Iraq

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CAR BOMB KILLS FIVE PEOPLE IN IRAQ’S MOSUL (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

On November 8, a booby-trapped car exploded in the city of Mosul killing five civilians and injuring 14 others, according to the Iraqi Security Media Center.

“The explosion happened around Suq al-Ma’ash crossroad, near a restaurant (Abu Leila) on the right side of Mousl, it resulted in many injures, some wounded were transported to the emergence section of the Republican hospital in the city,” the Security Media Center said in a short statement.​

https://www.facebook.com/mosulnewsmnn/posts/1742731659186660

No side has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. However, Iraqi activists are certain that ISIS cells in northern province of Nineveh were behind the incident.

This was first deadly bombing in Mosul since the city was recaptured from the terrorist group last year following a 9-month battle. To this day most of the city has still been in ruins.

ISIS cells resurfaced in Mosul few months after its liberation despite strict security measures imposed there. The recent bombing is an another indication that these measures are still short from what it is needed to secure the city.

 

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The UK Ministry of Defense was ordered to submit any military reports by the country's troops that contained allegations of US servicemen mistreating detainees in Iraq in 2004-2008, The Guardian reported Friday.

09.11.2018 - UK Court Authorizes search for Records of US Military abuses in Iraq - Reports
UK Court Authorizes Search for Records of US Military Abuses in Iraq - Reports

According to the outlet, the same judge who ruled on the order had also dealt last month with the case of two Iraqis arrested in 2008 in Basra on suspicions of posing a security threat and transferred to the US military.

The two men claimed they had been beaten, deprived of sleep and sexually abused while in US custody, the media said.

The court ordered the ministry to search for reports containing any allegations of US military's mistreatment of Iraqis between 2004 and 2008 and to disclose the findings by November 26, the newspaper added.

The United States launched a military operation in Iraq in March 2003 to overthrow former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein whom Washington accused of links to Al-Qaeda, the terrorist organization (banned in Russia) behind the 9/11 attacks.

 

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November 11, 2018 - Iraq President says talks continuing with US on Iran Sanctions
Iraq urges U.S. to consider its position in talks on Iran sanctions | Reuters


FILE PHOTO - Barham Salih, Iraq's newly elected President stands during a handover ceremony at Salam Palace in Baghdad, Iraq October 3, 2018. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Iraq's president said on Sunday talks with the United States were continuing and his country's special conditions regarding sanctions on Iran should be taken into consideration.

“We do not want Iraq to be burdened with the U.S. sanctions on Iran,” Barham Salih, the Newly elected President, told reporters in Kuwait.

The United States said Iraq can continue to import natural gas and energy supplies from Iran for a period of 45 days, several days after reimposing sanctions on Tehran’s oil sector.


November 11, 2018 - Explainer: Why are Iraq's Kirkuk oilfields so important?
Explainer: Why are Iraq's Kirkuk oilfields so important? | Reuters

Iraq’s oilfields in the disputed Kirkuk region have taken on new significance after the United States restored oil sanctions against neighboring Iran. Washington is pressuring Baghdad to resume exports that stopped last year.

Iraq aims to raise its export capacity to 8.5 million barrels per day (bpd) in the coming years from less than 5 million bpd currently, 1 million of which could come via Kirkuk. But that resumption is not just a question of turning the tap back on.

WHY IS KIRKUK SO IMPORTANT?
Volume and revenue. The halting of exports from Kirkuk stopped nearly 300,000 bpd flowing out of Iraq towards Turkey and international markets - causing a net revenue loss of some $8 billion since the stoppage last year.

Most of Iraq’s exports come from southern fields, but Kirkuk is one of the biggest and oldest oilfields in the Middle East, estimated to contain about 9 billion barrels of recoverable oil.

The United States also sees Kirkuk as an option to help offset global shortfall in oil supply caused by its sanctions on Iran, which forbid purchasing Iranian oil.

Washington has pressured Baghdad to suspend all shipments of oil to Iran and resume flows from Kirkuk to Turkey, industry sources say.

WHAT HALTED EXPORTS, WHAT OBSTACLES REMAIN?
Exports have been on hold since October 2017 when Iraqi government forces took control of Kirkuk from the semi-autonomous Kurdish authorities in northern Iraq, in response to a referendum calling for Kurdish independence.

The Kurds had controlled Kirkuk and its oilfields after Islamic State militants drove the Iraqi army out in 2014, and Kurdish forces in turn ejected the militants.

Resumption of exports from Kirkuk depends on negotiations between Baghdad and the Kurds.

The pipeline Baghdad once used for exports via Turkey was wrecked by Islamic State - leaving only one working pipeline, built and controlled by the Kurds. Iraq’s government must use that, or build a new pipeline. It is considering both options.

WHO CONTROLS THE KIRKUK OIL FLOWS?
On paper, Baghdad. But if Iraq decides to use the Kurdish pipeline to export oil, it needs to negotiate.

The Kurds will likely seek a greater share of Iraqi state oil revenue in return. Baghdad might also have to contend with Russia’s Rosneft (ROSN.MM), which bought the Kurdish section of the pipeline last year.

WHEN WILL KIRKUK EXPORTS RESUME, AND HOW MUCH?
As soon as Baghdad and the Kurds reach an agreement - hence U.S. pressure to do so. If no deal is reached, Iraq will have to build the new pipeline, which could take around two years.

The Rosneft pipeline has been upgraded to a capacity of 1 million bpd, which could accommodate a current 400,000 bpd coming from other oilfields in Kurdistan, plus the 300,000 bpd that would come from Kirkuk, Kurdish authorities say.

Iraqi authorities say they still need to feed local refineries - where Kirkuk’s current output is being diverted - so even if exports from Kirkuk resume, they won’t exceed 100,000 bpd at first, meaning total exports via Kurdistan would be only 500,000 bpd.

That would be smaller than peak Kurdish exports of 700,000 bpd before the failed referendum and not enough to help Turkey cut its reliance on Iranian oil.

DO U.S. SANCTIONS AFFECT IRAQ’S OIL SECTOR?
Iraq and Iran were exchanging only small volumes of oil before the new sanctions - around 30,000 bpd in each direction, including from Kirkuk - but Iraq’s economy as a whole is highly dependent on trade with Iran.

Iranian gas supplies feed Iraqi power stations, for example.

Washington has given Iraq a waiver for Iranian gas as well as food items, but says this is only temporary, causing uncertainty in Baghdad.


November 11, 2018 - Iraq rail service back on track after war with Islamic State
Iraq rail service back on track after war with Islamic State | Reuters


FILE PHOTO: Passengers walk on a platform before boarding a train to Fallujah, the newly resurrected service to the city, at a railway station in Baghdad, Iraq November 7, 2018. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani

At Baghdad's grand but half-empty railway station, a single train is sputtering to life. It is the newly revived daily service to Falluja, a dusty town to the west once infamous as a Sunni insurgent stronghold.

The driver and conductor assure that the tracks running through Anbar province are now clear of mines planted by Islamic State and of collapsed bridges the group blew up when it marauded through western and northern Iraq in 2014.

The rapid advance of the militants shut down the line, before U.S.-backed Iraqi forces drove them out of Falluja in 2016 and defeated them in Iraq in late 2017.

After a four-year hiatus, hundreds of rail passengers now travel the 30 miles (50 km) between Baghdad and Falluja in just over an hour. By car, the journey can take several.

“The train saves time. The Baghdad-bound leg arrives at 8 a.m., which suits my schedule. It’s also cheaper” than by car at 3,000 Iraqi dinars ($2.50) for a ticket, commuter Thamer Mohammed said.

“You don’t have to stop at checkpoints, and it’s safer. You avoid road accidents,” said the 42-year-old, a Falluja resident studying for a history doctorate in Baghdad.

The revival in July of the daily service, once a feature of an extensive rail network dating back to the Ottoman empire, is a vivid example of Iraq’s attempts to recover from decades of unrest.

Passengers see it as a metaphor for the country’s state: security has improved enough to allow unhindered passage through countryside dominated for years by Islamic State and al Qaeda militants. But the train is dilapidated and shudders as it gathers speed.

The state of the tracks allow a steady pace of up to around 70 miles per hour (100 km), but no more. Dozens of windows have been smashed by children who play in the dirt in poor Baghdad districts and pelt carriages with stones as they cruise by.

“I hope the service will keep running, but in the last few days there have been delays. Sometimes it runs out of fuel on the journey, or has technical failures,” Mohammed said.

Slideshow (14 Images)
Iraq rail service back on track after war with Islamic State | Reuters

 

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Militant Attack on Officer's Home in Western Iraq Leaves 9 Dead - Mayor

Nine people were killed in a militant attack on a militia officer's house in Anbar province in western Iraq, Mayor of the city Ahmed Mukhlif said Tuesday.

"Nine people, including an officer, were killed in the attack," the mayor was quoted as saying by Al Sumaria broadcaster.

According to Mukhlif, gunmen in military uniform in the rank of captain attacked the house, located west of the city of Karma in Anbar province, on Monday evening. Media has reported that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1062143506804805633

Iraq has long been suffering from activities of various militant groups. In 2014, vast territories of the country were occupied by Daesh*. The Iraqi army has successfully fought back against the terrorist organization over the past year. In December, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi declared an end to the country's fight against Daesh as Iraqi troops re-established complete control over the country's Syrian border.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/IS/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia.

 

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November 13, 2018 - US Sanctions Hezbollah Iraq networks, Son of Group's Leader
U.S. sanctions Hezbollah Iraq networks, son of group's leader | Reuters

The United States imposed sanctions on Tuesday on four people linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah who coordinate the Iran-backed group’s activities in Iraq and designated the son of the group’s leader as a global terrorist.

The U.S. Treasury added Shibl Muhsin Ubayd al-Zaydi, Yusuf Hashim, Adnan Hussein Kawtharani and Muhammad Abd-al-Hadi Farhat to its Specially Designated Global Terrorists list.

Al-Zaydi is Iraqi and the others are Lebanese.

The State Department designated Jawad Nasrallah, the son of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and described him as a “rising leader of Hezbollah”.

Proscribed as a terrorist movement by the United States, Hezbollah is a heavily-armed Lebanese Shi’ite Muslim group backed by Iran and a leading ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Iran also backs Shi’ite militias in Iraq.

The Treasury statement said the four individuals “lead and coordinate (Hezbollah’s) operational, intelligence and financial activities in Iraq”.

The Treasury accused al-Zaydi of smuggling oil from Iran and from Iran into Syria, of fundraising for Hezbollah and of sending fighters to Syria for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.

Washington at the end of October tightened existing anti-Hezbollah legislation aiming to sever the group’s funding routes around the world, passing amendments to the Hezbollah International Financing Prevention Act (HIFPA) of 2015. The four individuals are being sanctioned under HIFPA.

Nasrallah the Hezbollah leader earlier this year said increasing U.S. pressure on the group would not yield results.

Hezbollah was not immediately available for comment.


November 13, 2018 - US designates Son of Hezbollah Leader a terrorist
U.S. designates son of Hezbollah leader a terrorist | Reuters


FILE PHOTO: A supporter of Lebanon's Hezbollah gestures as he holds a Hezbollah flag in Marjayoun, Lebanon May 7, 2018. REUTERS/Aziz Taher/File Photo

The U.S. State Department on Tuesday designated Jawad Nasrallah, son of Lebanon's Iran-backed Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, a terrorist and accused him of carrying out attacks against Israel in the West Bank.

The department also blacklisted Al-Mujahidin Brigades (AMB), which it said had links to Hezbollah and had plotted a number of attacks against Israeli targets from a base in the Palestinian Territories.

“Today’s designations seek to deny Nasrallah and AMB the resources to plan and carry out terrorist attacks,” the State Department said in a statement. It said the actions denied Nasrallah and AMB access to the U.S. financial system.

Later, the State Department announced it was offering up to $5 million each for information leading to the locations of Hamas leader Salih al-Aruri, Lebanese Hezbollah leaders Khalil Yusif Mahmoud Harb and Haytham Ali Tabatabaei under the agency’s so-called Rewards for Justice Program.

The department said both Hamas and Hezbollah receive weapons, training and funding from Iran. Washington recently reimposed sanctions against Tehran after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from a 2015 nuclear deal.

Earlier on Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister-designate Saad al-Hariri blamed Iran-backed Hezbollah for what he called “a big obstacle” in efforts to form a new government.

Hezbollah, a heavily armed Shi’ite Muslim group, has been pressing a demand for one of six Sunni Muslim lawmakers allied to it to get a cabinet position. Hariri has refused to give up one of the seats allocated for his mainly Sunni party.

Earlier on Tuesday, the U.S. Treasury imposed sanctions on four people linked to Lebanon’s Hezbollah who coordinate the Iran-backed group’s activities in Iraq and designated the son of the group’s leader as a global terrorist.

The U.S. Treasury added Shibl Muhsin Ubayd al-Zaydi, Yusuf Hashim, Adnan Hussein Kawtharani and Muhammad Abd-al-Hadi Farhat to its Specially Designated Global Terrorists list. Al-Zaydi is Iraqi and the others are Lebanese.


November 14, 2018 - Iraq to exchange food for Iranian gas, seeks US approval: Government Officials
Iraq to exchange food for Iranian gas, seeks U.S. approval: government officials | Reuters

Iraq has agreed with Iran to exchange Iraqi food items for Iranian gas and energy supplies, two Iraqi government officials said on Wednesday.

Baghdad is now seeking U.S. approval to allow it to import Iranian gas which is used in its power stations, and needs more time to find an alternative source, they said. The sources are a senior government official and a member of Iraq’s ministerial energy committee.

“The American deadline of 45 days to stop importing Iranian gas is not enough at all for Iraq to find an alternative source,” the first official said.

“Stopping Iranian gas after the deadline will create a real power crisis. We need more time ... the Americans are completely aware of how desperately we need Iranian gas.”

Washington granted Iraq a waiver to be able to import Iranian gas and energy supplies as well as food items when U.S. sanctions were restored against Iran’s oil sector last week.

But the United States has said the exemption will last only 45 days.

Iraq relies heavily on Iranian gas to feed its power stations.

The second official said Iraq would will submit a request to the United States to allow it to import beyond the 45-day deadline.

In exchange for the gas Iraq is to “pay food and humanitarian items for Iran ... Iran accepted this proposal,” the official said.

 

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ISIS paid fighters with gold & silver for taking down aircraft and launching chemical attacks


© Reuters

ISIS jihadists were paid well for their service, documents belonging to the terrorist group, and obtained by RT in Iraq, reveal. Use of chemical agents was paid-for in silver, while taking down a chopper was rewarded with gold.

Despite the common belief that Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) fighters were often forced to join the terrorist group or were recruited based on the conviction of their faith to carry out jihad, documents from the Iraqi city of Mosul and seen by RT show that fighting for the self-proclaimed caliphate also had its financial incentives.

Joining the ranks of the well-organized terror network, which once proclaimed a self-styled caliphate on the territory of Syria and Iraq, was only possible through a letter of recommendation, where the new recruit was carefully evaluated based on his military and sharia training.



Once in, the recruits remained under the meticulous watch of IS commanders, who kept tabs on their deployments, munition, supplies and eventual death. Those who served in the army of terror loyally and faithfully were rewarded – or were at least promised a reward. For instance, those who managed to take down an aircraft were promised a car. To destroy an enemy helicopter or drone earned at least seven gold dinars, according to the accounting records seen by RT Arabic.

Using chemical weapons had way less merit for IS, which paid only 10 silver dinars to its fighters to fire a projectile filled with a chemical warfare agent. Mustard gas and other toxic substances were used by IS in the vicinity of the Kirkuk, Fallujah, and Tikrit areas, an Iraqi investigation into the use of chemical weapons reports, RT has discovered.

Thousands of fighters, along with their families, joined IS at the height of the group’s activity in Iraq and Syria. Most of them came from within Iraq, while others came from across the region, the IS documents kept by Iraq's army intelligence showed. “A huge number of militants arrived in Iraq from other countries. You can talk about hundreds of thousands of people, including the families of terrorists – wives and children who were smuggled illegally into Iraqi territory,” Lieutenant Colonel Jaber Assad told RT Arabic.

 

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Baghdad, Erbil Agree to Resume Kirkuk Oil Exports - Iraqi Oil Ministry

The authorities of Iraq and of Iraqi Kurdistan have agreed to resume oil exports from the Kirkuk oil field in the autonomous region after a long suspension, the spokesman for the Iraqi Oil Ministry, Assim Jihad, told Sputnik on Friday.

"Baghdad and Erbil have agreed to restore oil exports from the oil field of Kirkuk through the pipeline of Kurdistan to the [Turkish] port of Ceyhan in the amount of between 50,000 and 100,000 barrels per day," the spokesman said.

In February, the region's governor, Rakan al-Jubouri, stated that there is a threat from so-called Daesh "sleeper-cells" in Kirkuk. At the end of 2017, Iraqi authorities declared victory over Daesh, noting, however, that the fight against remaining cells would continue.

Kirkuk Province is not part of Iraqi Kurdistan, but until recently the key infrastructure, including the oil and gas sector, was controlled by Kurdish armed groups. In mid-October, during an Iraqi forces operation, Baghdad was successful in re-establishing control of all oil fields belonging to the North Oil Company.

Iraq began its operation in Kirkuk a few weeks after the referendum on independence in Iraqi Kurdistan.


Decorated US Navy SEAL Under Investigation for Committing War Crimes in Iraq

The Navy SEAL was nominated for the Silver Star – the armed forces’ third-highest honour – after returning from his latest tour in Iraq less than a year ago.

Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, a highly decorated Navy SEAL medic and sniper, is under investigation for committing war crimes in Iraq.

Gallagher served with the elite SEALs for almost 20 years, but is currently being detained and facing severe punishment for indiscriminately shooting at civilians and performing his reenlistment ceremony while posing with the corpse of a teenage Daesh* militant who he stabbed to death.

He has been charged with premediated murder, bringing “discredit upon the armed forces” and obstruction of justice, in addition to several other charges, for which he is likely to be handed a life sentence if found guilty.

He has vehemently denied all of the charges, but the case has already damaged the SEAL’s reputation, with several others, including a lieutenant, accused of turning a blind eye to Gallagher’s war crimes.

A two-day preliminary hearing which took place at Naval Base San Diego and ended on Thursday featured testimony from other SEALs in his platoon, who described him as “reckless” and “bloodthirsty.”

While on tour in Iraq, Gallagher shot at a girl walking along a riverbank and gunned down an elderly man, threatening to kill his comrades if they reported him, witnesses said at the hearing.

Special Agent Joe Warpinski of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service said some SEALs who served with Gallagher claimed they spent more time protecting civilians from him than fighting Daesh.

Reacting to the allegations, his wife, Andrea, insisted that he is a “lifesaver”, and his lawyer, Phillip Stackhouse, vowed to get testimony from “many more SEALs” to exonerate Gallagher.

*Daesh (also known as ISIS/ISIL/Islamic State) is a terrorist group banned in Russia and many other countries.

 

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Hashd Al-Shaabi Blocks US Attempts to Capture Military Base in Al-Anbar

Commander of Hashd al-Shaabi forces in Western al-Anbar Qassem Moslih said on Sunday that his forces had prevented a US plane carrying military forces from landing at Abu Radha al-Baladawi airbase, adding that they wanted to capture the military base.

Another commander for Hashd al-Shaabi said on Monday that their forces cordoned off the runway at the Abu Radha al-Baladawi airbase.

He added that Hashd al-Shaabi opposes the presence of US military personnel in the area which, as the source said, contradicts Washington’s claim of contributing to the ongoing anti-ISIL efforts on the ground.

“Americans are always provoking our troops while in the area and interfering in the security affairs,” he said. “The western Anbar region does not need any foreign deployments as the Iraqi forces, whether from the army or the Hashd al-Shaabi, are able to defend it at any time.”

He accused the US forces of supporting the revival of terrorism and the remaining ISIL sleeper cells instead of eliminating them on the border between Iraq and Syria.

He said that the US troops were planning to establish a military installment at the airbase.

The US military has widened its buildup in bordering areas between Iraq and Syria, Iraqi sources said in September.

The Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news agency quoted Farhan Mohammed al-Dulaimi, a member of al-Anbar province's council, as saying that the US forces were still present in different parts of Western al-Anbar near the borders with Syria.

He dismissed media reports claiming that the US forces had withdrawn from al-Qa'em border passageway and other regions in Western al-Anbar to Ein al-Sad airbase, and said they had even reinforced their deployment.


UPDATED: Car bombing in Tikrit causes 21 casualties


Tikriti civilians near the site of the explosion, which early reports suggest claimed the lives of at least five. (Photo: Social Media)

A car bomb on Sunday rocked central Tikrit, the capital city of Iraq's Salahuddin Province and one-time stronghold of the Islamic State (IS).

"The blast resulted in the deaths of three women and two men while sixteen other individuals were injured," a security source told Kurdistan 24 shortly after the blast.

The explosion rang out just hours after the Iraqi Air Force raided IS positions near a small town north of Tikrit, killing ten militants, according to a statement by the Ministry of Defense.

A statement later released by the Ministry of Interior read that the explosion had been carried out using "a car bomb parked on al-Atba street in the city of Tikrit in Salahuddin province." The ministry also confirmed the casualty numbers given earlier by the security source.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the attack is similar to attacks previously carried out by the IS in the area.

In early November, a similar incident occurred on the same street near a local school when an explosion injured several bypassers, including students.

After falling to the jihadist group in mid-2014, Iraqi forces, with the support of the US-led coalition, liberated Tikrit in April 2015.

Despite Iraqi forces pushing IS fighters from large cities like Tikrit and declaring final victory late last year after a devastating three-year war, the extremist group continues to carry out attacks, bombings, and assassinations in many cities.

Iraqi officials have warned civilians to be on the lookout for IS sleeper cells, still active in many liberated areas across the country.


A distant view of the Nov. 18 explosion in Tikrit. (Photo: Social Media)

 

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Saturday, 24 November 2018 - Iraqi Lawmakers Call for End to US Military Presence
Iraqi Lawmakers Call for End to US Military Presence

Iraqi lawmakers have called for the withdrawal of US troops, saying they see no justification for the presence of foreign troops about a year after the defeat of the Daesh terrorist group in Iraq.

The American presence “is, in my opinion, a violation of the Iraqi sovereignty,” Amer al-Shebli, a lawmaker, told Press TV on Friday. “After ending terrorism, the previous Parliament should have taken a serious action to force all foreign forces to leave Iraq,” the MP added.

“Sovereignty is the most valuable asset in any nation. The sacrifices of the Iraqi people in their fight against Daesh show how important their country’s sovereignty is for them. Today, no country will allow foreign military bases on its land,” said another legislator Kadhim al-Sayadi.

Some lawmakers said the presence of US forces in Iraq had to be based on a legal framework.

“The presence of any foreign forces inside Iraq can only be done through agreements with the Iraqi government, and these agreements cannot be passed without the approval of the Parliament,” said Diar Barawri, an MP with the Kurdish Democratic Party.

Another lawmaker expressed concern over the ever-increasing number of US forces in the country.

“The presence of US forces in Iraq is illegal. As a member of the Parliament’s Security Committee, we voice our concern over the presence of the US military and the constant increase in the number of the soldiers,” said Adnan al-Assadi.

“They have thousands of soldiers here. Yet, the government says they are advisors,” he added.

“Lawmakers who are part of Hashd al-Sha’bi’s campaign to liberate territories held by Daesh terror group believe it is time for the country to once and for all be free of any foreign military presence,” said Press TV correspondent Ali Musawi.

The volunteer paramilitary militias, also known as the Popular Mobilization Units, played a significant role during Iraq’s uphill battle against the terrorists. The efficiency of their involvement prompted Baghdad to incorporate them into the country’s national defense forces.

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 under the pretext that former Iraqi presdient Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, an allegation later proven wrong.

In 2014, it led scores of its allies in a so-called mission to defeat Daesh without a UN mandate.

Iraq and its allies forced the group out of Mosul, its headquarters in the country’s north, late last year. The US-led coalition, however, still retains its presence in Iraq after Mosul operations.

Last week, Arabic-language Arabi21 online newspaper cited MP Ahmad al-Assadi, the leader of the Iraqi Construction Alliance, as saying that the legislature would discuss withdrawal of the US forces amid rising unease at Washington's meddling in Baghdad's internal affairs.

He said the lawmakers would step up their demand that the Iraqi government force the foreign troops to leave.

The official said calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops had begun during the last legislature, but lawmakers were now seeking a “clear timetable” for a pullout.


2018-11-24 - Lavrov holds talks with Iraqi President and top Jordanian diplomat
Lavrov holds talks with Iraqi President and top Jordanian diplomat (video)



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held bilateral talks with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Jordan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ayman Safadi in Rome on Friday.

And once again I would like also personally to congratulate you on getting this position after you finalized the formation of the new structures on the basis of May elections. Really very glad that this process has succeeded, unlike in some other countries,” Lavrov told the Iraqi President.

“Iraq is a fascinating place. A lot of challenges but it somehow bumps along, moves along, which is good. Positive story in that sense. I remember with gratitude and affection our meeting last time in Moscow and I am happy to see you here and pleased. I send my appreciation to the president and for his kind congratulation that was already said,” Salih responded.

Both meetings happened on the sidelines of the Mediterranean Dialogues forum.

Published on Nov 23, 2018 (1:07 min.)


Sun Nov 25, 2018 - Iraqi MP Warns of 'Dangerous' US Plan to Target Hashd al-Sha’abi Bases
Farsnews

An Iraqi lawmaker has warned of a "dangerous" US plot to target military bases run by Hashd al-Sha’abi, a paramilitary force that has actively cooperated with the Iraqi army in counter-terrorism operations.

In a statement carried by the Arabic-language al-Sumaria television network, MP Karim Alawi said that American forces had begun reconnaissance operations to collect information about Hashd al-Sha’abi bases in Baghdad and other Iraqi provinces, press tv reported.

He called on Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi to take action and confront those who are cooperating with the Americans in the reconnaissance operations.

Hashd al-Sha’abi, a combination of some 40 groups of mostly Shiite fighters as well as Sunnis and Christians, was formed shortly after the ISIL (Daesh) emerged in Iraq in mid-2014.

Daesh unleashed a campaign of death and destruction in Iraq, overrunning vast swathes in lightning attacks. Iraq declared the end of the anti-Daesh campaign last December, but the group’s remnants still keep staging sporadic attacks.

In the early days of the Daesh’s reign of terror, Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters played a major role in reinforcing the Iraqi army, which had suffered heavy setbacks in the face of lightning advances by the Takfiri elements.

In November 2016, the Iraqi parliament voted to integrate Hashd al-Sha’abi into the military in the face of US efforts to sideline the group.

Earlier this week, Iraqi lawmakers called for the withdrawal of US troops, saying they see no justification for the presence of foreign troops about a year after the defeat of Daesh.

The American presence “is, in my opinion, a violation of the Iraqi sovereignty,” Iraqi MP Amer al-Shebli said on Friday.

“Sovereignty is the most valuable asset in any nation. The sacrifices of the Iraqi people in their fight against Daesh show how important their country’s sovereignty is for them. Today, no country will allow foreign military bases on its land,” said another legislator Kadhim al-Sayadi.

 

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IRAQI, FRENCH AND U.S. ARTILLERY UNITS POUND ISIS POSITIONS AT SYRIA’S BORDER (VIDEO)

Artillery forces of the Iraqi military, the U.S. Marines and the French military shelled several positions of ISIS at the Syrian-Iraqi border, the Ministry of Defense of Iraq announced on November 25.

“The strike was carried out in order to prevent ISIS from infiltrating the border, which is completely secured by Iraqi forces and the US-led coalition,” said General Qassim Mohammed Saleh, commander of the Iraqi military operations in the region of al-Jazeera, according to the UAE-based al-Ittihad news outlet.​

According to Gen. Qassim, the strike was a part of operation “Last Warning,” which was launched on October 7. The operation is aimed at neutralizing the remaining ISIS cells in al-Jazeera and the province of al-Anbar in the western part of Iraq.

ISIS fighters in eastern Syria were able to reach the Syrian-Iraqi border, once again, in late October after a series of attacks on US-backed forces in Syria. This forced Iraqi forces to resume their aerial and artillery strikes on the terrorist group positions within Syria territory.

 

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Syriana Analysis Published on Nov 28, 2018 / 15:22

The BBC claims in the controversial documentary "A Dangerous Dynasty: House of Assad", that after the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad opened the prisons, released the radical jihadists and sent them to Iraq, which caused a mayhem. According to the BBC, this policy of supporting terrorists in Iraq has blowback on Syria because, in a later stage, the Islamist radicals returned home to fight against the government of Damascus. But how accurate are the BBC allegations? Syriana Analysis addresses these issues with Camille Otrakji, a Syrian researcher based in Canada and Peter Ford, the former UK ambassador to Syria between 2003 and 2006.

Taiwan Firm Stops Importing Iranian Oil Despite Waiver | OilPrice.com
By Tsvetana Paraskova - Nov 30, 2018, 3:00 AM CST

Iran Suspends Gas Exports To Iraq After Earthquake | OilPrice.com
By Tsvetana Paraskova - Nov 28, 2018, 10:00 PM CST

https://twitter.com/x/status/1068079587345739776

https://twitter.com/x/status/1068075202872033280

https://twitter.com/x/status/1068072510367899648

 

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Syriana Analysis Published on Nov 28, 2018 / 15:22

Here is another interesting overall analysis of the House of Assad video by a native Syrian I found who also mentions the background music and misleading "facts" of the BBC commentary.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1070650346094120961

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1070364253713022976

Even more cracks may be forming within OPEC, even as market pundits continue to analyze Qatar’s decision two days ago to withdraw from the oil producing cartel. Michael Cohen, head of energy markets research at Barclays bank, told CNBC on Tuesday that Iraq, OPEC’s second largest producer, could be the next member to withdraw from OPEC.

“I think in terms of all the OPEC countries, to me the one that stands out over the last six to eight months is Iraq,” he said. “Iraq has been out of line with its target frequently... so if restrictions to cut were too stringent, Iraq might feel it in its best interest to no longer be a member of the organization.”

Last month, Iraq’s oil exports dropped to their lowest level in seven months due to bad weather at its southern ports. According to a statement from Iraq’s oil ministry, and reported by global commodities data provider S&P Global Platts, Iraq’s federal exports in November averaged 3.372 million bpd, the lowest level since April this year.

Impending oil output cuts

Additionally, Cohen is referring to recent remarks by Saudi Arabia that it could cut output to put support under global oil prices that have tumbled around 30 percent from multi-year highs in early October. Growing concerns over an impending supply overhang in global oil markets is making the de facto OPEC leader nervous and comes amid a record setting oil production level in Saudi Arabia of 11 million bpd, in addition to Russian production over 11 million bpd in both October and November. U.S. oil output also set record levels of nearly 11.5 million bpd. Soaring production from the top three oil producing heavy weights come as economic problems grip emerging markets and as a projected slowdown in economic growth is projected amid trade tensions between Washington and Beijing.

Related: Is This The Next Disaster For Canadian Drillers?

In the last few days, global oil prices have seen some support on hopes that the U.S. and China can reach a trade deal within the next 90 days. However, if no trade deal is agreed upon, and President Trump increases tariffs on Chinese goods from 10 percent to 25 percent, as well as placing another $267 worth of Chinese goods on the tariff list, global economic growth and oil demand will come under tremendous pressure, a possible scenario obviously not lost on Saudi Arabia.

There has been a history of disagreement between OPEC and Iraq dating back to the at least the end of the Second Gulf War in 2003 as the country’s post war oil production remained crippled. Iraq saw its oil production drop from a pre-war level of 3.5 million bpd to only around 900,000 bpd by the end of the war.

Since then, Iraq has maintained an on again and off again willingness to comply with OPEC, particularly over oil production cuts. The last time a Saudi-led OPEC needed to trim production amid plunging oil prices and an oil supply glut in late 2016, Iraq waffled, stalled, bluffed then finally conceded and complied. Iraq's oil minister, Jabar Ali al-Luaibi, at the same time OPEC was considering cuts actually urged oil and natural gas producers operating in the country to continue increasing output for the rest of the year and in 2017.

Iraqi oil production plans

Last month, as global oil prices were plunging amid over fresh supply concerns, Iraqi oil minister Thamer Ghadhban said Iraq planned to increase its oil output and export capacity in 2019, with a focus on its southern oilfields, and is close to reaching a deal with international companies.

Moreover, five days ago Bloomberg reported that the biggest snag in OPEC’s push for a consensus on cutting oil output could come from relentless growth in supply from its second-biggest producer, Iraq.

Iraq is targeting production capacity of 5 million bpd in 2019, with average exports expected to reach around 3.8 million bpd. According to a report from energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, Iraqi oil production has increased by around 6 percent this year, while its output could reach as much as 6 million bpd by 2025. By Tim Daiss for Oilprice.com

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Iran: Suicide attack hits police post in Chabahar
3 hours ago
Official says more than 40 people also wounded in the attack that targeted a police headquarters in key port city.
Four policemen were killed and 42 other people were wounded in a suicide car bomb attack on a police headquarters in Iran's southeast on Thursday.

The attack occurred in Iran's southern port city of Chabahar, state television Press TV reported, quoting security and local officials.

State media also reported shooting in the area, home to a Sunni Muslim minority in the largely Shia country, which has long been plagued by violence from both drug smugglers and separatists.

Rahmdel Bameri, governor of Sistan-Baluchestan province, said a bomb-filled vehicle was used to target the police station by the suicide attacker.

"Police stopped the explosive-laden car and started firing at the driver ... who then set off the explosion near the police headquarters in Chabahar," said Bameri.

Images posted online showed thick smoke rising from the sky in the area where the attack took place.

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The SITE Intelligence Group reported that Sunni armed group Ansar al-Furqan claimed responsibility for the attack.

Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif accused a foreign power of involvement without naming a specific country.

"Foreign-backed terrorists kill and wound innocents in Chabahar. As we've made clear in the past, such crimes won’t go unpunished," Zarif said on Twitter.

Tehran has accused its regional rival Saudi Arabia and the United States of funding armed groups, a charge Riyadh and Washington deny.

Suicide bombings are rare in Iran, but armed groups have carried out several attacks on Iranian security forces in the Sistan-Baluchestan province in recent years.

Iran has stepped up security in border areas after gunmen in September opened fire on a military parade in Iran's southwestern city of Ahvaz, killing 25 people, almost half members of Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

The southeastern port city in Iran's Sistan-Baluchestan province is located near the border with Pakistan. The city hosts the operation of a joint port project between Iran and India by the Gulf of Oman.

Chabahar Port, which is being developed with funding from India, has been described as India's "golden gateway" that will help boost trade links to land-locked Afghanistan and Central Asia, while bypassing its regional rival, Pakistan.

The Indian foreign ministry condemned Thursday's "despicable terrorist attack".

"The perpetrators behind this dastardly attack should be brought to justice expeditiously. There can be no justification for any act of terror,” the ministry said.

In December 2010, at least 41 people were killed and 90 others were wounded following a suicide attack near a mosque in Chabahar.

Another coordinated assault by fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group on June 7, 2017, targeted the parliament in Tehran and the shrine of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, killing at least 18 people and wounding more than 50.

Authorities said officers managed to block the vehicle and started firing at the driver, who then detonated his explosives [Tasnim/AP]

 

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US Army Sets up New Military Base at Iraq's Border with Syria

The Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumah news website quoted Farhan Mahd al-Deilami, a member of Anbar province Council, as reporting that the US forces have established a new base in the Western part of the province.

It further reported that the US has deployed a surprising number of troops on the Northern bank of the Euphrates River 30 km away from al-Ramanah region near the town of al-Qa'em at border with Syria, adding that the move will enable the US forces to have the upper-hand in regions between Anbar and Nineveh provinces.

The official further told the news website that the ISIL terrorists have been infiltrating into deserts between Anbar and Nineveh provinces via the borderlines with Syria.

A senior commander of Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular forces) said on Tuesday that the ISIL commanders were hiding at US bases at Iraq's border with Syria and warned that Washington sought to use the terrorists as a leverage against Baghdad and Damascus.

The Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website quoted Hashem al-Moussavi as saying that a number of ISIL leaders were sheltered at Iraq's border with Syria to survive current attacks by the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi.

He added that Syria's al-Tanf base is the main stronghold of the terrorists and supplies the ISIL remnants with weapons, military equipment and intelligence, noting that Washington aims to use the ISIL commanders as a leverage to pressure Baghdad and Damascus.

Al-Moussavi said that the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi are at present trying to cleanse Wadi Houran region in al-Anbar (at the borders between Iraq and Syria) from terrorists, adding that the US fighter jets often provide a cover to the ISIL moves between Iraq and Syria.

The US-led coalition has long been suspected of colluding with the ISIL terrorist group in Eastern Syria for quite a few years now. Experts believe the US needs to keep a contained group of ISIL terrorists operating in the region in a bid to justify its buildup in Eastern Syria.


US allegedly allowed Daesh terrorists to leave Syria for Iraq – Iraqi official

The US forces allegedly opened a passageway at the Syria-Iraq border to ease the transfer of Daesh terrorists from Syria into the depth of Iraq, an Iraqi Member of Parliament disclosed on Saturday.

The Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumah news website quoted Ali Qavi, an Iraqi parliamentarian, as disclosing that the US-led coalition forces have opened a safe passageway to move the Daesh terrorists from Syria to the depth of Iraq.

Qavi further told the news website that the Iraqi Parliament intends to give a serious review of a strategic agreement with Washington that has thus far not brought about any military or security results for Baghdad.

The website went on to say that the agreement will be called off once Iraq’s new cabinet of ministers is completely formed.

It said that the Iraqi forces and popular forces of Hashd al-Shaabi are capable of guarding the borders without the partnership of the US-led coalition forces.

The Arabic-language al-Ma’aloumeh news website quoted Hashem al-Moussavi as saying on Tuesday that a number of Daesh’s leadership were sheltered at Iraq’s border with Syria.

He added that Syria’s al-Tanf base was the main stronghold for Daesh; it also is home to their primary supply lie, the Iraqi daily said.

Al-Moussavi said that the Iraqi security forces and Hashd al-Shaabi are presently trying to clear the Wadi Houran region in al-Anbar (at the borders between Iraq and Syria) from terrorists.

 

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Iraqi Commander: US Forces Spying on Hashd Al-Shaabi at Borders with Syria

The Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website quoted Qassem Moslih, the Iraqi popular forces' commander in Western al-Anbar, as saying that the US forces fly different types of planes over the Iraq-Syria bordering areas, spying on Hashd al-Shaabi.

He added that 20,000 Hashd al-Shaabi forces are deployed near the border with Syria from al-Qa'em to the Southern Iraq near Jordan, stressing that they are prepared to confront any threats against the country.

The US military has widened its buildup in bordering areas between Iraq and Syria, Iraqi sources said in September.

al-Ma'aloumeh news agency quoted Farhan Mohammed al-Dulaimi, a member of al-Anbar province's council, as saying last month that the US forces were still present in different parts of Western al-Anbar near the borders with Syria.

He dismissed media reports claiming that the US forces had withdrawn from al-Qa'em border passageway and other regions in Western al-Anbar to Ein al-Sad airbase, and said they had even reinforced their deployment.

In a relevant development in November, Hashd al-Shaabi foiled the US army plans to seize an airbase in al-Anbar province in the Western parts of the country at the borders with Syria.

Moslih said that his forces had prevented a US plane carrying military forces from landing at Abu Radha al-Baladawi airbase, adding that they wanted to capture the military base.

Another commander for Hashd al-Shaabi said that their forces cordoned off the runway at the Abu Radha al-Baladawi airbase.

He added that Hashd al-Shaabi opposes the presence of US military personnel in the area which, as the source said, contradicts Washington’s claim of contributing to the ongoing anti-ISIL efforts on the ground.

“Americans are always provoking our troops while in the area and interfering in the security affairs,” he said. “The western Anbar region does not need any foreign deployments as the Iraqi forces, whether from the army or the Hashd al-Shaabi, are able to defend it at any time.”

He accused the US forces of supporting the revival of terrorism and the remaining ISIL sleeper cells instead of eliminating them on the border between Iraq and Syria.

He said that the US troops were planning to establish a military installment at the airbase.


Iraq summons Turkish ambassador over cross border airstrikes

Iraqi Foreign Ministry has summoned Turkey’s ambassador Fatih Yildiz to protest against an alleged violation of the country’s airspace by a Turkish aircraft and conducting airstrikes on several sites in northern Iraq.

The strikes, which allegedly targeted Kurdish militia positions, led to a “loss of life and property”, according to an official statement by the ministry.

“Such acts violate Iraq’s sovereignty and security of citizens and are unacceptable on all levels, contrary to the principles of good-neighborliness that bind together the two countries”, statement said.

Earlier, media reported that Turkish forces had conducted airstrikes on PKK positions in Iraqi Kurdistan on 14 December, which resulted in the death of 8 members of the group, considered to be a terrorist organisation by Ankara.

Turkey hasn’t commented on the reports of airstrikes or violations of Iraq’s airspace.

Turkey has been fighting the PKK since the 1980s, when the group first demanded of autonomy for Kurdish-populated territories.
The two sides reached a ceasefire in 2013 to fight the threat of Daesh, but it was terminated in 2015, when the PKK accused Ankara of bombing its positions in Iraq, along with those of Daesh.

Turkey has also been fighting branches of the PKK in Afrin in Syria, launching a military intervention in the country in January, 2018.

Source: Sputnik


MAP UPDATE: IRAQI SECURITY FORCES CONTINUE OPERATIONS AGAINST ISIS CELLS



This map provides a general look at the current military and security situation in Iraq. ISIS cells stil remain a significant threat to the Iraqi security. So, the army and police are actively working to find and eliminate ISIS terrorists across the country.