Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• World Bank approves $1.5 bn in aid for war-torn Iraq
• US military formally ends anti-IS operation in Libya's Sirte
• Iranian Kurdish opposition offices in northern Iraq hit by explosion; six killed
• Previous IS-linked attacks on Western targets
• UN chief: Human trafficking a problem in many conflict zones
• Iraq gets new World Bank loan to cope with low oil price, war on Islamic State
• Trump frames Europe attacks as clash of religions
• Jordanian policemen killed fighting gunmen near Karak: security source
• Four policemen killed in new shootout in Jordan
• AJC Delegation Meets Senior Jordanian Officials in Amman
• 4 Jordanian police killed in clash with gunmen during raid
• IS claims 'soldier' behind Berlin truck attack
• Germany’s refugee policy under scrutiny after Berlin attack
• Not Guilty Plea Entered for NY, NJ Bombing Suspect in Attempted Murder of Police Officers
• McConnell rejects calls for select panel on Russian meddling
• Libya's NOC says oil pipelines reopened, expects 270,000 bpd boost in 3 months
• Syrian army closes in on last Aleppo rebels
• Russia, Turkey could grow even closer after envoy's slaying
• Attack on aid distribution point inside Mosul kills 3
• Iraq removes some of Baghdad's checkpoints to ease traffic
• Iraqis fighting ISIS show unity: why that still eludes their politicians
• Accused bomber Rahimi pleads not guilty to New Jersey charges
• Exclusive: Financing hitches could delay Hapag Lloyd, UASC shipping tie-up - sources
• Islamic State claims responsibility for shootout at Jordanian castle: statement
• The Pentagon Must Now Reveal the True Cost of War to All Americans
• Iraq unravels the story of mass grave near Mosul
• Today in History
• Thousands Evacuated From Aleppo as UN Votes to Monitor the Area

World Bank approves $1.5 bn in aid for war-torn Iraq Posted: 20 Dec 2016 03:21 PM PST The World Bank on Tuesday announced an additional $1.5 billion aid package for Iraq, to help the war-torn country implement reforms, improve public services and boost its economy. "Despite an ongoing war and low oil prices, Iraq is undertaking bold transformational reforms that will safeguard economic stability and lay the foundations for longer term private sector development and inclusive growth for all Iraqis," said Ferid Belhaj, World Bank director for the Middle East.

US military formally ends anti-IS operation in Libya's Sirte Posted: 20 Dec 2016 02:56 PM PST The US military has officially ended operations in a former Islamic State bastion in Libya, officials announced Tuesday. The Pentagon had launched Operation Odyssey Lightning to help local forces push the jihadists from the coastal city of Sirte on August 1. "In partnership with the Libyan Government of National Accord, the operation succeeded in its core objective of enabling GNA-aligned forces to drive Daesh (IS) out of Sirte," the US military's Africa Command said in a statement.

Iranian Kurdish opposition offices in northern Iraq hit by explosion; six killed Posted: 20 Dec 2016 02:36 PM PST ERBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - Six people were killed in a bomb attack on the offices of an Iranian Kurdish opposition group in northern Iraq late on Tuesday, Iraqi Kurdish security sources said. The explosion targeted the offices of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in Koy Sanjak, east of Erbil, the capital of the autonomous Iraqi Kurdish region. Clashes opposed in June and July PDKI fighters and Iranian Revolutionary Guards in northwestern Iran, leaving several dead on both sides. (Reporting by Maher Chmaytelli; Editing by Sandra Maler)

Previous IS-linked attacks on Western targets Posted: 20 Dec 2016 02:20 PM PST The following day, German Chancellor Angela Merkel describes the assault as a "terrorist attack." German police arrest a Pakistani asylum seeker but release him for lack of evidence. A machete-wielding man shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest) attacks two policewomen in Charleroi, southern Belgium, badly injuring one in the face before being shot dead by a third officer.

UN chief: Human trafficking a problem in many conflict zones Posted: 20 Dec 2016 01:46 PM PST UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Outgoing U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called Tuesday on all countries to investigate and prosecute cases of human trafficking and said the most vulnerable victims are women, children and refugees caught up in conflict areas around the globe.

Iraq gets new World Bank loan to cope with low oil price, war on Islamic State Posted: 20 Dec 2016 01:40 PM PST By Ahmed Rasheed and Maher Chmaytelli BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The World Bank has approved a new loan of $1.485 billion to help Iraq lessen the impact of low oil prices on its economy and shoulder the cost of the war on Islamic State, the international lender said in a statement on Tuesday. The new loan brings the World Bank's engagement in Iraq to nearly $3.4 billion, it said. The lightning advance of Islamic State happened as oil prices collapsed, drastically reducing the government's income, which comes almost exclusively from crude sales.

