An American newspaper warns of a catastrophic situation if Iraq’s exception to sanctions on Iran ends

[yota691]

China calls on Washington to dialogue instead of using force against Iran

 January 06 2020 04:19 PM
Direct: China called for restraint and not to use violence in international relations, in response to the escalation of geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran.

According to the official website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Minister Wang Yi received a phone call from his Iranian counterpart last Saturday, days after the military commander, Qasim Soleimani, was killed by a US air strike in Iraq.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China opposes the use of force in solving international disputes, and it also urges the United States to engage in dialogue rather than misuse force.

"Yi" added that China will continue to adhere to an objective and just position and play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and security in the Gulf region in the Middle East.

China is heavily dependent on oil imports from the Middle East, while the price of crude has risen sharply after the escalation of the geopolitical crisis.

The price of Brent crude futures for March delivery in March reached $ 70 a barrel.

It is noteworthy that the United States and China may sign the trade agreement this month, after months of disagreement that caused severe global economic damage.

 

[yota691]

Unprecedented US measures to protect its soldiers and bases in Iraq

- One Minute Ago

After the acceleration of events and the rise in the level of the threat, the United States of America has taken new and unprecedented military measures to secure its bases and its affiliated facilities, including the embassy in Baghdad.

While some of these measures involved an offensive character, Iraqi security experts warned that the international coalition lifting its air cover from the Iraqi forces will increase the chances of casualties from the Iraqi forces, as the coalition fighters provided air support not only from rapid air strikes, but rather Pictures and weather information that the Iraqi forces are fed around the clock.

These measures and threats come after the assassination of the commander of the "Quds Force" in the "Iranian Revolutionary Guard", Qassem Soleimani, with an American raid at dawn Friday near Baghdad airport.
An official at the Iraqi Ministry of Defense in Baghdad revealed to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that “the American measures were not only limited to the military bases and other facilities that have American citizens, but the Iraqi airspace witnessed an intensive flight of surveillance drones that covered large areas in the vicinity of those bases.” And installations, especially in Anbar, Baghdad, Salah al-Din and Basra.

"The Americans have taken measures related to placing American soldiers and contractors on Iraqi bases with fortified shelters that can be quickly accessed with any missile attack, as well as the soldiers' dormitory rooms and other facilities inside those bases, and restricted access to those bases for non-Americans," the official said.

And that "the American forces notified Iraq that it will not wait for the attack on its soldiers, and will deal according to pre-emptive deterrence attacks in the event of any attempt to target missiles to its bases."

Over the past three days, three Iraqi military sites hosting American forces have been attacked by Katyusha rockets by groups believed to be affiliated with factions linked to Iran, targeting the American embassy in Baghdad and the Taji camp north of the capital, as well as the Balad air base in Salahuddin province in northern Iraq.

Iraqis have been observing, in various regions of western and northern Iraq and the western part of Baghdad, since yesterday, Saturday, a separate flight of American planes and other helicopters over the areas surrounding Baghdad International Airport.

On Monday, a spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Major General Abdul Karim Khalaf, announced what he described as "starting to prepare a mechanism to remove foreign forces from Iraqi territory", indicating that the international coalition forces will limit their work to training, armament and advice only.

Khalaf affirmed, in statements to local media, that "the Iraqi government has prepared a mechanism to start removing the American forces from Iraq, while the international coalition forces will work only on advice, armament and training, and its armed forces will leave", noting that "the Iraqi government restricted the international coalition movement by land." And by air, they are not allowed to move. "

He added that "the Americans carried out individual operations without the knowledge of the General Command of the Armed Forces," stressing that "the recent American strikes are foolishness that cannot be tolerated."

He believed that "the threat of US President Donald Trump to the sanctions is incorrect, and the Iraqi government will cooperate with the Americans economically," noting that "foreign countries rejected any supposed sanctions on Iraq."

On the other hand, the former Iraqi Member of Parliament, Intifada Qanbar, asked, in a telephone call from Washington with the "New Arab", saying: "Have you seen a country in the world refusing aid to fight terrorism in it, or providing free military aid to it?", Considering that "the states The United and Western countries will hesitate to help Iraq and stand with it militarily in the future, and that recent developments put the legitimacy of the political process in Iraq to the test.

New Arab

[yota691]

06-01-2020 01:45 PM

Khalaf: The coalition will remain for training and advice, and combat power will emerge

 

 

Baghdad / news

The spokesman of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Abdul Karim Khalaf, revealed, on Monday, the start of preparing a mechanism to remove foreign forces from Iraqi territory.

Khalaf said in a press statement, "The Iraqi government has prepared a mechanism to start removing the American forces from Iraq, while the work of the international coalition forces will be limited to advice, armament and training only, and its armed forces will leave." Them to move. "

He added that "the Americans carried out individual operations without the knowledge of the General Command of the Armed Forces," pointing out that "the recent American strikes are foolishness that cannot be tolerated."

He continued, "The commander of the Iranian Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, was a guest who could not be targeted because his presence was an Iraqi affair."

And, "The threat of US President Donald Trump to the sanctions is incorrect and the Iraqi government will cooperate with the Americans economically," noting that "foreign countries rejected any supposed sanctions on Iraq."

