Archiv: Iraq / Irak


15.02.2025 - 19:17 [ Nicolas J.S. Davies / Mintpress.com ]

Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen: Calculating the Millions-High Death Toll of America’s Post-9/11 Wars

(26.4.2018)

As Barbara Lee presciently warned her colleagues before she cast her lone dissenting vote in 2001, we have “become the evil we deplore.” But these wars have not been accompanied by fearsome military parades (not yet) or speeches about conquering the world. Instead they have been politically justified by “information warfare” to demonize enemies and fabricate crises, and then waged in a “disguised, quiet, media free” way, to hide their cost in human blood from the American public and the world.

After 16 years of war, about 6 million violent deaths, 6 countries utterly destroyed and many more destabilized, it is urgent that the American public come to terms with the true human cost of our country’s wars and how we have been manipulated and misled into turning a blind eye to them – before they go on even longer, destroy more countries, further undermine the rule of international law and kill millions more of our fellow human beings.

04.02.2025 - 17:56 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

U.S.-Imperium will „globale Koalition“ für Terrorkrieg 2.0 und bastelt an „Nachrüstung“ der Kriegsvollmacht aus 2001

(September 2, 2014)

Auf dem Gipfel des Nordatlantikpakts in Wales wird es weniger um Russland als um die Frage gehen, mit welcher schwachsinnigen Ausrede nun die N.A.T.O. den am 4. Oktober 2001 ausgerufenen „kollektiven Verteidigungsfall“ aufrechterhalten will.

Eine Option: Noch mehr Eroberungen islamischer Staaten, wegen dem „Islamischen Staat“.

04.02.2025 - 17:34 [ Rudaw.net ]

President Barzani, anti-ISIS coalition commander discuss ISIS ‘dangers’

When ISIS seized swathes of Iraqi land in 2014, Peshmerga played a key role in driving the extremist group out of the areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad, especially Kirkuk. The US-led global coalition provided Peshmerga and Iraqi forces with military assistance to defeat ISIS territorially, which was completed in 2017.

Barzani and Leahy also discussed the latest developments in Syria and their impact on neighboring countries.

04.02.2025 - 17:24 [ Associated Press ]

Regime change in Syria has Iraqi factions backtracking on push for US withdrawal

(January 31, 2025)

The U.S. and Iraq announced an agreement last year to wind down the military mission in Iraq of an American-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group by September 2025, with U.S. forces departing some bases where they have stationed troops during a two-decade-long military presence in the country. (…)

But the fall of Assad in a lightning offensive led by Sunni Islamist rebels in December led some to reassess that stance, including members of the Coordination Framework, a coalition of mainly Shiite, Iran-allied political parties that brought current Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani to power in late 2022.

18.01.2025 - 18:04 [ Newsweek ]

Iraq and Yemen Militias to Suspend Attacks on Israel Over Gaza Ceasefire

(January 15, 2025)

Mohammed Abdul Salam, spokesperson for Yemen‘s Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthi movement, declared the group‘s „battle reaching its conclusion with the declaration of a ceasefire in Gaza.“

08.01.2025 - 09:52 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

Doppelagent Putin

(15. April 2018)

Der nun erfolgte erneute Luftangriff gegen Syrien repräsentiert die Wiederholung einer Seifenoper aus dem letzten Jahr (11.04.2017, Wag the Russki). Drehbuch wie folgt:

– U.S. Präsident Donald Trump äußert in etwa “es hat nach Hunderttausenden von Toten keinen Sinn mehr die Invasion in Syrien mit terroristischen Proxy-Truppen und regulären eigenen Einheiten weiter fortzusetzen”,

– im Gebiet der terroristischen Proxies und Invasoren bei Ghouta ereignet sich ein fiktiver oder tatsächlicher Einsatz von Chemiewaffen,

– Trump dreht sich um 180 Grad und kündigt einen Militärschlag auf Syrien an,

– dieser erfolgt, mit Ankündigung und laut der französischen Verteidigungsministerin und einem anonymen Politiker über “Reuters” abermals mit Vorwarnung durch die Westmächte,

– die russische Flugabwehr tut nichts, gibt auch noch damit an und die syrische, die genau wie die russischen Militärs noch jedem Massaker gegen die eigenen und verbündeten Truppen aus Irak, Iran und Libanon zugesehen hat wie die Karnickel auf der Fahrbahn, behauptet dies und das.

Einer der wenigen Unterschiede zum letzten Jahr ist, dass sich neben Donald Trump mit Emmanuel Macron und Theresa May nun zwei weitere in ihrem Land hoch umstrittene Staatsleiter vor die Presse stellen und sagen können, sehet her, das haben sie nun davon, diese Russkis. Und Putin, der arme Putin, zitiert das Völkerrecht.

