Neapolitan

By Ahmed Rasheed and Ayla Jean Yackley Related Stories Syria slams Turkey over troop deployment in Iraq Reuters Turkish soldiers training Iraqi troops near Mosul: sources Reuters Iraq calls on Turkey to 'immediately' withdraw troops AFP Turkish troops on Iraqi training mission moved near Mosul Associated Press Iraq: Turkey troops near Mosul violating international law Associated Press Tommy Bahama Home Collections!Baer's Furniture Sponsored  BAGHDAD/ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Iraq's Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador on Saturday to demand that Turkey immediately withdraw hundreds of troops deployed in recent days to northern Iraq, near the Islamic State-controlled city of Mosul. The ministry said in a statement the Turkish forces had entered Iraqi territory without the knowledge of the central government in Baghdad, and that Iraq considered such presence "a hostile act". But Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said the troop rotation was routine and that Turkish forces had set up a camp near Mosul almost a year ago in coordination with Iraqi authorities. "This camp was established as a training camp for a force of local volunteers fighting terrorism," he said in a speech to a labor union that was broadcast live by NTV news channel. Islamic State militants overran Mosul in June 2014. A much anticipated counter-offensive by Iraqi forces has been repeatedly postponed because they are tied down in fighting elsewhere. Iraq has urged the international community to provide more weapons and training in its battle against Islamic State, but rejects most forms of direct intervention, mistrusting the intentions of foreign powers. Davutoglu said the camp, located some 30 km (19 miles) northeast of Mosul, was set up at the Mosul governor's request and in coordination with the Iraqi Defence Ministry. "It has trained more than 2,000 of our Mosul brothers, contributing to the freeing of Mosul from the Islamic State terrorist organization," he said. Iraqi President Fouad Massoum earlier described the deployment as "a violation of international norms and law" and called on Turkey to withdraw, echoing a statement from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's media office a day earlier. A senior Kurdish military officer based north of Mosul told Reuters that additional Turkish trainers had arrived at a camp in the area overnight on Thursday escorted by a Turkish protection force. A small number of Turkish trainers was already at the camp to train the Hashid Watani (national mobilization), a force made up of mainly Sunni Arab former Iraqi police and volunteers from Mosul. The United States was aware of Turkey's deployment of Turkish soldiers to northern Iraq but the move is not part of the U.S.-led coalition's activities, according to defense officials in Washington. U.S. officials made several statements last week on plans to send more U.S. troops to Iraq, prompting powerful Iraqi politicians and militias to protest against the presence of any foreign troops in Iraq without explicit permission from parliament. Powerful Iraqi Shi'ite Muslim armed groups have pledged to fight a planned deployment of U.S. forces to the country. Turkey has in recent months been bombing Kurdish militant positions in northern Iraq. (Additional reporting and writing by Stephen Kalin; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky and Stephen Powell) http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-president-says-turkish-deployment-violates-international-law-105629152.html

Are we sill OK holding the 25k notes, or should we exchange them for lower denoms?

I can think of a good place for him to stick that thumb!!!

Baghdad (AFP) - The Islamic State group beheaded four Iraqi Kurdish fighters following a joint raid with American special forces against the jihadists, according to a video posted online. The US-Kurdish operation last week, which freed some 70 people from an IS prison, deepened American involvement in the war against the jihadists and led to the first US combat fatality in Iraq since its 2011 withdrawal from the country. The video sought to portray the operation as a failure, with speakers saying the attacking forces were unable to overcome numerically inferior jihadists and displaying used first aid supplies that were left behind. It included images of areas said to have been hit by air strikes in the course of the operation, and ended with the execution of four men, said to be members of the Kurdish peshmerga security forces. Four black-clad masked militants used knives to behead the men, who were dressed in orange jumpsuits and had their hands bound behind their backs. It was not clear when the beheadings took place. IS has seized control of large parts of Iraq and Syria, declaring a cross-border "caliphate", imposing its brutal interpretation of Islam and committing widespread atrocities. A US-led coalition launched air strikes against the jihadists in August 2014, supporting Iraqi forces, including Kurdish fighters, in attempts to retake lost ground. http://news.yahoo.com/beheads-four-iraq-kurd-fighters-joint-us-raid-215242194.html

Oct 5, 2:23 PM (ET) By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA BAGHDAD (AP) — A series of car bombings across Iraq Monday killed at least 56 people and wounded dozens as the government continued its efforts to combat extremism across the country. The largest bombing took place in the Shiite-majority town of al-Khales in Iraq's eastern Diyala province. At least 32 people were killed in the attack and 58 were wounded when the car bomb tore through a commercial street, a police official said. In July, Diyala was the scene of one of the deadliest attacks on Iraqi soil in almost a decade when a suicide bomber with the Islamic State group attacked a crowded marketplace, killing 115 people, including women and children. The province, parts of which were previously under the Islamic State group's rule, has been the scene of multiple attacks in recent months — prompting anti-government protests, with citizens demanding tougher security measures. Meanwhile, in Iraq's southern Basra province, a senior security official said a car bomb exploded in the busy commercial district of a suburb near the city killing 10 people. Jabar al-Saadi, head of security for Basra province, said the bombing happened in the town of al-Zubair Monday, 50 kilometers (31 miles) southwest of Basra. At least 25 people were wounded in the attack. In the capital, Baghdad, police said at least 14 people were killed and 25 wounded when a car bomb exploded in the northeastern neighborhood of Husseiniya. Hospital officials corroborated the death tolls. The officials spoke anonymously as they are not authorized to brief the media. While no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks, the Islamic State group regularly targets Shiite neighborhoods and government installations in an effort to destabilize the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. --- Associated Press reporter Nabil al-Jurani in Basra, Iraq contributed to this report. http://apnews.myway.com/article/20151005/ml-iraq-bcc9c83b01.html

Published September 27, 2015Associated Press Facebook18 Twitter50 Email Print FILE - In this photo released on April 25, 2015, by a militant website, which has been verified and is consistent with other AP reporting, young boys known as the "lion cubs" hold rifles and Islamic State group flags as they exercise at a training camp in Tal Afar, near Mosul, northern Iraq. The Iraqi military has announced an agreement Sunday, Sept. 27, 2015 on "security and intelligence cooperation" with Russia, Iran and Syria to help combat the Islamic State group. (Militant website via AP, File) (The Associated Press) Next BAGHDAD – Iraqi will begin sharing "security and intelligence" information with Russia, Syria and Iran to help combat the advances of the Islamic State group, the Iraqi military announced Sunday. A statement issued by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said the countries will "help and cooperate in collecting information about the terrorist Daesh group," using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group. Iraq has long had close ties with neighboring Iran and has coordinated with Tehran in fighting the advance of ISIS -- which controls about a third of Iraq and Syria in a self-declared caliphate. Iranian commanders have helped lead Iraqi Shiite militiamen in combat. A U.S.-led coalition has been conducting aerial bombing campaigns against ISIS positions in Iraq and Syria, but U.S. officials insist they have no coordination with Tehran on the matter. The agreement with Russia comes at a time when Moscow is ramping up its involvement in Syria in defense of its ally Bashar Assad, with Russian soldiers on the ground in Syria, according to activists. The Iraqi military statement said that Moscow is increasingly concerned about "the presence of thousands of terrorists from Russia who are carrying out criminal acts with Daesh." http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/09/27/iraq-deal-reached-on-intelligence-cooperation-with-russia-iran-and-syria/?intcmp=hpbt2

