IRAQ

Former Brazilian model, activist, and most recently a volunteer fighter in Ukraine’s International Legion, Thalita Do Valle was killed by a Russian missile strike at a bunker in Kharkiv on June 30, Brazilian media have reported.

Officials say a chlorine gas leak at a water purification plant in southern Iraq injured at least 300 people

In a 5-4 vote, the court ruled state agencies are not immune from private lawsuits.

The Supreme Court has allowed a former state trooper to sue Texas over his claim that he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a former state trooper to sue Texas over his claim that he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices ruled for Army veteran Le Roy Torres under a federal law that was enacted in 1994 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. “Text, history, and precedent show that the States, in coming together to form a Union, agreed to sacrifice their sovereign immunity for the good of the common defense,” Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for the court.

Iranian state TV reports that Iraq’s caretaker prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has arrived in Iran

Iraq’s caretaker prime minister is set to fly to Saudi Arabia, followed by Iran, carrying a new initiative aimed at renewing talks between the two regional arch foes

The christening of a Navy destroyer on Saturday highlighted the sacrifices of two generations — the ship’s namesake killed in World War II and another Marine who died more than 60 years later. The future USS Basilone bears the name of a Marine who was awarded the Medal of Honor before his death on Iwo Jima. The legacy and sacrifice of such Marines are never forgotten, Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps Troy Black told a crowd of 2,000 gathered next to the warship at Navy shipbuilder Bath Iron Works in Maine.

Iraq’s Kurdistan’s counter-terrorism service says a Turkish drone targeted a vehicle traveling in Iraq’s Kurdistan region on Friday, killing four Kurdish militants

The legislation will expand benefits for veterans injured by their exposure to military burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Congress Veterans Burn Pits FILE - An Afghan National Army pickup truck passes parked U.S. armored military vehicles, as smoke rises from a fire in a trash burn pit at Forward Operating Base Caferetta Nawzad, Helmand province south of Kabul, Afghanistan, April 28, 2011. The Senate is expected to approve on Thursday a large expansion of health care and disability benefits for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in response to concerns about their exposure to toxic burn pits. (AP Photo/Simon Klingert, File) (Simon Klingert)WASHINGTON — (AP) — The Senate is expected to approve on Thursday a large expansion of health care and disability benefits for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan in response to concerns about their exposure to toxic burn pits. But lawmakers said that stories from constituents tell a different and more definitive tale, and they are reluctant to wait for an irrefutable link between veterans' maladies and their exposure to toxic burn pits. Sen. Jon Tester, the chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said the bill was “about righting a wrong that has been ignored too damn long."

Syrian state TV says militants have attacked a civilian bus in eastern Syria, killing three people and wounding 21

A 3,400 year-old city emerged from the Tigris River in Iraq due to a drought, revealing the hidden civilization.

TIRANA, Albania — (AP) — Albania's Interior Ministry said Saturday that four Albanian women and nine children, all related to Albanians who joined Islamist extremist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq, have been repatriated from a Syrian camp. Speaking at the airport, Albanian Interior Minister Bledi Cuci thanked U.S. authorities and Lebanese Gen. Abass Ibrahim, who has played a key role in the repatriation efforts. Kosovar Interior Minister Xhelal Zvecla did not give details on the Kosovar citizens repatriated but assured that specialized institutions would take care to “rehabilitate” and “de-radicalize” them. “I would like to assure Albanians that we are determined to bring back from those camps any Albanians who has remained there, every child and every woman,” said Cuci. Hundreds of people from Albania and Kosovo joined the Islamic State and other groups fighting in Syria and Iraq in the early 2010s.

TIRANA, Albania — (AP) — Four Albanian women and nine children, all related to Albanians who joined Islamist extremist groups fighting in Syria and Iraq, are being repatriated from a Syrian camp, a Kurdish official from northeast Syria said Friday. Abdul-Karim Omar, an official who negotiates with countries on the return of their citizens, tweeted that, “13 Albanians (4 women and 9 children) of the families of ISIS organization were handed over to an official Albanian government delegation." The Albanian government did not confirm the report, but an official, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the repatriated Albanians were expected to land late Friday night. Their relatives in Albania say 52 children are still in Syria, including the 13 being repatriated Friday. A few hundred Albanians joined the Islamic State and other groups fighting in Syria and Iraq in the early 2010s.

