Coronavirus Curfew Fails To Clear Iraqi Protest Squares !

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CNN. Broadcasting From Tahrir Square In An Iraqi Flag Corona Clown ‘Mask’ !

 

Coronavirus curfew fails to clear Iraqi protest squares

 

 

A woman wearing a face mask against the novel coronavirus outbreak holds a sign reading "We are the source of the revolution" as she attends a protest in Baghdad, Iraq, March 8, 2020

REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

 

Shelly Kittleson April 6, 2020

 

Anti-government protests that began in October and raged through Iraq for months were officially suspended in late March as part of efforts against the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, pandemic. Major squares, however, remain occupied. Some protesters say they have to stay amid continued assassinations of activists.

Umm Abbass, a well-known female activist in Nasiriyah, was killed on April 5 when militias allegedly stormed her home at dawn.

Security forces have found it difficult to make much of the population fully comply with orders to close all non-essential businesses. Flights from Iran seem to have continued despite the ban and religious processions have gone ahead despite risks of contagion.

It is unclear whether force will be employed to clear the squares at some point under the justification that they pose a public health risk.

On April 2, clashes reportedly broke out in Sadr City when security forces attempted to make the local working-class population abide by the government-imposed curfew.

Though the regulations are meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the lower classes in many countries restricting movement have found it difficult if not impossible to comply with them.

As for those still in Tahrir Square, “The virus will not matter to the protesters until their demands are met,” activist Nizar told Al-Monitor during a Whatsapp conversation on April 1. He sent a video of himself disinfecting the square, as the activists have been doing since mid-March.

Iraq confirmed its first case of COVID-19 in late February after the protests had already lost much of their initial momentum. Tension between the United States and Iran as well as other power struggles reduced participation significantly in the prior two months.

When Al-Monitor visited the square in the early afternoon of Feb. 26, the iconic high-rise known as the “Turkish restaurant,” which had been occupied by protestors for months, was empty and men stood guard nearby, watching everyone suspiciously. There were a few people in the tents and a loudspeaker blaring a recording of an Islamic greeting followed by the words by Muqtada Sadr about Iraqis of all sects and religion being Iraqis first and foremost and ending with “We will not let the corrupt politicians divide us.”

Al-Monitor had first met Nizar that afternoon in late February near Khilani Square, when protesters were trying to regain the square that they had lost in previous weeks. Many were throwing rocks at the security forces, lighting fires and yelling angrily. Three young men had died there the previous day, allegedly shot by security forces.

For months the protesters had held three major bridges and the squares near them, only to have their protest area reduced to Tahrir Square and its surroundings.

The tunnel under Tahrir Square, embellished with revolutionary graffiti, has been frequently featured by the international press since the protests started. For months, the street linking the two squares was filled with slogan-chanting marchers waving the Iraqi flag and other banners.

Al-Monitor had been warned by one Sadr supporter in January, however, not to go past a certain point on the street at night, as “those are a different type of people down there” closer to Khilani Square, near Sinak Bridge leading to the Iranian Embassy on the other side of the river.

In February, Nizar had noted that he thought the protesters should not be trying to regain Khilani Square, and especially not through violent means. He said he was there to be “a good influence” on them and try to convince them to go back.

During the April 1 Whatsapp conversation, Nizar denied that there had been any clashes in the area or that protesters had been attacked in recent weeks.

Other sources claim that security forces and others had attacked them in recent days. Many protesters and activists are hesitant to speak after a rash of kidnappings and killings in previous months.

In Nasiriya, a city known for decades as a revolutionary incubator and where dozens were killed in a brutal crackdown on a single day in November, protesters remain in the now-iconic Habboubi Square.

Clashes reportedly broke out between security forces and protesters in Nasiriyah April 3. 

Ali, an activist and education ministry official Al-Monitor met during a previous reporting trip to the city in November, said in a Whatsapp conversation on April 1 that “about 200” protesters remain in the area but protesting had been suspended in order to “protect public health,” the safeguarding of which was one of the reasons for the protests in the first place.

The widespread corruption protesters have railed against has long been seen as detrimental to vital health care and services for the country’s citizens.

This sentiment was acutely felt and frequently expressed to Al-Monitor during visits to homes in impoverished areas such as Sadr City, where this reporter met with family members of young men killed by security forces or others in the first protests in October. In those homes, elections were seldom mentioned but demands for access to proper health care were constant.

