviser require Senate confirmation: DEFENSE SECRETARY: JAMES MATTIS Mattis is a retired Marine Corps general known for his tough talk, distrust of Iran and battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. |
| The War Hawks Are Flocking to Trump Tower Posted: 02 Dec 2016 05:00 AM PST  With the news that Donald Trump will nominate former Marine General James "Mad Dog" Mattis for secretary of defense, the president-elect seems to be surrounding himself with a powerful cadre of war hawks.
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| Denmark to pull F-16 fighter jets from Syria and Iraq Posted: 02 Dec 2016 04:52 AM PST Denmark will not extend military operations of its seven F-16 fighter jets in Syria and Iraq from mid-December after six months in action, the Danish government said on Friday. Instead the Danish contribution in Syria and Iraq will primarily consist of training and analysis teams, which to a large extent will work closer to Iraqi military units. |
| Denmark pulls back its F-16 jets fighting IS militants Posted: 02 Dec 2016 03:40 AM PST COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — In a planned move, Denmark is pulling back its F-16 fighter jet squadron from an international coalition fighting the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. |
| Uzbekistan PM Mirziyoyev poised to win presidential election Posted: 02 Dec 2016 03:38 AM PST Uzbekistan's interim president, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, looks set to become the Central Asian nation's second full-time leader since independence in an election on Sunday, facing timid opponents who have avoided any criticism of the government. Mirziyoyev, 59, served as prime minister from 2003 under President Islam Karimov, who died of a stroke in September having run Central Asia's most populous nation, a former Soviet republic, with an iron fist for 27 years. Indicating his status as the likely successor, Mirziyoyev was first named to head a commission arranging the funeral - a nod to Soviet-era political tradition - and then appointed interim president when the senate speaker, given that role by constitution, gave it up in Mirziyoyev's favor. |
| Europol warns of IS attacks, says dozens of militants may be in Europe Posted: 02 Dec 2016 02:10 AM PST  Islamic State is likely to launch more attacks in Europe, the EU police agency Europol warned on Friday, with several dozen militants already in place and more possibly arriving as IS faces setbacks in Syria and Iraq. In a report on the threat the Islamist group poses to the 28-nation bloc, Europol said the most probable forms of attack would be those used in recent years, from the mass shootings and suicide bombings seen in Paris and Brussels to stabbings and other assaults by radicals acting alone. Car bombs and kidnappings, common in Syria, could emerge as tactics in Europe, it said, while protected sites such as power grids and nuclear power stations were not seen as top targets.
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| Singapore minister sees increased threat of extremist attack Posted: 02 Dec 2016 01:33 AM PST  By Aradhana Aravindan and Marius Zaharia SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singapore minister said on Friday the threat of an extremist attack was higher now than earlier this year as hardline Islamists are increasingly pushing their agenda in neighboring Indonesia. Law and Home Affairs Minister Kasiviswanathan Shanmugam, speaking to the Foreign Correspondents Association in Singapore, did not specify whether the threat had increased just in the city state or in Southeast Asia generally. "The threat if anything, I think, has increased, compared to last year and earlier this year," said Shanmugam.
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| Key House chairman: GOP will change Medicare, to 'save' it Posted: 02 Dec 2016 12:52 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — The chairman of a key House committee is pledging that congressional Republicans will change Medicare in order to save it.
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| AP EXPLAINS: Why officers can't easily become Pentagon heads Posted: 02 Dec 2016 12:39 AM PST  WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, will need more than the usual Senate confirmation before being able to take office.
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| Three Turkish soldiers killed after clashes with militants: military sources Posted: 01 Dec 2016 11:42 PM PST Three Turkish soldiers were killed on Friday after clashing with Kurdish militants in the southeastern province of Hakkari, military sources said. Turkey's southeast has been rocked by violence following the collapse of a 2-1/2-year ceasefire between the state and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in July last year. The PKK has repeatedly targeted security forces since. |
| Trump's cabinet picks so far Posted: 01 Dec 2016 11:19 PM PST  US President-elect Donald Trump has added a new name to his cabinet, tapping retired general James Mattis to be his secretary of defense. One of Trump's earliest supporters during the campaign, the anti-immigration senator from Alabama has a much criticized record on race relations and was once denied a judgeship amid concerns over past comments about blacks.
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| General James Mattis: a 'Mad Dog' with a big library Posted: 01 Dec 2016 06:27 PM PST  Retired general James "Mad Dog" Mattis -- who for years oversaw US war efforts in the Middle East and was tapped Thursday by President-elect Donald Trump as his new defense secretary -- did not come by his nickname lightly. Mattis, 66, commanded a Marine battalion during the First Gulf War and a marine division during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2010, the tough-talking native of Washington state was named to head the US Central Command.
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| 10 Things to Know for Friday Posted: 01 Dec 2016 06:22 PM PST  Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Friday: 1. RETIRED MARINE GENERAL TAPPED FOR DEFENSE CHIEF Trump says he'll nominate James Mattis, former ...
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| In Gen. Jim Mattis, Trump chooses a ‘warrior monk’ as secretary of defense Posted: 01 Dec 2016 05:54 PM PST  Donald Trump was expecting a very different answer when he asked retired Marine Gen. James Mattis, at a meeting last month, for his views on the use of waterboarding. Mattis, who served in the Marines from 1969 until his retirement in 2013, represents a big change from the current secretary of defense, the bookish Ashton Carter, a former Harvard professor who was trained as a physicist.
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