The Pentagon: The American base in Erbil was targeted by 14 missiles

[yota691]

The Pentagon: The American base in Erbil was targeted by 14 missiles

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16/2/2021 15:12:00

 

 

       

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The Pentagon revealed that "the American base in Erbil was targeted by 14 missiles, 4 of which hit buildings there," noting that "the attack killed a civilian contractor and wounded 5 Americans, including a soldier."

The spokesperson for Operation Inherent Resolve, Colonel Wayne Maruto, indicated that "the Iraqi Joint Task Force confirmed that 14 107 mm rockets were fired, with 3 of them landing inside the eastern region on February 15 at 21:00 hours." : 30 Iraq time, and one civilian contractor (not an American) was killed and 9 others were wounded (8 local contractors and 1 American soldier).

 

PUKmedia US Department of Defense

[yota691]

Al-Kazemi orders the formation of a joint investigation committee with the Kurdistan region, against the backdrop of the Erbil attack

by Moahmmad Editor Iraq news 2 Hours ago

The Security Media Cell announced that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi directed the formation of a joint investigative committee with the Kurdistan Region against the background of the Erbil attack.

According to a statement issued by the cell: The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces is directing the formation of a joint investigative committee with the competent authorities in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, to find out who is behind the accident that a number of missiles fell on Erbil International Airport and its approaches on Monday evening, which led to the injury of a number of Persons, according to the statement.

Several rockets fell on the city of Erbil, some of them in the Waziran neighborhood and another on the 40-meter street.

[yota691]

Nechirvan Barzani calls for an UN urging the Iraqi government to implement the constitution and Article 140 in particular

Tuesday 16, February 2021 11:22 | Political Views: 260

Baghdad / NINA / The President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, called today, Tuesday, the Security Council and the United Nations to take the risks of the missile attack that targeted Erbil yesterday evening, seriously, and work to end the threats to the people of the Kurdistan region by urging the Iraqi government to implement the Iraqi constitution and Article 140 In particular.

And he called in a statement: The Iraqi government to activate the coordination mechanism with the Kurdistan region and to immediately start an investigation through a joint committee between Erbil and Baghdad to pursue the perpetrators.


Barzani called on the Prime Minister, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, and the leadership of the International Coalition Forces in Iraq to activate the coordination mechanism with the Kurdistan region quickly, and for Asayish and Peshmerga forces to work with the army, security services and Iraqi forces in cooperation with the coalition in the region and in coordination with them.

Barzani pointed out that: The absence of coordination and the presence of some armed forces and groups outside the authority and authority of the federal government has become a reason for stirring up tensions in the region and the presence of constant threats to the Kurdistan Region. / End 3

[yota691]

Al-Kazemi: The terrorist act that targeted Kurdistan aims to create chaos

Policy

2021-02-16 | 08:44

 

 

153 views

 

Today, Tuesday, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces confirmed that targeting the Kurdistan region aims to create chaos and shuffle the cards.

Al-Kazemi said during the cabinet session, according to a statement from his office received by Al-Sumaria News, that "the terrorist act that targeted the Kurdistan region aims to create chaos and shuffle the cards," pointing out that "this terrorist act comes with the great efforts made by the government to calm the situation in the region and banish the country." About conflicts and that Iraq should not be a back garden.

 

 

 

"We have directed a joint investigation between the federal government and the regional government to arrest the criminals," he added.

 

Al-Kazemi pointed out that “our heroic security forces managed to arrest the gang (death squads) that killed a number of citizens, activists and media workers in Basra,” stressing that “the government will not forget the blood of the citizens and those who killed them, and are determined to move forward in this aspect.” .

[Pitcher]

Iran is testing Biden.  
 

Biden’s response, “do whatever you want”. 

[Jaygo]

12 minutes ago, Pitcher said:

Iran is testing Biden.  
 

Biden’s response, “do whatever you want”. 

🤦🏻

[southbeach]

Maybe not.  They can't afford him.

[coorslite21]

A different view point....video of the blast...

