Recent Appearances...

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Hello !
Recent Appearances...

Iraq

Top Shiite politicians consolidate grip on power in Iraq’s local elections

2023-12-24

[Rudaw] Iraq’s former prime minister and 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...
politician emerged as the main winners of Monday’s provincial elections in Iraq, according to official preliminary results.

The State of Law Coalition, led by former premier Nouri al-Maliki, gained most of the votes in Muthana province. It emerged second in Wasit, Najaf, Diwaniyah, Karbala, Maysan and Dhi Qar provinces and third in the oil-rich Basra as well as in the capital city of Baghdad, announced the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) in a presser on Tuesday.

The We Build Alliance, headed by Hadi al-Amiri, leader of the pro-Iran Badr Organization, performed extremely well in the polls. The alliance garnered most of the votes in Najaf, Diwaniyah, Babil, Maysan, and Dhi Qar province. It emerged as second in Basra and Baghdad provinces and third in Wasit, Karbala and Muthana provinces, according to the official preliminary results by the IHEC.

The IHEC announced that the results represented 94 percent of the counted votes.

Both Shiite alliances are among the main backers of Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani’s cabinet.

Maliki was the third winner of the 2021 parliamentary vote and Amiri was the fifth.

Moqtada Tater 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...
, whose Sadrist Movement, gained most of the seats in the parliamentary poll but later withdrew from the political scene boycotted Monday’s polls after labeling them as "corrupt elections." However,
a person who gets all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package...
he called on his supporters not to attack the process.

The main Shiite winner in the elections is the National State Forces Alliance which includes Ammar al-Hakim’s National Wisdom Movement and former prime minister Haider al-Abadi’s Victory Party.

The overall voter turnout reached 41 percent, higher than the parliamentary elections in 2021 despite the boycott by influential holy man Sadr.

The councils were dissolved in 2019 in response to demands by Tishreen protesters who criticized the system for its failures and for enabling corruption. After several delays, the election date was set for December 18.

Iraq's long-anticipated provincial elections took place in 15 provinces, excluding the Kurdistan Region. The last provincial council elections took place in 2013, without Kirkuk.

The provincial councils were created by the 2005 Iraqi constitution following the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein’s regime. They hold significant power, including setting budgets for several key sectors such as education, health, and transport, but are accused of being rife with corruption.

Link

Iraq

Amnesty calls on Iraq to reveal fate of hundreds allegedly abducted by PMF

2023-06-07

[Rudaw] ~~Amnesia~~ Amnesty International on Monday called on Iraqi authorities to reveal the fate of over 600 people "forcibly disappeared" by government-linked Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar province in 2016.

On June 3, 2016 thousands of men and boys in the city of Saqlawiyah in Anbar’s Fallujah district were put into buses and trucks by gunnies believed to be members of the PMF as part of military operations and under the pretext of suspected affiliation to the Islamic State

."

It also urged Iraq to criminalize enforced disappearances, which is still not identified as a crime under Iraqi law.

ISIS seized control of vast areas of northern Iraq in 2014, killing civilians and enslaving others across Sunni-majority provinces. Fallujah was the first major urban center seized by the turban group. The Iraqi army and the PMF launched an offensive on May 22, 2016 to retake the city.

According to the International Committee of the Red Thingy (ICRC), Iraq has one of the highest numbers of missing people in the world, to a point that every Iraqi family has firsthand experience or knows someone who was forcibly disappeared.

The PMF was formed when a group of militias responded to a call-to-arms from revered Shiite holy man Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to stand against ISIS in 2014. While the force has been officially incorporated into the Iraqi security apparatus, militias within their ranks operate outside of Baghdad’s control and receive support from Iran.

Link

Iraq

ISIS continues to pose ideological threat: Abadi

2023-03-03

[Rudaw] Former Iraqi prime minister on Thursday warned that though defeated territorially, 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) continues to pose a threat as an ideology.

Speaking at the second annual Erbil Forum, Haider al-Abadi, stated that "ISIS as an ideology still exists. You cannot overcome an ideology with guns," referring to the fact that the jihadist group was declared militarily defeated in 2017.

"The population assumed that the threat of ISIS disappeared, but it didn't. ISIS remained dangerous until we smacked their heads in djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
," Abadi stated.

ISIS seized large swathes of Iraqi and Syrian territory in 2014 and declared a so-called "caliphate." While the group was declared territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017, it still continues to pose serious security risks through hit-and-run attacks, bombings, and abductions across several provinces.

The terror group is particularly active in the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad, stretching across several provinces including Kirkuk,
... a thick stew of Arabs, Turkmen, Kurds, and probably Antarcticans, all of them mutually hostile most of the time...
Salahaddin, and Diyala.

Over 200 ISIS fighters were killed in Iraq in 2022, Major General Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesperson for the Joint Operations Command, told Rudaw late December.

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS IN IRAQ
"The country requires a unified vision and we need the best people to come enact upon that vision," Abadi said when touching upon the economic and political changes Iraq faces.

"If we as a collective do not change ourselves, nobody else from the outside world will come and change us," Abadi added. "The change has to come from the ballot boxes."

Snap parliamentary elections were held last October, resulting in a victory for prominent Shia 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 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...
. After failing to gather support to form a government, the Sadrist bloc consisting of 73 MPs resigned from parliament in June.

Months of political stalemate followed and the peak of tension between the rival Shiite factions manifested into deadly festivities in September which left at least 30 people dead, marking the worst violence the capital had witnessed in years.

"This was a political decision via a political movement, but the basic constraint was posed by the constitution," the former Iraqi premier said regarding the withdrawal of the Sadrist Movement from the Iraqi political process.

Abadi also touched upon the instability of the Iraqi dinar on the exchange market. Iraq earlier in February restored the exchange rate of the IQD-USD to 1,300 per dollar, the highest value of the dinar since 2020, amid a depreciation of the dinar leading to a surge in prices of basic goods and protests by Iraqi citizens.

"The issue of exchange rates is very dangerous. As a prime minister, I was supporting the stable exchange rate because if you decrease the exchange rate, people will benefit ... but this does not work alone," Abadi said as the Iraqi dinar oversees a devaluation.

The drop of the Iraqi dinar value was attributed to corruption, smuggling dollars out of Iraq, and pressure from the United States.

"My vision is that we should have an open market, of course this open market requires auditing and monitoring ... you need to have a monitoring system and follow up with the people who smuggle US dollars," he added.

Link

-Great Cultural Revolution

Joe Biden Announces ‘unity Summit' After Fbi Raid On Donald Trump's Home

2022-08-19

[Breitbart] President Joe Biden is planning on hosting a “unity summit” to bring together Republicans and Democrats at the White House after the FBI raided former President Donald Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced Biden’s plan to host the summit in a statement on Friday, noting the president wanted to “counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety.”

“The United We Stand Summit will bring together heroes from across America who are leading historic work in their communities to build bridges and address hate and division, including survivors of hate-fueled violence,” she wrote.

The White House stressed they wanted both Democrat and Republican public officials to attend, as well as civil rights organizations, faith and community leaders, technology and business leaders, and law enforcement officials. It is unclear which Republicans will be invited to attend or speak.

Biden has a deep appreciation for summits, as he hosted a “virtual leaders summit” on climate change at the White House last April and a “Summit for Democracy” last December. The announcement of the “unity” summit comes as a growing number of Republicans are outraged over the FBI raid on Trump’s home Mar-a-Lago home.

The former president has expressed concern about the growing anger in the country since the raid, even offering to assist the nation in lowering the political temperature.

The White House cited the 2017 Charlottesville riots as a motivating factor for the summit, in addition to the multiple mass shootings that took place during Biden’s administration.

The priorities of the unity summit were outlined by Biden’s domestic policy adviser, Susan Rice, in a blog post on the White House website.

WASHINGTON - APRIL 14: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) and National Security Advisor Susan Rice talk as U.S. President Barack Obama and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi brief the press after a bilateral meeting in the Oval Office of the White House April 14, 2015 in Washington, DC. The two reportedly talked about supporting the fight against ISIS, a strategic partnership and relaltions in commercial and cultural interests. (Photo by Mike Theiler -Pool/Getty Images)
Joe Biden and Susan Rice (Mike Theiler -Pool/Getty Images)
“Hate must have no safe harbor in America,” she wrote, noting the summit would “counter the corrosive effects of hate-fueled violence on our democracy and public safety.”

Biden will deliver the keynote speech of the summit, according to Rice, and the summit will also include roundtable discussions and panels on preventing radicalization and violence.

“Even as our nation has endured a disturbing series of hate-fueled attacks, Americans of all beliefs and political affiliations remain overwhelmingly united in their opposition to such violence,” she wrote.

She urged Americans to email UnitedWeStand@who.eop.gov to nominate “an extraordinary Uniter” so that the White House could recognize him or her.

“As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for the soul of our nation ‘we must all enlist in this great cause of America,'” she stated, concluding, “The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all walks of life to take up that cause—together.”

Link

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.

Link

Iraq

Al-Hakim leads a movement to contain the repercussions of al-Kadhimi's assassination attempt

2021-11-08

[SHAFAQ] The head of al-Hikma (Wisdom) Movement will hold a series of meetings with the Iraqi President, Parliament Speaker, and Prime Minister in the country to discuss the parliamentary election results and the recent attack on PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi's residence.

The leading figure of al-Hikma movement, Raheem al-Aboudi, told Shafaq News Agency that al-Hakim's meetings will also include the head of the Supreme Judicial Council and the leaders of Kurdish, Sunni, and Shiite political parties in the country.

"Targeting the Prime Minister does not revolve around someone by himself. It is related to the political situation in the country. It has dimensions that might topple the entire political and democratic process in Iraq. Therefore, a unified dialogue shall be held in the presence of all the parties."

"The dialogue shall be held within 24 to 48 hours because the political condition is very critical," he continued, "some parties are trying to tamper with the security of the country, shuffle the cards, and drag Iraq into the abyss."

"The meeting will discuss the repercussions of the early parliamentary election, the reactions to it, and the attack on the Prime Minister's residence amid reports about a terrorist group orchestrating the entire operation and the failure of the U.S. embassy's C-RAM system. Was the attack executed by drones or rockets?"

Al-Khadhimi survived an liquidation attempt that targeted his residence inside the heavily fortified Green Zone in the Iraqi capital earlier on Sunday.

Al-Abadi condemns the assassination attempt al-Kadhimi was subjected to

[SHAFAQ] Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi received today the head of the victory coalition, Haider al-Abadi.

During the meeting, al-Abadi condemned the attack that the PM was subjected to, describing it as an attempt to drag Iraq into chaos, according to a statement by al-Kadhimi's office.

For his part, al-Kadhimi reiterated, "proceeding with the reform project and everything that would enhance the state and the law's power", and praised, "the serious national positions denouncing the attack, issued by various international and national bodies."

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

Al-Sadr calls al-Kadhimi: Iraq enemies are trying to create chaoshttps://t.co/xGaqKVqUzT
— SHAFAQ News (@Shafaqnews) November 7, 2021

Link

Iraq

Calm Returns to Baghdad after PMF Commander's Arrest

2021-05-29

[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Calm returned to Baghdad after a long night of unrest as the Iraqi military leadership closed some of the capital’s entrances and positioned units in the streets near the fortified Green Zone.

On Wednesday, the army deployed units with armored vehicles and tanks, after the arrest of Qasem Muslah, Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) operations chief for Anbar province, which sparked widespread reactions.

Muslah was detained based on a judicial investigation and arrest warrant on terrorism charges, Iraq's military said in a statement.

Shortly after the arrest, a number of armed factions loyal to Iran
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...
roamed the streets of Baghdad in a failed show of force and to pressure the authorities to release Muslah.

Many protesters welcomed the arrest, given that Muslah was accused of being involved in the liquidation of activists in Karbala. He is also accused of missile attacks on Ain al-Asad military base in Anbar.

Muslah has been a controversial figure, especially in Karbala. He was an associate of religious authority, Abdul Mahdi al-Karbalai, and after 2003, he was in charge of the security of the city’s religious shrines.

He was then sacked over accusations of corruption and abuse. He joined the PMF after 2014 and assumed the leadership of the group’s operations in Anbar.

During the cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening, Prime Minister Mustafa Kadhimi described the show of force as a "serious violation of the constitution."

Former PM Haider al-Abadi warned against such practices, saying that either the state moves to impose order and illusory sovereignty, or it crumbles.

Abadi rejected in a tweet all forms of transgression, bullying, and rebellion, warning that sedition and chaos are disastrous. He stressed that "no one is above the law and accountability."

Leader of the Iraqis coalition Ammar al-Hakim stressed in reference to Muslah’s arrest that the judicial orders apply to everyone.

Hakim tweeted that "all Iraqis are equal in terms of legal accountability, and the decisions of state institutions must be respected."

Later Wednesday, the PMF leadership directed its units at the Green Zone to withdraw.

Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch clutched at his other shoulder......
UN Secretary-General Special Representative for Iraq Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert said that any arrest case should run its course, as goes for any Iraqi, adding that nobody should resort to a show of force to get their way.

"Such behavior weakens the Iraqi state and further erodes public trust. State institutions must be respected at all times. Nobody is above the law," she said on Twitter.

The UK Embassy in Baghdad announced its full support for the government's investigation into the actions of gangs.

"Iraqis have called for a state where those who break the law are held to account. No one should use force and threats to impede criminal investigations. Democracy rests on respect for the rule of law," announced the embassy in a tweet.

On Thursday, the US National Security Council expressed unwavering support for Kadhimi.

The council tweeted: "We strongly support PM Kadhimi & Govt of Iraq’s commitment to uphold rule of law & pave the way for free & fair elections. Anyone who targets Iraqi citizens must be investigated pursuant to Iraqi laws. We condemn those who seek to undermine Iraq’s stability with acts of violence."

Link

Iraq

PM Kadhimi promises to return 30,000 former PMF fighters to service

2021-05-14

Promises are easy. Resurrecting paid positions — especially when the Americans are leaving, taking all their lovely money with them — is hard.

[Rudaw] Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi has promised to return former fighters of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF or al-Hashd al-Shaabi in Arabic) to service even if requires amendments to the entire budget law, state newspaper al-Sabah reported on Wednesday.

Kadhimi met with MPs representing the al-Fatih coalition, led by PMF leader Hadi al-Ameri.

According to al-Sabah, Kadhimi said that when his government prepared the budget law, it included budget allocations for the return of former PMF members whose contracts had been rescinded, but the parliament removed those allocations to reduce expenditure.

The PM directed the "formation of a working team from the Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Finance and the [Popular] Mobilization Authority to reach a fair solution that guarantees a speedy return for them," it added.

"If the matter reaches a dead end legally, the budget law will be amended as soon as possible and sent to the parliament for another vote," Kadhimi said, adding that PMF fighters "have done a favor for this country."

The PMF was established in 2014 following a fatwa — of religious call to action — from Iraq’s highest Shiite religious authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, 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).

Although the PMF has been brought under the umbrella of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), and measures have been taken to fully integrate the units into Iraq’s official military apparatus, many continue to act independently, accused of committing human rights
...which are usually entirely different from personal liberty...
violations, along with corruption.

There are no official figures for the number of PMF fighters, but the PMF itself has said it numbers up to 150,000 people.

"The number of actual Hashd fighters is 48,0000, but their leaders receive the salaries of 130,000; a difference of 82,000!" Former MP Faeq al-Sheikh Ali tweeted in May 2020.

Dozens of PMF fighters who had their contracts rescinded organize limited-scale demonstrations from time to another in Baghdad and other provinces. When PMF head Faleh al-Fayyad announced in April that PMF salaries had been raised to 1.4 million dinars each (980$), protests began escalating.

On May 2, dozens of former PMF members demonstrated near the Finance Ministry building in Baghdad, and tried to break into it after clashing with security forces, which prompted the authorities to evacuate and close the building.

The former Iraqi government, headed by Haider al-Abadi, fired many PMF members due to their failure to serve during the battles against ISIS.

In May 2018, Abadi attacked the PMF, saying that there are "corrupt" leaders in it who tamper with the salaries of the PMF members, and do not allow the government to audit the numbers, records, and salaries of fighters and affiliates.

Qassim al-Zubaidi, a former PMF finance official, was assassinated in Baghdad in April 2018. After his death, Abadi revealed that he received a call from Zubaidi days before his liquidation, trying to reveal corruption in distribution of PMF salaries in the committee.

"Do the corrupt imagine that they are intimidating us? ... You will pay the price," Abadi said, promising to bring the corrupt to justice, but that never happened.

Link

Iraq

Iraq signs deal to import electricity from Arab Gulf states

2020-01-03

[Rudaw] Iraq is set to import 500 megawatts of electricity from Sunni Arab gulf countries before next summer, Iraqi Ministry of Electricity spokesperson a told state newspaper on Thurday.

Haider al-Abadi, spokesperson for Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity revealed that Iraq has signed a deal with the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) for electricity imports in a Thursday report published by state-owned newspaper al-Sabaah.

The agreement is to "establish two power transmission lines of extreme pressure 400 KV, with the Gulf Interconnection Authority shouldering the cost of the building of the two lines".

The business deal follows pleas from the United States for Iraq to wean itself off of Iranian electricity imports.

According al-Abadi, the two transmission lines will span 300 kilometers across Iraq and Kuwait.

The idea of interconnectivity between regional countries’ electricity grids was first touted by outgoing Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi in July.

The move will allow Iraq to initially import 500 megawatts of electricity at "competitive prices."

Iraq has long suffered from chronic outages and shortages of electricity, in a country where summer temperatures reach 50 degrees Celsius.

Electricity shortages have pushed protesters to take to the streets, especially in the summer of 2018, to demand better electricity and services.

War, corruption, insecurity and lack of investment have all together contributed to a deteriorating grid, leaving Iraqis at times with just five hours of national electricity per day. Privately owned generators set up in neighborhoods try to supplement the lost hours, making Iraqis pay twice for electricity.

To make up for the shortage in electricity production, Iraq has been importing electricity and gas to power its electricity stations from neighboring Iran, much to the ire of Washington, which has imposed crippling economic sanctions on Tehran.

Iran
Iran

Link

Iraq

US-led coalition, Iraq counter-terror forces, PMF press on with anti-ISIS operations

2019-11-19

[Rudaw] Almost two years after 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 was announced territorially defeated in Iraq, the US-led coalition fighting the holy warrior group has said it conducted 47 ~~Arclight~~ airstrike
<del>Arclight</del> airstrike

...KABOOM!...
s on targets over September and October, while Iraq’s counter-terrorism forces and predominantly Shiite militias have reported counter-ISIS gains in operations conducted on Monday.

Nineteen airstrikes were conducted against ISIS targets in Iraq in October, according to a November 13 blurb from the US-led Combined Joint Task Force - Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR). In September, it conducted 28 airstrikes against ISIS targets in the country, their November 16 release detailed.

The coalition was established in 2014 after ISIS snuffies seized vast swathes of northern Iraq, including Iraq’s second city of djinn-infested Mosul
... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn...
, and threatened to march on Baghdad and Erbil. It has conducted some 34,674 strikes against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria between August 2014 and the end of September 2019.

The group was declared defeated by former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi in December 2017. However,
Switzerland makes more than cheese...
remnants of the group continue to operate, returning to earlier insurgency tactics including ambushes, kidnaps and assassinations.

The US-led coalition has supported the Iraqi army in operations to eradicate these remnants. Operations have focused on the northwest of the country, including areas disputed between Iraq and the Kurdistan Region. As yet, operations have failed to entirely clear their presence, and military bodies worldwide have warned the group is still resurging.

ISIS propaganda outlets have continued to publish claims of attacks it has conducted. According to the group’s weekly al-Naba newspaper, its snuffies conducted more than 161 attacks against security forces and locals in Iraq in September alone.

Iraqi Counter Terrorism Forces (ICTS) conducted an anti-ISIS operation on Makhool Mountain, Saladin province on Monday, destroying six ISIS ’nests’ in the area, according to state media outlet INA .

Link

Iraq

Iraq detains ISIS militants fleeing SDF prisons

2019-10-18

[Rudaw] Iraq has detained a number of 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
ISIS

...embracing their inner Islamic Brute...
) Lions of Islam and ISIS-affiliated families inside within its borders after they escaped Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) prisons in Syria, Yehia Rasool, Iraq’s defense ministry spokesperson, told Rudaw English on Thursday.

Some ISIS Lions of Islam sneaked across the border and were detained in Anbar province over the last two days. It is not clear how many ISIS Lions of Islam entered Iraq and Rasool declined to say how many have been caught.

"Iraqi forces with the help of the Iraqi intelligence department have detained a number of ISIS Lions of Islam inside Iraqi territory during the last two days," Rasool said. "The ISIS Lions of Islam have sneaked into Iraq after they escaped prisons in Syria."

"Iraqi forces are stationed on the Iraqi-Syrian border line to prevent further ISIS Lions of Islam from entering Iraqi territory," Rasool added.

Iraq is worried about the threat from ISIS Lions of Islam detained across the border after ~~The Sick Man of Europe~~ Turkey
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
launched its Operation Peace Spring last week, aimed at clearing northern Syria of Kurdish forces and resettling up to three million Syrian refugees from Turkey.

At least 750 ISIS affiliates escaped SDF-held Ain Issa camp after ~~Ottoman~~ Turkish shelling close to the camp and detainees rioted. There are fears that more ISIS fighters and supporters could escape if Turkey’s operation continues and the SDF’s focus is diverted to the frontlines.

Iraqi Defense Minister Nijah al-Shimari visited the Iraqi-Syrian border on Wednesday to inspect the security situation.

"Iraqi minister of defense has visited Iraq-Syrian border areas in Nineveh and Anbar [provinces] to check up on the security situation on the Iraqi-Syrian border line," his ministry stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The day before, the ministry announced it had deployed additional troops to reinforce the border.

ISIS Lions of Islam have stepped up their attacks on the SDF’s southern flank in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor provinces, taking advantage of Turkey’s onslaught to the north.

The International Crisis Group warned that Turkey’s offensive, coupled with instability in Iraq, could enable a resurgence of the terror group.

The Pentagon has stated that ISIS is attempting to expand its influence over populations in Iraq’s Sunni-majority provinces north and west of Baghdad, and has reorganized its leadership and established safe havens in rural Sunni-majority areas.

"ISIS is rebuilding in remote territory, which is hard for Iraqi forces to secure," read a report from the Pentagon Inspector General covering April to late June. ISIS is "able to recruit in these areas using family and tribal connections."

ISIS seized control of swathes of territory across in Iraq 2014. The group was declared defeated by former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi in December 2017. However,
Caliphornia hasn't yet slid into the ocean, no matter how hard it's tried...
remnants of the group have returned to earlier insurgency tactics.

Link

Iraq

NRT Arabic on attack: Several of the employees of the channel were severely beaten, total dead more than 105

2019-10-06

[PUBLISH.TWITTER]

NRT Arabic on attack: Several of the employees of the channel were severely beaten. The gunmen were driving several white Toyota Land Cruiser GRX SUVs and also attacked local police that were in the area. https://t.co/aeToVinoEr via @NRT_English #Iraq
— Liveuamap MiddleEast (@lummideast) October 5, 2019

The Jerusalem Post adds:

At least 19 people were reported killed on Saturday as the Iraqi government continued a brutal crackdown on protests. The offices and journalists from several prominent networks, including al-Arabiya, were attacked by masked button men on Saturday in what seems like a coordinated attempt to shut down all dissenting channels. Internet and social media were also suppressed, a practice that began on October 2 in response to massive protests in Baghdad and southern Iraq.

Several stations were attacked on Saturday night, including NRT, al-Arabiya and Dijlah TV. The attacks appeared coordinated because they happened around the same time. al-Arabiya was the first to be attacked. It tweeted at 10:04pm that it’s offices had been targeted by "masked button men." Their journalists said they had received threats over the last days and that on the night of October 5 black-clad button men appeared. The journalists were attacked, equipment destroyed and their mobile phones damaged. They said they called for assistance from Federal Police who did not intervene to help.

NRT has reported that protesters burned the Badr party headquarters in Nasiriyah at 8pm. Two hours later NRT’s offices were attacked in Baghdad and burned, according to their own report. It was 10:07pm. According to reported Dijlah TV’s offices were burned. That was reported around 9:57pm.

Al-Hadath reported at 10:24pm that masked men attacked their offices in Baghdad, Iraq. Three cars with gunnies apparently stormed their office, according to a tweet from the station. At least one of their journalists was injured after being beaten.

There is anger across Iraq and abroad over the attacks on the channels. It was not clear if the closure of the channels had been ordered. One tweet from just after 9pm claimed the Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi had ordered Dijlah closed. The destruction of equipment and beatings of journalists appear to show that the attacks were more than just a government order, but conducted by a paramilitary organization. The government of Iraq had already moved last month to suspend al-Hurra after it conducted an investigation into corruption of religious endowments. Reports indicated that Fallouja TV, Alghad Alaraby, SkyNews Arabia and AL-Sharqiya were also targeted. It was not clear from SkyNews Arabia or Sharqiya when their officers were targeted.

The corpse count is now more than 105 people in Iraq and the coordinated attacks on media appear to be a foreboding sign for the future of the crisis. Even though major leaders such as Moqtada al Sadr and Haider al-Abadi have called for early elections, the government appears to be digging in. There are other forces at work as well. The stations attacked are linked to countries, groups or voices that are more critical of Iran. That means the attacks could have been carried out by pro-Iranian militias.

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