Iraq Seeks Help From US Amid Growing Violence

[k98nights]

Iraq Seeks Help From US Amid Growing Violence

Aug 19, 2013

Associated Press| by Lara Jakes

 

 

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WASHINGTON -- A resurgence of violence and a renewed threat from al-Qaida have recently revived flagging U.S. interest in Iraq, officials said as Baghdad asked for new help to fight extremists less than two years after it forced American troops to withdraw.

Faced with security crises across the Mideast, North Africa and Asia, the White House largely has turned its attention away from Iraq since U.S. forces left in 2011. But the country has been hit with deadly bombings at a rate reminiscent of Iraq's darkest days, stoking new fears of a civil war. More than 1,000 Iraqis were killed in terror-related attacks in July, the deadliest month since 2008.

The violence has spurred Baghdad to seek new U.S. aid to curb the threat, said Iraqi Foreign Minister Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari. He said a U.S. assistance package could include a limited number of advisers, intelligence analysis and surveillance assets - including lethal drones.

"There is greater realization in the Iraq government that we should not shy away from coming and asking for some help and assistance," Zebari told reporters Friday in Washington.

He described U.S. interest in Iraq after the 2011 troop withdrawal as "indifferent, completely" but said that seemed to shift as the White House realized al-Qaida's resurrection there.

 

 

"Recently I noticed, and during this visit specifically, there is a renewed interest because of the seriousness of the situation and the challenges," Zebari said. "I think that is because of the threat of terrorism, the threat of the renewal of al-Qaida and its affiliates has become a serious, serious concern to the U.S."

The American troops left Iraq in December 2011 as required under a 2008 security agreement. Both countries tried to negotiate plans, but failed, to keep at least several thousand U.S. forces in Iraq beyond the deadline to maintain security. But the proposal fell through after Baghdad refused to give the troops immunity from legal charges, as Washington demanded.

Nearly 4,500 U.S. troops were killed, and American taxpayers spent at least $767 billion during the nearly nine years of war in Iraq.

Zebari attributed the insurgency's comeback to its partnerships with al-Qaida fighters in neighboring Syria and outlawed Baath Party extremists in Iraq's south. Intelligence experts have described the terror group's footing in Iraq and Syria as a new al-Qaida hub in the Mideast, one that has sought for years to underscore Baghdad's inability to protect its people.

Most of the attacks in Iraq target government officials, security forces and Shiite pilgrims and neighborhoods. A senior U.S. administration official this week said the number of suicide bombings in Iraq has more than tripled over the last months, and it's believed that most of the attackers are coming from Syria.

"The security situation in Iraq is deteriorating rapidly and is of significant concern," Sen. Bob Corker, top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said this week after meeting Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other senior Iraqi officials during a trip to Baghdad and Irbil, the Kurdish capital in Iraq's north.

"A United States foreign policy that does not recognize this will be very problematic," said Corker.

Distracted by a civil war in Syria, a policy pivot to Asia, growing extremism in North Africa and Iran's nuclear ambitions, the White House put Iraq on the back burner.

Egypt, once reliably stable, has disintegrated over deadly street riots and attacks that killed more than 600 people this week during protests over the ouster of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi. Jordan, a key U.S. ally, is threatening to collapse under financial strain caused, in large part, by more than 1 million refugees who have crossed into the country from Syria. The U.S. is also leading peace talks between Israel and Palestinian authorities, and watching a growing threat from al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen. A threat from al-Qaida led to the closing of 19 diplomatic posts across the region and in Africa last week.

"That's a pretty large agenda," said Jon Alterman, a Mideast expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. "Iraq is no longer viewed as central to everything the U.S. cares about in the Middle East. But Iraq is still relevant to a wide range that the U.S. cares about."

In the 20 months since the troop withdrawal, the U.S. has sought to stay out of Iraqi affairs and engage with its government as Washington would with any other nation. A majority of Americans agreed with that approach, and 58 percent of U.S. adults said in a Washington Post-ABC poll taken in March that the Iraq war had not been worth the fight.

