Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Iraq

Pope Francis says survived two assassination attempts during 2021 Iraq trip

2024-12-18

Presumably the would-be killers were ISIS or ISIS-inspired.

[Rudaw] Iraqi security forces foiled two liquidation attempts targeting Pope Francis

...Argentine liberation theologist, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio. He was elected pope in 2013. Rather than setting up shop in Avignon, where he belongs, the first Jesuit Pope chose to reside in the Domus Sanctae Marthae guesthouse instead of the papal apartments. That was to show how humble he is. He is big on climate change, against consumerism, and in favor of throwing a blanket over homosexual activity within the clergy. He's not real sure about the Resurrection, about Christ's divinity, and a few other things that would have gotten him burned at the stake a few hundred years ago, but he's hot for a certain South American Earth Mother Goddess...
during his historic trip to the country three years ago, the pontiff says in his forthcoming biography as reported by the Italian media on Tuesday.

In the book, set to be released next month, the pope describes warnings from British intelligence about the plots, including one involving "a woman packed with explosives, a young kamikaze, was heading to djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
to blow herself up during the papal visit," and another where "a van had also set off at full speed with the same intent," as detailed in an excerpt published by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

The incidents occurred in Mosul, the former stronghold where the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) declared its caliphate in 2014, leaving the city devastated after its defeat in 2017.

In March 2021, Pope Francis made a historic visit to Iraq, becoming the first pontiff to visit the country. The trip included stops in Baghdad, Mosul, and Najaf, where he met Iraq's highest Shiite authority Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. The pope concluded his visit by holding a Holy Mass in Erbil, delivering messages of peace and coexistence.

In Mosul, the Pope held prayers for victims of ISIS and visited other significant Christian sites in the city.

"One of the world’s oldest cities," Vatican News cited the pontiff as saying, "Overflowing with history and traditions, which had seen different civilizations come and go and was a symbol of peaceful coexistence of diverse cultures in one country - Arabs, Kurds, Armenians, Turks, Christians, Syriacs - appeared to my eyes as a field of rubble after three years of occupation by the Islamic State, which had chosen it as its stronghold."

Iraqi authorities have not commented on the two liquidation attempts.

Link

Iraq

Sadr-linked activist found killed in Babil

2024-02-20

Intramural games — they’re Shiites all.

[Rudaw] The body of an Iraqi activist linked to influential Shiite figure Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
Moqtada <q>Tater</q> al-Sadr

...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
was found killed in Babil province on Monday morning, a day after he was kidnapped by an unidentified gang in front of his house.

Babil security forces found the body of Aysar al-Khafaji dumped on the highway Jableh area, north of Babil, according to a statement from the Iraqi interior ministry.

"At a time when the security services in the Ministry of Interior are seeking to establish security and stability in different regions of the country, criminal elements are trying from time to time to disturb this stability, something that the Ministry of Interior will not allow," read the statement.

The Khafaji tribe released a strongly-worded statement later in the day, holding the Iraqi government responsible for Aysar’s death and calling on relevant authorities to uncover the perpetrators as soon as possible and hold them accountable.

"Condemnations and denunciations have become useless... Enough silence. Enough bloodshed," said the tribe.

Videos published on social media of the funeral processions depicted a member of the Khafaji family saying that they will grant Babil governor Adnan Faihan 24 hours to uncover the killers "otherwise all offices shall become our target."

Faihan is a senior member of Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), a pro-Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
gang and rival of Sadr’s Saraya al-Salam militia.

The interior ministry noted that security forces have found "important leads" regarding the suspects, stressing that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

Clashes between Saraya al-Salam and Asaib Ahl al-Haq are a common occurrence in southern Iraqi provinces.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran.

Saraya al-Salam was founded by Sadr himself in 2014 and considered as a revived version of Sadr’s Mahdi army, turbans who fought the Americans following their invasion in 2003.

Link

Iraq

Suspected clashes between rival Shiite factions erupt in Basra

2022-09-02

[Rudaw] Clashes reportedly broke out between rival Shiite militia groups in Iraq’s southern city of Basra on Thursday morning, days after deadly fighting between militias of Shiite holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
and Iran-backed factions in Baghdad left at least 30 people killed.

A well-informed civil society source, who requested complete anonymity due to the sensitivity of the topic, told Rudaw English that Sadr-affiliated Saraya al-Salam and pro-Iran
Iran

...The nation is noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence...
Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) engaged in heavy confrontations which continued from 2am to 6:30am on Thursday morning in Basra, adding that the number of casualties remains unknown.