Do read the comments if able.....CL

 

 

 

[yota691]

Al-Kazemi and Blinken discuss accountability for those responsible for the Erbil attack and the security of US forces in Baghdad

•  Time: 02/17/2021 02:06:24
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•  Read: 4,485 times

  

{International: Al Furat News} The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken discussed by phone the repercussions of the missile strikes on Erbil's international rains last Monday evening.

The US State Department said that Blinken, "in contact with Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi, expressed his dissatisfaction with the missile attacks in Erbil."
She added, "Blinken encouraged Al-Kazemi to continue working closely with the Kurdistan government to confront extremists."
She indicated that the two sides "discussed the ongoing efforts to identify those responsible for the Erbil attacks and hold them accountable."
And she added, "Blinken and Al-Kazemi discussed Baghdad's responsibility and its commitment to protecting American and coalition forces in Iraq."
Ammar Al-Masoudi

[yota691]

America, Britain, France, Germany and Italy issue a joint statement about the Erbil attack

•  Time: 02/17/2021 09:58:30
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•  Read: 3,497 times

  

{Follow-up: Al Furat News} The US State Department issued a joint statement with Britain, France, Germany and Italy about the missile attacks in Erbil.

The statement was issued by United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab following the February fifteenth attack on the Kurdistan region of Iraq:
The text of the statement read:
We, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, condemn in the strongest terms the missile attack on February 15th against the Kurdistan region of Iraq. "We extend our condolences to the victims, their families, and the Iraqi people. Together, our governments will support the Iraqi government's investigation into the attack with the aim of holding those responsible accountable," the statement added.

He concluded, "We are united in our view that attacks on personnel and facilities of the United States and the coalition will not be tolerated."

[yota691]

The White House comments on the bombing of Erbil

•  Time: 02/16/2021 20:36:30
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•  Read: 4,199 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The US White House commented, on Tuesday, on the bombing of Erbil airport last night.

"We are studying the circumstances of the Erbil attack, and diplomacy remains a priority for us," a White House spokeswoman said.

"The White House is angry at the attack, which killed a civilian contractor and wounded 5 Americans," she said.

The Ministry of Interior in the Kurdistan region of Iraq revealed, on Tuesday, the source of the missiles that fell on the city of Erbil, targeting the vicinity of its international airport and residential neighborhoods.

The Ministry of Interior announced that the forces of the Counter-Terrorism Service, Asayish and the police, in coordination with the International Coalition, had found a missile launch pad used in the missile attack on Erbil on Monday evening, attached to a Kia car on the road between Erbil and Al-Kuwayr.

Raghad Daham

[yota691]

Defense Minister to his US counterpart: The party behind the Erbil attack will be held accountable

•  Time: 02/16/2021 21:05:02
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•  Read: 3,939 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The Minister of Defense, Jumah Inad, assured his US counterpart that the party behind the Erbil attack is held accountable

A statement by the Ministry of Defense stated that "stubbornness made a phone call to his American counterpart, Lloyd J Austin III, on the evening of Tuesday February 16 2021.
During the call, the terrorist attack that affected the governorate of Erbil was denounced on the evening of Monday, February 15, 2021.
" The statement added that "the two ministers extended their condolences to the families. The martyrs and their wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded, as Inad expressed his condemnation of the attack that affected the Kurdistan region, and his Excellency stated that a joint committee was formed to know the circumstances of this terrorist attack, and the Minister of Defense confirmed that the party behind this attack will be held accountable.
He indicated that during the call, an emphasis was placed on the continuation of joint cooperation between Iraq and the United States of America, especially with regard to the air effort, training fighters to reach their optimal readiness on the battlefield, as well as an emphasis on continuing military operations to eliminate the remnants of the terrorist ISIS remnants and expel them from the land of Iraq.

[yota691]

Washington on the Erbil attack: We reserve the right to respond at the place and time we choose

•  Time: 02/16/2021 21:09:48
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•  Read: 4,719 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) Washington affirmed that it reserves the right to respond to the attack that affected Erbil airport last night.