Dass die russische Staatsführung nie beabsichtigt hat Syrien gegen Luftangriffe zu verteidigen, sagte sie schon im letzten Jahr. Dass der russische Präsident jetzt von einer Verletzung der Souveränität Syriens redet, spricht Bände über dessen auch im Humor zum Ausdruck kommenden Grausamkeit. Der ganze Luftraum Syriens quillt über von irgendwelchen Kampfjets von Vancouver bis Wladivostok, seit Jahren. Noch einmal – hätte die Russische Föderation vor Beginn der Syrien-Invasion oder vor Beginn der Libyen-Invasion den dortigen Regimen eine Garantieerklärung gegeben, wie sie China letzten Sommer unter viel Gewimmer und Gebrumm endlich gegenüber Nordkorea abgab, wären Hunderttausende Menschen heute noch am Leben.

08.01.2025 - 09:48 [ Middle East Eye ]

Assad‘s former aide says deposed Syrian president was ‚tricked‘ by Putin

“But what happened was that the Iranians told Bashar al-Assad, ‘we did not receive any signals to proceed with moving Iranian aircraft to the Hmeimim base [or to] fly through Iraqi airspace to land at the base,’” Saqr told Mazeej.

“The question was relayed to Moscow, but no answer came.”

When asked whether this was a “trick by Putin”, Saqr said there was “no other explanation”.

Saqr said the Iranians told Assad they sent a plane regardless through Iraq, but were warned by the US that the aircraft would be shot down if it continued.

07.01.2025 - 19:23 [ MintPressNews.com ]

From ‘Terrorist’ to ‘Freedom Fighter’: How the West Rebranded Al-Qaeda’s Jolani as Syria’s ‘Woke’ New Leader

(December 12, 2024)

In 2003, he went to Iraq to fight against American forces. After three years of war, he was captured by the U.S. military and spent over five years in prison, including a stint at the notorious Abu Ghraib torture center.

While in Iraq, Jolani fought with ISIS and was even a deputy to its founder. Immediately upon release in 2011, ISIS sent him to Syria with a rumored $1 billion to found the Syrian wing of al-Qaeda and participate in the armed protest movement against Assad that arose out of the Arab Spring.

26.12.2024 - 12:22 [ Antiwar.com ]

Pentagon Admits It’s Been Lying About the Number of Troops in Both Iraq and Syria

The Pentagon said on Monday that the US has more troops deployed in Iraq than it has been disclosing, an admission that comes after it revealed there are significantly more US troops in Syria than the US has said.

22.12.2024 - 04:23 [ Antiwar.com ]

US Official Has ‘Good, Productive’ Meeting with al-Qaeda-Linked Julani in Damascus

Julani fought for al-Qaeda in Iraq against American soldiers during the Iraq War. He then founded al-Qaeda’s affiliate in Syria, the al-Nusra Front. In recent years, he has attempted to soften his image by giving friendly interviews to Western journalists, often appearing in a suit and with a trimmed beard to obscure his jihadist ideology.

Leaf said of Julani after the meeting, who is also going by Ahmad al-Sharaa, “I heard him on his priorities, which are very much rooted in getting Syria on the road to economic recovery.”

“We’ve been hearing this for some time, some very pragmatic and moderate statements on various issues, from women’s rights to protection to equal rights for all communities,” she added. “It was a good first meeting. We will judge by deeds, not just by words.”

11.12.2024 - 08:48 [ U.S. Central Command ]

USCENTCOM Commander Visits Syria and Iraq

Syria

Today, Dec. 10, Gen. Kurilla visited U.S. military commanders and servicemembers, as well as our Defeat-ISIS partners, the Syrian Democratic Forces, at several bases in Syria. He received a firsthand assessment of force protection measures, the rapidly evolving situation, and ongoing efforts to prevent ISIS from exploiting the current situation. USCENTCOM remains committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS.

Iraq

After visiting Syria, Gen. Kurilla visited Baghdad where he met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia‘ al Sudani, Chief of Staff Gen. Abdul Amir Rashid Yarallah, and Iraqi Joint Operations Deputy Commander Gen. Qais al-Muhammadawai. The leaders discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and regional security, the rapidly changing situation in Syria, as well as the defeat-ISIS operations in Iraq.

08.12.2024 - 21:34 [ BBC ]

US expands ‚axis of evil‘

(6.5.2002)

The United States has added Cuba, Libya and Syria to the nations it claims are deliberately seeking to obtain chemical or biological weapons.

08.12.2024 - 21:24 [ Washington Post ]

Text of President Bush‘s 2002 State of the Union Address

(Jan. 29, 2002)

Our second goal is to prevent regimes that sponsor terror from threatening America or our friends and allies with weapons of mass destruction.