Videos circulating on social media and various telegram channels linked to both sides purportedly showed festivities continuing on Thursday morning, despite Sadr calling on his supporters to withdraw and end the violence on Tuesday.

Sources told Rudaw that the fighting broke out in response to the killing of a member of Saraya al-Salam outside the offices of Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

The Iraqi Security Media Cell said "conflicting reports" have been circulated on social media regarding the incident in Basra, confirming the death of one and the injury of another, without specifying the nature of the festivities or naming any parties involved.

Security forces have arrested a number of suspects and the situation is under control, the statement added.

The source that spoke to Rudaw English claimed that the authorities in Basra represent certain political parties, and believed that there may have been attempts to "cover" the incident as to not incite further instability, particularly at a time of soaring tension.

Salih Mohammed al-Iraqi, a close associate of Sadr, later in the day "warned" the villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali
......sinister-looking Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
, secretary-general of AAH, to restrain his "disrespectful militias" and "mad dogs."

"If you don’t absolve yourself from the killers and criminals following you or prove that they do not belong to you then you are disrespectful too," said Iraqi.

Khazali responded to Iraqi’s statement, telling his supporters to refrain from negatively responding to the comments that have been made about him, and asking the AAH to close down all of their offices "until further notice."

"Any office that they want to burn, let them burn it and do not care about that, because God will compensate you more than you would expect," Khazali said.

Clashes between Saraya al-Salam and Iran-backed militia groups broke out on Monday after Sadr announced he was quitting politics. Heavy gunfire took place inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, with footage on social media depicting both sides using heavy machine guns. The fighting also spread to other Iraqi provinces, including Basra. According to the latest numbers by AFP, 30 people were killed and 500 others were maimed as a result of the ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful festivities.

AAH is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran.

Saraya al-Salam was founded by Sadr himself in 2014 and considered as a revived version of Sadr’s Mahdi army, bully boyz who fought the Americans following their invasion in 2003.

Link

Iraq

US sentences Asaib Ahl al-Haq former member to four years in prison

2022-05-08

[Rudaw] A former member of an Iran-backed Shiite militia group was sentenced to four years in prison by the US on Friday for "lying" to US officials during his immigration application process, announced the Department of Justice late Friday.

The 36-year-old Chasib Hafedh Saadoon al-Fawadi, an Iraqi who lives in New York, was sentenced to 48 months in prison after allegedly admitting to submitting false information to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services while applying for permanent residency in the country in 2017, stated the US Department of Justice.

Al-Fawadi had previously denied being a member of any groups engaged in ~~violent~~ mostly peaceful activities, but was later revealed that he had been a member of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH) militia group until he migrated to the US in 2016, according to the Department.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is part of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or Hashd al-Shaabi), an umbrella group of Shiite paramilitary forces that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of forces within the umbrella group are backed by Iran.

US State Department designated the AAH as a terrorist organization in January 2020 and its leaders the villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali
......sinister-looking Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
and Laith al-Khazali as terrorists.

The statement added that as a part of the murderous Moslem group, al-Fawadi had travelled to Syria in 2013 to engage in combat operations that supported the Syrian regime. "Al Fawadi concealed his travel to Syria, Iran, and Jordan when he applied for refugee classification and again in his application for permanent resident status," read the statement.

The former member of the AAH claimed during his immigration application that he was being persecuted by the AAH for refusing to help the murderous Moslem group in kidnapping Sunni citizens of Iraq.

Investigation into al-Fawadi’s case by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI
FBI

...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time...
) and Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations began in September 2020. He will be removed from the US upon his release from the federal prison without any further immigrations proceedings, according to his sentence.

Link

Iraq

Kataib Hezbollah dissolves militia following Sadr’s call

2021-11-20

[Rudaw] The hardline pro-Iran
Iran

...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites....
militia Kataib

Hezbollah announced on Friday the dissolution of one of its gangs, following a call from Shiite holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival, al-Khoei, assassinated only a few hours after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
for militias to disband and leave all weapons in control of the state.

Abu Ali al-Askari, a senior Kataib Hezbollah official, said on Telegram that "in response to what was published by one of the friendly parties regarding the initiative to disband its military forces," his militia group has decided to dissolve its Saraya al-Difa al-Shaabi (Popular Defense Brigades), ordering it to "stop all its activities and close its headquarters."

When the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
group (ISIS) seized controlled swathes of Syrian and Iraqi land in 2014, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani called for Iraqis to take up arms and defend the country. This paved the way for the formation militia groups under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, or Hashd al-Shaabi). The PMF has since been absorbed into the Iraqi security forces, but many of the militias operate outside of the control of the state and some are backed by Iran.

