Friday, July 27, 2007
Turkish forces shell Zakho border regions
Kurdistan
(Voices of Iraq) - The Turkish forces shelled border regions in Zakho district, a security source from the border guard forces in Duhuk province said on Thursday. "More than 30 cannonballs hit Shlash Dar, Serakork, Afla and Berbla regions in Zakho district, northwest of Duhuk, late Wednesday" the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
"The shelling lasts for an hour without causing casualties," he added. Meanwhile, local residents from shelled regions told the VOI that the Turkish artillery shelled regions near to the Deshesh village on borders with Turkey. "The shelling caused no casualties but spread fear among the residents," an eyewitness said.
Duhuk is the third province within Iraq's Kurdistan region It is in the far north of Iraq with borders with Turkey. It is located 460 km north of Baghdad.
"The shelling lasts for an hour without causing casualties," he added. Meanwhile, local residents from shelled regions told the VOI that the Turkish artillery shelled regions near to the Deshesh village on borders with Turkey. "The shelling caused no casualties but spread fear among the residents," an eyewitness said.
Duhuk is the third province within Iraq's Kurdistan region It is in the far north of Iraq with borders with Turkey. It is located 460 km north of Baghdad.
Labels: Duhuk, Turkish forces, Zakho district
Iraqi and KRG PMs back federalism
Politics
(KRG) - Lawmakers from the Iraqi federal parliament and Kurdistan’s parliament (the Kurdistan National Assembly) backed federalism as the best political model for Iraq at their first ever joint conference. The members of the two assemblies in their recommendations stated, “Federal frameworks have historically been best suited to developing democratic societies, securing economic development and growth, and preventing the return of a dictatorial or tyrannical regime.”
They also strongly recommended that everyone abide by the Iraqi Constitution and its provisions, including Article 140 which sets out the return of disputed territories by the end of 2007. The Iraqi parliament and the Kurdistan National Assembly issued a protocol on how the two parliaments can cooperate on draft laws, public relations and fully implementing the constitution.
The parliamentarians also recommended protection of Iraq’s linguistic and cultural diversity, national reconciliation and dialogue, fair and transparent distribution of resources and more independence of the judiciary.
They also strongly recommended that everyone abide by the Iraqi Constitution and its provisions, including Article 140 which sets out the return of disputed territories by the end of 2007. The Iraqi parliament and the Kurdistan National Assembly issued a protocol on how the two parliaments can cooperate on draft laws, public relations and fully implementing the constitution.
The parliamentarians also recommended protection of Iraq’s linguistic and cultural diversity, national reconciliation and dialogue, fair and transparent distribution of resources and more independence of the judiciary.
Labels: Article 140, federalism, Iraqi federal parliament, KRG, Kurdistan National Assembly
Al-Hakim calls for meeting with Iraqi Accordance Front
Politics
(Voices of Iraq) - Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, head of Shiite United Iraqi Coalition (UIC), called on Thursday the leaders of the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front (IAF) to an immediate meeting after the Sunni bloc threatened to "withdraw from the government if its demands were not met," Vice-President Hashemi's office said.
"A call by Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim for the meeting came during a visit on Thursday by the Iraqi Vice President and member of IAF Tariq al-Hashemi to the head of Coalition Bloc Abdul Aziz al-Hakim on his return from medical trip," Hashemi's office said a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The statement explained that Hakim's call to a meeting between the Iraqi Accordance Front and the Iraqi United Coalition was meant to discuss the demands of the Front. The Iraqi Accordance Front set on Thursday one-week deadline to meet its demands otherwise it would totally withdraw from the government. It demanded, among others, releasing detainees and having partnership in making security and political decisions.
Meanwhile, parliamentarian Harith al-Ubaidi said on Thursday the Accordance Front suspended it participation in the government until its demands were met. "The Front decided on Thursday to suspend it membership in the government until the demands it has announced will be met," al-Ubaidi told VOI over the phone.
He added "our demands circle around issuing amnesty in preparation to release the detainees and prisoners and stop the raids, arrests, and illegal practices. Those who suspended their membership were deputy premier Salam al-Zobae and the six ministers representing the front," al-Ubaidi explained.
The Iraqi Accordance Front has (44) seats out of 275-member-Parliament and has six ministries within the cabinet. The spokesperson for the Front said on Thursday the Accordance will withdraw from the Iraqi government if its demands were not seriously addressed. "The Front suffered from procrastination and delay, and if the government does not respond to our demands…we will have to withdraw from the government and the parliament," said MP Abdullah Saleem told VOI.
"The withdrawal applies to Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobae, and excludes Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi", he noted. The Front has already announced suspending its ministers' participation in the government against what it said "wrong practices by the Iraqi authorities towards the front member and minister of culture Asaad al Hashimi.
"A call by Sayyed Abdul Aziz al-Hakim for the meeting came during a visit on Thursday by the Iraqi Vice President and member of IAF Tariq al-Hashemi to the head of Coalition Bloc Abdul Aziz al-Hakim on his return from medical trip," Hashemi's office said a statement received by the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI).
The statement explained that Hakim's call to a meeting between the Iraqi Accordance Front and the Iraqi United Coalition was meant to discuss the demands of the Front. The Iraqi Accordance Front set on Thursday one-week deadline to meet its demands otherwise it would totally withdraw from the government. It demanded, among others, releasing detainees and having partnership in making security and political decisions.
Meanwhile, parliamentarian Harith al-Ubaidi said on Thursday the Accordance Front suspended it participation in the government until its demands were met. "The Front decided on Thursday to suspend it membership in the government until the demands it has announced will be met," al-Ubaidi told VOI over the phone.
He added "our demands circle around issuing amnesty in preparation to release the detainees and prisoners and stop the raids, arrests, and illegal practices. Those who suspended their membership were deputy premier Salam al-Zobae and the six ministers representing the front," al-Ubaidi explained.
The Iraqi Accordance Front has (44) seats out of 275-member-Parliament and has six ministries within the cabinet. The spokesperson for the Front said on Thursday the Accordance will withdraw from the Iraqi government if its demands were not seriously addressed. "The Front suffered from procrastination and delay, and if the government does not respond to our demands…we will have to withdraw from the government and the parliament," said MP Abdullah Saleem told VOI.