Some of these regimes have been pretty quiet since September 11, but we know their true nature. North Korea is a regime arming with missiles and weapons of mass destruction, while starving its citizens.

Iran aggressively pursues these weapons and exports terror, while an unelected few repress the Iranian people‘s hope for freedom.

Iraq continues to flaunt its hostility toward America and to support terror. The Iraqi regime has plotted to develop anthrax and nerve gas and nuclear weapons for over a decade.

This is a regime that has already used poison gas to murder thousands of its own citizens, leaving the bodies of mothers huddled over their dead children. This is a regime that agreed to international inspections then kicked out the inspectors. This is a regime that has something to hide from the civilized world.

States like these, and their terrorist allies, constitute an axis of evil, arming to threaten the peace of the world.

07.12.2024 - 23:21 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

Doppelagent Putin

(15. April 2018)

Der nun erfolgte erneute Luftangriff gegen Syrien repräsentiert die Wiederholung einer Seifenoper aus dem letzten Jahr (11.04.2017, Wag the Russki). Drehbuch wie folgt:

– U.S. Präsident Donald Trump äußert in etwa “es hat nach Hunderttausenden von Toten keinen Sinn mehr die Invasion in Syrien mit terroristischen Proxy-Truppen und regulären eigenen Einheiten weiter fortzusetzen”,

– im Gebiet der terroristischen Proxies und Invasoren bei Ghouta ereignet sich ein fiktiver oder tatsächlicher Einsatz von Chemiewaffen,

– Trump dreht sich um 180 Grad und kündigt einen Militärschlag auf Syrien an,

– dieser erfolgt, mit Ankündigung und laut der französischen Verteidigungsministerin und einem anonymen Politiker über “Reuters” abermals mit Vorwarnung durch die Westmächte,

– die russische Flugabwehr tut nichts, gibt auch noch damit an und die syrische, die genau wie die russischen Militärs noch jedem Massaker gegen die eigenen und verbündeten Truppen aus Irak, Iran und Libanon zugesehen hat wie die Karnickel auf der Fahrbahn, behauptet dies und das.

Einer der wenigen Unterschiede zum letzten Jahr ist, dass sich neben Donald Trump mit Emmanuel Macron und Theresa May nun zwei weitere in ihrem Land hoch umstrittene Staatsleiter vor die Presse stellen und sagen können, sehet her, das haben sie nun davon, diese Russkis. Und Putin, der arme Putin, zitiert das Völkerrecht.

Dass die russische Staatsführung nie beabsichtigt hat Syrien gegen Luftangriffe zu verteidigen, sagte sie schon im letzten Jahr. Dass der russische Präsident jetzt von einer Verletzung der Souveränität Syriens redet, spricht Bände über dessen auch im Humor zum Ausdruck kommenden Grausamkeit. Der ganze Luftraum Syriens quillt über von irgendwelchen Kampfjets von Vancouver bis Wladivostok, seit Jahren. Noch einmal – hätte die Russische Föderation vor Beginn der Syrien-Invasion oder vor Beginn der Libyen-Invasion den dortigen Regimen eine Garantieerklärung gegeben, wie sie China letzten Sommer unter viel Gewimmer und Gebrumm endlich gegenüber Nordkorea abgab, wären Hunderttausende Menschen heute noch am Leben.

07.12.2024 - 22:33 [ Middle East Eye ]

Inside the Iraqi factions’ decision to keep out of Syria

Assad himself has not formally asked the Iraqi government to send military reinforcements.

07.12.2024 - 21:48 [ Le Monde ]

Syrian rebels say they are encircling Damascus

Daraa and Quneitra are near the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, where Israel said it was boosting its troop presence, and Jordan, which late Friday urged its citizens to leave Syria „as soon as possible.“

Iraq allowed hundreds of troops from the Syrian army in, some of them wounded, amid the offensive, according to two Iraqi security sources speaking to Agence France-Presse (AFP). The soldiers from President Bashar al-Assad‘s forces „have fled the front lines“ and entered Iraq through the Al-Qaim border crossing, said one senior security official, adding that „the wounded have been hospitalized“ in the area.

20.11.2024 - 17:07 [ theCradle.co ]

PM Mohammed Shia al-Sudani rejects Israeli ‚threats‘ to expand war against Iraq

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani blasted Israeli “efforts to expand the war” in West Asia on 19 November, after Israel’s foreign minister sent a letter to the UN Security Council urging action against the Iraqi resistance and stressing Tel Aviv’s right to “protect itself.”

In a cabinet session on Tuesday, Sudani said that “the message sent by the Zionist entity to the UN Security Council represents a pretext and argument to attack Iraq, and to achieve the entity‘s ongoing efforts to expand the war in the region.”