In Basra, violent protests were sparked last year over a serious crisis created by contaminated water that had hospitalized thousands of residents.

Now, in Nasiriya’s Habboubi Square, Ali said, “We have formed teams to clean the tents and the square constantly,” adding that the teams are provided masks and gloves.

During Al-Monitor's November trip prior to the discovery of the COVID-19 virus, those tasked with cleaning had already been wearing masks and volunteers had been regularly cleaning the streets and tents.

Ali claimed that in late January, “militias linked to Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq,” which have recently been disseminating videos of their supporters spraying disinfectant on Baghdad's streets, “burned our tents, killed six protesters and wounded many others.”

Engaging key tribal leaders in negotiations “with the militias,” he said, has lowered the threats they posed for the moment.

“But I still can’t sleep at home,” he claimed, saying he hadn’t been able to do so for months due to his initial high profile within the city’s protests and the risks of being kidnapped or killed even now.

 

Shelly Kittleson is a journalist specializing in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Her work has been published in several international, US and Italian media outlets.

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Today ... a Chinese medical mission arrives in Iraq with a batch of health aid

 

 

 

12:23 - 04/08/2020

 

The Iraqi Red Crescent Society announced, Wednesday, the arrival of a second medical delegation from the Chinese Red Cross to Iraq this evening aboard an Iraqi Air Force plane. Iraq has carried out a large number of field visits and held meetings to transfer its expertise in the face of Virus Covid 19 Corona. 

"The batch includes personal protection equipment for workers in health institutions, including protective suits, masks, and medical protection masks, as well as a scanner device to detect lung injury cases and Chinese medicine," the association said in a statement received / information / copy.

The statement added, "The medical assistance received from China is part of a prior cooperation between the Chinese Red Cross and the Iraqi Red Crescent, which includes other batches that will arrive later and all will be handed over to the Ministry of Health."

He explained, “A second mission of the Chinese Red Cross experts will arrive today to support the Iraqi Red Crescent and health personnel in strengthening their capabilities to confront Corona, which will join the first mission currently in

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Iran calls on IMF to give it urgent loan to counter Covid-19

 

8th April, 2020

 

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday called on the International Monetary Fund to grant his country, which is one of the countries most affected by the emerging Corona virus, the urgent loan of five billion dollars it requested to deal with the epidemic

Rouhani declared during a cabinet session, "I call on all international organizations to assume their responsibilities. "We are a member country of the International Monetary Fund (...) And if there is a distinction between Iran and other countries on granting loans, neither we nor the public will generally accept this," he said in televised statements

On March 12, Iran announced that it had invited the IMF to assume its responsibilities and requested, exceptionally, assistance to cope with the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic

Iran has not received assistance from the IMF since it obtained a "support loan" between 1960 and 1962, that is, before the establishment of the Islamic Republic in 1979, according to IMF data

On March 12, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif wrote on Twitter "our central bank's request for immediate access" to the IMF's fast financing tool

According to the website of the International Monetary Fund, the rapid financing tool provides "rapid financial assistance to all member states in urgent need

Iran maintains that the new Corona virus has killed more than 3,800 people and infected more than 6,2500 in the country but abroad, some question the authenticity of the figures published by the Iranian authorities and are suspected to be less than the reality

On Wednesday, Rouhani said, "If the Fund does not fulfill its obligations in these difficult situations, the world will see them differently

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NO NO NO because all know that the citizens will not benefit 

from any loan.

41 minutes ago, DinarThug said:

On Wednesday, Rouhani said, "If the Fund does not fulfill its obligations in these difficult situations, the world will see them differently

 

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Pompeo: Washington plans to start a strategic dialogue with Iraq in mid-June

 

8th April, 2020

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US administration plans to open a strategic dialogue with Iraq in the middle of next June, and that his designation for the head of the negotiating delegation, David Hill, is the third man in the US State Department, indicating that an agreement has been reached with Baghdad on the issue and the date.

He added: The importance of the Iraqi government's commitment to the reform process necessary to build a sovereign Iraq that is independent from the sectarian pattern that has led to corruption and terrorism. He clarified that the dialogue should rise on the basis of such criteria that Washington wants to enter into a strategic dialogue with Iraq to confront the violence and the threats that the return of terrorism might bring.

 The minister stressed what he called the Trump administration's message, which was built from the start on the basis of ensuring a political path for Iraq going forward.