[yota691]

Washington received Barham Salih a copy of the US sanctions resolution on Iraq

Political | 04:56 - 06/01/2020

 

 

 

 

Washington received Barham Salih a copy of the US sanctions resolution on Iraq

[KristiD]

Great 4 minute video including an interview with a well-connected Iraqi-American.  He says bluntly that while the protestors want Iran out of their country and support what Trump is doing, the Iraqi government is made up of Iran proxies and support Iran.  Let's hope the protestors are successful in creating a new government that is not composed of more Iranian shills.  I used to like Mahdi and felt that, while he had Iranian connections, he was basically trying to do good for his people.  But now that he pushed for the vote to expell the U.S., I changed my mind.  The sooner he leaves the better and it's unfortunate that he's going to continue as Prime MInister for 3 more months.  At least Trump is aware of all this (according to this guy) and master negotiator that he is, I'm really hoping he whoops Iran's ars.

 

[Pitcher]

Utah, make sure you watch this.  

 

Thank you for the vid KristiD. This explains exactly why we don’t have our RV and why Iraq is basically a satellite state of Iran.  This should be discussed and reported by the National Media but it will never be reported honestly.  

[DinarThug]

Pro-Iranian political forces compel Parliament to remove US forces from Iraq

- Two Hours Ago

 

 
 

BAGHDAD - Iraqi political forces loyal to Iran have forced the country's parliament to take a decision committing the government to removing foreign forces from Iraq, while canceling an earlier request for international coalition assistance against ISIS.

And three days ago, Shiite militias in Iraq made public threats to all lawmakers who would not vote on a bill aimed at expelling US forces from Iraq.

During a session absent from the Kurdish representatives and most Sunni representatives, Parliament voted on a bill that includes four main, and five formal, clauses related to the American presence in Iraq.

After the decision of the Iraqi parliament, the question that is escalating in the international political circles has shifted from how Iran will respond to the killing of Qassem Soleimani, to how America will respond to a request to remove it from Iraq.

And US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that he saw "real possibilities" for Iran to target American soldiers in response to Soleimani's assassination in Baghdad.

"We consider that there are real possibilities that Iran will make a mistake and make a decision to target some of our forces, military forces in Iraq or soldiers in northeastern Syria," the minister told Fox News.

The most important paragraph voted by Parliament is to compel the government to end the foreign military presence in the country entirely, while the second paragraph stipulated the cancellation of the request made by Iraq in 2014 to the US-led international coalition to obtain assistance in the war against ISIS.

In the third paragraph, the Iraqi government became obligated to prevent any foreign forces from using the country's airspace for any reason.

Parliament also voted to start legislative measures to cancel the security agreement with the United States, which means filling all loopholes that may allow any US forces to remain in Iraq.

As for the fifth paragraph, whose presence was formal, according to observers, it is the government's obligation to limit weapons to the official state apparatus.

According to a Kurdish deputy in the Iraqi parliament, the paragraph restricting weapons to the state was designed to save some of the Sunni representatives who attended the session and voted in favor of these decisions from embarrassment.

A correspondent of “Al-Arab” in Baghdad said that a number of Sunni representatives affiliated with the Arab Project Party led by Khamis Al-Khanjar attended the session and voted with their Shi'a peers.

Experts in international law say that the legal framework for the parliamentary voting process is not clear. International treaties are a governmental jurisdiction, which Parliament has the right to amend and not to abolish, which means that ending the military partnership with the United States is the prerogative of the executive branch.

But the government of resigned Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi does not have the right to veto any international agreements in accordance with the laws in force, because it is a caretaker government, which opens the door to a legal dispute that does not know its extent.

An Iraqi observer mocked the decision of the Iraqi parliament, saying, "Has the United States consulted Damascus with establishing military bases in the Syrian island to be able to hear the opinion of Baghdad, which is completely Iranian today?"

Pro-Iranian Shiite militias openly threaten lawmakers who will not vote on a bill to expel foreign forces

An Iraqi political source confirmed that Iran will seek, through its direct representatives in the House of Representatives, to compensate for its inability to respond to the military response to Soleimani’s killing, which the United States could allow as a way out of the crisis.

The source asked, in a statement to Al-Arab, “But will that decision be binding on the United States? That is a question that will be discussed between the governments of Iraq and the United States by returning to the security agreement signed between the two parties, which is not limited to the threats represented by the emergence of ISIS.

He said that the paragraph to keep foreign technicians and military trainers, regardless of their numbers, could empty the Iraqi parliament’s decision of its content.

The source considered the decision as a pictorial victory for Iran, which would rid it of the dilemma of getting involved in a war that would not be in its interest.

"The decision of the Iraqi parliament can be considered a kind of appeasement that suggests that Iran has gained something in return for its heavy loss. This satisfies many countries that called for restraint, in addition to that the United States will not lose anything when it divides its military presence between Iraqi bases and others located inside Kurdistan.

It was noteworthy that the resigned prime minister, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, was present at the Iraqi parliament session, where he gave a speech, translating the state of complete submission to the Iranian desire.

Abdul-Mahdi said that "American planes roamed Baghdad during the past days without permission from the Iraqi government," adding, "I was on a date with Qasim Soleimani on the evening of his assassination to deliver a message from the Iranian authorities."

He continued, "We started to feel a decline in confidence between us and Washington since we announced that we are outside the system of implementing sanctions against Iran," stressing that Washington "refused to apologize for its bombing of the headquarters of the crowd in the existing had led to the deaths."

He went on to say that "America informed us that Israel bombed the warehouses of the PMF last summer," recommending that Parliament "take urgent measures to end the presence of foreign forces" in Iraq.

And the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced, on Sunday, to complain to the Security Council and the United Nations about "American aggressions against Iraqi military sites, and the assassination of Iraqi and friendly military leaders."

