(November 11, 2024)
The U.S. military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria.
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The U.S. has 900 troops in Syria, and 2,500 more in neighboring Iraq, on a mission to advise and assist local forces trying to prevent a resurgence of Islamic State, which in 2014 seized large swathes of both countries but was later defeated.
Al-Mandlawi warned, according to the statement, of „the attempts of the Zionist occupation to expand the scope of the conflict in the region and the continuation of the bloodshed and targeting the killing of civilians, to escape the bitter reality and repeated defeats after more than a year of Operation Flood of Al-Aqsa,“ stressing „the need to take courageous positions in addressing and resolving the issue of Iraqi airspace.“
In a statement, Al-Sumaida‘i condemned „Zionist violations,“ stressing the need for “a firm response.” He expressed surprise at the Iraqi government’s stance and the air defense forces‘ spokesman‘s declaration that they are „on alert and under full Iraqi control.“
“Such statements cast doubt on Iraq’s position,” the Mufti announced, affirming that the current situation makes the country seem “weak and hesitant.”
He further called on Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani to intervene immediately to prevent any leniency in dealing with these violations, stressing that “Iraq must take decisive measures to preserve its dignity and sovereignty against any aggression.”
In a statement broadcast on Iranian state television, the Iranian Armed Forces Communications Center said, “We inform the brave and honorable Iranian people that hostile Zionist aircraft, in a blatant violation of international law, used airspace provided by the American terrorist army in Iraq early this morning to launch multiple long-range, air-launched missiles from 100 kilometers away from the Iranian border.” The statement was followed by calls to Iran’s media and experts to rely solely on official sources amid circulating rumors.
The missiles, reportedly fitted with warheads one-fifth the size of Iranian ballistic warheads, targeted radar systems in the provinces of Ilam, Khuzestan, and areas near Tehran, the statement noted.
“Thanks to timely intervention by Iran’s air defense, the damage was limited; several radar systems sustained minor damage, with some already repaired and others undergoing restoration.”
Der Bundestag hat das Mandat für den Einsatz deutscher Soldaten im Irak um weitere 15 Monate verlängert. Für die Fortsetzung stimmte eine deutliche Mehrheit von 539 der anwesenden Abgeordneten (Nein: 93, Enthaltung: 2), wie das Präsidium nach namentlicher Abstimmung verkündete.
(September 27, 2024)
The announcement, coming two weeks after the Iraqi government said it had reached a deal with the Biden administration to remove most U.S. troops over the next two years, underscored Washington’s hesitancy to telegraph its military movements at a time of extreme volatility in the Middle East. But it also sowed confusion over the eventual end state of the Pentagon presence in the country.
The troops will number in the dozens, one official said, and will head to the region to help protect the thousands of Americans who are stationed there.
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About 40,000 American troops are stationed in the region on bases in Iraq, in Syria and in the Persian Gulf countries. The U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln is in the Gulf of Oman, and a second aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, left Norfolk, Va., on Monday for the Mediterranean as part of a regularly scheduled deployment.
Wenn am nächsten Sonntag Landtagswahl wäre …
“The US and Iraq are also seeking to establish a new advisory relationship that could see some US troops remain in Iraq after the drawdown,” the sources affirmed.
“An official announcement was initially scheduled for weeks ago but was postponed due to regional escalation related to Israel‘s war in Gaza and to iron out some remaining details.”
The plan agreed by Iraq and the US says that all US-led coalition forces will leave Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.
US and coalition soldiers will stay in Erbil, in the Kurdish semi-autonomous region, for just one more year.
The two leaders expressed their commitment to the ongoing Higher Military Commission (HMC) process and its results, and the three working groups that will assess: the continued threat from ISIS, operational and environmental requirements, and bolstering Iraq’s security force capabilities. The two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end, and transition in an orderly manner to enduring bilateral security partnerships, in accordance with Iraq’s Constitution and the U.S.-Iraq Strategic Framework Agreement.
„The two leaders affirmed they would review these factors to determine when and how the mission of the Global Coalition in Iraq would end,“ the statement noted.
According to AP, the objective would be to transform talks into a bilateral agreement that could still keep a few US troops in Iraq, which already exist as 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in Syria as part of the coalition, knowing that in Syria they are officially considered occupation forces.
Deutschland will sich an dem Einsatz mit der Fregatte „Hessen“ beteiligen. Das Kriegsschiff mit rund 240 Soldatinnen und Soldaten an Bord war dafür bereits am 8. Februar von Wilhelmshaven aus auf den Weg ins Mittelmeer geschickt worden. Das Mandat für die EU-Mission „Aspides“ erfordert die Zustimmung des Bundestags. Die Abstimmung wird am kommenden Freitag erwartet.
Iraq said on Sunday that it had resumed talks with the United States on the future of the anti-Islamic State coalition, expressing hope that they would not be disrupted and lead to an outcome soon.
A first round of talks opened on 27 January but was swiftly suspended after a drone attack killed three US military personnel at a base in Jordan the following day.
According to a statement from the Parliament, the deliberative session is set to take place at 5:00 PM next Saturday. The focus will be on the repeated US assaults on Iraqi sovereignty.
Earlier today, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani reiterated his government‘s determination to end the mission of the US-led coalition in Iraq in response to the US attacks on Iraqi areas.
Wednesday‘s attack provoked an outcry in Baghdad, with the government again promising to remove US forces from Iraq in response.
„By this act, the American forces jeopardise civil peace, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and disregard the safety and lives of our citizens. Even more concerning is that the coalition consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory,“ said Iraqi military spokesman Yahya Rasool in a statement.
By this act, the American forces jeopardize civil peace, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and disregard the safety and lives of our citizens. Even more concerning is that the coalition consistently deviates from the reasons and objectives for its presence on our territory.
This trajectory compels the Iraqi government more than ever to terminate the mission of this coalition, which has become a factor for instability and threatens to entangle Iraq in the cycle of conflict, and our armed forces cannot neglect their constitutional duties and responsibilities, which demand safeguarding the security of Iraqis and the land of Iraq from all threats.
God‘s mercy and honor to the martyrs of this attack and to all martyrs of Iraq.
Major General Special Forces
Yehia Rasool
The Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces
U.S. military officials said Wednesday’s strike was carried out about 9:30 p.m. “in response to the attacks on U.S. service members” and resulted in the death of a militia commander “responsible for directly planning and participating” in those attacks. The statement, which does not identify the individual who was killed, said there were no initial indications of civilian casualties.
Nach Angaben des Sprechers der irakischen Streitkräfte, Jahja Rasul, ereignete sich der Angriff in einer Wohngegend. Der US-Angriff habe stattgefunden „ohne Rücksicht auf das Leben von Zivilisten oder internationales Recht“. Es bereite noch mehr Sorge, dass die Koalition ständig von den eigentlichen „Gründen und Zielen ihrer Präsenz“ im Irak abweiche.
Rasul bezeichnete die Präsenz der US-geführten Koalition als „Faktor für Instabilität“: „Dieser Kurs zwingt die irakische Regierung mehr als jemals zuvor, den Einsatz dieser Koalition zu beenden.“
Iran‘s reaction to the looming threat of American retaliation against what the Biden administration calls Iranian proxy groups has been a consistent denial of any responsibility for the attacks on American forces — and a warning that any strike on Iranian territory or personnel would escalate tension in the tumultuous region, not make U.S. forces safer.
Iranian officials insist the country does not have proxies, and that the loosely affiliated collection of armed groups it supports across the Mideast, which it calls the „axis of resistance,“ act independently.
Ketaib Hezbollah (KH) finally got the picture. President Joe Biden’s statements about US plans for retaliation make it clear that the United States does not have an appetite for war with Iran. But the United States sure has an appetite for KH’s destruction. KH recognizes that the drone attack that killed three US soldiers in Jordan on Sunday puts it squarely in US crosshairs. Oh the impending irony, after years of fighting to push US forces out of Iraq, to be obliterated just months before the United States voluntarily withdraws.
(10.01.2024)
„There is a need to re-organize [our] relationship [with Washington] so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,“ Sudani said, partly in reference to attacks by the Iraqi resistance on US bases.
The Iraqi prime minister has repeatedly said that Baghdad will neither accept foreign troops nor armed factions operating on its soil.
Iraqi and US officials met a day before the deadly drone attack to discuss the future of the US presence in Iraq under the framework of the US-Iraq Higher Military Commission (HMC).
The meeting aimed at “Reviewing the mission of the US-led international coalition against ISIS, following Iraq’s victory over one of the most formidable terrorist groups in the world.”
“Following this review, a specific timetable will be formulated to end the military mission of the Coalition and transition to bilateral security relations between Iraq, the United States, and partner countries in the Coalition.”
(18. Oktober 2023)
Beschlussempfehlung des Auswärtigen Ausschusses (3. Ausschuss) zu dem Antrag der Bundesregierung Fortsetzung des Einsatzes bewaffneter deutscher Streitkräfte – Stabilisierung sichern, Wiedererstarken des IS verhindern, Versöhnung in Irak fördern (Drucksache. 20/8341 und 20/8797)
Abstimmungsergebnis…
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Ending the mission of the United States-led global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq will be achieved during the current cabinet, said a government spokesperson on Sunday, noting that the process has already been set in motion.
The dual rebukes of Iran and the US underscore the tightrope Baghdad is walking as the war in Gaza seeps out beyond the besieged Mediterranean enclave’s borders.
Across the region, Tehran and Washington are flexing their muscles, vying to outflank each other in a deadly proxy war. The shadowy conflict has taken on different flavours that reflect local and geopolitical realities.
„While positive steps have been taken to reshape the future relationship and missions of the Coalition members and advisors in Iraq, the recent actions are hindering this progress, undermining agreements and various sectors of joint security cooperation,“ Rasool said.
„This unacceptable act undermines years of cooperation, blatantly violates Iraq‘s sovereignty, and contributes to an irresponsible escalation.“
Maj. Gen. Rasool said the strikes came at a time when the region is already grappling with the „danger of expanding conflict, the repercussions of the aggression on Gaza, and the consequences of the immoral war of extermination faced by the Palestinian people.“
(21.01.2024)
„The end of the US-led coalition mission is a necessity for the security and stability of Iraq. It is also a necessity for preserving constructive bilateral relations between Iraq and the coalition countries,“ Sudani stated during a televised event at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
(10.01.2024)
„There is a need to reorganise this relationship so that it is not a target or justification for any party, internal or foreign, to tamper with stability in Iraq and the region,“ Sudani told Reuters in an interview in Baghdad on Tuesday.
Giving the first details of his thinking about the future of the coalition since his Jan. 5 announcement that Iraq would begin the process of closing it down, Sudani said the exit should be negotiated under „a process of understanding and dialogue“.
The U.S. Air Force MQ-9 was likely downed by an Iranian-provided surface-to-air missile fired by an Iranian-affiliated Iraqi group, U.S. officials said. The MQ-9 was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS mission, a senior U.S. military official added.
The drone crashed near the Balad Air Base and was recovered by Iraqi Security Forces.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iraqi militias supported by Tehran, claimed that it shot down the MQ-9 over Diyala Province after it took off from Ali Al-Salem Air Base in Kuwait.
Troops will be part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a U.S. military campaign against Daesh from Iraq and Libya to Syria. Last year alone, the U.S. sent more than 3,000 soldiers to Syria and Iraq for the campaign. The website Axios reported that U.S. military presence in the region reached about 45,400 as of October 2023 and most are stationed in Kuwait.
(14.01.2024)
Soldiers from New Jersey are joining the fight against an Islamic militant group in the Middle East. This will be the largest deployment of New Jersey Army National Guard soldiers since 2008.
Lt. Col. Omar Minott is among 1,500 New Jersey Army National Guard soldiers deploying to Iraq and Syria. This is his fifth deployment to the Middle East, he said.
His deployment is part of Operation Inherent Resolve, a military campaign to defeat ISIS.
(3. August 2021)
24. Juni 2019: Der damalige U.S.-Außenminister Mike Pompeo fordert eine „globale Koalition“ gegen den Iran. passenderweise vorgetragen bei einem Blitzbesuch Pompeos in Saudi-Arabien.
4. August 2019: Ich lege mich fest und prognostiziere, dass „Bundeswehr-Marine .. noch vor Weihnachten unter Oberbefehl einer ausländischen Macht in den Persischen Golf entsandt“ wird.
(…)
20. Januar 2020: Monate vor der Ausrufung des bis heute andauernden Ausnahmezustands und bereits im Windschatten von SARS II („Coronavirus“), beschließen die Staatsführungen von Frankreich, Deutschland, Griechenland, Italien, der Niederlande, Belgien, Dänemark und Portugal in einer gemeinsamen Erklärung die „European-led maritime surveillance mission in the Strait of Hormuz“ (E.M.A.S.O.H.), von der Sie und 80 Millionen Andere bis heute nie gehört haben.
20. Januar 2020: Monate vor der Ausrufung des bis heute andauernden Ausnahmezustands und bereits im Windschatten von SARS II („Coronavirus“), beschließen die Staatsführungen von Frankreich, Deutschland, Griechenland, Italien, der Niederlande, Belgien, Dänemark und Portugal in einer gemeinsamen Erklärung die „European-led maritime surveillance mission in the Strait of Hormuz“ (EMASOH), von der Sie und 80 Millionen Andere bis heute nie gehört haben.
… zusammen mit dem Parlament den Bundeswehreinsatz in Syrien und dem Irak umgehend zu beenden und den sofortigen Ausstieg Deutschlands aus der Operation „Inherent Resolve“ zu erklären, insbesondere da diese tatsächlich nicht mehr der Bekämpfung des sog. Islamischen Staats (IS) sondern anderen politischen Zielen dient.
The troops were killed by “enemy forces” during a joint operation with Iraqi security forces to “eliminate an ISIS terrorist stronghold” in a mountainous area of north central Iraq, Operation Inherent Resolve said in a statement.
No additional information about the incident was provided.