Trump frames Europe attacks as clash of religions Posted: 20 Dec 2016 01:32 PM PST Berlin police have yet to even put their hands on the right suspect after a truck ploughed into a Christmas market and left 12 people dead. Trump, however, has a different set of advisers and apparent beliefs: Extremism can only be defeated if we identify it as springing from Islam itself.

Jordanian policemen killed fighting gunmen near Karak: security source Posted: 20 Dec 2016 01:01 PM PST By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) - Four Jordanian policemen were killed in clashes with Islamist militants near the southern city of Karak on Tuesday as the authorities hunted militants who killed 10 people on Sunday, security officials said. Two days earlier police tackled gunmen holed up inside a Crusader castle in Karak. Islamic State militants claimed responsibility for the violence.

Four policemen killed in new shootout in Jordan Posted: 20 Dec 2016 12:50 PM PST Gunmen killed four Jordanian policemen in a new shootout Tuesday in Karak, where a weekend attack claimed by the Islamic State group left 10 people dead, an official said. Security forces came under fire during an operation to track down suspects following Sunday's assault, whose victims included a Canadian tourist, government spokesperson Mohammed Momani said. The security forces went to the house of a suspect after he admitted to links with the group behind Sunday's attack, Momani said.

AJC Delegation Meets Senior Jordanian Officials in Amman Posted: 20 Dec 2016 12:37 PM PST AMMAN, Jordan, Dec. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An AJC leadership delegation, on the second leg of regional consultations following the U.S. election, met with senior Jordanian officials on a range of political and security issues.Led by AJC President John Shapiro, the delegation discussed the organization's advocacy of close U.S. ...

4 Jordanian police killed in clash with gunmen during raid Posted: 20 Dec 2016 12:15 PM PST AMMAN, Jordan (AP) — Four policemen were killed Tuesday in an exchange of fire with wanted men in a central Jordanian province where assailants had killed 10 people in a series of ambushes earlier this week, state media said.

IS claims 'soldier' behind Berlin truck attack Posted: 20 Dec 2016 11:57 AM PST A "soldier" of the Islamic State group carried out a truck attack that killed 12 people at a Berlin Christmas market, a news agency linked to the jihadists said Tuesday. "A soldier of the Islamic State carried out the Berlin operation in response to appeals to target citizens of coalition countries," the IS-linked Amaq news agency said in a statement posted online. The truck was rammed into shoppers at the Christmas market in Berlin on Monday night, killing 12 people and wounding dozens more in what German Chancellor Angela Merkel said was a likely "terrorist" attack.

Germany’s refugee policy under scrutiny after Berlin attack Posted: 20 Dec 2016 11:31 AM PST Tensions over Germany's large migrant community reignited after authorities detained an asylum-seeker from Pakistan in connection with the deadly truck attack that killed at least 12 and injured nearly 50 at a bustling Christmas market Monday.

Not Guilty Plea Entered for NY, NJ Bombing Suspect in Attempted Murder of Police Officers Posted: 20 Dec 2016 11:20 AM PST The man accused of planting bombs in New Jersey and New York City and then engaging cops in a shootout pleaded not guilty today to the alleged attack on several Linden, New Jersey, police officers. A public defender entered a not guilty plea on the attempted murder charges on behalf of Ahmad Khan Rahimi this morning as Rahimi made a brief appearance in a New Jersey courtroom, where a high police presence surrounded him. Rahimi is suspected of leaving explosive devices in New Jersey and Manhattan the weekend before his Sept. 19 capture.

McConnell rejects calls for select panel on Russian meddling Posted: 20 Dec 2016 11:16 AM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is rejecting bipartisan calls for a special committee to investigate Russian interference in the U.S. election, which American intelligence says was aimed in part at helping Republican Donald Trump defeat Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Libya's NOC says oil pipelines reopened, expects 270,000 bpd boost in 3 months Posted: 20 Dec 2016 10:42 AM PST By Ahmed Elumami and Aidan Lewis TRIPOLI/TUNIS (Reuters) - Libya's National Oil Corporation said on Tuesday that pipelines leading from the western fields of Sharara and El Feel had been reopened after a two-year blockade, paving the way for a major boost to production. The NOC said in a statement that it expected to add 175,000 barrels per day (bpd) to national production in the next month, and 270,000 bpd over the next three months. Libya's oil production has been hit by conflict and political disputes over the past three years.

Syrian army closes in on last Aleppo rebels Posted: 20 Dec 2016 10:21 AM PST By Angus McDowall and Maria Tsvetkova BEIRUT/MOSCOW (Reuters) - As President Bashar al-Assad's army closed in on the last rebel enclave in Aleppo on Tuesday, Russia, Iran and Turkey said they were ready to help broker a Syrian peace deal. The Syrian army used loudspeakers to broadcast warnings to insurgents that it was poised to enter their rapidly diminishing area during the day and told them to speed up their evacuation of the city. Complete control of Aleppo would be a major victory for Assad against rebels who have defied him in Syria's most populous city for four years.