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry had summoned the American ambassador to Iraq to condemn the "flagrant violation of the sovereignty" of the country, after the assassination of the commander of the Quds Force in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, General Qassem Soleimani, and the deputy head of the Popular Mobilization Committee in Baghdad, and a raid on a base of a pro-Iranian faction on December 27.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo defended the US air strike that killed Soleimani, saying that intelligence information indicated that failure to act against Soleimani would have been a greater threat.

Pompeo added during an interview with this week on "ABC" program, "ABC", "Intelligence estimates made clear that the failure, allowing Soleimani to continue his planning and planning for his terrorist campaign, poses a greater threat than the movement that we took last week."

The Arabs

LINK

[DinarThug]

LINK

Parliamentary Finance: The Strategic Framework Agreement is in effect and is not affected by the Parliament's decision

 

6th January, 2020

Chairman of the Finance Committee, Haitham al-Jabouri, confirmed on Monday that the strategic framework agreement with the United States of America is still in effect, while he indicated that the House’s decision yesterday regarding ending the foreign presence has nothing to do with it.

Jubouri said in a statement received / Mawazine News / a copy of it, that "the strategic (Iraqi - American) agreement that was approved in the year 2008 is still valid and we are committed to it and are not affected by the decision issued by the House of Representatives yesterday that it focused on ending the presence The foreign military only and with a timetable prepared by the Iraqi government according to the readiness of our armed forces and the estimates of the General Command and in coordination with those countries, which does not affect the nature of our relations with them, especially that the mission of the presence of these forces has ended after the elimination of the state of ISIS, so there is no concern of any A deterioration in the economic situation."

He added: "We are in contact with all relevant authorities on this issue and are keen to maintain economic relations with all countries, including the United States, and in a manner that serves the interests of our country in terms of security and economic, especially since there are large investment contracts between the two countries in important and strategic sectors." Affects the economy and daily life of the Iraqi citizen.

 

Edited January 6, 2020 by DinarThug

[Kenny_Logins]

23 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

LINK

Parliamentary Finance: The Strategic Framework Agreement is in effect and is not affected by the Parliament's decision

 

6th January, 2020

Chairman of the Finance Committee, Haitham al-Jabouri, confirmed on Monday that the strategic framework agreement with the United States of America is still in effect, while he indicated that the House’s decision yesterday regarding ending the foreign presence has nothing to do with it.

Jubouri said in a statement received / Mawazine News / a copy of it, that "the strategic (Iraqi - American) agreement that was approved in the year 2008 is still valid and we are committed to it and are not affected by the decision issued by the House of Representatives yesterday that it focused on ending the presence The foreign military only and with a timetable prepared by the Iraqi government according to the readiness of our armed forces and the estimates of the General Command and in coordination with those countries, which does not affect the nature of our relations with them, especially that the mission of the presence of these forces has ended after the elimination of the state of ISIS, so there is no concern of any A deterioration in the economic situation."

He added: "We are in contact with all relevant authorities on this issue and are keen to maintain economic relations with all countries, including the United States, and in a manner that serves the interests of our country in terms of security and economic, especially since there are large investment contracts between the two countries in important and strategic sectors." Affects the economy and daily life of the Iraqi citizen.

 

 

Parliamentary Finance... Hmm. I believe this is the department partially responsible for initiating the RI on the GOI side. It's almost as if they have an interest in US forces remaining in Iraq to provide stability for a major economic event.

 

Also, you'd might as well ignore everything Mahdi and Shi'ite MP's say and vote for regarding the US military. These guys literally have guns to their heads.

 

[Pitcher]

I like your posts Kenny, you are on it.  Thank you.

 

I also like your music. 😆 

[Pitcher]

47 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

Pro-Iranian Shiite militias openly threaten lawmakers who will not vote on a bill to expel foreign forces

 

Time to fight back Iraq.  

[Pitcher]

Thugs you are killing it the last 4 days.  Witty, funny and great news stories, with color coding for dummies.  😂 😆 😆 

Thank you for your work.  

[DoD]

About time for Kurdistan an the Sunnis to come together an get a PM. At some point the insanity has to stop an get you a real government. The protesters need to step it up an start blocking all the streets, airports an oil fields, get back to ground zero like 20 years ago...

[3n1]

48 minutes ago, DoD said:

About time for Kurdistan an the Sunnis to come together an get a PM. At some point the insanity has to stop an get you a real government. The protesters need to step it up an start blocking all the streets, airports an oil fields, get back to ground zero like 20 years ago...

 

+1

[DinarThug]

The economic cost of the Iraqi-American clash ... Nabil El-Marsoumi

2020-01-06

 

Books: Dr. Nabil Al-Marsoumi

1. There is a high possibility that the United States will freeze Iraqi oil revenues that pass through the US Federal Bank to Iraq. As well as the possibility of freezing Iraq’s investments in US treasury bonds, which amount to $ 32.7 billion, and freezing Iraq’s other assets in American banks and financial institutions.

2. The collapse of the Iraqi dinar exchange rate due to the scarcity of foreign currencies and the suspension of the currency auction for the Iraqi Central Bank, which depends on the influx of oil dollars, which will lead to monetary instability and to price turmoil and its rise.

3. A significant decline in the Iraqi cash reserves in the Central Bank of Iraq, which depend on the flow of oil money and thus eroded ability to defend the Iraqi dinar exchange rate

4. The investment environment in Iraq will deteriorate greatly, Iraq will become a repellent for investment, and many international companies will refrain from investing in Iraq because of the security, political and economic instability that prevails in the country.