13.11.2024 - 13:35 [ New York Times ]

Trump Picks Pete Hegseth, a Veteran and Fox News Host, for Defense Secretary

The choice of Mr. Hegseth was outside the norm of the traditional defense secretary. But he was a dedicated supporter of Mr. Trump during his first term, defending his interactions with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, embracing his “America First” agenda of trying to withdraw U.S. troops from abroad and energetically taking up the cause of combat veterans accused of war crimes.
(…)
He served in the Army in Afghanistan and Iraq and at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

A Minnesota native, Mr. Hegseth graduated from Princeton University, where he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative magazine, for which he wrote about seeing the statue of Saddam Hussein toppled in Baghdad in 2003.

13.11.2024 - 12:59 [ Reuters ]

US carried out strikes against Iranian linked targets in Syria

(November 11, 2024)

The U.S. military said on Monday it had carried out strikes against nine targets associated with Iranian groups in Syria.
(…)
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.

28.10.2024 - 18:26 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iraq files formal complaint to UN over Israeli airspace violation

On Sunday, in a unanimous decision, the Arab Parliament approved an Iraqi proposal to take legal action against Israel.

According to a parliamentary source speaking to Shafaq News Agency, the approval occurred during a general session held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

The proposal, presented by Ahmad al-Jabouri, Vice President of the Arab Parliament and member of the Iraqi Parliament, calls for the formation of a parliamentary team to approach the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and file lawsuits against Israel.

27.10.2024 - 11:52 [ Iraqi News Agency ]

Al-Mandlawi affirms Iraq‘s solidarity with Iran and condemns Zionist violations

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.“

27.10.2024 - 11:44 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iraqi Mufti blames the country‘s defenses for inaction on Israel‘s attacks on Iran

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.”

27.10.2024 - 11:26 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iran says Israel used US-controlled airspace in Iraq for strikes, warns of retaliation

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.”

26.10.2024 - 13:04 [ Shafaq.com ]

Unidentified missile rocks Iraq‘s Saladin with Israel-Iran escalation

The source informed Shafaq News Agency that the missile landed on an open dirt field in the Makishifa area of Samarra district in the early hours of the morning, with no injuries reported.

Specialized teams have yet to determine the missile’s type or its origin, according to the source, who noted that an investigation into the incident has been opened.

19.10.2024 - 20:50 [ TRTdeutsch.com ]

Bundestag verlängert Irak-Einsatz der Bundeswehr

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.

12.10.2024 - 05:10 [ Jonathan Cook ]

War on Gaza: Israel wants to finish the job Washington started after 9/11

In 2007, former Nato commander Wesley Clark recounted a meeting at the Pentagon shortly after the US invasion of Afghanistan. An officer told him: “We are going to attack and destroy the governments in seven countries in five years. We’re going to start with Iraq, and then we’re going to move to Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.”

Clark added of the neoconservatives: “They wanted us to destabilise the Middle East, turn it upside down, make it under our control.”

As I documented in my 2008 book Israel and the Clash of Civilisations, Israel was supposed to carry out a central chunk of Washington’s post-Iraq plan, starting with its war on Lebanon in 2006. Israel’s attack there was supposed to drag in Syria and Iran, giving the US a pretext to expand the war.

This was what the US secretary of state of the time, Condoleezza Rice, meant when she spoke of the “birth pangs of a new Middle East”.

The plan went awry largely because Israel got bogged down in phase one, in Lebanon. It blitzed cities like Beirut with US-supplied bombs, but its soldiers struggled against Hezbollah in a ground invasion of southern Lebanon.

The West subsequently found other ways to deal with Syria and Libya.

05.10.2024 - 18:25 [ Shafaq.com ]

Israeli army intercepts an Iranian drone over Iraq

The Times of Israel reported that the aircraft, believed to be transporting weapons to Hezbollah in Lebanon or Syria, was intercepted over Iraq. Israeli forces reportedly acted on suspicions that the plane was carrying arms intended for the Iran-aligned resistance group.

Israel‘s Channel 13, citing military officials, said the Israeli army is preparing for a potential major operation against Iran. No further details were provided.

05.10.2024 - 17:43 [ Middle East Eye ]

Exclusive: Iraqi groups say Israel fabricated deadly Golan drone attack

“Since October of last year, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq has carried out more than 160 operations targeting the Israeli interior and the occupied areas in the Golan Heights, most of which Israel has not acknowledged for various reasons,” Kadhim al-Fartousi, a leader of Kataeb Sayyid al-Shuhadaa and the group’s spokesman, told MEE.

“The resistance announces the operations it carries out as soon as they happen. The resistance did not announce this operation or claim responsibility for it as was reported,” he added.

“If we had carried it out, we would have announced it.”

02.10.2024 - 03:34 [ CNN ]

Fmr. Defense Secy: Israel will conceivably target Iran‘s nuclear facilities

Fmr. Defense Secy William Cohen joins The Lead

02.10.2024 - 03:10 [ New York Tmes ]

Israel weighs a counterattack after the Iranian missile barrage.

But after Iran fired about 180 missiles in an attack that went on for roughly half an hour, Israel’s challenge was not whether to attack Iran, but how powerfully to respond, said Yaakov Amidror, a retired major general who served as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s national security adviser.

The only question, General Amidror said, was “how much can we harm them versus their capacity to harm us.” He added he believed that the damage Israel inflicted on Hezbollah had diminished the threat of Iran’s proxies.

Even an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities — long a source of fear for Israel, which worries about Tehran gaining a nuclear weapon — “should be considered,” General Amidror added.

02.10.2024 - 01:32 [ Middle East Eye ]

Jordan and Iraq close airspace

Jordan and Iraq have closed their airspace following Iran‘s attack on Israel.

Interceptions of missiles were reported over the skies of Jordan.

01.10.2024 - 14:33 [ Iraqi News Agency ]

PM holds Phone Call with Jordanian King

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani made a phone call on Tuesday, to the King Jordan, King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, stressing the importance of coordination between Iraq and Jordan to deliver humanitarian aid and enhance international efforts to stop these attacks.

01.10.2024 - 14:01 [ Middle East Monitor ]

Iraq requests urgent Arab League meeting on Lebanon

Qahtan Al-Janabi, Iraq’s permanent representative to the League, told the official Iraqi News Agency (INA) yesterday: “Iraq has requested an urgent meeting at the level of permanent representatives in the Arab League.”

“The meeting will address the situation in Lebanon, particularly concerning the displaced and refugees, and providing assistance to the country.”

Earlier yesterday, the Ministry of Migration announced that 144 Lebanese citizens had entered Iraq via the Al-Qa’im border crossing with Syria, including some wounded.

01.10.2024 - 12:19 [ Washington Post ]

U.S. downplays talk of Iraq withdrawal, says troops will stay in Syria

(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.

27.09.2024 - 19:11 [ UN Web TV ]

Iraq – Prime Minister addresses General Debate, 79th Session

Speaker Name
AL-SUDANI, MOHAMMED SHIA
Speaker Role
Head of Government
Speaker Geographic
IRAQ

27.09.2024 - 18:55 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iraqi Prime Minister Al-Sudani warns of global disorder, urges greater UN action in UNGA speech

The Prime Minister reiterated Iraq’s solidarity with Lebanon, stating that both the government and people of Iraq, guided by religious authority, stand with Lebanon against what he termed “aggression aimed at plunging the region into conflicts.” Al-Sudani also condemned the targeting of international and humanitarian organizations, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza.

He expressed concern over the broader global implications of the ongoing conflicts, warning that recent actions by Israel could „ignite a large-scale regional war“ and destabilize the entire region.

23.09.2024 - 21:55 [ New York Times ]

Pentagon to Send More U.S. Troops to Middle East as Tensions Rise

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.

(…)

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.

11.09.2024 - 13:45 [ ABC News ]

Obama: `This War, Like All Wars, Must End`

(23. Mai 2013)

Now, the speech:

The president who dramatically expanded the CIA secret drone war, ordered a troop surge in Afghanistan and aggressively prosecuted leakers made a forceful defense of his actions and an even more forceful case for winding down the war on terrorism.

The key line: „This war, like all wars, must end. That‘s what history advises. That‘s what our democracy demands.“

07.09.2024 - 14:30 [ Shafaq.com ]

US and Iraq reach agreement on troops withdrawal; some to remain “in an advisory role”

“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.”

07.09.2024 - 13:51 [ Middle East Eye ]

US and Iraq agree on plan to withdraw US troops: Report

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.

28.08.2024 - 14:04 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utopie ]

Die “Authorization For Use of Military Force” vom 14. September 2001 im Wortlaut

(29. August 2014)

Seit Beginn des weltweiten Terrorkrieges in 2001 herrschten in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika zwei Personen als Kriegspräsidenten und “mächtigste Männer der Welt”, George Bush Junior und Barack Obama. Der Kern ihrer Legitimation für

– fast jede seit dem 14. September 2001 angeordnete militärische Aktion, Operation und Invasion, wie der Eroberung von Afghanistan (2001), Irak (2003), Libyen (2011), Luftangriffen bzw Bodenoperationen z.B. in Somalia, Jemen, Pakistan, Kenia, etc, etc, pp,

– den versuchten Aufbau einer “Totalen Informationskenntnis” (“Total Information Awareness”) über alle Menschen, Gruppen, Strömungen und Organisationen im Macht- bzw Einflussbereich der U.S.A. (also dem, was die Gesellschaft heute als “Totalüberwachung” versteht),

– die folgende Erschaffung eines informationstechnologischen, Privatleben fressenden Frankensteins, eines weltweit vernetzten Golem der “Nationalen Sicherheit AG” bzw dem “sicherheitsindustriellen Komplex”, der allein 800.000 Personen (Stand: 2010) Zugang zu “streng geheimen” Informationen und damit Zugang zu praktisch allen u.a. aus Telekommunikationssystemen wie dem Internet gesammelten bzw geraubten Daten von Bürgerinnen und Bürgern in ungezählten Datenbanken und Tauschbörsen der Spione, Militärs und (Geheim)Polizeien und Behörden allein in den U.S.A. gibt, samt einer bis heute nicht verifizierten Zahl assoziierter Kräfte und Stellen, z.B. in der Republik Deutschland,

– die Errichtung des Lagers Guantanamo, sowie einer unbekannten Zahl geheimer Folterkammern und Kerker auf eigenem Territorium, in Besatzungszonen und / oder in kollaborierenden Staaten, in denen Menschen willkürlich eingesperrt, gequält oder ermordet wurden,

sowie weitere offene oder klandestine Maßnahmen, wie z.B. die “Uminterpretation” von geltendem Recht zu faktischem geheimen Kriegsrecht in ungezählten Staaten, ist ein am 14. September 2001 bei alleiniger Gegenstimme von Barbara Lee durch den Kongress gejagter und, zumindest in der Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, präzedenzloser Gesetzestext: die “Authorization for Use of Military Force”.

Hier dessen gerade einmal 60 Worte und keinerlei zeitliche oder räumliche Einschränkung enthaltende Wirkungstext, beschlossen am 14.09.2001 von beiden Kammern des Kongresses, Repräsentantenhaus und Senat:

28.08.2024 - 13:45 [ Just Security ]

A Presidential Proclamation to End the Iraq War: Unilateral Executive Action to Defang a Zombie AUMF

(August 20, 2024)

The current blockage in the House—particularly given its potential use for a war with Iran— should prompt the White House to consider alternative means to disarm the 2002 Iraq AUMF. One reported reason that repeal legislation has yet to receive an up-or-down vote in the House is that some members are concerned about losing a potential authority for war with Iran. (The House of Representatives already voted to repeal the 2002 authorization in a previous Congress.) To be clear, it does not do so (see here and here). Nevertheless, a desire to keep the 2002 Iraq AUMF on the books as authority to fight Iran was certainly expressed by a number of senators who opposed repeal.

28.08.2024 - 13:40 [ CBS News ]

Senate votes overwhelmingly to keep 2001 authorization for war on terror

(March 23, 2023)

Senators rejected the amendment 86-9 as they are debating a separate repeal of two authorizations of military force in Iraq. There is broad bipartisan support to withdraw that congressional approval granted in 1991 and 2002 for military strikes against Saddam Hussein‘s regime.

While those two authorizations are rarely used and focused on just one country, Iraq, the 2001 measure gave President George W. Bush broad authority for the invasion of Afghanistan and the fight against terrorism, approving force „against those nations, organizations, or persons“ that planned or aided the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

16.04.2024 - 18:10 [ Shafaq.com ]

Tehran reverses course on Amir-Abdollahian‘s statements, confirms Shafaq News reports

Committee rapporteur Ali Nehmeh clarified to Shafaq News that „Iraq was taken by surprise by the timing of Iran‘s response and had no agreement with Tehran to allow Iranian drones or missiles through its airspace. The decision to halt air traffic came as a precautionary measure after the attack, with Iraq playing no role in Iran‘s actions.“

A government source familiar with the situation suggested that Tehran may have refrained from informing Baghdad of the attack‘s timing to prevent leaks, noting that Iran had notified several regional countries three days prior, as Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian stated.

16.04.2024 - 17:42 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iran-Israel conflict: Iraq caught in the crossfire

Dr. Al-Gharbawi stressed Iraq‘s pivotal role in managing the tensions by advocating for an independent position through official statements that condemn violence and extremism.

„This stance aligns with Iraq‘s historical position against normalization with Israel, highlighting a commitment to peaceful resolutions and adherence to international norms.“

Al-Gharbawi touched on Iran‘s psychological impact on Israel, noting that the Islamic Republic succeeded in creating panic and tension, prompting international reactions such as citizen evacuations.

„This psychological warfare, alongside military and diplomatic strategies, adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing regional dynamics,“ She added.https://shafaq.com/en/Report/Iran-Israel-conflict-Iraq-caught-in-the-crossfire

11.04.2024 - 15:33 [ Daniel Neun / Radio Utpie ]

Sie wissen von der Bundeswehr-Beteiligung an der Kriegsflotte im Persischen Golf, oder?

(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.

09.04.2024 - 11:15 [ Haaretz ]

The Truth About Israel, Iran and 1980s U.S. Arms Deals

(Nov. 26, 2010)

In the aforesaid period Netanyahu served as deputy to Moshe Arens, when he was Israel‘s ambassador to Washington, D.C. (1982-83 ).

(…)

The recently revealed documents deal with an operation dubbed „Tipped Kettle,“ involving weapons the Israel Defense Forces looted from the Palestine Liberation Organization during Operation Peace for Galilee in Lebanon, and their transfer to the Contras – opponents of the socialistic Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.

(…)

Part II was patently illegal – a blatant effort by the White House to violate a Congressional order and to cook up a strange deal involving the sale of American weapons (originally supplied to the IDF ) to anti-American Iran, for use in its war with Iraq; the release of Western hostages being held in Lebanon by Iranian-controlled Hezbollah; and the financing of Contras‘ activities thanks to the difference between the sum paid by the Iranians and the true value of the weapons – minus a profit for those engaged in the deal.

(…)

The CIA had direct intelligence connections with the Mossad, but in the affair of the captured weapons the American agency preferred to hide behind the Pentagon.

09.04.2024 - 11:05 [ TeenVogue.com ]

What Was the Iran-Contra Affair? A Political Scandal That Engulfed the Reagan White House

(18.11.2021)

An exiled Iranian arms dealer named Manucher Ghorbanifar claimed to have contacts with a moderate faction inside Iran, and further alleged that weapons sales would improve that faction’s standing. Ghorbanifar collaborated with Israel, which proved to be an important intermediary. While Israel was no ally of Iran, it was also no ally of Iraq, and the ongoing war between the two countries kept them both distracted. Israel began selling U.S.-made weapons to Iran in 1981, even after the U.S. State Department began an effort to end arm sales, known as Operation Staunch, in 1983.

20.03.2024 - 22:55 [ Nicolas J.S. Davies / Mintpress.com ]

Libya, Syria, Somalia and Yemen: Calculating the Millions-High Death Toll of America’s Post-9/11 Wars

(26.4.2018)

As Barbara Lee presciently warned her colleagues before she cast her lone dissenting vote in 2001, we have “become the evil we deplore.” But these wars have not been accompanied by fearsome military parades (not yet) or speeches about conquering the world. Instead they have been politically justified by “information warfare” to demonize enemies and fabricate crises, and then waged in a “disguised, quiet, media free” way, to hide their cost in human blood from the American public and the world.

After 16 years of war, about 6 million violent deaths, 6 countries utterly destroyed and many more destabilized, it is urgent that the American public come to terms with the true human cost of our country’s wars and how we have been manipulated and misled into turning a blind eye to them – before they go on even longer, destroy more countries, further undermine the rule of international law and kill millions more of our fellow human beings.

26.02.2024 - 23:06 [ Shafaq.com ]

Kurdistan‘s PM: we are very proud to say that we are American allies

On Monday, the Kurdish Government revealed that Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken at the headquarters of the US State Department in Washington.

Before the meeting, the two officials expressed in remarks reported by the Secretary of State the close ties between the two sides.

12.02.2024 - 22:10 [ Middle East Eye ]

Iraq says talks resume on US-led coalition withdrawal

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.

09.02.2024 - 20:49 [ Middle East Eye ]

Biden and Starmer will pay a heavy price for supporting Israel‘s war in Gaza

We can be sure of one thing. History is going to be a much harsher judge of those political leaders who justified and tolerated the ethnic cleansing now going on in Gaza.

Biden and Starmer’s refusal to call for a ceasefire and their refusal to back the ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) that Israel should take steps to comply with the Genocide Convention, will produce an indelible stain on their careers.

Neither man sees the danger they are in over Gaza. But then neither did Bush or Blair when they invaded Iraq.

08.02.2024 - 20:20 [ Shafaq.com ]

Iraqi Parliament to deliberate on the US attacked next Saturday

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.

08.02.2024 - 20:05 [ Middle East Eye ]

Iraq restates call for removal of US troops following assassination of militia leader

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.

08.02.2024 - 19:55 [ الوزراء العراقي / The Official Account of the Iraqi Prime Minister / Twitter ]

American forces has repeated irresponsibly all the actions that would undermine the established understandings and hinder the initiation of bilateral dialogue. It conducted a blatant assassination through an airstrike in the heart of a residential neighborhood in the capital, Baghdad, showing no regard for civilian lives or international laws.