EXCLUSIVE: Russian, Syrian and Iranian military commanders have set up a coordination cell in Baghdad in recent days to try to begin working with Iranian-backed Shia militias fighting the Islamic State, Fox News has learned. Western intelligence sources say the coordination cell includes low-level Russian generals. U.S. officials say it is not clear whether the Iraqi government is involved at the moment. Describing the arrival of Russian military personnel in Baghdad, one senior U.S. official said, "They are popping up everywhere." The Russians already have been building up their military presence in Syria, a subject expected to factor prominently in a planned meeting between President Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin in New York Monday on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly. While the U.S. also is fighting the Islamic State, the Obama administration has voiced concern that Russia's involvement, at least in Syria, could have a destabilizing effect. Moscow, though, has fostered ties with the governments in both Syria and Iraq. In May, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi flew to Moscow for an official visit to discuss potential Russian arms transfers and shared intelligence capability, as well as the enhancement of security and military capabilities, according to a statement by the Iraqi prime minister's office at the time. Meanwhile, a U.S. official described to Fox News how, over the weekend, the Russians were able to move 24 attack jets into Syria undetected. The Russian military flew 12 Sukhoi Su-25 "Frogfoot" and a dozen Sukhoi Su-24 "Fencer" attack aircraft in "tight formations" under the "steady stream" of the large Russian An-124 cargo planes that have been ferrying supplies from bases in Russia through Iran before traveling on to Syria, the official said. The large cargo planes appeared as "a big blip" on radar, but flying beneath them were "tight formations" of the smaller Russian fighter jets that used jamming pods and switched off their IFF, which would identify the aircraft to radar. The large Russian cargo planes have the capability to fly directly from Russia to Syria, but the smaller attack aircraft do not. "The Russian jets did not have the legs to make it directly from Russia to Syria, and needed a base to refuel," said the official, who spoke to Fox News under the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose sensitive information. According to the Aviationist, the Russian cargo planes and fighter jets landed at an airbase in Hamadan, Iran, roughly halfway between Baghdad and Tehran on Sept 18-19. Fox News also has learned from U.S. military sources that the Russians have begun flying some of the Sukhoi fighter and attack jets from Bassel al-Assad airport, in Latakia, now a Russian forward operating base along the Mediterranean. The planes are not dropping bombs or conducting attack missions, but just flying around near the base, according to one official. The official also confirmed that Russian destroyers are in position off the Mediterranean coast. On Thursday, State Department spokesman John Kirby denied a U.S. intelligence failure led to U.S. officials being caught unaware of the two dozen Russian warplanes arriving in Syria. "I can tell you that we've been watching this very, very closely ... and we have not been ignorant of what the Russians have been doing," said Kirby. Asked Thursday about Russia's military involvement in Syria, Defense Secretary Ash Carter cautioned that without Russian support for a "political transition" in Damascus, it could "pour gasoline on the ISIL phenomenon rather than to lead to the defeat of ISIL." But just two days ago, Secretary of State John Kerry said the Russian build-up was consistent with defensive measures. "For the moment, it is the judgment of our military and most experts that the level and type represents basically force protection, a level of protection for their deployment to an airbase given the fact that it is in an area of conflict,'' Kerry said at the State Department Tuesday. This week, former CIA director Gen. David Petraeus testified on Capitol Hill, warning that inaction in Syria carries risks for the United States. "Russia's recent military escalation in Syria is a further reminder that when the U.S. does not take the initiative, others will fill the vacuum -- often in ways that are harmful to our interests," Petraeus said. http://dinarvets.com/forums/index.php?app=forums&module=post&section=post&do=new_post&f=5

Turkish jets hit Kurdish militant camps in Iraq, at least 55 killed The jets took off from a base in Diyarbakir, in Turkey's southeast, and later returned without damage, the sources said. Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast has been hit by almost daily waves of deadly fighting between PKK militants and security forces since the collapse of a ceasefire in July. Security forces have responded by launching frequent bombing raids into mountainous northern Iraq where the PKK has camps. It is the worst violence NATO member Turkeyhas seen in two decades, coinciding with fighting across the border in Syria involving government troops and Islamic State militants. The PKK began its separatist insurgency in 1984, triggering a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people. The group, which says it is now fighting for greater Kurdish autonomy, is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. President Tayyip Erdogan has promised the fight will go on until "not one terrorist is left". The conflict has flared up as Turkey prepares for a parliamentary election on Nov. 1 following an inconclusive June vote. (Reporting by Seyhmus Cakan and Ece Toksabay; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Toby Chopra) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/19/us-turkey-kurds-idUSKCN0RJ0EX20150919

Poll finds almost a third of Americans would support a military coup Online survey shows 29% would support possible takeover while 41% said they could not imagine supporting such an event In the YouGov survey also that 43% of Republicans would support a military coup in certain instances, while only 20% of Democrats and 29% of independents would. Photograph: Filip Singer/EPA Ellen Brait in New York Saturday 12 September 2015 06.23 EDT Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share via Email Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on Google+ Shares8,226 Comments808 Save for later Almost a third of Americans could imagine supporting a military coup against their own government, according to a new poll. The YouGov survey showed 29% of Americans could imagine supporting a coup. Yet, 41% said they could not imagine supporting such an event. YouGov, which conducts internet polls about “politics, public affairs, products, brands and other topics of general interest”, surveyed 1,000 people online on the issue. They found that 43% of Republicans would support a military coup in certain instances, while only 20% of Democrats and 29% of independents would. The overall numbers increased when participants were “asked whether they would hypothetically support the military stepping in to take control from a civilian government which is beginning to violate the constitution”. 43% said yes to this, and 29% said no. Abraham Wyner, director of the undergraduate program in statistics at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, said that online polls were “worse than just about any other way you can put together a poll” because they were prone to selection bias, meaning proper randomization was not achieved and the sample was not representative of the population – since people can choose to participate. “People who are participating in an online poll are generally attracted to that poll because of some variable, some characteristic which is connected typically to one outcome or the other in that poll,” he said. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/11/military-coup-some-americans-would-vote-yes