5. The 2020 budget will suffer from a real crisis due to the significant decline in public revenues on the one hand and the stop of international and American institutions from lending to Iraq, which is one of the important sources of financing the Iraqi budget deficit.

6. A significant decline in the production and export capacity of crude oil due to the expected withdrawal of US and foreign companies in general operating in the fields of licensing contracts as well as the suspension of projects aimed at developing the gas industry and infrastructure for the Iraqi oil sector

7. A sharp decrease in the volume of Iraqi foreign trade for each of the exports and imports funded mainly from oil revenues, which will lead to a huge rise in the levels of prices for goods and services and to a decline in the country's revenues from ports and border ports.

8. The state's inability to provide salaries for employees, retirees, and those covered by the social protection network that depends 87% on oil revenues, and that it is hoped that these salaries will increase by 14 trillion dinars in the 2020 budget to implement governmental and parliamentary reform packages

9. The United States is expected to abolish the exception granted to Iraq by importing gas and electricity from Iran, which will negatively affect the supply of electricity to citizens.

10. The significant losses that the Iraqi banking sector will be exposed to due to possible US sanctions.

11. Iraq will have to pay several billion dollars to the United States in exchange for its evacuation of its military bases in Iraq.

12. The decline in performance in the Iraqi economy, especially in the sectors of agriculture, industry, construction, and transportation, which will exacerbate the problems of poverty and unemployment in Iraq.

The great damage that will be caused to the Iranian economy, which depends a lot on Iraq, as Iran exports to Iraq $ 12 billion worth of goods annually that contribute greatly to reducing the severity of US sanctions on it, as well as stopping the flow of Iranian oil through Iraq and to the decline in the number of Iraqi tourists to Iran, which limits the flow Foreign currencies to Iran, as well as the suspension of oil derivatives imported by Syria from Iran through Iraq, as well as the endeavors aimed at linking rail networks between Iraq and Iran as part of a broader plan to enable Iran to transport its goods to Syria and its Mediterranean ports.

link

[Butifldrm]

January 6, 2020 | 02:14 PM×

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Follow up

 

Pro-Iranian militias evacuate their headquarters in Albukamal for fear of American raids

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that the militias loyal to Iran had vacated their headquarters in the city of Albukamal for fear of bombing the pro-Iranian militia sites.

According to the observatory, militia elements were deployed in orchards on the bank of the Euphrates River, while security personnel maintained their headquarters.

She pointed out that drones were detected days ago in the atmosphere of the city of Albukamal in the countryside of Deir Ezzor, while militias stationed in the vicinity of the city and the border area with Iraq fired heavy machine guns to remove those planes.

The observatory also revealed that a delegation of Arab tribes met on December 26th, with the aim of directing and uniting forces against American forces, and that this meeting took place in Tehran, with the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani.

The observatory sources revealed that the meeting discussed the implementation of attacks against US forces and the Syrian democracy.

https://m.thebaghdadpost.com/ar/Story/186288/الميليشيات-الموالية-لإيران-تخلي-مقراتها-في-البوكمال-تخوفا-من-الغارات-الأمريكية

Edited January 6, 2020 by Butifldrm

[Adam Montana]

6 hours ago, KristiD said:

Great 4 minute video including an interview with a well-connected Iraqi-American.  He says bluntly that while the protestors want Iran out of their country and support system" rel="">support what Trump is doing, the Iraqi government is made up of Iran proxies and support system" rel="">support Iran.  Let's hope the protestors are successful in creating a new government that is not composed of more Iranian shills.  I used to like Mahdi and felt that, while he had Iranian connections, he was basically trying to do good for his people.  But now that he pushed for the vote to expell the U.S., I changed my mind.  The sooner he leaves the better and it's unfortunate that he's going to continue as Prime MInister for 3 more months.  At least Trump is aware of all this (according to this guy) and master negotiator that he is, I'm really hoping he whoops Iran's ars.

 

 

Excellent video! 

 

 

6 hours ago, DinarThug said:

LINK

Parliamentary Finance: The Strategic Framework Agreement is in effect and is not affected by the Parliament's decision

 

6th January, 2020

Chairman of the Finance Committee, Haitham al-Jabouri, confirmed on Monday that the strategic framework agreement with the United States of America is still in effect, while he indicated that the House’s decision yesterday regarding ending the foreign presence has nothing to do with it.

Jubouri said in a statement received / Mawazine News / a copy of it, that "the strategic (Iraqi - American) agreement that was approved in the year 2008 is still valid and we are committed to it and are not affected by the decision issued by the House of Representatives yesterday that it focused on ending the presence The foreign military only and with a timetable prepared by the Iraqi government according to the readiness of our armed forces and the estimates of the General Command and in coordination with those countries, which does not affect the nature of our relations with them, especially that the mission of the presence of these forces has ended after the elimination of the state of ISIS, so there is no concern of any A deterioration in the economic situation."

He added: "We are in contact with all relevant authorities on this issue and are keen to maintain economic relations with all countries, including the United States, and in a manner that serves the interests of our country in terms of security and economic, especially since there are large investment contracts between the two countries in important and strategic sectors." Affects the economy and daily life of the Iraqi citizen.

 

 

So much posturing going on over there... the first paragraph, highlighted in green (thank you!), pretty much says it all.

