Iraq

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Iraqi Kurdistan sticks to a peaceful resolution of the current confrontation with Baghdad.

Erbil Urges Baghdad to 'Immediately' Withdraw Troops From Kurdistan Territories
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710231058472705-iraqi-kurdistan-iraq-troops-peshmerga/

Iraqi Kurdistan’s authorities have called on Baghdad to withdraw the troops deployed to Kurdish territories and begin talks to peacefully settle the crisis.

"We call on the Iraqi Government to immediately cease its military aggression and withdraw from all territories. As the political leadership of the Kurdistan Region has said time and again, Iraq must commit to unconditional talks to settle political disputes through peaceful means," a statement released by the Kurdistan Region Security Council read.

Over the past 48 hours, Baghdad has continued to deploy its military equipment, including tanks and artillery, "as well as American equipment, including Humvees and Armored Personnel Carriers," according to the statement.

The Kurdistan Council further claimed that "Iraq has shown zero sign of de-escalating their military aggression against the people of Kurdistan Region."

The tensions between Baghdad and Erbil have intensified after the September 25 independence referendum held by the region, seeking secession from Iraq despite strong opposition from the latter.

The vote triggered a military operation by Iraqi forces, aimed to gain control over the disputed territories, including those of Kirkuk, an oil-rich region,
which followed the Iraqi Kurdistan’s decision to strive for separation.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi has commented on Rex Tillerson's statement concerning so-called "foreign fighters" in Iraq.

Baghdad Surprised by Tillerson's Claims About Foreign Fighters in Iraq
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710231058469741-iraq-tillerson-foreign-fighter/

Baghdad is surprised by US State Secretary Rex Tillerson's statements about "foreign fighters" fighting on the Iraqi side against terrorists, the press service of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said in a statement on Monday, citing a source close to the prime minister.

"Militia fighters (mentioned by Tillerson) are Iraqis, Iraqi citizens, who sacrificed their lives to protect their country and people. They are subordinate to Iraqi authorities in line with the law," the source was quoted as saying in the statement.

At a joint conference with Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Jubeir in Riyadh on Sunday, Tillerson claimed that Iranian Shiite militias, as well as other foreign fighters, should leave Iraq since the fight against Daesh was coming to a close.

The Shiite Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd Shaabi) is a state-sponsored militia integrated into the Iraqi Armed Forces. It has up to 100,000 members and has been subjected to criticism from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, among other Sunni states, for instigating sectarian discord in the areas liberated from Daesh, an allegation which has been repeatedly refuted by Baghdad.

 

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In their retreat across northwest Iraq, pro-Bazani militias are carrying out the same kind of actions that the Islamic State is infamous for, destroying infrastructures that they cannot hold onto.

Pictures: Pro-Barzani militias behave like ISIS, destroy Iraqi bridges as they retreat
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/pictures-pro-bazani-militias-behave-like-isis-destroy-iraqi-bridges-retreat/

Recently, Barzani regime forces destroyed two bridges that cross major rivers that connect the main road leading to the city of Erbil via Kirkuk.

Picture evidence has surfaced showing the destruction of these bridges which are located in the area of Altun Kupuri – town of which is now under the control of Baghdad-led forces.

Barzani loyalist militias destroyed the bridges to slow down Iraqi pro-government forces after it became apparent they they could not hope to retake Altun Kupuri.

A top commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Sha’abi) called for the immediate withdrawal of US troops from Iraq after the elimination of Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) Takfiri terrorists.

Hashd Al-Sha'abi: US Forces Must Leave Iraq
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960803000590

"To the US secretary of state, your military forces must prepare now to get out of our homeland Iraq immediately and without delay once the ISIS elimination excuse is over," Qais al-Khaz’ali, the secretary general of the League of Righteous, an Iraqi armed group fighting Daesh as part of Hashd al-Sha’abi, wrote on his Twitter page, presstv reported.

The statement came after US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said in a Sunday joint press conference with his Saudi counterpart Adel al-Jubeir in Riyadh that Iran and all other countries currently helping Iraq in its fight against the Daesh terrorist group needed to leave the Arab country now that the battle was drawing to a close.

A day later, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's media office criticized Tillerson’s meddlesome comments, saying, “No party has the right to interfere in Iraqi matters.”

Hashd al-Sha’abi is an Iraqi state-sponsored umbrella organization composed of some 40 groups, which are mainly Shia Muslims. The force reportedly numbers more than 100,000 fighters. Iraqi authorities say there are between 25,000 and 30,000 Sunni tribal fighters within its ranks in addition to Kurdish Izadi and Christian units.

The fighters have played a major role in the liberation of Daesh-held areas to the south, northeast and north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, ever since the terrorists launched an offensive in the country in June 2014.

Iran has been providing advisory military assistance to the central government in Baghdad and the regional government in the Iraqi Kurdistan, helping them both maintain ground and win back territory lost to the terrorist group in 2014.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also slammed Tillerson’s remarks, saying they had been uttered under the influence of petrodollars of certain states.

“Exactly what country is it that Iraqis, who rose up to defend their homes against ISIS, return to?” Zarif said in a tweet late on Sunday, using an alternative name for Daesh. “Shameful US FP (foreign policy), dictated by petrodollars,” he tweeted.

Iraqi troops ran into a mass grave containing bodies of 170 civilian victims, South of Mosul, a security source said.

Remains of 170 Iraqi Civilians Found in Mass Grave, South of Mosul
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960803001089

Federal Police troops found the mass grave near al-Bou seif village, located South of Mosul, Col. Anbar Mohamed al-Jabri said, Anadolu reported.

Relics of 170 civilians were found in the mass grave, and apparently they were collectively killed by ISIL, while the terror group being in control on the city.

Most of the victims were men, who were shot in the head, back and the chest, preliminary results showed. They were likely killed more than a year ago.

 

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Veterans File Lawsuit Accusing Big Pharma Companies Of Funding Terrorist Organizations In Iraq October 20, 2017
_http://www.collective-evolution.com/2017/10/20/veterans-file-lawsuit-accusing-big-pharma-companies-of-funding-terrorist-organizations-in-iraq/

Two days ago, on October 17, over 100 U.S. veterans and relatives of American soldiers who were either injured or killed during the Iraq war filed a federal lawsuit against numerous U.S. and European Big Pharma companies. These aren’t just tiny corporations, they’re some of the leading companies in the medical industry, including Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.

Those involved in the lawsuit are claiming that these companies regularly paid officials in Iraq’s Ministry of Health, who then used the money to fund the militia that was responsible for many attacks against U.S. troops.

So, why are Big Pharma companies funding Iraq’s Ministry of Health, and more importantly, did they know the money would end up in the hands of terrorists?

Lawsuit Against Big Pharma Companies Funding Terrorists - It seems sort of strange that Big Pharma companies, especially those based in the U.S., would fund the very terrorist organizations that were attacking U.S. troops in the first place. But then again, it’s also sort of strange that the U.S. government funds and trains terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS, so perhaps this shouldn’t come as such a surprise.

The lawsuit was filed against five major pharmaceutical giants: AstraZeneca, General Electric, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, and Roche Holding. The lawsuit claims that these organizations financed terrorist organizations that are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of American soldiers, and numerous soldiers and veterans who were wounded in the Iraq war.

These companies allegedly paid kickbacks to higher-ups at Iraq’s Health Ministry, and these payments were made when the ministry was controlled by the Jaysh al-Mahdi, or Mahdi Army, an “anti-American” Iraqi militia backed by Iran. The lawsuit includes a 27-page list that details all of the reported deaths and injuries of American troops that were caused by Jaysh al-Mahdi from 2005 to 2009.

In terms of how much the officials at the ministry were being paid, these companies allegedly bribed them with as much as 20% of a total contract’s value. The plaintiffs stated that these corporations funded the ministry employees by supplying them with additional drugs and equipment.