Pres. Obama claims to be a Christian (his actions--lying, false accusations, pro-*** marriage, pro-abortion, etc. say otherwise), but many Christians believe he is a Muslim (he prays with them, praises them, defends them, won’t say “Muslim terrorist,” etc.). I will admit that I think he is a Muslim, but, until I saw an article that said two different sources say he is a Shiite, it never occurred to me that Pres. Obama might prefer the Shiite religion. The article said Pres. Obama’s father, Barack Hussein Obama Sr., was a Shiite Muslim in a mostly Sunni country (Kenya). If the statement is true, several things that I have found confusing are suddenly making sense. I Googled, “Was Pres. Obama’s father a Shiite?” to check it out and found several articles on the subject. Of course, there are people who call it a conspiracy theory, but it is important to look at some of the facts. The two main sects of Muslims are Sunnis (roughly 85%) and Shiites (roughly 10%). Both sects think their brand of Islam is right and the other’s brand is wrong. Both have their share of religious extremists and all of them think their sect will prevail at the end of the age. Since being elected, Pres. Obama has alienated many Sunnis (Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, etc.) and reached out to the Shiites in Iran. Why is he showing preference to the Shiites over the Sunnis? A religious conflict has broken out in the Middle East between Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, etc., (Sunnis) and Iran (Shiites) in the Middle East that the Sunnis could probably win. Why does Pres. Obama want to let Iran have nuclear weapons? Is he trying to switch the balance of power to the Shiites? Pres. Obama’s top advisor is a Shiite Muslim named Valerie Jarrett. If Pres. Obama wants to fundamentally transform America, why did he make a Shiite Muslim his top advisor? Sec. of State John Kerry’s daughter Vanessa is married to an Iranian-American named Dr. Brian Vala Nahed. Could the fact that Pres. Obama chose the father-in-law of an Iranian-American to be America’s chief negotiator with Iran be of any significance? As a U.S. Senator running for president, Mr. Obama pledged to pull all of America’s troops out of Iraq. As Commander-in-Chief, and against the advice of America’s top military leaders, he ordered America’s troops out of Iraq and let the Iranians take over. After spending billions of dollars to change the government in Iraq, why did Pres. Obama abandon Iraq knowing the government would be taken over by the Shiites? Pres. Obama has offered weapons, training and air support to the Iraqi government (mostly Shiite) to combat the Islamic State (Sunni). Instead of remaining neutral, why is Pres. Obama siding with the Shiites? Iran is supporting several terrorist organizations (Hezbollah, Houthis, Hamas, etc.). Iranian leaders have said their agreement with Pres. Obama will never cause them to abandon their support for these terrorist groups. Why does Pres. Obama want to let Iran (Shiites) have billions of dollars when some of it will be given to Shiites who are fighting Sunnis? Even though the Iranians hate America and shout death to America, Pres. Obama has offered to let Iran (Shiites) get nuclear weapons, get billions of dollars, keep their intercontinental missiles, have warnings before the UN inspectors arrive, take their own soil samples, avoid snapback sanctions, have secret side deals, etc.Is it possible that Pres. Obama hates America? Why would Pres. Obama try to tie the hands of the next President so he can’t attack Iran? Is it possible that Pres. Obama is trying to protect the Shiite government of Iran against future Presidents? Why is Pres. Obama threatening to issue Executive Orders to get around the House and Senate if they override his veto of the agreement with Iran? Does he believe his agreement with Iran (Shiites) is more important than the wishes of Congress and the American people? At a time when Pres. Obama is opening the door for Iran to get nuclear weapons, reports say he will soon try to force Israel to give up her nuclear weapons and to accept the Two-State solution. Both actions will threaten the survival of Israel. Why is Pres. Obama helping Shiites who hate Israel and shout death to Israel? Is it possible that Pres. Obama hates Israel? Is it possible that he is trying to bring about the destruction of Israel? During Israel’s 50 day war with Iranian-supported Hamas in Gaza, why did Pres. Obama stop sending weapons to Israel in the middle of the war and call for a cease fire? Is it possible that he was protecting the Shiite-supported terrorists so they can launch more attacks on Israel in the future? Pres. Obama’s supporters will criticize me for suggesting that he might be a Shiite Muslim, but it makes for interesting speculation and the facts above make it more likely that he is a Shiite Muslim than a Sunni Muslim. At the very least, he seems to have sympathies for Shiites that he puts above everything except his sympathies for gays. That is not Islamic, but it may be his strongest religious belief. Prophecy Plus Ministries Daymond & Rachel Duck daymond.duck@yahoo.com http://www.raptureready.com/featured/duck/dd189.html

There are no deaths but troops exposed to it have experienced various sicknesses World Bulletin / News Desk Kurdish forces in northern Iraq who are fighting ISIL were attacked with chemical weapons a few days ago, the German defence ministry said on Thursday. "There was a chemical weapons attack" southwest of Arbil, a ministry spokesman said, adding that some Kurdish fighters suffered respiratory problems while German military trainers were unhurt. The chemical agent had been delivered with mortar or artillery shells, said the spokesman, who did not say who was suspected of carrying out the attack. "American and Iraqi specialists from Baghdad are on their way to find out what happened," he added. Germany has been supporting the Kurdish peshmerga fighters with arms shipments and weapons training since September to back the fight against ISIL, and currently has about 90 personnel on the ground. "German soldiers were not affected or in danger," the spokesman said. "The protection of our soldiers in northern Iraq is already at the highest level." ISIL has previously been accused of using chlorine against Kurdish forces in Iraq. In March, the autonomous Kurdish government in northern Iraq said it had evidence that the jihadist group used chlorine in a car bomb attack on January 23. Last month, the Conflict Armament Research group and Sahan Research group said ISIL had also targeted peshmerga with a projectile filled with an unknown chemical agent on June 21 or 22. The chemical used had characteristics and clinical effects "consistent with a chlorine chemical agent," the groups said. The organisations said they had also documented two such attacks against Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on June 28. It said that upon impact, the projectiles had released a yellow gas "with a strong smell of rotten onions". There were no deaths but troops exposed to it had experienced burning of the throat, eyes and nose, severe headaches, muscle pain, impaired concentration and mobility, and vomiting. Related ISIL Iraq Legal Notice: Copyright, trade marks and other intellectual property rights in this website can not be reproduced without the prior permission. http://www.worldbulletin.net/headlines/163141/germany-iraqi-kurdish-forces-hit-with-chemical-weapons

