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ISIS Says British Militant Carried Out Suicide Attack in Iraq New York Times LONDON They called him Abu Zakariya al-Britani the surname means the Briton and they say he blew himself up on Monday in an attack at a village southwest of Mosul, Iraq. The claim, in a communiqu from the Islamic State, immediately revived ... Iraq suicide bomber was former detainee at Guantanamo BayUPI.com Isis bomber Jamal al-Harith: from Manchester to Iraq via GuantnamoThe Guardian British suicide bomber in Iraq had won compensation for Guantanamo stayReuters New York Post -KCRA Sacramento -The Times (subscription) all 364 news articles »

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ISIS Says British Militant Carried Out Suicide Attack in Iraq - New York Times

BAGHDAD Senior U.S. military officials want to elevate talks with Russia aboutair operations over Iraq and Syria, an effort that is meant to protect pilots from collisions but complicated by concerns at the Pentagonthat doing so will make itlook like Washington and Moscow have begun to collaborate on the battlefield.

The talks, known as deconfliction, began in 2015 after the Russian military deployed forces to Khmeimim Air Base, a military installation along Syrias Mediterranean coastline that has been used to launch airstrikes against opposition forces in Syria in support of PresidentBashar al-Assads regime. Russias arrival in Syria complicated U.S.-led operations against the Islamic State military group in Syria, which began a year earlier.

An agreement signed between Washington and Moscow in fall 2015 called for the use of specific communication frequencies and the establishment of a phone hotline in which a U.S. colonel in Qatar and a Russian counterpart in Syria deconflict operations regularly but do not share intelligence. When there are points of contention between the two militaries, though, the existing arrangement has not left many options for U.S. officers, said Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Harrigian, the top Air Force commander in the Middle East.

Our perspective has been that there needs to be another layer that allows us to have a more senior-level discussion, and weve got to work through where that layer is, Harrigian told reporters in Baghdad this week, suggesting that adding a U.S. general with somewhere between one and three stars and a Russian counterpart would be helpful.

[New anti-Islamic State plan could change U.S. strategy in Syria]

Harrigian said that U.S. aircraft on occasion get out of the way of Russian jets. This was especially true a few months ago when both countries werelaunching airstrikes regularly near the Syrian city of Palmyra, he said. Such decisions could be hampering the overall operation, however.

In essence, we had some conflicting operational desires that ultimately we ended up working our way through over time because we were never able to elevate this discussion, Harrigian said. Did we miss targets? I cant say that for sure, but I would tell you that optimally we would have gone after that in a different manner.

U.S. military officials also have advocated upgrading the technology used to communicate with the Russians, which up until now has consisted of little more than a commercial phone line, said Air Force Col. John Thomas, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command. Doing so, he said, would boost the safety of flight operations, and thats certainly a big reason for considering making the communication more robust.

The discussions are complicated by legislation passed in 2014 after Moscows military bloody intervention into Ukraine and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula. With few exceptions, the law banned military-to-military cooperation between the United States and Russia unless Russian forces withdraw from Ukraine. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis can make an exception on issues where he considers it in U.S. interests, but is not ready to do so anytime soon, according to two people familiar with his thinking who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

During a Feb. 16 visit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in Brussels, Mattis said that the conditions are not right presently for the U.S. and Russian militaries to work together and that Moscow would have to prove itself first.

We are not in a position right now to collaborate on a military level, but our political leaders will engage and try to find common ground or a way forward so that Russia, living up to its commitment, can return to a partnership of sorts here with NATO, Mattis said.

Senior U.S. military officials and the Obama administration last year discussed establishing a new, higher-level channel for communicating with Russia about Syria that could have involved three-star generals, but Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter opted not to make a change before leaving office, according to people who were aware of discussions at the time and spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak candidly.

The individuals said that one of the concerns was potentiallycreating the appearance that Russia and the United States were carving up sections of Syrian airspace for their differing missions, effectively collaborating. Another was that senior U.S. military officials already could consult senior civilian officials at the Pentagon in cases where they ran into any difficulty with the Russians.

Elissa Slotkin, one former senior defense official involved in the discussions at the time, said that until the Trump administration makes policy decisions about how it wants to interact with Russia in regard to Syria, it would be unwise to increase interaction between the U.S. and Russian militaries any more than needed to keep pilots safe. She said Defense Secretary Jim Mattis might address the issue in a plan hehas been directed to deliver to Trump by the end of the month on how to accelerate the war against the Islamic State, she said.

Concerns about a potential collision in the air have persisted as U.S., Russian, Syrian and Turkish aircraft increasingly converge on the same areas of Syria, like the city of al-Bab. Pilots who have recently flown combat sorties over Iraq and Syria said that existing ways of deconflicting dont always work well and Russian pilots sometimes do not respond to radio communications.

Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Corcoran, commander of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing that flies combat missions against the Islamic State, said that the military has opted to fly advanced F-22 Raptors above U.S. aircraft in a stack formation in part because their sensors can better keep track of other aircraft. At times, he said, information gathered in the F-22 has been used to shift other U.S. planes to make room for an incoming Russian aircraft.

In October, U.S. military officials were particularly alarmed by an incident over Syria in which a Russian jet passed within a half-mile of a coalition E-3 Sentry, better known as an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) plane. The encounter was close enough to knock out the radar on the AWACS, Corcoran said.

Operations have improved since then, Corcoran said, but he said hed still welcome additional dialogue. Russian jets not only encounter American aircraft over Syria, he said, but over the Iraqi city of Mosul and surrounding areas, as Russian jets travel to Syria from southern Russia after crossing south down the Caspian Sea and west over Iran.

I think it would be helpful, Corcoran said of elevating talks. Its never a bad thing to have [military-to-military]ties. How many times during the Cold War did we say that having them stopped bad things from happening? We all have our objectives, but we have to talk.

Marine Gen. Joseph F. Dunford was open to elevating deconfliction talks to higher levels of the military, individuals familiar with previous discussions said. He met Feb. 16 with his Russian counterpart, Gen. Valeriy Gerasimov, in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking their first face-to-face meeting since Russias intervention in Ukraine in 2014.

A spokesman for Dunford, Navy Capt. Greg Hicks, said that the U.S. military continues to ensure the safety of flights over Syria and concerns are met through existing communication channels but declined to characterize Dunfords talks with the Russian general.

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US generals want elevated talks with Russia about Iraq and Syria operations because of aerial collision fears - Washington Post

Iraq - When they return to their home communities, Iraqis displaced by the current crisis face a host of challenges, including the destruction of infrastructure, housing and property. Access to basic services, availability of drinking water, food, health care, shelter and livelihood opportunities are all ongoing sources of concern.

During community assessments in areas retaken from ISIL, IOM staff have met many returned Iraqis whose homes are damaged. They are often staying with their relatives or neighbours, and some are living in tents next to their homes.

Due to the hardship and expense of displacement and return, the cost of home repair may be prohibitive for many families. Damage often includes burned rooms, destroyed roofs, and no access to water.

In response to these needs, IOM is rehabilitating homes for vulnerable Iraqi returnee families with support from the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). This is enabling families to safely and sustainably move back into their homes.

The project provides repairs for damaged or partially destroyed homes, the rehabilitation of a minimum of one room, the replacement of doors and windows and installation of basic water and sanitation facilities. Families are selected and prioritized based on the state of their home and vulnerability, with special consideration for female-headed households.

The current phase of the project began in December 2016 and includes a total of 200 houses in Salah al-Din and Diyala, which are 40 percent complete. Locations in Salah al-Din include Tikrit City, Al Alam, and Dour. Assistance for returnee families to rehabilitate damaged homes will also be provided in Al-Qayara. The previous phase of the OFDA project in 2016 included the rehabilitation of 400 homes in the same two governorates, benefitting 2,800 individuals.

Marwa and her nine children, granddaughter and daughter-in-law were displaced from Aledhaym sub- district in Diyala governorate in June 2014.

Prior to displacement our lives were excellent and stable. Our region had prosperous agriculture; our family cultivated wheat and watermelon. We fled because of the arrival of armed groups and clashes between them and the army. We fled in our small car. We brought blankets, a few clothes, our ID cards documents and enough food for two days, she said.

We rented houses during our displacement, but we were forced to move from one house to another. These houses were unfinished and lacked doors and windows. We sold our car to have money to pay for our basic needs, including food, clothing and housing.

It was not until September 2016 that we felt it was safe to return to our village. We found our house was burned, but we stayed because we did not have any other options. We no longer have the tools for agriculture, so my eldest son is planning to open a shop near our home. He is currently just working as a labourer when there are opportunities. My other children have not yet had an opportunity to return to their studies. We were not able to afford the renovations, but now IOM has renovated our bathroom and living room. The new space will keep us safe, she added.

IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Thomas Lothar Weiss said: As returns increase in Iraq, it is necessary to expand strategies and funding to assist returnees; shelter provision is a main priority. IOM is pleased to support thousands of Iraqi families with shelter support in cooperation with the Government of Iraq and our donors to promote and support sustainable long-term return.

The OFDA-funded project also includes shelter upgrades to assist displaced families living in unfinished buildings, schools, religious buildings, and other critical shelter arrangements. In 2016 more than 700 families in Baghdad, Najaf, Kerbala, Babylon, Qadissiya and Wassit governorates benefitted from these emergency rehabilitation works and upgrades, carried out by contractors and IOM staff. The 2017 phase of the project will assist more than 600 families in critical shelter arrangements.

Methods for these upgrades are compiled in IOM Iraq Missions recent publication, Rehabilitating, Repairing and Upgrading Critical Shelters and Damaged Houses. Click here to download the booklet.

Drawing from hands-on experience on the ground, the booklet presents shelter guidelines that aim to offer step-by-step guidance in repairing and upgrading critical shelters and damaged houses. The information is directed at the humanitarian aid community, IDP community members, and camp technical working committees.

