Yahoo! News: Iraq

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• Obama Talks About Chelsea Manning Commutation, WikiLeaks and His Daughters' Reaction to the Election
• Judge scolds government over Iraq detainee abuse pictures
• IS lost nearly a quarter of its territory in 2016: report
• Pentagon chief says he opposed cutting Manning's prison term
• OIAC welcomes recent Congressional efforts, spearheaded by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and James Inhofe (R-OK) and Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) as well as Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) - to "hold the IRGC accountable for its terrorist actions."
• Bush senior in intensive care, wife Barbara also hospitalized
• U.S. must release Abu Ghraib photos, judge says
• Pentagon prepares new military options for Trump
• Obama says justice has been served in Manning case
• Chelsea Manning: a potent symbol for transgender Americans
• Key rebel group to stay away from Syria peace talks
• Germany, You’re Fired! How Trump Is Bringing Reality TV to US Foreign Policy
• Trump’s team says he’s ‘troubled’ by Chelsea Manning commutation
• Obama holds farewell press conference
• Islamist Syrian rebel group says it won't attend peace talks in Kazakhstan
• National Press Club Calls On Turkey To Allow NYT Reporter In Country
• Iraq announces 'liberation' of east Mosul
• US congresswoman Gabbard makes secret Syria trip
• Russia says teams up with Turkey for first time to bomb Syrian militants
• Patience wears thin in Fallujah, 6 months after IS ouster
• Iraq special forces chief says mission accomplished in east Mosul
• Iraq military: Troops have 'full control' of eastern Mosul
• Key dates in battle for Mosul
• At Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, empty shops echo a country's deepening strains
• Iraq special forces chief says mission accomplished in east Mosul
• GE wins $1.4 billion in power generation orders from Iraq
• As caliphate crumbles, Islamic State lashes out in Iraq
• Turkey rounds up 27 with links to suspected nightclub gunman
• Iraqi PM wants full disclosure about 2003 US-led invasion
• Iran's Zarif wants cooperation with Saudi over Syria and Yemen
• Five films to discover at this year's Sundance Film Festival
• Iraq's military says troops now have 'full control' of eastern Mosul after routing IS from that part of the city
• A chat with our talented FOIA fighter
• Obama and the Limits of 'Fact-Based' Foreign Policy
• A look at Chelsea Manning's case
• Obama commutes sentence of WikiLeaker Manning
• Trump 'needs to learn how to cry' from Obama

Obama Talks About Chelsea Manning Commutation, WikiLeaks and His Daughters' Reaction to the Election Posted: 18 Jan 2017 05:05 PM PST President Barack Obama defended commuting Chelsea Manning's prison sentence during his final news conference as commander in chief.The commutation was announced Tuesday, prompting questions about what will happen to other people who leak government information. ...

Judge scolds government over Iraq detainee abuse pictures Posted: 18 Jan 2017 05:03 PM PST NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge scolded the government on Wednesday for being overprotective of potentially disturbing images of how the military treated prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan and proceeding as if court review of its decisions about the pictures should not exist.

IS lost nearly a quarter of its territory in 2016: report Posted: 18 Jan 2017 04:17 PM PST The Islamic State group lost nearly a quarter of its territory in Iraq and Syria last year, according to a report released Thursday by research firm IHS Markit. Between early January 2016 and the end of the year the Islamic State's self-declared "caliphate" fell from 78,000 to 60,400 square kilometres (47,500 to 38,500 square miles ), IHS Markit said. "The Islamic State suffered unprecedented territorial losses in 2016, including key areas vital for the group's governance project," said Columb Strack, head of IHS's Conflict Monitor.

Pentagon chief says he opposed cutting Manning's prison term Posted: 18 Jan 2017 03:46 PM PST WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Ash Carter said Wednesday he had opposed commuting the prison sentence of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning, who was convicted in 2013 of espionage and other crimes for leaking classified information while deployed in Iraq.

OIAC welcomes recent Congressional efforts, spearheaded by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX) and James Inhofe (R-OK) and Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) as well as Representatives Brad Sherman (D-CA) and Ted Poe (R-TX) - to "hold the IRGC accountable for its terrorist actions." Posted: 18 Jan 2017 03:09 PM PST WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Organization of Iranian American Communities (OIAC) welcomes Congressional efforts towards designating "Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization."In testimony before Congress last week, Mr. Trump's nominees for the Central Intelligence Agency as well as the Departments of State & Defense echoed a collective sense of concern about Iran's "malign" role in the world. ...

