Officials from around the Middle East began arriving in Baghdad, Iraq, on Friday ahead of a summit aiming to promote peace and reconciliation in the region, including improving ties between arch rivals Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Archiv: Iraq / Irak
David Petraeus‘ bright idea: give terrorists weapons to beat terrorists
(2.9.2015)
Former CIA director David Petraeus is advocating giving arms to members of al-Nusra Front, an al-Qaida off-shoot, to beat Isis. That is madness
Petraeus zu afghanischer Armee: „Sie hatten plötzlich keine Rückendeckung mehr“
US-Präsident Biden und die Bundesregierung werfen der afghanischen Armee fehlenden Kampfwillen vor. Dem widerspricht im Interview mit STRG_F der ehemalige General und Ex-CIA-Chef Petraeus. Er verteidigt die afghanischen Soldaten.
General David Petraeus tells Biden it was premature to leave Afghanistan because Al Qaeda was always ‚going to come back‘ and the Afghan forces were ’not sustainable‘
– Petraeus commanded forces in Afghanistan and Iraq and helped formulate ‚counterinsurgency‘ strategies
– He criticized Biden’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan in a New Yorker interview
– Disagreed with decision to pull out liaison, special forces trainers, contractors
– Said it began an epidemic of ’surrender‘ for the Afghans
– Called departure ‚premature‘ but didn’t say how much more time was needed
– Warned Al Qaeda could reemerge
– Acknowledged ‚overbuilt‘ nation-building aspects, but said it was necessary for a hand-off
– Biden said the U.S. could not fight when Afghans were unwilling to do so
– ‚To say that the Afghans won’t fight for their country needs an asterisk‘
Adios AUMF? Democrats press Biden for help in revoking old war powers
(21.01.2021)
In a letter Thursday to Biden, five House Democrats called on the new president to quickly work with Congress to kill the 2002 authorization for the Iraq War and hone the 2001 powers for the war on terrorism. The letter — signed by chairs of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Rules committees — says any replacement authority must name mission objectives, adversaries and targeted countries, as well as include a sunset clause to ensure Congress regularly revisits the war powers debate.
“Congress has been missing in action, and President Joe Biden knows that,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who is spearheading the effort, in an interview.
The U.S. Government Lied For Two Decades About Afghanistan
That is particularly true given how heavily the U.S. had Afghanistan under every conceivable kind of electronic surveillance for more than a decade. A significant portion of the archive provided to me by Edward Snowden detailed the extensive surveillance the NSA had imposed on all of Afghanistan. In accordance with the guidelines he required, we never published most of those documents about U.S. surveillance in Afghanistan on the ground that it could endanger people without adding to the public interest, but some of the reporting gave a glimpse into just how comprehensively monitored the country was by U.S. security services.
The US still can’t effectively track weapons and vehicles given to Afghan security forces
(Jul 14, 2020)
In the meantime, a 2016 analysis found that the Pentagon funneled some 1.45 million firearms to various security forces in Afghanistan and Iraq since the start of the Global War on Terror. It is not known how many of those ended up in local weapons armories — and how many have simply gone missing since.
U.S. failed to keep proper track of more than $1 billion in weapons and equipment in Iraq
(May 24, 2017)
The arms and equipment transfers were apart of the Iraq Train and Equip Fund, a program that initially appropriated $1.6 billion under the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act to help Iraqi forces combat the rise of the Islamic State.
Diesmal die Generäle zur Rechenschaft ziehen
Der Druck, der auf Obama lastete, war so deutlich, dass ich, als er seine Entscheidung, die Truppen in Afghanistan aufzustocken, bekannt gab, schrieb: „Willkommen in Vietnam, Mr. President“.
Senator Todd Young urging Congress to repeal Authorizations for Use of Military Force
An example is President Trump’s citing of the 2002 AUMF, as a “secondary authority” according to Young, in order to carry out an attack in Iraq that resulted in the death of Iranian military leader Qasem Soleimani in January of 2020.
Young believes these military attacks, though warranted, show that the 2002 AUMF is being abused in order to carry out acts of war without the consent of Congress.
Egypt’s president, Iraq’s DM discuss military cooperation
The meeting in the Egyptian capital Cairo discussed „military cooperation between the two countries, including joint training programs, exchange of expertise and boosting capabilities,“ in addition to a number of Arab and regional issues of common interest, said Egyptian presidential spokesman Bassam Rady in a statement.
Der Fall „Curveball“: Wie ein BND-Informant den Irak-Krieg auslöste
(28.8.2011)
Diese bis heute verbreitete Darstellung ist unangenehm für die Bundesrepublik. Deutschland steht da als ein Land, das ein Doppelspiel betrieben hat: nach außen den Pazifisten geben – und hintenherum über seinen Geheimdienst einen entscheidenden Grund für die militärische Intervention liefern. Der Bundesnachrichtendienst nahm die Vorwürfe schweigend hin.
Remarks by the President at the National Defense University
(May 23, 2013)
So I look forward to engaging Congress and the American people in efforts to refine, and ultimately repeal, the AUMF’s mandate. And I will not sign laws designed to expand this mandate further. Our systematic effort to dismantle terrorist organizations must continue. But this war, like all wars, must end. That’s what history advises. That’s what our democracy demands.
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.“
Virginia Sen. Kaine’s proposal to repeal decades-old war authorization advances to the Senate floor
In a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting on Wednesday, U.S. Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) advanced a proposal to repeal two Authorizations for Use of Military Force (AUMF) issued in 1991 and 2002.
The legislation, which has already been passed by the House, will now go to a full vote on the Senate floor.
Senate panel votes to scrap both Iraq war authorizations
Three Republicans — Todd Young of Indiana, Ohio’s Rob Portman, and Rand Paul of Kentucky — voted with all the panel’s Democrats for repeal, with some Republicans who opposed the move Wednesday arguing that though they support scrapping both AUMFs, the time is not right amid rising tensions with neighboring Iran.
The Soldiers Who Resisted the First Gulf War Deserve Recognition
Lwin, a Burmese-American student and Marine reservist of Fox Company, led seven others in his unit to resist the U.S. Marine Corps, ultimately joining a mass exodus of the military in which soldiers deserted at higher percentages than even in the Vietnam War. The story of why these soldiers resisted, how and with whose help is lesser known but deserves greater recognition.
3rd political group quits Oct. parliamentary elections in Iraq
Iraq is scheduled to hold early elections on Oct. 10, in response to the anti-government protests against corruption and lack of public services. The previous parliamentary elections in Iraq were held on May 12, 2018, and the next elections were originally scheduled to take place in 2022.
Biden announces end of combat mission in Iraq as he shifts US foreign policy focus
„I think things are going well. Our role in Iraq will be … to be available to continue to train, to assist, to help, and to deal with ISIS — as it arrives. But we’re not going to be, by the end of the year, in a combat mission,“ the President later said.
Biden kündigt Ende von Kampfhandlungen im Irak an
Die USA würden sich Ende des Jahres nicht mehr in Kampfeinsätzen im Irak befinden.
„Unsere Zusammenarbeit gegen den Terrorismus wird auch in dieser neuen Phase weitergehen.“ Die Rolle der USA bestehe weiterhin in der Unterstützung des Irak im Umgang mit der Dschihadistenmiliz Islamischer Staat (IS), sagte Biden weiter.
Strategieänderungen: IS baut Einfluss in Subsahara-Afrika aus
Der IS seinerseits könne „sich auf den Erfolg seiner Zweigorganisationen berufen, selbst wenn seine Kernorganisation im Irak und in Syrien und Franchise-Gruppen in Ländern wie Libyen und Afghanistan mit Rückschlägen zu kämpfen haben“ heißt es in „Foreign Policy“.
Als Brückenkopf in Afrika zum IS im Nahen Osten dient Libyen, dort haben sich auch aus Syrien und dem Irak geflüchtete Milzen niedergelassen. In dem Land, in dem es in weiten Teilen keine funktionierende Staatsmacht gibt, können sie fast beliebig schalten und walten.
The War Crimes Case Against Donald Rumsfeld
With news of the belated death of Donald Rumsfeld, it’s vital that his true legacy of villainy be recalled. In the name of setting the historical record straight, here’s the late great Michael Ratner, making the unimpeachable case against Rumsfeld for his war crimes in Iraq.
This interview was conducted by the staff of Revolution and originally appeared in the November 26, 2008 edition of CounterPunch
Yesterday @POTUS launched airstrikes in #Iraq & #Syria. We are devastated that the U.S. continues to use militarized approaches that will further destabilize the region. The Senate must vote to repeal the 2002 #AUMF. Call your reps via the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
The House just voted to repeal the AUMF in Iraq and then we get this from Biden. It’s time to bring our troops home from Iraq.
The fact that the US just bombed Syria & US troops are occupying it (along with imposing murderous sanctions) should underscore that it’s derelict for left media to avoid it — & avoid speaking out when those who do cover it are slandered for challenging the establishment line.
Dems seem to be OK with the airstrikes Biden ordered over the weekend.
Pelosi says they appear „targeted and proportional“
Schiff says he believes they are „appropriate and reasonable“
Kaine said today it appears to be „classic“ self-defense
America is terrorizing & bombing the middle east again. We’re the terrorists. We’re the Imperialists. We’re the blood thirsty murdering psychopaths. We’re the Bad guys. This is without Trump. Congrats!
U.S.-Imperium will „globale Koalition“ für Terrorkrieg 2.0 und bastelt an „Nachrüstung“ der Kriegsvollmacht aus 2001
(2. September 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“.
