Pitcher

Nice article. Thanks 6ly410 and blueskyline!!!!!

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/40705/Cleric-Sadr-punishes-corrupt-Sadrist-members Cleric Sadr punishes ‘corrupt’ Sadrist members Iraqi Shia cleric and political leader, Muqtada al-Sadr, has decided to punish some members of the Sadrist movement who were accused of financial corruption. Sadrist movement senior member Kazim al-Issawi was ordered to sell his mall and donate its money to families of martyrs. Al-Issawi also received a travel ban by Sadr as well as a ban on practicing any business or trade plans until further notice. Moreover, senior Sadrist member Haidar Al-Jabri got his membership frozen for 18 months, as Sadr warned any members from dealing with him until his punishment period is over. As for Sayyid Awn an-Nabi, another senior Sadrist member, he was ordered to cut all relations with the corrupt and declare repentance, otherwise, his membership will be revoked. Al-Sadr is an Iraqi Shiite cleric and politician. He is one of the most influential religious and leader of the Sadrist movement.

I could see the USA adopting something like this, and I think It will be someone like AOC or some other Socialist that would introduce the Bill. Anyone who owns a gun, goes to church, is Conservative, doesn’t believe in abortion, believes in a Border Wall etc etc will have a low Social Score. I probably would have a negative Social Score if those were the parameters.

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/40706/U-S-sanctions-are-limiting-Iran-s-ability-to-fund-Hezbollah-report U.S. sanctions are limiting Iran's ability to fund Hezbollah – report The latest wave of US sanctions has significantly curbed Iran’s ability to fund Hezbollah, The Washington Post reported on Saturday. The Lebanese terrorist group has traditionally been the best funded Islamic Republic’s proxy, with its fighters and affiliates benefiting from salaries and social services paid for by Tehran. However, speaking to several Hezbollah officials, the Washington-based newspaper revealed how the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration after the US pulled out from the 2015 nuclear deal a year ago had had a deep impact on the funding. According to the report, while maintaining expenses that are considered essential – such as salaries to full-time fighters and stipends to families of the militants who died in Syria, where Hezbollah militias have been instrumental in keeping Syrian President Bashar Assad in power – other programs have been slashed or canceled. These programs include extra benefits to militants and their families and the distribution of free medicines and groceries. Moreover, fighters have been pulled out from Syria or assigned to the reserves. “There is no doubt these sanctions have had a negative impact,” a Hezbollah official told The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity. “But ultimately, sanctions are a component of war, and we are going to confront them in this context.” The report highlighted that the Hezbollah sources would not reveal any figures of the funding received by Tehran before or after the sanctions, but that according to US Special Envoy Brian Hook, Iran used to send the Lebanese group up to $700 million a year, accounting for 70% of their revenue. It added that the Trump administration has stated that sanctions have decreased Iranian revenue by $10 billion since last November. “The Iranians are used to sanctions. But this level of sanctions will generate a different response. The Iranians will not be quiet about it,” Kamal Wazne, a Beirut-based political analyst told The Washington Post. The newspaper described him as an analyst holding opinions “sympathetic to the Iranian and Hezbollah point of view.” “[The sanctions] are a form of war more detrimental than actual war… It’s the slow death of a country, the government and its people,” Wazne added, explaining that Iran will be forced to retaliate. However, the Hezbollah officials who spoke to the American newspaper said that the current financial predicaments are not affecting the group’s ability to fight in the different battlefields, including against Israel. “We are still getting arms from Iran. We are still ready to confront Israel. Our role in Iraq and Syria remains. There is no person in Hezbollah who left because they didn’t get their salary, and the social services have not stopped,” the official told The Washington Post, adding that “sanctions won’t last forever,” and they will be “victorious” in the war against Israel as they have been in Syria and Iraq.

Most of the Iranian people would support him too. They HATE the Mullahs.