They noted that these free items were packaged in “a manner conducive to street resale” so that the ministry officials could resell them on the black market. In addition, the companies allegedly designed a “slush fund” from 2004 to 2013 in order to fund “after-sales support and other services,” but in reality, the money was apparently used for the Health Ministry officials.

The lawsuit argues that by funding the officials, the corporations “aided and abetted Jaysh al-Mahdi’s terrorist operations against Americans in Iraq.”

The lawsuit reads:

[The ministry] functioned more as a terrorist apparatus than a health organization. . . .

Public hospitals were converted into terrorist bases where Sunnis were abducted, tortured, and murdered. [Health Ministry] ambulances transported Jaysh al-Mahdi death squads around Baghdad. Armed terrorists openly patrolled the halls of [Health Ministry] headquarters in downtown Baghdad, which became too dangerous for Americans to enter and which one percipient witness described as a ‘Mahdi Army camp.

The lawsuit claims that the ministry was essentially a front for Jaysh al-Mahdi, which many U.S. army officials started referring to as “the pill army,” because the troops were compensated in pills instead of actual money.

As per whether or not the Big Pharma companies actually knew that this money and medical supplies were ending up in the hands of terrorists, the lawsuit claims they were well aware that the ministry was acting as a front for a terrorist organization. The lawsuit even includes examples of how these companies had previously paid generous amounts of money in the past to settle similar claims.

These examples include one in 2011, whereby Johnson & Johnson paid $70 million to settle charges that its subsidiaries paid kickbacks in order to successfully gain contracts in Iraq and other countries. GE also had a similar case in which it ended up settling for $23 million in 2010.

Two GE subsidiaries allegedly scored at least four contracts between 2000 and 2003 by paying illegal kickbacks to the Kimadia, the Health Ministry’s purchasing agency. AstraZeneca AB, the company’s UK-affiliate, paid at least $162,000 in kickbacks in order to secure the sale of $1.7 million worth of drugs under the sanctions relief program.

Ryan Sparacino, one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys, told the Financial Times: “Most of the defendants have a documented history of paying bribes that supported terrorism under Saddam.

The lawsuit alleges that the companies are in violation of the U.S. anti-terrorism act.

Final Thoughts - When you really think about it, this information isn’t all that surprising. We live in a world where most businesses’ primary goal is to make money, and ultimately Big Pharma’s primary motive in many of these cases is to score profitable contracts.

There’s also a bit of irony within this case, as it’s helping to expose the ties between large corporations and terrorist organizations that are allegedly in violation of U.S. law, when in reality the U.S. government itself has been funding, training, and aiding terrorist organizations for decades. We’ve have written numerous articles on this subject, such as here, here, here, and here.

 

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Iraqi Forces, Kurdish Peshmerga agree to a ceasefire, the latter will withdraw from the key Assyrian border town
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/iraqi-forces-kurdish-peshmerga-agree-to.html

The Iraqi Federal Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga militants have agreed to a ceasefire and withdrawal of Peshmerga units from the Assyrian town of Faysh Khabour.

The Iraqi military commander, Lt. Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, stated that Federal Forces will uncompromisingly control all of Nineveh Plains where they will be accompanied by some of the local Assyrian groups, such as the Nineveh Plains Protection Units (NPU).

There are, however, some fears that foreign Kurdish fighters may sabotage the deal, calling it “treachery” to work with Iraqi Security Forces.

In recent time a great number of foreign-born Kurdish fighters have showed up in Iraq. Majority of them came from Iran, while some also came from Syria.

Peshmerga, the military force of the ruling regime of the autonomous Iraqi Province of Kurdistan has agreed to a 24 hour ceasefire, affirming its units will withdraw from strategic Assyrian border town of Faysh Khabour.

A group of Kurdish Islamic clerics have declared jihad against the Iraqi Federal Forces, calling them “Shias”, to defend Kurdistan.

Kurdistan's clerics declare jihad against the Iraqi Forces
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/kurdistans-clerics-declare-jihad.html

Earlier today, the Iraqi Federal Forces and Kurdish Peshmerga, the military force of the ruling regime of the autonomous Iraqi province of Kurdistan agreed to a ceasefire and withdrawal of Peshmerga units from the Assyrian town of Faysh Khabour.

According to the agreement, all of the Nineveh Plains will now be in control of Iraqi Forces and the Assyrian groups.

In the past, some of Kurdistan’s clerics have already been expressing hostilities towards religious minorities living in the province.

 

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The Iraqi armed forces are conducting a large-scale operation against the Daesh terrorist group in the area of Al-Huwaji in the country aimed at squeezing terrorists from the part of the country that they had controlled for several years.

Iraqi Troops Find Mass Grave of Daesh Victims in Northern Iraq
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710281058620489-iraq-mass-grave-daesh/

According to the command of the army, Iraqi troops have found a mass grave "with bodies of dead soldiers, policemen; approximately 50 people executed by the Daesh in the district of Hawija."

According to the head of the police of the province of Kirkuk, the specialists intend to thoroughly study the remains, as ""hundreds of other Iraqi soldiers and policemen who fought against extremists are considered missing."

According to reports, more than 100 civilians disappeared in Syrian Saadia earlier, and “the victims in the grave were executed by Daesh during its control of Saadiya after June 2014," Diyala Organization for Human Rights leader said.

Earlier, near the village of Abu-Sahra, located in the south-east of El-Huweiji, two similar graves have already been found with the remains of Iraqi soldiers.

Prior to the operation, the settlement and the surrounding territories were held by up to 2 thousand extremists. On October 11, it was announced that Iraqi army has completely liberated Hawija from Daesh terrorists.

Iraqi troops have run into a mass grave, composed of relics of army and police personnel in Southwestern Kirkuk.

Iraq: Mass Grave of 50 Police, Army Personnel’s Relics Found in Hawija
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960806000410

A mass grave composed of relics of 50 army and police personnel was found in al-Bakara village in Hawija. They were executed by Islamic State,”
the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell said on Friday, Iraqi News reported.

“All legal measures were taken to open the grave and check the relics,” the statement added.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced on September 21, the launch of first phase of operations to liberate Hawija and Eastern Shirqat, North of Salahuddin.

Federal Police, Rapid Response and the pro-government Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) took part in the attack, according to the command.

Iraqi troops managed to retake several ISIL strongholds including Mosul and Tal Afar in Nineveh, Hawija in Kirkuk and Annah in Anbar.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced on Thursday the launch of operations to liberate Qaim and Rawa towns. Both towns have been held by the terrorist group since 2014, when it occupied one third of Iraq to proclaim a self-styled “Caliphate”.

Federal Iraqi forces have peacefully taken control of all border crossings ringing the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) following an agreement with Kurdish authorities.

Federal Iraqi Forces Peacefully Retake Kurdistan Borders After Deal with Iraqi Kurds
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960806001427

A reported agreement between Baghdad and Erbil facilitated the peaceful handover of the border posts to the federal Iraqi forces, presstv reported.

In a statement released on Friday, the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said he had ordered a 24-hour suspension of military operations against Kurdish militants.

The halt in fighting “should allow a joint technical committee... to work on the deployment of federal Iraqi forces in all disputed areas, including Fish-Khabur, and the international borders,” the statement read, adding that “This should prevent bloodshed between the children of the same country.”

The KRG confirmed that the truce had taken effect at 1 a.m. local time on Friday (2200 GMT on Thursday).

 

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The Kurdish militia known as the Peshmerga have withdrawn from the Assyrian town of Teleskof.

PHOTOS: Kurdish forces withdraw from Assyrian towns in northern Iraq
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/photos-kurdish-forces-withdraw-from.html

This came after Kurdish authorities and Iraqi Federal forces came into an agreement to allow Iraqi Security Forces to take over.