Am 26. August berichtete Radio Utopie, wie die Regierung der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika in der laufenden Farce um angeblich ohne Zutun oder Kenntnis eigener oder alliierter Kräfte unter den Labeln „Islamischer Staat“, „Isis“ und „Isil“ aus dem Nichts aufgetauchten Schattenarmeen in Syrien und Irak die Bereitschaft der Weltöffentlichkeit testete eine offene Invasion Syriens zu akzeptieren. Das Weiße Haus hatte ohne offizielles Statement einen drittrangigen Sprecher erklären lassen, die U.S.A. hätten „zum Schutze ihrer Bürger“
das Recht auf Kriegführung “ohne Rücksicht auf internationale Grenzen”. Wir verwiesen in diesem Zusammenhang auf die vom U.S.-Kongress am 14. September 2001 für den (jeweiligen) Präsidenten ausgestellte, uneingeschränkte, weltweite und zeitlich unbegrenzte Kriegsvollmacht „Authorization for Use of Military Force“ (A.U.M.F.).
Zwei Tage nach unserem Artikel wurde am 28. August dieser Zusammenhang über die „New York Times“ quasi offiziell gemacht…
Treffen der Anti-IS-Koalition: Wie weiter gegen den IS?
83 Staaten bilden eine Koalition gegen die Terrormiliz IS. Heute treffen sich deren Vertreter in Rom – zum ersten Mal seit Beginn der Pandemie wieder persönlich. Auch Bundesaußenminister Maas und sein US-Kollege Blinken sind dabei.
Honored to participate in “Ministerial Meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ ISIS”, June 28, 2021, Rome.
Iraq AUMF repeal vote delayed until mid-July
(25.06.2021)
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee plans to take up a bipartisan measure to repeal the 2002 and 1991 war authorizations for Iraq in mid-July, the panel’s chairman confirmed Thursday.
Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., said he is working with the Biden administration to schedule a classified briefing…
This constant cycle of violence and retribution is a failed policy and will not make any of us safer. Congress has authority over War Powers and should be consulted before any escalation.
Irakisch-syrisches Grenzgebiet: USA fliegen Luftangriff auf Milizen
Mit einem weiteren Militärschlag unter dem Befehl von Präsidenten Joe Biden haben die USA den Druck auf den Iran und dessen Verbündete erhöht. Das US-Militär flog in der irakisch-syrischen Grenzregion Luftangriffe auf mehrere Ziele, die von pro-iranischen Milizen genutzt worden seien, teilte ein Pentagon-Sprecher mit.
Four Iranian-backed Fighters Killed in U.S. Strikes in Iraq, Syria
The United States said on Sunday it carried out another round of air strikes against Iran-backed militia in Iraq and Syria, which killed four people according to Iran-backed militia groups.
The strikes, the U.S. said, were in response to drone attacks by the militia against U.S. personnel and facilities in Iraq.
Five Senators Threaten to Derail Repeal of 2002 AUMF: Why Their Timing and Claims Are So Wrong
Following the House’s passage – on a broadly bipartisan basis – of legislation to repeal the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force against Iraq (2002 AUMF), five members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (a minority of the minority) are seeking to delay its companion bill’s movement out of committee and onto the Senate floor.
US agrees to move ‚remaining combat troops‘ from Iraq
„The parties confirmed that the mission of US and Coalition forces has now transitioned to one focused on training and advisory tasks, thereby allowing for the redeployment of any remaining combat forces from Iraq, with the timing to be established in upcoming technical talks,“ said a joint statement after the virtual strategic dialogue.
Unhappy 18th Anniversary: How an Unholy Pro-War Lobbying Alliance Pushed America Into the Iraq Quagmire in 2003
By every reasonable measure, the Iraq war was – and remains – a debacle. This anniversary provides an opportunity to examine the roles that the architects of the military intervention and their collaborators in the news media and the foreign policy community played.
A Foreign Policy for the American People
(03.03.2021)
What will our foreign policy mean for American workers and their families?
What do we need to do around the world to make us stronger here at home?
And what do we need to do at home to make us stronger in the world?
The answers to these questions aren’t the same as they were in 2017 or 2009. Yes, many of us serving in the Biden administration also proudly served President Obama – including President Biden. And we did a great deal of good work to restore America’s leadership in the world; to achieve hard-won diplomatic breakthroughs, like the deal that stopped Iran from producing a nuclear weapon; and to bring the world together to tackle climate change. Our foreign policy fit the moment, as any good strategy should.
EU: Neuer Flüchtlingsdeal mit Erdogan?
Soll der Flüchtlingsdeal mit der Türkei verlängert werden? Die Frage wird heute wieder neu aufgeworfen, da die Abmachung auf den Tag genau nun fünf Jahre zurück liegt und die politischen Schockwellen von 2015 zwar seit einem Jahr von der Corona-Krise überdeckt werden, aber dennoch unter der Oberfläche der Aktualität weiter präsent sind.
Pope Francis and Grand Ayatollah Sistani call for unity at Iraq meeting
Pope Francis, 84, the head of the world’s 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, and Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, 90, the spiritual leader of most of the world’s Shia Muslims, talked for almost an hour during the first ever papal visit to Iraq, the pontiff’s first trip abroad since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Civilian contractor dies as rockets slam into US airbase in Iraq days after Joe Biden’s first airstrike ‚killed 22‘ in attack on Iranian-backed militants
– Multiple rockets hit Ain al-Asad airbase in Iraq’s Anbar province on Wednesday
– Attack was launched from a site around five miles from the base, sources said
– It is the latest in a series of attacks on US forces in Iraq, and comes after Joe Biden launched his administration’s first strike on Iran-backed militants in Syria
– Attack also comes just two days before Pope Francis is due to visit the country
Bidens Angriff auf Syrien: ein tatsächlich anklagbares Verbrechen
Letzten Donnerstag setzte Präsident Biden fort, was leider zu einer Washingtoner Tradition geworden ist: Syrien zu bombardieren. Der Präsident befahl einen Militärschlag in der Nähe der irakisch-syrischen Grenze, bei dem mindestens 22 Menschen getötet wurden. Die Regierung behauptet, sie habe eine „vom Iran unterstützte“ Miliz als Vergeltung für die jüngsten Raketenangriffe auf US-Einrichtungen im Irak beschossen.
Atomabkommen: Iran lehnt Gesprächsangebot ab
Im Streit um das Atomabkommen hat der Iran einem Treffen mit den USA eine Absage erteilt. Die USA müssten zuerst alle Sanktionen aufheben. Washington reagierte „enttäuscht“, aber signalisierte weiterhin Gesprächsbereitschaft.
Iran Rejects Nuclear Deal Talks With U.S. Proposed by Europe
The rejection came days after President Biden ordered retaliatory strikes against Iranian-backed militias in eastern Syria.
Israel strikes Iranian targets in Syria in response to ship attack – report
Speculation strike was response to what is believed to be an Iranian attack on an Israeli-owned ship in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday.
Biden defends airstrike on Syria in letter to leaders in Congress and says US has the right to defend itself
(28.02.2021)
– President Joe Biden justified airstrikes in Syria in a letter to congressional lawmakers.
– Biden said he directed the airstrikes in response to a recent militant strike in Iraq.
– He said the US „always stands ready to take necessary and proportionate action in self-defense.“
Barbara Lee has two bills in place to get rid of the 2001 AUMF and the 2002 AUMF. HR 255 and 256 if I recall correctly. Takes a 1 min call to your representative and as few as 8 constituents can be the factor in a rep’s vote.
In Iraq, Joe Biden Haunted by Obama’s Foreign Policy Missteps
(26.02.2021)
The U.S. attempt to institute democracy in Iraq began with a thunderous roar nearly 18 years ago as Baghdad, already under siege by Washington’s sanctions, was bombarded by U.S. missiles in 2003. In less than a month’s time, former President George W. Bush would deliver a victory speech in front of a banner that read „Mission Accomplished.“
What exactly that mission was remains unclear to this day.
The White House Shouldn’t Get a Blank Check to Wage War
(12.02.2021)
For close to two decades, U.S. presidents have sent American troops into combat without requesting authorization from Congress. As it conducts a review of U.S. military operations around the world, the Biden administration should push to restore the legislative branch’s proper role in deciding when and where the country goes to war.
There was congressional notification prior to the US airstrike on #Syria, @PentagonPresSec tells reporters.
(26.02.2021)
„The Department of Defense briefed Congressional leadership before the action last night,“ confirms @PressSec
. „The administration has been briefing the Hill at the Member- and staff-level today. There will be a full classified briefing early next week at the latest.“
Biden administration to give Congress full classified briefing on Syria strikes by next week
(26.02.2021)
“The Department of Defense briefed Congressional leadership before the action last night. The Administration has been briefing the Hill at the Member- and staff-level today. There will be a full classified briefing early next week at the latest,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.
UN rights chief accuses Iran of targeting minority groups
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday accused Iran of “persistent impunity for human rights violations” in regions including Sistan-Baluchestan.
“In Iran, an apparently coordinated campaign has been targeting minority groups since December, including in Sistan and Baluchestan, Khuzestan, and in the Kurdish provinces,” Bachelet told the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Biden warns Iran ‚be careful‘ after ordering Syria airstrikes
“You can’t act with impunity. Be careful,” Biden said when asked what message he had intended to send with the airstrikes, according to the Associated Press.