 

5 hours ago, DoD said:

About time for Kurdistan an the Sunnis to come together an get a PM. At some point the insanity has to stop an get you a real government. The protesters need to step it up an start blocking all the streets, airports an oil fields, get back to ground zero like 20 years ago...

 

Amen

 

[Butifldrm]

 

01/20/2020 20:36

• Views 135
• Section: Iraq
•  

Amnesty International: Trump's threat to target Iranian heritage sites "war crime"

Baghdad / Obelisk: On Monday, January 6, 2020, Amnesty International published a tweet to US President Donald Trump threatening to target archaeological and religious sites in Iran, describing it as a "war crime".

On its Facebook page, the organization promised to deliberately target civilian objects, religious and heritage sites, "in violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime."

He stressed that "President Donald Trump should refrain from his threat to Iran and openly declare his commitment to international law."

Trump had confirmed that his country had identified 52 Iranian sites, some of which are at a very high level and important to Iran, Iranians and Iranian culture, and would strike it if Iran attacked any Americans or any American assets in response to the assassination of the military commander Qassem Soleimani.

Obelisk

http://almasalah.com/ar/news/185564/العفو-الدولية-تهديد-ترامب-باستهداف-مواقع-تراثية-إيرانية-جريمة-حرب

[DinarThug]

Parliament intends to deliberate the Strategic Framework Agreement at next Saturday's session

Monday 06 January 2020

 

 

Baghdad / Omar Abdul-Latif and Muhanad Abdel-Wahab 

 

Parliamentary sources revealed to "Al-Sabah", that next Saturday's session will witness the cancellation of the strategic framework agreement concluded between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America, which could accelerate the complete withdrawal of foreign forces present in the country, and among deputies that differences in political positions weaken the Iraqi position and allow the forces Foreign office to violate Iraqi sovereignty, the Parliamentary Commission on Economy and Investment confirmed that there are no economic or financial concerns for Iraq after the decision to authorize the government to remove American forces from Iraq.

A member of the House of Representatives, Intisar Al-Mousawi, told Al-Sabah: “There is an agreement between members of parliament to cancel all items agreed between the Iraqi government and its American counterpart within the Strategic Framework Agreement, which guarantees the complete withdrawal of all forces present on Iraqi soil.”

Mousawi added, "The agreement was originally canceled since 2011, but the House of Representatives will work to issue a decision to cancel it completely," stressing that "the agreement stipulated that there would be advisers from the United States in Iraq after the (ISIS) occupation of a number of Iraqi provinces. Stressing, "There is a national decision within the parliament to restore the dignity of Iraq that has been violated for years."

 

Parliament Resolution

Member of the National Approach Bloc Hussein Al-Oqabi assured Al-Sabah that the decision that the House voted to remove the American forces was a national stance to end the foreign presence, stating that “the American foreign forces flagrantly violated ethnic sovereignty and the House of Representatives had to take Attitude towards these violations. " 

Al-Oqabi called, “The political blocs in Parliament are to be in a high degree of responsibility to ensure the sovereignty and unity of the country.” He added, “Iraq does not need a foreign presence, because the Iraqi army is able to bear the great responsibility in protecting the land and sovereignty of the country, and it has all the capabilities That necessitates the defense of the country. ” 

He pointed out that "the approval of the decision to cancel the foreign presence is sufficient, even if it is within the jurisdiction of the government because the foreign presence on the land of Iraq does not need a law." He pointed out that "the foreign presence came at the request of the government and will come out at the request of the government, and the government of Abdul Mahdi should assume its responsibilities by setting A timetable to end the foreign presence - especially the American one - after the recent security breach, which is a violation of Iraqi national sovereignty.

The MP from the Badr Al-Ziyadi Alliance, said: “The national decision that was issued by Parliament yesterday, Sunday, was a surprise to all countries in the world, because America believed that the Iraqis were unable to issue this decision,” noting that “this decision has collected signatures for it.” Almost a year ago, even if it was implemented then Iraq would not have reached this state. ”

Al-Ziyadi added, “America was shocked by the decision, and surely it will try to pressure in various ways to prevent its implementation.” Noting that “the American bases built in Iraq there was no agreement between the two countries to build them, but the American forces built them for themselves, so Iraq is not obligated to pay sums for Build it. ”

The deputy pointed out that "Iraq and the Iraqi people have already been besieged by America, which is not strange to us, and what is required is dependence on ourselves and that we work to develop our military and security capabilities to ensure that there is no need at any time for foreign forces." He suggested "go to the eastern camp to arm our forces and leave The western camp, and that we focus our efforts on strengthening our air force and air defense to protect our airspace from external violations by contracting with Russia to buy modern air defense systems and systems, and that these steps be taken quickly to ensure that no vacuum is left that Iraq’s enemies exploit. ”

 

Positive reflection

In turn, the deputy of the Al-Nasr Falih Al-Ziyadi coalition told Al-Sabah: “The recent security events have positively reflected on the reality of the political scene, and will accelerate the determination of the position of prime minister within a very short period of the seriousness of the general situation in the country, and the conviction of most political blocs to unite at the level National to get out of this crisis. ” 

He added, "The change taking place in reality, I feel the political blocs the importance of thinking seriously about the future of the country," noting that "the vote on the removal of foreign forces through the special session, affected the direction of creating a positive force for the political blocs to speed up the nomination of a candidate for prime minister." 

While the MP from the Al-Fateh Alliance Hamid al-Musawi drew in an interview with Al-Sabah, “The recent events have brought political forces, including the National Alliance and the forces under him, because it is within his competence to name the prime minister’s candidate.” 