And, at the end of January 2020, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo indicated that discussions with many Iraqi leaders continued about Washington's support for the fight against ISIS. They explained that they are constantly discussing with many Iraqi and Kurdish leaders, all of whom express their support for the fight against the criminal organization ISIS.

The House of Representatives approved, earlier, a decision committing the government to work to end the presence of any foreign forces on Iraqi soil, and this came during an extraordinary session in the presence of the head of the caretaker government, Adel Abdul Mahdi.

The discussion of removing the 5,200 American forces from the country comes after the assassination of the head of the Iranian Quds Force, Qassem Soleimani, and Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, deputy head of the Iraqi Popular Mobilization Organization, along with eight others.

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US report highlights secret war between global intelligence services due to "Corona"

10:45 Tuesday 07 April 2020

 

Baghdad - people

 

Researcher Calder Walton, author of “The Empire of Secrets: British Intelligence, the Cold War, and the Decline of an Empire,” sees the Corona virus epidemic currently sweeping the world more than just an emergency health condition and poses unprecedented dangers to US and international national security. A number of heads of state, similar to a major war that killed a large number of people.

In a report published by Foreign Policy, Walton followed, "Walton" pointed to the great role that intelligence services play in this conflict. This role will be practiced largely in secrecy, but that will not diminish its importance.

According to the report, intelligence services will participate in the war against Covid-19 through four means. First, these devices will provide decision makers with estimates of the spread and impact of the virus. The CIA currently has a facility dedicated to fighting Covid-19, the National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI), in Maryland. Epidemiologists, virologists and other experts work at the center. Building on previous Cold War activity, the National Intelligence Center appointed and authorized America when it came to biological threats from 2008 to Covid 19.

According to public reports, prepared in January and February this year, intelligence services warned the Trump administration of the risk of the virus spreading from the Chinese city of Wuhan.

U.S. President Donald Trump is rumored to have ignored these warnings. But the initial dealing with Covid 19 was not the result of the failure of the American intelligence to warn decision makers, but rather a political failure, and if these reports were believed, it would be the most severe and dangerous political failure in American history.

Espionage, or what is known as stealing secrets, is a second way that enables intelligence to participate in the fight of Covid-19. Espionage reveals secrets others would like to hide. And by Covid-19, US intelligence will be able to provide unique information - not available from any other source - for decision makers in Washington about other countries' secrets about the virus, including whether their official infection rates are correct.

These secrets are especially important to reveal what is going on inside closed regimes like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. According to US intelligence estimates, China concealed the outbreak at the beginning of the virus, while Russia initially announced a few infection rates, but now it imposed strict measures and a curfew.

As a result, US intelligence and its partners will play major roles in verifying their official numbers. Some of that information will be received through espionage operations, the old method of recruiting human elements who have access to relevant classified information.

That information will undoubtedly come through technical intelligence, what is known as signal intelligence or satellite intelligence, which indicates a country’s deception about Covid-19.

The third way in which intelligence will play a leading role in responding to the Coronavirus, and subsequent epidemics, will be achieved by combating media misinformation.

According to the report's author, today, Beijing and Washington are fighting a propaganda battle to lead the world in eliminating Covid-19.

The writer believes that in light of the high rates of infection in the United States and the number of deaths in America exceeding the numbers in China, the United States appears defeated in that battle of soft power. Whether or not the Chinese political bureau knew, his false claim of knowledge of the source of the virus, is said to be a use of the conspiracy theory developed by the Soviet Union during the Cold War when it was rumored that the US military had developed HIV.

The author believes that in the face of a deadly new virus, which has no cure, it is no wonder that fear, chaos and panic prevail in societies around the world, and they have easy prey to mislead an official or unofficial media. During the Cold War, the United States devised a successful strategy (AMWG) to counter Soviet media misinformation about HIV.

According to the report, the same strategy can now be implemented, and the formation of contemporary AMWG to combat media misinformation as well as other intelligence means such as surveillance to eliminate Covid-19 and similar epidemics.

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The release of frozen Iranian funds in Europe

 

 

8th April, 2020

The Governor of the Central Bank of Iran, Abdul Nasser Hamti, revealed on Wednesday, Iranian funds that were released, after they had been frozen in Luxembourg since 2015.

The official said that a judicial decision had been issued to release $ 1.6 billion of funds that were frozen in Luxembourg, despite American pressure.

