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Iraq

Egypt Worries US-British Attacks on Houthis Could Escalate Gaza Conflict

Voice of America - Sun, 01/14/2024 - 01:44
cairo — After the latest U.S. and British airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response to Houthi drone attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, some commentators in Egypt said that more attacks could reduce Suez Canal traffic and damage the Egyptian and world economy.   Former Egyptian deputy foreign minister Hussein Haridi told Arab media that the U.S. and British attacks would probably damage Egypt's already-struggling economy and cut shipping through the Suez Canal even more...
Categories: Iraq

US Launches Follow-Up Strike on Houthi Radar Site

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 23:44
washington — The United States launched a follow-up strike against a Houthi target in Yemen early Saturday, after officials said they were not satisfied with the damage inflicted during the initial round of airstrikes late Thursday.  U.S. Central Command said it launched the additional strike from the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, firing multiple Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles to take out a radar site that it said presented a continuing threat to maritime traffic.    The strike...
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Biden: US Delivered Private Message to Iran About Houthi Attacks

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 21:52
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday the United States had delivered a private message to Iran about Iran-backed Houthis responsible for attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.  "We delivered it privately, and we're confident we're well-prepared," Biden told reporters at the White House before departing to the Camp David presidential retreat for the weekend.  The Houthi movement threatened a "strong and effective response" after the United...
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Seized Marshall Islands-flagged Tanker Located Off Iranian Coast

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 21:44
CAIRO — The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker seized by Iran in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday has been located east of Iran's Qeshm Island, monitoring service TankerTrackers.com said in a post on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.  Iran seized the St. Nikolas, loaded with Iraqi crude destined for Turkey, in retaliation for the confiscation last year of the same vessel and its Iranian oil cargo by the United States, Iranian state media reported.  "The Greek-owned,...
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Global Protests Draw Thousands in London, Elsewhere in Pro-Palestinian Marches

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 19:31
LONDON — Children joined thousands of other demonstrators making their way through central London for a pro-Palestinian march Saturday, part of a global day of action against the longest and deadliest war between Israel and Palestinians in 75 years. The plight of children in the Gaza Strip after nearly 100 days of the Israel-Hamas war was the focus of the latest London march, symbolized by the appearance of Little Amal, a 3.5-meter (11.5-foot) puppet originally meant to highlight the...
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Families of Hamas Hostages Prepare to Mark Loved Ones' 100th Day in Captivity

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 16:48
LONDON — It has become a daily ritual. Every morning, before she’s even out of her pajamas, Rachel Goldberg-Polin tears a piece of masking tape off the roll, grabs a marking pen and in thick black strokes writes down the number of days her son, Hersh, has been held hostage by Hamas militants. Then she sticks the tape to her chest. “I find it so remarkable how nauseating it is every single time,’ she said. “And it’s good. I don’t want to get used to it. I don’t want anybody to get used to...
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Turkey Launches Airstrikes Against Kurdish Militants in Iraq, Syria

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 11:35
ISTANBUL — Turkey carried out airstrikes targeting Kurdish militants in neighboring Iraq and Syria on Saturday, the Turkish Defense Ministry said, coming a day after an attack on a Turkish military base in Iraq killed nine Turkish soldiers. Turkey often launches strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq it believes to be affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, a banned Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkey since the 1980s. The defense ministry...
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US Launches Follow-Up Strike on Houthi Radar Site

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 07:27
WASHINGTON — The United States launched a follow-up strike against a Houthi target in Yemen early Saturday, after officials said they were not satisfied with the damage inflicted during the initial round of airstrikes late Thursday. U.S. Central Command said it launched the additional strike from the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, firing multiple Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles to take out a radar site that it said presented a continuing threat to maritime traffic. The strike comes...
Categories: Iraq

US, Houthis Both Vow to Respond After Western Strikes in Yemen

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 04:54
The Iran-backed Houthis vowed Friday to continue attacking ships in the Red Sea following U.S. and British retaliatory strikes in Yemen. U.S. President Joe Biden said he would respond accordingly. White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reports.
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Israel Defends Itself at the UN's Top Court Against Gaza Genocide Allegations

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 04:51
THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Accused of committing genocide against Palestinians, Israel insisted at the United Nations' highest court Friday that its war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide. Israel described the allegations leveled by South Africa as hypocritical and said one of the biggest cases ever to come before an international court reflected a world turned upside down. Israeli leaders defend their air and ground...
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US Strikes Another Houthi Site in Yemen

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 02:22
Categories: Iraq

Turkish Soldiers Killed Defending Base in Iraq's Kurdish Region

Voice of America - Sat, 01/13/2024 - 00:00
istanbul — Five Turkish soldiers were killed Friday in an attack on a military base in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, the Turkish Defense Ministry said. Authorities blamed Kurdish militants. Eight soldiers were wounded, three of them seriously, when the attackers attempted to infiltrate the base, the ministry said on social media. It indicated 12 militants had been killed and that operations were continuing in the area. The wounded troops were hospitalized for...
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Iran Slams 'Arbitrary' US, UK Strikes on Yemen Rebels

Voice of America - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 23:18
tehran, iran — Iran condemned strikes on Yemen by U.S. and British forces Friday, saying that the attacks against Tehran-backed Houthi rebels were "arbitrary" and a violation of international law.  The overnight strikes followed weeks of missile and drone attacks by the Houthis against Red Sea shipping, which they say have been in solidarity with Palestinians in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip.  Foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said Iran "strongly condemns the military...
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Tensions Between Jews and Arabs in Israel Grow

Voice of America - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 21:13
Relations between Jewish and Arab citizens of Israel have become more fraught since the Hamas attack of October 7 and the ensuing war in Gaza. Many Arab citizens say they worry they could be penalized if they speak freely. Linda Gradstein reports for VOA from Tel Aviv. VOA footage by Ricki Rosen.
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UN Calls for Cease-Fire in Gaza Grow Louder as Conditions Deteriorate

Voice of America - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 20:55
Geneva — United Nations officials say Palestinians in Gaza are in a state of desperation after nearly three months of being militarily battered and left without sufficient supplies of food, water and medicine. "The level of desperation of people is palpable and breathable. It is a situation of desperation that you can feel it, that you can really touch it with your hands," said Andrea De Domenico, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the...
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Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes, Criticizes ‘Selective Outrage’ of Allies

Voice of America - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 16:27
In its annual report published Thursday, Human Rights Watch accused Israel of war crimes and said many governments were expressing “selective outrage” over atrocities committed in the conflict in Gaza. Henry Ridgwell reports
Categories: Iraq

US, Britain Blast Houthi Targets in Yemen, Killing at Least 5 Fighters

Voice of America - Fri, 01/12/2024 - 13:15
the pentagon — The United States, Britain and a handful of other allies answered dozens of Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden with a series of powerful airstrikes designed to severely degrade the Iranian-backed group’s capabilities. U.S. Central Command late Thursday said the series of strikes hit more than 60 targets at 16 locations in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, and...
Categories: Iraq