ANKARA, Turkey — (AP) — Five Turkish soldiers were killed Tuesday in clashes with Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, Turkey’s defense ministry said. The clashes took place during Turkey’s latest cross-border offensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which maintains bases in northern Iraq. The fatalities raises the number of Turkish soldiers killed in the latest offensive to 17, according to a count by The Associated Press. Turkey maintains that dozens of PKK militants were killed during the operation but the deaths can't be independently verified. Turkey has conducted numerous cross-border aerial and ground operations against the PKK in northern Iraq over the past decades.

In a speech, Bush criticized "the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq — I mean of Ukraine."

The agreement paves the way for passage of a bill that has become the top priority of veterans' groups.

Congressional bargainers have announced a deal on legislation to boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Reporting from the Department of Veterans Affairs indicates that nearly 80% of exposure disability claims related to burn pits are denied. The military routinely disposed of tires, batteries, medical waste and other materials in open burn pits during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jerry Moran, R-Kan., is the phase-in period for presuming that certain conditions were caused by toxic exposure. President Joe Biden called on the VA last year to examine the impact of burn pits and other airborne hazards.

Congressional bargainers have announced a deal on legislation to boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

BERLIN — (AP) — Three passengers on a regional train in Germany overpowered an Iraq-born man who wounded five people with a knife on Friday, authorities said. The train was traveling near the western city of Aachen when the man began attacking fellow passengers “randomly and arbitrarily,” state interior minister Herbert Reul said, according to the news agency dpa. There were about 270 passengers on the train, Reul said. A police officer who happened to be among the passengers overpowered the 31-year-old suspect with the help of two other passengers, state police said. The suspect was known to authorities, Reul said.

German authorities say three passengers on a regional train have overpowered an Iraq-born man who wounded five people with a knife

An off-duty police officer and two other passengers on a regional train in Germany overpowered a Iraq-born man who wounded five people including the officer with a knife on Friday, authorities said. A top law enforcement official said the 31-year-old attacker had been investigated for possible Islamic extremism while living in a refugee hostel in 2017, but that the motive for the train attack remained hadn't been determined. The attacker was also injured and taken to a clinic.

The American-made FGM-148 Javelin has been making mincemeat of T-72s and T-90s in Ukraine, according to reports.

This memorial day weekend, tens of thousands of veterans will be honored at Daytona International Speedway during the Heroes Honor Festival.

Islamic State FILE - A motorist passes by a flag of the Islamic State group in central Rawah, 175 miles (281 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, July 22, 2014. Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Morocco on Wednesday May 11, 20222 to discuss ongoing efforts in the campaign. Islamic extremists in Nigeria also have carried out violence under the banner of a group they call the Islamic State West Africa Province. Mozambique’s extremist rebels are also aligned with the IS group and announced this week it is known as the Islamic State Mozambique Province. Numerous Moroccans have traveled to Syria, Iraq and elsewhere to join extremist groups in recent years.

Islamic State FILE - A motorist passes by a flag of the Islamic State group in central Rawah, 175 miles (281 kilometers) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq, July 22, 2014. Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Morocco on Wednesday May 11, 20222 to discuss ongoing efforts in the campaign. The meeting is a reminder of the persistent threat from the extremist group despite the overwhelming preoccupation with Russia’s war on Ukraine. (AP Photo, File) (Uncredited)RABAT, Morocco — (AP) — Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group gathered in Morocco on Wednesday to discuss the campaign, a reminder of the persistent threat from the extremist group despite the overwhelming preoccupation with Russia’s war on Ukraine. Numerous Moroccans have traveled to Syria, Iraq and elsewhere to join extremist groups in recent years.

Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Morocco to discuss the campaign

Members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State group are meeting in Morocco to discuss the campaign.

A dust storm that has covered Iraq in an orange sheet is expected to continue into Monday.

Rape is finally being prosecuted as a military atrocity but justice has not been meted out to many masterminds or perpetrators. Will Ukraine be different?