The governor of the Central Bank of Iran added that the freed funds were frozen in Luxembourg about 5 years ago, noting that thanks to judicial follow-up initiated by the Iranian Central Bank, the US efforts to stop and seize Iranian frozen funds in Europe were thwarted.

The governor also revealed another court decision that prevented the delivery of the frozen funds in Luxembourg to the United States to compensate the victims of the events of September 11.

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Washington's relationship with Baghdad is at stake. The pressure campaign against the militias

 

- One Hour Passed

 

 

Washington runs the risk that the strategy of containing Iran in Iraq revert to it by pressuring the Iraqi government and the constant threat of sanctions to push the government to engage in a clear and direct confrontation with Iran and contain militias loyal to Tehran, especially in light of the current challenges and the increasingly complex economic situation with the Virus Covid crisis-19 and the decline in oil prices .

Washington - There is a debate in the American decision-making community regarding the risk of escalation against Iraqi militias backed by Iran, amid the turmoil that prevails in the country due to the ongoing political crisis and the complexities of the new Corona virus crisis, which may lead to adverse results for Iraq and the United States, and is in the interest of Iran and the militias, Even terrorist organizations.

After the attack on the US embassy in Baghdad, Trump promised to punish Iran for its actions. The attack was preceded by a week of violence, in which the militia of Iran attacked an Iraqi military base, killing an American civilian contractor and wounding several American soldiers. In response, the United States launched three air strikes on the same Iraqi militia.

These operations put the Iraqi government in a dilemma, as it is an ally of the two parties, while observers expect that Iraq will witness similar escalations, which puts the US administration facing a dilemma, on the one hand, it needs a response to the attacks targeting its forces, and on the other hand there is fear that the escalation will lead to chaos New in the country.

This last scenario may force a review of the decision to withdraw US and international forces, which has already begun, as US forces and the international coalition began last month to hand over bases in Qaim, Qayyarah, Nineveh, and K1 in Kirkuk to Iraqi forces.

This controversy was revealed by leaked documents from the Pentagon, which clarified the details of a meeting that gathered in late March, leaders of the American Army. The details revealed what was announced about the confusion over the position of the militias, which intensified their attacks on targets close to the sites of the United States and its allies in the country.

The documents show, according to the American Stratfor Center for Security and Strategic Studies, that there is a push towards loading the Baghdad government, which has been struggling for a long time to balance its relations with Washington and Tehran, and a greater role in this confrontation, especially after the United States granted Iraq exceptions that include concessions On some sanctions, provided that Baghdad takes measures to reduce its dependence on Iran.

Observers link this position to the announcement of US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on a "strategic dialogue" that will be convened next June between Washington and Baghdad to take a decision on the future presence of American forces in Iraq, which the Iraqi parliament rejects.

Pompeo said it would "be the first review of all issues related to US-Iraqi relations, including the future of American forces" in the country, noting that "with the epidemic of 19-outbreaks of the world and oil revenues that are declining and threatening the Iraqi economy to collapse, it is important for our governments to cooperate So that the victories over the Islamic State and the efforts made to stabilize the country are in vain. "

However, observers do not expect that this dialogue will achieve, if any, any significant progress as long as the Iraqi decision remains dependent on Iran and the militias have been a difficult figure in the current Iraqi equation, especially since the pro-Iranian parties are working to arm the street against the American presence.

The Iraqi parliament has officially voted to demand the withdrawal of the US forces present in the country. This vote further strained relations between Baghdad and Washington, complicating recent efforts to contain Iran and eliminate its influence in Iraq. Washington considers this goal a key to ensuring Iraqi stability under a government friendly to the United States.

But Emily Hawthorne, an analyst for the Middle East and North Africa at the Stratfor Center, notes that by tightening pressure on Baghdad under these conditions, the United States risks eliminating its remaining relationships with parties in the Iraqi government, which means that the strategy to confront Iran in Iraq may bounce back. on her.

Despite the popular protests against the ruling class and the Iraqi militias loyal to Iran, these militias have influence and have become an essential component of the security forces and government in Baghdad. This means, according to Hawthorne, that it is the government in Baghdad that bears a political cost every time the United States attacks a group backed by Tehran.

At present, the Iraqi government is unable to control the militias that will continue to fight for their survival and the achievement of Iran's regional goals. And if the United States intensifies its bombing campaign against the Hezbollah brigades or other Iraqi militias backed by Iran, it risks stoking the anger of Iraqis who are fed up with the idea of turning them into a card in the battle between the United States and Iran.