Bush senior in intensive care, wife Barbara also hospitalized Posted: 18 Jan 2017 02:51 PM PST Former president George H.W. Bush was admitted to an intensive care unit Wednesday suffering from pneumonia, highlighting concerns about the health of a political dynasty's patriarch just as a new US leader prepares to enter office. Bush, 92, was initially hospitalized Saturday for shortness of breath, but was moved to intensive care "to address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia," Bush's office said in a statement. Early Wednesday, Bush's wife, the former first lady Barbara Bush, 91, also was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital "as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing," it said.

U.S. must release Abu Ghraib photos, judge says Posted: 18 Jan 2017 01:41 PM PST The U.S. Department of Defense must release a cache of photos showing how Army personnel treated detainees at the Abu Ghraib prison and other sites in Iraq and Afghanistan, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan said the release was proper because departing Defense Secretary Ash Carter failed to show why publishing the photos would endanger Americans deployed outside the United States. Hellerstein's decision is a victory for the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil and veterans rights groups whose lawsuit seeking the photos under the federal Freedom of Information Act began in 2004.

Pentagon prepares new military options for Trump Posted: 18 Jan 2017 01:33 PM PST He wants to frantically bomb the Islamic State group and has slammed White House micromanagement of America's warfighting generals, but President-elect Donald Trump has offered few specifics about what his Pentagon will look like. While Obama administration officials, who cede control of US foreign policy at noon Friday, say they did everything possible to destroy IS, senior military commanders are now drawing up fresh plans. During his campaign, Trump said he would "bomb the shit" out of IS and claimed to have a secret plan to quickly defeat the group.

Obama says justice has been served in Manning case Posted: 18 Jan 2017 12:05 PM PST President Barack Obama Wednesday defended his decision to commute the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who was jailed for 35 years for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Obama was addressing his final presidential news conference a day after he pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others -- including Manning, who will now be released in May -- in one of his last acts in office. "With respect to Chelsea Manning I looked at the particulars in this case the same way I have with the other commutations I have done and pardons I have done and felt in light of all the circumstances that commuting her sentence was entirely appropriate," Obama said.

Chelsea Manning: a potent symbol for transgender Americans Posted: 18 Jan 2017 11:52 AM PST NEW YORK (AP) — For most Americans, Chelsea Manning has been a hero or villain based on how they view her decision to leak classified material. For transgender people, she has another dimension — serving as a potent symbol of their struggles for acceptance.

Key rebel group to stay away from Syria peace talks Posted: 18 Jan 2017 11:10 AM PST Key rebel group Ahrar al-Sham said on Wednesday it will not take part in peace talks in the Kazakh capital next week aimed at ending Syria's nearly six-year-old war. The announcement came as Russia and Turkey -- which along with Iran organised the talks starting in Astana on Monday -- carried out their first joint air strikes against the Islamic State jihadist group in the war-torn country. Ahrar al-Sham, which counts thousands of fighters in central and northern Syria, said it would not attend the Astana talks due to "the lack of implementation of the ceasefire" in force since December 30 and ongoing Russian air strikes over Syria.

Germany, You’re Fired! How Trump Is Bringing Reality TV to US Foreign Policy Posted: 18 Jan 2017 10:23 AM PST There's a natural human tendency to try to impose order on unfamiliar situations, and for better or worse, we often use frameworks that have worked for us in the past. Military leaders tend to use their past battlefield experiences to guide current decision making, though not always with the best results. Business leaders sometimes assume that strategies that worked in one industry or company will succeed in another -- even though they often don't.

Trump’s team says he’s ‘troubled’ by Chelsea Manning commutation Posted: 18 Jan 2017 10:14 AM PST WASHINGTON, D.C. — Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer said President-elect Donald Trump is disturbed by President Obama's decision to commute the prison sentence of convicted leaker Chelsea Manning. "I think the president-elect is troubled by this action," Spicer said during a Wednesday news conference at Trump's presidential transition team headquarters. Spicer was also asked if Trump wanted to see WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange make good on a promise to allow himself to be extradited to the United States if Manning was given a deal.

Obama holds farewell press conference Posted: 18 Jan 2017 09:30 AM PST US President Barack Obama will give his final presidential press conference Wednesday, a traditionally mild-mannered ritual given fresh political weight by the rocky handover to Donald Trump. The outgoing Democratic leader had vowed a smooth transition of power to the Republican Trump, but the reality has been a little more tricky. The 44th and 45th presidents have traded barbs in public and the incoming administration has faced a momentous challenge to staff-in in time for Friday's first day at work.

Islamist Syrian rebel group says it won't attend peace talks in Kazakhstan Posted: 18 Jan 2017 09:01 AM PST One of Syria's strongest rebel factions, the conservative Islamist Ahrar al-Sham group, said on Wednesday it will not attend peace talks to be held in Kazakhstan on Jan. 23. Several other leading rebel groups decided on Monday that they would be at the talks, which will be attended by the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and are backed by Russia and Turkey. Ahrar al-Sham said in a statement posted on social media that although it was not going, it would support the rebel groups that did plan to attend if they could achieve a beneficial result.