The Kurdish pull-out follows meetings with Peshmerga command agreeing to leave the disputed areas instead of fighting after suffering heavy casualties.

In response to the event, one resident said “God bless the Iraqi Army, we have been waiting for 3 years for them. I am so happy I finally have a future for my children.”

The Iraqi Forces are making rapid advancements towards the last ISIS stronghold of Al Qaim, a town located at the Syrian border.

Iraqi Forces to liberate the last ISIS stronghold in the country within a week
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/iraqi-forces-to-liberate-last-isis.html

According to the field reports, the Iraqi Forces are only 10 kilometers away from the town, with more than 60 percent of Jazeera area in Anbar province already being liberated on the third day of campaign.

“So far, dozens of villages in the vicinity of Al Qaim in western Anbar have been liberated”, Jaafar Al Husseini, the military spokesman for the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), Iraq’s largest paramilitary group, was heard saying, adding that the battle to liberate Al Qaim will be over within a week.

Some local sources from the areas around Al Qaim said a great number of ISIS terrorists in the town are foreign citizens. A military source from the PMU said the number of ISIS terrorists in the area is constantly decreasing, with the current estimates being around 400 and 500.

On Thursday, the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi announced the launch of the military campaign to liberate Al Qaim from ISIS, noting that campaign will also focus on liberating other areas in western Anbar such as Rawa and a number of surrounding villages.

Meanwhile in Baghdad, three people were killed and 12 left wounded in a suicide terror attack that targeted the funeral procession in northern district of Mashahah.

The Iraqi Media and Communications commission has banned Rudaw for false reporting and inciting hatred and sectarianism.

Iraqi Media commission bans Kurdish Rudaw News for false reports
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/10/breaking-iraqi-media-commission-bans.html

Rudaw is the largest Kurdish media service and is owned by the Barzani family. The Barzani family, headed by Masoud Barzani, run an autocratic regime in Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government, with Masoud for years being unconstitutionally and un-elected as president of the autonomous region.

This comes after the largest Middle East and North Africa Satellite provider, Nilesat, banned Barzani family owned outlets Rudaw and K24 for similar reasons.

The President of Iraqi Kurdistan Masoud Barzani reportedly does not want to run for another presidential term after his duties expire.

Iraqi Kurdistan's President Will Not Run for Next Term
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960807000147

According to Sky News Arabia, Masoud Barzani is not going to extend his duties expiring on November 1.

Vahal Ali, the head of communications in Barzani's office, did not confirm or disprove the information. But according to Ali, all details concerning the fate of the Kurdish leader will be announced on Sunday at a meeting of the regional parliament, at which Barzani's address will be read.

The unnamed official said Barzani in a letter sent to the Kurdish parliament on Saturday had outlined a plan to divide up the president’s power.

The official added that the parliament would meet Sunday to redistribute the powers of the president.

An unnamed source told the Kurdistan24 broadcast news station that the reports claiming the letter is Barzani’s resignation were “untrue.”

Last week, parliament decided “to freeze the activities” of Barzani, his vice-president Kosrat Rasul and the head of the presidential cabinet, Fuad Hussein.

The main opposition party of Iraq’s Kurdistan region has called on Barzani to quit, calling for the formation of a “National salvation government.”

“The Kurdistan presidency must be dissolved and a national salvation government be formed to overcome the current situation,” according to a statement released by Gorran, or the Change Movement party.

Both Iraq’s central government and the government of neighboring Turkey have publicly rejected an offer by Iraqi Kurdistan to suspend its independence effort in return for an end to ongoing military offensives against Kurdish territory. Both insist the offer is “insufficient.”

Iraqi Kurds Have Lost All Territory That Was Gained In The ISIS War, And Now Both Turkey And Iraq Will Hunt Every Last Kurd Alive
http://nrt24.ru/en/news/iraqi-kurds-have-lost-all-territory-was-gained-isis-war-and-now-both-turkey-and-iraq-will-hunt

On September 25, Kurdish voters passed a referendum to secede from Iraq by over 92%. Iran and Turkey have since been in talks with Iraq’s central government on resisting the effort militarily, and in the last two weeks Iraqi Kurdistan lost all territory gained in the ISIS War.

Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder Abadi says he won’t accept anything short of the outright abandonment of Kurdish independence ambition and the outright cancellation of the referendum and its results.

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu concurred, saying that the Turkish government wants an immediate decision to declare the referendum null and void. Turkey has expressed particular fury at the idea of Iraqi Kurdish independence because of their own substantial Kurdish minority.

A high-ranking commander of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces says ISIL and other terrorist groups in the region are influenced by Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia’s official radical ideology.

Iraqi Commander: ISIL, Terrorist Groups in Region influenced by Wahhabism
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960807000958

Speaking at the opening ceremony of a conference on fighting ISIL, which is underway in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Secretary General of Badr Organization Hadi al-Ameri said intellectual work was needed to confront and eliminate the extremist ideology that inspires terror groups like ISIL and al-Qaeda, presstv reported.

He said ISIL was ideologically a deviant thought and that the 2003 US invasion of Iraq contributed to the promotion of this ideology. Saudi Arabia is widely accused of supporting and financing ISIL terrorists.

In March, Fox News cited a senior Iraqi intelligence officer as saying that around 30 percent of ISIS terrorists in Iraq were Saudi nationals.

Back in April, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also said that “every Iraqi citizen has a right to believe that Saudi Arabia is a supporter of terrorism."

ISIL launched its campaign of death and destruction in Iraq in 2014, swiftly taking towns and cities in lightning operations as the US and its allies looked on despite having a military presence in the country after years of occupation.

Last week, Jean-Pierre Chevènement, who served as French defense and interior ministers between 1988 and 2000, was quoted as saying that the two Persian Gulf wars waged by the US "which destroyed Iraq created ISIL."

 

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A US citizen has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of joining and providing material support to Islamic State. The man had stated that he “wasn’t thinking straight,” and left the group shortly after joining.

US citizen leaves ISIS after joining, gets 20yrs in prison anyway 28 Oct, 2017
https://www.rt.com/usa/408057-khweis-20-years-isis-us-citizen/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=RSS

Mohamad Khweis, 28, of Alexandria, Virginia, was handed his sentence Friday in the Eastern District of Virginia by US District Judge Liam O'Grady. He was captured by Kurdish Peshmerga forces in Iraq in March 2016, and subsequently handed over to US authorities.

Khweis is the first US citizen to be captured on the battlefield, according to a press release by the Department of Justice.

Trial Attorney Raj Parekh, of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section, and Assistant US Attorney Dennis Fitzpatrick, who serves in the Eastern District of Virginia, prosecuted the case.

Khweis first left the US in mid-December 2015 and crossed into Syria through Turkey later that same month. But before leaving, he strategically planned his travel routes. He used a “scheme of tradecraft” by traveling to other countries ahead of his initial trip to Turkey, in order to conceal his final destination to join the Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL), according to a DOJ press release.

But Khweis eventually escaped from the organization a few months after traveling to the IS-controlled territory, and even told a Kurdish TV station that he “wasn’t thinking straight” when he joined the Islamic terrorist group, WTOP reported.

"I didn't agree with their ideology," Khweis explained, according to Fox News.

During the trial, Khweis’ defense attorney John Zwerling stated that Khweis is not as violent as he looks on paper.

"While he was there, he did not fight. He did not do harm to another human being," he said, AP reported.

“He provided valuable, actionable intelligence,” Zwerling said. “And the government has given him zero credit for any of it.”

But Dana J Boente, the Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, along with US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, Andrew W Vale, who serves as the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Washington Field Office, disagreed.

“The evidence at trial demonstrated that Mohamad Khweis is an unpredictable and dangerous person who was radicalized towards violent jihad,” Boente said, according to a DOJ press release. “This office, along with the National Security Division and our investigative partners, are committed to tracking down anyone who provides or attempts to provide material support to a terrorist organization.”

