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Iraq
Israel Rejects Hamas Hostage Proposal, Calling It 'Delusional'
After holding talks with visiting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected as "delusional" a counterproposal by Hamas to a hostage deal brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from the U.S. State Department.
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Russia, Iran Not Invited to Munich Security Conference
BERLIN — Russian and Iranian government officials have not been invited to this year's Munich Security Conference, as they did not seem open to meaningful dialogue, according to the chairperson of the annual event.
The conference, attended by the world's defense and security elite and sometimes known as "Davos for defense," will take place in the southern German city on February 16-18.
The event will open days before the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of...
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US Drone Strike in Iraq Kills Iran-Backed Militant Group Commander
Pentagon — The United States military says it carried out a drone strike on a vehicle in Baghdad, killing a leader of an Iranian-backed militant group.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, said the strike on Tuesday killed a commander of the militant group Kataib Hezbollah who was “responsible for directly planning and participating in attacks on U.S. forces in the region.”
Two U.S. officials confirmed to VOA that the commander was operations...
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US Involved in Strike That Hit 'High-Value Target' in Iraq, Official Tells VOA
Pentagon — A U.S. official tells VOA the United States military was involved in a strike against a high-value target whom local reports identify as the commander of the Iranian-backed group linked to recent attacks on U.S. service members in the Middle East.
The official, who spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity, said the strike occurred in Baghdad, Iraq, late Wednesday. Local reports say the strike hit a vehicle carrying the commander of Khataib Hezbollah. Video shared on social...
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India Projects Naval Power in Arabian Sea Amid Houthi Strikes, Piracy Resurgence
new delhi — From helping douse a fire on a Marshall Islands-flagged tanker hit by a Houthi missile on January 26 to rescuing vessels hijacked by pirates, Indian navy warships have been providing security to merchant ships in the Arabian Sea.
India has not joined the U.S.-led task force for the Red Sea that is launching strikes against Yemen-based Houthi rebels, who have mounted missile and drone attacks on commercial ships in response to Israel’s war against the militant group Hamas,...
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Iraq Hosts Both U.S. and Iranian-Backed Forces. It’s Getting Tense.
As Iranian-backed groups and American forces, both of which have bases in Iraq, lock horns around the Mideast, things are becoming uncomfortable for the Iraqi government.
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US Intelligence Warns of Growing Iranian-Houthi Weapons Cooperation
washington — The United States is offering fresh evidence that Houthi attacks on international shipping are being carried out with weaponry designed by Iran, though some analysts and experts warn the findings raise concerns about the effectiveness of the U.S. actions against the Houthis and what it portends of Iran’s weapons development program.
The Defense Intelligence Agency late Tuesday issued an unclassified report with details on the drones and missiles the Houthis have used in their...
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Explainer: How Hamas Ended Up on US List of Terrorist Groups
Jerusalem — Along with the United States, several countries have listed Hamas as a terrorist organization. The group considers itself a liberation movement for Palestinians against Israeli occupation.
The U.S. has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization three times, says Matthew Levitt, a specialist on Hamas at the Washington Institute of Near East Policy.
“The first time predates the current terrorism lists and came in the process of the peace process under the Clinton administration...
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UN Chief: 'Age of Chaos' Engulfing the World Must End
New York — U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Wednesday that the world has entered an “age of chaos” that is causing a multitude of suffering and thwarting progress – and must be reversed.
“There is so much anger and hate and noise in our world today,” the secretary-general told member states as he laid out his priorities for 2024. “Every day and at every turn, it seems – it’s war.”
He said people just want peace and security and to live their lives with dignity.
“For millions...
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India Projects Maritime Power in Arabian Sea Amid Houthi Strikes and Piracy Resurgence
India has deployed at least ten warships in the Arabian Sea to provide security to merchant ships in the waters east of the Red Sea where drone attacks by Houthi rebels and a resurgence in piracy are posing a challenge. As Anjana Pasricha reports, India’s large naval deployment is seen as part of the country’s ambition to be seen as a rising power. Video: Awanish Singh
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Blinken: Hamas Proposes Nonstarters on Hostage Deal, Leaves Room for Negotiation
U.S. State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that Hamas militant leaders' proposal for a cease-fire in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages contained "clear nonstarters," but leaves room for ongoing negotiations.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, however, rejected the plan offered by Hamas to end the war in Gaza, instead vowing to push forward with his nation’s attack on the militants until it achieves "absolute...
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US Considers Hamas' Response to Proposed Hostage Deal, Says Blinken
Hamas leaders have responded to a hostage deal proposal that would pause hostilities, says U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The U.S. is studying the response and will discuss it in Israel on Wednesday, says Blinken. VOA's Cindy Saine reports from the U.S. State Department.
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Media Weigh Ethics Over Access for Military Embeds to Gaza
WASHINGTON — With the Israel-Hamas war entering its fourth month, media are looking more closely at the ethics of whether journalists should embed with Israeli forces to enter Gaza.
Currently, the only way for journalists to enter the Gaza Strip is by embedding with the Israel Defense Forces, or IDF. But that access is restricted and risks skewing an audience’s understanding of the conflict, according to some reporters and analysts.
“It’s incredibly frustrating that we don’t have more...
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Houthis Fire 6 More Anti-Ship Missiles Into Red Sea
Pentagon — Iranian-backed Houthi militants have once again ignored U.S. calls to stop attacking international shipping lanes or face consequences, this time firing six anti-ship missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Red Sea, a U.S. official tells VOA.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said U.S. naval forces had shot at least one of the missiles down on Tuesday, with others falling into the sea.
There were no reported injuries, and the ship was able...
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Millions of Survivors of 2023 Turkey-Syria Quakes Remain Destitute, Traumatized
GENEVA — On the first anniversary of devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, millions of survivors remain destitute and traumatized while still awaiting pledged assistance they desperately need, say U.N. and relief organizations.
“A year since a series of earthquakes killed 50,000 people in Turkey and 5,900 people in Syria, thousands of families have yet to heal from the impact of the devastation,” Martin Griffiths, the U.N.’s undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs and...
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Blinken Pushes for Israel-Hamas Cease-Fire During Doha Talks
State Department — U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Hamas militants’ leaders have responded to a proposed hostage deal that would pause the fighting in the Gaza Strip. He said the United States is studying their response intensely and will discuss it Wednesday in Israel.
During a press conference in Doha, Blinken told reporters that Hamas’ response to the proposal has been shared with Israel. In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden described the response from the...
Categories: Iraq
More Strikes Against US forces Follow Wave of US Airstrikes
Iranian-backed militants in the Middle East were not deterred by U.S. strikes in Iraq, Syria and Yemen over the weekend, launching three attacks in Syria and causing the U.S. to conduct at least two self-defense strikes in Yemen. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb reports.
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Exclusive: UN Rights Commissioner Meets Officials in Iran, Despite Activists Warning Her of Propaganda Risk
WASHINGTON — The U.N. human rights office has issued its first statement about a U.N. rights official’s controversial visit to Iran, telling VOA it is aware of rights groups’ concerns that Tehran will exploit the visit for propaganda but is confident the world body’s work will not be undermined.
In the statement emailed to VOA on Monday, U.N. rights office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani confirmed that Nada Al-Nashif, deputy high commissioner for human rights, arrived in Iran on Friday and...
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