"We want to know what happened in Arbil, and we reserve the right to respond at the place and time we choose," the US State Department spokesman said.

"We are in the early stages of the investigation into what happened in Erbil, and we are not anticipating the events," he added.

Erbil International Airport and its approaches in the Kurdistan region, yesterday evening, Monday, were subjected to an attack with several missiles, killing one person and wounding eight others, including five at the airport and three others in the city, in addition to causing material damage to a number of homes and businesses.
It indicated, "A Kia vehicle was found between Erbil and Al Kuyer carrying several missiles," indicating that it is striking that the attack last night was carried out with the same mechanism, method and behavior that was used in the previous attack on Erbil International Airport, while investigations are still ongoing to reveal the perpetrators attack".
The International Coalition announced that a civilian contractor was killed, five civilian contractors were wounded, and one American soldier was wounded.
Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi said today that "the terrorist act that targeted the Kurdistan region aims to create chaos and shuffle the cards," considering that "this terrorist act comes with the great efforts made by the government to calm the situation in the region and keep the country away from conflicts and that Iraq is not a back garden for it." .

Raghad Daham

[yota691]

Al-Masoudi: The bombing of Erbil has a political and regional aspect

•  Time: 02/16/2021 21:12:43
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•  Read: 4,407 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The deputy of the Sairoun coalition, Riyad Al-Masoudi, confirmed that the bombing of Erbil has a political and regional aspect.

Al-Masoudi said {to the Euphrates News} that "harmony with what is happening in the Iraqi arena comes due to political differences before holding early elections on October 10, 2021."
He added, "The international, regional and domestic side is present, so there is no doubt that targeting Erbil airport means targeting the symbolism of this place and it has a political and regional side."
Yesterday, Monday, the city of Erbil, in the Kurdistan region, witnessed the fall of missiles targeting the airport, the Waziran neighborhood, and a 40-meter street.
The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, directed the formation of a joint investigation committee with the Kurdistan region against the background of the Erbil attack to find out who was behind the incident of a number of missiles on Erbil International Airport and its approaches on Monday evening, which resulted in the injury of a number of people.
Wafa Al-Fatlawi

[yota691]

The Pentagon: We will give Biden options to respond to the Erbil attack

•  Time: 02/16/2021 22:24:58
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•  Read: 6,604 times

  

{International: Al Furat News} A US Defense Department official said, Tuesday, that the Pentagon is still assessing the security and intelligence situation on the ground to determine who is responsible for the attacks that targeted Erbil.

The official added that the military commanders will provide recommendations for the options available to the administration of President, Joe Biden, to respond to the attacks, while it is up to the administration to take the appropriate decision about dealing with those attacks.

 The official emphasized that protecting US and coalition forces remains a priority for the United States. 

For his part, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that the United States is committed to supporting its Iraqi partners in their efforts to defend Iraqi sovereignty.

"The Iraqi people deserve a secure and stable Iraq," he affirmed in a phone call with his Iraqi counterpart, Jumah Inad.

The first phone call of its kind between the two defense ministers came hours after the missile attack that targeted Erbil airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, killing a contractor with the coalition forces and wounding Iraqi soldiers and civilians.

The US mission to the United Nations said that Washington would provide all support to investigate the attack, stressing that the Biden administration had a strategic plan to achieve stability in Iraq.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Iraq, Jenin Plasschaert, considered that these attacks target the stability of Iraq. She said, "We must focus on ending extremism and confronting threats on the ground in Iraq."

The United States, through its Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, pledged to hold accountable those responsible for the attack, which is considered the bloodiest against its forces in nearly a year in Iraq.

Raghad Daham

[yota691]

Member of Parliamentary Security: Al-Kazemi set the date for the delivery of the investigation of the bombing of Erbil ... and warns the region

•  Time: 02/16/2021 23:33:08
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•  Read: 7,995 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) Badr Al-Ziyadi, a member of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, confirmed that the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, has been set 7 days to submit an investigation report on the bombing of Erbil.

