Parliamentary power: Kurds did not provide a convincing justification for non-commitment to pay oil money

[Wiljor]

1 hour ago, Half Crazy Runner said:

 

Well, we all know their definition of “soon”. I wonder what their definition of “very soon” might be.  

 

Thanks Yota for keeping up with all the latest!! 

 

Very soon I think is the same as, in the coming days HCR 

A super day out to you amigo 

[10 YEARS LATER]

1 hour ago, Half Crazy Runner said:

 

Well, we all know their definition of “soon”. I wonder what their definition of “very soon” might be.  

 

Thanks Yota for keeping up with all the latest!! 

Soon - 1 yr. --- Very Soon 6 mos. maybe? These monkeys always keep you guessing 

[ChuckFinley]

When this is all over I will have to go back and check it out.  Maybe one of those deals which me never.   

[tigergorzow]

Kurdish media shall not fall victim to Baghdad-Erbil crisis – Groups

October 27 2017 03:43 PM

A file photo of an Iraqi journalist

 

The Journalistic Freedoms Observatory, an Iraqi press freedom organization run by local journalists, and Metro Center for Defending Journalists’ Rights expressed on Friday their concern that the media in Kurdistan Region will fall victim to the mounting political crisis between Baghdad and Erbil. 
The observatory and the center have warned of making satellite TV channels, news agencies and journalists a party in the current crisis. 
Journalists shall not pay the price of Baghdad-Erbil crisis and the decisions taken against the media, Rahman Gharib, head of Metro Center, said.
Iraq is also facing accusations of violating the rights of journalists and media professionals. 
 According to the Iraqi Center for Supporting Freedom of Speech (ICSFS), a number of violations have been committed against Iraqi journalists in September, including launching recurrent attacks on journalists and preventing them from entering the government institutions. 
Late in September, the Iraqi Press Syndicate said more than 465 Iraqi media professionals had been killed since 2003, including 20 in 2016. 
Last year, Iraq came in the 158th place globally and 13th among Arab countries on the World Press Freedom Index.

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18844/Kurdish-media-shall-not-fall-victim-to-Baghdad-Erbil-crisis-Groups

[tigergorzow]

Allawi hails Kurds' role in embracing opposition under former regime

October 27 2017 05:28 PM

Ayad Allawi

Kurds’ role in embracing the opposition under the former Iraqi regime has been very important, former Iraqi prime minister Ayad Allawi revealed Friday.   
According to a statement issued by Allawi’s media office, the former prime minister has received Australia’s ambassador to Iraq Christopher Langman in his office to discuss the latest political developments at the local and regional levels. 
During the meeting, Allawi stressed the importance of maintain Iraq’s unity, enshrined in the constitution
Allawi stressed the importance of finding solutions that preserve the dignity of Iraqis regardless of their ethnicity and religious affiliation, the statement read.
The former Iraqi prime minister highlighted the importance of not allowing foreign interference in the country’s internal affairs, according to the statement. 

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18849/Allawi-hails-Kurds-role-in-embracing-opposition-under-former-regime

[tigergorzow]

Death toll among Shiite militias rises to 335 amid fight with Peshmerga

October 27 2017 04:26 PM

Shiite militias

 

 

Death toll among Shiite militias has risen to 335 amid fight with the Peshmerga forces within seven days. During this period, 525 others have been injured, well-informed sources told The Baghdad Post on Friday.
The sources said Peshmerga forces killed five IMIS terrorists in battles that erupted in Zummar town located 60 km northwest of Mosul.  
The sources noted that Majed Khaled Helw al-Khazali, a relative of Qais al-Khazali, secretary general of Asa’ib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), was one of IMIS terrorists who had been killed.  
On Thursday, Peshmerga forces shelled IMIS terrorists with artillery in Zummar.

Clashes erupted on Thursday between Iraqi security forces and Peshmerga forces in Zummar as Iraqi troops sought to take control of Faysh Khabur border crossing with Turkey. 
Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad over the future of Kurdistan have been high since the Kurds voted for independence in a September referendum. 
The oil-rich Kirkuk Governorate has emerged as a flashpoint in the crisis as it is claimed by both sides.