National Press Club Calls On Turkey To Allow NYT Reporter In Country Posted: 18 Jan 2017 08:38 AM PST WASHINGTON, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Press Club released the following statement from President Jeff Ballou regarding the case of Rod Nordland, a correspondent for the New York Times, who was detained and expelled from Turkey on Tuesday while attempting to enter the country on a reporting trip. "We at the National Press Club call on the government of Turkey to reconsider its position on access for veteran New York Times journalist Rod Nordland who was detained and expelled on Tuesday. Turkey, a key U.S. ally and a NATO member, has now been added to that list.

Iraq announces 'liberation' of east Mosul Posted: 18 Jan 2017 08:26 AM PST Iraqi forces have retaken control of east Mosul from the Islamic State group, commanders said on Wednesday, three months after a huge offensive against the jihadist bastion was launched. Elite forces have in recent days entered the last neighbourhoods on the eastern side of Mosul, on the left bank of the Tigris River that runs through the city. Speaking at a news conference in Bartalla, a town east of Mosul, Staff General Talib al-Sheghati, who heads the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), announced "the liberation... of the left bank".

US congresswoman Gabbard makes secret Syria trip Posted: 18 Jan 2017 07:46 AM PST A US congresswoman made a rare secret visit to Syria as part of her effort toward ending the years-long conflict in the Middle Eastern nation, her office said Wednesday. House Democrat Tulsi Gabbard, an Iraq war veteran, made a fact-finding mission to the capital Damascus despite continued fighting in the war-torn country in contravention of a frail ceasefire. "As an individual committed to doing all she can to promote and work for peace, she felt it was important to meet with a number of individuals and groups including religious leaders, humanitarian workers, refugees and government and community leaders," said Gabbard spokeswoman Emily Latimer.

Russia says teams up with Turkey for first time to bomb Syrian militants Posted: 18 Jan 2017 07:40 AM PST By Andrew Osborn MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia said its war planes had joined forces with Turkish jets for the first time on Wednesday to target Islamic State militants holding the town of al-Bab in northern Syria, evidence of increasingly close cooperation between Moscow and Ankara. Russia and Turkey are the main organizers of a new round of Syrian peace talks due to take place in Kazakhstan on Jan. 23 and have set aside their differences over the political fate of President Bashar al-Assad to try to forge a wider Syria deal. Moscow backs Assad, while Ankara has diluted its demands for the Syrian leader to urgently step down as part of what some sources say is a backroom deal aimed at dividing Syria into informal zones of regional power influence.

Patience wears thin in Fallujah, 6 months after IS ouster Posted: 18 Jan 2017 07:37 AM PST More than six months after Iraqi forces retook Fallujah from the Islamic State group, reconstruction is slow and the government risks alienating those residents who have returned to the city. "There are no members of the Daesh terrorist organisation left in Fallujah," the police chief, Colonel Jamal al-Jumaili, told AFP, using an Arabic acronym for IS. "Fallujah is a safe city," he insisted.

Iraq special forces chief says mission accomplished in east Mosul Posted: 18 Jan 2017 06:59 AM PST By Isabel Coles BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Elite Iraqi forces have ousted Islamic State insurgents from all districts of eastern Mosul they were tasked with recapturing, their commanding officer said on Wednesday, bringing almost all of the city's eastern half back under government control. Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati said the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS), who have spearheaded the three-month-old offensive against Islamic State (IS) in the northern Iraqi city, had taken the eastern bank of the Tigris river. Regular army troops were still fighting the ultra-hardline militants in northeast Mosul, however, according to a military statement.

Iraq military: Troops have 'full control' of eastern Mosul Posted: 18 Jan 2017 06:42 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — U.S.-backed Iraqi government troops announced on Wednesday they were in "full control" of eastern Mosul after routing Islamic State militants from that part of the northern city, three months since the major operation started.

Key dates in battle for Mosul Posted: 18 Jan 2017 06:32 AM PST Baghdad (AFP) - Iraqi government forces launched a major offensive to recapture the city of Mosul from the Islamic State jihadist group on October 17, 2016.

At Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, empty shops echo a country's deepening strains Posted: 18 Jan 2017 06:29 AM PST Inside the tight warrens of Istanbul's famous Grand Bazaar, an edge of desperation has crept into the voices of touts trying to sell their wares. Recommended: Think you know Turkey? Instead, the mood has darkened: the new year was ushered in with another assault, claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS), in which a lone gunman killed 39 New Year revelers, many of them foreigners, in one of Istanbul's most exclusive nightclubs.