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/40726/Iraqis-will-support-US-against-Iran-if-war-erupted-political-analysts Iraqis will support US against Iran, if war erupted - political analysts Most of Iraqi citizens and political blocs will support US against Iran, in case a conflict erupted between the two countries, political analysts told The Baghdad Post on Sunday. In response to US President Donald Trump’s tweet that was posted on his Twitter account Sunday: “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!,” a political analyst replied to him saying: "Most of Iraqi people will support you to finish the terrorist Mullah Regime in Iran.” If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again! The analyst explained that Iraqis are fed up with all the terrorist militias supported by Iran, who are turning their lives into hell. “All Iraqis suffer from this criminal regime. We all stand with United States,” he added. Iranian Militias in Iraq and Syria (IMIS) have caused Iraqis so much trouble, due to their terrorist acts, that have made their daily no better than ISIS era. There are about 30 militias in Iraq with at least 125,000 active-duty fighters and varying loyalties. Many have worked in tandem with the Iraqi military in fighting ISIS terrorist group, and all report to the prime minister’s office, who all are controlled by Iran, receiving orders from the terrorist IRGC directly.

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/40727/Kurdistan-parl-t-announces-5-nominees-for-president-post Kurdistan parl't announces 5 nominees for president post The Kurdistan Parliament announced the names of five people who have officially submitted their nomination papers, including Nechirvan Barzani, Omed Abdulsalam, Mohammed Hamasalih, Rebwar Aziz Mustafah, and Hiwa Khidir Abdullah. Ghayath al-Sorachi of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan said that the next week will witness the convening of a special session to vote on the post of the president, affirming that the political agreement stipulates voting for the Kurdistan Democratic Party candidate Nechirvan Barzani. The Kurdistan Regional Government is expected to be formed in mid-June, after the selection of the region's president, said Safeen Dizayee, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson. The names of candidates who applied for the post of the president of the Kurdistan region will be checked, Dizayee said, noting that this process will last for a week. The Kurdistan Parliament will then vote on the names of the candidates, then the chosen candidate will be sworn in as president, the spokesman said. After the new president starts his work, he will assign the prime minister to form the new government, Dizayee said, stressing that the prime minister-designate would only be given one month to form the government. Deputy head of the Kurdistan Regional Government Qubad Talabani will head the government until the new government is formed, added the spokesman.

https://nypost.com/2019/05/18/chinas-new-social-credit-system-turns-orwells-1984-into-reality/ China’s new ‘social credit system’ is an dystopian nightmare By Steven W. Mosher Imagine calling a friend. Only instead of hearing a ring tone you hear a police siren, and then a voice intoning, “Be careful in your dealings with this person.” Would that put a damper on your relationship? It’s supposed to. Welcome to life in China’s “Social Credit System,” where a low score can ruin your life in more ways than one. Say you arrive at the Beijing airport, intending to catch a flight to Canton 1,200 miles south. The clerk at the ticket counter turns you away because — you guessed it — your social credit score is too low. Not only are you publicly humiliated in the ticket line, you are then forced to travel by slow train. What should have been a three-hour flight becomes a 30-hour, stop-and-go nightmare. All because the government has declared you untrustworthy. Perhaps you defaulted on a loan, made the mistake of criticizing some government policy online or just spent too much time playing video games on the internet. All of these actions, and many more, can cause your score to plummet, forcing citizens onto the most dreaded rung on China’s deadbeat caste system, the laolai. And the punishments are shocking. The government algorithm will go as far as to install an “embarrassing” ring tone on the phones of laolai, shaming them every time they get a call in public. But an embarrassing ring tone, flight bans and slow trains are just the beginning of the dystopian nightmare that is now daily life in China for tens of millions of people. A low social credit score will exclude you from well-paid jobs, make it impossible for you to get a house or a car loan or even book a hotel room. The government will slow down your internet connection, ban your children from attending private schools and even post your profile on a public blacklist for all to see. According to Australia’s ABC News, the government has produced a “Deadbeat Map” via an app on WeChat, which shows a radar-style graphic identifying every laolai in the vicinity of the user. “Tapping on a person marked on the map reveals their personal information, including their full name, court-case number and the reason they have been labeled untrustworthy. Identity-card numbers and home addresses are also partially shown,” ABC reported. There are reports that those whose social credit score falls too low are preemptively arrested and sent to re-education camps. Not because they have actually committed a crime, but because they are likely to. Elements of the system are in place throughout China, as the government refines its algorithm, and the final rollout is scheduled to be in place nationwide by 2020. The government claims that its purpose is to enhance trust and social stability by creating a “culture of sincerity” that will “restore social trust.” What it will actually create, of course, is a culture of fear and a nation of informants. This is because one of the ways that people can improve their own social credit score is to report on the supposed misdeeds of others. Enlarge Image Individuals can earn points, for example, for reporting those who violate the new restrictions on religious practice, such as Christians who illegally meet to pray in private homes, or the Muslim Uyghurs and Kazakhs in China’s far west whom they spot praying in public, fasting during Ramadan or just growing a beard. Of course, as the state progresses ever closer toward its goal of monitoring all of the activities of its citizens 24 hours a day, seven days a week, society itself becomes a virtual prison. Western criticism of the new system has been intense, with Human Rights Watch describing it as “chilling.” In response, Chinese Communist Party publications scoff that Westerners are simply too unsophisticated to understand the wonders of the new system. In the words of China’s Global Times, “The hypothetical theories of the West are based on their ignorance.” The massive social credit system, it goes on to say, is simply “beyond the understanding of Western countries.” But I think we understand what is going on all too well. It is China’s ancient totalitarian impulse — the absolute rule of the god-emperor over his subjects — brought into the modern age. It is George Orwell’s prophetic “1984” come alive. China’s already formidable police state has been upgraded using big data, machine learning, face recognition technology and artificial intelligence into a fearsome cyborg of state control. The Chinese Communist Party has given birth to the world’s first high-tech digital dictatorship. Not content to incarcerate its own population in a virtual prison, China is busily hawking its creation to like-minded socialist dictatorships. Maduro’s Venezuela was China’s first customer.