A war monitor said at least 22 Iranian-backed fighters were killed in the operation that struck three trucks loaded with munitions coming from Iraq near the Syrian frontier town of Albu Kamal.
13-jähriger Terrorkrieg: Die „Authorization For Use of Military Force“ vom 14. September 2001 im Wortlaut
(29. August 2014)
Die nach den Attentaten vom 11. September in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika dem Präsidenten vom Kongress persönlich ausgestellte Vollmacht, der ein nun fast dreizehn Jahre andauernder weltweiter Terrorkrieg a.k.a. „war on terror“ folgte, ist in Deutschland immer noch weithin unbekannt.
Radio Utopie dokumentiert dieses in jeder Hinsicht verheerende historische Ermächtigungsgesetz im Wortlaut.
Adios AUMF? Democrats press Biden for help in revoking old war powers
(21.01.2021)
In a letter Thursday to Biden, five House Democrats called on the new president to quickly work with Congress to kill the 2002 authorization for the Iraq War and hone the 2001 powers for the war on terrorism. The letter — signed by chairs of the House Foreign Affairs, Intelligence and Rules committees — says any replacement authority must name mission objectives, adversaries and targeted countries, as well as include a sunset clause to ensure Congress regularly revisits the war powers debate.
“Congress has been missing in action, and President Joe Biden knows that,” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who is spearheading the effort, in an interview.
Repealing the AUMF is Biden’s opportunity to end the ‚forever wars‘
(11.02.2021)
The 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF) is older than many of the Americans now sent to Afghanistan. Its corollary, the 2002 AUMF against Iraq, has also lived well beyond the Bush era. And despite four years of lambasting the “forever wars,” President Trump failed to bring an end to the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. President Biden has a chance to correct that by scrapping and narrowing these military authorizations.
Biden orders US strikes on Iranian-backed militia facilities in Syria
“The operation sends an unambiguous message: President Biden will act to protect American and coalition personnel,” Kirby said. “At the same time, we have acted in a deliberate manner that aims to de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq.”
The U.S. strike comes after three rocket attacks since last week targeted U.S. personnel and other interests in Iraq.
Bis zu 4000 Soldaten: NATO weitet Irak-Mission aus
Die Verteidigungsminister der NATO-Mitglieder haben sich darauf geeinigt, die Irak-Mission auf bis zu 4000 Soldaten auszuweiten. Eine Entscheidung über das mögliche Ende des Einsatzes in Afghanistan wurde hingegen vertagt.
Gesetzeslose Soldaten
Mit dem Overseas Operations Bill, das gerade in der zweiten Kammer des britischen Parlaments, dem House of Lords, diskutiert wird, sollen Verbrechen, die im Einsatz für Staat und Streitkräfte außerhalb der britischen Inseln geschehen sind, nach fünf Jahren nicht mehr strafbar sein.
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.
Trump pardons Blackwater contractors jailed for massacre of Iraq civilians
Also quoted in the memorandum was David Boslego, a retired US army colonel, who said the massacre was “a grossly excessive use of force” and “grossly inappropriate for an entity whose only job was to provide personal protection to somebody in an armoured vehicle”.
Ein Terroranschlag und ein Kanzleramt, das keine Antworten gibt
(24.11.2020)
Konkret. Am 20. Dezember 2016, dem Tag nach dem Anschlag, fand im Bundeskanzleramt wie jeden Dienstag die Besprechung der nachrichtendienstlichen Lage statt. Der BND, der vom Kanzleramt beaufsichtigt wird, übermittelte eine Information über den IS (Islamischer Staat), die Anfang November 2016 gewonnen worden war. Darin geht es um Beispiele für Anschläge mit Kraftfahrzeugen wie LKW auf Märkte oder in Fußgängerzonen. Die IS-Vorschläge lesen sich wie ein Drehbuch für die aktuelle Tat vom Breitscheidplatz.
Iran abducts Paris-based Iranian opposition news provider
(17.10.2019)
Zam is a controversial figure who, according to some sources, was manipulated on several occasions by the Iranian intelligence services into publishing false information. But his wife, Mahsa Razani, insists that he would not have returned to Iran of his own free will. She said he set off for Baghdad on the evening of 11 October on a Royal Jordanian flight and arrived the following morning after a stopover in Amman.
Blogger Ruhollah Sam: Iran lässt kritischen Journalisten hinrichten
Sam lebte eigentlich im Exil in Frankreich, wo er als Flüchtling anerkannt war. Warum und wie er in den Iran zurückkehrte, ist nach wie vor unklar. 2019 erklärten die iranischen Revolutionsgarden, sie hätten den Regierungskritiker gefasst. In welchem Land dies geschehen war, ließ die Elite-Einheit offen. Medienberichten zufolge wurde der Journalist von iranischen Sicherheitskräften in das Nachbarland Irak gelockt, dort festgenommen und danach in den Iran gebracht.
Der Fall „Curveball“: Wie ein BND-Informant den Irak-Krieg auslöste
(28.8.2011)
Diese bis heute verbreitete Darstellung ist unangenehm für die Bundesrepublik. Deutschland steht da als ein Land, das ein Doppelspiel betrieben hat: nach außen den Pazifisten geben – und hintenherum über seinen Geheimdienst einen entscheidenden Grund für die militärische Intervention liefern. Der Bundesnachrichtendienst nahm die Vorwürfe schweigend hin.
How Israel deployed an intelligence deception to justify killing scientist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
The CIA never revealed who spirited the documents out of Iran or how. However, former senior German Foreign Office official Karsten Voigt explained to this reporter in 2013 that the German intelligence agency, the BND, had been furnished with the collection by an occasional source whom the intel chiefs considered less than credible.
And who was this source? According to Voigt, he belonged to the Mujahedeen e-Khalq (MEK), the exile Iranian cult which had fought for Saddam’s Iraqi forces against Iran during the eight-year war and by the early 1990s was passing information and propaganda that Mossad did not want to have attributed to itself.
NATO Huddles With Asia-Pacific Democracies to Talk China
The incoming Biden administration has pledged to do even more to partner with allies on the China challenge.
In another step in that direction, on December 2, the foreign ministers of the NATO members, along with delegations from Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and South Korea, gathered virtually to discuss the rise of China and the implications for the global balance of power.
Stoltenberg: Keine NATO-Öffnung nach Asien
Der wachsende militärische Einfluss Chinas wird nach Einschätzung von NATO-Generalsekretär Jens Stoltenberg nicht zu einer Öffnung des Verteidigungsbündnisses für asiatische Staaten wie Japan und Südkorea führen. „Wir sind ein regionales Bündnis und werden ein regionales Bündnis bleiben“, sagte der Norweger heute bei einer Diskussion der Denkfabrik Carnegie Europe.
Ein Terroranschlag und ein Kanzleramt, das keine Antworten gibt
Konkret. Am 20. Dezember 2016, dem Tag nach dem Anschlag, fand im Bundeskanzleramt wie jeden Dienstag die Besprechung der nachrichtendienstlichen Lage statt. Der BND, der vom Kanzleramt beaufsichtigt wird, übermittelte eine Information über den IS (Islamischer Staat), die Anfang November 2016 gewonnen worden war. Darin geht es um Beispiele für Anschläge mit Kraftfahrzeugen wie LKW auf Märkte oder in Fußgängerzonen. Die IS-Vorschläge lesen sich wie ein Drehbuch für die aktuelle Tat vom Breitscheidplatz.
Flournoy supported the war in Iraq & Libya, criticized Obama on Syria, and helped craft the surge in Afghanistan. I want to support the President’s picks. But will Flournoy now commit to a full withdrawal from Afghanistan & a ban on arms sales to the Saudis to end the Yemen war?
Trump Is Said to Be Preparing to Withdraw Troops From Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia
Under a draft order circulating at the Pentagon on Monday, the number of U.S. forces in Afghanistan would be halved from the current deployment of 4,500 troops, officials said.
In Iraq, the Pentagon would trim force levels slightly below the 3,000 troops that commanders had previously announced. And in Somalia, virtually all of the more than 700 troops conducting training and counterterrorism missions would leave.
Macron walks diplomatic tightrope while hosting Trump ally Pompeo
Le Drian said Friday that he would raise the concerns of France – which has been hit by a number of jihadist attacks – over Trump’s plans to speed up the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Iraq’s defense minister due in Iran to talk military cooperation
Heading a high-ranking delegation of military commanders, Anad will arrive in the Iranian capital on Saturday upon an official invitation by Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami.
GOP Rep. Andy Biggs Urges President Trump To Bring Troops Home From Iraq and Afghanistan
President Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC
Dear Mr. President:
Under your leadership, our nation has achieved unprecedented prosperity. Now, as we observe Veterans Day, I hope you will look abroad and continue to strategically draw down our nation’s military presence in Afghanistan and Iraq.
(…)
I commend your efforts so far to bring our engagements in Afghanistan and Iraq to an end, including your bold decision to open negotiations with the Taliban and your ambitious plan to remove thousands of United States servicemembers from these two countries. I urge you to continue to aggressively pursue these and all other related efforts in the coming weeks. What greater gift could we give the American people as we head into the holiday season?
Sincerely,
Andy Biggs
Member of Congress, Arizona 5th District
The reality is the Biden admin will probably bomb *multiple* countries on its very first day. It will continue the ongoing imperial U.S. wars on Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, Libya, and Niger. And Biden will likely further expand covert drone wars across the globe.