WASHINGTON – Just hours after a deal last month allowing the U.S. to use Turkey’s air bases to launch sorties against ISIS, Turkey pulled a move that left American military leaders surprised and outraged, and raised questions about the two nations' alliance in the war on the jihadist army. With only 10 minutes notice to their American partners, Turkey launched a massive air strike of its own July 24 against a Kurdish militant group in the northern mountains of Iraq. The U.S. had barely enough warning to make sure its own forces were out of the way, according to a military source with knowledge of the tension Turkey's attack caused in the Combined Air and Space Operations Center, the allied headquarters in the air war against ISIS. "A Turkish officer came into the CAOC, and announced that the strike would begin in 10 minutes and he needed all allied jets flying above Iraq to move south of Mosul immediately,” said the military source, describing events that took place in the center, in a secret location in the Middle East. "We were outraged." "We could not risk having U.S. forces hit by Turkish bombs.” - US military source In addition to targeting forces engaged in the fight against ISIS, U.S. officials believed the Turkish military's sudden move raised the risk of friendly-fire casualties. “We had U.S. Special Forces not far from where the Turks were bombing, training Kurdish Peshmerga fighters," the source said. "We had no idea who the Turkish fighters were, their call signs, what frequencies they were using, their altitude or what they were squawking [to identify the jets on radar].” More on this... US consulate attacked in Istanbul, violence in Turkey surges Related ImageExpand / Contract US sources believe Turkey could be using the cover of cooperation to settle its own score with Kurds. (Reuters) When the Turkish officer returned the next day to inform his international partners of another strike, U.S. military officials made their objections clear. The Turkish liaison officer was sent away, but not before a back-and-forth in which U.S. leaders demanded specific flight plans of the attacking Turkish warplanes and the Turkish officer sought the locations of the U.S. trainers. The coalition Air Force officers in the ops center refused to share the sensitive information. “No way we were giving that up,” said the military source. “If one of our guys got hit, the Turks would blame us. We gave the Turks large grids to avoid bombing. We could not risk having U.S. forces hit by Turkish bombs.” Critics of the new agreement between the U.S. and Turkey say the deal gives Ankara cover to carry out strike missions against Kurdish fighters in Iraq and even Syria, where Kurds have won hard-fought gains against ISIS. While the Kurdish fighters have been remarkably effective fighting the terrorist army, Turkey remains their nemesis and fears the recent expansion of Kurdish control along the border could provide Kurds more incentive to form their own country in the future. Related ImageExpand / Contract Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan finally agreed to allow US planes to launch from Turkey, but his own strikes on Kurds have complicated matters. (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici) (AP) The target for the initial Turkish air strike was the headquarters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a radical leftist group located in northern Iraq which has carried out a 30-year insurgency against Turkey, killing, by some estimates, as many as 40,000 people. The Marxist-Leninist inspired PKK has been declared a terrorist organization by the U.S. government and many European nations. But the PKK’s Syrian affiliate has been the leading ground force against ISIS in Syria, and a close ally of the U.S. military. The Kurdish People’s Protection Units, or YPG, as this Syrian Kurdish force is called, has enabled U.S. warplanes to effectively strike ISIS in Syria. In Iraq, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, separate from the PKK and YPG, have been praised by many U.S. lawmakers for their success in fighting ISIS. By striking the Kurds, NATO-ally Turkey may have opened a new front in the war, against the PKK. U.S. military analysts' fears that that war could blow back on the U.S. and Turkey may have been realized Monday, when two women opened fire on the heavily guarded U.S. Consulate in Istanbul and a car bomb went off outside a Turkish police station nearby. In southeast Turkey Monday, a roadside bomb killed four Turkish police and gunmen fired on a Turkish military helicopter killing one soldier. The string of attacks comes one day after six U.S. F-16s landed at Incirlik airbase in Southeast Turkey along with 300 U.S. military personnel, following the Turks' agreement to lend their bases to the U.S. after a year of resisting American requests. U.S. jets will now only have a 30-minute flight to strike ISIS, saving valuable time and fuel. The Turkish government has been concerned that the U.S. fight against ISIS would embolden the Kurds, who now control most of Turkey's 560-mile border with Syria except for a small 68-mile corridor between the Syrian border towns of Kobani and Azaz, west of the Euphrates River. Should the Kurds gain control of this section of the border they would have unfettered access from Iraq through Syria all the way to the Mediterranean. A military source confirmed that Turkish tanks fired on YPG units to keep them from entering this 68-mile area, killing some YPG fighters allied with the PKK in northern Iraq. These fighters have helped the U.S. coalition secure gains against ISIS on the ground near Tal Abyad and Kobani and are the key to the coalition moving on the ISIS capital, Raqqa. A senior defense official told Fox News that another reason the Turks want to keep Kurdish fighters outside of the 68-mile border is to prevent the Kurds from potentially selling their oil on the open market from ports along the Mediterranean. “The ‘safezone’ was Turkey’s way of preventing a complete takeover of the [Turkish-Syrian] border,” said the official. “Turkey doesn’t want to eliminate ISIS, they want to prevent the Kurds from a complete takeover of the border. They need U.S. help to do this.” U.S. officials have rejected Turkish requests to set up a safe zone of any sort in northern Syria. Senior U.S. military leaders have privately expressed frustration that the recent Turkish air strikes against the Kurds could jeopardize the entire anti-ISIS operation. Publicly, Obama administration officials say Turkey has a right to defend itself. Turkey so far has ignored U.S. concerns about opening this new front, and despite the Kurds' invaluable help fighting ISIS, sees "no difference" between the PKK and ISIS, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. There are 14 million Kurds in Turkey, approximately half of the 30 million concentrated across the Middle East including Iraq, Iran and Syria. The Kurds form one of the world’s largest ethnic populations without its own country. “[Turkey’s] attacks on PKK are a result of attacks they are suffering by this terrorist group inside Turkey,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said Monday. Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX News Channel . She joined FNC in October 1999 as a Jerusalem-based correspondent. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/08/10/turkey-strikes-on-kurds-could-drag-us-into-new-front-military-sources-fear/?intcmp=hpbt1

