US Treasury Takes Control of Iraq's Central Bank to Combat Money Laundering
Three informed sources close to the political and parliamentary decision-making process in Baghdad revealed extremely dangerous information confirming that the US Treasury Department has taken a permanent headquarters in the Central Bank of Iraq building. They considered that this step came as a result of the great pressures on the Iraqi banking system with the aim of limiting money laundering and dollar smuggling, as the governor of the Central Bank was forced to allocate an entire floor for US Treasury departments to monitor money transfers and prevent any illegal activities.
The video for this blog is below here:
The three sources confirmed that a team of American employees is working permanently at the Central Bank of Iraq, as part of intensive efforts to ensure Iraq's commitment to international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
he sources stressed that the Iraqi banking sector is suffering from increasing pressures exerted by the US Treasury to prevent the smuggling of dollars to countries such as Iran, Russia and Syria, which are facing economic sanctions.
One of the sources explained that the governor of the Central Bank of Iraq tried to resist these restrictions, but the American response was strict, as the Central Bank of Iraq was included among the institutions considered to support money laundering operations and failure to comply with sanctions.
In previous reports, the US Treasury imposed severe sanctions on several Iraqi banks, on charges of involvement in money laundering and dollar smuggling. The policy of the Central Bank of Iraq is characterized by randomness and the absence of a clear strategic plan to protect Iraq's money from smuggling, which prompted the US Treasury to impose strict and direct control over the Central Bank and Iraqi banks.
Iraqi banks are currently undergoing a rigorous evaluation process under the supervision of the US Treasury Department, which includes monitoring all banking operations and money transfers. This situation reflects the great challenges facing the Iraqi banking system in light of the ongoing efforts to reform it and improve its image before the international community.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has repeatedly sought to ease these measures, trying to reach understandings with the American side. But there is strong resistance from Washington, which insists on correcting the course of the economic process and reforming the banking system in Iraq. Al-Sudani finds himself in a difficult position, as he must balance internal pressures and international demands.
In a broader context, the current situation reflects the complexity of the relationship between Iraq and the United States in the financial and banking sphere. While Iraq seeks to preserve its sovereignty and the independence of its banking system, the United States continues to exert pressure to ensure that the Iraqi banking system is not used to finance illicit activities.
Reuters: Iraq still accounts for the largest part of OPEC's excess production
OPEC oil output rose in July on a rebound in Saudi supplies and small increases elsewhere, a Reuters survey showed on Friday, offsetting the impact of ongoing voluntary supply cuts from other members and the wider OPEC+ alliance.
The survey, based on shipping data and information from oil industry sources, showed that OPEC pumped 26.70 million barrels per day last month, up 100,000 bpd from June.
The increase comes despite the OPEC+ alliance, which includes OPEC and allies including Russia, maintaining most production cuts until the end of 2025 to support the market in the face of tepid demand growth, rising interest rates and increased US production.
A meeting of senior OPEC+ ministers on Thursday left oil production policy unchanged, including a plan to start unwinding a tranche of output cuts from October.
The ministers stressed that this increase could be temporarily halted or reversed if necessary.
The survey found that Saudi Arabia provided the biggest boost to supplies last month, by 70,000 barrels per day, as exports rebounded from June when they were lower than expected. Output reached 9 million barrels per day in July, close to the kingdom’s target.
The survey showed that Nigeria recorded the largest decline of 30,000 barrels per day, with exports declining on a monthly basis.
Libya and Iran, two members not required to cut output, along with Iraq, recorded slight increases. The survey found that Iran’s output reached 3.22 million barrels per day, the highest since 2018, according to Reuters surveys.
Iran has boosted its exports in recent years despite continued U.S. sanctions. Iraq’s output has risen as exports have increased month-on-month, oil flow data and a tanker-tracking source showed.
The survey also said that OPEC exceeded the target assumed for the nine countries covered by the supply reduction agreements by about 240 thousand barrels per day, and that Iraq still represents the largest part of the excess production.
The Reuters survey aims to track supply to the market and is based on shipping data provided by external sources, flows data from the London Stock Exchange Group, information from firms that track flows, such as Petro-Logistics and Kpler, and information provided by sources at oil companies, OPEC and consultants.
An economist likely to ease the sanctions imposed on Iraqi banks
Today, Friday, economic affairs researcher Safwan Qusay suggested easing the sanctions imposed on Iraqi banks and making them financial only.
Qusay told Al Mada, “The Central Bank has contracted with an international company (K2) for the purpose of auditing banks that have restricted access to the dollar in previous periods, so that these banks can learn how to comply with international requirements.”
He added, "Everyone is keen on the process of stopping the use of Iraqi banks for the purpose of money laundering. The private Iraqi banks are not the owners of corrupt money, but rather there are those who acquire the Iraqi dinar illegally and are trying to use the banks for the purpose of money laundering and smuggling hard currency."
Qusay continued, “As for the restricted banks, they will be rehabilitated through merger, mitigation of these penalties, or making them financial penalties during the coming periods.”
CBI delays financing initiatives despite PM Al-Sudani's request
The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) is postponing financing initiatives, despite Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's request, informed sources stated.
The sources told Shafaq News Agency that “since 2015, the CBI has launched financing initiatives to support private sector projects in industry, agriculture and commerce, and housing purchases amid the ongoing crisis.”
A document revealed that PM Al-Sudani instructed the CBI to reactivate its financing initiative aiming to boost the Iraqi economy, while the sources pointed out that the Bank is delaying the PM’s directives.
Notably, the CBI's initiatives have helped thousands of citizens and boosted private sector growth.
a different version
The Central Bank of Iraq is delaying the launch of financing initiatives despite the request of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to informed sources.
The sources told Shafaq News Agency that the Central Bank has launched financing initiatives since 2015 to help the private sector establish their industrial, agricultural and commercial projects, in addition to financing the purchase of housing units in light of the current housing crisis.
According to a document, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the Central Bank of Iraq to reactivate the financing initiative provided by the Central Bank of Iraq.
According to the sources, the Central Bank of Iraq is still delaying the Prime Minister's directives, although they serve the Iraqi economy by activating the development initiative.
The sources pointed out that the Central Bank's initiatives had benefited thousands of citizens and contributed to achieving growth in the private sector.
text:
04/04/2024
To / Central Bank of Iraq - Governor’s Office
Topic: Activating the financing initiative
May the peace, blessings, and mercy of God be upon you
The Prime Minister directed to re-examine the activation of the financing initiative presented
From the Central Bank of Iraq, with His Excellency’s support for the proposal.
To take what is necessary according to His Excellency’s guidance and inform us...with appreciation.
Be among the ministers of Muhammad
A/Director of the Prime Minister’s Office
4/3/2024
Iraq pumps $1 billion into the market: Is the economic crisis getting worse?
A source in the Central Bank of Iraq reported to Al-Mustaqilla that the bank’s total sales of US dollars during the past week exceeded one billion dollars.
The source explained that the Central Bank sold during the five days of the currency auction about 1 billion, 410 million, 230 thousand, and 782 dollars, at a daily rate of 282 million, 46 thousand, and 156 dollars. This represents an increase compared to the previous week, which recorded sales of 1 billion, 387 million, 237 thousand, and 49 dollars.
Daily sales details
Daily sales fluctuated significantly, with the highest sales recorded on Sunday at $274,868,286, while the lowest sales were recorded on Tuesday at $262,223,443. These fluctuations reflect the changing demand for the dollar in local markets.
Foreign remittance sales
The source also indicated that foreign remittance sales during the past week amounted to $1,361,480,782, representing a 96% increase compared to cash sales of $48,750,000. This significant increase in remittance sales indicates an increased demand for dollars for international transfers, compared to direct cash sales.
Analysis and interpretations
This increase in dollar sales comes in the context of the central bank’s attempts to stabilize the market and control exchange rates. The rise in foreign remittance sales indicates an increasing role of international remittances in supporting the demand for the dollar, which may reflect active trade activity or changes in economic policies.
Legal violations” in the work of the Central Bank prompt demands to replace its governor, Ali Al-Alaq
Today, Saturday, the economic expert, Abbas Al-Bassel, stressed the necessity of replacing the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, in light of the violations committed by the Central Bank against the constitution and the law.
Al-Basel told Al-Jarida, “When Al-Alaq was brought in, the work of the corrupt whales among the politicians became active, as they invested in dollars and the private sector was terminated, while the Central Bank imposed unnatural complications by launching a campaign against simple shops and kiosks in the markets of Shorja and Karrada, and preventing the sale of electrical and food supplies and even clothing in dollars, and taking pledges from shop owners to prevent dealing in dollars, and punishing them in the event of a violation, in procedures that have no legal ceiling or a judge’s decision, so the Central Bank violated the constitution and the law.”
Al-Bassel added, "The dollar is currently on the rise, at a time when there is no official announcement by the Central Bank about the volume of remittances leaving the country, so Ali Al-Alaq must be replaced with a professional, non-partisan figure."
Restructuring the banking sector on a digital basis
The Prime Minister's Economic Advisor, Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, praised in an interview with "Al-Sabah" the government's direction and efforts to restructure the banking system, both governmental and private, indicating that this relentless effort aims to build the banking and financial sector on digital foundations. Saleh pointed out that restructuring the banking system leads to competition in financial and banking services provided to the public.
Chronic rise two months ago.. the only condition for the dollar exchange rate to decrease in Iraq
Financial expert Nabil Jabbar Al-Tamimi confirmed today, Saturday (August 3, 2024), that the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market will remain higher than the official price due to the failure of the Central Bank to find solutions for black transfers .
Al-Tamimi told Baghdad Today, "The continued rise in the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market is due to the continuation of black transfers to finance some foreign trade by some merchants, without finding any solutions for these merchants by the Central Bank of Iraq ."
He explained that "the Central Bank of Iraq is required to find quick solutions and procedures for these traders, especially small traders, who have almost daily trade with Iran, Syria and some other countries banned from dealing in dollars ."
He pointed out that "these traders resort to the black market to finance their trade, and this is what causes the exchange rate to remain high in the parallel market by a large difference from the official price, and this is the responsibility of the Central Bank, as it is responsible for this file ."
The dollar exchange rate returned to rise relatively today, touching 150 thousand on the stock exchange, maintaining this level since Eid al-Adha, where it rose from 1450 dinars to around 150 thousand dinars or less, and has stabilized in this range until now .
An economist calls for consideration of the work of Jordanian banks in Iraq
Today, Saturday, economic affairs expert Ahmed Abd Rabbo called on the Central Bank of Iraq to reconsider the work of Jordanian and foreign banks in Iraq to evaluate their work compared to local Iraqi banks.
Abd Rabbo said in a statement to the “Al-Ma’louma” agency, “The Central Bank is working in a dualistic manner by not supporting the private banking sector and granting privileges to Jordanian banks,” noting that “foreign banks, especially Jordanian ones, control the file of financial transfers, in light of issuing sanctions against half of the local banking sector from By the US Treasury Department.
He added, “Today the Iraqi banking sector is facing a major problem and we fear it will be completely annihilated, as happened in the industrial and agricultural sectors and thus Iraq’s dependence on imports,” pointing out that “the Iraqi government must accelerate negotiations with Washington in order to lift the sanctions on Iraqi banks.” He called for "activating the principle of fines for unintended errors that occur in banks instead of penalties."
Specialists believe that the economic file cannot be handed over in this way, as it is a sovereign matter that affects the security and economy of the state, with these banks taking over and penetrating the economy to a great extent, which may make the Iraqi economy Hostage to the Jordanian banks.
Al-Fath: Foreign banks in Iraq do not have cash value
Today, Saturday, member of the Al-Fatah Alliance, Mahmoud Al-Hayani, revealed the presence of large corruption files within the Iraqi banking business and the involvement of major figures, while confirming that foreign banks in Iraq do not have monetary value that benefits Iraq.
Al-Hayani said in a statement to the Maalouma Agency, “Foreign and Jordanian banks in particular do not have through which they can supply the Iraqi market funds with the monetary mass, and their presence inside Iraq does more harm than good,” noting that “The Central Bank of Iraq was unable to find solutions and did not rise to the level.” "Required".
He continued, "The reason for the entry of foreign banks into the country is due to American dictates exercised on the Central Bank in order to grant them licenses to operate in Iraq according to special privileges," pointing out that, "The Iraqi government needs support from the political forces and concerted efforts in order to distance the banking business from suspicion.” And corruption.”
The economic expert, Mustafa Akram Hantoush, had confirmed that the measure taken by the Central Bank of Iraq was to grant business licenses to Jordanian banks and operate in the country, indicating that it was the duty of the Central Bank to strengthen Iraqi banks instead of Jordanian ones.
Prime Minister announces launch of five-year national development plan (2024-2028)
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced today, Saturday, the launch of the five-year national development plan (2024-2028).
A statement by the Prime Minister's Media Office received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) stated that "Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani announced the launch of the five-year national development plan (2024-2028)."
Al-Sudani reveals part of his five-year plan 2024-2028: services and development
During the Ministry of Planning ceremony
Prime Minister's Office statement:
rime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani launched the five-year national development plan (2024-2028), during a ceremony held today, Saturday, by the Ministry of Planning in cooperation with Iraq's development partners.
At the beginning of the ceremony, the attendees stood for a minute of silence on the occasion of the National Day to raise awareness of the crimes committed against the Yazidis and other components by the terrorist ISIS gangs, which falls on August 3 of each year.
In a speech he delivered during the ceremony, Mr. Al-Sudani praised the efforts of the Ministry of Planning, the ministries and their supporting bodies, and international partners, indicating that the five-year development plan had been approved by the Council of Ministers, in recognition by the government of the importance of the country having a development plan with achievable paths and goals, stressing the importance of adhering to the plan’s goals; as it is the way to change the lives of Iraqis for the better.
His Excellency pointed out that Iraq has witnessed a developmental separation since the eighties of the last century due to wars, siege and confrontation with terrorism, which caused gaps in all sectors, stressing the work to restore the wheel of development and bridge those gaps, and that the new plan is in line with the goals set by the government, and facing internal or external challenges, explaining that the plan has provided space to achieve good governance, appropriate mechanisms to combat corruption and adopt the principles of transparency.
The following are the most important points made in the Prime Minister’s speech:
The plan took into account the priorities of improving services in all areas, by accelerating the implementation of projects under construction, and moving towards new development and service projects.
We started a series of strategic projects to develop the oil and gas sector, stop waste in it, and rely on our capabilities and projects to secure oil derivatives instead of importing.
We have moved towards projects that are in line with the Sustainable Development Vision 2030, including infrastructure projects, clean energy, the development road, the Faw Port, the road and bridge network, residential and industrial cities, modern agriculture, and others.
We emphasize the role of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and the local governments in the provinces in achieving integration with the government program plans and working in a unified manner for the public interest of the state.
The five-year development plan includes paths with economic dimensions based on the philosophy of economic diversification.
The Iraq Development Fund aims to create an integrated investment environment in the country.
We have given the private sector sovereign guarantees to establish industrial and agricultural projects, which will provide it with a wide space commensurate with its developmental role.
We are working to reform the banking and financial sector, automate all economic and service activities, and govern government and service work.
We started automating work at border crossings, and moving towards electronic payment in all market and commercial transactions.
The five-year development plan adopts comprehensive digital transformation and the adoption of electronic systems in all aspects of life.
Sound planning requires accurate and sound data and indicators, and this will be achieved through the general population and housing census that is scheduled to be conducted on November 20.
The government is making exceptional efforts to implement the long-delayed census, and the Ministry of Planning and supporting agencies have completed all necessary preparations for its implementation.
We hope that Iraqi families will contribute to the success of the census and provide correct information.
The goal of the census is developmental, through which we seek to address negatives in all areas.
We call on all state institutions to cooperate with the Ministry of Planning to ensure the success of the census project.
Repeated violations of sovereignty and the presence of the international coalition put Iraqi military leaders before two bitter choices
Academic Talib Mohammed commented on Wednesday on the repeated violation of national sovereignty with the escalation of demands to end the foreign military presence, especially the American one, in Iraq. He pointed out that Iraqi military leaders are confused between declaring readiness and bearing the consequences of that, or confirming the need for the international coalition and bearing various charges, which requires strengthening trust between the government, political forces and military leaders in order to reach a decision that they will be held accountable for before the Iraqi people and history.
“The breach of Iraqi national sovereignty has become a common occurrence, considering that the last strike in Babylon came as part of a series of multiple and qualitative strikes in Iraq. Therefore, Iraqi sovereignty is breached through hostile strikes, whether from neighboring countries or the Zionist entity. The Israeli strikes are linked to an Israeli approach to control and change the nature of the region, meaning imposing force and continuing these strikes until a new political path is achieved in the region, and this path is controlled by Israel and America,” Mohammed told Al-Jarida.
He added, "As for the Iraqi military position, after the victory over terrorist organizations, the last of which was ISIS, it sent a message that the military institution is capable of leading itself, but on the condition of completing the logistical and technical matters, military equipment, and security and military liaison with the international coalition."
He continued, “In light of the presence of political blocs that want to end the foreign military presence in Iraq, especially the American one, the decision in this regard should be issued after studying the situation and the social, popular, economic and political reality to give a mature decision that we will not regret in the future, which requires the Iraqi military leaders to study the situation, whether the Iraqi forces are ready and do not need other countries, and if they are capable, they should announce this to the Iraqi public opinion and this issue depends on the Iraqi Council of Representatives.”
“But the Iraqi military leaders are confused about this aspect,” Mohammed added. “If they confirm readiness and do not need the international coalition, a security breach may occur and they may be blamed for confirming readiness. However, if the military leaders say the opposite, that they need the international coalition, they may be exposed to other accusations. Therefore, there is a need to strengthen trust between the government, political forces, and military leaders in order to reach a decision that they will be held accountable for before the Iraqi people and history.”
MILITARY
2 Georgia Guardsmen Die in Noncombat-Related Incidents in Iraq
Two junior enlisted Georgia National Guardsmen died Wednesday in Iraq, the Army announced Friday.
Spc. Travis Pameni, 23, and Spc. Owen Elliot, 23, both died in noncombat-related incidents, according to Army officials.
"Both of these soldiers selflessly served our state and nation," Maj. Gen. Dwayne Wilson, the adjutant general of the Georgia National Guard, said in a statement. "We extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of both soldiers."
Elliot was a native of Twin City, Georgia, and was assigned to 1st Battalion, 118th Field Artillery Regiment, which is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia.
Pameni, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was assigned to 1st Battalion, 121st Infantry Regiment, based out of Winder, Georgia.
The soldiers died in separate incidents in Baghdad, where the U.S. military still has a significant troop presence, according to a Pentagon official with direct knowledge of the situation. The area has been under a looming threat of drone, missile and rocket attacks, largely from Iran-backed militias.
Maj. William Carraway, a spokesperson for the Georgia National Guard, declined to comment on how the two Guardsmen died, saying only that the incidents weren't combat-related.
The deaths come a week after Iraqi officials joined American military leaders at the Pentagon to discuss the continued U.S. presence in Iraq as part of efforts to fight the Islamic State group.
At the conclusion of that meeting, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the U.S. remained "committed" to Iraq's "sovereignty, security and stability" without directly addressing reported calls from Iraqi officials for U.S. troops to leave the country by 2025.
The overwhelming majority of deaths in the military are not related to combat, even during the peak of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Between 2006 and 2021, 19,000 troops died while in service, 32% of whom died in accidents, which can include botched training exercises, vehicle crashes and various industrial incidents, according to federal data. Only 14% of the deaths were combat related. Deaths related to accidents have been on a steady decline, though that drop broadly mirrors reductions in the number of troops in combat.
In January, three other Georgia-based soldiers were killed in an Iranian-based militia drone attack in Jordan. Staff Sgt. William Rivers, 46; Sgt. Kennedy Sanders, 24; and Sgt. Breonna Moffett, 23, were assigned to the 718th Engineer Company, an Army Reserve unit based out of Fort Moore, Georgia.
Much of the Georgia National Guard has been deployed to Iraq, Kosovo and Poland in recent months. Some units in the state have also recently been involved in short-term training missions abroad, including the 170th Cyber Protection Team in Morocco, and the 214th Field Artillery Battalion in Sweden.
At any given time, some 20,000 Guardsmen are deployed abroad, according to data from the National Guard Bureau, with states having different levels of commitment to those missions overseas, particularly in Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Many states also have units serving in numerous domestic missions, particularly natural disasters such as the ongoing wildfires across the country.
"Salute the ones who died!" Zac Brown Band
Barzani and Maj. Gen. Vowell highlight ongoing ISIS threat and need for Coalition support
During KRI President Nechirvan Barzani's farewell reception for Maj. Gen. Joel Vowell, Commander-in-Chief of the International Coalition Forces, both leaders confirmed that ISIS remains a “real danger,” as stated by the Presidency of the Region.
On this occasion, Nechirvan Barzani praised “the International Coalition's support for Iraq and the KRI in defeating ISIS.”
In turn, Maj. Gen. Vowell expressed his “satisfaction with his work in Iraq and Syria, thanking “the Kurdistan Region for its cooperation,” and emphasizing “the need for ongoing support from the International Coalition for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.”
During the meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces and other officials, both sides agreed that “ISIS remains a real danger and a significant threat to the region's security and stability.”
In addition, the meeting covered ISIS movements, the current situation in Iraq and Syria, and regional developments.
The International Coalition Forces, led by the US, have been involved in combating ISIS by providing military support and collaborating with local forces in Iraq and Syria. Despite significant progress, recent statements emphasize the ongoing threat of ISIS, with the Coalition committed to continued support for regional stability and security.
Foreign Minister: Region needs collective effort to defuse war
Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned, today, Saturday, of the current circumstances in the Middle East, noting that the logic of war is controlling the region and the loss of its security affects global security and peace, stressing that the situation requires a collective effort to avert the fire of war.
Hussein said in a statement to the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Several generations of Iraqis have suffered from wars, so we stand against them," noting that "the circumstances and threats witnessed by the Middle East region may lead to war."
He added that "if war breaks out in the region, this means the loss of security and peace in it, and this may affect security and peace in the world," indicating that "the region is witnessing dangerous conditions and is under fire."
He pointed out that "we are all working to remove the danger of war because the security of Iraq is linked to the security of the region," indicating that "the region is experiencing harsh conditions and a very critical situation and is dominated by the logic of war instead of peace."
He continued, "The government has repeatedly tried and is still seeking to remove the fire of war, and the circumstances have currently become difficult and we need a collective effort to remove the fire of war from the region, and if it breaks out, it will include many countries."
Washington: The international community stood with Baghdad to break ISIS's grip on Iraq
The US State Department confirmed, today, Saturday, that the international community stands with Iraq to break ISIS's grip on Iraq and Syria, and begin rebuilding the communities that ISIS has oppressed .
“Today we remember the victims and honor the strength of survivors of genocide, crimes against humanity, and ethnic cleansing against Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a statement. “We also remember Sunni Muslims, Kurds, and other minorities who were victims of ISIS’s crimes .”
“ISIS killed and enslaved thousands of Yazidis, more than 2,600 Yazidi women and girls remain missing, mass graves continue to be identified and bodies exhumed, and survivors bear the painful scars of that experience to this day, ” Miller added.
“The United States’ support for the communities that have suffered this horrific tragedy is unwavering, and it is everyone’s duty to honor those who have been lost and the brave survivors through unwavering action and commitment to rebuild and restore these communities, ” he said.
“Justice, accountability, and political inclusion are essential to ensuring that violent extremists like ISIS are isolated and defeated once and for all,” Miller said. “We urge continued implementation of the Yazidi Survivors Act and full implementation of the security, reconstruction, and administrative provisions of the 2020 Sinjar Agreement, in consultation with the communities that call Sinjar home .”
The US State Department spokesman continued, "ISIS tried to tear apart the fabric of Iraqi society through a violent campaign of hatred and religious fanaticism, but the international community stood with Iraq to break ISIS's grip on Iraq and Syria, and begin rebuilding the communities that ISIS oppressed ."
“Today, a decade after this horrific tragedy, Iraq has an opportunity to embark on a new path that leads to peace, stability and prosperity for all of Iraq’s diverse communities, and in doing so, Iraq can be a model of religious and ethnic integration for the rest of the region, ” he explained.