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18846/Death-toll-among-Shiite-militias-rises-to-335-amid-fight-with-Peshmerga

[tigergorzow]

Iraqi forces, Kurdish Peshmerga agree on ceasefire - US-led coalition

October 27 2017 04:06 PM

Breaking

 

Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters reached an agreement on Friday to stop fighting in northern Iraq, Reuters quoted the media office of the US-led anti-ISIS coalition as saying on Friday.
A spokesman for the coalition in Baghdad said the ceasefire agreement covered all fronts.
Iraqi government forces and the Iranian-backed militias (IMIS) launched a surprise offensive on Oct. 16 in retaliation to a Sept. 25 referendum on independence organized by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq.
The offensive aims to capture so-called disputed territories, claimed by both the KRG and the Iraqi central government, as well as border crossings and key oil facilities.
The oil-rich city of Kirkuk fell to Iraqi forces but the Peshmerga began to fight back forcefully as they withdrew closer to the core KRG territory.
The most violent clashes happened in the northwestern corner where Peshmerga are defending land crossings to Turkey and Syria and an oil hub that controls KRG crude exports.

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18845/Iraqi-forces-Kurdish-Peshmerga-agree-on-ceasefire-US-led-coalition

[tigergorzow]

KDP calls on intl' community to hold Abadi accountable

October 27 2017 03:33 PM

 

Hoshyar Zebari, member of Kurdistan Democratic Party, has called on Friday the international community to hold Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi accountable over using force against Kurds.

 

Abadi hasted in using force against Peshmerga forces in Kirkuk, Baghdad-Erbil disputed area, Zebari posted on his Twitter account.

 

PM #Abadi rush to use force and violence against Iraqi Kurds for politically disputed issues MUST be questioned & addressed by Iraq Friends.

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18843/KDP-calls-on-intl-community-to-hold-Abadi-accountable

[gregp]

Looking good!

[tigergorzow]

UN Security Council backs Erbil-Baghdad Talks

October 27 2017 01:26 PM

Iraq: Security Council voices concern over reported violence in Kirkuk

 

The UN Security Council has backed Erbil-Baghdad talks that it encouraged Kurdish and Iraqi leaders to commit to a timetable for talks the same day that the US said it was “encouraging” Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to accept Erbil’s proposal for negotiations, Rudaw news reported.

"Council members noted that the federal and regional governments have both expressed willingness to engage in dialogue," said France’s Ambassador to the UN Francois Delattre. He holds the council’s presidency this month.
 
"We encourage them to expeditiously set a timetable to hold these discussions," Delattre told reporters after a closed-door meeting of the Security Council that heard a report on recent confrontations between Kurdish and Iraqi forces from the UN’s Iraq envoy Jan Kubis.
 
Delattre said the Security Council was concerned about increased tensions and reported violence and called on all sides to end the use of force.
 
He believes the UN could facilitate talks, if asked, reiterating an earlier offer from Kubis. Talks would be a “pathway to de-escalation and a means to preserve Iraqi unity,” said Delattre.
 
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had earlier said he was “disappointed that the parties have been unable to reach an entirely peaceful resolution.”
 
Arguing against what would be a devastating war between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) issued a statement Wednesday morning making three proposals: the cessation of fighting in the Kurdistan Region; freezing the outcome of the independence referendum; and beginning dialogue with the federal government on the basis of the Iraqi constitution.

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18834/UN-Security-Council-backs-Erbil-Baghdad-Talks

[tigergorzow]

Army personnel actions have to be monitored to end violations - Cleric

October 27 2017 02:11 PM

Iraqi army soldiers

Shiite cleric Mohamed Tuqa al-Madrasi stressed on Friday the importance of monitoring the actions of armed forces personnel to prevent any abuse or violations against citizens even if they were minor. 