44 minutes ago From the sectionEurope A military police station on a road near the town of Dogubayazit was targetedTwo Turkish soldiers have been killed and 31 wounded in a suicide attack by Kurdish PKK militants, the Turkish military says. A tractor laden with explosives was driven at a military police station, a statement said. The attack happened early on Sunday near the town of Dogubayezit in Agri province, near the border with Iran. Since 24 July, Turkey has carried out hundreds of air raids on PKK bases on both sides of the Iraq-Turkey border. A Turkish state news agency, Anadolu, said the tractor was carrying two tons of explosives that were detonated by a suicide bomber. Turkey's army said in a statement that "long-range guns" were also found. Four of the injured were in a serious condition. The statement said the Karabulak Gendarmerie Station was hit at around 03:00 local time on Sunday (midnight GMT). Images in the Turkish press showed a badly-damaged building with the roof destroyed. One report said the blast was so strong that houses in a village several hundred metres away were hit by debris and some residents were slightly injured. The Dogan news agency added that militants also set up ambushes on roads to prevent medical teams getting to the scene. There has been no comment from the PKK so far. AFP news agency said it would be the first time the group was accused of deploying a suicide bomber during recent clashes. The PKK has been blamed for a series of attacks, leading Turkey to attack its positionsTurkey says the group was behind a number of attacks in the last two weeks: On Sunday, a Turkish soldier was killed and four others hurt when a mine exploded under their convoy in Mardin, in the south-east of the country On Friday, five people were killed, two of them suspected PKK militants, when a police station and a railway line were targeted On Thursday, three troops died in southern Sirnak province after gunmen opened fire on their convoy Turkey's official news agency says about 260 Kurdish fighters have been killed in strikes in northern Iraq and Turkey since 24 July. It has also targeted positions held by the Islamic State group. At least six people were killed and several wounded in further Turkish air strikes on Saturday east of Erbil, said local officials. The pro-PKK Firat news agency described an attack on the village of Zerkel as a "massacre". Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barzani said: "We condemn the bombing, which led to the martyrdom of the citizens of the Kurdish region, and we call on Turkey to not repeat the bombing of civilians." The Turkish military on Sunday said it had investigated the incident and dismissed claims that there could have been civilian casualties in Zerkel, Reuters reported. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-33750803

1 August 2015 From the sectionMiddle East The PKK has long had a presence in northern IraqIraq's Kurdistan region has urged Turkish Kurd separatist forces of the PKK to leave civilian areas amid continuing Turkish air strikes. The call follows reports that civilians have been killed in Turkish raids on PKK targets which resumed a week ago. Turkey's official news agency says about 260 Kurdish fighters have been killed in strikes in northern Iraq and Turkey itself since then. The PKK has not released any casualty figures. Turkey has carried out hundreds of raids on the rebel group's bases on both sides of the Iraq-Turkey border. Explainer: Turkey v Islamic State v the Kurds At the same time, it is bombing Islamic State militants in Syria in an effort to push them back from Turkey's borders. Turkey had not previously been involved in fighting in Syria's conflict. 'Keep battlefield away'Further Turkish air raids were reported overnight, this time in the Rawanduz area east of Erbil, capital of Iraq's Kurdish region. At least six people were killed and several more wounded in the town of Zarkel, local officials said. They reportedly included at least two women. An Iraq-based PKK activist told Associated Press that at least six homes were destroyed and eight civilians were killed. "We condemn this bombardment that led to the martyrdom of people from the Kurdistan region and call on Turkey not to bombard civilians again," Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barzani said in a statement. The past week has seen a series of deadly attacks inside Turkey blamed on the PKKUrging the PKK to withdraw its fighters from civilian areas in the region, he said the separatists "must keep the battlefield away from the Kurdistan region in order for civilians not to become victims of this war". The statement also called on the Turkish government and the PKK to resume peace talks. The strikes against PKK camps in northern Iraq, which began last week, were the first since March 2013, when a ceasefire was called. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that it was "not possible to continue the peace process with those who threaten our national unity and brotherhood". Turkey and a number of Western countries regard the PKK as a terrorist organisation. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33747980

By Tom Perry | Reuters Monday, 20 July 2015 A Syrian Kurdish militia said on Monday it was in near full control of the northeastern city of Hasakah, expanding its sway at the expense of the Damascus government in the wake of an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) attack in the area. Full control of Hasakah - which was split between the Kurds and Damascus until last month - would be a major gain for the autonomous Kurdish administration that is fighting ISIS in Syria in partnership with Washington. ISIS launched a major attack on the city on June 25, focusing initially on government-held southern Hasakah. The ensuing battle drew in the YPG, which held northern Hasakah, resulting in the U.S.-backed Kurds fighting ISIS in close proximity to government forces shunned by Washington. YPG spokesman Redur Xelil said the city’s defense was now entirely in his group’s hands. “The regime has collapsed. It could not protect the city and its continuation has become symbolic in limited positions only,” he told Reuters. The statement was at odds with state media reports indicating a strong performance by the Syrian army in the battle for Hasaka. State TV on Monday said the army had made progress against ISIS to the southeast of the city, encircling its fighters and killing a large number of them. The YPG’s Xelil said his group had deployed in the southern outskirts of Hasaka, meaning it controlled all routes in and out of the city and had encircled ISIS fighters inside. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based group that reports on the war using sources on the ground, echoed that assessment, saying the YPG had besieged ISIS forces from the south and were positioned to advance into the city. Xelil said the YPG had also taken areas from Islamic State within the city itself in the last two days. The advances were ongoing. While the YPG held half the city before the ISIS attack, it now held “the overwhelming majority”, he said. OutpostsWith the Syrian government seeking to shore up its control over the main population centers of western Syria, including Damascus, Hasaka city is one of five outlying areas where Assad has sought to preserve control in recent fighting. Hasakah is the capital of surrounding province by the same name. Assad has lost control of two other provincial capitals - Raqqa and Idlib. The army and allied militia are fighting two rebel offensives aimed at capturing two more: Aleppo and Deraa. The YPG and the Syrian government have mostly coexisted in predominantly Kurdish areas of Syria where a Kurdish administration has emerged since the uprising against Assad erupted in 2011. The sides still share control of the city of Qamishli to the north of Hasaka, where the government controls an airport, though tensions have flared in the last few months. The YPG has denied claims it cooperates with government forces. Hasakah is important in the fight against ISIS because it borders territory held by the group in Iraq. Growing Kurdish sway in northern Syria has alarmed neighboring Turkey, which is worried about separatist sentiment among its own Kurdish minority. The YPG, backed by U.S.-led air strikes, has seized wide areas of territory from ISIS this year, including the town of Tel Abyad at the border with Turkey. Rami Abdulrahman, who runs the Observatory, said the YPG was advancing at the expense of the government and Islamic State in Hasaka, where he said the military’s role was restricted to aerial bombardment and long-range artillery attacks: “The coming attack (against Islamic State in Hasaka) will be by the YPG.” Hasaka city was one of two areas where the YPG says ISIS used poison gas against YPG-held areas in late June. Last Update: Tuesday, 21 July 2015 KSA 07:16 - GMT 04:16 http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2015/07/20/Syria-Kurds-say-in-near-complete-control-of-Hasaka-city.html