Biden is going to win the presidency today! Thank God! We can finally go back to some sense of normalcy, like invading and bombing countries in the Middle East. But with decency.
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.
Michael Moore’s Letter to Obama about Afghanistan
(Original: Nov 30, 2009)
When we elected you we didn’t expect miracles. We didn’t even expect much change. But we expected some. We thought you would stop the madness. Stop the killing. Stop the insane idea that men with guns can reorganize a nation that doesn’t even function as a nation and never, ever has.
Stop, stop, stop! For the sake of the lives of young Americans and Afghan civilians, stop. For the sake of your presidency, hope, and the future of our nation, stop. For God’s sake, stop.
Tonight we still have hope.
Tomorrow, we shall see.
Obama Doubles Number of Troops in Afghanistan. Wait…What?
(Jul 11, 2009)
Obama’s Presidential campaign was pretty much based on getting out of Iraq and Afghanistan, playing to the anti-war movement, to be fair he did make statements about Afghanistan deteriorating and being ignored, but he has doubled the number of troops there now and the anti-war groups seem to be eerily silent.
Bundestag billigt Verlängerung des Anti-IS-Einsatzes der Bundeswehr
Bereits im März, nach dem Auslaufen des Einsatzes der Tornado-Luftaufklärung, hatte der Bundestag (Drucksache 19/17790) in einem Ergänzungsmandat den Auftrag der Bundeswehr nicht mehr nur im Rahmen der internationalen Koalition, sondern auch unter der NATO-Trainingsmission im Irak ermöglicht:
„Irakkriegstagebücher“ nach zehn Jahren: Wahrheit ist Verrat
Der Zweck des Journalismus ist es, Wahrheit – insbesondere unbequeme Wahrheit – aufzudecken und zum Wohle der Gesellschaft zu veröffentlichen. In einer freien Gesellschaft müssen wir über die kriminellen Handlungen informiert werden, die von den Regierungen im Namen des Volkes begangen werden. Im Laufe der Geschichte haben Journalisten immer wieder aufgedeckt, auf welch vielfältige Weise Regierungen lügen, betrügen und stehlen – und welche großen Anstrengungen sie unternehmen, damit das Volk nichts davon erfährt.
Große Journalisten wie Seymour Hersh, der uns über die Tragödie des Massakers von Mai Lai und die Schrecken, die im irakischen Gefängnis von Abu Ghraib stattfanden, berichtete, sind unverzichtbar.
Iraq reopens Green Zone bridge year after revolt
Iraqi authorities Tuesday reopened a bridge in central Baghdad leading to the high-security Green Zone, in a sign of easing tensions a year after the launch of an anti-government protest movement.
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.
Obama tears into Trump at Philadelphia rally: ‚The next 13 days will matter for decades to come‘
Obama framed the election as a battle for democracy.
“Our democracy is not gonna work if the people who are supposed to be our leaders lie every day and just make things up,” Obama said. “This notion of truthfulness and democracy and citizenship and being responsible — these aren’t Republican or Democratic principles. They’re American principles. … We need to reclaim them.”
Nearly 300 former national security officials sign Biden endorsement letter
The 291 new signatures announced Tuesday join 489 national security leaders who previously endorsed former Vice President Biden as having “the character, principles, wisdom and leadership necessary to address a world on fire.”
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.
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.“
Obama: Trump’s lack of ‚patience‘ and ‚focus‘ hold back his foreign policy
Obama, after speaking at the Democratic National Convention and headlining a number of fundraisers for the party, is expected to hit the campaign trail next week, according to Democratic Party officials, as he looks to support Biden in the final weeks of the election.
Obama also said that he has seen growth from Biden on foreign policy, noting that while the former Delaware senator voted in 2002 to authorize military force in Iraq, a vote that became a flashpoint during the 2008 presidential primary, Biden had „learned a lesson“ from that.
Iraqi Air Force Commander pays visit to PAF Headquarters
The General also had a detailed meeting with Chief of the Air Staff. Both Commanders discussed various matters pertaining to security and mutual cooperation.
Egypt’s president, Iraq’s FM discuss regional issues
On Tuesday, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan will hold a tripartite summit at the ministerial level in Cairo
Iraqi militias say they have halted anti-U.S. attacks
The U.S. warning caused alarm in Iraq, where it was seen as a step towards air strikes, potentially turning Iraq into a battleground in a proxy war between the United States and Iran. A broad array of politicians called on the militia to stop provoking the Americans.
Milizen beenden Angriffe auf US-Truppen im Irak
Vergangenen Monat hatten die USA mit der Schließung ihrer Botschaft in Bagdad gedroht, sollte die irakische Regierung die Milizen nicht zügeln. Das hatte auf irakischer Seite Sorgen ausgelöst, denn die Schließung der Botschaft könnte ein Schritt hin zu US-Luftangriffen und einer Ausweitung der Konflikte sein. Mehrere irakische Politiker hatten deswegen die Milizen aufgerufen, die USA nicht weiter zu provozieren.
Biden Says Would Keep Small U.S. Troops Presence In Afghanistan, Iraq
(September 11, 2020)
Army to shut down units created to help soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq
The Asymmetric Warfare Group and the Rapid Equipping Force will be deactivated by Sept. 30, 2021, the statement said. Personnel and resources from both organizations will be absorbed into the larger force, the Army said.
Iraq’s foreign minister makes first visit to Iran
IRNA reported that Fuad Hussein planned to meet his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani, in what marked his first visit to the Iranian capital.
Sicherheitsfirma Asgaard: Rechtes Netzwerk mit Behördenkontakten?
Mehrere deutsche Sicherheitsbehörden beschäftigen sich derzeit mit der in Hamm ansässigen Firma Asgaard – dies ergeben Recherchen des ARD-Politikmagazins Kontraste in Kooperation mit dem Nachrichtenmagazin „Der Spiegel“. Die Behörden treibt die Sorge um, dass Asgaard enge Kontakte in die Bundeswehr sowie in mehrere deutsche Sicherheitsbehörden auf Bundes- und Länderebene hinein unterhält.
Visit to NATO by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq
There will be no media opportunity.
US Commander Confirms Troop Cut Plans in Iraq, Afghanistan
McKenzie also offered an update on the Afghanistan drawdown, saying that the current level of 8,600 wound be down to 4,500 by late October. This figure was roughly announced in the past, but details show that they’re still on track for that.
US to draw down to 3,000 troops in Iraq
The United States will withdraw more than 2,000 troops from Iraq this month, the top U.S. general in the region said Wednesday.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command (Centcom), announced the reduction from roughly 5,200 troops to 3,000 troops during a visit to Iraq.
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.
France’s Macron reaches Baghdad on first official visit to Iraq
Macron is also expected to meet Nechirvan Barzani, president of the semi-autonomous northern Kurdish region.
Always contrast Julian #Assange with Tony Blair. One will be fighting for his life in court on 7 Sept for the „crime“ of exposing war crimes while the other evades justice for the paramount crime of Iraq. Read this shocking piece:
31. Aug. 2020
Trump Must Back Iraq Withdrawal Promise With Action
One big roadblock to finally leaving Iraq alone is President Trump’s de facto Secretary of War, Mike Pompeo. Although he’s supposed to be the top US diplomat, Pompeo is a bull in a china shop. He seems determined to start a war with Iran, China, Russia, Venezuela, and probably a few more countries.
Trump muss Versprechen zum Rückzug aus dem Irak mit Taten untermauern
Leider gibt es in dieser Regierung ein Muster, bei dem Präsident Trump den Rückzug der Truppen aus einem der anscheinend endlosen Konflikte ankündigt, in die wir verwickelt sind, und ein Regierungsmitglied – oft Pompeo – die Erklärung des Präsidenten so „erklärt“, dass sie das Gegenteil von dem bedeutet, was der Präsident gerade gesagt hat.
King holds trilateral summit with Egypt president, Iraq PM, reaffirms centrality of Palestinian cause
His Majesty King Abdullah, Egypt President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, and Iraq Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi on Tuesday held the third trilateral summit between Jordan, Egypt and Iraq in Amman.
The Biden Doctrine Exists Already. Here’s an Inside Preview.
The Democratic nominee and his closest advisors served in the Obama administration—but their foreign-policy vision is finding inspiration in Harry S. Truman.
#Biden – „The Democratic nominee and his closest advisors served in the Obama administration—but their foreign-policy vision is finding inspiration in Harry S. Truman.“
Negroponte endorses Biden: He beats Trump on ‚character, compassion and life experience‘
John Negroponte, who served as director of national intelligence under former President George W. Bush, endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden in his race against President Trump on Thursday in an interview with the Daily Beast.
“All roads lead to Trump in a way,” Negroponte told the website. “I’m just not sure the country can withstand another four years of the presidency with a man who has shown such disregard to the office.”
Hunger darf nicht als Waffe benutzt werden
… 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.
Ein Jubiläum und zwei Todesfälle
(22. Juli 2004)
Welch ein Kontrapunkt zu einem anderen Tod, der den Beginn von Blairs Laufbahn markiert hat. Im Mai 1994 erlag der Labour-Vorsitzende und Oppositionsführer John Smith überraschend einem Herzinfarkt, und nach gebührender Anstandsfrist wurde Blair sein Nachfolger. Den 21. Juli 1994, als dies geschah, wird man vielleicht einmal als den Gründungstag von „New Labour“ feiern. Doch heute macht die Partei möglichst wenig Aufhebens davon, denn im verflixten siebten Jahr der Regierung Blair muß man die Leute nicht auch noch mit Gewalt zum Nachsinnen bringen, wie grandios alles einmal begonnen hatte und wie viele Hoffnungen seither enttäuscht worden sind.