https://nypost.com/2019/05/19/trump-vows-to-end-iran-if-it-threatens-us-again/ Trump vows to ‘end’ Iran if it threatens US again By Mark Moore President Trump threatened to destroy Iran in a tweet sent in the wake of reports that a rocket was fired into Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone less than a mile away from the US Embassy. “If Iran wants to fight, that will be the official end of Iran. Never threaten the United States again!,” Trump tweeted Sunday afternoon. It’s unclear exactly what promoted Trump’s posting, but news outlets reported explosions in Iraq’s capital and that a rocket launcher was discovered in eastern Baghdad, an area that is home to Iranian-backed Shiite militias. Roads leading into the Green Zone were briefly closed and no casualties were reported. Amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran there have been concerns that Iraq, where Iranian forces and about 5,000 American troops are stationed, could become entangled in the standoff. A Saudi Arabian diplomat said his country doesn’t want to go to war with Iran but but will defend itself after two Saudi oil tankers were targeted by acts of sabotage off the coast of the United Arab Emirates last week. No group has claimed responsibility for the sabotage but US officials in reports signaled that Iran encouraged Iraq-based Iranian militants to carry it out. Riyadh also accused Tehran of being behind a drone attack on two oil pumping stations in the Kingdom, which Yemen’s Iranian-aligned Houthi group claimed responsibility for. “The kingdom of Saudi Arabia does not want war in the region and does not strive for that… but at the same time, if the other side chooses war, the kingdom will fight this with all force and determination and it will defend itself, its citizens and its interests,” Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abel al-Jubeir told reporters. The top commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country’s elite fighting force, echoed the same sentiments through state media on Sunday. “Iran is not looking for any type of war, but it is fully prepared to defend itself,” said Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami. Tensions have been heightened between Washington and Tehran after reports said Iran was planning to carry out attacks on American troops and ships in the region. Earlier this month, the White House sent warships and bombers into the Persian Gulf to counter any threats from Iran and evacuated non-emergency personnel from Iraq. The US Navy said the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group conducted exercises in the Arabian Sea over the weekend in a show the US military’s “lethality and agility to respond to threat” and to protect US interests. Trump has employed such bluster before including when he was negotiating with North Korea to ditch its nuclear weapons program. Responding to reports that North Korea had succeeded in attaching nuclear warheads to ballistic missiles, Trump warned leader Kim Jong-un not to threaten the US. “North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States,” Trump told reporters in August 2017. “They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen.”