The Kurds Are Rising The great seminary professor and Bible prophecy scholar Dr. Charles H. Dyer said, “Most events prophesied in the book of Isaiah came true during the prophet’s lifetime... But the events concerning Babylon described in the thirteenth and fourteenth chapters of Isaiah were not fulfilled in Isaiah’s lifetime. They have never been fulfilled (The Rise of Babylon, p.162). In chapter 13, Isaiah was prophesying about Babylon (Isa. 13:1) when he said, “the day of the Lord is near” (Isa.13:6), “the day of the Lord cometh,” (Isa. 13:9) and he talked about “the day of his fierce anger” (Isa.13:13). The prophecies in this chapter begin when the Tribulation period is near and they continue on into the seven-year time of trouble. When these prophecies are fulfilled God said, “I will punish the world for its evil” (Isa. 13:11). He will do that during the Tribulation period (Zeph. 1:14-16; 2:8; Dan. 12:1; Rev.6-19). Notice that God said He “will stir up the Medes (not the Medes and Persians) against them” (Isa. 13:17). Babylon “will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah” (Isa. 13:19). Babylon will “never be inhabited” from generation to generation (Isa. 13:20). And satyrs (demons) shall dance there (Isa. 13:21-22). The Medes and Persians didn’t destroy Babylon by fire and a few people live there today so every jot and tittle of this prophecy hasn’t been fulfilled. But Babylon will be destroyed by fire, it will become desolate and it will become the home of demons during the Tribulation period. All of that is prophesied in the book of Revelation (Rev.18:2, 8, 10, 19). They are events that will take place just before the Second Coming of Jesus. There is more evidence of a future fulfillment. Gentiles will help the Jews return to the Promised Land. Gentiles will serve the Jews. Gentiles will be ruled by the Jews. Israel will have peace (Isa.14:1-3). The world hates Israel today and Israel doesn’t have peace. But Israel will have peace after the Jews accept Jesus. Isaiah reveals more coming events, but it is important to note that this future destruction of Babylon will be brought about by the Medes (not the Medes and Persians). Who are the Medes? Dr. Dyer said, “They have been fighting the countries of Turkey, Iran and Iraq in an attempt to establish their own independent country of Kurdistan” (p.173). The Medes are the Kurds. About one hundred years later, Jeremiah prophesied against Babylon (Jer. 50-51). Many commentators apply his message to the Old Testament attack on Babylon by the Medes and Persians. There are similarities, but there are also differences. There is even reason to believe that Isaiah 13-14, Jeremiah chapters 50-51 and Revelation chapters 17-18 are all about the same thing. And few people doubt that Revelation chapters 17-18 are about the future. Here is a partial list of similarities: 1) Isaiah chapters 13-14 will be fulfilled close to and during the Tribulation period and Jeremiah chapters 50-51 will be fulfilled about the time that Israel gets saved (Isa. 6:6, 9, 11, 13; Jer. 50:4, 20). 2) A multi-nation attack on Babylon is mentioned in Isaiah chapter 13 and also in Jeremiah chapter 50 (Isa. 13:1-6; Jer. 50:9, 41-42). 3) A later attack by the Medes (Kurds) in mentioned in Isaiah chapter 13 and also in Jeremiah chapter 51 (Isa. 13:17; Jer. 51:11-12, 28). 4) People are told to flee out of Babylon in Jeremiah chapter 51 and in Revelation chapter 18 (Jer. 51:6; Rev. 18:4). 5) Messengers announce the fall of Babylon in Jeremiah chapter 51 and also in Revelation chapter 18 (Jer. 51:31; Rev. 18:2). 6) Jeremiah chapter 51 says Babylon dwells upon many waters and is abundant in treasures and Revelation chapter 17 says the Harlot sits upon many waters and is very rich (Jer. 51:13; Rev. 17:1-4). 7) Jeremiah chapter 51 and Revelation chapter 18 both say Babylon has made the nations drunk on wine (Jer. 51:7; Rev. 18:3). There is more, but here is a big difference: When Babylon is finally destroyed the walls will be torn down (Jer. 50:15; 51:58). The Medes and Persians diverted the Euphrates River and went under the walls. They didn’t tear them down. This is the point: The fall of Babylon to the Medes and Persians may have fulfilled part of Isaiah 13-14 and Jeremiah 50-51, but it didn’t fulfill all of it. There is more to come and the Kurds (Medes) will play a major role. In fact, it has already started. The failure of Iraq and Syria has increased the hopes of the Kurds for their own nation. They are the only group that has fought the Islamic State to a standstill. The U.S. has not given them the weapons they want, but they will get more weapons and the U.S. is giving them air cover. In Jan. 2015, the Kurds defeated the Islamic State forces in a four-month battle for Kobani. In May 2015, the Kurds captured about 220 towns and villages that the Islamic State had taken in Syria. In early June 2015, a Kurdish supported party won several seats in the elections in Turkey. In mid-June 2015, the Kurds seized an extremely important Islamic State border crossing and supply route from Turkey. In late June 2015, the Kurds captured an important military base that the Islamic State has held since 2014 and they were only about 35 miles from the Islamic State’s headquarters in Syria. In early July, they took more than 10 more villages from the Islamic State in Syria. Some say there is not enough time for Babylon to be rebuilt, but the God who spoke the world into existence in six days doesn’t need decades to rebuild Babylon. When He says something will happen it will happen. It looks like the Rapture can happen any day, but we don’t know when. There appears to be a gap between the Rapture and the Tribulation period, but we don’t know how long that gap is. Much work can be done in a short period of time. Rebuilt Babylon doesn’t have to be a big city like New York (and the Bible calls it a city not a nation). Ancient Babylon was just 14 miles on each side and much of that was farm land. Some think global trade can be controlled from just a few buildings with super-computers. Also, the False Prophet won’t need a lot of buildings. Whatever is there will burn in one hour. Just know that the Kurds (Medes) will destroy the city of Babylon at the end of the Tribulation period and they are rising now. Pres. Obama says it will take ten years to defeat the Islamic State, but God can bring them down in one night (especially if they don’t leave Israel alone). Their defeat and the rise of Babylon could be sooner than many think. Prophecy Plus Ministries Daymond & Rachel Duck http://www.raptureready.com/featured/duck/dd184.html

By Dominic Evans Related Stories Iraq's Shi'ite militias target Falluja in Anbar campaign Reuters Islamic State target Iraq's Haditha town with vehicle bombs Reuters U.S. steps up air strikes on Islamic State targets in Iraq: statement Reuters Islamic State militants kill 14 Iraqi soldiers Reuters Islamic State suicide bombers strike in Iraqi refinery town Reuters BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi troops and Shi'ite Muslim militia forces attacked Islamic State fighters on several fronts on Monday in Anbar, the country's largest province, at the start of what is likely to be a long and fiercely contested offensive. A spokesman for the joint operations command said the campaign, which began at dawn, brought together the army, mainly Shi'ite Hashid Shaabi militias, special forces, police and local Sunni Muslim tribal fighters. "At 5 o'clock this morning operations to liberate Anbar were launched," the spokesman said. Military sources in Anbar said they met heavy resistance from the insurgents, who deployed five suicide car bombs and fired rockets to repel their advance on the city of Falluja, about 50 km (30 miles) west of Baghdad. Iraqi forces also pushed towards the provincial capital, Ramadi, from the west and the south, police sources in the province said. Islamic State supporters said those advances were repelled by the militants. The sprawling Sunni Muslim province extends hundreds of kilometers west of Baghdad. Many of the towns and cities that line the banks of the Euphrates, snaking down from the Syrian border, are Islamic State strongholds.Islamic State's capture of Ramadi two months ago marked the biggest defeat for the Baghdad government since the militants swept through the north of the country last June and declared a caliphate in parts of Syria and Iraq straddling the border. Until Ramadi's fall, Iraqi troops and Hashid Shaabi forces, backed by U.S.-led air strikes, had been pushing Islamic State back, recapturing the eastern province of Diyala and former leader Saddam Hussein's home town of Tikrit, with the ultimate target of retaking the northern city of Mosul. View gallery Members of Iraq's Shi'ite paramilitaries launch a rocket towards Islamic State militants in … Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, angered at the army's withdrawal from Ramadi in mid-May, initially promised a swift counter-attack. Although Ramadi remains the strategic target, military sources and Shi'ite militia leaders have said the initial focus will be on Falluja, which was the first city in Iraq to fall under militant control 18 months ago. FIRST JETS ARRIVE FROM U.S. A U.S.-led air coalition has been bombing Islamic State positions across Iraq, supporting Baghdad's ground forces and its poorly equipped air force. On Sunday, it sharply stepped up air strikes around Ramadi, with 29 out of 39 missions in Iraq targeting Islamic State positions near the city. Iraq has sought to redress its own lack of air power by purchasing F-16 fighter jets from the United States, but deliveries of the 36 aircraft were delayed because of security concerns after the Islamic State offensive last summer. On Monday, a first batch of four F-16s landed at Balad air base north of Baghdad, an Iraqi air force officer said. Authorities said the planes would join operations in Anbar within days. Hadi al-Ameri, commander of the largest Shi'ite force, the Badr Organization, told Iraqi television on Sunday he expected the main assault on Falluja to take place after the Eid holiday, which starts later this week. Residents in Falluja and Ramadi reported heavy bombardment of both cities early on Monday. Falluja saw the fiercest fighting of the U.S. occupation after Washington's 2003 invasion to topple Saddam. It has also been a center of Sunni hostility to the Shi'ite-led government in Baghdad. Abadi initially sought to keep Shi'ite militias on the sidelines in Anbar for fear of inflaming sectarian sensitivities, but the fall of Ramadi in May undermined his position. In Baghdad on Sunday, at least 35 people were killed in a series of car bombs and suicide attacks in mainly Shi'ite districts. A statement in the name of Islamic State, issued on Monday, claimed responsibility for some of the blasts. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed and Saif Hameed in Baghdad, and Isabel Coles in Erbil; Editing by Mark Trevelyan, Larry King) http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-says-operation-retake-anbar-province-underway-074738928.html

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Car bombs and suicide attacks targeting mainly Shi'ite Muslim districts of Baghdad killed 35 people on Sunday, one of the heaviest recent tolls in the Iraqi capital, which has faced a wave of bombings by Islamic State militants. The deadliest attack hit the northern Shaab neighborhood, where a car bomb followed by a suicide blast killed 19 people, security and medical sources said. The car exploded near a crowded market and, as police and bystanders gathered, an attacker detonated explosives strapped to his body. In Bunouk district in the capital's northeast, a bomb in a car killed nine people, the sources said. Security forces were sweeping areas nearby, some with sniffer dogs, after receiving information about two further possible bombs, they said. More than 100 people were wounded in the three explosions. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Islamic State militants who control much of northern Iraq and the province of Anbar west of Baghdad regularly send bombers into the capital. Earlier on Sunday, a suicide bomber killed five people in Kadhimiya neighborhood, home to one of Shi'ite Islam's holiest shrines, shortly before dusk and the end of the daily Ramadan fast. Another bomb in the Iskan district of western Baghdad killed two people, medical sources said. (Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Writing by Dominic Evans; Editing by Peter Cooney) http://news.yahoo.com/car-bombs-suicide-bomber-kill-28-baghdad-sources-213912422.html

AFP — PUBLISHED about 12 hours ago BAGHDAD: At least 36 people were killed and 40 inmates escaped in a bloody prison break north of the Iraqi capital for which the self-styled Islamic State (IS) group claimed responsibility on Saturday. The interior ministry said six guards and 30 detainees were killed on Friday while 40 inmates escaped from the police compound prison in Khalis, around 50 kilometres from Baghdad. “One of the prisoners seized a weapon from a guard. After killing him, the inmate headed up to the weapons storage and seized more weapons,” spokesman Brigadier General Saad Maan said. “Clashes erupted inside. We lost a first lieutenant and five policemen, forty prisoners fled. Nine of them were held on terror charges and the rest for common crimes,” he said. Brig Gen Maan added that 30 prisoners who had been held on terrorism charges were killed in the clashes. The IS gave its own account, in a statement posted on militant forums, and claimed that it simultaneously targeted police outside the prison. “Brothers inside the Khalis prison were able to coordinate with brothers outside the prison,” the group said. “Fifteen IEDs (improvised explosive devices) were detonated against army and police convoys and vehicles around the prison,” the statement said. “Our brothers managed to take control of the weapons storage and attack the apostates, killing many ... More than 30 knights of the Islamic State were freed,” it said. Iraq has been plagued by several prison breaks over the past two years, including in the early days of a huge June 2014 offensive by IS. The militants freed and recruited hundreds of inmates, including in the cities of Tikrit and Mosul. Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2015 http://www.dawn.com/news/1181044/36-die-in-iraqi-prison-break