It’s finally being prosecuted as a military atrocity but justice has not been meted out to many masterminds or perpetrators. Will Ukraine be different?

A rare late-season nor'easter may bring heavy snow and strong winds from Michigan to New England. Weather Channel meteorologist Chris Warren has the forecast.

Indiana State Police are investigating a child's death after the unidentified boy's body was found in the woods. There is no word yet on a possible cause of death.

ANKARA, Turkey — (AP) — Turkey has launched a new ground and air cross-border offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, Turkey’s defense minister announced early Monday. The group maintains bases in northern Iraq and has used the territory for attacks on Turkey. Turkey has conducted numerous cross-border aerial and ground operations against the PKK over the past decades. The latest offensive was centered in northern Iraq’s Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions, Akar said. Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Masrour Barzani, the prime minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region which controls the areas that were attacked.

Turkey has launched a new ground and air cross-border offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq

Turkey has launched a new ground and air cross-border offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq.

Turkey has launched a new ground and air cross-border offensive against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, that has left at least 19 suspected Kurdish rebels dead and has wounded at least four Turkish soldiers, Turkey’s defense minister said Monday. Turkish jets and artillery struck suspected targets of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and commando troops — supported by helicopters and drones — then crossed into the region by land or were airlifted by helicopters, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said in a video posted on the ministry’s website.

The penalties allow the U.S. to block the assets of the sanctioned people and entities, and to prosecute others who do business with them.

At the heart of the case is Congress' power to wage war and states' acknowledgments that they lacked similar authority, both laid out in the Constitution. A state appellate court dismissed it, and the justices stepped in. Fifteen other Republican-led states are calling on the court to side with Texas and rule out private lawsuits like Torres'. Congress first allowed returning service members to sue states to keep their jobs in 1974, recognizing discrimination because of opposition to the Vietnam War. “The Vietnam War is what made the statute necessary,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor said.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday cast doubt on Texas' claim that it can't be sued by a former state trooper who says he was forced out of his job when he returned from Army service in Iraq. The justices heard arguments in a dispute over a federal law that was enacted in 1991 in the wake of the Persian Gulf war to strengthen job protections for returning service members. Over 90 minutes, the justices discussed the Vietnam War, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Alexander Hamilton and even Hamilton, the musical, as they tried to sort through whether states are shielded from lawsuits filed by veterans who complain that their jobs were not protected, in violation of the federal law.

Supporters of Assange say that he is a champion of free speech who exposed information on classified U.S. activities abroad. “At lunchtime today, I will go through the gates at the most oppressive high security prison in the country and be married to a political prisoner,” Moris wrote. “Every part of this private event is being intensely policed, from our guest list to the wedding picture,” she said. What kind of security threat could a wedding picture pose?” she asked. First picture of Julian Assange Fiancee Stella Moris in her wedding dress ahead of todays Belmarsh Wedding.

The name of an Oviedo soldier killed in Iraq is up for consideration in an updated list of potential new names for nine Army bases in the U.S.

Zakrzewski was killed in Ukraine on Monday, March 14, 2022, when the vehicle he was traveling in was struck by incoming fire. Zakrzewski was a veteran war photographer who had covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria for Fox. Pierre Zakrzewski, 55, and Oleksandra “Sasha” Kuvshynova were traveling Monday in Horenka with Fox News reporter Benjamin Hall, who remains hospitalized. “Today is a heartbreaking day for Fox News Media and for all journalists risking their lives to deliver the news,” the network’s CEO, Suzanne Scott. The death of three journalists in a short span underscores the dangers faced by people chronicling the war in Ukraine, even those with extensive experience reporting from conflict zones.

Two journalists working for Fox News were killed in Ukraine after the vehicle they were traveling in with another reporter came under fire, the network said Tuesday.

Iran has decided to temporarily suspend its secret Baghdad-brokered talks aimed at defusing yearslong tensions with regional rival Saudi Arabia, Iranian state-linked media reported Sunday, a day after Saudi Arabia carried out its largest known mass execution in its modern history. The Iranian news website Nournews, considered close to the country’s Supreme National Security Council, reported the government had unilaterally paused the talks with Saudi Arabia that have been ongoing in Baghdad over the past year aimed at restoring diplomatic ties. Iraq's foreign minister earlier had said the fifth round of talks between Saudi and Iranian representatives was due to resume on Wednesday.