In his weekly statement, al-Madrasi confirmed the importance of moving beyond Kurdistan Region’s independence referendum. 

He noted that initiatives have to be a method through which we enter into a serious dialogue to go beyond the massive rift between the Iraqi citizens, which was caused by the referendum. 

Relying on the constitution spares us a lot of problems that stem from conflict of interests and divergence of views, he added. 

On Monday, Kurdistan Region prime minister said that Kurdish officials are ready for dialogue with Iraq as soon as the central government’s military operation is over. 

Tensions between Erbil and Baghdad over the future of Kurdistan have been high since the Kurds voted for independence in a September referendum. 

The oil-rich Kirkuk Governorate has emerged as a flashpoint in the crisis as it is claimed by both sides.

 

http://www.thebaghdadpost.com/en/story/18838/Army-personnel-actions-have-to-be-monitored-to-end-violations-Cleric

[Half Crazy Runner]

2 hours ago, Wiljor said:

 

Very soon I think is the same as, in the coming days HCR 

A super day out to you amigo 

Haha!! Most likely 😁

Have a super day yourself; and a great weekend!

[tigergorzow]

Erbil, Baghdad Reach Ceasefire Agreement: Coalition

 

Basnews English

27/10/2017 - 15:35

Kurdistan

 

 

 

ERBIL — Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga and Iraqi forces reached an agreement on Friday to halt military operations against each other, the US-led coalition has confirmed.

The ceasefire is agreed to cover all the fronts, Reuters cited Army Colonel Ryan Dillon, a spokesperson for the Coalition.

It comes after 11 days of military confrontations between both sides, as the result of which scores were left dead or injured.

The fighting, first initiated by Iranian-backed Shi’ite militias of Hashd al-Shaabi on 16th October, has also displaced over 120,000 civilians from Kirkuk, Tuz Khurmatu and some Christian areas in north of Mosul.

 

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/388583

[tigergorzow]

Coalition Not Directly Involved in Erbil-Baghdad Talks, Ceasefire Not Official: Spokesperson

Sardar Sattar

27/10/2017 - 17:15

Kurdistan

 

 

 

LODZ — The US-led Coalition is not directly involved in discussions between Iraqi forces and the Peshmerga of Kurdistan Region aimed at ending military clashes in north of the country, said the coalition.

“We welcome and encourage any dialogue that prevents destabilizing actions that undermine Iraq's stability and unity, and that distract from efforts to defeat ISIS [Islamic State],” CJTF-Operation Inherent Resolve told BasNews on Friday via email.

Earlier the day, Coalition Spokesperson Army Colonel Ryan Dillon told a Kurdish news channel that the conflicting sides had reached a ceasefire agreement. However, he later said on his official twitter account that the statement was made “incorrectly”.

“I incorrectly in interview today with Rudaw there was a “ceasefire” between Iraqi and Kurdish forces,” Dillon said. “Both parties talking with one another, but not an official ceasefire.”

In its statement to BasNews, the Public Affairs Office for Coalition said, “dialogue remains the best option to defuse ongoing tensions and longstanding issues. As a Coalition, we remain focused on the fight against ISIS, a terrorist organization that threatens all states in the region and the international community”.

 

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/388600

[tigergorzow]

Abadi Announces 24-Hour Ceasefire with Kurdistan

 

Basnews English

27/10/2017 - 20:21

Kurdistan

 

 

 

ERBIL — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Friday ordered the armed forces under his command to suspend military activities against Kurdistan Region for 24 hours.

 

The ceasefire intends to allow “a joint technical committeee ... to work on the deployment of federal Iraqi forces in all disputed areas, including Fish-Khabur, and the international border,” Abadi’s office said in a press release.

 

The joint committee is said to have been made up of representatives form Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the Iraqi army and Iranian-backed militias of Hashd al-Shaabi.

 

A spokesperson for the US-led Coalition said earlier the day the two sides have reached a ceasefire agreement, but he later clarified on his official Twitter account that the agreement is yet to be reached, and that Erbil and Baghdad are in the process of negotiations.