And al-Moussawi, "The previous period there was no consensus between the coalition forces on a specific candidate for prime minister; but what happened recently and the plot being waged against Iraq pushed towards making unified decisions between the rest of the forces and the forces formed by consensus to choose a prime minister that meets the aspirations of the Iraqis."

He added, "The consensus between the forces of the National Alliance has led to a positive reflection on the conduct of the dialogues to nominate the candidate for the position of Prime Minister, and will be announced as soon as possible to activate a realistic government that works to activate all important decisions, including the laws that we await in the parliament, the most important of which is the budget." 

While the MP from the Alliance of Raiders Riyad Al-Masoudi indicated in an interview with Al-Sabah, “The recent security challenge constituted a real impetus for the political forces to nominate the prime minister’s candidate and the formation of an honest and independent government that seriously prohibits early elections that will produce a new parliament that is responsible for making critical decisions.” ” 

Al-Masoudi stressed that "the political forces are at stake in stating their true positions and making a solid Iraqi decision making forces to send messages to the United States of America and others that the Iraqi position is united and not different." 

He added, "Variation in political positions weakens the Iraqi position and allows external forces to violate Iraqi sovereignty." He pointed out that "naming a candidate for prime minister requires national consensus and requires the acceptability of the Iraqi street, which demanded clear demands for the personality of the prime minister." 

 

Parliamentary Economy

In the context, a member of the Parliamentary Commission on Economy and Investment, independent MP Abbas Al-Atafi, said in a press statement: “Iraq has the ability to manage the oil file in addition to energy, as it owned many companies that work for it to manage these areas, away from America.”

He added, "Iraq does not need America with regard to oil or energy, as today it needs to preserve its sovereignty from American interference and its violation of Iraqi sovereignty and international norms."

Al-Atafi stressed, "The absence of any economic concerns about Iraq by boycotting it and removing the American forces from its lands, in addition to the absence of any financial fears, especially that Iraq is capable of managing the stage on its own and does not need the assistance of any country in this framework."

 

Law experts

To that, the legal expert Ali Al-Tamimi told Al-Sabah: “The cancellation of agreements is at the request of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers collectively and is sent to the House of Representatives,” noting that “the current government is a caretaker government and has no right to cancel the agreements.” 

He added, "The legal way is for there to be a decision by the Council of Ministers and sent to the House of Representatives to ratify it and amend the American Presence Law under the agreement, which is the only legal way." He stressed that "it is not possible for the government - which is a caretaker government - to take measures to cancel the agreement And only the new government is able to cancel this agreement because it has absolute powers. ”

For his part, the legal expert, Amin Bakr, said that "the decision issued by the parliament yesterday, Sunday, to evacuate all foreign forces from Iraq, was a recommendation to the executive authority."

Bakr told Al-Sabah: “The decision was satisfactory to the political position of the blocs participating in the vote, which is not mandatory for the government.” Noting that “previous governments had made requests for the necessity of the presence of these forces on Iraqi soil during or after the war on (ISIS)” ”

He continued: "The end of the presence of these forces returns to the government without there being a recommendation from the House of Representatives, and it can take measures to submit a request to those forces not to continue their presence inside Iraqi territory," noting that "this request must be from a fully legitimate government that was not She has submitted her resignation and is now conducting business, no more. ”

Bakr warned, "The parliamentary decision was an exceptional case and a kind of recommendation to the government, while the government could take this step without consulting the parliament, as this falls within its powers."

The House of Representatives voted yesterday, Sunday, in its extraordinary session, in the presence of the resigned Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, on a decision that obliges the government to end the foreign presence in the country, and to prevent it from using Iraqi lands, water and airspace for any reason, and for the countries to which those forces return to make a commitment Not to use the Iraqi region as a platform to target any other country, and the decision also included obliging the government to cancel the request for assistance submitted by it to the international coalition to fight ISIS, so as to end military and war operations in Iraq and achieve victory and liberation.

And Abdul-Mahdi presented in the special session of the council, a message in which he revealed the rationale and precise details of the request to end the foreign presence in Iraq, and the decision of the House of Representatives was welcomed by the majority of the leaders and deputies of the political blocs, while other blocs expressed reservations about the parliamentary decision and did not witness the voting session 

on him.
link

[southbeach]

7 hours ago, Pitcher said:

Thugs you are killing it the last 4 days.  Witty, funny and great news stories, with color coding for dummies.  😂 😆 😆 

Thank you for your work.  

Yeah, what he said

[DinarThug]

The US Secretary of Defense denies the news of the withdrawal from Iraq

 

- 43 Minutes Past

 

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper denied reports circulated about US plans to withdraw from Iraq, after reports to Reuters and other media about a message from the US military stating the withdrawal.

"There is absolutely no decision to withdraw from Iraq," Reuters quoted Esber when asked about the letter, adding that there were not even plans to prepare for withdrawal.

For his part, US Chief of Staff Mark Miley said that the circulating message was a draft aimed at coordination, and it should not have been published.

In turn, the Pentagon spokesman confirmed that there is no change in the policy of the United States of America regarding the presence of its forces in Iraq.

He said that we are continuing to consult with the government of Iraq on defeating the Islamic State and supporting the Iraqi security forces.