Sadr, whose movement won the most seats in last month’s parliamentary election and is set to lead the next government, on Thursday called on the militias to disband if they want to join his cabinet. Political parties affiliated with the pro-Iran militias did poorly in the election and their supporters have rejected the results and staged protests. Askari responded to Sadr saying that Kataib Hezbollah would give up their weapons only after Sadr’s gang, Saraya al-Salam, and the Kurdish Peshmerga did so.

On Friday, Sadr announced he was shutting down one of his brigades. "As a goodwill gesture from me, I announce the dissolution of the al-Yum al-Wuud [the Promised Day] Brigade, and the closure of their headquarters," he tweeted. He said the group had previously handed over its weapons and that anyone in the brigade who still has a weapon must turn it in within 48 hours.

"I hope this step will be the beginning of the dissolution of gangs as well as the handover of their weapons and closure of their bases," he said.

Askari said that the members of the disbanded Popular Defense Brigades will be embedded within the PMF and maintain their entitlements. He also said he hoped that Sadr would transfer control of his three brigades over to the PMF and "make understandings with the leaders of the Peshmerga to complete its dissolution and be embedded into the Iraqi security forces."

The Peshmerga have not immediately commented on Askari’s statement.

Link

Iraq

How Iraq's Al-Hashd Al-Shaabi turned into an Iranian foreign policy instrument

2021-06-15

[ARABNEWS] It is seven years since their yellow flag first appeared in the campaign against ISIS, the hard boy group which seized swathes of northern Iraq and eastern Syria in 2014. After ISIS captured large parts of northern Iraq, including djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
, in 2014, the fighters of al-Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Forces, won the admiration of many Iraqis for heeding Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani’s call to arms.

Since then, the umbrella organization of mainly Shiite militias has, however, adopted a more sinister cause. Last month, a convoy of Hashd fighters mounted a show of strength in Baghdad’s Green Zone, the center of Iraq’s political life, and forced the country’s elected leaders to release Qassim Musleh, a Hashd commander close to Iran

Link

Iraq

Iraqi militia threatens escalation of operations to expel US forces

2021-04-03

[Rudaw] The head of a powerful Iranian-backed Iraq militia vowed to continue and increase "resistance operations" with the goal of forcing American troops out of the country. th4 villainous-looking Qais al-Khazali

...... Iranian stooge, Secretary General of Persian proxy militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq, wannabe Nasrallah......
, the secretary-general of Asaib Ahl al-Haq and a subject of United States sanctions, made the comments in a speech on Thursday in Dhi Qar province, southern Iraq, just days ahead of strategic talks between Baghdad and Washington.

Armed factions opposed to US forces in Iraq will continue to "carry guns" in order to "end the US military occupation," said Khazali, according to media affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

"There is no way for American military bases to function in Iraq, not at Ain al-Assad base in Anbar, nor at Harir Base in Erbil, nor anywhere else," Khazali said.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq is part of the PMF, an umbrella network of Shiite militia groups that was formed in 2014 to fight the Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) under a fatwa (decree) from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. A number of groups within its ranks are close to Iran. They frequently attack US positions throughout Iraq and are accused of committing human rights
One man's rights are another man's existential threat.
violations, including killing activists and protesters.

Khazali said that current operations "will continue and increase in quantity and quality if the United States does not agree to close the bases in western, central and northern Iraq."

"The north of Iraq belongs to Iraq only, not another country, and we will fight and sacrifice for it," he added, referring to the Kurdistan Region.

An annual human rights report released by the US State Department on Tuesday accused the Iraqi government of negligence in protecting its citizens and failing to take serious action against the militias.

The report accused Asaib Ahl al-Haq of illegally seizing state property. "Abu Nawas Theater, one of the oldest theaters in Baghdad, was seized by a pro-Iranian militia, Asaib Ahl al-Haq, in November to support its activities," the report stated.

On April 7, Baghdad and Washington are due to hold a new round of strategic talks that will touch on US force presence in Iraq, which the US says is solely focused on the counter-ISIS mission.

Link

Iraq

Kurdish PMF unit formed in Kirkuk

2020-12-14

[Rudaw] A Kurdish unit of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic) militia network has been formed in the disputed province of Kirkuk.

"It’s for our own protection and the region’s protection," Jabbar Ghazi, commander of the new force and a former Peshmerga intelligence commander in Dubiz, told Rudaw’s Hiwa Hussamadin on Saturday. "We don’t discriminate between any ethnicity, but this is especially for the protection of Kurds and our region."

The force is made up of 150 young Kurds, according to Ghazi.
The PMF is a mostly-Shia militia network formed in 2014 in response to a fatwa by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani calling for action against the Islamic State

...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really 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 western pols talk they're not really Moslems....
(ISIS) group. It is made up of around 60 units.

PMF units in the past have claimed to represent the interests of specific minority groups. The Babylon Brigade has been described as a Christian brigade, but experts question the unit's base of support. "The Babylon Brigade touts Rayan Kildani, a local Christian, as its leader, but he is merely seen as a Iran’s token figure in an attempt to broaden the political alliance’s appeal," reads an analysis piece by Paul Gadalla in the Atlantic Council.

"Kurdish Hashds will protect their residents in each Kurdish district in Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
" PMF head Adnan Najar Oughlu in Kirkuk, who commonly goes by Abu Imad, told Hussamadin on Rudaw.

Supposedly a second Kurdish unit will be formed in the Kirkuk’s district of Shwan, where the head of the Shwan tribe says 150 people are ready to take up arms against ISIS.

"We have 31,000 Hashd fighters in Kirkuk, none of them are Kurds," Shaml Kwekha Ahmed Shwan, head of the Shwan tribe, told Rudaw. "This isn’t against anyone, this is against terrorism, this is just to protect ourselves."

PMF leadership has denied the formation of a Kurdish unit in Kirkuk, according to a statement obtained by Rudaw from the KRG's Ministry of Interior on Sunday evening.

Security has been a contentious issue in disputed areas like Kirkuk. ISIS has exploited security gaps between Iraqi forces and Kurdish Peshmerga in the province, with its remaining fighters carrying out attacks against security forces and civilians.

Kirkuk, a diverse oil-rich province of Kurdish, Arab, Turkmen and Christian residents, is disputed between the federal Iraqi and Kurdish regional governments.

Link

Iraq

Iraq Situation Report: April 22-28, 2020

2020-05-02

[Institute for The Study of War] Key Takeaway: The government of Iraq remains beset by competing domestic and international forces, a political conflict that threatens to further destabilize the Iraqi state. Iraq’s highest Shi’a religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani likely worked with caretaker Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mehdi to remove key militias loyal to Sistani from the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF). The order places these militias under the direct command of the Office of the Prime Minister, a move which will be viewed by Iraqis as a vote of no confidence by Sistani in the remaining Iran-backed PMF factions and leadership. Simultaneously, Iraq’s Shi’a political blocs, led by the Iran-backed Conquest Alliance, are frustrating Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi’s attempts to form a cabinet, calling into question whether Kadhimi will be able to overcome the partisan and ethno-sectarian deadlock to form a government. Additionally, Iran-backed parties are taking steps to weaken opposing ethno-sectarian groups by claiming some cabinet positions for Shi’a blocs rather than for their usual Kurdish occupants.

Link

Iraq

Four PMF brigades to fall under Iraqi PM's command

2020-04-24

[Rudaw] News broke Wednesday of Iraqi caretaker Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi's order to take control of four Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF, also known as Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic) brigades.

A letter published on Iraqi state media, addressed to the head of the PMF, a predominantly Shiite network of around 60 paramilitaries, says that four brigades will fall under the "command and management" of the commander-in-chief of the armed forces— a role Abdul-Mahdi currently occupies as caretaker prime minister — and not under the direct command of the PMF board.

Abdul-Mahdi issued the order on Sunday, but the official letter was only published on Wednesday.

Hashd al-Shaabi has yet to officially comment on the matter.

The four brigades include the 2nd, 11th, 26th, and 44th brigades of the PMF, which are all loyal to Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, and not under the influence of Tehran.

Several attempts have been made to fully integrate the PMFs into Iraq’s formal security apparatus to professionalize the armed forces, reduce Iran’s influence, and reduce the likelihood of a proxy war between Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
and the US spilling over into Iraqi territory.

Last year, under pressure to curb the independence of Iran-affiliated gangs in Iraq, Abdul-Mahdi issued a decree ordering the July 31 integration of Hashd al-Shaabi units into the Iraqi army on July 1.

The call for unit integration has been met with both delay and resistance.

Units within Hashd al-Shaabi that have close ties with Tehran have increased their anti-US activity inside Iraq since the US liquidations of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani

and top PMF leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in early January in Baghdad. Iraqi bases hosting US troops have been frequently targeted by rockets since then, but the attacks have largely halted since the onset of the coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)

coronavirus (aka COVID19 or Chinese Plague)

...the twenty first century equivalent of bubonic plague, only instead of killing off a third of the population of Europe it kills 3.4 percent of those who notice they have it. It seems to be fond of the elderly, especially Iranian politicians and holy men...
pandemic.

Link

Iraq

Many Iraqi politicians resent IRGC meddling in their affairs

2020-04-08

[al-Monitor] The visit of Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani to Iraq last week received a great deal of attention and provoked controversy on the local political scene.

His visit was an attempt to unify Shiite forces in nominating a new prime minister ‐ one who would have close ties to Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate ~~Jews~~ ~~Zionists~~ Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
‐ amid the fruitless efforts of the current prime minister-designate, Adnan al-Zurfi, to form a Cabinet. Zurfi is currently facing opposition from the Shiite parliamentary majority.

Yet Ghaani failed to unify the Shiite factions, unlike his predecessor Qasem Soleimani, who brought Shiite forces together to carry out Iran’s objectives. Ghaani not only failed to unite Iraq's leaders but also drew condemnation and criticism from the Shiite leadership.

Al-Monitor learned from a senior holy manal source in Najaf that the office of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani rejected Ghaani’s request for a meeting. Furthermore, influential Shiite holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
Moqtada <q>Tater</q> al-Sadr

...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He had his hereditary rival al-Khoei assassinated shortly after the holy rival's appearance out of exile in 2003. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics, then went back to catspawry...
canceled a prescheduled meeting with Ghaani, stating in a written message to Ghaani, delivered by Sadr’s military adviser, Abu Doua al-Issawi, that "there should be no foreign interference in Iraq’s affairs."

Parliamentarian Assad al-Murshidi, a member of the National Wisdom Movement led by Shiite holy man Ammar al-Hakim, said in a press statement, "The timing of Ghaani’s visit to Baghdad was improper and a clear interference attempt in the formation of the new government."

Zurfi’s Nasr parliamentary bloc described Ghaani's visit as a failed mission, assuring the Iraqi people that parliament would approve Zurfi’s government.

Zurfi finalized his Cabinet April 4 and sent a request to parliament to hold a session to vote on his Cabinet.

"Zurfi managed to obtain a parliamentary majority," said parliamentarian Nada Jawdat of the Nasr coalition. "[Ghaani’s] visit did not ... thwart Zurfi’s government but, on the contrary, it increased the parliamentary support for the upcoming government."

Nasr parliamentarian Faisal al-Issawi said April 6 that many members of different Shiite factions support Zurfi despite their leaders' objections.

Parliamentarian Alia Nassif of the State of Law coalition said Ghaani was pressuring Shiite factions to withdraw their support for Zurfi. "It is a shame that Iraqi politicians need foreign guardianship to decide on important issues related to their own country," Nassif said.

In the same vein, Sunni parliamentarian Raad al-Dehlaki of the Forces Alliance demanded that the Iraqi foreign minister summon the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad to complain about Ghaani’s interference.

Despite Ghaani’s opposition to Zurfi’s appointment as prime minister, Zurfi is determined to form his government.

"Those opposed to the government can express their position in parliament alone," said Zurfi at a presser in Baghdad April 4, confirming that he did not meet with Ghaani.

Regardless of whether Zurfi's government receives parliamentary approval or if he is replaced by the current head of intelligence services, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, as many Shiite parties are proposing, the divisions among the Shiite forces are a clear sign that Ghaani failed in his mission in Iraq.

Link

Iraq

Iraqi cleric condemns use of force, 11 protesters wounded

2020-02-01

[EN.ANNAHAR] Iraq’s most powerful religious figure Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani reiterated Friday his condemnation of the use of force against anti-government protesters as the mass movement enters a critical juncture and political blocs tussle over naming a new premier.

Meanwhile,
...back at the pie fight, Bella opened her mouth at precisely the wrong moment...
influential and radical holy man Moqtada Tater al-Sadr
Moqtada <q>Tater</q> al-Sadr

...hereditary Iraqi holy man and leader of a political movement in Iraq. He spends most of his time in Iran, safely out of the line of fire, where he's learning to be an ayatollah. Formerly an Iranian catspaw, though lately he's gagged over some of their more outlandish antics...
called for his followers to return to the street, one week after he withdrew support for anti-government demonstrators camped out in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square. The move comes one day before a deadline set by Iraq’s president to select the next prime minister runs out.

Al-Sistani’s comments came as unrest continued in Baghdad’s Khilani and Wathba squares, where at least 11 demonstrators were maimed Friday by security forces firing tear gas canisters to disperse crowds, according to security and medical officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The area has become a flash point in the recent escalation staged by demonstrators to refocus public attention on the demands of the four-month protest movement after a U.S. ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
...KABOOM!...
that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad monopolized Iraqi politics.

Link

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