David Kelly/Assassination: Unanswered Questions
1. Operation Mason, the police code-name for the search for Dr Kelly, was officially started before his family had reported him missing. The official explanation is that operation start times are often made retrospective to cover any preceding period relevant to the operation; but if this were the reason in this case, then the start time would need to be weeks, not hours earlier. Who authorised the opening of documentation on the operation and at precisely what time?
2. Why were there no fingerprints on Dr Kelly’s knife, pill packets, water bottle, glasses, mobile or watch? He wore no gloves. Police knew this when they gave evidence to Hutton but the absence of prints wasn’t mentioned.
3. Lord Hutton said photographic evidence showed Dr Kelly’s body was found propped against a tree, yet the first paramedic to reach the scene said he was originally flat on his back. Who moved the body and why?
………..
R.I.P. the truth about Dr David Kelly: Lord Hutton was accused of whitewashing his inquiry into the death of a scientist – and the ’sexed-up‘ Iraqi dossier. Now, as he dies at 89, MILES GOSLETT recalls one of the great political scandals
Dr Kelly had been unmasked by officials a week previously as the assumed source of a highly damaging BBC report which suggested Blair’s government had ’sexed-up‘ the case for the Iraq war.
He always denied being the BBC’s prime source, yet its report added to mounting questions about the existence of the infamous weapons of mass destruction (WMD), used by the then Prime Minister to justify sending British troops into the conflict.
How Biden’s Foreign-Policy Team Got Rich – Strategic consultants will define Biden’s relationship to the world.
(06.07.2020)
They turned to an industry of power-brokering little known outside the capital: strategic consultancies. Retiring leaders often open firms bearing their names: Madeleine Albright has one, as do Condoleezza Rice and former Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen. Their strategic consultancies tend to blur corporate and governmental roles. This obscure corner of Washington is critical to understanding how a President Joe Biden would conduct foreign policy. He has been picking top advisers from this shadowy world.
Expect More Military “Liberal Interventionism” Under a Joe Biden Presidency
(07.06.2020)
The liberal establishment is desperate to return a centrist to the White House in November and reestablish the country’s more stable military dominance of the world order, disrupted only briefly by Donald Trump. Joe Biden’s terrible track record on foreign policy — including his championing of war in Iraq — suggests a return to Obama-style strong military interventions abroad.
Iraqi PM re-opens Mendeli-Somar border terminal for trade with Iran
The southern and eastern border of Iraq with Iran had been closed since March following the outbreak of the coronavirus.
House Republicans Call for US Pullout From Afghanistan, Iraq
Reps. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) sent a letter to President Trump earlier this week, calling on him to not only complete the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, but leave Iraq as well, saying the country can’t stay a great power and engage in endless war.
Blind in Sachen ‚Patriotismus‘ im Irakkrieg
Linke und Rechte können ihre sinnlosen Debatten über „Patriotismus“ führen, so viel sie wollen. Sie sollen aber den Teil weglassen, der besagt, dass die Invasion und Besetzung eines Landes, das die Vereinigten Staaten nie angegriffen hat, das Recht der Amerikaner auf freie Meinungsäusserung schützt, weil das einfach nicht wahr ist.
US-Truppen in Deutschland kommen beiden Seiten teuer
Über Ramstein in Rheinland-Pfalz läuft die Versorgung der US-Einsätze im Irak und in Afghanistan, im benachbarten Landstuhl steht das größte US-Militärkrankenhaus außerhalb der USA, in Stuttgart befinden sich die Kommandozentralen für die US-Streitkräfte in Europa und in Afrika, das hessischen Wiesbaden beherbergt die Zentrale der US-Army in Europa, und im bayrischen Grafenwöhr gibt es einen der größten Truppenübungsplätze Europas.
Der Fall „Curveball“: Wie ein BND-Informant den Irak-Krieg auslöste
(28.8.2011)
Diese bis heute verbreitete Darstellung ist unangenehm für die Bundesrepublik. Deutschland steht da als ein Land, das ein Doppelspiel betrieben hat: nach außen den Pazifisten geben – und hintenherum über seinen Geheimdienst einen entscheidenden Grund für die militärische Intervention liefern. Der Bundesnachrichtendienst nahm die Vorwürfe schweigend hin.
Kosovo-Anklage beweist Bill Clintons Gräueltaten im Krieg gegen Serbien
Werden die Amerikaner wieder leichtgläubig sein, wenn die politischen Entscheidungsträger in Washington und ihre Medienverbündeten das nächste Mal schwachsinnige Vorwände aushecken, um irgendein unglückliches fremdes Land in die Luft zu jagen?
Türkei: Eskalation durch Repression gegen HDP und Bomben im Irak
Im von der Türkei besetzten Teil Nordsyriens etabliert die Türkei immer intensiver ein umfangreiches völkerrechtswidriges Besatzungsregime. Die milliardenschweren Finanzhilfen und die Rüstungsgeschäfte mit der Türkei müssen jetzt wirklich gestoppt werden.
Türkische Offensive im Irak: Warum Ankara gerade jetzt die PKK bekämpft
Kristian Brakel von der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung in Istanbul meint, dass andere Interessen nicht dahinterstecken müssten, aber könnten: etwa die innerkurdischen Friedensverhandlungen, die in Syrien gerade stattgefunden haben. „Zwischen dem PKK-Ableger PYD beziehungsweise YPG und dem eher Barzani-nahestehenden kurdischen Lager aus dem Nordirak, die erst Verhandlungserfolge verkündet haben. Da ist etwas, dass der Türkei sicherlich nicht Recht ist“.
US general sees Baghdad keeping American troops in country
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed separately at a news conference that a „strategic dialogue“ between the United States and Iraq will begin Thursday.
He said the US delegation will be led by David Hale, the undersecretary of state for political affairs, and include representatives from the Defense and Energy Departments, Treasury and other agencies.
Don’t forget Black Lives Matter started under Obama and he did nothing to hold killer cops accountable. Obama deported more people than any other president (2.7 million), destroyed Libya (leading to slave markets for African refugees) and waged nonstop war
There are as many National Guard members activated in the US as there are active duty troops in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan
As thousands across the US take to the streets for another day of protests demanding justice for George Floyd, more than 17,000 members of the National Guard are standing ready to support local law enforcement.
That represents approximately the same number of active duty troops deployed in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan.
As of Monday, nearly half of the US has activated guard members to respond to civil unrest.
ISIS is using coronavirus to rebuild its terrorism network in Iraq and Syria
„What you are witnessing these days are only signs of big changes in the region that’ll offer greater opportunities than we had previously in the past decade” read an online message on Thursday from new ISIS leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurashi, translated by Hassan Hassan, director of the Non-State Actors in Fragile Environments Program at the Center for Global Policy and a co-author of „ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror.“
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.
Transcript: Joe Biden foreign policy adviser Antony Blinken on COVID shortfalls, failures in Syria
Iran has now restarted some of the dangerous aspects of its nuclear program that the nuclear deal stopped dead in their tracks. And unfortunately, it’s taken a series of provocative actions endangering our own forces in the Middle East, in Iraq and Syria, as well as our citizens. And all of that has happened at the same time that we managed to alienate ourselves from our closest allies. We disagree fundamentally with the approach the administration took on Iran. So this is just not working on its own terms. If Iran comes back into compliance with the deal, then yes, Joe Biden said we would do the same thing, but we would use that as a platform to try to build a stronger and longer deal working with our partners.
And I think we’d have a decent chance of doing that because our partners would be with us, not alienated from us. And at the same time, much more likely to join us in trying to curb other actions by Iran that we find objectionable.
Defense minister: Iran ready for strategic partnership with Iraq
Hatamai underlined the need for defense cooperation between Baghdad and Tehran to restore security and stability in the region.
New Iraq PM releases protesters; promotes respected general
The Supreme Judiciary Council said in a statement it ordered the release of protesters detained since demonstrations erupted last year in line with the new prime minister’s call.
The council released detainees based on Article 38 of the constitution that guarantees the right to protest, „provided that it is not accompanied by an act contrary to the law“, it said.
U.S. to renew waiver for Iraq to import Iranian electricity for 120 days -State Department
“In support of the new government the United States will move forward with a 120-day electricity waiver as a display of our desire to help provide the right conditions for success,” the State Department said in a statement on a call between Pompeo and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.
Iraq parliament selects US-backed candidate for prime minister
Iraq’s parliament selected Mustafa Khadmini, a former intelligence chief reportedly backed by America, as the country’s new prime minister.
Iraqi Parliament confirms Mustafa Al Kadhimi as new Prime Minister
The Iraqi Parliament voted on Wednesday night to approve the government of Mustafa Al Kadhimi, ending weeks of political deadlock.
More than 250 members attended the session in Baghdad and passed 15 ministers while rejecting five – those for trade, justice, culture, agriculture and migration.
US announces plans for summer troop rotation in Iraq
Earlier this month, the US brought two Patriot air defense missile batteries into Iraq. One is based at al-Assad and the other is deployed in Erbil.
U.S. renews waiver for Iraq to import Iranian electricity, shortens time
The United States has renewed a waiver for Iraq to continue importing Iranian electricity, a State Department official said on Sunday, but this time for a shorter period of 30 days, adding that Washington would be reassessing whether to renew again once a ‘credible government’ is formed in Iraq.