Vale applauded the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force, who worked to detain Khweis. He then elaborated on the man’s radicalization while overseas with the Islamic State.

“Khweis purposefully traveled overseas with the intent to join ISIS in support of the terrorist group's efforts to conduct operations and execute attacks to further their radical ideology. Khweis recognized that ISIS uses violence in its expansion of its caliphate and he committed to serving as a suicide bomber.”

The US citizen was eventually deployed to Tal Afar, Iraq, by IS, before his capture by Kurdish Peshmerga forces. During the trial, a Kurdish Peshmerga official testified that he captured Khweis after the man left an IS-controlled neighborhood in Tal Afar.

Evidence provided against Khweis showed he spent two and a half months as a member of IS.

More than 100 people in the US have already been charged with aiding, or trying to join IS, AP reported.

The Iraqi Armed Forces are on the verge of entering the Islamic State’s (ISIS) last stronghold in the Al-Anbar Governorate after a short operation near the Syrian border.

ISIL’s last stronghold in Iraq comes under direct assault by Iraqi forces
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isils-last-stronghold-iraq-comes-direct-assault-iraqi-forces/

Led by the army and Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Sha’abi), the Iraqi Armed Forces liberated a large chunk of territory south of the border-city of Al-Qa’im.

As a result of their advance, the Iraqi Armed Forces have reached the southern outskirts Al-‘Qa’im, marking the first time in three years that the government has been within striking distance of the city.

In the coming days, the Iraqi Armed Forces are expected to storm Al-Qa’im as they look to expel the Islamic State from Iraq before the new year.

Iraqi Army troops took control over 40 oil wells West of Mosul city, an army officer reported on Sunday, adding that the wells were previously under the control of Masood Barzani's fighters.

Iraqi Army Seizes Control over 40 Oil Wells in Northwestern Nineveh
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960807001625

Hamam al-Abduli, an officer in the Iraqi army engineering units, said that Iraq's joint forces managed to impose control over 40 out of 44 oil wells in the region within the framework of their recent military operation in Zamar region in the countryside of Talafar city.

Earlier reports said that tens of ISIL militants were killed in airstrikes carried out by Iraqi army in Western Anbar.

“Iraqi fighter jets launched eight airstrikes in Rawa and Qaim, West of Anbar,” the Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell reported.

“The airstrikes destroyed a weapon stash and two ISIL headquarters. They also targeted an explosive store and destroyed huge amounts of weapons,” the statement said, adding that “Tens of militants inside the headquarters were killed.”

In related news, army troops managed to liberate 30 kilometers in South of Euphrates River.

The media service of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said in a statement “Jazeera Operations Command announced liberating 30 kilometers, South of Euphrates, from ISIL."

Representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Tehran Nazim Dabagh revealed that Commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Qassem Soleimani had warned the Kurdish officials of the consequences of the independence referendum.

KRG Official: Kurds Warned by General Soleimani of Consequences of Referendum
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960807001609

"Mr. Soleimani headed meetings with local delegations (in Iraqi Kurdistan region). Mr. Soleimani also had several private meetings with Mr. Massoud Barzani, the president, and Nechirvan Barzani, the prime minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan region and the leaders of other parties, including Change (Goran) party," Dabaqh said in an interview with the Iranian media on Sunday.

He added that the Iranian side had warned the Kurds not to hold an independence referendum because all powers will stand united against the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

According to Dabaqh, the Iranian side also told the KRG officials and Kurdish groups that Tehran wants the Iraqi Kurds' achievements to be maintained within the framework of the Iraqi constitution.

He lauded General Soleimani and other Iranian officials' efforts to help the Kurds, and said, "We always need relations and friendship of Iran."

 

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A Peshmerga representative has commented on the situation around the crossing point on the Iraqi-Turkish border amid ongoing tensions between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan following the region's independence referendum.

Crossing Point on Iraqi-Turkish Border Still Controlled by Peshmerga – Official
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201710311058693230-iraq-turkey-border-controll-peshmerga/

Iraqi Kurdistan has not transferred control over the crossing point of Ibrahim Khalil on the Iraqi-Turkish border to Baghdad, Chief of Staff of the region's Peshmerga Ministry Jabar Yawar has told Sputnik.

"There are no federal forces at the Faysh Khabur and Ibrahim Khalil border crossings. I know what is happening on the ground, the one, who is in Ankara, cannot know that," Yawar said.

He pointed out that Erbil and Baghdad had not reached any agreement on the withdrawal of Kurdish troops from the disputed areas and checkpoints.

Earlier in the day, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced that the Iraqi forces had established control over Ibrahim Khalil.

The statement comes amid tensions in northern Iraq between the Iraqi army and Kurdish forces following the Kurdish independence referendum on September 25. Baghdad has opposed the referendum and launched the offensive to recapture the Kurdish-held disputed areas of the country.

The Iraqi army announced troops arrival at the borders of ISIL’s stronghold in West of Anbar, ahead of the last phase of operations there, local reports said.

Iraq Army Forces Reach ISIL’s Stronghold in Anbar
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960809000996

Sabah al-Noa’man, spokesperson for the army’s elite Counter-Terrorism Service, said, “troops arrived their positions near Qaim ahead of beginning the last phase of the operation of the town,” Iraqi News reported.

Earlier, the Iraqi forces halted their advance towards ISIL locations in Anbar province due to bad weather.

Meanwhile, Joint Operations Command airdropped more than one million leaflets urging ISIL militants to turn in themselves.

Many ISIL militants reportedly fled al-Qaim heading to al-BuKamal in Syria, after several leaders ran away and were killed in airstrikes by the Iraqi jets and in other attacks.

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced on Thursday the launch of operations to liberate Qaim and Rawa towns. Hundreds of thousands of messages were airdropped on Wednesday on the two towns informing civilians that security troops are coming to free them and urging them to stay away from the enemy.

Turkish prime minister said on Tuesday that Iraqi government forces took control of the key border crossing with Turkey in the Iraqi Kurdistan region after weeks of tensions between Baghdad and Erbil.

Turkish PM: Iraqi Army Takes Control of Turkey Border from Kurds
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960809001293

The border crossing “has been handed over to the central government” of Iraq, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim told his ruling party at a televised meeting in Ankara, Al Manar reported.

He said all controls at the border will now be carried out by Iraqi and Turkish officials on their respective sides.

The Iraqi forces deployed at the Ibrahim Al Khalil crossing alongside Turkish forces with whom they have been carrying out joint exercises over the last weeks, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.

They were to raise the Iraqi national flag and take down the flag of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) which had until now controlled the crossing, it said.

The border crossing was closed while the handover was being carried out, leading to long queues, it added. There were no reports of any clashes.

The Iraqi and Syrian forces have been actively working across the two sides of their common borders to defeat the ISIL terrorist group that has been occupying large territories in both countries.

Iraqi, Syrian Gov't Forces Cooperating to Secure Common Borderline
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960809001379

The Iraqi and Syrian forces have launched simultaneous offensives in Iraq's Anbar province and Deir Ezzur province in Syria in a bid to secure the long borderline between the two countries, the English-language Lebanon-based AMN reported.

Since launching their offensive, the Iraqi Armed Forces have liberated more than 22,000 square kilometers of territory near the Syrian border.

Meanwhile, their counterparts from the Syrian army have also managed to liberate large territories in Deir Ezzur province, retaking several districts inside the provincial capital.

 

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Iraqi forces recaptured more areas from ISIL militants as operations continue to retake the group’s last bastions in Western Anbar.

Iraqi Forces Recapture More ISIL Havens Near Anbar’s Qaim
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960810001395

The Joint Operations Command’s War Media Cell said the forces recaptured several villages near the town of Qaim besides the town’s “phosphate factory”, Iraqi News reported.