 

The Coalition’s Public Affair Office told BasNews they are not directly involved in the process, but support a ceasefire which could help focus on the anti-Islamic State efforts.

 

http://www.basnews.com/index.php/en/news/kurdistan/388615

[yota691]

Kurdistan Parliament: We hope that Abadi's decision to stop the military moves is the beginning of dialogue

 

Friday, October 27,

 

 

Alsumaria News / Arbil The Security Committee of the Kurdistan region , on Friday, expressed hope that the decision of Prime Minister Haider Abadi stop the movement of Iraqi forces in the disputed areas "beginning" to conduct dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil, while confirming the "unwillingness" of the region to confront Baghdad.  "We hope that the decision of the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi to stop the movement of Iraqi forces in the disputed areas is a step to start dialogue between Baghdad and the Kurdistan region to solve the problems," Vice President of the Committee Nazem Harki said in an interview with Alsumaria News, calling on Abadi to "listen to the calls of the international community to conduct dialogue Between the region and Baghdad. "     Harki added that "the Peshmerga forces do not want confrontation with Iraqi forces, but was imposed confrontation," adding that "the KRG reiterated its desire to hold dialogue repeatedly and its recent initiative for dialogue with Baghdad removed all doubts and received an international welcome."  The commander of the armed forces, Haider al-Abadi, on Friday, to stop the movement of military forces for 24 hours, to allow a technical team between Baghdad and Erbil to deploy federal forces in all disputed areas, as well as the border crossing Vishkhabor and international borders "immediately."  A spokesman for the international coalition against the organization "Daash" denied, on Friday, Iraqi forces reached an agreement to stop fighting with the Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

[yota691]

The liberation of vital sites and government departments in the battle to liberate Rawa and al-Qaim

28/10/2017 12:00 am  Stop military movement for 42 hours in the disputed areas of  Baghdad / Sabah  ordered the Prime Minister, General Commander of the Armed Forces, Haider al - Abadi, to stop the military forces of the movement for 24 hours in order to make way for a joint technical team to work on the deployment of federal troops on the international border and in all The disputed areas, a move that comes at the same time during which the federal authorities received fully on Friday the port of Rabia border with Syria.  These moves, coincided with the achievement of our forces in western Anbar, victories during the spectacular battle for the liberation of Rawa and Qaim, which authorized the Prime Minister to launch on Thursday, and resulted in until yesterday the liberation of many areas and villages and government departments. "The commander of the armed forces, Haidar al-Abadi, ordered the cessation of the movement of military forces for 24 hours to give way to a technical team between the federal forces and the regional forces to work on the ground to deploy Iraqi federal forces in all disputed areas," the statement said.  The statement pointed out that the move also included areas of Vishkhabor and international borders, pointing out that the purpose of preventing the clash and bloodshed between the sons of one nation.  In the meantime, and less than 48 hours after the declaration of Abadi, the launch of the operations of the liberation of Rawa and the last bastion "calling" in Iraq, our heroic armed forces were able to liberate dozens of areas and vital sites and inflict heavy losses on the terrorist enemy, and while on Friday launched the second phase of operations , Confirmed the sources of field forces tightened the ring on the city of Qaim after reaching about 5 kilometers of them in preparation for storming. On the liberated areas during the first day of operations, the spokesman of the Joint Operations Command of Iraq Brigadier Yehia Rasool said that the command of the Anbar Operations Forces managed to free the "Agricultural Research Department north of the strategic road, station H1, and the village of Umm al-Waz, , The Saad Air Base (H2) and the Southern Ka'im Area. "

[yota691]

Turkey: Ibrahim al-Khalil border crossing will remain open

By

 rami

 -

October 26, 2017

32

0

 

 

 

Turkey announced on Thursday that the port of Ibrahim al-Khalil border will remain open with the Kurdistan region.
Turkish Prime Minister Ben Ali Yildirim said in a press conference today that “the crossing will remain the same. We do not want people in the Kurdistan region to suffer any harm.”
He announced his government’s initial agreement with Iraq to an agreement to open a new border crossing in Khabour.