Attempts to rein in the powerful militias in Iraq could further complicate the ability of Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Adnan al-Zarfi to form a government by fanning pro-Iranian parties to act against him and hinder his efforts.

Consequently, according to Hawthorne, the response of the Iraqi government that issued defensive statements in response to the US bombing of the militias and their continued threat of sanctions is "logical." Meanwhile, Washington is relocating its military forces in the country to eventually reduce its numbers, sparking mixed reactions in Iraq whose government has remained unstable since Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi resigned in October 2019.

Those close to Iran celebrate this situation, while those close to Washington fear the opportunities that the American absence of ISIS and other terrorist groups may provide, especially in light of the fragile Iraqi economy that faces the Corona crisis and the decline in oil prices.

For years, the United States has been pressuring Iraq to keep it out of Iranian energy supplies. However, Washington increased this pressure by shortening the period of exemption from the latest sanctions to 30 days before it began to impose sanctions on Iraq's imports of Iranian natural gas. (The United States decided to allow Iraq to continue importing gas and electricity from Iran in February. But the exemption period has decreased from 120 days, to 45, and now to 30 days.)

This decision is an attempt to compel Iraq to show progress in its stated goal of replacing all of its Iranian exports. It is reported that Iraq’s consumption of Iranian gas imports increased from 24 to 31 percent between 2018 and 2019.

However, reducing this consumption will require massive international investment. Now, the double economic shocks of the Covid-19 epidemic and the drop in oil prices stimulated by the recent collapse of OPEC cooperation will make completing this economic reform in such a short period of time an almost impossible task for Baghdad.

Despite exporting almost the same amount of oil, Iraq achieved about two billion dollars less in revenue on its oil shipments last March compared to February, which confirms the shrinking of global demand. These factors increase the pressure on Iraq’s financial reserves.

Hawthorne says that with no clear end to the epidemic, its economic repercussions are piling up. The ongoing global health and economic crisis threatens the Iraqi government’s ability to maintain a balanced budget and provide basic government services, which impedes its ability to impose profound structural changes on the energy, electricity and services sector in general, and again raises the level of popular protests.

As more people remain in their homes for fear of infection, fewer Iraqis have taken to the streets in recent weeks to express their anger. However, after the health crisis begins to recede, and with the approaching summer and a shortage of water and power cuts again, the demonstrations will return.

The Stratfor Center report concludes that choosing to escalate pressure at a time when Iraq is already grappling with these severe economic and political risks can backfire on the United States by turning Baghdad into a less allied party in the American war to contain Iranian influence, and to a less-compliance ally in The ongoing global battle against terrorism, of which Iraq remains an important arena.

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Upcoming dialogue between Baghdad and Washington ... and the American military presence are the most prominent files

- 6 Hours Ago

 

 

Iraqi and US officials this week frequently speak of an imminent comprehensive dialogue between Baghdad and Washington that will focus on the future of the US presence in Iraq.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that his country plans to start a strategic dialogue with Iraq in mid-June, explaining, in an interview with reporters from Washington, that the dialogue will discuss strategic issues of concern to the two countries, including the future of the presence of American forces on Iraqi soil, And that is one day after the head of the Iraqi caretaker government, Adel Abdul-Mahdi, met the American ambassador in Baghdad, Matthew Toller, and Abdul-Mahdi welcomed the opening of a strategic dialogue between Iraq and the United States of America, in order to achieve mutual interests.

A senior Iraqi government official told Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that the American forces and their presence in Iraq will be at the top of the files, pointing out that the Americans want Iraq in return to abide by neutrality and its disengagement from the Iranian regime, to stop the militia’s infiltration and to conduct elections whose results will be from the voices of the Iraqis.

He indicated that the Iraqi authorities, whether they are in the current government or in the next government, will spare no effort to end the tension caused by the presence of the Americans in Iraq, especially in light of the existence of a parliamentary decision supporting the government's directions to remove foreign forces, especially the American ones.

He added, however, that everything must be done according to the diplomatic frameworks, because the international coalition forces entered Iraq by a decision of the government, and that their exit should be with specific understandings that do not harm Iraq’s relationship with the countries that supported it in the fight against ISIS.
According to Hamid Al-Mutlaq, a former member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, entering the United States of America in a strategic dialogue does not mean that it has become weak, assuring Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed that the Americans have a great desire to achieve their interests for which they have made losses in Iraq, as is the case with Iranians who will not give up their expansionist tendencies.

He continued, "Unfortunately, the American-Iranian conflict is taking place today on Iraqi soil," noting that any conflict or dialogue between them will not be in the interest of Iraq.

He pointed out that politics is sometimes by force, and sometimes by softness, so Americans use different policies to achieve their interests in Iraq, ranging from threats, promises, diplomacy, and dialogue.

He added that "Iran is now the weaker party in the conflict between Washington and Tehran," stressing that what is happening from a strategic dialogue cannot be separated from other events that Iraq has witnessed recently, such as the repeated shelling of bases in which American forces are present, and the Americans withdrawing from some of their headquarters, because politics completes Some of them, he said.

In the context, Member of Parliament Hassan Faddam said that the dialogue between Iraq and America will include several files, stressing, in a press statement, that foreign forces should not remain on Iraqi soil, because this presence provokes Iran and some Iraqi armed factions.
The talk of Iraqi and American officials about the intention to start a strategic dialogue coincided with the withdrawal of American soldiers from several Iraqi military bases, and the threats made by armed Iraqi factions against the American presence in Iraq, which they considered an "occupation", which was followed by the bombing of Katyusha rockets at the headquarters of an American company in Basra, the extreme Southern Iraq.

Likewise, the positions of the Iraqi “Hezbollah Brigades” militia on the American presence in Iraq varied in conjunction with Abdul Mahdi’s talk about opening a dialogue between Baghdad and Washington.

While the spokesman for the militia of the “Hezbollah Brigades” Muhammad Muhyi confirmed that “the resistance factions” are present on the ground, and are ready to face any threat, the military commander told “Hezbollah Brigades” Abu Ahmed Al-Basri in a statement carried by the Iranian “IRNA” agency that the top leaders issued Orders to stop carrying out military operations against American forces as long as they continue to withdraw from their bases.

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New Arab

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Dimensions of the US military build-up

- 6 Hours Ago

 

 

For weeks now, the United States has been tirelessly mobilizing and mobilizing militarily inside Iraq, and in the waters and countries of the Arab Gulf, without specifying the goal of this large campaign. And its proxies are planning successive attacks on our forces or our interests in Iraq, ”he said.“ If that happens, Tehran will pay the heavy price, ”meaning that, with the prospect of a future confrontation.

Likewise, a US official told Reuters earlier this month that, "American intelligence information about a possible Iranian-backed attack on American forces and installations in Iraq indicates that it will be a denial attack and not similar to the missile attack launched by Tehran in Iraq in January ( January).

But the size of the massive mobilization by sea, land and air, as the total number of American ships of aircraft carriers, frigates, barges and destroyers reached more than 65 marine vessels, more than 60 smart Patriot missile batteries were shipped to the region, the redeployment of American forces in Iraq, and the construction of a new base Near Sinjar, in Nineveh Governorate, with the arrival of convoys of vehicles, armored vehicles, tanks, and squadrons of planes, including the giant B52 (B52), these military cardinals do not balance just to confront an Iranian plot that may not happen.

It is unreasonable for the American administration to move and spend this huge military effort, and the state’s treasury bears the cost of this mobilization and massive mobilization, and the possibility of using it or not is possible, just as Iran and its state arms are fully aware, they are not able to resolve the field, neither in terms of military technology, nor of coverage Popular embraces it, yet its series of strikes against the American forces and the Washington embassy in Baghdad have not been interrupted.

Despite the world’s conditions due to the Corona outbreak and injuries to American soldiers, Deputy Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff John Hayten confirmed the continuation of US military operations abroad, and told a group of journalists, “There is no impact on operations, the tasks we are currently conducting around the world do not It is still being implemented according to the same rules and the same model. ”He explained that“ the virus has no effect on these missions, ”and that the number of soldiers infected with the virus abroad is“ very limited. ”

However, the Pentagon announced a two-month freeze on all movements of US military personnel around the world, including operations to send soldiers to combat areas or repatriate them, in its efforts to stem the spread of Corona.

And if these circumstances necessitate delaying the possible collision, but it will not cancel its gravity, especially after the recent visit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Chief Ismail Qazani to Baghdad, and the news that has leaked, not to retract the Iranian position towards the American pressure, and that the position of the Prime Minister in Iraq does not occupy him except The pro-Iran, meaning that the commissioner Adnan Al-Zarfi may face the fate of his predecessor, Muhammad Allawi himself, so do not pass it to him in the House of Representatives, which is dominated by parties and movements loyal to Iran.

