Iraq

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One protester was killed and at least 10 others wounded when they stormed a Turkish military camp near Dohuk in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region on Saturday, burning two tanks and other vehicles, residents and Kurdish officials said.

January 26, 2019 - One dead after protesters storm Turkish military camp in North Iraq: Kurdish Officials
One dead after protesters storm Turkish military camp in north Iraq: Kurdish officials | Reuters

A smoke rises from vehicles after protesters stormed a Turkish military camp near Dohuk, Iraq January 26, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

Najib Saeed, the chief health official in the area, said it was not yet clear what caused the death. He said Turkish soldiers had shot at protesters and that the burning of vehicles and equipment had caused several explosions.

Turkey said the attack was carried out by members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) who disguised themselves among civilians to fuel conflict between Turkish forces and local residents. “We are committed to maintaining our close partnership with the people of Dohuk and doing everything in our power to prevent civilian casualties in the area,” Fahrettin Altun, communications director for the Turkish Presidency, told Reuters.

Turkey carries out regular air raids near the border against the PKK insurgent group which has bases in northern Iraq and has fought a decades-long insurgency in Turkey.

The Kurdish government in Erbil in northern Iraq condemned the storming of the camp, accusing “saboteurs” of instigating the incident, a veiled reference to the PKK, a rival of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) that dominates the Erbil government and has a working relationship with Turkey. Erbil said it had sent its forces to the area to calm the situation.

A Kurdish official in the region of Dohuk said the crowd was demonstrating over a recent Turkish air raid that killed four civilians. The official did not want to be named.

A second Kurdish official, who also did not give his name, said Turkish troops at the camp in Shiladze, east of Dohuk, had initially shot at the protesters and then left the camp. Kurdish security forces are trying to control the situation, he said.

Kurdish protesters stormed the Turkish military’s headquarters inside the Dohuk Governorate town of Shiladze, today, prompting the latter to abandon their positions at the base.

2019-01-26 - Kurdish protesters seize several Turkish tanks after soldiers abandon base (video)
https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...kish-tanks-after-soldiers-abandon-base-video/

Kurdish protesters stand atop of the tank after entering the Turkish Army base.

During the storming of the Turkish military base, the Kurdish protesters managed to take hold of several tanks after setting many vehicles on fire.

In response to this protest, the Turkish Air Force began flying over the base, while local security forces attempted to disperse the demonstrators.

(Photos - https://www.almasdarnews.com/articl...key-army-vehicles-on-fire-occupy-tank-photos/ )

 

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The general overseeing U.S. forces in the Middle East flew into Iraq on Sunday for talks with U.S. and Iraqi officials expected to focus on ensuring that Islamic State cannot stage a resurgence after U.S. troops withdraw from neighboring Syria.

February 17, 2019 - In Iraq visit, US General eyes longer-term Islamic State threat
In Iraq visit, U.S. general eyes longer-term Islamic State threat

FILE PHOTO: General Joseph Votel, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, speaks aboard the USS New Orleans as it travels through the Strait of Hormuz July 11, 2016. REUTERS/Phil Stewart/File Photo

U.S. Army General Joseph Votel, head of the U.S. Central Command, made no remarks to reporters upon landing in Iraq, where he was expected to get battlefield briefings on the final push to retake the remnants of Islamic State’s once vast territory in Syria.

Votel was also expected to discuss with officials in Baghdad what impact the U.S. withdrawal might have on Iraq, where Islamic State has already shifted to guerrilla hit-and-run tactics after losing all its territory.

Votel has said he does not expect President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of more than 2,000 troops from Syria to significantly alter U.S. troop levels in Iraq, where the United States has more than 5,000 forces. Those force numbers would stay “more or less steady,” he said.”We will want to make sure that we get the right capabilities on the ground to support the Iraqis going forward,” Votel told reporters traveling with him last week. “But I don’t necessarily think that will result in an expanded footprint by the United States or by the coalition forces.”

Islamic State faces the total defeat of its self-proclaimed caliphate. This timeline chronicles its lightning rise, cruel reign and stubborn fall.

February 17, 2019 - Timeline: the rise and fall of Islamic State in Iraq and syria
Timeline: The rise and fall of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria

.FILE PHOTO - Militant Islamist fighters waving flags, travel in vehicles as they take part in a military parade along the streets of Syria's northern Raqqa province June 30, 2014. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

** 2004-11 - In the chaos following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, an al-Qaeda offshoot sets up there, changing its name in 2006 to Islamic State in Iraq.

** 2011 - After Syria’s crisis begins, the group’s leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi sends operatives there to set up a Syrian subsidiary. Baghdadi follows in 2013, breaking with al Qaeda and renaming his group ‘The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’.

** 2014 - Its year of sudden success starts by seizing Fallujah in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria at the turn of the year. It takes Mosul and Tikrit in June and overruns the border with Syria. At Mosul’s great Mosque, Baghdadi renames it Islamic State (IS) and declares a caliphate.

So begins a reign of terror. In Syria, it massacres hundreds of members of the Sheitaat tribe. In Iraq it slaughters thousands of Yazidis in Sinjar and forces more than 7,000 women and girls into sexual slavery. It beheads Western hostages in grotesquely choreographed films.

In September, the United States builds a coalition against IS and starts air strikes to stop its momentum, helping the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia turn it back from Kobani on the border with Turkey.

** 2015 - Attackers in Paris strike a satirical newspaper and a kosher supermarket, the bloody start to a wave of attacks that IS claims around the world. Militants in Libya behead Christians and pledge allegiance to IS, followed by groups in other countries, but they stay operationally independent.

In May, IS takes Ramadi in Iraq and the ancient desert town of Palmyra in Syria, but by the end of the year it is on the back foot in both countries.

** 2016 - Iraq takes back Fallujah in June, the first town IS had captured during its initial blaze of success. In August, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), spearheaded by the Kurdish YPG, takes Manbij in Syria.

Alarmed by the Kurdish advances near its own frontier, Turkey launches an offensive into Syria against both IS and the YPG. Enmity between Turkey and the YPG will continue to complicate operations against IS.

** 2017 - Islamic State suffers a year of catastrophic defeats. In June it loses Mosul to Iraqi forces after months of fighting and Baghdad declares the end of the caliphate. In September the Syrian army races eastwards backed by Russia and Iran to relieve Deir al-Zor and re-extend state control at the Euphrates. In October, the SDF drives IS from Raqqa.

** 2018 - The Syrian government retakes IS enclaves in Yarmouk, south of Damascus, and on the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. The SDF advances further down the Euphrates and Iraqi forces take the rest of the border. The U.S. vows to withdraw troops.

** 2019 - IS is besieged in its last enclave on the Euphrates at the village of Baghouz.

 

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Washington and Tel Aviv are spying on all Iraqi army warplanes and they are monitoring their intel, military experts disclosed.

US, Israel Spying on Iraqi Fighter Jets Mar 04 2019

He said that all the US military bases in Iraq have installed spying sensors inside the Iraqi fighter jets, adding that they provide Israel with precise intel of military movements in Iraq on a rotational basis.

In relevant remarks in early February, Iraqi security expert Kazim al-Haaj disclosed that the US Army was training the ISIL terrorists in Al-Anbar province.

"The US Army troops are preparing and training the ISIL militants in al-Qadaf and Wadi al-Houran regions of Al-Anbar province with the aim of carrying out terrorist attacks and restarting insecurity in Iraq," al-Ma'aloumeh quoted al-Haaj as saying.

He noted that according to the intel obtained from Iraqi security forces in Al-Anbar province, the US had transferred the ISIL terrorists on Apache and Chinook helicopters to Iraq.

Pointing to the occupation of several regions in Western Iraq, including Wadi al-Houran and al-Qadaf, al-Haaj reiterated that the US Army was using this opportunity to deploy the ISIL terrorists after training them in areas where it plans to make hot.

A senior Syrian military expert said that Washington has fooled Iraq through its agreements to deploy a large number of ISIL commanders and terrorists under the cover of military convoys.

Military Expert: US Stations Hundreds of ISIL Terrorists in Iraq by Misusing Agreements Mar 04 2019

General Ali Maqsoud was quoted as saying by the Arabic-language website of Sputnik news agency that the US is after finding a pretext for remaining in Iraq by transferring the ISIL terrorists, including its European fighters, and implementation of terrorist plots, noting that the Americans' remarks on military operations in Southeastern Deir Ezzur is also among the pre-determined plans in Syria and Iraq.

He added that the US-led coalition has since three weeks ago announced that the ISIL is under siege in a 500-sq/m area and is on the verge of collapse; but actually, the trilateral negotiations between the US, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the ISIL is aimed at inducing Washington's victory against the ISIL, transferring the ISIL to Iraq and Afghanistan, using them against Iran and laying siege on Iran.

Iraqi sources had also revealed last month that the US wanted to occupy the Western parts of the country with the help of the ISIL terrorists after transferring them from Eastern Syria to its bases in the region.

Mohammad al-Baldawi, the representative of al-Bana coalition in the Iraqi parliament, told the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website that the US forces had transferred all terrorists and their family members, who have recently surrendered at the Syrian borders, to the US bases in Iraq.

He referred to collaboration between the US and the ISIL terrorists, and warned that the terrorist group would be reorganized for operations against Iraq's security.

A senior Iraqi lawmaker disclosed that the US Army troops and warplanes are preventing Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraq's popular forces) from getting close to the country's borders with Syria.

Senior MP: US Trying to Prevent Hashd Al-Shaabi's Approach to Iraq's Western Borders Mar 04 2019

"The US troops stationed along Iraq-Syria borders have blocked the access of Hashd al-Shaabi forces from nearing that region through air and ground cover," Member of the Iraqi Parliament's Security Committee Ali Jabbar was quoted by the Arabic-language al-Maloumeh news website as saying.

He underlined that the US considers Hashd al-Shaabi as a big threat to its plots in Iraq, and said that the US Army troops are exerting pressure on the Iraqi government to prevent Hashd al-Shaabi from getting close to the border with Syria or to prevent them from targeting the ISIL movements in the Baghouz region.

This comes as a security force had earlier revealed that the US Army troops backed by the US helicopters have used al-Ramaneh region along Iraq-Syria borders in Western al-Anbar to conduct reconnaissance operations.

"The US troops in Ain al-Assad are looking for a way to drive out Hashd al-Shaabi forces from Western Iraqi provinces, including al-Anbar province," the Arabic-language al-Maloumeh news website quoted Jabbar as saying.

He reiterated that the US plot for driving Hashd al-Shaabi forces from bases and regions under their control in al-Anbar, Nineveh and Salaheddin is while the US troops are worried about their confrontation with Hashd al-Shaabi and people's uprising against the illegal presence of the US Army troops in Iraq.

Jabbar also pointed to the US efforts to prolong its presence in Iraq, and disclosed that the US troops are trying to win the support of Iraq's tribal leaders and some of their senior commanders in Western provinces in a bid to set up new military bases and station their mercenaries in them.

The head of Badr organization's office in al-Anbar province warned of the American forces' suspicious moves in the Western deserts of the province, saying that the US is aiding the terrorists stationed in the region.

US Aiding ISIL, Other Terrorists in Western Iraq Mar 06 2019

The Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website quoted Qusai al-Anbari as saying on Wednesday that the Americans are assisting a terrorist group called Ghosts of Desert in desert areas of al-Anbar, adding that they have been airdropping foodstuff packages for the ISIL from helicopters hovering over the region in the past few days.

Meantime, Hassan Salem, a representative of Iraq's al-Fatah coalition in the parliament, referred to the American forces' illegal deployment in Iraq and Washington's attempts to revive the terrorist groups in the country, and stressed the legislature's firm determination to expel them and close Ain al-Assad base which is under the US occupation.

"Between 700 to 1,000 ISIL militants are being trained by the US troops in al-Anbar province," al-Maloumeh quoted al-Anbari as saying.

He pointed to the special conditions considered for the ISIL militants, and said that the US troops had specified redlines for third parties to avoid approaching the region.

Iraq's al-Nujaba Movement announced on Wednesday that it will double its efforts to stand against Washington's plots in the region after it was designated by the US State Department as a terrorist group.

Al-Nujaba Movement Vows to Confront US After Being Blasklisted Mar 06 2019

"We in the Islamic Resistance are proud that we are always standing in the forefront of confronting the American terrorism against the oppressed nations," Deputy Secretary-General of al-Nujaba Movement Nasr al-Shamri told the Arabic-language Baghdad al-Youm.

"We are the ones who confront the terrorists and destructive occupation of Iraq and their (the Americans') al-Qaeda and ISIL terrorism," he added.

Al-Shamri underlined that al-Nujaba will confront all US plots in the region, adding that the State Department move will strengthen their determination to insist on their position.

The US added al-Nujaba Movement and its leader Akram Abbas al-Ka'abi, to its sanctions list, the State Department said.

"The Department of State has designated the Iranian proxy group Harakat al-Nujaba (HAN) and its leader, Akram 'Abbas al-Kabi, as Specially Designated Global Terrorists under Executive Order 13224," the State Department said in a statement on Tuesday.

Harakat al-Nujaba is an Iraqi Shiite resistance group that helped the Iraqi government liberate territory captured by the ISIL. It has also deployed forces to Syria to help the Syrian army recapture territories from terrorist groups.

 

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US lawmakers criticized the government on Wednesday for its decision to invade Iraq 16 years ago, questioning the conflict’s legitimacy.

Thu Mar 21, 2019 - US Lawmakers Slam Government on Anniversary of Iraq War
Farsnews

Politicians called the invasion disastrous, saying it led to the country’s destruction and affected America’s global standing, Anadolu news agency reported.

"Sixteen years ago, the US illegally invaded Iraq, leaving a trail of destruction and lives lost," Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said on Twitter.

Omar outlined the consequences of the invasion, saying 4,500 American troops lost their lives, more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians were killed and the decision had done "incalculable damage” to America’s reputation in the world.

Senator Bernie Sanders also slammed the invasion, saying he had opposed it when the idea was proposed in Congress.

"Sixteen years ago, the United States invaded Iraq. I opposed it at the time, warning of unintended consequences. We are still dealing with those disastrous consequences today and will be for many years. We need a foreign policy that focuses on diplomacy, not war," Sanders tweeted.

In March 2003, the US invaded Iraq. Then-President George W. Bush said the country’s goals were to destroy the country's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and depose the country's leader, Saddam Hussein.

A year later, after US forces defeated the Iraqi army and captured Hussein, the US administration acknowledged that its argument of Iraq having WMDs was mistaken, with David Kay, a former US weapons inspector, saying "we were almost all wrong".

"We must hold accountable those who repeatedly lied in the run-up to war," Omar added, arguing that both Bush and his vice president, Dick Cheney, had lied about WMDs in order to justify the invasion.

The aftermath of the war scarred the image of the United States with the over 100,000-civilian death toll, and in April 2004, evidence of prisoner abuse inside the US-run Abu Ghraib prison became public, showing photographic evidence of American soldiers torturing inmates. Eleven soldiers were convicted by US courts of crimes related to the prison abuse scandal.

Earlier this month, a coalition of Democratic lawmakers backed a veteran organization's pledge to end the "forever wars" in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Among the congressional sponsors of the pledge were Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders and lawmakers Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ro Khanna.

 

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Scores of angry protesters swarmed Iraq's president and the governor of Mosul on Friday, forcing them to leave the site of a river ferry accident that killed at least 90 people in the northern city the day before.

March 22, 2019 - Grief turns to anti-government anger after boat capsize in Iraq's Mosul

A man attaches a picture of a missing child on a door, after a ferry sank in the Tigris river, outside a morgue in Mosul, Iraq March 22, 2019. REUTERS/Ari Jalal

The capsize of the boat, which was carrying families to a recreational spot on an island in the Tigris River, was the single most deadly incident in Mosul since the city was recaptured from Islamic State in a bloody and destructive conflict in 2017.

Since the Sunni Muslim extremists were driven from Mosul nearly two years ago, relief has given way to impatience over alleged corruption as reconstruction of the destroyed city has stalled.

“No to corruption ... all of you are thieves,” demonstrators chanted at President Barham Salih and Nineveh province governor Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan, who visited the site of the capsize early on Friday after nationwide mourning was declared.

Salih’s bodyguards rushed him back to his vehicle, which quickly drove off, a Reuters reporter said. The crowd then threw stones and shoes at Sultan’s car, which sped off hitting two people, one of whom was taken to hospital, the reporter said.

Protesters blamed negligence by the local government for the accident, where the boat was loaded to five times its capacity,
according to a local official. Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi said on Thursday those responsible would be held accountable. Five ferry workers were arrested.

For the people of Mosul, visits by politicians and days of mourning are not enough. “Corruption and mismanagement are the reason for what happened. These were families trying to have fun, and they ended up bodies in the river,” said Mohammed Thannon, a student who was among the protesters.

“We reject visits by officials. They’re weak and corrupted and have failed to improve Mosul since the nightmare of Daesh (Islamic State),” he said.

Younes Abdullah, a 35-year-old civil servant, said: “We need action not words. Those who caused the tragedy must be brought before justice and executed.”

Growing Unrest - Islamic State made Mosul its de-facto capital from 2014 to 2017 after taking over swathes of Iraq and Syria. The battle to dislodge the group killed thousands of people and destroyed large parts of the city.

Many in Mosul feel neglected by the Baghdad central government. Families have begun to rebuild their own homes, impatient with waiting for help to come and accusing officials including the governor of corruption. He rejects the allegations.

Some fear that the slow pace of restoration is creating an environment that extremists like Islamic State might once again exploit. Mosul was a key support base for jihadists including al Qaeda after the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 that toppled Saddam Hussein. The rise of IS was helped by feelings among Sunni communities that they were being marginalized by the Shi’ite-dominated Baghdad government.

Mosul residents’ feeling of neglect by Baghdad and corruption among local officials is shared with other poorer provinces in Iraq, including Shi’ite-majority Basra, where riots over power, water and jobs last year turned deadly.

Dozens of people waited outside the local morgue in Mosul on Friday to hear if their missing relatives were among those who drowned.

“I have hope” that they are alive, said Ahmed Abid, waiting for news of his two younger brothers.

Slideshow (13 Images)
Grief turns to anti-government anger after boat capsize in Iraq's...


Iraqi PM seeks sacking of local governor after Mosul boat capsize

Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has formally requested that parliament sack Nineveh Governor Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan after a river ferry accident that killed at least 90 people in the provincial capital, Mosul.

 

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Iraqi PM seeks sacking of local governor after Mosul boat capsize

Iraqi parliament sacks local governor after Mosul boat capsize

Members of the Iraqi Civil Defence rescue team lift a ferry which sank in the Tigris River with a crane in Mosul, Iraq March, 23, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer

Iraq’s parliament voted on Sunday to sack the governor of Nineveh after an overloaded ferry capsized, killing at least 90 people, in the provincial capital Mosul, state media said.

Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi on Saturday formally asked parliament to remove Sultan. Iraqi law gives the federal parliament the right to sack provincial governors based on the suggestion of the prime minister.

Parliament also voted to sack Sultan’s two deputies, in line with Abdul Mahdi’s request. The governor can appeal the decision at court. He has not commented on the vote yet.

Abdul Mahdi’s letter to parliament accused Sultan of negligence, dereliction of duty, and said there was evidence he was misusing public funds and abusing power.

Protesters blamed negligence by the local government for the accident. The boat was loaded to five times its capacity, according to a local official.

 

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US military allegedly sends troops from Jordan to Iraqi-Syrian border

2019-05-20 - The U.S. Army dispatched a new military convoy from Jordan to the Ayn Al-Assad Base in the Al-Anbar Governorate of western Iraq, the Al-Maaloumeh News Agency reported on Sunday.

According to the Iraqi publication, the US not only dispatched troops to the Ayn Al-Assad Base, but they also transported a large amount of weapons to the border.

This report comes just a week after the U.S. sent their aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln, to the Persian Gulf region to protect their forces in the Middle East from an alleged Iranian threat.

The Al-Maaloumeh news website quoted the head of the Badr Organization’s office in al-Anbar as saying that the number of US Forces deployed in the Ayn al-Assad and al-Habaniyeh bases has increased to 10,000, adding that they have been supplied with the state of art weapons and military equipment.

The official said that the two bases also host the US Marines who have been transferred recently from Syria to Iraq, noting that 90% of the US soldiers in Iraq are combat forces and not considered military advisors.

Jul 06 2019 - 2 ISIL Executors Arrested in Iraq

Two notorious ISIL terrorists who have committed mass executions were arrested in Mosul and Diyali in Iraq, Iraqi sources said
Saturday.

The Iraqi police forces in Nineveh province arrested a key ISIL leader of the terrorist group's so-called Religious Court in the town of Achhaleh in Southern Mosul, the Arabic-language Sumeriya News quoted spokesman of Iraqi Interior Ministry Brigadier General Sa'ad Ma'an as saying.

The captured ISIL terrorist has been in charge of execution of a large number of civilians and Iraqi security forces, it added.

Meantime, the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website quoted an Iraqi security body as reporting that the country's security forces have captured notorious ISIL Commander Seraj Kamel al-Azawi, nom de guerre Abu Riyaqdh al-Askari in the city of Uldoz in Kirkuk province. Al-Azawi was a notorious ISIL commander in al-Azim region of Diyali province.

Al-Azawi was in charge of 2014 attack on al-Azim region and carried out abductions and massacre of civilians in Anjaneh region.

Turkey seeking to ‘block’ US support to PKK in Iraq and... Syria

Turkey's new military operation in northern Iraq is allegedly meant "to block" the US support to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Yeni Safak publication reported.

Dubbed “Operation Claw”, Yeni Safak said a 2,500-strong force is looking to cut off the PKK from their alleged Syria supply line. Furthermore, the publication claimed the Turkish Army is planning to destroy their bases and arms depots in northern Iraq.

The Turkish military operation is looking to secure the Hakurk-Duhok-Zap line near the Syrian border, which has been allegedly used to supply the PKK with weapons, food, and medicine.

This operation was launched by the Turkish Armed Forces on Wednesday; it has so far targeted the Qandil Mountains of northern Iraq, which the PKK currently has a large presence in.

Military base hosting US troops comes under attack in Iraq

Iraq’s military said in a statement that militants attacked the Balad Air Base north of Baghdad on Saturday, firing three mortar shells. No casualties have been reported, however, the attack caused small fires, which were extinguished immediately.

According to AP, citing an anonymous security officer that American trainers are stationed at Balad Air Base.

The assault comes just a month after the US put its facilities in the Middle Eastern country on alert, ordering all non-emergency government employees to leave Iraq.

Jul 06 2019 - Hezbollah Releases Audio Files of Iraqi Officer's Phone Coordination with CIA against Hashd Al-Shaabi

Iraq's Hezbollah popular group released a series of audio files revealing phone talks and Whatsapp chats between a senior Iraqi officer in al-Anbar province and the US spy agency, CIA, against Iraq's Hashd al-Shaabi (popular forces).

The audio files disclosed contacts between Mahmoud al-Falahi, the commander of al-Anbar operations in the Iraqi army, with a CIA agent who is an Iraqi national.

The CIA agent asked al-Falahi to provide him with the geographical coordinates of the exiting military bases at the borders between Iraq and Syria "to be attacked by the US and Israeli air forces".

He also told al-Falahi to meet with "the US army and intelligence service commanders in Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan region or at the US forces' base in al-Habaniyeh" in Western Iraq.

During the conversations, al-Falahi provided the detailed coordinates of military bases in al-Anbar to the agent.

Hezbollah described the audio files as documents showing al-Falahi's - "plot against the Iraqi Army, security, Hashd al-Shaabi and resistance forces", warning that his spying for the CIA and Israeli Mossad spy agencies has endangered Iran's National Security.

Awad said that the US pressures started after Hashd al-Shaabi forces retook control over the Iraqi-Syrian borders, adding that at present, some measures are being adopted against Hashd al-Shaabi on the political and international scene in a bid to disturb the public opinion in freed areas.

 

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Two years after a failed independence bid plunged Iraq's Kurdistan Region into months of instability, the new regional prime minister said his priority was strengthening ties with Baghdad, signalling dreams of self-rule should be put on hold.

Exclusive: New Kurdish PM says priority is stronger Baghdad ties, rather than independence

Members of the new cabinet of the Kurdistan parliament headed by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani pose for a family photo, in Erbil, Iraq July 10, 2019. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

Masrour Barzani, sworn in as regional prime minister on Wednesday, told Reuters in an exclusive interview that under his leadership, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s focus would be to establish a "strong and constructive" relationship with Baghdad, leaving the question of independence aside for now.

Masrour Barzani, sworn in as regional prime minister on Wednesday, told Reuters in an exclusive interview that under his leadership, the Kurdistan Regional Government’s focus would be to establish a “strong and constructive” relationship with Baghdad, leaving the question of independence aside for now.

The independence bid was led by Barzani's father Masoud, who stepped down as Kurdish President in 2017 after the referendum backfired and prompted a military offensive from Baghdad.

At stake for the new premier are long-running disputes over independent oil exports, revenue sharing, security, and territory which have plagued ties between Erbil and Baghdad since a U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003.

Barzani was instrumental in orchestrating the September 2017 referendum, which was held over the objections of Baghdad and regional powers. It was seen as the culmination of years of oppositional politics by the semi-autonomous region.

The backlash was swift and pushed the country to the brink of civil war, threatening to undo the years of unprecedented autonomy the region had enjoyed. Relations eventually improved, cemented by a change of government in both capitals.

‘A WIN-WIN SITUATION’
The region’s oil exports have long been a source of contention with Baghdad. The Kurds, who control Iraq's only northern pipeline, had been exporting oil independently since 2013. Exports from Kirkuk were restarted in 2018, after a year-long freeze amid post-referendum disputes. Exports from smaller oilfields under the regional government’s control continued.

As part of the 2018 and 2019 budgets, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) agreed to send 250,000 barrels per day (bpd) to federal authorities in exchange for Baghdad paying civil servants’ salaries.

However, Iraqi officials, including the prime minister, complain that the KRG has not kept up its end of the bargain, having not sent a single barrel to Baghdad.

Barzani said negotiations on oil and gas were already underway and he sees room for “quick progress” on the file. “There is great potential for a win-win situation,” he said. “Working together in cooperation with each other, we can increase the production of oil.”

Mutual benefits for both sides is a theme Barzani echoed regarding regional security.

Nearly two years since Iraq declared victory against Islamic State militants, the country has seen a deterioration in security in the areas bordering the Kurdistan Region.

SECURITY
Barzani, formerly the region’s security chief, said the threat from Islamic State isn’t yet over. The group exploited the rift between the Kurds and Baghdad, he said, who fought side by side to defeat the militant group in 2017.

He is looking to establish a joint security mechanism in the so-called disputed territories, areas claimed by both Baghdad and Erbil, “to close that gap”.

Masrour is the latest Barzani to head the regional government. His father Masoud, himself the son of a veteran Kurdish leader, still holds considerable sway over its politics.

His cousin Nechirvan held the premiership until last month when he was sworn in as president, following a regional parliamentary election in September 2018.

The Barzanis are one of two families that have dominated regional politics for decades. Though they enjoy continued support among their respective bases through extensive patronage networks, their continued grip on power has opened them up to allegations of mismanagement and corruption from voters, many of whom are owed years of back pay from the government.

Barzani said winning back hearts and minds was therefore a leading priority, as was tackling graft. “I’d like to see reform,” he said. “To make sure that people have more trust in the government.”

 

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Turkish diplomat, one other shot dead in Kurdish capital

Kurdish security members stand guard near a restaurant where Turkish diplomats and Turkish consulate employee were killed in Erbil, Iraq July 17, 2019. REUTERS/Azad Lashkari

SULAIMANIYA, Iraq - July 17, 2019 - At least two people including a Turkish Diplomat were shot dead on Wednesday in a rare attack in the Iraqi Kurdish Capital Erbil, Kurdish security officials and Turkey’s foreign ministry said.

A gunman opened fire at a restaurant where Turkish diplomats were dinning before fleeing in a car driven by an accomplice, two Kurdish security officials and a witness said.

Security forces began a search for the attackers, the Kurdish officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Turkey's Foreign Ministry said one of those killed was a Diplomat working at its consulate to Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region in Erbil.

A statement from the Kurdistan region’s internal security service said two people were killed - the diplomat and another civilian - and one other person wounded.

The Kurdish officials and Iraqi state television earlier said three people were killed and that they were all Turkish diplomats and included the deputy consul.

One witness told Reuters that an attacker entered the restaurant and started shooting before he fled in a car that was waiting for him outside.

Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan, the Kurdish security service and Iraq’s Baghdad-based foreign ministry condemned the attack.

Turkey’s main enemy in northern Iraq is the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in southeastern Turkey and has bases across the border.

Ankara’s forces regularly carry out air raids against PKK targets in northern Iraq with the tacit approval of the KDP.

Iraq’s central government in Baghdad has occasionally condemned those air strikes, but has not moved to halt them.

Turkish foreign ministry says one consulate employee died in Erbil shooting
Turkey's foreign ministry said one Turkish consulate employee was killed in a shooting on Wednesday in the Iraqi Kurdish capital Erbil.

 

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U.S. Embassy Baghdad Love using child memes as an empthy tool for manpulation of the truth.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1155417529155764227

https://twitter.com/x/status/1154825157795622913

Iraqi Army Receives Second Batch Of BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles From Russia (Photos)

The Iraqi Armed Forces have received a second batch of BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) as a part of a...

southfront.org

28.07.2019
The Iraqi Armed Forces have received a second batch of BMP-3 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) as a part of a recent arms deal with Russia, Iraqi sources revealed on July 27.

“The second batch [that consists of an unspecified number of BMP-3 IFVs] of the Russian armor deal arrived in Iraq coming from Russia … Under the contract with Russia, Iraq will be equipped with 300 armors of this type by 2022,” the Turkish Anadolu Agency quoted an Iraqi military source as saying.

The BMP-3, which was designed by Russia’s KBP and Kurganmashzavod, is considered one of the most heavily armed IFVs in active service. The vehicle is armed with a 2A70 100mm cannon, capable of launching guided missiles, a 2A72 30mm autocannon and a PKT 7.62mm machine gun.

Photos released by the Tactical Cell Facebook page revealed that the variant delivered to Iraq is equipped with addition side armors and a slat armor for the turret.

The Iraqi Armed Forces received the first batch of BMP-3 IFVs from Russia last August. T-90S main battle tanks (MBTs) were also delivered to the Middle Eastern country under the same contract.
More on this topic: PMU Uncovers Guided Missiles And Other Weapons Hidden By ISIS In Western Iraq (Photos)

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Aug 07 2019 - Iraqi Popular Forces Ask for US Pullout

Spokesman of Iraq's al-Nujaba Movement Nasr al-Shammari warned against US continued deployment in the country, saying that the Iraqi popular forces monitor the American forces' moves.

"It is our right to monitor the US military bases in Iraq's territories. The presence of American soldiers in Iraq is illegal and their traffic in Iraq should be based on the parliament's approval," al-Shammari told the Arabic-language al-Alam news channel on Wednesday. He addressed the Americans, saying, "Pull out your military forces from Iraq and close your embassy with thousands of personnel before you will be forced to."

Al-Shammari also warned that in case of continued pressures on Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular forces), they will make efforts to cut Baghdad-Washington ties and expel the US ambassador.

 

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U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement
A United States service member advising Iraqi security forces on a mission was killed on Saturday in the northern Nineveh province, the U.S.-led international coalition fighting Islamic State said in a statement.

“One U.S. service member died today during an Iraqi Security Force mission in Ninewah province, Iraq, while advising and accompanying the (Iraqi security forces) during a planned operation, the statement said. It added that the name of the service member would be withheld until next of kin have been notified.

Aug 11 2019 - Iraqi Expert: Crashed US Drone Missioned with Targeting Hashd Al-Shaabi

US aircraft are flying over Iraq's territory to collect intel on popular forces across the country, a senior Iraqi expert said, adding that the drone that crashed this week was on a mission to stage a raid on Hashad al-Shaabi forces.

Kazzem al-Haaj told the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website on Sunday that violation of Iraq's airspace by the US forces is nothing new. "The US drones have always flown with the aim of collecting intelligence on Hashd al-Shaabi forces and their controlled areas as well as the regions where the terrorists are deployed to give them protection and security," he added.

Al-Haaj also said the US spy flights come as American army troops have widened moves and stretched their presence towards Syria.
An Iraqi source revealed on Saturday that the US spy drone which crashed in Northwestern Baghdad was carrying missiles.

Aug 10 2019 - Source: Crashed US Drone in Iraq Armed with Missiles
An Iraqi source revealed that the US spy drone which crashed in Northwestern Baghdad was carrying missiles.

An informed Iraqi source told the Arabic-language Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the surveillance drone, which was armed with missiles, crashed in the farms of al-Rezwaniyeh region in Northwestern Baghdad near the Iraqi capital's international airport on Tuesday.

Asked whether it had come under attack, the source ruled it out, saying it likely crashed due to a technical malfunction.
Meantime, the Arabic-language Boratha news website quoted a military expert as saying that the US was forced to confirm reports of its drone crash in Baghdad after two days.

He noted that the Americans' claim that the drone was unharmed contradicts with its malfunction, saying that it strengthens the speculations that it has been attacked by electronic warfare tools which made it lose the return route and crash near Baghdad.

The revelation that the aircraft was armed with missiles has come to grab media attention as there are still outstanding questions unanswered about an air raid on a military base of the Iraqi popular forces last month.

An unmanned drone on July 19 bombed a base operating by Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular forces) in Iraq with sources saying two people were wounded. “The Al-Shuhada base of the Hashed al-Shaabi in the Amerli region was hit at dawn… by an unidentified drone, wounding two people,” the Iraqi military said in a statement.

The Arabic-language al-Etejah news channel quoted special sources in Nineveh province as saying that before the attack against the Hashd al-Shaabi base in Amerli, a US spy plane conducted reconnaissance operations against the Hashd al-Shaabi and Iraqi army forces in the region.

 

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U.S. service member killed in Iraq: coalition statement

U.S. Marine killed in Iraq identified
The Department of Defense (DOD) identified on Sunday the U.S. service member who died during an Iraqi Security Force (IFS) mission as Gunnery Sergeant Scott A. Koppenhafer, 35, of Mancos, Colorado.

Koppenhafer was killed on Saturday by enemy small arms fire while conducting combat operations in Ninewah province, the DOD said in a statement late on Sunday.

Koppenhafer was assigned to the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion, Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

A statement from Operation Inherent Resolve said the service member was advising and accompanying the ISF during a planned operation. It gave no other details.

According to MARSOC officials, Koppenhafer joined the Marines in 2005 and served a decade as a critical skills operator, the website Military.com said. In that role, he earned numerous valor decorations.

“Our most sincere thoughts are with the family and teammates of Gunnery Sergeant Koppenhafer during this difficult time,” MARSOC officials said in a statement.

He is survived by his wife and two children.

Western forces fuelling Gulf regional tension: Iraq

The presence of Western forces in the Gulf is fuelling regional tension, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim said on Monday.

Blasts from Iraqi militia weapons depot kill one, injure 29
A large fire broke out on Monday at a weapons depot run by an Iraqi militia group, causing explosions heard across Baghdad, killing one person and injuring 29 others, authorities said.

The depot, run by a militia group under the umbrella of the Iran-backed Popular Mobilization Forces, was located inside a federal police base in the southern suburbs of Baghdad.

The facility stored short-range and Katyusha missiles, a security source told Reuters.

The fire set off some of the rockets which struck neighborhoods several kilometers (miles) away and injuring mainly children, said Qasim al-Attabi, a spokesman for the district’s health directorate.

Health Ministry spokesman Saif Badr said most of the wounded were discharged from area hospitals with light wounds.

A police source said the fire was probably caused by negligence leading to poor storage conditions and high temperatures. The Interior Ministry ordered an investigation.

 

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Over 160 Iraqi MPs Sign Bill to Expel US Forces

Tens of Iraqi legislators inked a bill which calls on the government to pave the ground for the expulsion of the American forces from the country, a senior MP said on Wednesday.

Ahmed al-Kenani, the representative of al-Fatah coalition in the Iraqi parliament, was quoted by the Arabic-language al-Itijah news channel as saying that the legal quorum has been achieved for the approval of the bill in the parliament.

He added that 165 lawmakers have signed the Bill to expel the American forces, adding that Sunni MP's are among the signatories, too.

Al-Kenani also criticized the government for its soft position on the recent Israeli drone attacks against Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular) forces.

Aug 30 2019 - Nujaba: Israeli Forces Entering Iraq on Fake US Passports

Senior Israeli forces are getting into Iraq on fake US passports, Iraq’s pro-government Harakat al-Nujaba Secretary-General Akram al-Kaabi announced.

Recently, a female Israeli General entered Iraq, he said, adding she currently runs an Israeli military camp located in the Iraqi Kurdistan's capital, Erbil.

“We are well aware that Israeli (troops) are also present at the US Embassy as well as the Ein al-Assad military base", the popular resistance force chief stated.

Certain efforts by a “foreign power” are underway to revive the Daesh terrorist group in the Arab country, al-Kaabi noted.

His remarks came in the wake of recent airstrikes in Iraq against the positions of pro-government Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi.

Following the strikes, the spokesman of Kata'ib Hezbollah, another prominent Iraqi resistance group, said the attacks on the positions of Hashd al-Shaabi were an attempt by the US and Israel to revive Daesh.

Mohammed Muhyee added that the next stage, which has been planned by the US, is to return thousands of foreign-backed Daesh terrorists to the Iraqi-Syrian border.

The attacks "were not accidental", but rather planned in advance after continued monitoring operations by Israeli and American drones, Muhyee pointed out.

On Tuesday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi stated that his country’s armed forces were fully prepared to respond firmly to any act of aggression launched either from outside or inside Iraq.

Aug 31 2019 - Iraq to File UN Complaint Against Israel over Attacks

An Iraqi parliamentarian said the Baghdad government is preparing a complaint to the United Nations after investigations revealed that the Israeli regime is “certainly” behind several attacks on the bases of pro-government Popular Mobilization Units, better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Shaabi.

Aug 31 2019 - ISIL’s Baghdad Emir Killed in Iraqi Military Operation in Al-Anbar Province

Iraq’s Hashd al-Sha’abi (Iraq’s Popular Mobilization) forces conducted an anti-terror military operation in al-Anbar province, and killed ISIL’s Baghdad emir and arrested six of his aides.

The Iraqi Hashd al-Sha’abi in a statement announced that its Brigade 18 in a special operation in al-Anbar province killed Abd al-Salam Hamd Hamoud nom de guerre Abu Nour. The deputy of Abu Nour was injured and six of his assistants were also arrested in Hashd al-Sha’abi operation.

 

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Sep 01 2019 - 12,000 ISIL Crimes Victims in Iraqi Mass Graves

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iraq's High Commissioner of Human Rights disclosed that over 12,000 victims of the crimes committed by the ISIL are in hundreds of mass graves inside Iraq.

"There are around 200 mass graves containing bodies of people killed by ISIL (also known as ISIS or Daesh) terrorist group in different parts of Iraq after the terrorists occupied Western Iraq in 2014," member of Iraq's High Commissioner of Human Rights Ali al-Bayati told al-Qud al-Arabi on Saturday.

He noted that Iraq's mass graves contain 12,000 ISIL victims.

Al-Bayati said over 7,000 people had been abducted by the ISIL and half of them have not returned home yet, adding, "According to the evidence we have obtained the kidnapped children and women have been trafficked to some Persian Gulf littoral states and also some European states."

Back in August 2014, Daesh terrorists overran the town of Sinjar, killing, raping, and enslaving large numbers of Izadi Kurds.

The region was recaptured in November 2015, during an operation by Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Izadis fighters.


Aug 31 2019 - Thousands of Iraqi Izadis Still in ISIL's Captivity in Syria

TEHRAN (FNA)- A sum of 3,000 Izadis are still in custody of the ISIL terrorists in Syria, an Iraqi parliamentarian said.

The representative of Izadi in the Iraqi parliament told the Arabic-language al-Ma'aloumeh news website that the terrorists still have 3,000 abducted Izadi people in their captivity.

He underlined that all the abducted Iraqi Izadi people are still held by the ISIL (also known as ISIS or DAESH) in Syria.