[Spider]

Why the US can't afford to lose Iraqi Kurdistan

27 OCTOBER 2017

Iraq's future stability and US regional interests depend on Iraqi Kurdistan.

 

 

Members of the Shia Popular Mobilisation Unites (PMUs) celebrate on the outskirts of Kirkuk on October 17 [Reuters/Alaa Al-Marjani]

 

by Ranj Alaaldin

 

Ranj Alaaldin is a Visiting Fellow at Brookings Institution Doha.

 

US relations with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq took a major blow in recent weeks. In the aftermath of the Kurdish referendum for independence, Iraq's security forces, alongside the Shia militias of the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMUs) launched an offensive against the Peshmerga in the disputed territory of Kirkuk, with US acquiescence.

 

On Tuesday, these forces went as far as launching an offensive on Fish-Khabur area on the Iraq-Turkey border, where Iraqi Kurdistan's most important oil hub is located. 

 

Peshmerga forces managed to repel the attack. On Thursday there were further clashes after Baghdad deployed additional forces to the area.

 

Highly dependent on oil for both economic and political stability, the Iraqi government naturally went after Kirkuk, a strategically vital province with estimated 9 billion barrels of oil reserves, which has been under Erbil's control since 2015. But its push to capture Fish-Khabur risks escalating the conflict into a civil war - something the US cannot afford to allow.

 

US officials had previously warned the KRG against holding the referendum but failed to convince the Kurdish leadership that they could broker a compromise between the KRG and Baghdad over long-standing disputes. They warned that the referendum would carry risks that the US could not control.

 

Kurdistan's leadership has expressed disappointment at what it perceives as US indifference and negligence, as the White House asserted that it was not going to take sides. For the general Kurdish public, Washington's acquiescence was a betrayal.

 

Despite Washington's decision to back Baghdad, it still needs the KRG as an ally in Iraq and the region. Without its help, it risks losing its positions in Iraq and allowing Iran to strengthen its grip on the country.

The precarious US policy in Iraq

Washington's decision to back Baghdad in its dispute with Erbil was based on its strategy to help Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi consolidate power and curb Iranian influence.

 

But by acquiescing to Baghdad's offensive on Kirkuk, the US inadvertently empowered the Iran-backed militias, which have dominated Iraq's security sphere since the 2014 collapse of the Iraqi armed forces.

 

The PMUs are supported by large segments of the Shia community in Iraq and will almost certainly alter the political map of the country in forthcoming elections in 2018. While in their ranks there are a number of state-aligned units that do not answer to Tehran, the PMUs are led and dominated by two Tehran-linked militias: the Badr Brigade and Ketaib Hezbollah.

 

{articleGUID}

 

The former was established by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in the 1980s, and the latter has been designated a "terrorist" organisation by the US. Within the PMUs, there's also Asaib Ahl al-Haq, which was established and armed by Iran and which has launched countless attacks on US military personnel since 2006.  

 

The US does not have many choices for partners in Iraq: factions within the political elite willing to work with Washington are either too weak or too insignificant.

 

The strongest parties and factions tend to be aligned with Iran. The only strong anti-Iran faction is led by the anti-US cleric Muqtada al-Sadr. He leads the powerful Sadrist movement that has traditionally adopted a strong Iraqi nationalist discourse, but the movement is too malevolent for US purposes and is responsible for countless atrocities and attacks on American citizens.

 

Washington has stuck to al-Abadi, who lacks a sufficiently strong popular and political base, with the hope that Iraq's military gains against ISIL will remedy his shortcomings. But this strategy is fraught with challenges and could unravel even before the elections if his rivals continue to challenge his premiership and build on their own ascendancy.

 

Al-Abadi on his own cannot stand up to Iran, which is where the KRG comes in. If Washington is serious about wanting stability in Iraq, it has to repair its relations with the Kurds. To do that, it has to ensure the KRG has a stake in the Iraqi state and participates in the Baghdad government, despite recent events. Since 2003, no government has been formed without Kurdish participation.