Al-Ziyadi said to the "Balmutara" program broadcast by the Al-Furat satellite channel this evening, "Al-Kazemi has formed a joint supreme committee to follow up the targeting of Erbil with missiles, and there is coordination with the international coalition, as it filmed the targeting and its launch sites not 7 km from the airport."
He added, "The security situation in the Kurdistan region is not reassuring due to Turkey's permission to enter its military forces deep into its lands to reach Sinjar and Nineveh."
"The messages of bombing Erbil are difficult and mean targeting any party and any region, and there are rapid and dangerous developments that will affect the stability of the region, and Turkey's invasion of the provinces of Kurdistan must not be tolerated," Ziyadi said. 
He suggested that "terrorist organizations are behind targeting Erbil to create discord, and the results of the investigation will show the perpetrators, as for Iran's accusation that it is behind these operations without evidence that is not valid."
"The regional situation is unstable and countries think that there will be chaos in Iraq, and the region must act to repel Turkey's incursion into its lands," Ziyadi noted.
And he demanded the federal government "not to allow its lands to be invaded by the Turkish forces, which are preparing to invade during the coming hours to reach Sinjar and even Nineveh."
Al-Ziyadi concluded that "in the event that the Turkish issue is not resolved, the region will remain in danger, and Iraq's sovereignty must be preserved."
Yesterday, Monday, the city of Erbil, in the Kurdistan region, witnessed the fall of missiles targeting the airport, the Waziran neighborhood, and a 40-meter street.
The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, directed the formation of a joint investigation committee with the Kurdistan region against the background of the Erbil attack to find out who was behind the incident of a number of missiles on Erbil International Airport and its approaches on Monday evening, which resulted in the injury of a number of people.
Wafa Al-Fatlawi 

[yota691]

A security expert explains why America is interested in bombing Erbil

•  Time: 02/16/2021 23:54:50
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•  Read: 9,269 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The security expert, Mohiuddin Muhammad, explained the reason for the US interest in bombing Erbil, on Monday.

"The result of the missiles on Erbil did not create a state of panic and normal life in the city and the whole of the Kurdistan region," Muhammad said to the program "Balmstara" broadcast by the Euphrates satellite channel tonight.
"The planners of this attack must realize that these operations will affect Iraq's foreign relations, and the multiple strikes that took place on the Green Zone are an indication of the targeting of the American side at the airport," he added.
Muhammad stressed that "the federal government should be serious about ending the Turkish file," pointing to "the issuance of decisions by US officials and the US Senate condemning what happened to Arbil."
The security expert concluded, "The American interest in the events in Irbil aims to preserve its interests in the region."
Yesterday, Monday, the city of Erbil, in the Kurdistan region, witnessed the fall of missiles targeting the airport, the Waziran neighborhood, and a 40-meter street.

A US State Department spokesman said, "We want to know what happened in Erbil and reserve the right to respond at the place and time we choose, indicating," We are in the early stages of the investigation into what happened in Erbil and we do not anticipate events. "
For his part, an official at the US Defense Department announced, Tuesday. , The Pentagon is still assessing the security and intelligence situation on the ground to determine who is responsible for the attacks that targeted Erbil
, and the official added that the military commanders will present recommendations on the options available to the President's administration, Joe Biden, to respond to the attacks, while it is up to the administration to take the appropriate decision about dealing with these attacks.
 The official also stressed that protecting US and coalition forces remains the priority for the United States,
Wafaa Al-Fatlawi 

[yota691]

Erbil rockets 17022021
61 views•Feb 18, 202

[yota691]

Erbil attack: Iran-made rockets point to brazen militia raid in Kurdish territory

 

Officials in Iraq at odds to explain attack, but rocket evidence points to Iranian involvement

 

 

Smoke rises over Erbil, Iraq, after an attack near the city's airport on Monday. Reuters

Kurdish and Iraqi security officials on Wednesday were scrambling to piece together how an almost unknown group with possible ties to Iran was able to carry out a deadly raid in one of Iraq’s safest regions this week.

The two sides are conducting a joint investigation into Monday night’s attack on Erbil Airport that killed a military contractor and wounded an American soldier as well as several others, including nearby civilians.

Officials in Baghdad said the militant group had breached the border of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region – once an island of stability and safety in the post-2003 conflict.

 

It is likely that whichever group conducted the rocket attack used smugglers to bring in the rockets

Sajad Jiyad, a fellow with the Century Foundation

“There were 11 rockets that fell in Erbil which were fired from within the borders of the region, they were launched from two areas in Erbil," Iraqi army spokesman Maj Gen Yehia Rasool said on Wednesday.

Maj Gen Rasool suggested the rockets were launched only five kilometres from the centre of the Kurdish region’s capital.

 

“Kurdish security forces must investigate the breaches,” he said.

While several government and security units in Erbil uncovered evidence to support the claim, some officials in the administration refuted allegations that the rockets were launched from federal Iraq.

The Hashd Al Shaabi or Popular Mobilisation Forces are government-sanctioned paramilitary groups formed to fight ISIS. Many are trained, funded and tied to Iran and have been accused of attacks on international forces.

The exact location of the launch site has not been made public and although security analyst Alex Mello said it was "95 per cent likely" the operation was launched from Kurdish territory, there was a small possibility both sides are correct.

"There's still a very small possibility there were two separate strikes, one involving long-range 122mm [rockets] fired from the outside the Kurdish forward line of control and the other using 107mm [rockets] from the Erbil outskirts," he told The National.

 

 

 

 

 

Iraqi Shiite members of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq group (The League of the Righteous) units gather in the southern city of Basra on December 12, 2015, to demand the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraq. Iraq says Turkey deployed troops and tanks to a base in the country's north last week without its permission, sparking a diplomatic uproar between Baghdad and Ankara. (Photo by HAIDAR MOHAMMED ALI / AFP)

 

The Kurdish interior ministry said late on Tuesday that it had located a vehicle they suspected was used to fire the rockets.

"The vehicle was a Kia and it was between Erbil and Gwer," the ministry said.

Kurdish intelligence services found Iranian Fajr-1 rockets still intact at the launch site, which was reportedly in the Kurdish region of Iraq.

A militant group, known as the Guardians of Blood Brigade, said it fired 24 rockets that avoided the airport’s defences, specifically naming an automatic machinegun known as a C-Ram that protects US installations in Iraq.

“The American occupation will not be safe from our strikes in any inch of the homeland, even in Kurdistan, where we promise we will carry out other qualitative operations,” the claim said, according to the Site Intelligence Group.

Security gaps?

Experts believe that there are security gaps in the perimeter of the Kurdistan region's borders and smuggling has always been an issue.

“It is likely that whichever group conducted the rocket attack used smugglers to bring in the rockets and set up the launch in an area which has only a light security presence,” said Sajad Jiyad, a Baghdad-based fellow with the Century Foundation.

The exact target was the Harir base, where US and other international forces are housed next to Erbil International Airport, he told The National.

 

“The type of rockets used were inaccurate short-range ones, which is why some landed in residential areas,” he said.

“The message is that American troops can be targeted anywhere,” Mr Jiyad said.

The Kia Bongo lorry found by Kurdish authorities and used as the launcher is likely to have blended with market traffic, Mr Mello tweeted.

Although the attack was aimed at US forces, the Kurdish government considers it to be a strike on the region's security, a Kurdish official from Erbil told The National.

"We take this as an attack on the Kurdistan region, our interest, our allies and people who share responsibility to protect Kurdistan and fight a common enemy,” he said.

“The attacks were conducted by those who are not happy with our political, economic, diplomatic and social development and are trying to sabotage the progress,” he said.

Iranian arms exports

While some observers are uncertain about whether Iran intentionally supplied the rockets, other analysts seemed certain the weapons were Fajr-1 107mm rockets of Iranian origin.

"While the 107 was abundant in other variants, we did see brand new 120/122mm rockets made in Iran, identified from their markings," said Craig Whiteside, a retired colonel and Iraq war veteran who now teaches at the US Naval War College.

At the time, Iran was smuggling the weapons over the border in large numbers to some of the same militias now at odds with coalition forces.