"The withdrawal applies to Deputy Prime Minister Salam al-Zobae, and excludes Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi", he noted. The Front has already announced suspending its ministers' participation in the government against what it said "wrong practices by the Iraqi authorities towards the front member and minister of culture Asaad al Hashimi.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Harith al-Ubaidi, Iraqi Accordance Front, Salam al-Zobae, Tariq al-Hashemi, United Iraqi Coalition, withdrawal
Oil minister says oil unions not legit
Oil, Government
(UPI) - Iraq's oil minister said Iraq's oil unions are not legitimate and have no more standing in the debate over the oil law than an ordinary citizen. "There are no legal unions in Iraq," Hussein al-Shahristani said Wednesday in response to a question about various factions' positions on the controversial oil law. "Those people who call themselves representatives of the oil workers have not been elected to the position."
Shahristani spoke to UPI by phone from Baghdad.
The lone remaining law from the Saddam Hussein regime kept by U.S. occupying powers and the successive Iraqi government is the one that bans worker organizing in the public sector. Despite that, workers have come together and leveraged their power. Since 2003 they've blocked numerous attempts to privatize management of both oil and other facilities and stopped work over disputes -- most recently early last month over the oil law and other unmet demands.
Earlier this month workers in the southern, oil-rich town of Basra marched in protest against the oil law and demanded Shahristani's resignation. The law would govern exploration and development of Iraq's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves and unknown reserves to be found in under-explored areas. But the law is stuck over central government vs. regional/local control over certain oil fields. And the unions, along with other political elements, have led the charge that the law allows for contracts they see as too friendly to foreign oil companies.
Shahristani spoke to UPI by phone from Baghdad.
The lone remaining law from the Saddam Hussein regime kept by U.S. occupying powers and the successive Iraqi government is the one that bans worker organizing in the public sector. Despite that, workers have come together and leveraged their power. Since 2003 they've blocked numerous attempts to privatize management of both oil and other facilities and stopped work over disputes -- most recently early last month over the oil law and other unmet demands.
Earlier this month workers in the southern, oil-rich town of Basra marched in protest against the oil law and demanded Shahristani's resignation. The law would govern exploration and development of Iraq's 115 billion barrels of proven reserves and unknown reserves to be found in under-explored areas. But the law is stuck over central government vs. regional/local control over certain oil fields. And the unions, along with other political elements, have led the charge that the law allows for contracts they see as too friendly to foreign oil companies.
Labels: Hussain al-Shahristani, Iraqi oil unions
PUK, KDP fall out over draft oil law
Oil, Politics, Kurdistan
Azzaman - The two main Kurdish factions ruling northern Iraq are on collision course regarding the way to approach the controversial oil draft law. The differences surfaced in a parliamentary session during which deputies representing the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, a faction led by President Jalal Talabani, left the assembly in protest.
The 111-member Kurdish parliament was debating the draft and the legislators of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzan, current head of the Kurdish region, wanted to push for its approval. The draft has yet to be approved by the Iraqi parliament but no date has been set for its debate in Baghdad amid mounting criticism of some of its terms.
PUK deputies and leaders fear the approval of the law while it is still debated by the central government might strain relations with Baghdad. While KDP officials say they need to pass the legislation so that they will not be bound by Iraqi parliament’s amendments to the draft law. But any contradiction between the two versions is certain to plunge in the country into a constitutional crisis.
The row comes as the Iraqi parliament has approved another draft law which permits foreign companies to construct refineries in the country. The Kurds have already defied the central government by letting foreign firms explore for oil and build small-scale refineries in their semi-independent region.
Oil has become a sensitive and divisive issue in Iraq as the country’s various ethnic and sectarian groups vie to have a say in the collection and distribution of royalties as well as exploration. Iraq has massive oil riches, estimated at 115 billion barrels of proven reserves. The country’s most prolific oil fields are situation in the south where more than 60 percent of reserves lies.
Other massive oil fields are to be found in the region of the disputed city of Kirkuk which the Kurds would like to add to their enclave. The central part of the country where the Iraqi Sunnis dominate is among the country’s poorest in reserves. The Sunnis now make the backbone of anti-U.S. resistance in Iraq.
The 111-member Kurdish parliament was debating the draft and the legislators of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Massoud Barzan, current head of the Kurdish region, wanted to push for its approval. The draft has yet to be approved by the Iraqi parliament but no date has been set for its debate in Baghdad amid mounting criticism of some of its terms.
PUK deputies and leaders fear the approval of the law while it is still debated by the central government might strain relations with Baghdad. While KDP officials say they need to pass the legislation so that they will not be bound by Iraqi parliament’s amendments to the draft law. But any contradiction between the two versions is certain to plunge in the country into a constitutional crisis.
The row comes as the Iraqi parliament has approved another draft law which permits foreign companies to construct refineries in the country. The Kurds have already defied the central government by letting foreign firms explore for oil and build small-scale refineries in their semi-independent region.
Oil has become a sensitive and divisive issue in Iraq as the country’s various ethnic and sectarian groups vie to have a say in the collection and distribution of royalties as well as exploration. Iraq has massive oil riches, estimated at 115 billion barrels of proven reserves. The country’s most prolific oil fields are situation in the south where more than 60 percent of reserves lies.
Other massive oil fields are to be found in the region of the disputed city of Kirkuk which the Kurds would like to add to their enclave. The central part of the country where the Iraqi Sunnis dominate is among the country’s poorest in reserves. The Sunnis now make the backbone of anti-U.S. resistance in Iraq.
Labels: draft oil law, Jalal Talabani, KDP, Massoud Barzani, PUK
Mahdi Army clashes with U.S. troops in Karbala
Security
(AP) - Shiite militiamen battled with U.S. and Iraqi troops Friday in the holy city of Karbala, and the fighting left nine people dead and nearly two dozen wounded, local officials said. Separately, the U.S. military said another American soldier was killed in fighting, raising to eight the number of troop deaths reported during the past two days.
The fighting in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, broke out as the joint U.S.-Iraqi force conducted a pre-dawn raid on the house of a leader of the Mahdi Army militia, which is loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, prompting the militia fighters to open fire, according to a police officer and a local council member.
The militia leader Razzaq al-Ardhi and his brother were arrested in the clashes, which lasted nearly two hours, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The officials said four militiamen and five civilians were killed and 23 people were wounded in the fighting, which also damaged four or five houses.
Another clash erupted about three hours later as residents were removing the dead bodies from the hospital. Militiamen with the mourners briefly fought with a joint Iraqi army and police patrol, but no casualties were reported, the officials said.
In Baghdad, cleanup crews used tractors and cranes to clear out the debris after a highly sophisticated simultaneous truck bombing and rocket attack devastated a Shiite market district in one of the capital's safest central neighborhoods Thursday. Rescue workers pulled three more bodies from the rubble, and police raised the casualty toll to at least 31 people killed and 104 wounded.
Mourners streamed into mosques and funeral tents were set up in the neighborhood's main street, where black banners were hung on the walls with names of the dead. Although suicide bombings are common in Iraq, it is rare for militants to stage such a double attack with such effectiveness. The attackers struck about 6:40 p.m. as the Karradah district's market area was packed with shoppers on the eve of the Islamic day of rest.
The fighting in Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, broke out as the joint U.S.-Iraqi force conducted a pre-dawn raid on the house of a leader of the Mahdi Army militia, which is loyal to radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, prompting the militia fighters to open fire, according to a police officer and a local council member.
The militia leader Razzaq al-Ardhi and his brother were arrested in the clashes, which lasted nearly two hours, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to release the information. The U.S. military did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The officials said four militiamen and five civilians were killed and 23 people were wounded in the fighting, which also damaged four or five houses.
Another clash erupted about three hours later as residents were removing the dead bodies from the hospital. Militiamen with the mourners briefly fought with a joint Iraqi army and police patrol, but no casualties were reported, the officials said.
In Baghdad, cleanup crews used tractors and cranes to clear out the debris after a highly sophisticated simultaneous truck bombing and rocket attack devastated a Shiite market district in one of the capital's safest central neighborhoods Thursday. Rescue workers pulled three more bodies from the rubble, and police raised the casualty toll to at least 31 people killed and 104 wounded.
Mourners streamed into mosques and funeral tents were set up in the neighborhood's main street, where black banners were hung on the walls with names of the dead. Although suicide bombings are common in Iraq, it is rare for militants to stage such a double attack with such effectiveness. The attackers struck about 6:40 p.m. as the Karradah district's market area was packed with shoppers on the eve of the Islamic day of rest.
Labels: Baghdad, Karbala, Karrada, Mahdi Army, Razzaq al-Ardhi, suicide truck bomber, U.S.-Iraqi force
18 tribal leaders sign peace agreement in Diyala
Tribal, Security
(RFE/RL) - Approximately 75 tribal sheikhs, representing 25 clans and tribes in the Diyala Governorate, gathered in the town of Al-Khalis to discuss security issues and call for unity against Al-Qaeda and other terrorists in the region, the U.S. military said in a statement released July 24. The meeting took place at the Iraqi Army headquarters in Al-Khalis and was attended by several U.S. and Iraqi military officials, including Staff Major General Abd al-Karim, the commander of Iraqi security forces in Diyala Governorate, and Colonel David Sutherland, the commander of coalition forces in Diyala.
The meeting resulted in a peace agreement, signed by 18 tribal leaders, which includes pledges to provide greater cooperation with the Iraqi security forces, to report on improvised explosive devices, and to resolve disputes between tribes through local meetings. In addition, several tribal leaders called for a united effort to combat Al-Qaeda elements. "Our goal is to be united and cooperate [in fighting] any force that wishes to challenge our unity," said one tribal sheikh. "We have to show the people that we are honest and serious about fighting against Al-Qaeda."
Labels: Al-Khalis, Al-Qaeda, Colonel David Sutherland, Diyala, Staff Major General Abd al-Karim, tribal leaders, tribal sheiks
Jordan appeals for help with Iraqi refugee influx
Humanitarian
(RFE/RL) - Jordan has appealed for international help to deal with hundreds of thousands of Iraqis it is hosting on its soil. Mukheimar Abu-Jamous, the secretary-general of Jordan's Interior Ministry, told an international conference in Amman today that the influx of some 750,000 Iraqis into Jordan costs $1 billion a year in basic services, and heightens security concerns in the kingdom.
The conference on the Iraqi refugee crisis brings together officials from Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hajj al-Hmud urged countries hosting refugees not to mistreat those arriving at their borders and to avoid their forcible return until stability returns to Iraq.
The United Nations says some 2 million Iraqis have fled Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion, and estimates that around 50,000 people continue to flee every month, mostly to neighboring Jordan and Syria, which are struggling to cope with the influx of refugees. Rights group Amnesty International said that without urgent action, the influx of Iraqis threatens a humanitarian crisis that could engulf the region.
The conference on the Iraqi refugee crisis brings together officials from Iraq, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and Iran, as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Iraqi Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hajj al-Hmud urged countries hosting refugees not to mistreat those arriving at their borders and to avoid their forcible return until stability returns to Iraq.
The United Nations says some 2 million Iraqis have fled Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion, and estimates that around 50,000 people continue to flee every month, mostly to neighboring Jordan and Syria, which are struggling to cope with the influx of refugees. Rights group Amnesty International said that without urgent action, the influx of Iraqis threatens a humanitarian crisis that could engulf the region.
Labels: Amnesty International, Iraqi refugees, Jordan, Mohammed al-Hajj al-Hmud, Mukheimar Abu-Jamous, UNHCR
Iraqi leaders meet today in effort to end political crisis
Politics
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi leaders are meeting today in Baghdad to seek an end to the country's political crisis and to discuss possible amendments to the constitution. The meeting will bring together President Jalal Talabani, who is Kurdish, Shi'ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, and Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi'ite ministers loyal to radical Shi'ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
The meeting comes a day after a car bomb attack in central Baghdad killed 25 people and wounded 115. Meanwhile, clashes broke out early today between U.S. forces and militiamen of al-Sadr's Imam Al-Mahdi Army in the city of Karbala, south of Baghdad. At least three militiamen have been killed in the fighting.
The meeting comes a day after a car bomb attack in central Baghdad killed 25 people and wounded 115. Meanwhile, clashes broke out early today between U.S. forces and militiamen of al-Sadr's Imam Al-Mahdi Army in the city of Karbala, south of Baghdad. At least three militiamen have been killed in the fighting.
Labels: Baghdad, car bomb, Jalal Talabani, Karbala, Mahdi Army, Nouri Al-Maliki, politics, Tariq al-Hashimi
Statistics on the surge and quality of life in Iraq
Security, Infrastructure
(BBC) - An extra 30,000 US troops have been deployed in Iraq, mainly in and around the capital Baghdad, since the launch of the security drive, or "surge", in February. The BBC World Service is monitoring its effects, week by week, by looking at casualty figures, the pressure on hospitals and quality of life for ordinary civilians. The graphics and analysis are based on figures from the US and Iraqi authorities, Baghdad's hospitals and three families from different neighbourhoods in the capital.
Labels: electricity, hospitals, Iraq, security, statistics
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Doctors go on strike in Basrah over lack of protection
Medical
(IRIN) - Nearly 150 doctors in Basra, Iraq's second largest city about 600km south of Baghdad, began a three-day strike on 23 July, demanding the government protect them and their families. "We will not attend our clinics and will not do operations for three days to draw to the government's attention our plight as doctors living in harsh conditions," said Dr Muaid Jumaa, head of the Basra Doctors' Association.
Jumaa said 12 doctors had been killed in Basra by unidentified gunmen since the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, and dozens of others had fled the city. "We are protesting against the assassinations, kidnappings, threats and blackmail facing doctors in Basra and calling on the government to shoulder its responsibilities in protecting this important sector of our society," Jumaa said.
"The government has to improve the security situation in the province and this is not hard," he continued."We call on the government and parliament to adopt laws to protect doctors. Tough punishments should be meted out to those who threaten, kidnap and kill doctors."
According to figures from the Iraqi Health Ministry released earlier this year, 618 medical employees, including 132 doctors, as well as medics and other health care workers, have been killed nationwide since 2003. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of other medical personnel are believed to have fled to Iraq's northern semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and neighboring countries.
Labels: Basra, Basra Doctors' Association, doctors, Dr Muaid Jumaa, medical, Ministry of Health, strikes
Iraqi govt to help farmers
Agriculture
(Middle East Times) - Iraq's Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki Wednesday announced a new plan to provide subsidies for Iraqi farmers to protect them from "unjust competition" from other countries. "All farmers in Iraq have encountered extreme economic hardship when faced with unjust competition from growers of other countries that export their produce to Iraq at discounted prices," a statement from his office said.
"In order for Iraqi farmers to compete in such uneven economic conditions, the Iraqi government has the responsibilities to protect them from unfair trade policies," it added. The initiative will provide subsidies for seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides and guarantee the "purchase of their produce of strategic crops at market price," the statement said.
The statement did not say how much the government would be spending on the initiative, which will also include loans to farmers, rural irrigation projects, and the creation of a government agency to supervise the agricultural sector. The new agency, to consist of agricultural experts, will "stabilize domestic prices and control foreign trade to ensure adequate food supplies and to stabilize domestic prices for several food commodities," the statement said. The agricultural sector in Iraq accounts for around 40 percent of the local economy, but has suffered from decades of war and economic sanctions.
Labels: agriculture, Iraqi farmers, Nouri Al-Maliki, subsidies
Iran ready for higher-level talks with U.S.
International
(Reuters) - U.S. and Iraqi officials began work on Wednesday on setting up a security panel with Iran to try to end Iraq's bloodshed, and Tehran said it was open to higher-level talks with Washington. The work began one day after envoys from arch foes Iran and the United States met for a second time this year to discuss security in Iraq.
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had bluntly accused Tehran on Tuesday of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias in the two months since the first round of talks. Sectarian violence and worsening chaos in Iraq has pushed the United States and Iran, which have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 revolution, to seek common ground, with Iraq asking both for help.
But the two rounds of talks have produced few concrete steps apart from Tuesday's agreement to establish a trilateral security committee to investigate issues such as support for militias and al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. political and military representatives in Baghdad were working on how to set up the committee and areas which it would investigate after Tuesday's talks.
"They'll talk to the Iraqis, who will then talk to the Iranians and we'll see how we proceed from there," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. Washington accuses Shi'ite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq. Iran denies the charge and blames the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 for the bloodshed between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Iran was ready for higher-level talks with Washington if asked. "It can be considered if Iran receives a formal request from America," Mottaki said. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also quoted Mottaki as rejecting the accusations that Tehran backed Iraqi militants, saying the Americans were "trying to run away from their own mistakes."
U.S. ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker had bluntly accused Tehran on Tuesday of stepping up its support for Iraqi militias in the two months since the first round of talks. Sectarian violence and worsening chaos in Iraq has pushed the United States and Iran, which have not had diplomatic ties since shortly after Iran's 1979 revolution, to seek common ground, with Iraq asking both for help.
But the two rounds of talks have produced few concrete steps apart from Tuesday's agreement to establish a trilateral security committee to investigate issues such as support for militias and al Qaeda in Iraq. U.S. political and military representatives in Baghdad were working on how to set up the committee and areas which it would investigate after Tuesday's talks.
"They'll talk to the Iraqis, who will then talk to the Iranians and we'll see how we proceed from there," a U.S. embassy spokesman said. Washington accuses Shi'ite Muslim Iran of fomenting violence in Iraq. Iran denies the charge and blames the U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein in 2003 for the bloodshed between Iraq's majority Shi'ite and minority Sunni Arabs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was quoted on Wednesday as saying that Iran was ready for higher-level talks with Washington if asked. "It can be considered if Iran receives a formal request from America," Mottaki said. Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also quoted Mottaki as rejecting the accusations that Tehran backed Iraqi militants, saying the Americans were "trying to run away from their own mistakes."
Labels: Fars news agency, Iran, Iraq, Manouchehr Mottaki, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Iraq beats South Korea in 14th Asia Cup of nations semi-finals
Sport
(Reuters) - Iraq's soccer players dedicated Wednesday's dramatic Asian Cup semi-final win over South Korea to the people of their war-torn country. Iraq reached their first Asian Cup final with a 4-3 penalty shootout victory after a fluctuating match finished 0-0 at the end of extra time.
"Only happiness in our camp... everyone is very happy and we have reason to be happy. This victory is for the Iraqi people because they deserve that," Iraq coach Jorvan Vieira told a news conference. "There is only happiness in our camp and our boys worked very hard to achieve it," the Brazilian added. "We are in the final and it is very difficult for me to tell you how I feel now."
Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri saved Korea's fourth spot-kick and was named man of the match. "I would like to congratulate all my people in Iraq for this great victory," he said. "We know the current situation in Iraq and the difficulties. "We know we are struggling inside Iraq and we have to struggle on the field," Noor added. "This is a very modest thing we can give to our people."
Noor said he was proud to get the better of Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, Korea's hero in their quarter-final shootout win over Iran. "Last week they called the (Korean) goalkeeper the king of penalty kicks, but I managed to overcome him," Noor said. "In penalties so much depends on luck but we managed it."
"Only happiness in our camp... everyone is very happy and we have reason to be happy. This victory is for the Iraqi people because they deserve that," Iraq coach Jorvan Vieira told a news conference. "There is only happiness in our camp and our boys worked very hard to achieve it," the Brazilian added. "We are in the final and it is very difficult for me to tell you how I feel now."
Iraq goalkeeper Noor Sabri saved Korea's fourth spot-kick and was named man of the match. "I would like to congratulate all my people in Iraq for this great victory," he said. "We know the current situation in Iraq and the difficulties. "We know we are struggling inside Iraq and we have to struggle on the field," Noor added. "This is a very modest thing we can give to our people."
Noor said he was proud to get the better of Korean goalkeeper Lee Woon-jae, Korea's hero in their quarter-final shootout win over Iran. "Last week they called the (Korean) goalkeeper the king of penalty kicks, but I managed to overcome him," Noor said. "In penalties so much depends on luck but we managed it."
Labels: 14th Asia Cup of Nations, football, Iraq, Japan, Jorvan Vieira, Kuala Lumpur, Mahmoud Yunus, Noor Sabri, soccer, South Korea, Taeguk Warriors
Byblous Bank Is First Lebanese Bank In Irbil
Trade
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper) - 25 JUL - The Lebanese Byblous Bank has opened in the Kurdish capital, Irbil. It is the first Lebanese bank to invest in the Iraqi market. Previously, the Commercial Lebanese Bank announced that it would enter the Iraqi market, but the Qatar government which owns 97% of this bank decided to postpone this investment.
Now Byblous Bank is the only foreign bank working in Irbil. The bank will provide customers with commercial banking services, opening accounts, guaranteeing loans and document storage. The bank has a new strategy which is to expand into the growing markets. Since 2003, Arab and international banks such as “HSBCA,” National Kuwait Bank, Jordanian Capitol Bank and the Qatar National Bank have succeeded in buying part of Iraqi banks.
Labels: Byblous Bank, Irbil, Lebanon, Qatar government
Parliament Approves Law For Foreign Investment In Oil Refineries
Trade
(Asharq Al Awsat Newspaper) - 25 JUL - Yesterday, the Iraqi Parliament approved a draft law which will open the way for foreign companies to build refineries in Iraq and administrate them. With this law, the local governments will be able to deal with these companies independently. This law is different from the old oil law. The Iraqi government has presented the draft oil law to the Parliament; however, the Parliament has not started discussions on it yet.
Yesterday, Iraqi TV broadcasted the Parliament session and the Parliament approved the refinery law. The law states that the Ministry of Oil will provide oil to the investment companies at international prices without counting the transportation costs. The investment companies will have the right to determine the prices of their products and have the right to sell the oil inside Iraq or outside Iraq. These companies will be able to use the Iraqi oil institutions such as oil storage facilities, harbors and the pipe lines.
Labels: foreign companies, law, local governments, Ministry of Oil, oil refineries
Four Employees Kidnapped And 19 Million ID Stolen In Irbil
Security
(Al Mada Newspaper) - 25 JUL - An official Irbil IP source said that unidentified people kidnapped four employees, one of whom was in possession of 19 million ID ($15,217) which was intended for the office’s employees’ salaries. The source told Iraqi Voices News Agency that the employees were working at the Makhmour Electricity Office, 68 KM SE of Irbil, and had been traveling in their office vehicle.
The source said, “The kidnappers were from the Ansar Al Sunna group. Three of the kidnapped people were released and one was kept as a hostage.” The kidnappers are demanding $100,000 for the release of the remaining hostage. Finally, the source said that the three released employees are under investigation.
Labels: Ansar Al Sunna, hostage, Irbil, Makhmour Electricity Office
Top Leaders Will Meet To Discuss How They Will End Iraq’s Crisis
Politics
(Bayyna Al Jadidah Newspaper) - 25 JUL - Five of Iraq’s “top” (senior) politicians will hold a meeting this week in order to discuss “ending the political crisis” in Iraq. The participants of this meeting will include: President Jalal Talabani, Vice President Tariq Al Hashimi, Prime Minister Nuri Al Maliki, Kurdistan’s Regional President Massoud Barzani, and one of Sayid Abd Al Aziz Al Hakim’s “assistants”.
A government official said: this high-level conference will witness many meetings, this conference may begin on Friday. It is expected that the leaders will discuss many issues, such as how to reach agreements about amending the Constitution and how to resolve the Kirkuk issue.
Kirkuk is located in northern Iraq; and, therefore the Kurds want it to become part of the Kurdistan region. However, since it is also one of Iraq’s most “oil rich” areas this issue is strongly disputed by all the other Iraqi groups.
A government official said: this high-level conference will witness many meetings, this conference may begin on Friday. It is expected that the leaders will discuss many issues, such as how to reach agreements about amending the Constitution and how to resolve the Kirkuk issue.
Kirkuk is located in northern Iraq; and, therefore the Kurds want it to become part of the Kurdistan region. However, since it is also one of Iraq’s most “oil rich” areas this issue is strongly disputed by all the other Iraqi groups.
Labels: Article 140, Iraqi constitution, Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, Nouri Al-Maliki, politics, Tariq Al Hashemi
Largest Sunni bloc suspends govt membership
Politics
(AP) - Iraq's largest Sunni Arab bloc said Wednesday it has suspended its membership in Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's coalition government, dealing a new setback to the Shiite leader's efforts to achieve national reconciliation. The Iraqi Accordance Front, which has six Cabinet members as well as 44 of parliament's 275 seats, said it was giving al-Maliki a week to meet their demands or it would quit his 14-month-old Cabinet altogether.
"The Accordance Front announces the suspension of its membership in the government," Sheik Khalaf al-Elyan said at a news conference attended by the two other leaders of the three-party Accordance Front, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi of the Iraqi Islamic Party and Adnan al-Dulaimi of the Congress of the People of Iraq. Al-Elyan leads the National Dialogue Council.
Reading from a prepared statement, al-Elyan said the front's demands included a pardon for security detainees not charged with specific crimes, a firm commitment by the government to human rights, the disbanding of militias and the inclusion of all parties in the government in dealing with the country's security situation.
The Sunni ministers already had been refusing to attend Cabinet meetings but said Wednesday they would stop going to work, effective immediately. The Accordance Front members of government include the deputy prime minister for security as well as the ministers of planning, higher education, culture, defense and the minister of state for women's affairs.
The decision also threatened to undermine weeks of behind-the-scene negotiations to form a coalition of moderate parties from all sects - dubbed "the alliance of moderates." So far only two Shiite and two Kurdish parties have signed up and they had been urging al-Hashemi's moderate Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab group, and independent Shiites to join them.
Wednesday's decision by the Accordance Front signaled that al-Hashemi had opted not to abandon his Sunni allies for the sake of joining the new group, which was to exclude al-Hashemi's militant partners as well as the Sadrists. In remarks at the news conference, however, al-Hashemi left open the possibility of joining the new alliance if the participants made an unequivocal announcement of "goodwill."
"There are no encouraging indications so far," al-Hashemi said, adding he had informed Talabani of the Accordance Front's decision to suspend its Cabinet membership on Tuesday. A statement by Talabani's office suggested that the Kurdish president sought to dissuade al-Hashemi from breaking with al-Maliki's government in their meeting the previous day.
"The Accordance Front announces the suspension of its membership in the government," Sheik Khalaf al-Elyan said at a news conference attended by the two other leaders of the three-party Accordance Front, Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi of the Iraqi Islamic Party and Adnan al-Dulaimi of the Congress of the People of Iraq. Al-Elyan leads the National Dialogue Council.
Reading from a prepared statement, al-Elyan said the front's demands included a pardon for security detainees not charged with specific crimes, a firm commitment by the government to human rights, the disbanding of militias and the inclusion of all parties in the government in dealing with the country's security situation.
The Sunni ministers already had been refusing to attend Cabinet meetings but said Wednesday they would stop going to work, effective immediately. The Accordance Front members of government include the deputy prime minister for security as well as the ministers of planning, higher education, culture, defense and the minister of state for women's affairs.
The decision also threatened to undermine weeks of behind-the-scene negotiations to form a coalition of moderate parties from all sects - dubbed "the alliance of moderates." So far only two Shiite and two Kurdish parties have signed up and they had been urging al-Hashemi's moderate Islamic Party, the country's largest Sunni Arab group, and independent Shiites to join them.
Wednesday's decision by the Accordance Front signaled that al-Hashemi had opted not to abandon his Sunni allies for the sake of joining the new group, which was to exclude al-Hashemi's militant partners as well as the Sadrists. In remarks at the news conference, however, al-Hashemi left open the possibility of joining the new alliance if the participants made an unequivocal announcement of "goodwill."
"There are no encouraging indications so far," al-Hashemi said, adding he had informed Talabani of the Accordance Front's decision to suspend its Cabinet membership on Tuesday. A statement by Talabani's office suggested that the Kurdish president sought to dissuade al-Hashemi from breaking with al-Maliki's government in their meeting the previous day.
Labels: Iraqi Accordance Front, Iraqi government, Iraqi Islamic Party, Nouri Al-Maliki, Sheik Khalaf al-Elyan, the alliance of moderates
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Planners Set 2008 Goal for Iraq Security
Security
(AP) -- A revised U.S. military plan envisions establishing security at the local level in Baghdad and elsewhere by next summer, it likely would take another year to get Iraqi forces ready to enforce any newfound stability, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Known as the Joint Campaign Plan, developed in tandem by Gen. David Petraeus and his political counterpart in Baghdad, Ambassador Ryan Crocker, it reflects a timetable starkly at odds with the push by many in Congress to wind down U.S. involvement in a matter of months.
Petraeus and Crocker are due to testify before Congress in September on how the current strategy is working and whether it needs to be revised. The strategy was announced in broad terms by President Bush in January, when he ordered five extra Army brigades to Baghdad to help implement it. But the more detailed campaign plan was developed in the months following - not to alter the strategy but to give it depth, with detailed avenues of approach.
Col. Steve Boylan, chief spokesman for Petraeus, said the plan is still in the final editing stages and has not yet been put fully into effect. He said that while it sets an initial goal of achieving localized security by summer 2008, it does not make assumptions about specific levels of U.S. troops between now and then - including how long the five extra brigades will stay.
The campaign plan's timeline was first reported in Tuesday's editions of the New York Times. Boylan stressed in a telephone interview that like any military campaign plan, this one is subject to revision as conditions on the ground evolve. Thus the summer 2008 goal, he said, should be seen as "a place holder, a mark on the wall," not an immovable commitment.
The plan envisions using locally based security initiatives, such as those that in western Anbar province have proven successful in reducing insurgent violence this year, as a starting point. Such efforts are now under way elsewhere in Iraq, including some parts of Baghdad. That approach, it is hoped, will encourage movement at the national level to achieve political reconciliation, which is the ultimate objective.
There are early signs, however, that the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unwilling to move in that direction. His office has expressed anger at recent U.S. efforts to empower local Sunni groups in an alliance against the al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group - apparently out of suspicion that these Sunni groups will become extralegal militias allied against his government.
The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts - along the lines Bush has described in recent months - plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. That includes movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government, and other measures designed to promote reconciliation and build a government of national unity.
Petraeus began developing the plan shortly after he arrived in Baghdad in February to replace Gen. George Casey, whose campaign plan focused more on transferring security responsibility to the Iraqi government than on establishing security throughout the capital. Stephen Biddle, who was a member of a group that advised Petraeus last spring on development of the strategy, said in a recent interview that he saw little chance of success if the U.S. military continued to try to establish security, unconditionally, across all of Baghdad.
A better approach, Biddle said, is to use U.S. military power more selectively in a "carrot-and-stick" approach that rewards insurgent groups that choose to accept offers of a cease-fire. They would not be forcibly disarmed; they would choose to stop fighting. Those who refuse to cooperate would be dealt with militarily.
Even that more nuanced approach, in Biddle's estimation, stands only about a 10-in-1 chance of succeeding.
Many Democrats in Congress have argued that the only way to force al-Maliki's government into movement on the political front is to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Some argue this should begin as early as this year, or at least by next spring.
Petraeus and Crocker are due to testify before Congress in September on how the current strategy is working and whether it needs to be revised. The strategy was announced in broad terms by President Bush in January, when he ordered five extra Army brigades to Baghdad to help implement it. But the more detailed campaign plan was developed in the months following - not to alter the strategy but to give it depth, with detailed avenues of approach.
Col. Steve Boylan, chief spokesman for Petraeus, said the plan is still in the final editing stages and has not yet been put fully into effect. He said that while it sets an initial goal of achieving localized security by summer 2008, it does not make assumptions about specific levels of U.S. troops between now and then - including how long the five extra brigades will stay.
The campaign plan's timeline was first reported in Tuesday's editions of the New York Times. Boylan stressed in a telephone interview that like any military campaign plan, this one is subject to revision as conditions on the ground evolve. Thus the summer 2008 goal, he said, should be seen as "a place holder, a mark on the wall," not an immovable commitment.
The plan envisions using locally based security initiatives, such as those that in western Anbar province have proven successful in reducing insurgent violence this year, as a starting point. Such efforts are now under way elsewhere in Iraq, including some parts of Baghdad. That approach, it is hoped, will encourage movement at the national level to achieve political reconciliation, which is the ultimate objective.
There are early signs, however, that the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is unwilling to move in that direction. His office has expressed anger at recent U.S. efforts to empower local Sunni groups in an alliance against the al-Qaida in Iraq insurgent group - apparently out of suspicion that these Sunni groups will become extralegal militias allied against his government.
The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts - along the lines Bush has described in recent months - plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. That includes movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government, and other measures designed to promote reconciliation and build a government of national unity.
Petraeus began developing the plan shortly after he arrived in Baghdad in February to replace Gen. George Casey, whose campaign plan focused more on transferring security responsibility to the Iraqi government than on establishing security throughout the capital. Stephen Biddle, who was a member of a group that advised Petraeus last spring on development of the strategy, said in a recent interview that he saw little chance of success if the U.S. military continued to try to establish security, unconditionally, across all of Baghdad.
A better approach, Biddle said, is to use U.S. military power more selectively in a "carrot-and-stick" approach that rewards insurgent groups that choose to accept offers of a cease-fire. They would not be forcibly disarmed; they would choose to stop fighting. Those who refuse to cooperate would be dealt with militarily.
Even that more nuanced approach, in Biddle's estimation, stands only about a 10-in-1 chance of succeeding.
Many Democrats in Congress have argued that the only way to force al-Maliki's government into movement on the political front is to set a timetable for the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Some argue this should begin as early as this year, or at least by next spring.
Labels: General David Petraeus, Joint Campaign Plan, Ryan Crocker
Campaign to liquidate 3,000 Baathists in southern Iraq
Security, Politics, Employment
(Azzaman) - Militias belonging to Shiite religious factions in southern Iraq have embarked on a murderous campaign to liquidate 3,000 members of the Baath party of former leader Saddam Hussein. The campaign is reported to have terrorized residential quarters in several cities in the south since scores of former Baathists have been killed recently in the area.
Informed sources refusing to be named said the militias have 3,000 more names on their ‘liquidation lists’ and many former Baathists are reported to have gone into hiding. The so-called policy of debaathification, started by the first U.S. Iraq consul Paul Bremer, is believed to be one of the reasons behind current violence and instability in the country.
Former Baathists were banned from assuming posts in the government or employment in the public sector. Many had their property and belongings expropriated. As a result hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs and means of living, fueling resentment and anger at U.S. occupation troops and the government.
Analysts say the militias are keen to liquidate as many former Baathists as possible before the parliament, under pressure from the U.S., reverses measures that have led to their dismissal from government jobs.
Informed sources refusing to be named said the militias have 3,000 more names on their ‘liquidation lists’ and many former Baathists are reported to have gone into hiding. The so-called policy of debaathification, started by the first U.S. Iraq consul Paul Bremer, is believed to be one of the reasons behind current violence and instability in the country.
Former Baathists were banned from assuming posts in the government or employment in the public sector. Many had their property and belongings expropriated. As a result hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs and means of living, fueling resentment and anger at U.S. occupation troops and the government.
Analysts say the militias are keen to liquidate as many former Baathists as possible before the parliament, under pressure from the U.S., reverses measures that have led to their dismissal from government jobs.
Labels: Baathists, Shia militias, southern Iraq
Islamic State of Iraq denies claims that Abu Omar al-Baghdadi doesn't exist
Insurgency
(SITE) - The Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella insurgency group comprised of al-Qaeda in Iraq and others, issued a statement to jihadist forums today, Monday, July 23, 2007, declaring that an announcement by U.S. military officials that they captured a link between the group and al-Qaeda leaders such as Usama bin Laden, and discovered Abu Omar al-Baghdadi to be a fictional character, as false.
Similar to prior claims made by the Islamic State about American duplicity in allegedly capturing Mujahideen or prominent leaders, they charge this news as mere lies meant to cast focus away from the “embarrassment” of the Bush Administration. The group adds: “If we calculate by number and according to the statements of the enemy, we would find that the number of those arrested from the Mujahideen and the leaders since the beginning of the blessed jihad would come to an astronomical and unrealistic figure.”
According to media reports, U.S. forces captured on July 4, 2007 an individual identified as Khalid Abdul Fatah Da’ud Mahmud Mashadani, who allegedly served as the chief of propaganda for the Islamic State of Iraq, which itself is a front for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Mashadani is also stated to have served as a link between the Emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, and al-Qaeda leadership, and divulged that the Emir of the Believers in the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, is a fictional character voiced by an actor.
According to media reports, U.S. forces captured on July 4, 2007 an individual identified as Khalid Abdul Fatah Da’ud Mahmud Mashadani, who allegedly served as the chief of propaganda for the Islamic State of Iraq, which itself is a front for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Mashadani is also stated to have served as a link between the Emir of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, and al-Qaeda leadership, and divulged that the Emir of the Believers in the Islamic State of Iraq, Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, is a fictional character voiced by an actor.
Labels: Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, Islamic State of Iraq, Khalid Abdul Fatah Da’ud Mahmud Mashadani
Kalimat Telecom awards $275 mn. Iraq wireless contract to Huawei Technologies
Reconstrcution
(Khaleej Times) - Kalimat Telecom, winner of Iraq's first national licence to provide a full-scale fixed wireless network, yesterday awarded a $275 million infrastructure contract to Huawei Technologies. The Kalimat-Huawei Memorandum of Understanding, signed this morning in the presence of Kalimat's President and CEO, Wilson Varghese and Li Huang, Vice-President Huawei Tech. Investment Corp, is one of several Kalimat agreements formalised this week.
A $1 billion consortium of specialist vendors assembled by Kuwait-based Trade Links Middle East, Kalimat Telecom aims to enter every home, business, governmental and non-governmental institution in Iraq and deliver five million CDMA lines of service by 2011. The consortium won the 10-year wireless licence from Iraq's Communications and Media Commission in September 2006.
Huawei, a global leader in telecom network solutions, will execute the project in four phases beginning in September 2007. The Chinese technology vendor will supply and provide deployment services for CDMA base stations and help create a top-of-the-line all-IP network infrastructure. Wilson Varghese, President and CEO of Kalimat Telecom, said Huawei's technology will enable significantly faster and more cost-effective services.