The French press agencies and Reuters reported that American forces within the international coalition had informed Baghdad in an official message that they would relocate their forces outside Iraq in the coming weeks

The French Press Agency quoted a statement issued by the Joint Task Force in Iraq as saying that the decision came out of respect for the request of the Iraqi Parliament and Prime Minister, and the sovereign decision that called for the departure of the American forces.

In the letter signed by the Commander of the American Task Force in Iraq, Brigadier General William Sealy III, which was confirmed by a US military official and another Iraqi to the French news agency, the American army stated that the coalition forces - led by the United States - "will reposition their forces in the coming weeks."

For its part, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said that it cannot confirm or deny the authenticity of the message that the American forces intend to withdraw.

The head of the caretaker government in Iraq, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, stressed in a statement to his office after receiving the American ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Tooler, on the necessity of joint work to implement the withdrawal of foreign forces according to the decision of the Iraqi parliament, and to put relations with the United States on sound grounds, as he put it.

Source: Agencies

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[DinarThug]

The American administration threatens Saleh and Abdul-Mahdi .. Exit from Iraq will not bear the cost of Baghdad

 Monday 06 January 2020

 

 

 

 

Baghdad - Writings

 

Local media said that the US administration sent to Iraqi President Barham Salih a copy of the sanctions to be imposed on Iraq if Baghdad insisted on expelling US forces from the country.

The American administration, through its ambassador to Baghdad, Matthew Toller, also resigned to Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi about what pressure Washington could exert against Baghdad if it was decided to end the American presence in the country.

The two sides also discussed ways to reduce tension, as well as warn the American ambassador about the danger of the withdrawal of American forces and its impact on the return of ISIS and terrorist organizations.

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[6ly410]

 

[DinarThug]

Al-Halbousi reveals only the Shiites ’vote to expel the Americans and warns of the financial fall of Iraq

 Monday 06 January 2020

 

 

 

Baghdad - Writings

 

Leaked footage from the voting session on the expulsion of American forces from Iraq revealed how the speaker of the Iraqi parliament underwent one component without the presence of the rest of the components.

The leak, which was circulated on social media, on Monday, January 6, 2020, showed Muhammad al-Halbousi, the speaker of parliament, following the instructions of Shi'a MPs by invalid voting on the decision to expel foreign forces from Iraq.

Al-Halbousi said: “Let us speak frankly. The vote here today is Shi’ite. I would have hoped that Iraq would unite today with a decision approved by Sunnis, Kurds and minorities, which reveals that voting to expel the Americans is a null decision dominated by deputies who follow Iran without any calculations in favor of the Iraqis.

Al-Halbousi said openly that the decision to agree to expel American and foreign forces means cutting off international financial dealings with Iraq, as well as the absence of salaries paid to employees.

These leaks coincide with the escalation of the attack on the House of Representatives by the rebels and the assertion that it does not represent the Iraqis with its decisions that serve Iran and harm Iraq.

العراق للإحصاء - فريق المندسين@IraqSurveys

 

 

فضيحة الحلبوسي: من جلسة البرلمان يوم أمس وكيف تدار الامور والتصويت على قرارات مصيرية بشكل طائفي#العراق

Iraq Statistics - The Engineering Team @ IraqSurveys Al-Halbousi scandal: From yesterday’s parliament session

video link

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[DinarThug]

 

PORTRAIT OF A GENERAL

 

Secret Iranian Spy Cables Show How Qassim Suleimani Wielded His Enormous Power in Iraq

 

 

Revolutionary Guard Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani attends an annual rally commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 Iranian Revolution in Tehran on Feb. 11, 2016. Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi/AP

 

Murtaza Hussain

January 5 2020, 4:13 p.m.

 

IN THE FOUR DECADES since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, few Iranian leaders have achieved the global profile attained by Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the military commander killed in an American airstrike on Thursday. After the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Suleimani emerged as the United States’s most capable adversary in that country. His American counterpart at a key point during the occupation, Gen. David Petraeus, described Suleimani as “a truly evil figure” in a letter to Robert Gates, then the U.S. defense secretary. Over the years, Suleimani gained a reputation as a fearsome military leader who controlled a network of ideologically driven militia proxies across the Middle East.
A more nuanced portrait of Suleimani emerges from a leaked archive of secret Iranian spy cables obtained by The Intercept. The documents were generated by officers from the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security, or MOIS, stationed in Iraq between 2013 and 2015, when the Iranian war against the Islamic State was at its height, and Suleimani was running the show.

The reports reveal how Suleimani was perceived in some corners of the Iranian intelligence establishment, and the picture that emerges does not always align with the carefully crafted public image of the general as an indomitable strategist. While the Iranian-led war against ISIS was raging, Iranian spies privately expressed concern that the brutal tactics favored by Suleimani and his Iraqi proxies were laying the groundwork for major blowback against the Iranian presence in Iraq. Suleimani was also criticized for his own alleged self-promotion amid the fighting. Photos of the Iranian commander on battlefields across Iraq had helped build his image as an iconic military leader. But that outsized image was also turning him into a figure of terror for many ordinary Iraqis.
Some of the cables chronicle Suleimani’s battlefield appearances and meetings with senior Iraqi officials, while others describe the activities of his militia proxies in Iraq. As commander of the elite Quds Force, the external operations arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Suleimani belonged to a more powerful institutional rival of Iran’s intelligence ministry. In some documents, intelligence officers criticize Suleimani for alienating Sunni Arab communities and helping to create the circumstances that justified a renewed American military presence in Iraq.