And when the new American military action is distinguished in six provinces that have a majority of Sunnis, in which the prevalence of the state factions is widespread, a change has occurred in the White House strategy towards Iraq, and what the New York Times revealed reveals more about this approach, as the US Secretary of Defense allowed Mark Asper is planning a new campaign aimed at destroying Iranian-backed armed groups, which have threatened to launch more attacks against American forces, especially against the Iraqi Hizballah Brigades, which has previously adopted hostile attacks, and is characterized by a special weight as it has military components, a political wing, and ties With politicians and polytheists T. commercial and Iraqi charities.

Apparently, the direction of the current US policy is to destroy the state factions, which means ending Iran's domination of Iraq, which requires an escalation of the American battle on Iraqi soil, and if that is the case, we can discern the dimensions of this current military momentum.

First, the political process has reached a dead end, as a result of worsening conflicts and disputes between its parties, whose interactions have reached the Shiite political class between pro-Iran or America.

Second, the catastrophic failure of this political process that has not accomplished any of the projects, due to the escalation of financial and administrative corruption that has raged in the joints of the state over many years.

Third, the deep state control represented by armed groups supported by Iran, as it has won the prestige of the state, and imposed its influence on the political, social and life realities.

Fourth, the Iraqi youth uprising, in the predominantly Shiite provinces, with peaceful demonstrations and sit-ins that have been going on for half a year, in which hundreds of dead, thousands of wounded and handicapped people were present, and were separated between the national Shi'a and the state Shi'a.

Fifth, the Iranian regime's looseness in fighting the Corona outbreak, and its loss of many leaders who were killed by the virus, made it suffer from clear dispersion and turmoil.

Sixth, the US sanctions against Iran have reached severe levels, and they have further weakened the political system, economically, financially, and commercially.

Seventh, the general mood of the Iraqi people tends toward the American side against the Iranians, especially after the killing of the terrorist Qassem Soleimani.

Eighth, the Trump administration’s tendencies to cancel the exception granted to Iraq by importing gas and electricity from Iran, due to the Baghdad government’s lack of seriousness in finding an alternative, Saudi Arabia and Egypt as a model.

If this is a set of reasons that the United States might see as a favorable opportunity to get rid of the Iranian-backed factions, according to my perception, and despite the need to raise the big stick, the trend towards dismantling the foundations on which the state factions are based is also important, namely, a new fatwa From Ali al-Sistani, with the absence of “Kafai jihad”… a new law enacted to abolish the “Popular Mobilization Committee”, and a government decision to halt the financial and military support of the crowd.

The reasons for its existence faded after the disappearance of the “ISIS” threat, the enforcement of the law against the heinous crimes committed by these sectarian factions, and highlighting the acts of terrorism it committed and others, support the dimensions of the current American military momentum. And if Iran retracts the implementation of its plan, which is more likely, the result of the military build-up will be as in May 2019, which makes the region unstable in the foreseeable time.

Imad Al-Din Al-Jubouri

Independent Arabic

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The US State Department: We are watching Iran's actions in Iraq

 

Last updated: April 8, 2020 - 2:03 am

 Baghdad / Iraq News Network - 

The US State Department said, today, that it is monitoring what it called `` Iran's actions in Iraq '' despite the crisis of the Coronavirus virus outbreak. 

Recently launched on US bases and coalition forces in Iraq, Trump said that our preoccupation with the conditions resulting from the fight against the Corona virus does not mean that we are ignoring the situation in the region. In Iraq, it is very important for President Tram B and Foreign Minister Pompeo. 

”Ortagos continued:“ Trump has warned that the Iran-backed militias in Iraq are responsible, Iran cannot say that we did not do so but the militias that carried out the attacks, we consider Iran to be responsible, and it is better for the Iranian regime To demonstrate a normal behavior by putting his people on his priorities ”, as she put it. 

The spokeswoman stressed that "Washington is still committed to what I previously presented with a proposal to provide aid to Iran, and we remain committed to our proposal to provide support to the Iranian people and help in combating the Corona virus, without any return." 

She added: "We know that at least 17 Iranian officials have died, Because of the Corona virus, this proves that the Iranian regime does not have the ability to confront the Corona virus. ”

Ortagos stated:“ These days are difficult for all of us, so it is time for us to put political differences aside and help each other as human beings. The American government wants to help the Iranian people and not have Another program, expect from Allen Or to help the Iranian people rather than anti-Americanism ".ufema for the imposition of sanctions on medical materials, Ortagos said.

