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Iraq
Islamic Dawa Party renews confidence in Al-Maliki
2022-01-16
[SHAFAQ] The Islamic Dawa Party renewed confidence in its current Secretary-General, Nuri al-Maliki.

A source told Shafaq News Agency; The Islamic Dawa Party held its 18th conference and re-elected al-Maliki unanimously as its Secretary-General for a second term.

Shia parties have become a prominent political actor in Iraq after Saddam Hussein’s fall in 2003. They have played vital roles in shaping constitutional and political processes.

Founded in 1957, Dawa is the oldest of these parties. Between 2005 and 2018, three of its leaders, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Nuri al-Maliki, and Haider al-Abadi, assumed the position of prime minister.

Al-Maliki, 71, is heading the Dawa bloc in the Iraqi parliament, with 33 seats.

Dawa is a leading party in the Shiite Coordination Framework.
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Iraq
Tehran’s control over Iraqi leaders — the smoking gun
2019-11-22
[THEBAGHDADPOST] Our worst fears about Iranian dominance of Iraq have been proven true in the form of large quantities of leaked Iranian intelligence documents. These materials pertain to Iraq, yet provide insights into the nature of Tehran’s clandestine activities in Syria, Leb, Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
and elsewhere.

These documents demonstrate that almost every senior Iraqi official is in Tehran’s pocket.
Oh dear.
Current Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi is characterized as having a "special relationship" with Iran. Former PMs Nouri al-Maliki and Ibrahim al-Jaafari were wholly under Iran’s sway. Even Haider Abadi, who is usually portrayed as pro-West, held regular private meetings with Iranian intelligence personnel. Most of Abadi’s ministers were likewise assessed to be beholden to Tehran. In the context of the fight against ISIS, one Iranian agent told Abadi: "The Sunnis are vagrants, their cities are destroyed," adding that Iran
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Iraq
Iraq not in talks with Russia over potential purchase of S-400
2019-09-20
[ALMASDARNEWS] Moscow and Baghdad at the moment are not in talks over the possibility of Iraq’s purchasing Russia’s air defense systems S-400 Triumf, Iraqi ambassador in Moscow Haidar Mansour Hadi told a news conference on the platform of the international discussion club Valdai on Thursday.

"We are not holding such talks. Not a single hint at that," Hadi said, adding that he has been asked this question at each public event.

During his visit to Moscow in February 2018 Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari noted that Baghdad was closely studying the possibility of purchasing the S-400. In the middle of May, the Iraqi ambassador stated that Baghdad had made up its mind to purchase the S-400 from Russia.

Related:
S-400: 2019-09-18 India successfully tests Astra air-to-air missile
S-400: 2019-09-18 Erdogan proposes creation of ‘refugee city’ at Syria peace talks, Syrian Kurds dispute
S-400: 2019-09-18 Turkish Army is ready to begin operation against Kurdish forces in 2 weeks
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Syria says it's ready to fight for Idlib if Islamist militants reject deal
2018-10-16
[Al Ahram] Syria's foreign minister said on Monday that Syrian forces stand ready to fight Islamist Lions of Islam around the northwestern region of Idlib if a Russian-Ottoman Turkish deal is not implemented there the same day, in keeping with a critical deadline.

The deal for Idlib sets up a buffer zone running 15-20 km (9-13 miles) deep into rebel territory that must be evacuated of all heavy weapons and all Islamist Lions of Islam by Monday.

Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said it was up to Russia now to judge whether the agreement, which staved off a government offensive on the last notable swathe of territory in bully boy hands after seven years of war, was being fulfilled.

"Our armed forces are ready around Idlib to eradicate terrorism if the Idlib agreement is not implemented," al-Moualem said at a presser with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari in Damascus.

"Idlib, as any other province, has to return to Syrian illusory sovereignty. We prefer to have it through peaceful means, through reconciliation, but if not there (are) other options."

Tahrir al-Sham
, an alliance of Islamist Lions of Islam spearheaded by al Qaeda's former Syrian affiliate, signalled on Sunday that it would abide by the terms of the deal, although it did not explicitly say so.

"We value the efforts of all those striving - at home and abroad - to protect the liberated area and prevent its invasion and the perpetration of massacres in it," Tahrir al-Sham said in its statement. However,
there's no worse danger than telling a mother her baby is ugly...
it added that Tahrir al-Sham would not end its jihad or hand over its weapons.

Link


Iraq
Damascus urges Iraq to reopen border crossing with Syria
2018-06-15
Normalization lights the end of the tunnel.
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Foreign Minister has received a message from his Syrian counterpart over intensifying efforts to re-open the border crossing between the two countries from west of Anbar in Iraq and al-Bu Kamal city in Syria.

Iraqi Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari highlighted, as he received the message from Syrian counterpart Walid al-Moallem, "necessity of cooperation between the two countries in order to resolve the Arab issues through political solutions without intervention in the countries’ affairs."

Meanwhile,
...back at the pond, the enormous newt was trying to decide if Gloria was edible...
the Syrian ambassador to Baghdad Setam Jadaan al-Dandah, who delivered the message, commanded Iraqi stances which supports resolving the Syrian issues peacefully. He also expressed his government’s desire to boost the bilateral cooperation to achieve stability.

Observers believe that reopening the border crossing could be dangerous as terrorist groups like Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
still exists in al-Bu Kamal, located on the right bank of Euphrates River, east of Syria, which is eight kilometers away from Iraqi-Syrian borders. However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
reopening the crossing could reinforce the security presence by both Iraqi and Syrian troops, which could prevent infiltration of bandidos murderous Moslems into Iraq.
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Iraq
Iraq, Jordan in talks to protect joint borders from terror threat
2018-05-07
Baghdad (Iraqinews.com) ‐ Iraqi and Jordanian foreign ministers discussed on Sunday forming a joint military committee to protect borders from any possible terrorist threat, Elaph news website reported.

Speaking at a presser along with his Jordanian counterpart Ayman Safadi, top Iraqi diplomat Ibrahim al-Jaafari stressed the importance of "forming this committee as soon as possible" to control joint borders and protect them from terrorist groups.

"It is wrong to believe that the terrorist threat was eliminated from a certain country," Jaafari told news hounds, warning that "the threat of terrorism and ISIS (Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
) still exists."

The Iraqi foreign minister admitted that both Baghdad and Amman are now involved in talks to "overcome their differences, and develop and deepen bilateral relations."

He further called on Jordanian investors to play a role in reconstructing Iraq during the coming period. "When the anti-terror in Iraq is over, we will commence the reconstruction phase immediately, but the remnants of war will take a long period of time."

Jaafari extended thanks to Jordanian authorities for their support for Iraq over the past period and their cooperation to arrest and bring to trial Iraqi criminals living in the kingdom.

The Jordanian foreign minister, for his part, reiterated that Jordan "will continue to help and support Iraq, and step up mutual coordination at the security and defense levels to face the threat of terrorism."

Speaking about the Syrian crisis, Safadi stressed his country’s unshakable stance towards maintaining Syria’s independence and unity, and ending the humanitarian disaster there.
Link


Iraq
Iraqi voters condemn old faces' new election bid
2018-04-29
[DAWN] Only a decade after their country's first ever multi-party elections, disenchanted Iraqis say "the same old faces" with their vested interests have been running the show since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein.

"How long have Ibrahim al-Jaafari, Ayad Allawi, Nuri al-Maliki or Haider al-Abadi been in power? One minute as MPs, the next as ministers," said Midan al-Hamadani, listing Iraq's foreign minister, vice president, ex-prime minister and current premier.

"The parties are always the same and the same people come back to power, whether we like it or not," said the 40-year-old Baghdad resident.

Widespread corruption combined with failings in basic services such as water, electricity and transportation have reinforced the public's lack of faith in Iraq's politicians.

In a country with a long history of conflict and intercommunal violence, more than 24 million Iraqis are registered to elect 320 deputies from a field of around 7,000 candidates on May 12, with 71 seats reserved for the capital.

Link


Iraq
FM: Iraq categorically rejects Turkish military action at north
2018-03-22
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Iraq categorically rejects any Ottoman Turkish military action on its soil, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said Wednesday, hours after reports said Iraq approved operations by Ankara against separatist Kurds in its north.

A statement by the foreign minister’s website said Jaafari, meeting with Deputy Ottoman Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmet Yildiz, stressed that "Iraq rejects any military action on its soil by any neighboring country".

He added that "while we are anxious to maintain the depth of Iraqi-Ottoman Turkish relations, we categorically reject any breach of the Iraqi borders by Ottoman Turkish forces".

Meeting with Iraqi Justice Minister Haider al-Zamili in Baghdad, on Tuesday, Ottoman Turkish ambassador to Iraq, Fateh Yildiz, said Ankara started to launch military operations on its borders with Iraq "to purge the borders from terrorist pockets in collaboration with the Iraqi government", as quoted by a statement by the Iraqi justice ministry.

"The Sick Man of Europe Turkey
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire....
is prepared to cooperate with the Iraqi government in the field of counter-terrorism and entrenching the illusory sovereignty of both countries," the statement quoted Yildiz saying.

On his side, the Iraqi minister said "Iraq has shown good intentions in Ottoman Turkish demands related to the security on joint borders", adding that "the political and security situation requires new agreements".

Ottoman Turkish President Sultan Recep Tayyip Erdogan the First
... Turkey's version of Mohammed Morsi but they voted him back in so they deserve him. It's a sin, a shame, and a felony to insult the president of Turkey...
said in a speech in Ankara on Monday his country would, at any time, launch operations in Iraq’s northern Sinjar region against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a group designated by Ankara as a terrorist group for engaging in decades of armed confrontations with it.

Turkey has also been carrying out offensives since January against Kurdish factions in Afrin, northwest of Syria.

It has regularly conducted Arclight airstrikes against PKK locations in norther Iraq.
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Terror Networks
Russian FM calls for halting terrorist migration after defeat in Syria, Iraq
2017-10-25
[ALMASDARNEWS] The international community should prevent murderous Moslems from moving to other countries after their defeat in Syria and Iraq, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said after talks with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari on Monday.

Lavrov said the sides discussed the situation in the Middle East and in the region in general, focusing on "stepping up efforts in the fight against international terrorism." "Now the key forefront of this battle is ongoing in Iraq and neighboring Syria," Lavrov said.

"The task of all participants of anti-terrorist steps is to defeat terrorist groups such as the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
and Jabhat al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli al-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
(outlawed in Russia) and minimize, if not nullify, their chances of moving to other regions of the globe," he said.

The initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin
...Second and fourth President and sixth of the Russian Federation and the first to remain sober. Putin is credited with bringing political stability and re-establishing something like the rule of law, which occasionally results in somebody dropping dead from polonium poisoning. Under Putin, a new group of business magnates controlling significant swathes of Russia's economy has emerged, all of whom have close personal ties to Putin. The old bunch, without close personal ties to Putin, are in jail or in exile or dead...
to create a global anti-terror coalition, based on mutual trust and without double standards, fully meets this task, Lavrov said.

"We support the efforts of the Iraqi government not only against terrorism, where serious success has been reached, but also in the context of normalizing the situation in the country through an inclusive dialogue of all ethnic and religious groups," he said.

Link


Iraq
Maliki bitches about US missile strike against Syria
2017-04-09
[Iraq News] The US missile attack on a military base of Syrian regime suggests that Washington "uses force" to deal with the leaders in the Middle East, said Iraqi VP Nouri al-Maliki.
Maliki has turned into a greater Iranian toe sucker than al-Sadr.
On his Facebook account, former Iraqi premier published a media statement on Saturday, decrying US’ missile attack against the Shayrat airfield.

Earlier Muwafaq al- Rubai’i, a politician from Maliki’s Shi’ite State of Law Coalition, described the US assault as "a violation of Syria’s illusory sovereignty."

Also Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari questioned the possibility of using chemical weapons by Bashir al-Assad’s regime.

Link


Iraq
Iraq to Fight ISIL in Syria in Case Homeland Threatened: Foreign Minister
2017-02-28
[ENGLISH.ALMANAR.LB] The Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari stated on Monday that his country intends to fight ISIS in Syria on the basis of protecting the Iraqi territories from the threats of the terrorist group, not interfering in the Syrian affairs.

Al-Jaafari told the Russian news agency that the Iraq forces will strike the forces of Evil within the Syrian territories in case they pose an extended threat against the Iraqi territories.

Iraq’s air force struck ISIS targets in Syria border towns of Boukamal and Husseibah, strikes that came in response to recent bombings in Baghdad claimed by ISIS and linked to the bully boys’ operations in Syria.

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iraq thanks Lebanon for its support, calling for unity
2017-01-22
[NEWS.XINHUANET] Visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari thanked Saturday Leb's support for Iraq in regional and international arenas, pointing that his country "has no desire to interfere in the local affairs of any Arab country."

"We reached an understanding on the need to maintain the Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
as a form of unity between Arabs. We don't dismiss the existence of division, as there are various regimes and backgrounds, but what unites us is more than what divides us," Jaafari told news hounds at the Baabda Palace following meeting with President Michel Aoun
...a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hizbullah...
For his part, Aoun stressed that "combating terrorism is not the responsibility of one state but requires collaboration and coordination between all countries".

The president expressed hope that the upcoming Arab summit, which will be held in Jordan in March, would be able to "represent the much-needed Arab solidarity to fend off the circumstances that all Arab countries are passing through."

Jaafari handed Aoun a letter from his Iraqi counterpart President Fouad Masoum, congratulating Aoun on his election and the desire to promote bilateral ties between the two countries and invited him to visit Baghdad.
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