The range of charges on which the men were convicted included terrorism and holding "deviant beliefs".

The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is warning that poorer countries in northern Africa, Asia and the Middle East that depend heavily on wheat imports risk suffering significant food insecurity because of Russia's war in Ukraine.

The US says Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi blew himself up during a raid in Syria last month.

“We don’t know for sure if a burn pit was the cause of his brain cancer, or the diseases of so many of our troops,” Biden said in the speech. Biden begged veterans to ask for help when they need it, noting that 17 veterans die by suicide every day, more than in combat. “We're following the science," he said, but he urged vets to sign up for the VA burn pit registry, and make sure they know about benefits available to them. Biden, a Democrat, also called on Congress to send him a bill that protects veterans who face health consequences after burn pit exposure. The House last week passed a bill that would provide VA health care to millions of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who meet that criteria.

Hector served two violent tours in Iraq as a U.S. Marine, then got out, got a pension and a civilian job, and thought he was done with military service. But Friday, he boarded a plane for one more deployment, this time as a volunteer in Ukraine. He checked in several bags filled with rifle scopes, helmets and body armor donated by other veterans. “Sanctions can help, but sanctions can’t help right now, and people need help right now,” said the former Marine, who lives in Tampa Bay, Florida, and

Boebert and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) taunted the president as he delivered his State of the Union address, at one point chanting at him “Build the wall!”

The bill would open up federal health care benefits to millions of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to toxic substances during their service.

The House has passed legislation that would dramatically boost health care services and disability benefits for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Veterans are the backbone and the spine of this country. They're the best of us," Mr. Biden said.

Military plans never survive the first contact with the enemy - and Russia is facing the same problem.

There's every reason to believe that the occupation of Ukraine would bleed the Russian state even more than the sanctions will.

Ukraine Tensions Financial Markets In this photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange, traders gather at a post on the floor, Thursday, Feb. 24, 2022. Stocks fell worldwide on Thursday after Russia's attack of Ukraine sent fear coursing through markets and upped the pressure on the high inflation already squeezing the global economy. (Courtney Crow/New York Stock Exchange via AP) (Courtney Crow)NEW YORK — (AP) — Markets shuddered worldwide Thursday and swung sharply after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine threatened to push the high inflation squeezing the global economy even higher. Initially, stocks tumbled as fear coursed through markets and prices surged for oil, wheat and other commodities on worries the conflict would disrupt global supplies. Well, how long is a piece of string, right?” said Jonas Goltermann, senior global markets economist at Capital Economics.

Iraq’s Razzaza Lake was once a tourist attraction known for its beautiful scenery and an abundance of fish that locals depended on

A pipeline that carries oil from Iraq to world markets has resumed operating several hours after an explosion in southeastern Turkey forced it to shut down.

Thousands of mourners have poured into the streets of Iranian cities for the mass funeral of 250 victims of the Iran-Iraq war — remains recently recovered in a testament to the brutal conflict’s scale and enduring legacy after 35 years.

The Oviedo soldier who died while rescuing fellow service members from a burning vehicle in Iraq will be one of three awarded the Medal of Honor during a ceremony Thursday afternoon.

The medal could Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe, the Oviedo soldier who died while rescuing fellow soldiers from a burning building in Iraq, will be awarded the Medal of Honor, possibly as soon as next week.be awarded as soon as next week.

Officials say that after months of study, the Pentagon has decided no immediate major changes are needed in the global positioning of U.S. forces.

Occupying a train depot that hasn’t been used in 17 years, a new museum dedicated to the legacy of women veterans has opened in a veteran-heavy spot in the Florida Panhandle.

Iraqis have voted in parliamentary elections held months ahead of schedule as a concession to a youth-led uprising against corruption and mismanagement.

A new Ottoman empire — that's what the foreign minister of the divided island of Cyprus is accusing Turkey's president of attempting to promote.

There was a time not long ago when uprisings and wars in the Arab world topped the agenda at the U.N. General Assembly meetings in New York.

French energy giant Total has signed mega contracts with Iraq worth $27 billion to develop oil fields, natural gas and a crucial water project.