Russia, Turkey could grow even closer after envoy's slaying Posted: 20 Dec 2016 10:19 AM PST The assassination of Russia's ambassador to Turkey could actually bring the two regional powers closer together, with Russia reaping political benefits by arguing that it has paid a high price for fighting terrorism as Turkey, embarrassed by its security breaches, increasingly coordinates with Russia in neighboring Syria.

Attack on aid distribution point inside Mosul kills 3 Posted: 20 Dec 2016 09:39 AM PST IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — A small Iraqi aid organization says an attack on an aid distribution point inside Mosul has killed three people and wounded another three.

Iraq removes some of Baghdad's checkpoints to ease traffic Posted: 20 Dec 2016 09:35 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi authorities have started removing some of the security checkpoints in Baghdad in a bid to ease traffic in the country's capital with a population of about 6 million people, a senior military commander said Tuesday.

Iraqis fighting ISIS show unity: why that still eludes their politicians Posted: 20 Dec 2016 08:50 AM PST When the Sunni jihadists of the so-called Islamic State swept into northern Iraq in June 2014, Iraq's top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani, called for a national mobilization to defend Baghdad and Shiite shrines. Tens of thousands of Iraq's majority Shiites volunteered to fight. Recommended: How much do you know about the Islamic State?

Accused bomber Rahimi pleads not guilty to New Jersey charges Posted: 20 Dec 2016 08:37 AM PST By Daniel Trotta ELIZABETH, N.J. (Reuters) - An Afghan-born U.S. citizen accused of planting bombs in New York and New Jersey pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to New Jersey state charges, including attempted murder of police officers wounded in a shootout upon his arrest. Ahmad Khan Rahimi, 28, appeared in the Union County Courthouse handcuffed in front with a protective vest, white skullcap and beard. Rahimi also faces a host of federal charges in New York and New Jersey and a life sentence if convicted of setting off bombs in coastal New Jersey and in New York City in September and leaving behind others that failed to detonate.

Exclusive: Financing hitches could delay Hapag Lloyd, UASC shipping tie-up - sources Posted: 20 Dec 2016 07:04 AM PST LONDON/FRANKFURT (Reuters) - A merger of German container shipping line Hapag-Lloyd and United Arab Shipping Company (UASC) is likely to take months to complete, partly due to financing issues blamed on a deep industry downturn, sources familiar with the deal say. Hapag-Lloyd signed a binding agreement with UASC in July to form the world's fifth-largest line, valued at about 7 to 8 billion euros ($7.2-$8.3 billion), by the end of 2016. Global container shipping is suffering its worst downturn caused by a faltering global economy and too many ships.

Islamic State claims responsibility for shootout at Jordanian castle: statement Posted: 20 Dec 2016 05:16 AM PST Islamic State militants claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a shootout at a Crusader castle in the southern Jordanian city of Karak in which at least nine people including a Canadian tourist were killed. An Islamic State statement said four IS fighters undertook the operation on Sunday that ended in their deaths. Jordanian police said late on Sunday that they had killed four "terrorist outlaws" after flushing them out of the castle where they were holed up after an exchange of fire that lasted several hours.

The Pentagon Must Now Reveal the True Cost of War to All Americans Posted: 20 Dec 2016 05:15 AM PST The requirement comes as Republican President-elect Donald Trump has begun scrutinizing the Defense Budget and voicing complaints about excessive spending and over-the-top defense contracts. Department of Defense officials have frequently provided updates of the costs of overseas operations since 2001, with special emphasis on the more than two-year old war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The new defense authorization bill now requires disclosure of all costs, "including the relevant legacy costs, to each American taxpayer of each of the wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria." That means that the ongoing costs of veterans and other personnel must be included.

Iraq unravels the story of mass grave near Mosul Posted: 20 Dec 2016 02:22 AM PST It is one of dozens of such sites discovered in areas around Iraq that have been recaptured from the Islamic State group, whose rule has been defined by extreme brutality. "It really is a crime scene," Fawaz Abdulabbas, deputy head of the International Committee on Missing Persons in Iraq, said of the site near Hamam al-Alil discovered after Iraqi forces recaptured the town last month. When Iraqi forces launched an offensive in mid-October to recapture Mosul, the last IS-held city in the country, the jihadists "came to search for all members of the security forces", including 33-year-old Imed, his brother said.

Today in History Posted: 19 Dec 2016 09:01 PM PST Today in History

Thousands Evacuated From Aleppo as UN Votes to Monitor the Area Posted: 19 Dec 2016 02:57 PM PST Buses drove thousands of residents out of the last rebel-held enclave of eastern Aleppo today as the United Nations Security Council unanimously voted to monitor the evacuations, which resumed after a breakdown. About 7,000 people have been bused out of the besieged area to the western countryside since Sunday night, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria. Earlier today, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that close to 14,000 people, including more than 4,000 fighters, have left rebel-held Aleppo since Thursday.

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