Kurdistan Counter Terrorism releases photos of the rocket launch pad found by the security forces.

 It did not identify the location! #Erbil pic.twitter.com/mAMCbrCRL4

– Baxtiyar Goran (@BaxtiyarGoran) February 15, 2021

Iranian Fajr-1 rockets were so ubiquitous, British and US reports published identification guides that showed highly distinctive markings on the devices, contrasting them with other variants of the rocket, which were made in China.

"Sometimes the jerry-rigged launchers they used would fall over in mid launch and we could capture remnants not fired or find them in caches," Mr Whiteside said, which could explain how Kurdish forces found intact rockets.

Captured Fajr-1 rockets, manufactured by the Iranian Armament Industries Group, all have the same markings: calibre, lot number, year of production and net weight and another code "R. No.", which is almost always handwritten.

An Iranian 107mm Fajr-1 rocket. Courtesy Multi National Force-Iraq

Weapons captured by US forces in previous incidents, going back to the early part of the Iraq occupation, are identical to those used in the attacks on Monday night.

Iran denied the attacks, but according to a report by the Small Arms Survey, by transferring such large quantities of Fajr-1 rockets to Iraq, production companies would have been well aware of the end use, especially since the weapons were previously used to attack the coalition.

"The Iranian government is culpable for the acquisition and use of these weapons in Iraq and elsewhere," the report concluded.

Updated: February 17, 2021 08:43 PM

[yota691]

The US ambassador from the region: We hope that the Erbil attackers will pay the price for their crime in coordination with Baghdad

•  Time: 02/24/2021 17:50:11
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•  Read: 2,093 times

  

(Baghdad: Al Furat News) The President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, received today, Wednesday, the US ambassador to Iraq, Matthew Toller, and in the meeting, they discussed the latest developments in the situation in Iraq, in addition to discussing ways to strengthen relations between the Kurdistan region and the United States.

The American ambassador expressed his country's support for the Kurdistan region in confronting terrorist groups, especially after the terrorist attack on Erbil, and also thanked the security services in the region for their experience and skill in dealing with the terrorist attack, as they initiated an immediate investigation and follow-up in coordination with the coalition forces.
The American ambassador referred to the important and strategic location of the Kurdistan Region, an ally of the United States in the Middle East, and said: "We hope, in coordination between the federal government and the regional government, that the perpetrators of the terrorist attack will pay the price for their crime and obtain their penalty."
The Prime Minister thanked the United States and the coalition forces, and stressed that the Kurdistan region will remain, as it was, an important factor in achieving security and stability in the region.

Raghad Daham

 

 

[yota691]

Barzani announces new information on targeting Erbil

 

 

 

383 Policy 02/25/2021 14:42 am Baghdad today -

Kurdistan Today, Thursday (February 25, 2021), the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani, announced that the governments of Baghdad and Erbil have obtained new information regarding targeting Erbil with missile strikes. Barzani's media office said in a statement received (Baghdad today) that the latter "received a phone call from French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, and during the phone call they discussed the terrorist attack that targeted Erbil." According to the statement, Barzani “thanked the French foreign minister for his condemnation of the attack,” stressing “new information was obtained as a result of the joint investigation between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government.” The statement added, "The two sides agreed that ISIS continues to pose a real threat to the security of the region," stressing "the need for close cooperation between the Kurdistan region, the federal government and the international coalition." The statement stated, "It was emphasized to continue strengthening the close friendly relations between the Kurdistan region and France."

[yota691]

Washington informs the Presidency and the Kurdistan Regional Government with several letters

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25/2/2021 09:37:00

 

 

       

Washington stresses the importance of freedom of expression in the Kurdistan Region

 

The US Ambassador to Iraq Matthew Toller discussed a number of files with Kurdistan Region officials during his visit to the region, including US support for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq after the missile attacks on Erbil, relations between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, the budget file and dialogue with the federal government, And the file of the return of the displaced from the region to their areas.