U.S. military planes have carried the last U.S. service members and diplomats from Kabul's airport, ending America's longest war.

At just short of 20 years, the now-ending U.S. combat mission in Afghanistan was America's longest war.

As the Biden administration rapidly completes the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, members of the global coalition fighting the Islamic State are meeting to plot future steps against the extremist group.

British Royal Navy commanders say the U.K.’s newest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is helping to take on the “lion’s share” of operations against the Islamic State group in Iraq.

The Democratic-led House has passed legislation to repeal the 2002 authorization for use of military force in Iraq.

The White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer are endorsing efforts to terminate the 2002 authorization of military force against Iraq.

The gift was made possible through Building Homes for Heroes program.

(AP Photo/Yara Nardi, pool)BUDAPEST – Pope Francis will travel to Hungary's capital in September where he will participate in the closing Mass of a multiday, international Catholic gathering, according to the cardinal of Hungary's Roman Catholic Church. Francis will instead visit on the final day of the eight-day 52nd Congress in Budapest on Sept. 12, he said. Ad“Today we can perhaps learn the most from Pope Francis, and not only about faith and humanity. Traveling back to the Vatican from a trip to Iraq on Monday, the pope told Italian media that following his visit to Budapest he may visit Bratislava, the capital of neighboring Slovakia. While that visit isn't confirmed, Slovakia's president, Zuzana Caputova, said she had invited the pontiff to visit during a meeting in the Vatican in December.

Pope Francis celebrates mass at the Franso Hariri Stadium in Irbil, Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Sunday, March 7, 2021. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)IRBIL – Pope Francis urged Iraq’s Christians on Sunday to forgive the injustices against them by Muslim extremists and to rebuild as he visited the wrecked shells of churches and met ecstatic crowds in the community’s historic heartland, which was nearly erased by the Islamic State group’s horrific reign. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, was at the heart of the IS so-called “caliphate” and witnessed the worst of the group’s rule inflicted on Muslims, Christians and others, including beheadings and mass killings. Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city, became IS’s bureaucratic and financial backbone. Things are difficult for those living here.”At Qaraqosh, Francis urged its residents to continue to dream, and forgive.

Pope Francis, center arrives to concelebrate a mass in the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 6, 2021. Francis honored Iraq’s persecuted Christians by celebrating Mass on Saturday at the Chaldean Catholic cathedral in Baghdad. ___6:30 p.m.U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken says he is pleased to see the historic visit by Pope Francis to Iraq. Iraqi and Vatican church officials had promised social distancing and other health measures would be enforced during Francis’ four-day visit to Iraq, especially at his indoor events. Francis’ interfaith meeting in Ur came after his historic encounter in nearby Najaf with Iraq’s top Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

Women wait outside the Chaldean Cathedral of Saint Joseph, in Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, March 6, 2021, where Pope Francis, depicted on a giant poster at their back, is concelebrating a mass. AdTogether, the day’s events gave symbolic and practical punch to the central message of Francis’ visit, calling for Iraq to embrace its diversity. Al-Sistani is one of the most senior clerics in Shiite Islam, deeply revered among Shiites in Iraq and worldwide. Later, Pope Francis evoked the common reverence for Abraham to speak against religious violence at the inter-faith gathering at the Plains of Ur, near the southern city of Nasiriyah. Associated Press journalists Anmar Khalil in Najaf, Iraq, and Samya Kullab in Baghdad contributed.

The U.S. has blamed the militia for numerous attacks targeting U.S. personnel and interests in Iraq in the past. But several leading members of Congress, including members in Biden’s own party, denounced the strikes — the first military action he has authorized. Kaine and others argued offensive military action without congressional approval is not constitutional absent extraordinary circumstances. A U.S. contractor died after at least 10 rockets slammed into the base early Wednesday. “If we assess further response is warranted, we will take action again in a manner and time of our choosing,” Psaki said.