Still, U.S. officials say they remain actively involved in Iraq, and have quietly stepped up diplomatic efforts since March, when U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry visited Baghdad for the first time in his new post. They largely have focused on ensuring Sunni Muslims are included in Iraq's Shiite-led government, and have urged Shiite leaders to resist retaliating to the Sunni insurgency's attacks in what State Department spokesman Mike Lavallee described Friday as "quite intensive" diplomacy.

But the engagement also has centered on making sure Iraq's government remains independent from the Shiite government in Iran and staying out of the civil war in Syria, where Sunni Muslim rebels are seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, an Alawite. Alawites are an offshoot of Shiite Islam.

 

http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/08/19/iraq-seeks-help-from-us-amid-growing-violence.html?comp=700001075741&rank=4

 

[Nani?]

Irony

[justchecking123]

Zebari: "Barack, what shall we do about our Prime Minister and the situation? He was YOUR country's man (tool), after all."

 

Obama: "I'm afraid to involve our country again, Hoshayr. The media made sure the war there a farce to the American public (which it was), we lost about four thousand of our own in the sand, and I'm not sure...

 

Obama: "How much you got?"

 

Zebari" "Damn infidels...you got what you deserved in the evil Maliki...I'm outta here."

[TBomb]

Liberal bloc rejects all agreements with the U.S. on counter-terrorism

19/8/2013 | (Voice of Iraq) - Add a comment -

Baghdad (news) Liberal bloc in Parliament rejected all agreements with the U.S. side on the fight against terrorism in Iraq. A member of the bloc MP Hussein al-Sharifi, in a press statement on Monday: that the Americans are the main reason for the destruction of the Iraqi people, noting: that 'Americans are planted terrorism in the country, they are the owners of the project sectarian divide Iraq. pointed Sharifi to: the existence of an agreement between the government and the Americans under the pretext of combating terrorism, noting: that everything gets bombings in Baghdad and the provinces had planned to restore the American occupation a new face.

 

Read more: http://www.sotaliraq.com/mobile-news.php?id=112673#ixzz2cR7oTHm1

Looking Foreign Minister of Iraq's relations with the United Nations

19/8/2013 | (Voice of Iraq) - Add a comment -

Search Mr. Foreign Minister, today 19/08/2013, Iraq's relations with the United Nations and its mission in Iraq (UNAMI) with Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, Deputy Secretary General for Political Affairs.
During the meeting, they discussed the activities of the UN mission in Iraq and the keenness of the government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to facilitate the task The work of the mission within its mandate internationalist and coordination with the government.

 

Through Mr. Minister appreciated the government to support the General Secretariat of the UN's efforts to remove Iraq from the provisions of Chapter VII, and fulfill Iraq's international obligations all.
On the other hand they discussed the latest developments of regional and international diplomatic efforts to convene a conference Geneva 2 for peace in Syria and the upcoming nuclear talks between the Security Council and Germany and Iran.

 

Minister also welcomed at the end of the meeting, Secretary-General designate Mr. Nikolai Meladnov of the Special Representative to him at the head of UNAMI mission in Iraq.

Read more: http://www.sotaliraq.com/mobile-news.php?id=112645#ixzz2cR9Mmnut

 

**Dude! We just let you out of Ch 7...WTH???

[gymrat76541]

The ONLY way that America can help with this problem is to put boots back on the ground - THIS IS NOT AN OPTION.

 

They need to rely on their own military & police forces which should be up to the task. Also the Kurds who have an even better security force have said that they can help. It is currently sunni attacking shiite, throw in the Kurds and we can have ourselves an old fashioned free-for-all. LOL

[SgtFuryUSCZ]

***///

 

hobummer won't send in Our Troops to kill HIS terrorists ---

 

TPTB who are his bosses would take him out in a heart beat.... UNLESS

 

they see another very 'lucrative' war in it for themselves.

 

'cause that's how THEY roll......

 

they don't value our Military Personnels' lives at all, or the terrorists...

as long as they keep fighting and they keep getting richer.

