Guest views are now limited to 12 pages. If you get an "Error" message, just sign in! If you need to create an account, click here.

Jump to content
  • CRYPTO REWARDS!

    Full endorsement on this opportunity - but it's limited, so get in while you can!

Iraqi officials: Prime minister survives assassination attempt


currenzcraze
 Share

Recommended Posts

Iraqi officials: Prime minister survives assassination attempt

by: Associated Press

Posted: Nov 6, 2021 / 08:13 PM CDT / Updated: Nov 6, 2021 / 08:13 PM CDT
iraqpm.jpg?w=2560&h=1440&crop=1

FILE – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi poses in his office during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Friday, July 23, 2021. The Iraqi government says Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has survived an assassination attempt with an armed drone and is unharmed. In a statement released Sunday, Nov. 7, the government said the drone tried to hit al-Kadhimi’s home in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone area. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed, File)

 

BAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi survived an assassination attempt with an armed drone that targeted his residence early Sunday, and is unharmed, officials said.

Two Iraqi officials told The Associated Press that seven of his security guards were injured in the attack which occurred in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone area. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to give official statements.

The prime minister tweeted shortly after the attack: “The rockets of treason will not shake one bit of the steadfastness and determination of the heroic security forces.”

“I am fine and among my people. Thank God,” he wrote.

In a statement, the government said the drone tried to hit al-Kadhimi’s home, adding that he was “unharmed and in good health.” Residents of Baghdad heard the sound of an explosion followed by gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone, which houses foreign embassies and government offices.

The statement released by state-run media said the failed assassination attempt was with “an explosives-laden drone that tried to target his residence in the Green Zone.”

“The security forces are taking the necessary measures in connection with this failed attempt,” it said.

It was not clear who was behind the attack, nor did anyone immediately claim responsibility. It comes amid a stand-off between security forces and pro-Iran Shiite militias whose supporters have been camped outside the Green Zone for nearly a month after they rejected the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections in which they were the biggest losers.

Protests turned deadly Friday when the demonstrators marched toward the Green Zone. There was an exchange of fire in which one protester was killed. Dozens of security forces were injured. Al-Khadimi ordered an investigation to determine what sparked the clashes and who violated orders not to open fire.

The United States, the U.N. Security Council and others have praised the Oct. 10 election, which was mostly violence-free and without major technical glitches.

Following the vote, militia supporters had pitched tents near the Green Zone, rejecting the election results and threatening violence unless their demands for a recount were met.

The unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud have cast a shadow over the vote. The standoff with the militia supporters has also increased tensions among rival Shiite factions that could reflect on the street and threaten Iraq’s newfound relative stability.

The election was held months ahead of schedule in response to mass protests in late 2019, which saw tens of thousands in Baghdad and predominantly Shiite southern provinces rally against endemic corruption, poor services and unemployment. They also protested against the heavy-handed interference of neighboring Iran in Iraq’s affairs through Iran-backed militias.

The militias lost some popularity since the 2018 vote, when they made big election gains. Many hold them responsible for suppressing the 2019 protests, and for challenging the state’s authority.

The biggest gains were made by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who won the largest number of parliament seats, 73 out of 329. While he maintains good relations with Iran, al-Sadr publicly opposes external interference in Iraq’s affairs.

The protests appeared to be aimed at pressuring al-Sadr to ensure that Iran-aligned factions are part of the next Cabinet. As the winner, al-Sadr’s bloc will seek coalition partners and name the prime minister.

  • Thanks 6
  • Upvote 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!!!! Iran has the audacity to attempt to kill this man because he is doing the best for his Country!! He must be doing something right! This should show Sadr that Iran doesn’t give a damn about the Iraqi people or Iraq!! If Sadr appoints anyone other than Al-Kadhimi he is traitor to his people... I am  glad he is o.k!! Go Al-khdemi Go Iraq!!!

  • Like 1
  • Upvote 2
  • Pow! 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iraq PM Survives Drone Assassination Attempt

kadhimi.jpg?itok=ZGw0kddd

 

BY TYLER DURDEN

SATURDAY, NOV 06, 2021 - 10:25 PM

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi was targeted in a “failed assassination attempt” after an explosive-laden drone struck his residence in Baghdad, Iraqi military said early Sunday. Kadhimi was unharmed in the attack and is in good health, the military said, adding that it was taking the necessary measures in connection with the failed attempt.

Two government officials said Kadhimi's residence had been hit by at least one explosion and confirmed to Reuters that the prime minister was safe. Security sources told Reuters that six members of Kadhimi's personal protection force stationed outside his residence had been injured.

Kadhimi took to Twitter soon after the attack and said he was fine and called for calm and restraint from the public.

“The rockets of treachery will not discourage the believers… The steadfastness and insistence of our heroic security forces will not falter as they work to preserve the security of the people, achieve justice and enforce the law,” he said.

“I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint.

The attack which injured several members of Kadhimi's personal protection, came after protests in the Iraqi capital over the result of a general election last month turned violent, according to Reuters which cited security sources. The groups leading protests and complaints about the result of the October vote are heavily-armed Iran-backed militias which lost much of their parliamentary power in the election. They have alleged voting and vote-counting irregularities.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack on Kadhimi's residence in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies.

Western diplomats based nearby in the Green Zone said they heard explosions and gunfire in the area.

Supporters of Iran-aligned militia groups which have grown their power in parliament and government in recent years have alleged voter fraud and irregularities in counting the results of the Oct. 10 election.

Protests by supporters of parties who dispute the results of the vote turned violent on Friday when demonstrators pelted police with stones near the Green Zone, injuring several officers. The police responded with tear gas and live gunfire, killing at least one demonstrator, according to security and hospital sources in Baghdad.

Independent analysts say the election results were a reflection of anger towards the Iran-backed armed groups, which are widely accused of involvement in the killing of nearly 600 protesters who took the street in separate, anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/iraq-pm-survives-drone-assassination-attempt

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tensions rise after Iraqi PM survives assassination attempt

SUN, 07 NOV, 2021 - 11:25

 

 

QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, ASSOCIATED PRESS

Troops deployed around Baghdad on Sunday following a failed assassination attempt that targeted the residence of Iraq’s prime minister with armed drones.

The attack significantly ramped up tensions sparked by the refusal of Iran-backed militias to accept last month’s parliamentary election results.

Seven of Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s security guards were injured in the attack by at least two armed drones in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone area, according to two Iraqi officials.

Mr al-Kadhimi was unharmed, and later appeared on Iraqi television, seated behind a desk in a white shirt, looking calm and composed. His left hand appeared to be wrapped in a bandage, and an aide confirmed he had suffered a light cut.

2.63578078.jpg?w=640

 

“Cowardly rocket and drone attacks don’t build homelands and don’t build a future,” he said.

Later on Sunday, he received Iraqi President Barham Salih and headed a government security meeting.

Damage caused by the drone attack on the home of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/AP)

Residents of Baghdad heard the sound of an explosion followed by heavy gunfire from the direction of the Green Zone, which houses foreign embassies and government offices. Handout photos showed the damage in Mr al-Kadhimi’s residence, including smashed windows and doors blown off their hinges.

There was no claim of responsibility for the attack, but suspicion immediately fell on Iran-backed militias who had been publicly attacking Mr al-Kadhimi and issuing threats.

It came amid a stand-off between security forces and the pro-Iran Shiite militias whose supporters have been camped outside the Green Zone for nearly a month after they rejected the results of Iraq’s parliamentary elections, in which they lost around two-thirds of their seats.

Dark times ahead for Iraq: Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhami has been attacked by Iran-aligned Shiite militias. For context, I wrote this for @BrookingsFP on why these are desperate times for Iran & its militias, & why this escalation has been in the making. https://t.co/BSE0HXVUa9

— Ranj Alaaldin (@RanjAlaaldin) November 7, 2021

“The assassination attempt is a dramatic escalation, crossing a line in unprecedented fashion that may have violent reverberations,” wrote Ranj Alaaldin, a non-resident fellow at the Brookings Institution, in a post on Twitter.

Protests turned deadly on Friday when the demonstrators tried to enter the Green Zone. Security forces used tear gas and live ammunition. There was an exchange of fire in which one protester affiliated with the militias was killed, Dozens of security forces were injured.

Mr al-Khadimi ordered an investigation to determine what sparked the clashes and who violated orders not to open fire.

Some of the leaders of the most powerful militia factions loyal to Iran openly blamed Mr al-Kadhimi for Friday’s clashes and the protester’s death.

“The blood of martyrs is to hold you accountable,” said Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, addressing Mr al-Kadhimi at a funeral held for the protester on Saturday.

“The protesters only had one demand against fraud in elections. Responding like this (with live fire) means you are the first responsible for this fraud.”

The funeral was attended by leaders of the mostly Shiite Iran-backed factions who together are known as the Popular Mobilisation Forces, or Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic.

2.63561248.jpg?w=640

Security forces prevent protesters denouncing election results from storming the heavily fortified Green Zone during a protest in Baghdad on Saturday (Hadi Mizban/AP)

Mr al-Khazali, in a statement on Sunday, suggested the militias were being framed, calling for an investigation and for the punishment of the perpetrators.

The 54-year-old was Iraq’s intelligence chief before becoming prime minister in May last year. He is considered by the militias to be close to the US, and has tried to strike a balance between Iraq’s alliances with both the US and Iran.

Prior to the elections, he hosted several rounds of talks between regional foes Iran and Saudi Arabia in Baghdad in a bid to ease regional tensions.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh in a briefing on Sunday condemned the assassination attempt onMr al-Khadimi and indirectly blamed the US. He said to be aware of “the conspiracies that target the security and progress of Iraq”, without elaborating.

Mr Khatibzadeh said such incidents “are in the interests of those parties that have invaded the stability, security, independence and territorial integrity of Iraq over the past 18 years”.

The USstrongly denounced the attack.

“This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state,” said State Department spokesman Ned Price.

Damage caused by the armed drone attack on the home of Iraqi premier Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Baghdad’s Green Zone (Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/AP)

Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi also condemned the assassination attempt. Writing on Facebook, he called on all sides in Iraq to “calm down, renounce violence and join forces to preserve the country’s stability”.

2.63577790.jpg?w=640

Saudi Arabia issued a statement of support for stability in Iraq and said it strongly condemned the “cowardly terrorist attack that targeted Iraq’s prime minister”.

The US, the UN Security Council and others have praised the October 10 election, which was mostly violence-free and without major technical glitches.

But, following the vote, militia supporters pitched tents near the Green Zone, rejecting the election results and threatening violence unless their demands for a recount were met.

The unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud have cast a shadow over the vote. The stand-off with the militia supporters has also increased tensions among rival Shiite factions that could spill into violence and threaten Iraq’s newfound relative stability.

Iraqi security forces close the heavily fortified Green Zone as they tighten security measures after an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi (Hadi Mizban/AP)

The election was held months ahead of schedule in response to mass protests in late 2019, which saw tens of thousands in Baghdad and predominantly Shiite southern provinces rally against endemic corruption, poor services and unemployment. They also protested against the heavy-handed interference of neighbouring Iran in Iraq’s affairs through Iran-backed militias.

The militias have lost some popularity since the 2018 vote, when they made big election gains. Many hold them responsible for suppressing the 2019 protests, and for challenging the state’s authority.

The biggest gains were made by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, who won the largest number of parliament seats – 73 out of 329. While he maintains good relations with Iran, he publicly opposes external interference in Iraq’s affairs.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/world/arid-40738911.html

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

World

2021-November-7  16:11

 

13990430000994_Test_PhotoN.jpg

 

Iraqi Official: Experts Should Explain Why US Defense Systems Didn't Work in Assassination Attempt

 

 

TEHRAN (FNA)- The Spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command raised questions about the inactivation of the US military’s C-RAM systems used to detect and destroy incoming rockets and flying objects, as a drone laden with explosives targeted the residence of Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi in Baghdad’s high-security Green Zone.

“We are currently discussing the matter with the American side and officials from the US embassy. This is an issue that experts should throw light on and explain,” Major General Tahsin Al-Khafaji stated on Sunday.

A statement released by the Security Media Cell, affiliated with the Iraqi prime minister’s office, said Kadhimi was subjected to a failed assassination attempt with a booby-trapped drone early Sunday. 

The statement added the drone attack targeted his residence, but the Iraqi prime minister was “unharmed” and is “in good health”.

Some observers and analysts say there are indications that suggest the failed attempt is distrustful.

The purported assassination attempt against Al-Kadhimi involved three drones, the nation’s Interior Ministry has said, branding the act a “terrorist attack”.

Two of the drones that targeted Al-Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad’s Green Zone were downed and one reached the house, the ministry added. Some members of his security detail were injured, but the senior official was unharmed. 

The ministry will conduct “a wide investigation” and use “all resources and efforts to get the perpetrators”, Major General Saad Maan, who heads its media department, told the Iraqi press.

https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14000816000566/Irai-Official-Expers-Shld-Explain-Why-US-Defense-Sysems-Didn

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Iraqi PM Chairs Security Meeting After Drone Attack On Residence

 

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi meets with Iraq's President Barham Salih in Baghdad
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi meets with Iraq's President Barham Salih after a drone attack on PM's residence in Baghdad, Iraq, November 7, 2021. REUTERS/Iraqi Prime Minister Media Office/Handout via REUTERS

November 7, 2021

By John Davison and Ahmed Rasheed

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped unharmed in an assassination attempt by armed drone in Baghdad, officials said on Sunday, in an incident that dramatically raises tension in the country weeks after a general election disputed by Iran-backed militia groups.

Kadhimi appeared in a video footage published by his office on Sunday chairing a meeting with top security commanders to discuss the drone attack.

“The cowardly terrorist attack that targeted the home of the prime minister last night with the aim of assassinating him, is a serious targeting of the Iraqi state by criminal armed groups,” the premier’s office said in a statement issued following the meeting. 

Six members of Kadhimi’s personal protection force stationed outside his residence in the Green Zone were wounded, security sources told Reuters.

Three drones were used in the attack, including two that were intercepted and downed by security forces while a third drone hit the residence, state news agency INA quoted an interior ministry spokesman as saying.

A spokesman for the armed forces commander in chief said the security situation was stable inside the fortified Green Zone – which houses the residence, government buildings and foreign embassies – following the attack.

No group immediately claimed responsibility.

The attack came two days after violent clashes in Baghdad between government forces and supporters of Iran-backed political parties, most of which have armed wings, since those groups lost dozens of seats in parliament after a general election on Oct. 10.

Kadhimi has ordered an investigation into the deaths and injuries of demonstrators and security forces in those clashes. 

President Barham Salih condemned the attack as a heinous crime against Iraq. “We cannot accept that Iraq will be dragged into chaos and a coup against its constitutional system,” he said in a tweet.

Shi’ite Muslim cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose party was the biggest winner in last month’s election, called the attack a terrorist act against Iraq’s stability that aimed to “return Iraq to a state of chaos to be controlled by non-state forces”.

The United States, Saudi Arabia and Iran condemned the attack.

DAMAGE TO RESIDENCE

Images published by INA showed damage to some parts of the prime minister’s residence and a damaged SUV vehicle parked in the garage.

Remains of a small explosive-laden drone were retrieved by security forces to be investigated, a security official with knowledge of the attack told Reuters.

“It’s premature now to say who carried out the attack,” the security official on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to comment on security details. 

“We’re checking our intelligence reports and waiting for initial investigation results to point the finger at perpetrators.”

The Iraqi military said in a statement the attack targeted Kadhimi’s residence and that he was in “good health”. It provided no further detail. 

Two government officials said Kadhimi’s residence had been hit by at least one explosion.

Western diplomats based nearby in the Green Zone said they heard explosions and gunfire in the area.