A health worker holds a vial of the Sinopharm coronavirus vaccine during the vaccination of health personnel, at a clinic in Basra, Iraq, Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (AP Photo/Nabil al-Jurani)OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – In an effort to get the vaccine to minority communities, FEMA will be hosting mobile vaccination sites in Osceola County, according to officials. Osceola County Emergency Management Director Bill Litton announced Wednesday the county was selected as a FEMA ‘spoke site’ to held expand access to the shots. [TRENDING: Gas skimmer hits News 6 anchor for $1,600 | Epic: Universal resumes work on 4th theme park | Porn plays during Fla. zoom class]The temporary walk-up site first opened Wednesday. FEMA plans to move the site to Mary Jane Arrington Aquatic Center on March 11.

At least 10 rockets targeted a military base in western Iraq that hosts U.S.-led coalition troops on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, the coalition and the Iraqi military said. Those strikes were in response to an attack on American forces in northern Iraq earlier in February. He acknowledged, however, during a Pentagon briefing, that “we have seen rocket attacks come from Shia-backed militia groups in the past. “Coalition forces are in Iraq to fight Daesh at the invitation of the Iraqi government,” he tweeted, using the Arabic acronym for IS. Frequent rocket attacks in Baghdad targeting the heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses the U.S. Embassy, during Donald Trump’s presidency frustrated the administration, leading to threats of embassy closure and escalatory strikes.

Turkish soldiers carry the national flag-draped coffin of Turkish soldier Er Sedat Sorgun, one of thirteen soldiers, police and civilians who had been abducted by Kurdish insurgents and found killed in northern Iraq, during the funeral in the city of Erzurum, Turkey, Monday, Feb. 15, 2021. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Tuesday to expand cross-border operations against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, following the killings. (IHA via AP)ANKARA – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed on Tuesday to expand cross-border operations against Kurdish militants in northern Iraq, following the killing of 13 Turkish soldiers, police and civilians who had been abducted by Kurdish insurgents. Turkey has long been seeking to form a secure zone along its borders with Iraq and Syria to force Kurdish insurgents away from the frontier. Tens of thousands of people have been killed since the PKK began an insurgency in Turkey’s majority Kurdish southeast region in 1984.

(AP Photo/Hani Mohammed)WASHINGTON – The Biden administration on Monday suspended some of the terrorism sanctions that former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed on Yemen’s Houthi rebels in his waning days in office. The Treasury Department said it would exempt certain transactions involving the Houthis from sanctions resulting from Pompeo's designation of the group as a “foreign terrorist organization” on Jan. 10. The sanctions Pompeo imposed had taken effect Jan. 19, just a day before President Joe Biden was inaugurated, and had been roundly criticized by the United Nations and relief organizations. Six years of war between a U.S.-backed Arab coalition and the Houthi rebels have been catastrophic for Yemen, killing more than 112,000 people and reducing infrastructure from roads and hospitals to water and electricity networks to ruins. Saudi Arabia has advocated the terror designation, hoping it would pressure the rebels to reach a peace deal.

The Pentagon announced Thursday, Dec. 31, 2020, that the USS Nimitz, the only Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East, will return home to the U.S. West Coast. Navy via AP)WASHINGTON – The Pentagon has decided to send home the only Navy aircraft carrier operating in the Middle East, a move that will reduce American firepower in the region amid heightened tensions with Iran. Sending the aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, home to the U.S. West Coast would seem at odds with the idea that a show of force is needed to deter Iran. “Some friendly health advice to Iran: If one American is killed, I will hold Iran responsible. The U.S. has maintained a near-continuous aircraft carrier presence in the Persian Gulf region since the USS Abraham Lincoln was sent in May 2019 amid concerns that Iran was considering attacking U.S. interests in the region.

A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress from Minot Air Force Base, N.D., is refueled by a KC-135 Stratotanker in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility Wednesday, Dec. 30, 2020. The United States flew strategic bombers over the Persian Gulf on Wednesday for the second time this month, a show of force meant to deter Iran from attacking American or allied targets in the Middle East. Because of the potential for escalation that could lead to a wider war, the U.S. has sought to deter Iran from additional attacks. Iran denied involvement but was blamed by the United States for that attack. That flight was repeated this week, with two B-52s flying nonstop from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and heading home Wednesday after cruising over the western side of the Gulf.