 

Baghdad has suffered a credibility and legitimacy deficit because of Arab Sunni disenfranchisement and marginalisation at the hands of the ruling Shia political class. It cannot afford to also lose the Kurds, who have generally enjoyed the role of kingmaker as a consequence of the diffuse nature of power and politics in Iraq and the resulting confessional power-sharing arrangements.

 

{articleGUID}

 

If there is no Kurdish engagement to bolster al-Abadi's position, hardline Iran-aligned factions will almost certainly dominate the government and consolidate their hold on state institutions. To make such an arrangement work both in the short and long-term, equitable, just and sustained power-sharing arrangements must be firmly installed within Iraq's political system.

 

As it has done historically, the KRG provides the US with strategic depth in a country that is becoming increasingly dominated by actors hostile to its engagements and values. Abadi may not even be in office this time next year. The Kurds can bolster US influence in Iraq but only if Washington prevents continued advances from Baghdad aimed at putting the KRG under economic siege. If this happens, the situation could escalate into another civil war.

 

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

 

http://www.aljazeera.com/amp/indepth/opinion/afford-lose-iraqi-kurdistan-171026135421497.html

 

Edited October 28, 2017 by Spider

[yota691]

Barzani party: the start of political and military dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil

 

 From 2017-10-28 at 11:18 (Baghdad time)

Baghdad Mawazine News

The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) on Saturday welcomed the decision of the prime minister to stop the movement of forces for 24 hours, pointing to the start of political and military dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil, to resolve differences and avoid further clashes.

"The ceasefire that took place yesterday was a positive step taken by the prime minister because the problems between the brothers can not be resolved through fighting and a military solution," party official Said Mumuzini told Mawazine News.

He added that "the dialogue began yesterday between the leaders of the popular crowd and the Peshmerga to stop the fire and calm in a final way."

"The political dialogue between Baghdad and Kurdistan will also begin in the coming days," Mamuzini said. "American pressure is pushing the various parties towards understanding, non-confrontation and fighting."

The commander-in-chief of the armed forces issued an order Friday to stop the movement of forces for 24 hours to allow a joint technical team to work on the deployment of federal forces on the international border and in all disputed areas without bloodshed.

[yota691]

Iraqi Kurdish negotiations on Saturday to resolve the issue of disputed areas in Mosul

 

 

Oct 28, 2017

 

The negotiations between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan region will begin on Saturday to resolve the disputed areas in north and northwest Mosul, 400 km north of Baghdad.

"New negotiations will take place after midday in the Nineveh Operations Command in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul and will bring the parties to the conflict from the Iraqi and Kurdish sides to one table to discuss the latest developments and what has been reached," security and military sources in Nineveh province told German news agency.

She added that the Iraqi delegation headed by Osman al-Ganami, chief of staff of the army, who will arrive in Mosul, while heading the Kurdish delegation pleased Barzani son of the President of the Kurdistan region in the presence of a US party. "

She pointed out that "there are some developments that indicate reaching an agreement between the parties, and that the Peshmerga forces will begin to withdraw from these areas and handed over to the federal forces."

"The Kurds may agree to hand over the Feshkhabur crossing, northwest of Mosul, which is the border triangle between ethnicity and Syria, but they want to have a joint administration between the region and the federal government." But the Peshmerga will withdraw from these areas.

Canada suspends its military assistance to Iraq because of tension between Baghdad and the Kurds

Canadian special forces suspended their temporary military assistance to Iraq due to tension between the Iraqi army and Kurdish fighters, the defense ministry said Friday evening.

Defense Ministry spokesman Dan Le Petitier said Canadian troops would resume their assistance "once things become clear about the relations between the Iraqi security forces" as well as "the main priorities and tasks to be performed" as part of the fight against the "Islamic state".

The Iraqi government suspended its operations during the day against Kurdish forces in the hope of reaching a negotiated solution to the crisis since the organization of a controversial referendum on independence in Iraq's autonomous region of Kurdistan.

