Skip to main content

Europe wary of Iraq action; Germans urged to leave

By WTOP Staff

JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG
Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — Germany urged its citizens to leave Baghdad and troubled parts of Iraq on Thursday, as European officials calibrated their response to a military push by Sunni Muslim insurgents toward the capital after capturing two key cities.

Western officials were consulting over a deteriorating security situation in the embattled Middle Eastern country, with the cities of Mosul and Tikrit falling into the hands of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant over the last two days.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry called on Germans in Iraq, who number in the thousands, to leave the governorates of Anbar, Ninevah and Salah al-Din, and temporarily leave Baghdad. It also expressed concern about the situation in Diyala and Kirkuk governorates.

“The fighting threatens to plunge not just Iraq but the entire region, which has been knocked out of balance by the war in Syria, further into violence and chaos,” Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told German daily Bild.

Britain and France said it was up to Iraqi authorities to deal with terrorism and worsening security, while Russia’s foreign minister said the crisis pointed to “total failure” of the U.S.-led military invasion of Iraq in 2003. NATO’s top official said the alliance had no request or mandate to act in Iraq.

“I don’t see a role for NATO in Iraq,” NATO secretary general Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a visit to Madrid.

Foreign Secretary William Hague of Britain — the biggest spender on defense in Western Europe — too ruled out any British military role. He said Britain was consulting closely with the United States and will support any U.S. decision on coping with the crisis, and floated the possibility of British humanitarian aid to refugees who were displaced in recent days

“We’re looking at that now,” Hague told the BBC in an interview. “But we will not be getting involved militarily.”

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has begun “a series of consultations on this matter with his main counterparts,” ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said, adding that France “fully supports the Iraqi state in this fight” against terrorists. Spain, which unlike France participated in the 2003 invasion, called on Iraqi leaders to unite “against the serious threats overshadowing the country,” the Spanish Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Iraq’s ambassador to France, Fareed Yassin, urged the international community to rally to the support of his country’s beleaguered government. Speaking on France Inter radio, he listed as Iraq’s military requirements “equipment, additional aviation, we need drones, lots of things.”

Kristalina Georgieva, aid chief for the European Union, said “a major humanitarian crisis is underway in Iraq,” with an estimated half-million people fleeing their homes. The EU recently opened a humanitarian office in Irbil, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of Mosul, funded with EUR3 million ($4.1 million) to help people who fled fighting in Anbar in March.

“In the coming days the full extent of this new humanitarian crisis will become clearer and the European Commission stands ready to offer further assistance,” Georgieva said in a statement. The latest crisis stemmed from factors including “the alienation of the beleaguered Sunni Arab population, a state of generalized violence, opportunistic armed opposition groups and a spillover effect from the terrible war raging in Syria.”

A totally different read on the situation came from Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who said the rapid advances by the al-Qaida-inspired fighters proved that the military invasion of Iraq 11 years ago had been a fiasco.

“What is happening in Iraq is an illustration of the total failure of the adventure undertaken primarily by the U.S. and Britain and which they have let slip completely out of control,” Lavrov was quoted by Russian state news agencies as saying.

Lavrov said Russia had long warned that the intervention would not end well, and now fears that the unity of Iraq is at risk.

___

Jordans reported from Berlin. AP correspondents Elaine Ganley in Paris, Lynn Berry in Moscow, Gregory Katz in London and Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote