Lcnljs2017

Now Wednesday 😐😐😤😤

We keep on hearing pay workers here and there... this has been going on for years.... they are literally nuts... I hope the people there revolt and cause GOI to step up there game...

So HCL??? I hope so🤗🤗🤗

Wow this is crazy I’m so sick of Iraq lazy attitude and lying rhetoric ... hopefully we see something soon !!!

How about 3+ lol😎😎

So when is the next session

😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳😳🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🇮🇶🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

So.... is this telling us that they have the infrastructure to go boom and have an immediate economy.. with an worthless currency.. yeah right this RV is happening ☝🏽☝🏽☝🏽💥💥

So tax on worthless money... let's go Iraq 🇮🇶

So what does this mean ??

😳😳😳🙏🏽☝🏽🙏🏽☝🏽let's goooooo

Let's go Iraq and let's go liberation of Mosul!! I'm ready for my unique change also😁😁😁💪🏾🙏🏽

Is this really gonna happen ... let's hope by Friday!!! They are talking about wages going up !!!

E TENDER??? Activated

This is so annoying

What!!! What happen to you are liberated!! Come on Iraq let's get this going😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Awesomeeeeeee 🙃🙃🙃🙃Let's go Iraq

😕😕😕star gate???

So what do they mean exchanging to pay the contractors. Maybe I'm thinking to hard but wonder if t is implying to RV??

Do you think that if they come out at 1.18 to 1... how long will they bump up value to 3+ ... I've heard within 60-90 day up to five years.. need some clarity??? Thanks

If Iraq is to become a stable state then it must overcome sectarianism - but few of the old guard appear to have learnt this lesson There is perhaps no Iraqi more synonymous with the sectarian turmoil that has plagued Iraq during the past 15 years than Muqtada al-Sadr. The cleric has been dubbed a "firebrand" in countless newspaper columns, and has held an almost constant presence in the Iraqi political discourse since the fall of the Baath regime in 2003. Saraya al-Salam, the militias he heads, formerly known as the Mahdi army, were accused of running sectarian death squads and elements from within helped plunge the country into a vicious civil war. READ: Iraq's post-IS vision runs into trouble They also boldly took on the forces of the US-led coalition in Sadr city. But now, with half of Mosul liberated and the end of the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq in sight, Sadr appears to be emerging as a voice of reason and coexistence. In an interview last week with Turkish TV station TRT, Sadr advocated outreach to those who had followed IS in Mosul, and to the disaffected Sunnis across Iraq. He said: "I'm holding up a light looking for the moderates because they are scared to show up. There are still moderates among the people but they are scared, but we have to give them a chance to show up and give their ideas." Sunni outreach This is not the first time Sadr has advocated cross-sectarian action. In 2013 he expressed solidarity with Sunni protests in Anbar province against the Shia-led government, labelling the demonstration's "Iraq's Arab Spring". A year later, in 2014, his parliamentary bloc banded together with Sunnis as part of an effort to oust prime minister Nouri al-Maliki. Sadr also used the interview to warn against the Shia militias which currently number upwards of 100,000 in Iraq and despite being instrumental in the fight against Islamic State, have the potential to act as spoilers in post-IS Iraq. Muqtada al-Sadr at joint Sunni-Shia Friday prayers in Baghdad in January 2013 (AFP) He warned that "there are some governmental, civil and political fears that the armed groups might take over. Whether they are good or bad ones, their policies will be based on weapons." And he urged them to stay out of fights abroad, such as Syria and even Yemen, stating that these interventions had already bought Iraq "many troubles". Perhaps his most important development has been as a counter to beleaguered Al-Maliki, who has been scheming a return to power in recent months. In his TRT interview, he described Maliki's mindset as"militant" and suggested he was consistently spoiling for his next fight, saying: "If Mosul was stable, would Maliki sit and do nothing? No, he will come up with another battle. Car bombings, explosions something else, the new ISIS - a new enemy." Nationalism over the establishment There is much personal animosity between Maliki and Sadr - but the latter's public rebukes often stem as much from his staunch nationalism as they do any personal dislike. Maliki, and the militias he is closely connected to – notably the Badr organisation, are the embodiment of Iranian influence in Iraq. If Iraq is to become a stable and prosperous state after the defeat of IS, then it is a given that sectarianism must be overcome. But few of the country's "old guard" appear to have learnt this lesson after several decades of war and strife. The cleric is currently pushing a special project which, although light on details, emphasises the need for Iraq to move away from its "party" or "sectarian" mentality of governance towards a technocratic administration. Supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr at a protest calling for government reforms in Baghdad in September 2016 (AFP) He is hoping new faces will emerge from every part of the country to lead it away from the corrupt political establishment – something that is believed to cost the treasury as much as $4bn a year. But an important question remains: is this merely rhetoric or a genuine attempt at outreach? Power players in Iraq have a distinguished history of saying what needs to be said to win votes in Iraq. Michael Knights, a Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, believes Sadr's track record demonstrates its authenticity. He suggests "it fits into a long-term pattern that reaches back to 2004 in Fallujah when his men fought alongside the Sunnis." Knights also believes that much of the sectarian violence the Mahdi army was involved in, was orchestrated by Iranian-backed elements of the militias such as Qais Khazali who now leads the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq militia". He adds: "Muqtada is a nationalist, unlike Badr, Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq." He adds that Sadr holds a unique place in Iraqi politics at the moment: "Muqtada is not the establishment, but he is an ally of the Shia political and religious mainstream for now, against Maliki. He has the street muscle to offset Maliki and the PMU [Popular Mobilisation Units]." READ: Defeating IS will only usher in new conflicts in Iraq Recent days have seen Sadr make his trademark fiery statements calling for a ban on Americans in Iraq following Donald Trump's Muslim ban and for a shutdown of the US embassy in Baghdad. These will likely continue, if for no other reason than to shore up his base in the face of growing Iranian influence in Iraq. What matters is his outreach - his plan to empower and engage with Sunni moderates could potentially provide the basis for a post-IS Iraq. - Gareth Browne is a journalist with an interest in current affairs, politics and the Middle East. His work has been featured in VICE, The Daily Mirror and Gulf News. @brownegareth The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye. Photo: Iraqi Shia Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr speaks during a press conference in the holy Shia city of Najaf on 30 April 2016(AFP)

Awesome

Iraqi forces are closing in on the Islamic State's stronghold in Mosul MOSUL, Iraq/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces closed in on the Tigris river that runs through central Mosul on Saturday, advancing in parallel with other troops and forcing Islamic State to retreat in its last major stronghold in the country. Islamic State has been driven out of more than half the areas it held east of the Tigris river, which bisects the city, but is still in control of the west. It will be harder for the jihadists to defend Mosul once Iraqi forces reach the river. Baghdad meanwhile said it had come to an agreement with Ankara over a demand for withdrawal of Turkish forces from an area close to Mosul as the two regional powers sought to improve ties following a year-long spat over the military deployment. In a visit to Iraq, Turkey's prime minister did not say a deal had been reached, but that the issue was discussed and would be resolved. Tension between the two neighbours in the run-up to the U.S.-backed campaign to drive Islamic State from Mosul, which began in October, has been just one sign of the coming struggle for influence over Iraq's second city even once the jihadists have been driven out. The battle for the city has yet to be won but is beginning to make quicker progress. Iraqi counter-terrorism forces pushed to within several hundred metres (yards) of the Tigris and a strategic bridge on Saturday, the closest they have been, after staging an unprecedented nighttime assault the day before in a nearby district, a spokesman said. Advances in recent days have driven militants out of several additional areas east of the river. The counter-terrorism service (CTS) spokesman said new tactics and better coordination were helping. "Counter-terrorism forces have been sent about 500 metres from the fourth bridge," Sabah al-Numan told reporters east of Mosul. A coalition spokesman said on Twitter that Islamic State had damaged the fourth bridge in a "desperate act" as they lost ground. The bridge has already been hit by U.S.-led air strikes to prevent the militants sending reinforcements across the city. CTS seized the Ghufran district, also known as al-Baath, and entered adjacent Wahda, Numan said. A separate military statement said Iraqi federal police had recaptured a hospital complex in Wahda in southeastern Mosul, a significant turnaround after U.S.-backed army units were forced to withdraw from the site last month under fierce counter-attacks from Islamic State. CTS and federal police "are now moving in parallel on both axes" in southeastern Mosul, Numan said. "We are proceeding side by side ... and advancing at the same level. This is a very important factor, thanks to which Daesh (Islamic State) has not been able to move its fighters. It has to support one axis (front) at the expense of another." "We have worn down the terrorist organisation with this type of advance." Turkish withdrawal discussed Senior CTS commanders met on Saturday at a makeshift outpost in eastern Mosul where life in areas recaptured from Islamic State is slowly returning to normal despite heavy damage to homes and infrastructure. Residents lined the streets and vendors sold produce, eggs and meat in areas where clashes raged just a few weeks earlier. One of the generals handed out chocolates to neighbourhood children beside a column of black Humvees as the distant sound of explosions rang out. Friday's nighttime operation, launched after a week of planning, had been a particular success, Numan said. CTS forces using night-vision equipment crossed the Khosr river, a tributary that runs perpendicular to the Tigris through eastern Mosul, via a makeshift earth bridge after Islamic State had destroyed permanent ones, he said. Air strikes from the U.S.-led coalition sped that advance into Muthanna district. The CTS and federal police are part of a 100,000-strong Iraqi force made up of the military, Kurdish fighters and Shi'ite militias, backed by U.S.-led coalition air power. Some Sunni Muslim and Kurdish peshmerga units participating in the campaign received training from by Turkish forces at the Bashiqa camp northeast of Mosul. Turkey's military presence in northern Iraq since well before the Mosul campaign has angered Baghdad, and the two countries traded barbs over the issue shortly before it began on Oct. 17. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Baghdad reached an agreement with Ankara on Saturday over Iraq's request that Turkish forces withdraw. He gave no details of the deal, which he announced during a visit to Baghdad by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim. Yildirim said at a news conference with Abadi: "We discussed the issue of Bashiqa." "We see that significant progress is being made in cleansing Daesh from the region. In line with this, we will solve this (Bashiqa) subject somehow in a friendly way." A joint communique issued after the prime ministers met said the countries had agreed to respect each other's territorial integrity, and noted that Bashiqa was "an Iraqi camp". Yildirim also welcomed recent Abadi remarks that Iraq would not allow the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to harm Turkey from Iraqi territory. "This shows in the best way what we can do together and against terror," he said. Turkey is trying to keep Kurdish militants away from its borders in both Iraq and Syria, fearing their presence could embolden its own Kurdish insurgency. It also has historical ties to northern Iraq and Mosul, and is seeking to maintain influence there, especially against a Shi'ite-dominated Baghdad government. (Reporting by Stephen Kalin in Mosul, Ahmed Rahseed and John Davison in Baghdad, Daren Butler in Istanbul; Writing by John Davison; Editing by Alison Williams) Read the original article on Reuters. Copyright 2017.

Iraq makes swift territorial gains against Islamic State in Mosul By Susannah George Associated Press 0 Comment(s) Published: January 14, 2017 - 07:53 PM MOSUL, Iraq: Iraqi forces have won a string of swift territorial gains in Mosul in the fight against the Islamic State group after months of slow progress, with a senior officer on Saturday laying claim to a cluster of buildings inside Mosul University and another edge of a bridge. Iraqi forces now control the eastern sides of three of the city’s five bridges that span the Tigris River connecting Mosul’s east to west. Warplanes from the U.S.-led coalition bombed the city’s bridges late last year in an effort to isolate ISIS fighters in the city’s east by disrupting resupply routes. At Mosul University, senior commanders said Iraqi forces had secured more than half of the campus Saturday amid stiff resistance, but clashes were ongoing into the afternoon. Iraqi forces entered the university from the southeast Friday morning and by nightfall had secured a handful of buildings, Brig. Gen. Haider Fadhil and Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi said on a tour of the university Saturday. “We watched all the IS fighters gather in that building, so we blew it up,” said special forces Sgt. Maj. Haytham Ghani pointing to one of the blackened technical college buildings where charred desks could be seen inside. “You can still see some of their corpses.” Thick clouds of black smoke rose from the middle of the sprawling complex Saturday morning. By afternoon, clashes had intensified with volleys of sniper and mortar fire targeting the advancing Iraqi forces. Convoys of Iraqi Humvees snaked through the campus, pausing for artillery and airstrikes to clear snipers perched within classrooms, dormitories and behind the trees that line the campus streets. The massive operation to retake Mosul from ISIS was launched in October. Since then Iraqi forces have slowly clawed back more than a third of the city. Islamic State still maintains tight control of the city’s western half. Medics operating a small field hospital in eastern Mosul said civilian casualties have dropped significantly over the past three days as Iraqi forces moved into government complexes like the university rather than dense civilian neighborhoods. Click here to read or leave a comment(s) on this story.

What about HCL, ??