Canada, a member of the US-led international coalition against the organization of the Islamic State, said efforts should be devoted to promoting "recent gains" against the organization.

"The Iraqi security forces and all the coalition countries have made significant progress in recent months and control most of their territory," said Le Pettierier.

Despite this progress, "but the fight against the organization of the Islamic state and violent extremism still has a long way to go," because the group's fighters "still have positions in Iraq," he said.

"The situation is still changeable on the ground, and time needs to be taken to consolidate the gains of the park, to liberate all lands controlled by the Islamic state, and to focus more on the challenges posed by stability," he said.

Waiting for Baghdad to reach a solution with the Kurdish guerrillas, Canadian troops have suspended their training mission to help the Iraqi armed forces in the north.

In February 2016, Canada increased its special strength by three times to 210.

The defense ministry said the temporary suspension was not a rethink of the mission within the framework of the international coalition, which includes, in particular, air surveillance through the Canadian Aurora and intelligence and medical logistics cooperation.

[yota691]

Abadi office: stop the movement of forces in northern Iraq to provide an atmosphere for the implementation of government decisions

 

 Since 2017-10-28 at 12:11 (Baghdad time)

Baghdad Mawazine News

The office of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday, the cessation of the movement of troops in northern Iraq came to provide an atmosphere for the implementation of government decisions.

The official spokesman for the office Saad al-Hadithi, in a press statement, followed by / Mawazin News /, "The cessation of movement of forces in northern Iraq aimed to provide an appropriate environment for the implementation of the decisions of the federal authority."

The commander-in-chief of the armed forces issued an order Friday to stop the movement of forces for 24 hours to allow a joint technical team to work on the deployment of federal forces on the international border and in all disputed areas, without bloodshed.

 

[yota691]

Barzani and the return of the Peshmerga to the borders of 2003 the beginning of the dialogue between Baghdad and Erbil

Last updated: October 28, 2017 - 1:41 PM

 BAGHDAD / The United States of America, Saturday 28 October 2017, Kurdish politicians in the Kurdistan region of Iraq to propose the abandonment of Massoud Barzani from the presidency to make room for quiet negotiations with Baghdad. The United States intensified contacts with the two parties to the conflict in Baghdad and Erbil, To stop the military confrontation with the existing conditions, provided that the Iraqi forces are limited to the army and the popular mobilization, which was recovered from areas that were the Kurdish forces obtained after 2014. Informed political sources said today, "Iran and Turkey are pushing Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi to expand the circle of gains That's right The Iraqi forces from the army and the popular crowd to control the border crossings and the most recent crossing Vishkhabor strategic international and located on the top of a triangle between Turkish territory and Iraqi and Syrian.

The US Secretary of State Rex Tilerson, the position of his country supporting the unity of Iraq and understanding of the imposition of federal authority in the province of Kirkuk and the rest of the Kurdistan region outside the administration of the region, in a telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi. Tillerson also had earlier a call with Massoud Barzani. US Secretary of State Heather Nauret said the US Secretary of State urged Abadi and Barzani to begin dialogue and set a date for that. For its part, said the information office of the International Alliance against the organization led by the US-led, "Iraqi forces reached on Friday an agreement with the Peshmerga forces to stop the fighting." "The ceasefire agreement covers all fronts," a coalition spokesman in Baghdad said.Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Friday that the movement of military forces for 24 hours, to make way for the deployment of Iraqi forces in all Kurdish areas outside the administration of the region.