A 2014 MOIS document lamented that, partly because Suleimani broadcasted his role as commander of many of the Iraqi Shia militias fighting ISIS, Iraqi Sunnis blamed the Iranian government for the persecution that many were suffering at the hands of these same forces. The document discussed a recent assault by Iran-backed forces against ISIS fighters in the Sunni farming community of Jurf al-Sakhar. The attack had included a number of Shia militia groups, including a notorious outfit known as Asaib ahl al-Haq. The militias succeeded in routing the Islamic State, but their victory soon gave way to a generalized slaughter of locals, transforming the sweetness of Iran’s triumph into “bitterness,” in the words of one case officer.

 

An Iraqi Shia militia member aims his weapon after clashes with militants from ISIS, in Jurf al-Sakhar, 43 miles south of Baghdad on Sept. 28, 2014.Photo: AP

“It is mandatory and necessary to put some limits and borders on the violence being inflicted against innocent Sunni people in Iraq and the things that Mr. Suleimani is doing. Otherwise, the violence between Shia and Sunni will continue,” the MOIS report continued. “At the moment, whatever happens to Sunnis, directly or indirectly, is seen as having been done by Iran even when Iran has nothing to do with it.”
That same document speculated that Suleimani’s public promotion of his role in the war was geared toward building political capital in Iran, possibly for a future presidential bid. But it also contained subtler insights into the Quds Force commander’s character and how he saw himself. The document noted Suleimani’s affection for former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, once a close ally of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. For a time, Davutoglu was considered the intellectual force behind Turkey’s foreign policy.

“Mr. Suleimani has an old relationship with Ahmet Davutoglu and always compares his role in Iranian foreign policy to that of someone like Davutoglu in Turkish politics,” the secret report said. However, Suleimani’s self-perception had evolved over time, according to the report, and by 2014, with the Iranian proxy war against ISIS in full swing, he had begun to see himself less as a political ideologue and more as a military and intelligence chief comparable to Hakan Fidan, the head of Turkey’s powerful intelligence apparatus.

The intelligence ministry report does not contain further details about Suleimani’s relationships with senior Turkish officials. But the apparent shift in his self-perception ­tracks with developments in the region. Just as Fidan was helping direct a Turkish proxy war in Syria, Iran was ramping up a similar effort in Iraq.

In late 2014, according to the leaked documents, an expansive program was already underway to send Iraqi Shia militia fighters to Iran for training, equipment, and ideological preparation. It was a program in which the Revolutionary Guards played a critical role. These Shia militia fighters went on to fight the Islamic State, but also stood accused at times of waging an indiscriminate sectarian war inside Iraq and undermining the country’s elected government.
Iran’s secret intelligence documents contain insights into how this training campaign was organized, while also shedding light on the idiosyncratic reasons that some Iraqis sought the support of Suleimani and the Revolutionary Guards.

In a September 2014 meeting at the Iranian consulate in Basra, an Iraqi militia commander told an Iranian spy that he wanted his fighters to operate under Iranian control, rather than being directed by the Iraqi army or the Popular Mobilization Units, or PMUs, formed to fight ISIS. His concerns seemed primarily ideological. The commander told his Iranian interlocutor that he already had 600 well-trained fighters and planned to grow his militia in the near future. He was anxious, however, that his troops might lose their ideological discipline without Iranian guidance.

Many volunteers in the PMUs “might not even pray,” he said, and “some commanders and even soldiers” in the Iraqi security forces were said to drink alcohol. The commander asked the Iranian spy to “coordinate for these soldiers to come under the command of Iran,” worrying that his fighters’ morale and discipline would be harmed otherwise. According to the report, the request was enthusiastically granted.

But some Iraqis appear to have romanticized the Revolutionary Guards, and some militia fighters sent to Iran for training found the experience did not meet their lofty expectations. “Unfortunately, those who we send to Iran to receive training are not happy with the cultural situation in Iran,” another commander whose troops had already undergone training in Iran told an intelligence ministry spy, according to a different report from the same month. This commander complained that “brothers in [the Revolutionary Guards] only pray the usual five times a day,” and that the Iranian fighters were not as zealous in their religious practices as the Iraqi trainees had expected.

These Iraqi militias wound up playing a significant, if controversial, role in the war against ISIS. Following Suleimani’s death, some of them are now finding themselves in the U.S. military’s crosshairs. Within 24 hours of the strike that killed the Quds Force leader, another strike took place north of Baghdad, reportedly killing and wounding several members of an Iran-backed militia. There are strong signs that this campaign is just beginning. Late Friday, the State Department announced that it was designating Asaib ahl al-Haq, which had taken part in the 2014 massacre in Jurf al-Sakhar, as a foreign terrorist organization and sanctioning several of its leaders.

In the short term, it is almost certain that violence will escalate in the Middle East. Late Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump made a provocative threat to bomb 52 selected targets inside Iran if it retaliates for the killing of Suleimani, including Iranian cultural sites. But Iran may not even need to respond with violence to impose a price for the death of the Quds Force commander. In response to widespread outrage over the strike that killed Suleimani, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who is described in the MOIS documents as having a “special relationship” with Iran — and who enjoyed Suleimani’s personal backing when protests demanded his ouster this past fall — pledged on Friday to convene parliament to review the status of American troops in Iraq. By Sunday, the parliament had voted to expel the U.S. military from the country.

If the Iraqi government does make U.S. troops leave in response to Suleimani’s killing, it will be another chapter in what is by now a familiar story: Like the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, this latest act of aggression may be a tactical success for the United States that winds up delivering a strategic victory to Iran.

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