According to the statement, troops became 13 kilometers away from central Qaim.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared Thursday the launch of operations to clear the towns of Rawa and Qaim, ISIL’s last havens on the borders with Syria.

Iraqi Kurdish President Massoud Barzani departed office on Wednesday, leaving his nephew to reconcile with the central government in Baghdad, with regional neighbors and with rival Kurdish parties after a failed referendum on independence.

Barzani Departs, Leaving Nephew Faced with Reconciliation
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960810001588

Nechirvan Barzani, who has served alongside his uncle as prime minister, will now be the main authority figure in the executive of the Kurdish autonomous region, following Massoud Barzani's departure as president, Kurdish officials said, Daily Star reported.

"The prime minister will be the key person during this transitional period," said Hoshyar Zebari, a former Iraqi foreign minister, now adviser to the Kurdish government and senior member of the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

The elder Barzani, a 71-year-old veteran guerrilla leader, had run the Kurdish autonomous region with a firm hand since 2005, during which it prospered while the rest of Iraq was mired in conflict.

But he announced his resignation Sunday, effective on Nov. 1, after a Sept. 25 referendum on independence backfired, prompting the central government to send troops to recapture territory held by the Kurds outside their autonomous region.

The referendum and government backlash have also revealed deep divisions among the Kurds themselves. During his resignation speech, Masoud Barzani accused his political rivals of "high treason" for yielding territory without a fight.

His nephew Nechirvan, 51, who has served as prime minister for all but three years since 2006, is seen in Kurdish politics as a less polarizing figure, having warmer relations than his uncle with rival Kurdish parties.

He also has a close working relationship with Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has backed Baghdad in the central government's dispute with the Kurds since the referendum.

The Kurdish regional Parliament voted Sunday to divide the president's powers among Parliament, the judiciary and the Cabinet, until parliamentary and presidential elections are next held. The elections were originally scheduled for Nov. 1 but postponed last month until next year.

Before the referendum, Barzani’s son Masrour was seen as his likely successor, but he has been damaged by his backing of the secession vote, which soured relationships with Baghdad and regional powers who opposed it.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that government forces had secured all parts of Iraq “disputed areas” between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

Abadi: Iraqi Forces Recapture All Disputed Areas from Kurdish Militias
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960810000456

At a press conference held in the capital, al-Abadi also accused certain KRG-linked media outlets, which he did not identify by name, of “openly inciting violence against federal forces”, Al Waght reported.

"Such incitement by Kurdish channels is unacceptable,” the prime minister asserted.

Recent weeks have seen Iraqi government forces move into several parts of the country “disputed” between Baghdad and the Erbil-based KRG, including the oil-rich Kirkuk province.

The deployments led to limited clashes between Iraqi troops and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, with a handful of casualties reported on both sides.

More than 180 militants affiliated to the Saudi-led coalitions were killed or wounded in different battlefields in Nahm region in Eastern Sana'a, local sources reported on Wednesday.

Yemen: Over 180 Militants of Saudi-Led Coalition Killed, Wounded in Sana'a Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960810001320

The sources reported that the Yemeni Army soldiers and popular committees affiliated to Yemen's Ansarullah engaged in fierce clashes with the mercenaries of the Saudi-led coalition and repelled their attack to prevail over army positions in al-Manara, al-Qarn, al-Saheh and Yam in Nahm region in Eastern Sana'a, killing and wounding over 180 mercenaries, including several commanders.

Also, a Yemeni source said that the Yemeni forces destroyed invading troops' BMP vehicles and other military equipment.

Reports said earlier today that the Saudi Air force carried out several air raids in Sa'ada and Sana'a in Northwestern and Western Yemen on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing 34 civilians and wounding several more.

The warplanes bombed Alaf bazaar in Sahar region in Sa'ada province in Northwestern Yemen this morning, killing 26 civilians and wounding 9 more.

The Saudi Air force carried out several air raids in Sa'ada and Sana'a in Northwestern and Western Yemen on Tuesday and Wednesday, killing 34 civilians and wounding several more.

More Civilians Killed in Saudi Airstrikes in Yemen
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960810000785

The warplanes bombed Alaf bazaar in Sahar region in Sa'ada province in Northwestern Yemen this morning, killing 26 civilians and wounding 9 more.

Hospital sources reported that some of the injured are in critical conditions, guessing rise in the civilian death toll.

In the meantime, the fighter jets targeted Belad al-Rous region South of Sana'a in Western Yemen on Tuesday, killing 8 civilians and wounding 25 others.

Based on reports, different regions in the provinces of Haja, Sana'a and Sa'ada have been bombed tens of times by the Saudi army aircraft.

Saudi Arabia has been striking Yemen since March 2015 to restore power to fugitive president Mansour Hadi, a close ally of Riyadh. The Saudi-led aggression has so far killed at least 15,000 Yemenis, including hundreds of women and children.

The bipartisan push to end U.S. support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen has gained political momentum but faces resistance from the No. 2 Democratic lawmaker in the House, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.

House Democratic Whip Resists Effort to End U.S. Involvement in Yemen War October 31 2017
https://theintercept.com/2017/10/31/yemen-war-us-military-house-resolution/

H.Con.Res.81, the resolution sponsored by Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif.; Walter Jones, R-N.C.; Mark Pocan, D-Wisc.; Tom Massie, R-Ky.; and 34 other lawmakers, utilizes a provision of the War Powers Act to swiftly terminate U.S. military assistance for the Saudi-led war effort.

Several activists working to build support for the measure have told The Intercept that Republican caucus leaders and Hoyer, the minority whip, are pressuring lawmakers to avoid sponsoring the legislation.

The political opposition comes as new reports reveal that the Saudi-backed military coalition’s constant bombing of Yemen’s civilian infrastructure, as well as the blockade of Yemen’s primary port, has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises of the 21st century. Nearly a quarter of the country’s 28 million residents are living in starvation and thousands, mostly children, are dying of cholera, as shipments of food and medicine have been prevented from reaching Yemen.

... Even as Hoyer works to dissuade lawmakers to cosponsor the resolution, he is also trying to avoid a special Rules Committee decision by House Republicans that would effectively kill the legislation before it receives a vote, according to a legislative aide with firsthand knowledge of the deliberations who is not authorized to speak publicly on the subject. As it is currently written, the resolution has privileged status under the War Powers Act of 1973, meaning it will make it to the floor for a vote regardless of what happens at the committee. Anti-war advocates are concerned that the Republican leadership will strip the legislation of its privileged status, which means the resolution will have no chance.

Since the outbreak of war in March 2015, the U.S. has provided an array of assistance to the Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates-led assault on Houthi militias in Yemen. Support has included intelligence sharing, refueling flights for coalition warplanes, and the transfer of American-made cluster bombs, rockets, and other munitions used against targets in Yemen.

The resolution to end U.S. support for the war spotlights an ideological divide within the Democratic Party on foreign policy. Hoyer voted for the war in Iraq and is generally seen as one of the more hawkish members of the party.

On Monday, the Congressional Progressive Caucus endorsed the Yemen resolution, calling for a swift end to “the senseless suffering of Yemeni victims of the U.S.-Saudi military campaign, millions of whom are on the brink of starvation.” (Article continues.)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has ordered triple security checks and body search on visitors as he is deeply afraid of assassination attempts on his life by not just visitors, but even close relatives and aides, Arab media said.

Saudi Crown Prince Going Paranoid for Fear of Life
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960809001671

"Bin Salman is living in horror. All those who want to meet him (even the closest ones) should go through three inspection rooms and all their belongings and whatever they carry are taken away from them, even a small pen in the second room," al-Ahd al-Jadid wrote on its twitter page on Tuesday.

Anyone who wants to meet bin Salman is thoroughly checked from top to toe and this is done on everyone even close relatives and family members.

Other Arab media outlets also reported in August that bin Salman has escaped an assassination attempt at one of the royal family palaces in Jeddah.