He said a solution must come from a joint effort by diplomatic, security and humanitarian organizations. The U.S. also has about 3,000 troops still in Iraq; on Tuesday the Pentagon announced that Trump had ordered a drawdown to 2,500 in Iraq with no change for Syria. Trump has pushed for the repatriation of foreign fighters in Syria, but their home countries have largely refused to take them back. In the short run, McKenzie said, IS is in no position to pose a major security threat to the United States. The al-Qaida extremist group and like-minded militants also are severely hobbled but not eliminated, he said.

“After this retreat, there will still be American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. “We believe that there is strong bipartisan support from Congress and the administration for both Iraq and Afghanistan,” they wrote. That person, whose title is assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict, currently reports to the defense secretary through the undersecretary of defense for policy. This change in the administrative chain of command for special operations was required by the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. There currently is no Senate-confirmed assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict; Ezra Cohen holds the job in an acting capacity.

Trump has refused to concede his election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, who takes office Jan. 20, just five days after the troop withdrawals are to finish. Miller, who refused to take questions from reporters after reading a prepared statement before TV cameras at the Pentagon, said the U.S. will reduce troop levels in Afghanistan from more than 4,500 to 2,500, and in Iraq from about 3,000 to 2,500. It also runs counter to his guidance that troop withdrawals be based on the conditions on the ground, not a date on the calendar. He has accused his predecessor, Barack Obama, of setting a timetable for troop withdrawals in Iraq and Afghanistan that worked against the achievement of military goals. Biden has sounded less absolute about troop withdrawal.

UK was a small child when his parents fled Myanmar, leaving him and his siblings to be cared for by their maternal grandmother. Through its citizenship classes, the International Rescue Committee has helped around 6,000 refugees and other newcomers become Americans each of the last few years. Born in Iraq and now a U.S. citizen living in Jacksonville, Florida, Alawee said she also plans to cast her first presidential ballot Nov. 3. “I can't wait.”___BAWI UK was a small child when his parents fled Myanmar, leaving him and his siblings to be cared for by their maternal grandmother. The family resettled in Phoenix, where they all became U.S. citizens.

“We took out the world’s number one terrorist and the mass murderer of American troops and many, many troops and many people all over the world,” Trump said. Very bad guy.”Salami rejected the report of an Iranian plot to assassinate Ambassador Lana Marks, but made clear that Iran intends to avenge the general's death. “Do you think we hit a female ambassador in return to our martyred brother?’ the general said. You should know that everybody who had role in the event will be hit, and this is a serious message. Trump has stepped up economic pressure on Iran with sanctions since he pulled the United States out of Iran's nuclear deal with world powers in 2018.

Maj. Payne will receive the honor in a White House ceremony on the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Trump picked the 19th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks to honor Sgt. The team used bolt cutters to break the locks off the prison doors, freeing 38 hostages, according to the White House. Once the door was kicked opened, both American and Kurdish commandos escorted about 30 more hostages out of the burning building. He was initially given the Army’s second-highest award, the Distinguished Service Cross, for the special operations raid, which was upgraded to a Medal of Honor.

A health worker sprays disinfectant to sanitize the inside of the holy shrine of Imam Abbas during Muharram procession in Karbala, Iraq, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic calendar, is a month of mourning for Shiites in remembrance of the death of Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, at the Battle of Karbala in present-day Iraq in the 7th century. (AP Photo/Anmar Khalil)

SEOUL South Korea has reported 113 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the past 24 hours, its first daily jump over 100 in nearly four months. The KCDC said 86 of the new cases were linked to international arrivals while the other 27 were local transmissions. It said the imported cases included 36 South Korean workers who returned from Iraq and 32 crew members of a Russia-flagged cargo ship docked in the southern port of Busan. South Korean officials consider imported cases as less threatening than local transmissions as they mandate tests and enforce two-week quarantines on all overseas arrivals. He said 89 of the 293 South Korean workers who arrived home Friday aboard two military planes from Iraq were exhibiting symptoms.

Mourners and protesters escort the flag-draped coffin of Munir Ali, whose family said was killed in anti-government demonstrations, during his funeral in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2019. (AP Photo/Ali Abdul Hassan)

Iraq has launched an operation to regain control of western Mosul from ISIS militants, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Sunday.