Iraq says it is taking measures to maintain electricity supply ahead of summer season
Baghdad meets a part of its demand by purchasing resources it needs to supply its power plants from its neighbors like Iran.
U.S.-led coalition forces hand K1 military base to Iraqi forces
„The international coalition forces had departed the base and the K1 base now is under full control of the Iraqi forces,“ the office said.
On the other side, a U.S.-led coalition spokesman said in a tweet that the troops departed the compound inside K1 airbase in coordination with the Iraqi government, asserting that the coalition troops will support Iraq from fewer places with fewer troops.
Mehr Soldaten in den Irak
Anstatt sich dem Beschluss des irakischen Parlaments zu fügen, der ja auch für deutsche Truppen gilt, peitscht die Bundesregierung am heutigen Mittwoch trotz der derzeitigen kompletten Lahmlegung des öffentlichen Lebens sogar eine Erweiterung des Irak-Mandats im Eilverfahren durch den Bundestag.
Missachtung von Demokratie: Irakisches Parlament will Abzug aller ausländischen Truppen. NATO weitet Mission aus
Am 5. Januar brachte der geschäftsführende irakische Ministerpräsident Adel Abd Al-Mahdi einen Resolutionsentwurf ins irakische Parlament ein. Weil die US-Armee mit dem Drohnenmord am iranischen General Kassem Soleimani und mehreren Begleitern am 3. Januar sowohl die irakische Souveränität als auch die irakisch-US-amerikanischen Vereinbarungen, die der Stationierung von US-Truppen in dem Land zugrunde liegen, verletzt habe, solle die irakische Regierung ihr Hilfsgesuch an die »Internationale Koalition gegen den Islamischen Staat« zurücknehmen und alle ausländischen Truppen zum Abzug auffordern.
Antrag der Bundesregierung: Ergänzung des Einsatzes bewaffneter deutscher Streitkräfte ..
4.Aufgaben
Die Aufgaben für die beteiligten Kräfte der Bundeswehr werden ergänzt um:
• Einsatzunterstützung durch Luftbetankung über den 31. März 2020 hinaus;
• Lufttransport für die internationale Anti-IS-Koalition, internationale Organisationen, Alliierte und Partner;
• bodengebundene Luftraumüberwachung. Zu den übrigen, unverändert fortgeltenden Aufgaben wird auf den Zustimmungsbeschluss des Deutschen Bundestages vom 24. Oktober 2019 verwiesen.
5. Einzusetzende Fähigkeiten
Die militärischen Fähigkeiten schließen die Fähigkeit zum strategischen und taktischen Lufttransport ein.
6. Ermächtigung zum Einsatz und Dauer des Einsatzes
Der deutsche Beitrag zur Luftbetankung wird über den 31. März 2020 fortgesetzt. Im Übrigen bleibt die Befristung des gesamten Einsatzes bis zum 31. Oktober 2020 unberührt.
7. Einsatzgebiet
Luftbetankung sowie der Beitrag zur Luftraumüberwachung und Lagebilderstellung können im irakischen Hoheitsgebiet, im Luftraum über dem Operationsgebiet von IS in Syrien und im Hoheitsgebiet von Anrainerstaaten, von denen eine Genehmigung der jeweiligen Regierung vorliegt, erfolgen. Lufttransport als Unterstützungsleistung für die internationale Anti-IS-Koalition, internationale Organisationen, Alliierte und Partner können in Irak, Jordanien, in weiteren Anrainerstaaten, von denen eine Genehmigung der jeweiligen Regierung vorliegt sowie in EU- und NATO-Staaten erbracht werden.
Geplanter Ablauf der Plenarsitzungen
Donnerstag, 26. März 2020 (155. Sitzung)
09.00 – 09.35 Uhr 30 Min. TOP 7 Persönlichkeitsschutz bei Bildaufnahmen
09.35 – 10.40 Uhr 60 Min. TOP 8 Frontex-Finanzierung
10.40 – 11.15 Uhr30 Min. TOP 9 Bundeswehreinsatz Irak
Unter Beschuss (II)
Berlin weitet Einsatz der Bundeswehr im Irak aus.
Wegen der Coronakrise soll das deutsche Kontingent nun zwar vorläufig abgezogen werden; laut Berichten gilt dies nicht nur für die mehr als 40 Soldaten in der Nähe von Bagdad, sondern auch für die über 90 Militärs im kurdischsprachigen Nordirak.[7] Allerdings ist die Aussetzung des Einsatzes lediglich befristet – bis zum 11. Mai. Anschließend sollen die deutschen Soldaten im Rahmen der Anti-IS-Koalition in den Irak zurückkehren.
Bundeswehr will Soldaten aus dem Irak abziehen
(17.03.2020)
Das Verteidigungsministerium will wegen der Coronakrise alle Soldaten aus dem Irak abziehen. Nach SPIEGEL-Informationen wurde zudem auch ein Awacs-Überwachungsjet aus der Türkei zurückgeholt.
WHO to start coronavirus testing in rebel Syria; Iran raises efforts, official says
Syria’s government has started testing in areas in the rest of the country, although has not yet reported a case to the WHO. Turkey to the north confirmed its first case last week and Iraq has at least 93 confirmed cases.
Deutschland soll 10 Prozent der NATO-Fähigkeiten stellen – -Die Bundeswehr brauche mehr Geld, so Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer. Man habe der NATO Zusagen gemacht.
Kramp-Karrenbauer fordert mehr Geld für Bundeswehr
via @Pressecop24com
2 Carriers to Stay in Gulf Region as Warning to Iran, General Says
He also said that the U.S. is in the process of moving Patriot anti-missile batteries into Iraq, adding it will be „some days“ before they became operational.
US-Vergeltung gegen Schiitenmiliz
US-Verteidigungsminister Mark Esper teilte auf Twitter mit, die USA würden vom Iran unterstützte Angriffe gegen Amerikaner und ihre Alliierten nicht tolerieren. In Tadschi sind aktuell auch etwa 50 deutsche Soldaten stationiert. Es habe unter ihnen keine Verletzten gegeben, sagte ein Sprecher des Einsatzführungskommandos.
Get the troops out now — “Generals lie, Soldiers die”
(September 18, 2007)
“Generals lie, Soldiers die,” chanted pro-testers when general David Petraeus appeared before a Congressional committee in Washington on 10 September.
Petraeus’s mission? To provide military cover for Bush’s cynical tactic of playing for time.
US conducts airstrikes against multiple Iranian-backed militia sites in Iraq
The strikes come one day after the US assessed an Iranian-backed group was responsible for a rocket attack on a base where coalition forces are located, killing two American service members and one British service member. Fox News was first to report on the strike.
Militäraktionen mit Zustimmung: US-Kongress weist Trump in die Schranken
House passes measure limiting Trump’s ability to take military action against Iran
In a largely party-line 227-186 vote, the House approved the resolution that would direct the president to “terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against” Iran unless Congress specifically authorizes it. Six Republicans voted for the measure.
The Senate passed the resolution in a 55-45 vote last month, with eight Republicans siding with Democrats to support it. Neither chamber of Congress is expected to have the votes to override Trump’s likely veto.
Two Americans, Briton killed in attack on base housing US troops near Baghdad: Report
(today)
Citing two unnamed US officials, Reuters reported that based on preliminary information, about a dozen coalition members had also been injured in the Wednesday attack against Iraq’s Taji military camp, located some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) north of Baghdad.
Earlier, the Iraqi Interior Ministry’s Security Media Cell announced in a statement that the incident took place in the evening when 10 rockets landed on Camp Taji, located some 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) north of Baghdad.
September 30. 2004 Debate Transcript
(September 30, 2004)
KERRY: Thirty-five to forty countries in the world had a greater capability of making weapons at the moment the president invaded than Saddam Hussein. And while he’s been diverted, with 9 out of 10 active duty divisions of our Army, either going to Iraq, coming back from Iraq, or getting ready to go, North Korea’s gotten nuclear weapons and the world is more dangerous. Iran is moving toward nuclear weapons and the world is more dangerous. Darfur has a genocide.
The world is more dangerous. I’d have made a better choice.
LEHRER: New question. Two minutes, Senator Kerry. What is your position on the whole concept of preemptive war?
KERRY: The president always has the right, and always has had the right, for preemptive strike. That was a great doctrine throughout the Cold War. And it was always one of the things we argued about with respect to arms control.
George W. Bush and John Kerry 1st Presidential Debate 2004
The First Presidential Debate between George W. Bush and John Kerry on Thursday September 30th, 2004 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida.
Nun also doch: #Bundeswehr soll künftig im #Irak als Teil der #NATO-Mission Sicherheitskräfte ausbilden (wenn Bundestag zustimmt). Dagegen hatte sich Deutschland bis vor gar nicht allzu langer Zeit gesperrt #NATO
Two US troops killed in anti-ISIS mission in northern Iraq
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.
Stenografischer Bericht 25. Sitzung Berlin, Donnerstag, den 13. Februar 2003
Dr. Angela Merkel: Sie machen sich Sorgen, ob wir, die Politiker – egal ob Regierung oder Opposition –, unser Land durch eine schwierige Zeit, insbesondere durch den Irakkonflikt und durch den Kampf gegen den Terrorismus mit Klugheit und Weisheit führen können. Die Menschen in diesem Lande wollen keinen Krieg.
(Hans-Werner Bertl [SPD]: Das ist wahr!)
Diejenigen, die in diesem Saale sitzen, wollen auch keinen Krieg.
(Lebhafter Beifall bei der CDU/CSU und der FDP)
Sehr geehrter Herr Bundeskanzler, wie sehr Sie innerlich unter Druck stehen, hat man schon an der Lautstärke Ihrer Stimme gemerkt.
(Lachen bei der SPD)
Dass Sie es aber nötig haben, die Opposition dieses Hauses als Kriegstreiber zu verleumden,
(Hans Michelbach [CDU/CSU]: Pfui!)
zeigt, in welcher Ecke Sie stehen. Aus dieser Ecke werden Sie nicht herauskommen können.
(Anhaltender Beifall bei der CDU/CSU und der FDP)
Wer als Bundeskanzler der Bundesrepublik Deutschland den Eindruck erweckt, irgendjemand würde sich die Entscheidung über Krieg und Frieden leicht machen und die letzte Chance aus der Hand geben, der, sehr geehrter Herr Bundeskanzler, hat nicht erfasst, worum es geht.
(Beifall bei der CDU/CSU und der FDP)
Ich sage Ihnen: Sie sind seit Wochen auf einem Irrweg. Das Schlimmste ist – das sage ich mit großem Ernst; das ist meine feste Überzeugung –, dass insbesondere Ihr Verhalten auf dem Marktplatz von Goslar den Krieg im Irak leider nicht unwahrscheinlicher, sondern wahrscheinlicher gemacht hat; denn Sie haben den Druck auf Saddam Hussein verringert.
(Beifall bei der CDU/CSU und der FDP – Lothar Mark [SPD]: Das ist unglaublich! – Weitere Zurufe von der SPD)
Im Gegensatz zu Ihnen war ich in München und weiß, was ich gesagt habe. Niemand hat behauptet, dass es aufgrund der Resolution 1441 einen Automatismus der Gewalt gibt.
Bündnis: Die „Koalition der Willigen“
(19. März 2003)
Ein ungleiches Bündnis von 30 Regierungen muss einer Mehrheit von Kriegsgegnern in seinen Ländern standhalten.
Operation Asyl: Psychologische Kriegführung gegen unsere Republik und Gesellschaft im Zuge der Verwicklung in Angriffskriege gegen Syrien und Irak
(09.01.2016)
Köln und München. Moralisch-politischer Zusammenbruch und Kapitulation von Liberalen, Demokraten, Pazifisten, Sozialdemokraten und politischen Linken in Zeiten des Krieges. Kontext einer Republik außer Funktion.
Am 23. August warnte Radio Utopie vor einer
„von der Regierung von oben nach unten in die Gesellschaft hinein organisierten neuen Kampagne zur Schürung von Konflikten, Spaltungsbewegungen, bis hin zur Kreation von Spannungsfällen in die Quere, die einerseits den „Sicherheits“-Apparat, als auch die „Europäische Union“ begünstigen, die Republik destabilisieren und dadurch die herrschende Machtarchitektur stabilisieren sollen.“
Gestern begannen, jedenfalls nach Angaben des Militärs bzw des Einsatzführungskommandos, die Tornado-Kampfbomber-Einsätze der deutschen Luftwaffe im 2003 durch eine Invasion des Westblocks begonnenen und danach faktisch nie geendeten Irak-Krieges, dem sich Staatsparteien, Organisationen und vor allem die Bevölkerung Deutschlands seinerzeit noch wiedersetzt hatten. Doch seltsamerweise wurde dieser Kotau von Staat, Militär und Regierung Deutschlands vor dem seit 14 Jahren weltweit nach eigenem Ermessen Krieg führenden Imperium der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika kaum oder gar nicht zur Kenntnis genommen. Ebenso willig hingenommen wurde die organisierte Kollaboration beim verfassungswidrigen Angriffskrieg gegen Syrien, welcher 2011 (zunächst im Windschatten einer ursprünglichen Demokratiebewegung) begonnen wurde, mit dem Ziel der Kontrollgewinnung über diesen Staat bzw dem Sturz des bisherigen Regimes.
Eigentlich seltsam, nicht wahr? Im Jahre 2016 wird Deutschland in zwei Angriffskriege mit hinein gezogen, in einen weiteren Krieg auf dem Territorium eines Mitglieds vom Nordatlantikpakt verwickelt, der Türkei, und es passiert – nichts.
Nichts.
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.
Here’s Biden again – where a bust of the monstrous war criminal Dick Cheney was unveiled at the Capitol – where Biden stood by George W. Bush heaping more praise on Cheney: „I actually like Dick Cheney,“ Biden said, adding: (Biden was the critical Senate Dem for the Iraq War):
“Worth the Price?” New Film Shows How Biden Played Leading Role in Push for U.S. to Invade Iraq
(18.02.2020)
As Biden hopes for a comeback, a new short documentary sheds light on his extensive role in the Iraq War — an issue that has been raised repeatedly on the campaign trail. Biden has apologized for supporting the war, but the new film, directed by the Center for Economic and Policy Research’s Mark Weisbrot, exposes Biden’s central role in pushing for an Iraq invasion. It’s called “Worth the Price? Joe Biden and the Launch of the Iraq War.” The documentary is narrated by Danny Glover.
Iraq’s PM-designate withdraws from post, prolonging deadlock
He was selected as premier designate on Feb. 1, two months after Adel Abdul-Mahdi, now caretaker prime minister, resigned under pressure from anti-government demonstrations.
Die Bundeswehr in Jordanien, über Syrien und im Irak
Die Bundeswehr gehört zur Koalition der internationalen Kräfte im Kampf gegen die Terrororganisation Islamischer Staat (IS“Islamischer Staat“). Auch wenn der IS“Islamischer Staat“ im Irak inzwischen als besiegt gilt, stellt er doch immer noch eine ernstzunehmende Gefahr dar. Die Bundeswehr kann sich mit 700 Soldatinnen und Soldaten am Einsatz beteiligen.
Punishing the Free Speech of Julian Assange
WikiLeaks revealed – in partnership with major international publications, including the two involved in the Pentagon Papers Case – videos of American troops murdering civilians and celebrating the murders (a war crime) as well as documentary proof of American complicity in torture (also a war crime).
Die (Internationale) Große Kriegskoalition bleibt weiter ohne Opposition
(08.07.2019)
Wie gefährlich und für die Allermeisten unübersichtlich die Situation in diesem von allen Großmächten mit Ansage gezüchteten Hexenkessel in Syrien ist, mag man daran erkennen, dass die Staatsführungen von Russland, Iran und Syrien im August 2016 dem von der Türkei aus erfolgten Einmarsch der Internationalen Kriegskoalition in Syrien tatenlos zusahen und hofften, dass das nicht weiter auffiel.
Alle Kriegsparteien lügen um die Wette.
Ob nun die U.S.-Anforderung deutscher Truppen die Bundeswehr in Nord-Syrien bzw Idlib zur Schutztruppe oder zur Zielscheibe für Al Kaida und Konsorten macht, oder ob sie als „Ersatz“ für oder mit U.S.-Truppen gemeinsam Unterstützung für die vom U.S.-Zentralkommando geführten mehrheitlich kurdischen Milizen der „Syrian Democratic Forces“ leisten, ist aus Sicht der Protagonisten irrelevant. Ziel ist schlicht der Krieg um des Krieges willen.
Explizit Deutschland soll weiter im bereits seit achtzehn Jahren andauernden endlosen und ungewinnbaren Terrorkrieg gehalten werden. Für, wegen, gegen wen und wofür spielt dabei für die Kriegslobby – dazu zählen in Deutschland u.a. de facto alle Parteien, das Militär, sowie der geheimdienstliche und Medien-Komplex – keine Rolle.
Extradition of Assange Would Set a Dangerous Precedent
Assange’s extradition hearing will begin on February 24 in Judge Vanessa Baraitser’s London courtroom. More than 70 lawyers and legal academics, as well as at least 12 former heads of state, have signed a letter that will be sent to the U.K. Home Secretary, stating, “The fact that the charges are brought under the Espionage Act further reveals that this is a matter of a pure political offence [citation omitted].
Die Auslieferung von Assange würde einen gefährlichen Präzedenzfall schaffen
Assanges Auslieferungsanhörung wird am 24. Februar im Londoner Gerichtssaal der Richterin Vanessa Baraitser beginnen. Mehr als 70 Rechtsanwälte und Rechtswissenschaftler sowie mindestens 12 ehemalige Staatsoberhäupter haben ein Schreiben unterzeichnet, das an den britischen Innenminister geschickt wird und in dem es heißt: „Die Tatsache, dass die Anklage nach dem Spionagegesetz erhoben wird, zeigt außerdem, dass es sich um ein rein politisches Vergehen handelt. Es besteht ein breiter internationaler Konsens darüber, dass solche Straftaten nicht der Auslieferung unterliegen sollten“.
NATO is a family of common values. We are united with our Allies for peace and stability. ?? #Turkey is NATO, #WeAreNATO
Iraqi PM-designate says he has picked cabinet, seeks vote of confidence
He also promised to hold an early election free from “the influence of money, weapons, and foreign interference” and called on protesters to give his government a chance in spite of a “crisis of confidence in everything related to politics” that he blamed on the failures of his predecessors.
The Koch-Soros Quincy Project: A Train Wreck of Neocon and ‚Humanitarian‘ Interventionists
But Koch/Soros don’t really want to end endless US interventions overseas. They want to fund the same old think tanks who are responsible for the disaster that is US foreign policy, re-brand interventionism as non-interventionism, and hope none of us rubes in flyover country notices.