Arabic language Mer'at al-Jazeera quoted sources close to the royal family as saying that bin Salman was targeted by an assassination attempt in Jeddah by one of the Saudi princes.

Also, a western diplomat in Riyadh said that the Saudi crown prince wasn’t harmed in the failed attempt and the prince who made the move was arrested.

Bin Salman's ambitious acts in recent months and his attempts to dethrone the rivals have created wroth among other Saudi princes.

The Arab media have been reporting recently that Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud is much likely to step down in favor of his son Mohammed, the new crown prince, within the next few months.

 

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Baghdad, Iraq - A video has been released showing Iraqi forces reaching the first line of ISIS defenses for their last held city in Iraq.

VIDEO: Security forces reach first line of ISIS defenses in last held city in Iraq
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/video-security-forces-reach-first-line.html

The video shows Iraqi forces breaking berms around the western city of Al-Qaim on the Syrian border, bringing the government forces to within 5km of the city.

Simultaneous operations are being conducted by Syrian and Iraqi forces, with the Syrian side conducting an operation to reach the town of Albukamal, directly opposite Al-Qaim.

With both settlements liberated, it will effectively reduce ISIS to a low-scale insurgency rather then the army it once was.

The Iraqi Armed Forces have liberated more than 21,000 square kilometers of territory in the Al-Anbar Governorate since launching their Syrian border offensive early last week.

Iraqi forces liberate more than 21,000km2 of territory near Syrian border – map
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/iraqi-forces-liberate-21000km2-territory-near-syrian-border-map/

Backed by the Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Sha’abi) and Federal Police, the Iraqi Army managed to reach the southern outskirts of Al-Qa’im this past weekend after advancing north along the Syrian border.

Backed by the Popular Mobilization Units (Hashd Al-Sha’abi) and Federal Police, the Iraqi Army managed to reach the southern outskirts of Al-Qa’im this past weekend after advancing north along the Syrian border.

With their soldiers at the southern outskirts of Al-Qa’im, the Iraqi Armed Forces are expected to liberate the city within the coming days.

Al-Qa’im was first occupied by the Islamic State during their campaign in the Summer of 2014; since its capture, the city has become one of the terrorist group’s most important strongholds near the Syrian border-crossing.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that the Kurdistan Rrgional Government is reneging on an agreement to withdraw its forces from disputed zones in the North of the country.

Abadi Says Kurdistan Region Reneging on Withdrawing Troops Deal
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960811000418

The Kurds have since "gone back on the accord" reached Sunday on the pullout of Kurdish Peshmerga forces from the disputed areas, notably a border post with Turkey, Abadi told journalists, NRT reported.

"If they do not stick to it we will do what we want, and if our forces find themselves under fire, we will show them the strength of the law," Abadi said.

"The Iraqi government has no interest in dialogue," he tweeted, warning of "the drums of war in Kurdistan".

On Tuesday, government forces took control of the key border crossing with Turkey after weeks of tensions between Baghdad and Erbil, the capital of autonomous Kurdistan, according to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim.

The two sides clashed last week as Iraqi forces sought to capture the vital oil export point of Fishkhabur on the border, in the latest flare-up of a crisis sparked by a Kurdish independence vote on September 25.

At least eight Turkish soldiers were killed in clashes with the militants from the outlawed PKK Kurdish separatist group in Turkey's southeastern province of Hakkari, located right next to the Iraqi border.

Several dead in fierce clashes between Turkish Forces and PKK
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/several-dead-in-fierce-clashes-between.html

According to Reuters, the clashes resulted in the killing of six Turkish soldiers, two security guards and five Kurdish militants.

Later, however, the Turkish security forces killed 17 PKK militants near the border area between Iraq and southeastern Turkey.

As of 2016, the Turkish forces are running a large-scale anti-PKK campaign in southeastern Turkey that even reached northern Iraq in few cases, following the collapse of the peace agreement reached with PKK in 2012.

 

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The Iraqi commander responsible for conceding the historical city of Mosul to the so-called Islamic State (ISIS) in the Summer of 2014 has been sentenced to death by a military tribunal, Al-Sura News reported.

Iraqi general responsible for losing Mosul has been sentenced to death
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/iraqi-general-responsible-losing-mosul-sentenced-death/

General Mahdi Al-Gharawi was issued a death sentence by a military tribunal this week, marking the first time an army commander has been given the death penalty under Iraqi Prime Minister, Haidar Al-‘Abadi.

A document detailing the crimes committed by General Gharawi were released by pro-government media outlets on Friday – please see below:

ISIS took control of Mosul in 2014, following the abrupt withdrawal of some 10,000 Iraqi Army soldiers under the command of General Gharawi.

The Iraqi troops have reportedly regained control of the strategic border town of Al-Qa’im, Friday from self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS; formerly ISIL/ISIS). Iraqi army had defeated IS militants and in battles close to the Syrian border.

Iraqi troops liberate strategic al-Qa’im on the border with Syria
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/iraqi-troops-liberate-strategic-al-qaim-border-syria-video/

The Syrian Arab Army had reportedly ousted IS militants in the direction of the Iraqi border and have circled the occupied areas of the Deir ez-Zor.

Military Spokesman of Iraq's Hezbollah Brigades Ja'far al-Hosseini revealed that the US pressured the Iraqi government to stop efforts to take back the strategic city of al-Qaim from the ISIL but the resistance forces foiled Washington's plots.

Iraqi Official: Baghdad Pressured by Washington Not to Liberate Al-Qaim
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960813001243

"Liberation of al-Qaim materialized the goal of contacting the Syrian side and coordination with the resistance front in the entire region and thwarted the US plot to create distance among members of the resistance front," al-Hosseini was quoted as saying by the Arabic-language al-Mayadeen news channel on Saturday.

He also revealed that "Washington pressured the Iraqi government not to liberate al-Qaim".

Noting that the Iraqi forces will also participate in the anti-ISIL battle in Syria's Albukamal, al-Hosseini said, "Albu Kamal is within the range of the Iraqi missiles deployed in al-Qaim."

A military source announced that the Iraqi forces on Friday managed to capture the city of al-Qaim near the Syrian border from the ISIL group.

The commander stressed that Iraqi forces have also established control over the nearby al-Qaim border crossing.

Liberation of al-Qaim means that the ISIL militants in Iraq are now in control of just the smaller neighboring town of Rawa and surrounding pockets of barren desert along the Euphrates river.

 

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A twin suicide bombing has devastated the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, for the first time since October 2016 when ISIS terrorists took over certain parts of the city from the Kurdish Peshmerga militants.

Twin suicide bombing devastates Iraq's Kirkuk
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/twin-suicide-bombing-devastates-iraqs.html

The bombing is said to be the work of an ISIS terrorist.

At the moment, there is no exact information on the casualties, however, Kirkuk Now correspondent claims to have seen at least three bodies, along with six people who were injured at the site of the attack.

Remains of ISIS suicide bomber, who reportedly targeted a taxi in Kirkuk city, were later captured on camera.

The ISIS terrorists have lost nearly all the ground and possessions in Iraq which is why they are resorting to these small-scale attacks now.

Back in October 2016, ISIS terrorists launched and offensive from within Kirkuk city and captured many buildings which they held under occupation until they got squashed several days later.

Last month, however, the city was regained by the joint coalition of the Iraqi Forces, following a brief confrontation with Peshmerga militants who were forced to flee in the end.

The city is renowned for its oil fields in the vicinity.

The Turkish Air Force has raided the positions of the outlawed Kurdish separatist group PKK in northern Iraq on Saturday, targeting its camps, ammunition depots and warehouses.

Turkish Air Force raids PKK positions in Northern Iraq
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/turkish-air-force-raids-pkk-positions.html

The Chief of Staff of the Turkish regime said on Saturday that Turkish fighter jets targeted 36 PKK positions in Mount Qandil, Sinat-Haftanin, Metina, Hakurk, Avasin-Basyan, and Gara regions of Northern Iraq, Anadolu News Agency reports.

The statement pointed out that during the raids, several camps, ammunition depots and warehouses belonging to the separatist group, were destroyed.

 

[angelburst29]

A twin suicide bombing has devastated the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, for the first time since October 2016 when ISIS terrorists took over certain parts of the city from the Kurdish Peshmerga militants.

Twin suicide bombing devastates Iraq's Kirkuk
http://www.fort-russ.com/2017/11/twin-suicide-bombing-devastates-iraqs.html

The body parts of a suspected suicide bomber lay on a Kirkuk street on November 5 after two explosions were reported near a Shia militia position in the city. The militia was reportedly allied with the Iraqi government.

Body Parts of Suspected Suicide Attacker Strewn Across Kirkuk Street (Video - Warning Graphic)
https://www.yahoo.com/news/body-parts-suspected-suicide-attacker-141114770.html

Iraqi forces took control of Kirkuk on October 16, after a referendum on independence for Iraqi Kurdistan from Iraq.

At 1:09 in this video, a sign which says Saraya al-Salam, the name of the Shia militia which follows Muqtada al-Sadr, is visible. A taxi has crashed into a barrier on the side of the road at 1:45.

The attack took place on Atlas Street in Kirkuk, near the Kirkuk Castle, killing and injuring Shia militia fighters, local media said. Credit: Facebook/Kirkuk Now via Storyful

Great Britain was "not just misinformed but misled" about the weapons of mass destruction allegedly possessed by Saddam Hussein, which served as the pretext for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, UK's ex-prime minister Gordon Brown revealed in his new memoir My Life, Our Times.

Former PM: Britain Duped into Iraq Invasion by Fake US Evidence
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960814001255

Gordon Brown, former British Prime Minister (2007- 2010), who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Government of Tony Blair (1997 – 2007) that made the fateful decision to join the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, revealed that the US knew all along that Iraq did not possess any weapons of mass destruction (WMD) but did not share this information with the UK at the time, Sputnik reported.

In 2003, the US invaded Iraq because it said that Saddam Hussein had developed and possessed chemical, biological and nuclear WMD (which however were never found) and therefore presented a threat to his neighbors and to the world community.

​In his new memoir My Life, Our Times, which was released this week, the British politician, however, says that back than the US Defense Department was aware that Iraq was unable to develop such deadly arms due to the lack of the "precursors for sustained nerve-agent production" and that the US intelligence "could not identify any Iraqi sites producing the final chemical agent."

It also doubted that Baghdad was able to produce long-range missiles to target countries of the coalition. And all the US calculations "relied heavily on analytic assumptions and judgment rather than hard evidence."

Gordon Brown refers to a secret US intelligence report from September 2002, which was commissioned by the then US defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld. However he maintains that the papers, which were leaked last year, have been never shared with the UK at that time and that he himself became aware of them only after leaving the office.

"It is astonishing that none of us in the British government ever saw this American report," he writes. "It is now clear how forcibly this report challenged the official view."

With all the above in mind, the former prime minister concludes that if he is "right that somewhere within the American system the truth about Iraq’s lack of weapons was known, then we were not just misinformed but misled on the critical issue of WMDs."

"Given that Iraq had no usable chemical, biological or nuclear weapons that it could deploy and was not about to attack the coalition, then two tests of a just war were not met: war could not be justified as a last resort and invasion cannot now be seen as a proportionate response," he states.

 

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The Iraqi Armed Forces have liberated the Islamic State (ISIS) stronghold of Al-Rumanah, today, after a short battle in the western countryside of the Al-Anbar Governorate.

Breaking: Iraqi forces liberate ISIS stronghold in Al-Anbar
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-iraqi-forces-liberate-isis-stronghold-al-anbar/

Led by the army and Hashd Al-Sha’abi (Popular Mobilization Units), the Iraqi Armed Forces were able to overpower the Islamic State terrorists Al-Rumanah this afternoon, seizing the imperative bridge prior to liberating the entire town.

With Al-Rumanah liberated, the Iraqi Armed Forces will shift their attention to the last Islamic State stronghold, Al-Rawa, which is located east of Al-Qa’im.

Once Al-Rawa is freed from the terrorist group, the integral Baghdad Highway will be cleared for the first time since the Islamic State began their operations in Iraq.

Iraqi joint military forces managed to advance against ISIL only a few hours after they launched a fresh round of operation in the Western part of the country, a senior military commander announced on Saturday.

Gov't Troops Kick off Fresh Operation to Capture Last ISIL Strongholds in Western Iraq
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960820000738

Major General Abdul Akbar Rashid, the commander of al-Jazeerah and al-Forat liberation operations announced this morning that his men have started a large-scale operation to liberate the town of Rawa and al-Ramanah region.

He further added that forces of the 7th infantry division, the 8th armored division and al-Hashd al-Ashayeri have been operating in the first phase of the al-Jazeerah and al-Forat offensives.

The commander said further that the Iraqi security forces and al-Hashd al-Ashayeri (tribal popular forces) have entered al-Ramanah region from different directions only a few hours after they kicked off the attack on ISIL's strongholds.

Military sources confirmed last week that the army troops hit ISIL's defense lines in Western Anbar and drove terrorists out of one of the most vital bastions of the terrorist group at the border with Syria.

The sources said that the Iraqi forces managed to capture the town of al-Qa'em near the Syria's border from the ISIL group on Friday.

Earlier in the week, Daesh lost its last bastion in Abu Kamal in neighboring Syria.

Final Showdown: Iraqi Military Launch Assault on Last Daesh Stronghold of Rawa
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711111059005574-iraq-daesh-rawa-operation/

Rawa is located on the north bank of the Euphrates River, 320 km (70 miles) west of Baghdad, not far from the country’s border with Syria.

"Government military units and people's militia (the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMUs) have launched a large-scale operation on the liberation of the district of al-Ruman and the town of Rawa," the commander of the operation, Lieutenant General Abdel Amir Yarallah, said in a statement on Saturday.

Rawa remains the last Daesh stronghold in Iraq. At the end of October, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi announced the start of the operation to retake the western towns of Rawa and Al-Qa'im, which he called the last Daesh footholds in the country.

Al-Qa'im was liberated at the beginning of November, the Iraqi military then announced that they had restored control over the checkpoints on the border with Syria.

On Friday, Russian Defense Minister confirmed that Daesh has lost its last bastion in Abu Kamal in neighboring Syria.

New steps have been taken by the US to impose sanctions on what it describes as ‘Iranian proxy militias’ that operate in Iraq.

US congress to put sanctions on Iranian-backed elements of the Iraqi Army 09/11/2017
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/us-congress-put-sanctions-iranian-backed-elements-iraqi-army/

A bill presented before the US congress by Republican senator Ted Poe on Thursday argued that Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba and Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq (AAH), two predominately Shiite militias that have been instrumental in driving back ISIS on battlefields in both Iraq and Syria, were nothing but Iranian proxies that had received funds from Tehran and undergone training by Hezbollah (Lebanese paramilitary).

The bill accused AAH, an Iraqi paramilitary group founded in 2006, of conducting multiple attacks and kidnappings against the US Army up until it withdrew from the country in December 2011. The leader of AAH, Qais Khazali, maintains close ties with Tehran according to Washington.

Meanwhile, Harakat Hezbollah Al-Nujaba stands accused of conducting a series of mortar and rocket attacks against US personnel in Baghdad City back in 2008. The bill added that the group more recently had played a key role in linking Iran to Lebanon in order funnel weaponry to their Lebanese comrades.

Somewhat problematically for the bill, both groups are part the Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) which due to a bill passed by the Iraqi Government in November 2016 has become a legitimate part of Iraq’s security forces.