The text provides guidelines for upgrades often needed for critical shelters, including internal wall partitions, roof repair and electrical safety. Rehabilitation guidelines for damaged houses includes: ceiling floor and wall repair, plastering and painting, and electrical rewiring.

As one of the largest shelter partners in Iraq, in 2016 IOM assisted more than 10,000 Iraqi families with shelter support including emergency sealing-off kits, emergency shelter kits, home rehabilitation and repair of critical shelter arrangements and homes.

Amid continued displacement from Mosul operations and the ongoing displacement of more than 3 million Iraqis across the country, thousands of Iraqis are choosing to return home. The latest IOM Iraq Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) dataset identified over 3 million displaced Iraqis and more than 1.5 million returnees from the period of January 2014 to mid-February 2017.

Return figures across Iraq governorates, as tracked by DTM (by number of individuals), are: Anbar (702,700), Salah al-Din (375,000), Diyala (202,100), Ninewa (186,300), Baghdad (31,000), Erbil (29,000) and Kirkuk (3,400). These figures, covering returns through 16 February, represent an increase since the previous DTM dataset (returns through 2 February) of more than 32,700 individuals in Anbar governorate, 17,800 individuals in Ninewa, and 800 individuals in Diyala.

More than 161,000 Iraqis continue to be displaced as a result of Mosul military operations, which began on 17 October. In total nearly 224,000 individuals have been displaced by Mosul military operations; more than 62,000 have returned to their areas of origin. Of the currently displaced, the majority (more than 150,000) are currently within Ninewa governorate.

The DTM Emergency Tracking figures on displacement from Mosul operations are available at: http://iraqdtm.iom.int/EmergencyTracking.aspx.

The latest full DTM report and data set on displacement and returns across Iraq are available on the DTM website: http://iraqdtm.iom.int

Please click to download the latest:

DTM Factsheet #17 (Feb. 23): https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/press_release/file/IOM_Iraq-DTM-...

DTM Snapshot (Feb. 23): https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/press_release/file/IOM_Iraq-DTM-...

DTM Mosul Corridor IDP Analysis (Feb. 20): https://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/press_release/file/IOM_Iraq-DTM-...

For further information, please contact IOM Iraq. Sandra Black, Email: sblack@iom.int, Tel. +964 751 234 2550 or Hala Jaber, Email: hjaberbent@iom.int, Tel. +964 751 740 1654

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IOM Rehabilitates Homes for Returning Iraqis; Publishes Shelter Rehabilitation Guidelines - Reliefweb

People on a boat carrying 267 migrants, including men, women and children, off the coast of Libya in the southern Mediterranean Sea. PHOTO:AFP

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), citing the Libyan Red Crescent, said on its website that the African migrants had been trapped for four days in the metal container.

Some of the 56 who survived were suffering from various injuries and fractures and needed immediate medical attention.

They were of different African nationalities. Among them were 13 bodies, including those of a girl, 13, and a 14-year-old boy.

A Khoms resident told AFP on condition of anonymity that the container had been on a truck headed for a beach in Khoms, from where the migrants were expected to board a boat for Europe, when it was stopped and searched at a checkpoint.

The Red Crescent branch at Khoms said on its Facebook page that the survivors and the 13 bodies were found dumped outside a detention centre for migrants in the town.

Fawzi Abdel Ali, a Red Crescent spokesman in Khoms, told the IFRC that when volunteers arrived, they provided first aid, psychological first aid, food and blankets for the 56 survivors, among them a five-year-old girl called Aisha.

On Wednesday, about 750 migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast after seven rescue operations mounted by the Italian coast guard and an international aid group.

Most of them were also from sub-Saharan Africa.

On Thursday, 85 migrants were rescued off the coast about 47 kilometres west of Tripoli, Ayoub Qassem, spokesman for the Libyan Navy, told AFP, saying they included several African women and five infants.

People smugglers have taken advantage of the chaos gripping Libya since its 2011 revolution that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi to boost their lucrative trade.

Most departures take place from the west of Libya, usually heading for Italy 300 kilometres (190 miles) away across the Mediterranean.

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13 Europe-bound migrants suffocate in Libya container - Guardian

Beirut/Geneva, 21 February The Libyan Red Crescent has recovered the bodies of 74 people who washed ashore yesterday (20 February), near Zawiya on Libyas northern coast.

Photos are available for download here.

It appears that the deceased had been on a boat attempting to cross the Mediterranean to reach Europe. A torn rubber dinghy was reportedly found nearby.

Libyan Red Crescent volunteers collected the bodies of the deceased with dignity, placing them in body bags for transfer to a local hospital.

More than 270 people migrating are believed to have drowned in the Mediterranean in the first weeks of 2017, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). In 2016, more than 5,000 deaths at sea were recorded, making it the deadliest year on record.

The IFRC calls for collective international action to avert further deaths like these which are tragic and entirely preventable.

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News alert: Libyan Red Crescent recovers 74 bodies in northern Libya, PHOTOS AVAILABLE - International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent...