#Haider Al-Abadi

[andrewtheprophet]

Antichrist sets conditions for disarming his fightersAntichrist

Iraqi Shi’ite cleric Sadr sets conditions for disarming his fighters after Islamic State defeated December 11, 20176:34 AM MSTUpdated 6 years ago BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraqi powerful Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr set conditions on Monday for his followers to hand over to the government the weapons they used to fight Islamic State. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over…

[icymirss]

That the "moderate" rebels are not moderate at all is again proven through a recent scandal in the Netherlands. The Dutch newscaster NOS Nieuwsuur and the daily newspaper Trouw report (in Dutch) that the Dutch government until very recently spent at least €25 million to provide "moderate" rebels in Syria with pick-up trucks, uniforms, satellite phones, cameras, medical kits, tents and rubber mattresses. The journalists find that the "non-lethal" supplies were of course used to fight the Syrian government. They also reveal that the groups supplied, which the government held secret, were all Jihadis and that the Public Prosecutor of the Netherlands indicted several of their members for terrorism.

[riyadhvision]

Iraq’s Sistani rejects five potential PM candidates, including Abadi

Iraq’s Sistani rejects five potential PM candidates, including Abadi

An image of Iraq’s top Shiite cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.

:: Sabah al-Saedi, an official in the Sairoon Alliance that is part of the Reform and Construction Bloc, said he was “officially” informed that top Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani refuses five of the proposed names for the premiership, including Haider al-Abadi.

Saedi said that Sistani informed the Iranian negotiator in a meeting…

[fresherbrine]

7/03/2017 Reuters: Islamic State cornered in Mosul as Iraq prepares victory celebrations

[unclesamsmisguidedclub]

Military May Stay in Iraq, Afghanistan Long Term

Military May Stay in Iraq, Afghanistan Long Term

Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi, has been in talks with the Secretary of Defense to keep the United States Military in Iraq after ISIS is defeated. Add that fact to General Nicholson’s request for more troops in Afghanistan and you have what looks like a long term US presence in those regions. How Syria fits into that equation is unknown at this time. Iraq There are currently around 7,000…

[thisdaynews]

Breaking News: Iraq vote: Initial results show Muqtada al-Sadr leading

New Post has been published on https://www.thisdaynews.net/2018/05/16/breaking-news-iraq-vote-initial-results-show-muqtada-al-sadr-leading/

Breaking News: Iraq vote: Initial results show Muqtada al-Sadr leading

Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr appears ahead in preliminary results of the Iraqi general elections.

If initial results are confirmed, British-educated PM Abadi may have to form a coalition with Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr [Reuters]

The political coalition of influential Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr took an early lead in Iraq’s national elections in partial returns announced late on Sunday by the Iraqi electoral commission.

An alliance of candidates linked to Iraq’s powerful Shia paramilitary groups was in second.

The alliance is headed by Hadi al-Amiri, a former minister of transport with close ties to Iran who became a senior commander of paramilitary fighters in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi performed poorly across majority Shia provinces that should have been his base of support.

Iraqis voted on Saturday in the first election since the defeat of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) inside the country. The vote was widely seen as a verdict on Abadi’s tenure and his pledge to be more inclusive of Iraq’s Sunni minority.

Turnout was 44.52 percent with 92 percent of votes counted, the Independent High Electoral Commission said – significantly lower than in previous elections.

Haider al-Abadi

Incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi heads the Nasr Coalition (Victory of Iraq), its name capitalising on his government’s victory over ISIL in 2017 [AFP]

  Abadi heads the Nasr Coalition (Victory of Iraq), its name capitalising on his government’s victory over ISIL in 2017.

Many analysts have seen the British-educated Abadi, a Shia who as prime minister nurtured ties with Washington and Tehran, as potentially winning a second term as prime minister.

“The country has just overcome ISIL which has affected the way voters see the election. Everyone is hoping for change and they see Abadi as a possible force for that change because of his victory over ISIL,” Ahmed Tariq, an Iraqi professor of international relations at Mosul University, told Al Jazeera ahead of the vote.

According to a recent nation-wide poll conducted in March, 79 percent of Iraqis accepted Abadi as prime minister.

Because he is seen as a rare ally of both the United States and Iran, some analysts say his continuation in government would nurture Iraq’s regional and international ties.

“Abadi is acceptable to all major stakeholders including regional powers, Iran and the US,” Fanar al-Hadad, a research fellow at the Middle East Institute, National University of Singapore, told Al Jazeera before the vote. “Everyone feels they can do business with him.”

Abadi has been mainly concerned with fending off Shia Muslim groups other than Sadr’s alliance, which are seeking to pull the country closer to Tehran.

He has therefore faced stiff competition from Hadi al-Amiri, a paramilitary commander heading the Fatah alliance, and Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister who is seen as a possible kingmaker in the vote.

Both leaders are closer than Abadi is to Iran, which has wide sway in Iraq as the primary Shia power in the region.

Muqtada al-Sadr

Iraqi Shia religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr heads the Sairoon Coalition and has led uprisings against US troops in Iraq [AFP]

  Sadr, who led uprisings against US troops, appeared to make a remarkable comeback in Iraq’s parliamentary election after being sidelined for years by Iranian-backed rivals.

He leads the al-Sairoon Coalition (The Marchers) that brings together his Sadrist Movement and the Iraqi Communist Party. The coalition has pushed an anti-corruption and anti-sectarian campaign.

According to the nation-wide poll conducted in March, 66 percent of the Iraqi people viewed Sadr favourably across most of Iraq’s provinces.

Sadr made his name leading two revolts against US forces in Iraq, drawing support from poor neighbourhoods of Baghdad and other cities. Washington called the Mehdi Army, the Shia militia loyal to Sadr, the biggest threat to Iraq’s security. In June 2014, Sadr rebranded the militia as the Peace Brigades.

Sadr is one of the few Shia leaders to keep a distance from Iran, and instead shares Saudi interest in countering Iranian influence in Iraq. Sadr sought to broaden his regional support, meeting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Jeddah last year.

Sadr, of Lebanese ancestry, comes from a family of Shia scholars. He is the fourth son of the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr, a highly regarded scholar throughout the Shia Muslim world.

Mohammad Sadeq al-Sadr was murdered, along with two of his sons, allegedly by the government of Saddam Hussein – the former Iraqi president.

Sadr is also the son-in-law of Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Baqir al-Sadr. His father-in-law was executed by Iraqi authorities in 1980. Sadr’s cousin is Moussa al-Sadr, the Iranian-Lebanese founder of the Amal movement.

Despite his lineage and connections, he lacks the religious education and degrees required by Shia doctrine to take the title mujtahid – or a senior religious scholar – and he lacks the authority to issue religious edicts known as fatwas.

He rose to prominence in the unrest and chaos that erupted in Iraq after US troops toppled Saddam in 2003. Armed mostly with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, Sadr’s militia challenged the world’s most powerful military as it tried to stabilise Iraq.

Government formation

No one group is expected to win the 165 seats required for an outright majority. Instead, the bloc that wins the most seats will have to bring together a majority by getting the support of smaller alliances.

The process of choosing the next prime minister is expected to take months and will likely result in power being dispersed across different political parties with clashing interests.

If initial results are confirmed, Abadi may have to form a coalition with Sadr. Abadi will, in any case, remain in office retaining all his powers until a new prime minister is confirmed.

In the past, forming a government has taken up to eight months. In 2005, allegations of vote-rigging delayed the ratification of election results for weeks.

[political-affairs]

Iraq's first parliamentary election since Islamic State

For the first time since driving out Islamic State, Iraqis go to the polls in an election could shift the regional balance of power. The elections will take place six months after an independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, in which 93% voted in favour of independence. In retaliation, the Iraqi government led by Haider al-Abadi closed Erbil International Airport, seized control of all border crossings between Kurdistan and neighbouring countries and, with the help of the Hashd al-Shaabi militias, militarily seized control of disputed territories, including the oil-rich city of Kirkuk. Nonetheless, Iraqi politicians called for dialogue with the Iraqi Kurdistan government and force them to formally annul the results. 

The elections were originally scheduled for September 2017, but were delayed by six months due to the civil war with ISIS which ended in December 2017 with the recapture of their remaining territories. The largest Sunni Arab majority coalition, the Muttahidoon (Uniters for Reform), called for a further six month's delay to allow displaced voters to return to their homes. A Sunni Arab MP described holding the elections at this time as a "military coup against the political process". However, the Supreme Court ruled that delaying the elections would be unconstitutional. 

[r0slyakova]

kristy @ haider ackermann fw15

[worldnewsbreak]

Qayyarah Oilfields Still Burning

Children play next to a burning oilfield in Qayara, south of Mosul. Iraqi forces entered Mosul this week for the first time since 2014, a milestone in the effort to reclaim the city.

[voiceofmigrants]

Displaced Iraqi people, who fled the Mosul, stand in line

Displaced Iraqi people, who fled the Islamic State stronghold of Mosul, stand in line as they leave Khazer camp to go home. 

[emergingpakistan]

کرکوک شہر کے نواح میں کرد اور عراقی فورسز آمنے سامنے

عراق کی مرکزی حکومت کی جانب سے کرد جنگجوؤں کو کرکوک کے متنازع علاقے چھوڑ دینے کی مبینہ مدت ختم ہو گئی ہے۔ کرد سیکیورٹی حکام کا کہنا ہے کہ یہ مہلت اتوار کے روز صبح تک کے لیے دی گئی تھی لیکن عراقی حکام نے اس سے انکار کر دیا تھا۔ چند اطلاعات ہیں کہ یہ حتمی مہلت اب 24 گھنٹوں تک بڑھا دی گئی ہے۔ فریقین نے کرکوک میں دستے تعینات کر دیے ہیں اور کردوں اور حکومت حامی شیعہ ملیشیا کے درمیان چھوٹی جھڑپیں شروع ہو گئی ہیں۔ پیشمرگہ جنگجوؤں کا کہنا ہے کہ وہ شہر میں موجود اپنے ٹھکانوں پر عراقی فورسز کے ممکنہ حملوں سے بچنے کی تیاری کر رہے ہیں۔

گذشتہ ماہ کردستان کی آزادی کے لیے کرائے جانے والے ریفرینڈم کے بعد سے کرکوک میں شدید تناؤ کی کیفیت ہے۔ اس ریفرینڈم کو عراق نے غیر قانونی قرار دیا تھا۔ عراقی پارلیمنٹ نے وزیر اعظم حیدر العبادی سے کہا تھا کہ وہ ریفرینڈم کے نتائج سامنے آنے کے بعد کرکوک اور دیگر متنازع علاقوں میں فوجی دستے روانہ کریں۔ ریفرینڈم عراقی کردستان کے تین خودمختار صوبوں کے ساتھ ساتھ کردوں کے زیر قبضہ علاقوں بشمول کرکوک میں کرایا گیا تھا۔ انتخابی کمیشن کے مطابق عراقی خطہ کردستان کی آزادی پر ہونے والے ریفرینڈم میں 33 لاکھ کرد اور غیر کرد شہریوں نے ووٹ ڈالے اور نتائج کے مطابق 92 فیصد نے آزادی کے حق میں فیصلہ دیا۔

بی بی سی کی نامہ نگار اورلا گورین کے مطابق سنیچر کے روز کرکوک کے قریب مخلتف مقامات پر جھڑپیں ہوئی ہیں جن کا الزام فریقین ایک دوسرے پر عائد کر رہے ہیں۔ عراقی وزیر اعظم نے گذشتہ ہفتے اپنے ایک بیان میں کہا تھا کہ وہ مسلح تصادم نہیں چاہتے اور اس بات پر رضامند ہیں کہ متنازع علاقے مشترکہ انتظامیہ کے تحت چلائے جائیں۔ تیل کی دولت سے مالا مال صوبہ کرکوک پر کنٹرول قائم کرنے کا دعویٰ عراقی حکومت اور کرد دونوں جانب سے کیا جاتا رہا ہے۔ فریقین شدت پسند تنظیم دولت اسلامیہ کے خلاف جنگ میں حلیف بھی رہے ہیں۔ خیال رہے کہ عراق کے علاوہ ایران اور ترکی کو خدشہ ہے کہ اس ریفرینڈم کی وجہ سے ان کے اپنے علاقوں میں موجود کرد علیحدگی پسندوں کے جذبات بھڑک سکتے ہیں۔ عراقی وزیرِ اعظم حیدر العبادی نے کرد تنظیم آر جی کو دھمکی دی تھی کہ وہ تین دن کے اندر اندر ہوائی اڈوں کا کنٹرول ان کے حوالے کر دیں ورنہ ہوائی ناکہ بندی کے لیے تیار ہو جائیں۔ اس سے قبل وزیرِ اعظم عبادی نے ریفرینڈم کو 'غیر آئینی' قرار دیا تھا۔ سرکاری ٹیلی ویژن کے مطابق حیدر العبادی نے مطالبہ کیا کہ ترکی، شام اور ایران کے ساتھ تمام چوکیاں بغداد کی نگرانی میں دی جائیں۔ اس سے پہلے ٹیلی ویژن پر خطاب میں کرد رہنما مسعود بارزانی نے وزیرِ اعظم عبادی پر زور دیا کہ وہ 'مذاکرات کا دروازہ بند نہ کریں کہ کیوں کہ مذاکرات ہی سے مسائل حل ہوں گے۔'

بشکریہ بی بی سی اردو  

[muqtadalsadr]

Biografia di Muqtada al-Sadr

Muqtada al-Sadr (in arabo : مقتدى الصدر ,romanizzato : Muqtadā ṣ-Ṣadr ; nato il 4 agosto 1974) è un religioso sciita iracheno , politico e leader della milizia. È il leader del movimento Sadrist e il leader di Saraya al-Salam , una milizia sciita che è una riforma della precedente milizia che ha guidato durante l'occupazione americana dell'Iraq, l'Esercito del Mahdi.

Posizioni politiche

Muqtada al-Sadr ha guadagnato popolarità in Iraq a seguito del rovesciamento del governo Saddam da parte dell'invasione dell'Iraq del 2003 . 

Al-Sadr ha talvolta dichiarato di voler creare una " democrazia islamica ".

Al-Sadr richiede un forte sostegno (specialmente nel distretto di Sadr City a Baghdad , precedentemente chiamato Saddam City ma ribattezzato come il vecchio al-Sadr). Dopo la caduta del governo Saddam nel 2003, Muqtada al-Sadr organizzò migliaia di suoi sostenitori in un movimento politico, che include un'ala militare nota come Jaysh al-Mahdi o Esercito del Mahdi .

 Il nome si riferisce al Mahdi , un Imam scomparso da tempo che si crede che i musulmani sciiti dovrebbero ricomparire quando si avvicina la fine dei tempi. Questo gruppo si impegna periodicamente in violenti conflitti con gli Stati Uniti e le altre forze della coalizione, mentre il più grande movimento Sadrist ha formato i propri tribunali religiosi e organizzato servizi sociali, forze dell'ordine e carceri in aree sotto il suo controllo. I media occidentali hanno spesso definito Muqtada al-Sadr un chierico "anti-americano" o "radicale". 

Il suo più forte sostegno proveniva dalla classe degli sciiti espropriati, come nella zona di Sadr City a Baghdad. Molti sostenitori iracheni vedono in lui un simbolo di resistenza all'occupazione straniera. 

L'esercito del Mahdi ha operato squadre della morte durante la guerra civile in Iraq . 

In una dichiarazione ricevuta dall'AFP il 15 febbraio 2014, Sadr ha annunciato la chiusura di tutti gli uffici, i centri e le associazioni affiliate a Al-Shaheed Al-Sadr, suo padre, dentro e fuori l'Iraq, e ha annunciato il suo non intervento in tutti gli affari politici, aggiungendo che nessun blocco rappresenterà il movimento all'interno o all'esterno del governo o del parlamento. 

Più volte ha chiesto che tutti i gruppi paramilitari riconosciuti dallo stato iracheno vengano sciolti dopo la completa sconfitta dell'ISIL e che tutte le forze straniere (incluso l'Iran) lascino il territorio iracheno. Ha sorpreso molti quando ha visitato i principi della corona di entrambe l' Arabia Saudita , per la prima volta in 11 anni e negli Emirati Arabi Uniti (UAE) nel 2017 e in precedenza ed è stato criticato in alcuni ambienti iraniani. 

Nell'aprile 2017, si è distinto dagli altri leader sciiti iracheni nel chiedere al presidente siriano Bashar al-Assad, appoggiato dall'Iran, di dimettersi e salvare il paese da ulteriori spargimenti di sangue. 

Gli sforzi di Al-Sadr per rafforzare le relazioni tra Arabia Saudita e Iraq rispecchiano quelli dell'ex primo ministro iracheno Haider al-Abadi .

Violenza contro altri chierici sciiti

Muqtada è ampiamente sospettato di aver ordinato numerose aggressioni contro il clero sciita di alto rango; 2003 bombardamento della casa del Grand Ayatollah Muhammad Saeed al-Hakim , 10 aprile 2003 omicidio del Grand Ayatollah Abdul-Majid al-Khoei in una moschea a Najaf ,  il 13 ottobre 2003, scoppiati i combattimenti a Karbala , quando gli uomini di al-Sadr attaccarono i sostenitori del grande ayatollah sciita moderato Ali al-Sistani vicino al santuario dell'Imam Hussein

[ahmedalasadi1]

Popular Mobilization Forces

***Alcune informazioni***

Il Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), noto anche come People's Mobilization Committee (PMC) e Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) (arabo: الحشد الشعبي al-Hashd ash-Shaʿabi), è un'organizzazione ombrello sponsorizzata dallo stato iracheno composta da circa 40 milizie che sono per lo più gruppi musulmani sciiti, ma anche individui sunniti musulmani, cristiani e yazidi. Le popolari unità di mobilitazione hanno combattuto in quasi ogni grande battaglia contro l'ISIL. È stata chiamata la nuova guardia repubblicana irachena dopo essere stata completamente riorganizzata all'inizio del 2018 dall'allora comandante in capo Haider al-Abadi. L'ex primo ministro iracheno Haider al-Abadi ha pubblicato \"regolamenti per adattare la situazione dei combattenti della mobilitazione popolare\", dando loro ranghi e stipendi equivalenti ad altri dell'esercito iracheno.

Ideologia

**Maggioranza:**

Nazionalismo iracheno

**Fazioni:**

• Musulmani sciiti

• Interessi dei musulmani sunniti

• Pan-islamismo

• Antisionismo

• Anti-americanismo

• Anti-Ovest

• Velayat-e Faqih

• Khomeinism

• Sistanismo

• cristianesimo

• interessi turkmeni

• Yazidismo

***Composizione e organizzazione***

Sebbene non vi siano dati ufficiali sulla forza delle forze di mobilitazione popolari, esistono alcune stime che differiscono in modo significativo; si ritiene che circa Tikrit siano circa 20.000 miliziani impegnati, mentre le gamme complessive vanno da 2 a 5 milioni a 300.000 a 450.000 forze armate irachene, tra cui circa 40.000 combattenti sunniti, una cifra in evoluzione dall'inizio del 2015, che ha contato da 1.000 a 3.000 combattenti sunniti. All'inizio di marzo 2015 le forze di mobilitazione popolari sembrano rafforzare il proprio punto d'appoggio nella città di Shingal, nello Yazidis, reclutando e pagando gente locale.

***Componente araba sunnita***

Nelle prime fasi del PMF, la componente sciita era quasi esclusiva e quella sunnita era trascurabile, poiché contava solo da 1.000 a 3.000 uomini.

Nel gennaio 2016, il Primo Ministro Haider al-Abadi ha approvato la nomina di 40.000 combattenti sunniti alle forze di mobilitazione popolare. Secondo Al-Monitor, la sua mossa è stata decisa al fine di dare un'immagine multiconfessionale alle Forze; tuttavia, i combattenti sunniti iniziarono a fare volontariato anche prima della decisione di al-Abadi. L'aggiunta di combattenti sunniti alle unità di mobilitazione popolari potrebbe preparare il terreno affinché la forza diventi il ​​nucleo della prevista Guardia nazionale.  Secondo The Economist, alla fine di aprile 2016 l'Hashd aveva circa 16.000 sunniti.

È stato osservato che le tribù arabe sunnite che hanno preso parte al reclutamento di al-Hashd al-Shaabi 2015 sono anche quelle che hanno avuto buoni rapporti con Nouri al-Maliki durante il suo mandato come Primo Ministro.  Secondo Yazan al-Jabouri, un comandante sunnita secolare dell'anti-ISIS Liwa Salahaddin, a novembre 2016 ci sono 30.000 sunniti iracheni che combattono nei ranghi delle PMU.

***Componenti arabi sciiti***

Secondo un giornale sunnita, ci sono tre principali componenti sciite all'interno delle forze di mobilitazione popolari: i primi sono i gruppi che si sono formati in seguito alla fatwa di Sistani, senza radici o ambizioni politiche; i secondi sono gruppi costituiti da partiti politici o inizialmente sono le ali militari di questi partiti, con una chiara caratterizzazione politica; il terzo sono i gruppi armati che sono presenti in Iraq da anni e hanno combattuto battaglie contro le forze statunitensi e hanno anche partecipato a operazioni in Siria. Secondo Faleh A. Jabar e Renad Mansour per The Carnegie Foundation, le forze popolari di mobilitazione sono divise in modo fazione in tre componenti sciite: una componente che promette fedeltà al leader supremo dell'Iran Ali Khamenei; una fazione che promette fedeltà al Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani; e la fazione guidata dal religioso iracheno Muqtada al-Sadr. La principale fazione sciita nelle forze di mobilitazione popolari è il gruppo che mantiene forti legami con l'Iran e promette fedeltà spirituale al leader supremo Ali Khamenei.

La fazione pro-Khamanei sarebbe composta da partiti già stabiliti e da paramilitari relativamente piccoli: Saraya Khurasani, Kata'ib Hezbollah, Kata'ib Abu Fadhl al-Abbas, Badr Organization e Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq

[riyadhvision]

Baghdad ends air blockade of Kurdistan, Iraqi PM announces

Baghdad ends air blockade of Kurdistan, Iraqi PM announces

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi speaks during a ceremony in Najaf, Iraq January 7, 2018.

:: Iraq has lifted the ban on international flights to the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region’s airports, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Kurdistan’s regional airports will be under the command of the Federal Ministry of the Interior,” the statement said.

The ban on…

[alexsmitposts]