U.S. CONDEMNATION

The United States offered assistance with the investigation.

“This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state,” U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. 

Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said the attack was a “cowardly terrorist act”, Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya TV reported. 

Iran’s top security official, Ali Shamkhani, condemned the attack, calling it “a new sedition” in a tweet.

The groups leading protests and complaints about the result of the Oct. 10 vote are heavily armed Iran-backed militias that lost much of their parliamentary power in the election. They have alleged voting and vote-counting irregularities, allegations rejected by the country’s election officials.

Demonstrations by their supporters turned violent on Friday when protesters pelted police with stones near the Green Zone, injuring several officers.

The police responded with tear gas and live gunfire, killing at least one demonstrator, according to security and hospital sources in Baghdad.

Independent analysts say the election results were a reflection of anger towards the Iran-backed armed groups, which are widely accused of involvement in the killing of nearly 600 protesters who took the street in separate, anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

 

(Reporting by John Davison, Ahmed Rasheed, Baghdad newsroom; Additional reporting by Lucia Mutikani in Washington; Editing by Christian Schmollinger, William Mallard and Frances Kerry)

  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

 

"Iraqi and U.S. officials have grown increasingly alarmed over the recent use of small fixed-wing drones that have evaded detection systems around military bases and diplomatic facilities. Military officials and diplomats say that the drones sometimes fly too low to be picked up by defensive systems."


 

  • Thanks 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

25 minutes ago, Carrello said:

 

 

"Iraqi and U.S. officials have grown increasingly alarmed over the recent use of small fixed-wing drones that have evaded detection systems around military bases and diplomatic facilities. Military officials and diplomats say that the drones sometimes fly too low to be picked up by defensive systems."


 

The drones are probably freebies from Afghanistan, courtesy of the biden administration

  • Upvote 2
  • Pow! 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, jg1 said:

The drones are probably freebies from Afghanistan, courtesy of the biden administration

 

You know drones signals can be disabled, right? And when disabled the drones returns to the remote control. And American equipment was flown out of Afghanistan, and what was left on the ground  was destroyed and guaranteed not to be "usable" any longer.

 

You must think our US military is incompetent.

  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, Carrello said:

If Iran were not feeling desperate, they would not pull a stunt like this. Iran is a pariah.

Iran is a great country, a great history of past days lost in time. Persians are great people, I used to have a friend from Tehran. Trouble is, as The Boss Bruce Springsteen sang, "Glory Days, pass you by. Glory Days, in the wink of a young girl's eyes, glory days...."

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

34 minutes ago, Carrello said:

 

You know drones signals can be disabled, right? And when disabled the drones returns to the remote control. And American equipment was flown out of Afghanistan, and what was left on the ground  was destroyed and guaranteed not to be "usable" any longer.

 

You must think our US military is incompetent.

I don't think our military is incompetent, I think that the leadership of our military is. 

So you're saying no usable equipment was left behind in Afghanistan. The air base was left behind, I think that's still usable. 

 

  • Upvote 6
  • Pow! 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, Rochester said:

Iran is a great country, a great history of past days lost in time. Persians are great people, I used to have a friend from Tehran. Trouble is, as The Boss Bruce Springsteen sang, "Glory Days, pass you by. Glory Days, in the wink of a young girl's eyes, glory days...."

 

I believe when most people reference "the Iranians," or "the Russians," or others, the governments are being talked about and not the citizenry. I lived in an area that has large swaths of Iranian immigrants, dated an Iranian man who was an engineer, and was fortunate to spend 2 months in Iran at one point. Iranians are gracious, hard working, and hospital. Their government: Not so much.

  • Thanks 4
  • Upvote 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Carrello said:

 

You know drones signals can be disabled, right? And when disabled the drones returns to the remote control. And American equipment was flown out of Afghanistan, and what was left on the ground  was destroyed and guaranteed not to be "usable" any longer.

 

You must think our US military is incompetent.

I think you are blind and I can not debate stupidity.

  • Downvote 1
  • Pow! 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.