Iran eyes 1 mln bpd of oil output in fields shared with Iraq: Minister
Bijan Namdar Zanganeh said on Saturday that production at the so-called West Karoun oilfields would reach one million barrels per day (bpd) if Iran secures the expertise and funds needed for the development of the fields.
Iraqi PM-designate pledges to name ‚independent‘ cabinet this week
Iraq’s Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi has vowed to announce this week his cabinet made up of „independent“ and „impartial“ figures.
Irked US squeezes Iraq with cash delays, short waivers
„(Iraqis) have continuously rejected the deals with GE and Exxon,“ a senior administration official told AFP, weeks before the recent waiver expired.
Deutschland geht den Konflikten aus dem Weg
Der moralische Hochsitz ermöglicht der deutschen Außenpolitik einen wunderbaren Überblick über das Getümmel – aber von da oben mischt man nicht mit. Und Autonomie gibt es in dieser Welt für niemanden.
U.S.-Imperium will „globale Koalition“ für Terrorkrieg 2.0 und bastelt an „Nachrüstung“ der Kriegsvollmacht aus 2001
(2. Septemmber 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“.
NATO Secretary General participates in meeting of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS
Mr. Stoltenberg briefed the Coalition on the decision in principle by Allied ministers to enhance NATO’s training mission in Iraq. As a first step, this will consist of NATO taking on some of the Global Coalition’s current training activities in the country.
Mr. Stoltenberg highlighted that NATO’s work in Iraq is helping strengthen the Iraqi armed forces and institutions to ensure ISIS cannot return, and Iraq no longer requires support.
Secretary General @jensstoltenberg took part in the meeting of Defence Ministers of the Global @Coalition to Defeat ISIS in #Munich.
He briefed on the Allied decision to enhance #NATO’s training mission in #Iraq. #MSC2020.
Read more: http://bit.ly/2UUFLb5
Münchner Sicherheitskonferenz – „Die Welt ist ein Chaos“
Noch vor Tagungsbeginn kommt die Anti-IS-Koalition auf Einladung der deutschen Verteidigungsministerin Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer und ihres amerikanischen Amtskollegen Mark Esper zusammen. Der Kampf gegen den IS müsse fortgesetzt werden, der IS sei noch nicht besiegt, bekunden beide danach.
NATO eyes boosting Iraq army training, still needs Iraq’s OK
NATO is ready to expand its military training effort in Iraq, the alliance’s top civilian official said Wednesday, but the Iraqi government is not yet ready to approve the move.
The Canada-led operation was launched in 2018 but suspended last month after a U.S. missile strike at Baghdad Airport killed Iran’s top general and Iraq’s government and lawmakers demanded that foreign troops leave. U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has demanded that U.S. allies do more in the Mideast.
Treffen in Brüssel – Nato will Irak-Mission gegen den IS ausbauen
Die Nato-Staaten beschließen, sich künftig stärker im Irak zu engagieren. Die Zustimmung Bagdads steht aber noch aus. Und auch die Bundeswehr-Beteiligung ist offen.
Kriegsspiele vor Siko
Der Herstellung von Kriegsgerät komme in Deutschland »strategische Bedeutung« zu, heißt es in dem Papier. Ziel der Bundesregierung sei es, immer auf innovative und leistungsfähige Waffenschmieden zurückgreifen zu können. Damit wäre nicht nur für die Bundeswehr, sondern auch für profitable Rüstungsexporte gesorgt. Die Sicherheitskonferenz kann kommen.
Der beginnende Abstieg des Westens
Tatsächlich wurden die drei großen offen völkerrechtswidrigen Angriffskriege der vergangenen drei Jahrzehnte von westlichen Mächten geführt: der Jugoslawien-Krieg von 1999 auf maßgebliches Drängen der Bundesrepublik; der Irak-Krieg des Jahres 2003 vor allem von den USA; der Libyen-Krieg von 2011 insbesondere von Großbritannien und Frankreich. Die Zerstörung des Irak und Libyens sowie die Kriege im Sahel gehen ursächlich auf die erwähnten westlichen Angriffskriege zurück.
Washington and Tehran’s dance over Iraq: Iraqis want both countries out
Choreographed sword fights, such as those traditionally performed in Gulf Arab countries, may look like clashes between deadly enemies but in fact require close coordination between the participants.Many Arabs believe the conflict between the US and Iran in Iraq is similar.
Bundeswehr: Kabinett verlängert zwei Afrika-Einsätze
Vorausgesetzt, auch der Bundestag gibt grünes Licht, wird die Bundeswehr länger in zwei Krisenregionen Afrikas bleiben.
In die Katastrophe stolpern
Es besteht eine echte Gefahr für außenpolitische Berater und Analysten – und insbesondere für diejenigen, denen sie dienen -, wenn sie sich in einer Blase, einem Echoraum, befinden und alle ihre Schlussfolgerungen auf fehlerhaften Eingaben beruhen. Es ist natürlich noch schlimmer, wenn sie glauben, sie könnten ihre eigene Realität schaffen und Ergebnisse erfinden, die Hand und Fuß haben.
Unter diesen Umständen laufen die Dinge selten wie geplant.
Stumbling into Catastrophe
President Trump has argued that prohibiting funds for military action against Iran actually makes war more likely, as he would be restricted from the kinds of military-strikes-short-of-war like his attack on Syria after the alleged chemical attack in Douma in 2018 (claims which have recently fallen apart). The logic is faulty and reflects again the danger of believing one’s own propaganda.
Iraqi president appoints Mohammed Allawi as new PM: state TV
Allawi would run the country until early elections can be held. He must form a new government within a month.
Trump urges lawmakers to vote their heart on war authority repeal after White House threatens veto
It’s unclear how many Republicans will support the bills on Thursday. Just three GOP lawmakers supported a war powers resolution the House passed earlier this month that was also aimed at limiting Trump’s ability to strike Iran.
The Day I Realized I Would Never Find Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq
I couldn’t know it that morning, but the interview would entirely change my perspective on America’s involvement in Iraq, and set me on a decades-long course of struggling with the false narratives used to persuade us to march into that conflict and other ones.
Irak: Ultimatum für Nominierung von Regierungschef
Der irakische Präsident Barham Saleh hat dem Parlament ein Ultimatum für die Nominierung eines neuen Regierungschefs gesetzt. Sollte es den „betroffenen Kräften“ im Parlament bis zum Samstag nicht gelingen, einen geeigneten Kandidaten zu benennen, werde er jenen mit der Regierungsbildung zu beauftragen, „den ich am akzeptabelsten für das Parlament und die Bevölkerung halte“, schrieb Saleh heute in einem Brief, den AFP einsehen konnte.
The Ambassador of Republic of Iraq to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Meets Saudi Minister of Civil Service
The Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Dr. Qahtan Taha Khalaf, met with Mr. Suleiman Al-Hamdan, the Saudi Minister of Civil Service, the two parties discussed strengthening bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries and the importance of developing them in all fields, …
German Defense Chief Warns Islamic State Could Resume ‘Terror’
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, speaking in an interview at the World Economic Forum on Thursday, said that Germany aims to keep its forces in Iraq, but can only do so at the behest of the government in Baghdad.
“We need to keep in mind that in Iraq, IS is not yet defeated,“ Kramp-Karrenbauer told Bloomberg Television in Davos, Switzerland. “If the pressure is reduced, then the danger is great that it resumes its regime of terror.”
Bundeswehr setzt Einsatz im Nordirak fort
Nach Informationen der Deutschen Presse-Agentur steht die Fortsetzung des Auftrags unmittelbar bevor. Das Verteidigungsministerium bestätigte die Fortführung des Einsatzes.
US forces step up Islamic State operations in Syria | January 26, 2020 – „The tempo is coming back,“ General Kenneth „Frank“ McKenzie jnr, who heads US Central Command,
In Syria, U.S. steps up Islamic State operation, but for how long, no one knows
“The tempo is coming back,” Gen. Kenneth “Frank” McKenzie Jr., who heads U.S. Central Command, said during a visit to a constellation of tiny American outposts in eastern Syria.
American troops in Syria, like those in neighboring Iraq, shifted their focus from anti-extremist operations to force protection after a Jan. 3 strike in Baghdad killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, Iran’s most influential military figure.
NATO chief says Turkey crucial in fight against ISIL
„No ally has suffered more terrorist attacks than Turkey. They are important in the fight against Daesh. They are the only ally which is bordering Syria and Iraq,“ he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL.
Stoltenberg’s remarks came during a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels.
Iraqi President Meets With Trump to Discuss US Withdrawal
The Iraqi President, Barham Salih, met with his U.S. counterpart, Donald Trump, in Davos on Wednesday to discuss a number of topics, including the withdrawal of foreign forces from Iraq.
Maas: Libyen soll nicht das „nächste Syrien“ werden
Maas warnte zudem vor einem Abzug der Streitkräfte der Anti-IS-Koalition aus dem Irak. Wenn es das Ergebnis der Tötung des iranischen Generals Soleimani sei, dass sich der Irak in seiner Souveränität verletzt fühle und das Parlament ausländische Streitkräfte des Landes verweisen wolle, serviere man „im Ergebnis den Irak Iran auf dem Silbertablett“. Das könne auch nicht im Interesse der Vereinigten Staaten sein, sagte Maas