Military sources said Saturday that the first meeting was held near Makhmour between the federal and Kurdish forces and under the auspices of Washington led to a cease-fire for 24 hours, while quoting Iraqi MPs that the truce comes to give the Kurds an opportunity to return to the borders of the year 2003. The sources added that "Baghdad and Erbil have succeeded in international sponsorship to contain the military escalation witnessed by the crisis between them last Thursday, through reaching an interim agreement to a ceasefire between them, to be relatively calm on the fronts on Friday, 27/10/2017. "Iraqi officials have confirmed that Baghdad will not back down from its plan to deploy the Iraqi army in the disputed areas, especially in the area of Vishkhabur and its border crossing, which was confirmed by Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi by declaring that a technical team Joint between the federal forces and the Kurdistan Regional Forces will work on the ground to deploy Iraqi federal forces in all disputed areas. " This meeting is the first of its kind held between the leaders of the Iraqi army and officers in the Peshmerga, near the town of Makhmour within the province of Nineveh, northern Iraq, on Friday, during which a temporary agreement was reached on a cease-fire between the parties, without addressing the fate of the areas that Baghdad wants The sources pointed out that "the meeting was sponsored by US officers of the International Alliance, preceded by contacts with US Secretary of State, Rex Tilerson, with both the President of the United States, Iraqi Minister, Haidar Abadi And President of the Kurdistan region, Massoud Barzani, amid leaks from Abadi Office that the approval of the cease-fire was accompanied by an Iraqi government refused requests to stop the army at the borders of drunken and insisting on the deployment of military forces until the last point on the border with Turkey. "

[yota691]

Baghdad and Arbil agree to extend the truce and continue negotiations to draw the boundaries of the new province

 Since 2017-10-28 at 13:47 (Baghdad time)

Baghdad Mawazine News

An informed source said on Saturday that Baghdad and Arbil agreed to extend the cease-fire truce and continue negotiations to delineate the new territory.

The source told the reporter, / Mawazin News /, that "a second meeting held by the Iraqi military delegation headed by Army Chief of Staff Othman al-Ghanmi and the Kurdish delegation headed by Interior Minister Karim Sinjari, at the headquarters of Nineveh operations."

He pointed out that "the meeting resulted in an agreement to extend the truce," noting that "the Kurdish delegation demanded the dispatch of a technical delegation from Baghdad for the purpose of drawing the administrative border."

The joint technical team between Baghdad and Erbil, earlier in the day, the first negotiating session in Zammar, Nineveh province, to discuss the decision to stop the movement of security forces.

On Friday, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces issued an order to stop the movement of forces for 24 hours to allow a joint technical team to work on the deployment of federal forces on the international border and in all disputed areas without bloodshed.

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The Iraqi government announced the start of meetings between the federal forces and the Peshmerga

© Sputnik. Hikmet Durgun

ARAB WORLD

12:22 28.10.2017(Updated 12:40 28.10.2017)

The Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi began the joint meetings between the military leaders of the federal forces and the Peshmerga, Saturday, October 28, under the decision of the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Haider Abadi, stop the movement of federal forces in the disputed areas for 24 hour.

 

© SPUTNIK. HIKMET DURGUN

Leading Peshmerga: a temporary ceasefire agreement between the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces and no final agreement

Cairo - Sputnik. The modern, in statements to Sputnik:

 

The meetings of the joint committees of the military leaders of the federal forces, and Peshmerga, to discuss the formation of technical and administrative teams to prepare the deployment of Iraqi federal forces in the disputed areas.

Al-Hadithi said that the technical meeting held by the leaders of the federal forces and the Peshmerga on Friday evening, after the decision of the Prime Minister to stop the movement of federal forces 24 hours, explaining that the meetings aimed at the creation and spread of federal forces in all disputed areas, especially Vishkhabor, and other border crossings.

He pointed out that the 24-hour period granted by the Prime Minister is sufficient to allow the meetings, in order to agree on the implementation of the deployment of federal forces in all disputed areas, explaining that the meetings that take place at the technical level between the leaders of the military and the Peshmerga, Experts and specialists in this regard, to avoid clashes and clashes.

Informed sources confirmed to Sputnik, on Saturday morning, the start of meetings between Kurdish and federal military leaders at the headquarters of Nineveh operations in Mosul, explaining that the military officials gathered to seek to stop the clash between the Peshmerga and federal forces and the implementation of the federal government's decision to redeploy and impose security without mutual combat operations between The parties.