Deadly attacks hit Iraqi capital, north-west as campaign to defeat IS continues Updated about 10 hours ago PHOTO: People gather at the site of car bomb attack in Baghdad, May 2, 2015. (Reuters/Stringer TPX Images of the Day) RELATED STORY: Iraqi forces retake country's largest oil refinery RELATED STORY: Iraqi forces claim victory over Islamic State in Saddam's hometown MAP: Iraq At least 13 people have been killed by a car bomb in Baghdad in one of the deadliest attacks in the Iraqi capital this year. "At least 13 people were killed and 39 wounded in a car bomb facing a popular restaurant in the Karrada area," a police colonel told news agency AFP. Karrada is an area full of shops and restaurants and would have been busy on Saturday night, which marks the end of the weekend in Iraq. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack in the predominantly Shiite district, which comes after a series of similar bombings in the capital. Eleven people were killed and more than 40 wounded in a wave of car bomb attacks on Thursday and another nine were killed in two car bombings in Baghdad on Monday. The Islamic State jihadist group claimed it carried out those attacks on Shiite districts of Baghdad to avenge attacks on displaced persons from a Sunni province. Since the start of April, 114,000 residents have fled fighting between government forces and IS in the Ramadi area of the western province of Anbar, which is largely controlled by the Sunni extremist group, according to United Nations' figures. Police said several of the displaced were kidnapped and killed in Baghdad, including four victims found on April 25 with gunshot wounds to the head. Despite the recent attacks, such killings have decreased sharply in number compared to the same period last year. Bombings and shootings in Baghdad were once a daily occurrence, but have declined since IS launched a major offensive last June, seizing control of vast areas north and west of the city. It was believed those movements tied IS fighters to fighting outside Baghdad, limiting their ability to carry out attacks inside the capital. A curfew in operation for years in the Iraqi capital was lifted in February. Soldiers targeted in Anbar provinceAt least 12 Iraqi soldiers and paramilitary forces were killed on Saturday by suicide car bombs targeting an outpost in western Anbar province, security and medical sources said. The fighters were part of a campaign announced by the government last month to recapture parts of the Sunni heartland from the Islamic State group, which has held the territory for the past year. The forces were targeted in a train station in Garma, on the road to the IS stronghold of Falluja, 15 kilometres to the east. The ultra-radical group did not claim the attacks, but the tactic was one they often employ. "Five of the armoured car bombs managed to reach our forces in the train station and blew up. It reduced the station to dirt," an army officer told news agency Reuters. He said the fighters managed to destroy another six car bombs before they reached their targets. The officer said the death toll was likely more than 12. Bodies were still being pulled from the rubble and the army had sent reinforcements that continued to clash with militants. Tribal sources from Garma confirmed the attack but were not able to provide details. Government officials could not be reached for comment. AFP/Reuters http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-05-03/iraq-car-bomb-kills-13/6440822

The IRS seized $107,000 from this business owner for making too many small cash deposits Updated by Timothy B. Lee on May 2, 2015, 10:00 a.m. ET [email protected]<script cf-hash='f9e31' type="text/javascript"> /* */</script> If you deposit more than $10,000 in cash, your bank is required to file a form with the authorities reporting the transaction. But the law also makes it illegal to "structure" deposits — depositing cash in amounts under $10,000 to avoid triggering the reporting requirement. But aggressive enforcement of these laws can ensnare small business owners whose only crime is dealing in cash. This video tells the story of Lyndon McLellan, a convenience store owner in rural North Carolina who had $107,702 seized by the IRS. The agency hasn't charged McLellan with any crime, but under controversial civil asset forfeiture rules the burden of proof is on him to prove he didn't violate the "structuring" laws. The video was made by the Institute for Justice, a libertarian public interest law firm that is representing McLellan. RelatedJohn Oliver rips into the scandal of for-profit policingEric Holder places a check on civil forfeiture powers The New York Times points out that business owners can have legitimate reasons for keeping their cash deposits under $10,000. For example, some store owners have insurance policies that only cover cash losses up to $10,000. It won't be easy for McLellan to get his money back. Many forfeiture targets don't bother to contest seizures under civil forfeiture laws because legal fees would exceed the value of what was taken. But with IJ's help, he might be able to recover the money the IRS took from him. The IRS declined to comment on the case, citing taxpayer privacy laws. ★★★ http://www.vox.com/2015/5/2/8528845/irs-structuring-civil-forfeiture

April 18, 2015 The militant group Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for an April 17 bombing near the U.S. consulate in Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region that killed two Turks. IS said in a daily audio message posted online on April 18: "Security detachments were able to...detonate a car bomb left at the American consulate building in the city that led to the killing and wounding of many of them." But the U.S. State Department said the bombing in Ainkawa, near the Kurdish regional capital, Irbil, did not kill or injure any consular employees. Saman Barzanchi, the head of the Irbil health department, said April 18 that two ethnically Kurdish Turks were killed and eight people injured. Officials had said April 17 three people were killed. The relatively stable Kurdish region has largely been spared the bombings and shootings that have affected other parts of Iraq on an almost daily basis. Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters http://www.rferl.org/content/iraq-consulate-terrorism-isis-responsibility/26965219.html

Published April 19, 2015FoxNews.com Iraqi soldiers surrounded and took control of the country's biggest oil refinery Saturday, which has been besieged for days by Islamic State militants, a senior official said. The refinery at Beiji, north of Baghdad, has been held by the Iraqi military for months despite the militants' onslaught. However, ISIS militants recently carried out a major attack and took over a small part of the complex. Retaining control remains crucial for the country, as it accounts for a little more than a quarter of the country's entire refining capacity. Abdel-Wahab al-Saadi, the top military commander in Iraq's Salahuddin province, said ground forces entered the refinery Saturday. "It is another victory achieved by Iraqi security forces that are growing confident in the war against the terrorists," al-Saadi told The Associated Press. The victory comes as Iraqi government forces and allied Shiite and Sunni fighters-- backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led international coalition—have been locked in intense battles with ISIS militants to retake key cities and territory in northern and western Iraq. A day earlier, Iraqi soldiers, backed by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes and Shiite and Sunni, gained control of the towns of al-Malha and al-Mazraah, located 1.9 miles south of the refinery. Special forces also managed to maintain control of the provincial capital, Ramadi, in Iraq’s western province Friday, despite ISIS forces pounding the city with bombings and forcing residents to flee. Anbar provincial council member Athal al-Fahdawi had said Thursday that the city was "in great danger," the BBC reported. Nine people were killed by militants in the village of Albu Ghanim— four of the victims were police officers, the Kurdish website Rudaw said- and thousands of people fled Ramadi and surrounding areas in recent days. Suicide bombers had attacked government buildings and checkpoints in Ramadi earlier in the week and Friday a series of bombings ripped through Baghdad, mainly targeting public places and killing at least 40 people, Iraqi officials said. On Saturday, Kurdish peshmerga forces recaptured two villages just south of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk that lie near the highway linking it to Baghdad, said Rasould Omar, a senior official in the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement late Friday that two of the dead in the bombing near the U.S. Consulate in Irbil are believed to be Turks. The bombing killed three people. U.S. officials said there were no American casualties. In separate violence Saturday, police said a bombing on a commercial street killed three persons and wounded 10 in central Baghdad. A roadside bomb missed a police patrol in the capital's western suburbs, killing one civilian and wounding three, officers said. Police said a sticky bomb attached to a minibus also exploded in Baghdad's southeastern district of New Baghdad, killing three passengers and wounding seven. http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/04/19/iraqi-soldiers-retake-key-refinery-amid-larger-battle-against-isis/

Wow, what a find!! April 30th to May 1st could be something to watch for.