Iraqi "Al-Nujaba" renews its threats, and Washington insists on the right to self-defense
The American magazine "Newsweek" reported that the Iraqi Al-Nujaba Movement issued a warning of the possibility of resuming attacks against American forces, after the raid carried out by the United States in Babil Governorate against a force from the Popular Mobilization Forces, and in light of the escalation of regional tensions related to the war in Gaza.
After the report, translated by Shafaq News Agency, indicated that the Iraqi militias’ campaign against American forces had largely stopped last February after the killing of three American soldiers in Jordan and the launching of intensive American raids against the sites of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” the report said that the new American strikes that took place last Monday in Babylon have sparked renewed anger, along with calls to resume attacks against American forces, which the militias consider an occupying force under international law.
Iraqi anger
The report quoted the head of the political bureau of the Al-Nujaba Movement, Sheikh Ali Al-Asadi, as saying, “This illegal and illegitimate presence carried out assassinations inside Iraqi territory against members of the security forces without the knowledge of the Iraqi government.”
According to Sheikh Al-Asadi, “All of this gives justification to the resistance factions and the Iraqi people to confront them and liberate their land from these forces that violate the rights and dignity of the Iraqis.”
The American report pointed out that Iraqi anger over the American raid on Babylon was also exacerbated by its coincidence with the assassination of the head of the political bureau of the Hamas movement, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Iranian capital, Tehran, and with the Israeli army’s announcement that it had assassinated a senior leader of the Lebanese Hezbollah in Beirut. The two assassinations sparked pledges of revenge from Iran, the Lebanese Hezbollah, and other factions of the resistance axis, including the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, which has now become even more angry because of the killing of its fighters in the American raid.
Newsweek described what is happening as one of the "most dangerous moments for the United States in the Middle East since the killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Major General Qassem Soleimani in January 2020, an act for which Iran continues to issue threats to former President Donald Trump."
US Forces Out
The report stated that after the assassination of Soleimani in Baghdad, the Iraqi parliament voted on a resolution calling for the immediate withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, but Trump began reducing the number of soldiers, while his successor, Joe Biden, later announced the end of the US combat mission against ISIS, but the US soldiers were not completely withdrawn, as there are still about 2,500 US soldiers in the framework of a training and advisory mission.
Although negotiations over the fate of these forces began in recent months, within the framework of the Supreme Military Committee between the United States and Iraq, the US Department of Defense "the Pentagon" did not indicate any plans to withdraw the forces completely, which reinforced calls to end the informal truce with the Iraqi militias.
The report quoted Al-Asadi as saying that “the American presence is illegal and illegitimate, especially after the parliamentary decision to end the American military presence in Iraq, in addition to the million-strong demonstrations by the Iraqi people to expel the occupation forces,” adding that the presence of American forces on the basis of the strategic framework agreement that is scheduled to be completed is “now illegal and violates international laws because they occupy the skies of Iraq and violate its airspace.”
Babylon raid
But the report noted that US officials indicated that the recent Babylon raid was carried out in anticipation of a drone attack planned by unknown forces on the ground.
The report quoted a US Department of Defense official as saying, "US forces in Iraq launched a defensive air strike in Musayyib in Babil province, targeting fighters attempting to launch a one-way attack with unmanned aerial systems."
According to the same US military official, "Given the recent attacks in Iraq and Syria, US Central Command has assessed that these unmanned systems pose a threat to the United States and coalition forces, an action that underscores the United States' commitment to the safety and security of our personnel."
The report quoted the US official as saying, "We reserve the inherent right to self-defense and will not hesitate to take appropriate action."
The report said that Kataib Hezbollah, which is also a member of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, said the raid targeted experts testing drones intended to provide security during the pilgrimage to the city of Karbala on the Arbaeen anniversary, accusing the American aircraft of taking off from a US military base in neighboring Kuwait, and issued threats against both countries, and called on the Iraqi government and parliamentarians to work to end the presence of the occupation forces and expel them.
The report also mentioned the position of the Popular Mobilization Forces, which called for unifying efforts to take an immediate decision to withdraw foreign forces from Iraq, and accused the United States of conspiring with Israel "to ignite the region and expand the circle of war and aggression."
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