 

they are USING the entire M.E. region as their own personal money-generating sandbox.....

[R2D2]

The Iraqis just don't realize that we can't hold on to a republic either. They just need to jail the thugs just like we do/did.

[Kaduku]

Send the Kenya Muslim (obama) and all of his ring of CLOWNS DEMONCRATS & LIBERALS.

[gymrat76541]

The Iraqis just don't realize that we can't hold on to a republic either. They just need to jail the thugs just like we do/did.

 

America is the ONLY country stupid enough to attempt to put all the criminals in jail, and take away the death penalty. Look at how thngs are working out now, criminals getting out early because of overcrowding and even convicted and sentenced to death, they get unlimited appeals. Sitting on death row for 10-30 years. 

At the rate that things are going, there will shortly be no jail time unless the criminal is violent.

Like in the Middle East chop a few hands off for stealing, publicly hang a few for murder and maybe then you will see a drop in the crime rate. With a messed up economy, the crime rates & unemployment rates raise as the cost of living goes through the roof.

[TBomb]

Alshahyla: Some political parties to seek the return of U.S. troops
  
Alshahyla: Some political parties to seek the return of U.S. troops
19-08-2013 01:42 PM
Baghdad (news) .. Warned MP / Liberal bloc parliamentary / Jawad Alshahyla, try some of the political blocs, which he did not identify for the return of U.S. troops to Iraq under the pretext of the collapse of the security situation, noting that these blocs are trying to hold a new agreement with Washington for the return of troops to Iraq. said Alshahyla ( of the Agency news): The United States and some Iraqi authorities want to return U.S. troops to Iraq under the arguments and flimsy, notably that there is no control on the situation in Iraq by armed groups and al-Qaeda or that Iraq was the collapse of security or in order to maintain the security of Syria, and this real all arguments aimed at the return of U.S. troops is no more. continued Alshahyla: that those blocks or political parties participating in the government and parliament want a foothold again for U.S. troops through the holding of a new agreement framework again, indicating that the Liberal bloc and the Sadrist movement in general will not be allowed through the road international legal and diplomatic. / End / 3. h. P /

- See more at: http://www.ikhnews.com/index.php?page=article&id=97799#sthash.V612hySG.dpuf

[slb]

Perhaps we should charge them for security. Atleast we would finally be making some money!

[Butifldrm]

The only way the US can help is  to  STOP funding Al-qaida, IN THE MIDDLE EAST!

 

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/08/03/its-official-us-funding-al-qaeda-and-taliban/

 

http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/paul-u-s-funding-war-on-christianity-in-the-middle-east/

 

http://www.cfr.org/syria/syrias-crisis-global-response/p28402

[Lenape]

We are sitting here Funding these Bums and everyone knows it... Our Government sits back and does it....Great I guess I will have to go hide in some Airport now....OMG.. They got me

[yota691]

Najafi receives Chief of Army Staff and a curfew in Abu Ghraib

- AUGUST 19, 2013

BAGHDAD - Dalia Ahmed

 

 

Security forces imposed a blanket ban for roaming in the district of Abu Ghraib, west of the capital Baghdad. A security source said in a statement yesterday that the (security forces imposed a curfew and banned all cars in the district of Abu Ghraib from moving until further notice).

 

 According to eyewitnesses, (time) yesterday that the (joint forces of the army and police forces and SWAT awakening spread extensively in judiciary, ضواحيه and tightened in an unprecedented way).

 

It was not possible (time) to get further details about the reasons for the ban, duration and areas covered, although telephone communication with the spokesman for the Baghdad Operations Brigadier General Saad Yes.

 

 On the other hand met with House Speaker Osama Najafi in his official Army Chief of Staff Gen. Babacar Zebari During the meeting, they discussed the security situation in Iraq in general, especially the recent developments.

 

Said a statement received (time) yesterday that (Najafi expressed his support and cooperation of all that is in the interest of the people, especially with regard to military retirement law, which includes a large segment of the Sons of Iraq).         

Edited August 19, 2013 by yota691