Iraq special forces chief says mission accomplished in east Mosul Posted: 18 Jan 2017 06:28 AM PST By Isabel Coles BARTELLA, Iraq (Reuters) - Elite Iraqi forces have ousted Islamic State insurgents from all districts of eastern Mosul they were tasked with recapturing, their commanding officer said on Wednesday, bringing almost all of the city's eastern half back under government control. Lieutenant-General Talib Shaghati said the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS), who have spearheaded the three-month-old offensive against Islamic State (IS) in the northern Iraqi city, had taken the eastern bank of the Tigris river. Regular army troops were still fighting the ultra-hardline militants in northeast Mosul, however, according to a military statement.

GE wins $1.4 billion in power generation orders from Iraq Posted: 18 Jan 2017 06:26 AM PST General Electric Co. said Wednesday it has won over $1.4 billion in power generation orders from Iraq's Ministry of Electricity. The orders are for setting up power plants and to provide technology upgrades ...

As caliphate crumbles, Islamic State lashes out in Iraq Posted: 18 Jan 2017 05:51 AM PST By John Davison BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Two days after Iraqi forces launched a new push against Islamic State in Mosul, bomb blasts ripped through a marketplace in central Baghdad - the start of a spate of attacks that appear to signal a shift in tactics by the Islamist group. Raids on police and army posts in other cities, also claimed by Islamic State, have accompanied the bombings. The attacks show that even if Islamic State loses the Iraqi side of its self-styled caliphate, the threat from the group may not subside.

Turkey rounds up 27 with links to suspected nightclub gunman Posted: 18 Jan 2017 05:23 AM PST ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkish police rounded up 27 people linked to the suspected gunman in Istanbul's New Year's Eve nightclub attack and the justice minister said Wednesday that the capture of the suspect will lead to a better understanding of the Islamic State group's operations in Turkey.

Iraqi PM wants full disclosure about 2003 US-led invasion Posted: 18 Jan 2017 05:01 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's prime minister is demanding full disclosure about events surrounding the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

Iran's Zarif wants cooperation with Saudi over Syria and Yemen Posted: 18 Jan 2017 04:10 AM PST Iran and Saudi Arabia should be able to work together to help end conflicts in Syria and Yemen, after successfully cooperating over Lebanon last year, Iran's foreign minister said. "I do not see any reason why Iran and Saudi Arabia should have hostile policies towards each other.

Five films to discover at this year's Sundance Film Festival Posted: 18 Jan 2017 03:39 AM PST The film festival founded by Robert Redford will be held January 19-29 in Salt Lake City in the mountains of Utah, USA. This veritable springboard for independent cinema is in its 33rd edition this year. Since launching in 1991, the Sundance Film Festival has scouted out the talent of several major directors (Tarantino, Jarmusch, the Coen brothers) and has previewed several future Oscar nominees.

Iraq's military says troops now have 'full control' of eastern Mosul after routing IS from that part of the city Posted: 18 Jan 2017 03:02 AM PST BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's military says troops now have 'full control' of eastern Mosul after routing IS from that part of the city.

A chat with our talented FOIA fighter Posted: 18 Jan 2017 02:00 AM PST Center research editor Peter Smith has led the charge in fighting for government information

Obama and the Limits of 'Fact-Based' Foreign Policy Posted: 18 Jan 2017 01:50 AM PST They were the best and the brightest. But, most of all, they believed they were right. Although the scale of disaster was considerably different, the same that was said of those who oversaw foreign policy under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson could be said of the Obama administration.

A look at Chelsea Manning's case Posted: 18 Jan 2017 12:48 AM PST U.S. Army Private Chelsea Manning's 35-year sentence for leaking classified information to the anti-secrecy website WikiLeaks has been commuted by President Barack Obama to about seven years, including the time she spent locked up before she was convicted in 2013. Her sentence is now set to expire May 17.

Obama commutes sentence of WikiLeaker Manning Posted: 17 Jan 2017 11:20 PM PST US President Barack Obama slashed the sentence of transgender army private Chelsea Manning, who had been sentenced to 35 years behind bars for handing classified US documents to WikiLeaks. Obama pardoned 64 people and commuted the sentences of 209 others -- including 29-year-old Manning, who will now be released in May -- in one of his final acts as president. Manning was convicted in August 2013 of espionage and other offenses, after admitting to the leak of 700,000 sensitive military and diplomatic documents.

Trump 'needs to learn how to cry' from Obama Posted: 17 Jan 2017 07:57 PM PST Donald Trump has one big lesson to learn from outgoing US President Barack Obama -- he needs to learn to be cool about crying. "If he could squeeze one tear out during his inauguration" on Friday, "people will turn around quite quickly their feelings towards him", British behavioural expert Judi James told AFP. Showing his emotions certainly worked for Obama, James argued.

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