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[DinarThug]

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NATO Enhances Training Mission in Iraq

 

 

7th April, 2020

The coronavirus pandemic dominated a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels last week, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

"We addressed a number of issues, including our missions in Afghanistan and Iraq and our support for Georgia and Ukraine, but our response to the COVID-19 was at the top of our agenda," the secretary general said.

In a joint declaration, the 30 foreign ministers expressed sympathy for victims of the virus, and paid tribute to the health care workers on the front lines in the battle against the virus. Many of the NATO allies' service members are among those working against the virus.

"NATO was created to deal with crises, so we can help," Stoltenberg said. "Our alliance is playing its part."

"Ministers agreed to enhance our training mission in Iraq, taking on some of the training activities of the Global Coalition, including the training and education of noncommissioned officers, engineers and federal police," the secretary general said, adding that this is all done in close cooperation with Iraqi authorities.

[DinarThug]

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Iraq produces COVID-19 laboratory supplies to more rapidly test cases

 

7th April, 2020

In cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO), the COVID-19 Crisis Cell of Basrah University in southern Iraq has successfully produced urgently needed laboratory supplies to speed up testing of suspected cases.

The global demand on supplies and equipment to fight COVID-19 has created a worldwide shortage of supplies. In particular, stocks of virus transport medium (VTM) - a gel-like substance used to preserve nasal swab specimens while they are being transported to laboratories - have been low.

As of 1 April, the University manufacturing team produced more than 1620 VTM, in addition to 3200 nasal swabs. These were delivered to health directorates in Iraq's Basra, Muthana, Karbala, and Wasit governorates.

This new production, along with the Reverse Transcriptase-PRC (RT-PCR) kits provided by WHO, has facilitated the testing of hundreds of suspected cases in southern Iraq.

"The latest bottleneck to contain and reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Iraq has been the shortage of supplies and equipment needed to collect and transport samples," said Dr Adham Ismail, WHO Representative in Iraq. "For this, WHO and Basra University have coordinated efforts to produce the essential laboratory products needed to test suspected cases, and together, we set the overall goal for supplying the quantities needed countrywide," he added.

The new local production of VTM and swabs is a collective effort by Basra University, WHO, and other faculties like Al Zahraa Medical College, Faculty of Pharmacy, College of Sciences, and College of Agriculture, all in Basrah governorate. "We hope this will solve the domestic shortage issue resulting from the global demand," said Dr Saad Shahin, President of Basra University.

The Basrah Crisis Cell has also announced 3 other COVID-19 response measures, including an online application for COVID-19 self-reporting. So far, the app has been used by 4500 applicants, of whom 130 qualified for further testing by the RT-PCR kits.

Disinfectants and sterilization material, including hand-rub gel, have also been produced locally with support from WHO and the Government of Iraq.

[DinarThug]

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Defense: Our coordination is high with the coalition forces on foreign presence

 

 

9th April, 2020

Minister of Defense, Najah Al-Shammari, confirmed today, Thursday, that Iraqi security forces have high coordination with the international coalition on the foreign presence in the country.

Al-Arabiya Al-Hadath TV quoted Shammari as saying that "the international coalition forces led by the United States of America are stationed in only three regions."

During the past few days, American forces withdrew from military bases in northern and western Iraq, and handed them over to the Iraqi army, to be stationed in a smaller number of bases.

[DinarThug]

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Baghdad Operations: Arrest of 17,394 violators of the curfew and seizing 1074 wheels and motorcycles

 

 

 

22:06 - 09/04/2020

 

 

On Thursday, the Baghdad Operations Command announced the arrest of more than 17,394 violators of the curfew in the capital since its application.

The command said in a statement received / information /, “ The security forces in the Baghdad Operations Command in all its formations, from March 17 to the ninth day of April, and during the implementation of the preventive curfew measures inside the capital, managed to arrest 17394 violators, while seizing 1074 wheels and various motorcycles The number of fines reached 42,987 fine, and it facilitated the entry of 12,886 carrying wheels carrying foodstuffs to Baghdad.

[jcfrag]

🤣  It’s legal for the politicians to steal, sellout their votes, their services, their balls.....  but now those protestors better not do anything illegal!!  😄

Let’s make sure the cat stays in charge of the canaries! 🤪