Effectively, the US is on the brink of imposing sanctions on two branches of the Iraqi Armed Forces despite supplying the latter generously with armored vehicles and weapons to fight ISIS.

If the bill is passed the US president Donald Trump will have 90 days to impose sanctions.

A pilot of an Su-22 airplane of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was killed as the plane crashed in the Iran's south-western province of Fars.

Iran's Su-22 Warplane Crashes – Revolutionary Guard Corps
https://sputniknews.com/middleeast/201711111059006997-iran-plane-crash-revolutionary-guard/

A Su-22 airplane of the IRGC Air Forces crashed at 08:00 a.m. [local time, 05:30 GMT] during military exercises in the south of the country, killing the pilot, the IRGC said Saturday in a statement.

Iran has faced a number of military planes' crashes in recent months. In December 2016, IRGC's light military aircraft crashed in Saravan airport, according to Trend news agency. In October, another military aircraft crashed while on a reconnaissance mission, killing the pilot and the co-pilot.

The Su-22 is an export modification of Su-17M2 fighter-bomber produced by the Soviet Union’s Sukhoi manufacturer in 1970-1980s. It is widely used by the air forces of Syria, Poland, and Vietnam, alongside Iran and Arab countries. Iran has both Russian and US-made planes.

 

[angelburst29]

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi said Saturday that losses from the war on the Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) terrorist group have cost Iraq $100 billion.

PM: Anti-ISIL War Cost Iraq $100 Billion in Losses
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960821000790

Iraq has lost $100 billion in the anti-Daesh war, but we have achieved success in three battles; namely liberating the land, maintaining Iraq’s unity and standing up to the threats," al-Abadi said during a speech in the Southern Karbala province, Yenisafak reported.

Iraqi army soldiers, supported by pro-government fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, better known by the Arabic name Hashd al-Shaabi, launched a major operation on Saturday morning to retake the town of Rawah, Northwest of the capital Baghdad.

Last Friday, Iraqi forces managed to capture the city of Al-Qaim near the Syrian border from the ISIL group.

The UN agency has announced that the Takfiri militants had taken about 2,500 families, equivalent to 10,000 individuals, hostage in Rawah, Northwest of the capital Baghdad, to block the progress of Iraqi forces.

Daesh terrorists swept through parts of Northern and Western Iraq in June 2014. They then began a reign of terror across the captured areas, committing crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, Christians and others.

Two pilots and five crew members have been killed when an aircraft went down during a training mission.

Military Helicopter Crashes in Iraq Killing 7 Servicemen Sun Nov 12, 2017
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960821001286

A military helicopter crashed on Sunday in the Eastern Iraqi province of Wasit, killing seven people, the Iraqi War Media Cell, affiliated with the US Joint Operations Command in Iraq said Sunday, RIA Novosti reported.

According to the statement quoted by the Iraqi News media outlet, a Mi-17 helicopter crashed during a training.

"The whole crew composed of seven military personnel were killed," the statement read. The reasons behind the incident remain unknown.

A recent report revealed that several hundred US Marines are currently building a new American base in Iraq’s western province of Anbar as government forces, supported by allied fighters from Popular Mobilization Units, are driving the extremists out of their last redoubt in the country.

US Setting Up New Military Base in Western Iraq
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Arabic-language Baghdad News website, citing a report published by Israeli military intelligence website, DEBKAfile, said the military site was being constructed about 20 kilometers from the recently liberated town of al-Qaim.

The report added that the US Marines were tasked with purging the Euphrates Valley, which straddles the Iraqi-Syrian border, from the last remnants of Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) Takfiri terrorist group.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi visited al-Qaim and the nearby Husaybah border crossing in far Western Iraq on November 5, and raised the Iraqi flag at the border crossing.

Iraqi forces found mass graves containing at least 400 people at a military base near the city of Hawijah in the northern province of Kirkuk.

Iraqi Forces Find ISIL Mass Graves in Northern City
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The governor of Kirkuk said Saturday that the string of grisly discoveries was made some three kilometers from the city, a former bastion of Daesh (ISIS or ISIL) that the Takfiri terrorists had “turned into an execution ground”, Iraqi News reported.

"Not less than 400 people were executed," Rakan Said said, adding that some of the victims were clad in the uniform of prisoners while others wore civilian clothing.

Last month, Iraqi army forces, backed by allied fighters from the Popular Mobilization Units, dislodged the Takfiri terrorists from Hawijah, North of the capital Baghdad, in a sweeping offensive.

General Mortada al-Luwaibi said the mass graves were unearthed “thanks to witness accounts from local residents” given to the Iraqi military.

Iraqi authorities have revealed that several mass graves containing the remains of at least 400 civilians executed by Daesh (ISIS) have been found at a former US military facility in the country’s Kirkuk Governorate.

ISIS turns former US base in Iraq into gruesome mass grave
https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/isis-turns-former-us-base-iraq-gruesome-mass-grave/

“We are now standing at al-Bakara base, that was once a headquarters for US troops before being a site for IS (Daesh) to carry out executions,”
Rakan Saeed al-Jobouri, acting governor of Kirkuk, said as quoted by the Iraqi News website.

“It’s the brutality of terrorists who executed no less than 400 victims, some of whom are in red suits while others are in civilian clothes,” the official specified.

​He further called on the Iraqi government, United Nations and the Commission of Human Rights to conduct DNA examinations to identify the victims buried in the mass graves.

According to a Kirkuk police colonel, the al-Bakara base, located three kilometers north of the recently-liberated city of Hawija, southwestern Kirkuk, used to be an American military facility before being vacated in 2011.

In October, Iraqi troops said that they discovered a mass grave of at least 50 army and police officers in Hawija. In the same month, paramilitary troops ran into ten mass graves of security personnel and civilians who were executed by Daesh.

In the middle of October, Iraqi federal troops restored their control over the oil rich province of Kirkuk following the unrecognized referendum on the independence of Iraqi Kurdistan. Until then, the province was run by Kurdish Peshmerga forces, which took it over from Daesh in 2014.

Baghdad decided to send its troops there due to the dispute with the Kurdish autonomy over the control of the region.

The Iraqi volunteer forces of Hashd al-Shaabi managed to drive ISIL terrorists out of al-Qa'em-Albu Kamal border-crossing, a Lebanon-based media outlet reported minutes ago.

Iraqi Forces Impose Control over Most Important Border-Crossing with Syria
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The Arabic-language website of the AMN reported that Hashd al-Shaabi fighters took full control over al-Qa'em-Albu Kamal border-crossing.

The AMN further said that the Iraqi forces are now capable of preventing ISIL from fleeing Syria's Deir Ezzur for the Iraqi province of Anbar following the capture of the border passageway.

The Iraqi Turkmens voiced opposition to the Kurdish forces' return to the two strategic towns of Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu even if they are affiliated to the central government.

Iraqi Turkmens Oppose Kurdish Forces' Redeployment in Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu
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The Arabic-language Ilaf news website reported on Sunday that the Iraqi Turkmens' coordination board announced in a statement that Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has agreed with sending the presidential regiment to Kirkuk and Tuz Khurmatu after certain Kurdish ministers insisted on the issue, adding that using the existing forces in the Southern and Western Iraq is also possible.

"The Turkmens are opposed to these forces' deployment in the two cities as it will lead to further crackdown on people and differences increase again between the Kurds and Turkmens," the statement said.

Iraqi forces took control of Tuz Khurmatu, South of Kirkuk, from the Peshmerga on October 16.

The situation in the multi-ethnic town of Tuz Khurmatu is “out of control,” and it is not safe for Kurdish residents to return at this time, Iraq’s minister for displaced people said earlier this month.

Darbaz Mohammed visited the Kurdish city of Kalar, some 90 km Southeast of Tuz Khurmatu where 25,000 people have sought refuge. He said continued violence means it is not possible for people to go back to their homes “safely”.