The US Consulate General in the Kurdistan Region said in a statement that Toller visited Erbil on February 24 and met with the President of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, the Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Region, Masrour Barzani, and the Minister of the Interior in the region, Ripper Ahmed, noting that the US ambassador discussed with the region’s officials a set of issues. Including US support for the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government in the wake of the missile attacks on Erbil in the middle of this month.

According to the statement, Tueller also discussed with officials in Erbil about regional relations and support for the implementation of the Shingal Agreement, and the voluntary return of the displaced to their homes, and they also discussed dialogues between the regional government and the federal government regarding the budget.

The US ambassador, according to the consulate's statement, also discussed with officials in Erbil the relationship between the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and the Kurdistan Democratic Party, where Ambassador Tueller stressed the importance of unifying the Kurdistan Region and its government as the best way to serve his people, achieve economic recovery, provide security and a strong investment climate for investment.

The file of freedom of expression and the sentences issued against journalists in Erbil in prison was one of the themes of the meetings held by the American ambassador, as he stressed that Toller during these meetings the importance of freedom of expression and journalistic work, stressing that his country is still committed to working with the regional government and civil society on this issue, And to ensure a strong relationship with the Biden administration.

Within the framework of his visit to the region, the American ambassador visited Erbil International Airport and met its director, Ahmed Hoshiar, and the commander of the Erbil air base, Colonel Sukoon Dessormo, where he confirmed his country's commitment to continue its work with the airport authorities to provide the necessary security and technical assistance to the airport.

 

PUKmedia 

[yota691]

 

Kurdistan Regional Government receives "new information" about the Erbil attack (update)

 

•  

 2021-02-25 06:09

 

Shafaq News / The Prime Minister of Kurdistan Regional Government, Masrour Barzani received, today, Thursday, a phone call from French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

The regional government said in a statement today that, during the phone call, discussions were held about the terrorist attack that targeted the city of Erbil.

According to the statement, Masrour Barzani "confirmed the arrival of new information as a result of the joint investigation between the Kurdistan Regional Government and the federal government," without going into details of that information.

The statement added that the two sides agreed that ISIS continues to pose a real threat to the security of the region, as well as stressing the need for close cooperation between the Kurdistan Region, the federal government and the international coalition.

In another aspect of the phone call, it was emphasized to continue strengthening the close friendly relations between the Kurdistan Region and France.

On Monday (February 15, 2021), Erbil was hit by several missiles, two of which landed at its international airport, and the rest in residential neighborhoods and near diplomatic missions, causing the death of one person and wounding others, including an American soldier.

[yota691]

Direct orders from Biden

The US Central Command announces the carrying out of strikes against factions in response to the attacks in Erbil and Baghdad

2021.02.26 - 04:56

 

  

People - Baghdad  

On Friday, the US Department of Defense Central Command announced the destruction of targets of "pro-Iranian groups" near the Iraqi border, in response to the recent missile attacks in Erbil and Baghdad.  

  

 

  

  

  

[yota691]

The "deliberate response" ... the US Secretary of Defense confirms: We hit the right target

 

Alhurra - Washington

February 26, 2021

 

 

The strike was carried out on the Syrian-Iraqi border

The US Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, in statements following the strikes launched by the US military in Syria, on Thursday, affirmed his confidence that the correct target had been hit.

"We are sure that the target that was targeted in Syria was being used by the militias that carried out the missile attacks in Iraq," Austin told reporters, Thursday evening.

An American official told Al-Hurra correspondent, "Our message is: We will not turn a blind eye to Iranian militia attacks."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that 17 militants loyal to Iran were killed in these raids.

The New York Times quoted US officials as saying that the recent strikes were a "very small" response, represented by "dropping one bomb at a small group of buildings on the Syrian-Iraqi border used to cross militia fighters and weapons in and out of the country."

The strikes were carried out in Syria "to avoid a diplomatic response by the Iraqi government."

According to officials, the Pentagon presented several larger groups of targets, but the US President, Joe Biden, gave the green light to implement the "smallest" of these goals.

"The administration took a measured response to the missile attack in Erbil," the New York Times said.

Alhurra - Washington