https://oilprice.com/Geopolitics/International/New-Middle-East-Proxy-War-Could-Jolt-Oil-Prices.html New Middle East Proxy War Could Jolt Oil Prices By Cyril Widdershoven - May 12, 2019, 6:00 PM CDT U.S. sanctions on Iran are now really starting to bite. In contrast to what European media portray, Iran’s oil and gas exports are plunging. Tehran’s ability to supply its Asian customer base has been largely blocked, as Washington has decided not to extend the waivers given to China, India or others to keep on signing crude contracts. U.S. president Trump still boasts that Iranian exports will be falling to zero, but some tankers are still going to slip through the cracks. ‘Illegal’ crude oil trade will be almost negligible, however, as Iran’s main customers have realized that Washington’s wrath will be real. The mullah regime in Iran also put its trust in a possible European answer, but European companies have chosen to be very cautious, and not to rely on the EU to mitigate potential U.S. sanctions against their operations. The more robust line taken by Washington, supported by Arab allies, seems to be working, as long as analysts are keeping an eye on Iranian oil sector options. Oil analysts are also not yet worried by the negative impact of the sanctions as the global markets are still reasonably well supplied. This picture, however, could be changing extremely quick, if several underestimated factors begin to play out. In contrast to the overall reporting, in which a direct Iran-U.S. confrontation seems to be in the making, reality shows that a surprising risk lies in Iraq. Analysts are focusing on the Arab/Persian Gulf, due to the announcement made by Washington that a significant U.S. naval force is steaming up to the region, partly to project U.S. military power and to counter a possible Iranian move to block the Strait of Hormuz. But the real conflict could play out in Iraq. Washington admitted that it has been warned of possible attacks by Iraqi militias or IRGC proxy groups in Iraq on U.S. forces. The latter, as indicated by Tehran officials, would not only be in Iraq but potentially in the whole region. This proxy-war approach by Tehran has been expected for a long time, as Iran understands that a full-blown military confrontation with the U.S., and potentially its Arab allies, would not end well for the mullahs. Even if the conflict would be costly for both sides, the outcome is clear. Related: High-Cost Oil Faces Existential Risk This strategy, as already has been employed by Iran’s IRGC troops in Syria, Lebanon, Yemen and parts of Iraq, would however be much harder to quell. Not only would the U.S. be forced to spread its forces, but low-level intensive military operations in mainly civilian areas would also constrain a U.S. response. It would also be very hard for Washington to compel European allies and the international community to form a united front against Iran. Several analysts have already suggested that the first possible battleground of this looming conflict will be in Iraq. U.S. Central Command spokesman Urban reiterated previously that “the USCC has seen preparations by Iran and its proxies to attack U.S. forces in the region”. U.S. forces based in Iraq are the easiest to attack. Iraqi Shi’a militias are spread over the whole country, and more often than not are operating under the flag of the Iraqi government. Taking into account the presence of hardline fundamentalist groups in the area, Tehran can mount a strong force without officially taking part in attacks against the U.S. The same could be done in Syria or Yemen, targeting U.S forces and its allies in the area. By using Hezbollah or Hamas, Tehran would even be able to instigate a full-scale regional war, forcing Israel to take part in the conflict. Related: China Set To Miss Shale Gas Production Target By A Mile Proxy wars in several countries in the Middle East could have a detrimental effect on global oil and gas markets. Any disruption to oil and gas flows cannot be countered by increased OPEC output or even U.S. shale oil. The market may seem well supplied, and inventories are still at relatively high levels, but this reality could soon change. Until now, the market is behaving like an ostrich. By putting its head under the surface, and convincing itself that there is enough crude supply, or that ‘turning on the taps could rapidly add the missing barrels. The looming war in the Persian Gulf is only assessed on the merits of a US military invasion of Iran, which is unlikely to happen. If the Iranian regime realizes it is heading for the brink, its proxies will do its bidding. On the global oil market, volumes are no longer the only factor of importance. It is quality and crude grades. These two factors are not being recognized, and it seems that traders and analysts believe Trump’s version of reality at present. OPEC’s spare production capacity is not sufficient, as Iran and Venezuelan heavy crudes are in short supply. The U.S. is not able to substitute any of this in the short-to-mid-term. When the market hits the brick wall at the end of this year, this quality problem, in combination with increased instability in the Middle East, will not only create a nightmare scenario for consumers but could also push crude oil above the current $70-85 per barrel range. Proxy wars and sanctions could create the perfect storm for oil. A possible spike to $90 seems within reach.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/Bank-Of-America-90-Brent-May-Be-Around-Corner.html Bank Of America: $90 Brent May Be Around Corner By Julianne Geiger - May 18, 2019, 6:00 PM CDT Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) warns that Brent crude oil could reach $90 per barrel stemming the new IMO rules regarding shipping fuels and a weaker dollar courtesy of a de-escalation in the US/China trade war, Reuters reported on Friday. BofAML claims that the IMO rules regarding the allowable sulphur content, to take effect in 2020, could cause a spike in middle distillate demand, pressuring prices upward. Also pushing up prices could be the weakening dollar should the trade war between China and the United States simmer down. In February, BofAML estimated that Brent crude would be trading within the $50 to $70 per barrel band through 2024, with prices “anchored” around $60 per barrel, citing rising US shale supplies and slowing oil demand growth. Shorter term, BofAML saw Brent rising to $70 per barrel citing tighter supply as Venezuela, Iran, Mexico, and OPEC produce less oil—some on purpose and some not. Last May, BofAML warned that oil could rise as high as $100 per barrel this year. At that time, Brent was trading near $77. Along with its $90 per barrel warning, BofAML said there was a risk that Brent could dip to $50 per barrel, if the trade war between China and the United States were to hurt consumer sentiment and lead to an economic downturn. “With military tensions rising in the Middle East and trade tensions rising between the U.S. and China, we believe that chances of a tail event driving Brent crude to these price extremes (are) higher than what option markets are currently pricing,” BofAML said in a note on Friday. Brent options show a 10% chance of prices heading north of $90, and just a 6% chance of it falling below $50 per barrel.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Global-Oil-Shipping-Concerns-Rise-Over-Middle-East-Tensions.html Global Oil Shipping Concerns Rise Over Middle East Tensions By Tim Daiss - May 18, 2019, 2:00 PM CDT While global oil markets are accustomed to factoring geopolitical uncertainty into oil prices, this kind of geopolitical fallout hasn’t been seen for a number of years. The world’s largest oil exporter, that still along with its OPEC+ partners, plays the role of global oil markets swing producer, is seeing an escalation of attacks on its oil export infrastructure and shipping. Saudi Arabia said on Tuesday that armed drones had attacked two of its oil pumping stations. This came just two days after the sabotage of two oil tankers carrying Saudi oil near the UAE. Meanwhile, the U.S. military, amid an increasingly tense *** for tat exchange of words between Washington and Tehran, said it was braced for“possibly imminent threats to U.S. forces in Iraq” from Iran-backed forces. Tuesday’s attacks on the pumping stations more than 200 miles west of Riyadh and Sunday’s attack on four tankers off the UAE have raised concerns that the U.S. and Iran might be inching toward military conflict. However, on Thursday Trump told media that he did not want a war with Iran. Also on Thursday, a Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on Sanaa, the Yemeni capital. The deadly airstrikes, that reportedly left six dead, came after Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels, who control the capital, claimed responsibility for the Tuesday drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s critical oil pipeline. All of this, of course, isn’t being lost on global oil markets which ticked up on Thursday by more than 1 percent. Global oil benchmark Brent crude futures ended the day’s session at $72.62/barrel, up 1.18 percent, while U.S. oil benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were up 1.37 percent, at $62.87/barrel, near its highest level in two weeks. Global shipping concerns Global oil traders aren't the only ones closely monitoring increased tensions in the Middle East, global ship insurers also considering their next course of action. On Thursday, London maritime ship insurers met to consider whether or not to increase shipping insurance rates for tankers in the Arabian Gulf. However, thus far they have failed to reach a consensus. The Joint War Committee, which includes Lloyd's Market Association (LMA) members and representatives from other insurance providers, will meet again on Monday to discuss the matter further, said the LMA’s Head of Marine Underwriting Neil Roberts. Related: Peak Gasoline Vehicles Is Already Here According to reports, the group doesn't have enough information yet to make a decision over rate possible increases. "At the moment there are not many facts or verifiable information (about the attacks on Sunday)," Roberts said on Wednesday. "There is no decision yet on whether to change the listed areas of enhanced risk. There are a number of options, which include no change. He added that any changes would take seven days to come into effect. "Ships going into the Gulf already have to inform underwriters; the question is whether vessels within the Persian Gulf and operating there are additionally exposed,” he said. The last time The Joint War Committee updated the list of high-risk areas was June 2018. Some are already anticipating an increase in shipping rates, including Asian oil refiners which rely heavily on Middle Eastern crude imports. Asia derives around 70 percent of its crude oil from the Middle East, while disruptions in oil production or shipping routes can severely affect Asian economies, including China and Japan, the world’s second and third largest economies, respectively. Ashok Sharma, managing director of shipbroker BRS Baxi in Singapore, told Reuters earlier this week “there seems to be no increase in [insurance premiums] as of yet,” while he warned that if security in the Gulf region deteriorated, then insurers may be left with no choice but to increase marine insurance premiums.

https://oilprice.com/Energy/Oil-Prices/The-Fear-Factor-Is-Back-For-Oil.html The Fear Factor Is Back For Oil By Irina Slav - May 19, 2019, 12:00 PM CDT Saber-rattling in the Middle East and the continued deterioration in Venezuela have once again trumped considerations such as supply and demand in the fluctuations of global oil prices. Despite what looks like still ample global supply, both Brent crude and West Texas Intermediate have risen this week on the back of geopolitical fears. The highlight of the week in this respect was no doubt the sabotage of four vessels off the Emirati coast that U.S. authorities said may have been caused by Iran. The sabotage reports were followed by reports of a Houthi attack on two Saudi oil facilities. Meanwhile the U.S. sent an aircraft carrier to the Middle East in what was overwhelmingly perceived as the next step in an escalation between Washington and Tehran. This would have been enough to push prices a lot higher in just a couple of days as fears about supply from the Middle East are perhaps the most traditional of bullish factors for prices. However, this time the increase has been limited and this is because although they have been receiving less attention, oil fundamentals remain on the scene and they seem to be bearish for benchmarks right now although the situation remains highly volatile and this is working in bulls’ favor. Take Venezuela, for example. According to OPEC’s latestMonthly Oil Market Report, Venezuela’s oil production surprisingly inched up in April, to 768,000 bpd from 740,000 bpd in March. However, a PDVSA report seen by S&P Global Platts has revealed that since the start of May, production has slumped by as much as 77 percent to 169,800 bpd because of the lack of tankers to carry the crude. "The US sanctions have impacted the international market and have increased the cost of freight to Venezuela, the availability of shipowners to provide such services and the final cost of the products, placing PDVSA in an unfavorable and weak negotiating position," another report said. Related: U.S. Oil Rig Count Dips To 14-Month Low There is also Libya, where the fight between the Libyan National Army of U.S.-backed General Khalifa Haftar and the UN-recognised Government of National Accord has reached a stalemate but it can yet affect oil production, which for the time being has been spared any new outages. Yet on the other hand there is news from Canada that several oil producers will expand production this year despite pipeline constraints; assurances from Saudi Arabia and the UAE they would be happy to cover for any loss in Iranian oil; and, of course, booming oil production in the U.S., where, according to Rystad Energy, shale is now the second-cheapest source of new oil supply. That, combined with lower oil demand expectations from the International Energy Agency has been enough to keep a lid on prices, preventing a major spike and a consequent slump in demand. That said, the oil market loves to fear wars and supply disruptions. This means that despite the fundamental factors that would suggest prices should be lower, the coming weeks would likely bring more uncertainty and more price rises until the dust settles in the Middle East or – always a possibility in the region – the situation escalates further and so do oil prices.

https://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/Story/40715/Hezbollah-snipers-occupy-Babylon-Hotel-rooftop-target-US-embassy-in-Baghdad Hezbollah snipers occupy Babylon Hotel rooftop, target US embassy in Baghdad ‏Hezbollah snipers have climbed the rooftop of Babylon Hotel in Baghdad, in front of US embassy, where they occupied all hotel rooms overlooking the Tigris river, sources of the hotel said on Sunday. The Tigris is separating the hotel from the US embassy. Reports said that Iranian and Lebanese groups have joined the Hezbollah snipers, thought to be elements of the terrorist group of IRGC, which threatens of targeting the embassy’s building in Baghdad.

Spot on LGD. When you get Iran’s militia out of Iraq and jail the Iranian backed politicians in Iraq, you will see an explosion of Iraq reconstruction and growth.