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

08.02.2024 - 19:46 [ Washington Post ]

U.S. strike in Baghdad kills key militia commander, officials say

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.

08.02.2024 - 19:42 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Drohnenangriff: US-Militär tötet irakischen Milizkommandeur

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.“

05.02.2024 - 18:50 [ Robert F. Kennedy Jr / Twitter ]

If we “do not seek conflict,” then let’s get the troops out of there. They are not welcome. They are not needed. They are indefensible targets for anyone in the region who wants to provoke a conflict. Get them out!

(03.02.2024)

05.02.2024 - 18:46 [ 2024 campaign of Claudia De La Cruz for President & Karina Garcia for VP, running with the Party for Socialism and Liberation / Twitter ]

The US war machine just bombed 85 locations in Iraq and Syria — and Biden is promising more. Biden is driving us deeper and deeper into a regional war through escalations. What we need is not only a ceasefire in Gaza, but all U.S. troops OUT of the Middle East immediately!

(03.02.2024)

04.02.2024 - 15:40 [ theCradle.co ]

Iraqi parliament calling to ditch US dollar for oil trade

(01.02.2024)

Washington imposed sanctions on Iraqi Al-Huda Bank this week, under claims of laundering money for Iran. Several other banks have been hit with similar sanctions over the past year.

The statement came the same day a senior US Treasury official said Washington expects Baghdad to help identify and disrupt the funds of Iran-backed resistance factions in Iraq.

04.02.2024 - 15:20 [ Shafaq.com ]

Al-Sudani backs al-Anbar PMF and urges vigilance

The meeting took place in the wake of the US airstrikes on Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) in Iraq and Syria on Saturday. The US said the strikes were in retaliation for a drone attack that killed three American soldiers at a US base in Jordan last weekend. The Iraqi government condemned the US attacks as a violation of its sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.

04.02.2024 - 14:40 [ Tagesschau.de ]

Russland ruft den UN-Sicherheitsrat an

Das russische Außenministerium in Moskau hatte erklärt: „Washington, das sich seiner Straffreiheit sicher ist, setzt seine Saat des Chaos und der Zerstörung im Nahen Osten fort.“ Das Außenministerium fügte hinzu, es habe die Angriffe „entschieden verurteilt“.

04.02.2024 - 13:53 [ CNN ]

US and UK strike Houthi targets in Yemen one day after US strikes in Iraq and Syria

Two US destroyers fired Tomahawk missiles as part of the strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, a US official told CNN. The USS Gravely and USS Carney, both of which are Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, fired the land-attack cruise missiles during the operation.

F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier also took part in the strikes, officials said.

04.02.2024 - 12:56 [ Dmitry Polyanskiy, First Deputy Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN / Twitter ]

Russia has just called for an urgent UN Security Council meeting to discuss threats to international peace and security from the US strikes against Iraq and Syria. The meeting is expected to be held at 4 pm EST on February 5

04.02.2024 - 12:17 [ nitter.catsarch.com ]

which countries opened their airspace for US / UK airstrikes in West Asia (Iraq / Syria / Yemen / more to come)?

04.02.2024 - 12:10 [ Nino Brodin / Twitter ]

Saudi Arabia ready to back US air strikes on Houthi rebels

(09.01.2024)

04.02.2024 - 11:00 [ Regierung von Jordanien / Government of Jordan - Gov.jo ]

JAF Denies Involvement in US Air Strikes in Iraq, Affirms Respect for Sovereignty

(03.01.2024)

Responding to an inquiry from the Jordanian News Agency (Petra), an official of the Armed Forces dismissed the allegations as unfounded, emphasizing the Jordanian army‘s respect for Iraq‘s sovereignty and highlighting the enduring fraternal ties between the Kingdom and other Arab states.

The Armed Forces‘ General Command also advised the public to ignore rumors circulating on social media and to seek information from official channels, reinforcing its commitment to transparency and accurate dissemination of information.

04.02.2024 - 10:50 [ Tass.com ]

Jordan denies reports of its air force’s involvement in US strikes on Iraq

(03.01.2024)

The Royal Jordanian Air Force did not take part in air strikes carried out by US forces in Iraq last night, an official of the General Command of the Jordanian Armed Forces said.

04.02.2024 - 10:05 [ Shafaq.com ]

Jordanian military denies participation in US airstrikes in Iraq and Syria

(03.01.2024)

The source, as reported by the official Jordanian news agency Petra, stated that „there is no truth to the reports circulated this morning regarding the participation of Jordanian aircraft in the operations carried out by US aircraft in Iraq.“

„the Jordanian Armed Forces – Arab Army respects the sovereignty of brotherly Iraq,“ the source affirmed „the depth of fraternal relations that unite Jordan with all Arab countries.“