US Kills Iraqis For Demanding End of Illegal Occupation CNN in its article, “US conducts airstrikes against multiple Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq,” would report: The US carried out airstrikes on Thursday against multiple Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq, according to the US Defense Department. The strikes come one day after the US assessed an Iranian-backed group was responsible for a rocket attack on a base where coalition forces are located, killing two American service members and one British service member. CNN and other Western corporate media outlets have attempted to depict militias like Kata’ib Hezbollah as “Iranian-backed” in an effort to demonize them – and while they are indeed partly backed by Iran – they are also an official component of the Iraqi military. The US Bombed Anti-ISIS Forces for Enforcing Iraqi Demands For US Withdrawal Newsweek itself in a 2018 article titled, “US Soldiers Under Threat as Iran Allies Join Iraq Military with Plans to Kick Americans Out,” admitted: An Iran-backed collective of mostly Shiite Muslim militias was officially made part of the Iraqi military Thursday, a development that placed US forces in a difficult position as Washington tried to pull Baghdad away from its close ties to Tehran. The article would also note: Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi issued “regulations to adapt the situation of the Popular Mobilization fighters” on Thursday, giving them ranks and salaries equivalent to other branches of the Iraqi military. Newsweek attempts to depict the development as sinister and the result of Iranian machinations. Nowhere mentioned by Newsweek is the fact that America’s presence in Iraq in the first place was the result of a deliberate lie to justify an illegal and deadly war as well as the subsequent now nearly 20 year US military occupation of Iraq. While Newsweek attempts to claim it is Iran’s goal to oust US troops from Iraq – US troops that have no business or legal ground to be there in the first place – it was the Iraqi parliament itself which recently voted to expel US troops from Iraqi territory – not Tehran. Germany’s DW would publish an article titled, “Iraqi parliament votes to expel US troops — awaits government approval,”  which reported: Parliament has voted to ask the government to end an agreement to host US troops in Iraq. The move would oust all foreign soldiers, including those from Germany. DW – in a follow up article titled, “US rejects Iraqi parliament’s call to withdraw troops,” would report: Washington and Baghdad should not discuss troop withdrawal, the US State Department has said, refusing parliament’s request for US soldiers to leave. While Washington claims its military invasion and occupation of Iraq was predicated on fighting terrorism and promoting democracy – it now finds itself openly bombing militias who played a key role in defeating terrorists like ISIS and flagrantly dismissing Iraq’s democratically elected parliament and their demands that US troops leave their territory. Iraq’s Right to Defend Itself Against Illegal Invaders Of course – were foreign troops in the US and refused US demands to leave – the next logical step would be for the US to expel these foreign troops by force. This is precisely what is being done to US forces illegally occupying Iraqi territory and refusing to leave. Their bases are under attack for their refusal to heed Iraqi demands to leave. In response to the attacks – the US claims it must defend its illegal and unwanted occupation through direct military intervention against militias officially augmenting Iraq’s armed forces. The pretext for America’s continued presence in Iraq – beyond naked imperialism – has become increasingly murky. US forces have claimed they remain in Iraq to underwrite Iraq’s security – but with the US now bombing Iraq’s own security forces – it is clear that the US itself poses as a- if not the greatest – threat to Iraqi security, stability, and national sovereignty. The impotence of the UN and other supposed “international” institutions once again showcases the weakness and irrelevance – or perhaps the singular self-serving nature of the current US-led “international order.” It will instead be through a combination of continued political and military pressure targeting America’s illegal military presence in Iraq, the continued creation of economic alternatives to circumvent US sanctions on both Iraq and Iran, and the entire region’s attempts to build constructive ties with China and Russia to displace America’s disruptive presence which will finally and fully underwrite genuine security and sovereignty for targeted nations like Iraq. Since 2003 – the Iraqi people have suffered war, occupation, terrorism, and now open contempt by the West. The Iraqi people – like all people – yearn for basic stability within which to build better lives and will work with anyone who can offer it – and against anyone who threatens it. Thus the US’ battle against groups like Kata’ib Hezbollah who helped restore stability to Iraq in the face of the ISIS threat – is a battle against the will of the Iraqi people themselves. It is an unsustainable battle the US will ultimately lose – and along with it – additional credibility and opportunities within the international arena to nations committed to the primacy of national sovereignty and the concept of multipolarism.

[political-affairs]

Iraqi forces battle to retake Tal Afar from ISIL

The Battle of Tal Afar (2017) is an ongoing offensive announced by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in order to liberate the Tal Afar region from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the beginning of the Tal Afar offensive, telling the militants "You either surrender, or die" in a televised speech. Hours beforehand, leaflets were dropped on the city telling the residents to prepare for battle.