Labels: CDMA, Huawei Technologies, Kalimat Telecom, Li Huang, Trade Links Middle East, Wilson Varghese, wireless network
British Foreign Office appeals for information on hostages
Security
(The Times) - The Foreign Office admitted today that diplomats have no proof that five British civilians kidnapped in Iraq are still alive, as it launched a fresh appeal for information nearly two months after their abduction. The group, made up of four security guards and a consultant, were taken hostage on May 29 at the Iraqi Finance Ministry by dozens of armed insurgents dressed in the fatigues of police commandos.
One of those abducted was a consultant working for BearingPoint, an international firm providing technical and computer advice to the Iraqi Government, and the other four were security guards employed by GardaWorld, a Canadian-owned company which has offices in London and Hereford. The raid, which took place in broad daylight, was considered one of the most brazen abductions of Westerners since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
In a statement issued by the British embassy in Baghdad today, the Government appealed for information about the hostages' plight. The statement was issued in Arabic and aimed specifically at an Iraqi audience. "It’s now 55 days since the five British men were taken. We and their families are increasingly concerned for their welfare," Matthew Lodge, the British charge d’affaires in Baghdad told reporters.
"We have no evidence about their conditions, and we would like to know they are alive and well. We remain willing to listen and talk to those who may have any information about our people." A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that the statement was issued "to support ongoing work" to track down the hostages. She added: "We have not had proof of life." The decision to issue the statement is considered unusual in this case as the Foreign Office has deliberately kept a low profile since the hostages were taken.
Unlike the BBC's large-scale publicity campaign over the Alan Johnston kidnapping in Gaza, diplomats have decided that keeping the names, details and families of those kidnapped out of the media spotlight would be the best way to secure their release. On June 7, the British Ambassador to Iraq, Dominic Asquith, issued a statement appealing for their release and indicating that the Government was prepared to talk to the kidnappers.
Two weeks later, General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, told The Times that the five were being held by a secret cell of the Mahdi Army militia that was armed, trained and funded by Iran. Despite the Foreign Office's efforts, however, little evidence has emerged as to where the five are being held over the past two months.
The battle for information about the hostages was dealt a further blow when The Times disclosed on July 10 that Canon Andrew White, a vicar who had been working independently towards their release, had been forced to leave the country because of a "serious security threat". It had been reported that the kidnappers had threatened to kill the hostages unless Canon White, who worked at the last Anglican church in Iraq, stopped trying to find out where they were.
One of those abducted was a consultant working for BearingPoint, an international firm providing technical and computer advice to the Iraqi Government, and the other four were security guards employed by GardaWorld, a Canadian-owned company which has offices in London and Hereford. The raid, which took place in broad daylight, was considered one of the most brazen abductions of Westerners since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
In a statement issued by the British embassy in Baghdad today, the Government appealed for information about the hostages' plight. The statement was issued in Arabic and aimed specifically at an Iraqi audience. "It’s now 55 days since the five British men were taken. We and their families are increasingly concerned for their welfare," Matthew Lodge, the British charge d’affaires in Baghdad told reporters.
"We have no evidence about their conditions, and we would like to know they are alive and well. We remain willing to listen and talk to those who may have any information about our people." A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that the statement was issued "to support ongoing work" to track down the hostages. She added: "We have not had proof of life." The decision to issue the statement is considered unusual in this case as the Foreign Office has deliberately kept a low profile since the hostages were taken.
Unlike the BBC's large-scale publicity campaign over the Alan Johnston kidnapping in Gaza, diplomats have decided that keeping the names, details and families of those kidnapped out of the media spotlight would be the best way to secure their release. On June 7, the British Ambassador to Iraq, Dominic Asquith, issued a statement appealing for their release and indicating that the Government was prepared to talk to the kidnappers.
Two weeks later, General David Petraeus, the top US commander in Iraq, told The Times that the five were being held by a secret cell of the Mahdi Army militia that was armed, trained and funded by Iran. Despite the Foreign Office's efforts, however, little evidence has emerged as to where the five are being held over the past two months.
The battle for information about the hostages was dealt a further blow when The Times disclosed on July 10 that Canon Andrew White, a vicar who had been working independently towards their release, had been forced to leave the country because of a "serious security threat". It had been reported that the kidnappers had threatened to kill the hostages unless Canon White, who worked at the last Anglican church in Iraq, stopped trying to find out where they were.
Labels: Bearingpoint, British Foreign Office, British hostages, Canon Andrew White, Finance Ministry, GardaWorld, Mahdi Army, Matthew Lodge
Al-Qaeda members becoming informants for U.S. military
Insurgency
(The Times) - Fed up with being part of a group that cuts off a person’s face with piano wire to teach others a lesson, dozens of low-level members of al-Qaeda in Iraq are daring to become informants for the US military in a hostile Baghdad neighbourhood. The ground-breaking move in Doura is part of a wider trend that has started in other al-Qaeda hotspots across the country and in which Sunni insurgent groups and tribal sheikhs have stood together with the coalition against the extremist movement.
“They are turning. We are talking to people who we believe have worked for al-Qaeda in Iraq and want to reconcile and have peace,” said Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, which oversees the area. The sewage-filled streets of Doura, a Sunni Arab enclave in south Baghdad, provide an ugly setting for what US commanders say is al-Qaeda’s last stronghold in the city. The secretive group, however, appears to be losing its grip as a “surge” of US troops in the neighbourhood – part of the latest effort by President Bush to end the chaos in Iraq – has resulted in scores of fighters being killed, captured or forced to flee.
“Al-Qaeda’s days are numbered and right now he is scrambling,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Michael, who commands a battalion of 700 troops in Doura. A key factor is that local people and members of al-Qaeda itself have become sickened by the violence and are starting to rebel, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael said. “The people have got to deny them sanctuary and that is exactly what is happening.”
Al-Qaeda informants comprise largely members of the Doura network who found themselves either working with the group after the US-led invasion in March 2003, or signed up to earn extra cash because there were no other jobs going. Disgusted at the attacks and intimidation techniques used on friends, neighbours and even relatives, they are now increasingly looking for a way out, US officers say.
“It is only after al-Qaeda has become truly barbaric and done things like, to teach lessons to people, cut their face off with piano wire in front of their family and then murdered everybody except one child who told the tale afterwards . . . that people realise how much of a mess they are in,” Lieutenant James Danly, 31, who works on military intelligence in Doura, said.
It is impossible to corroborate the claims, but he said that scores of junior al-Qaeda in Iraq members there had become informants since May, including one low-level cell leader who gave vital information after his arrest. “He gave us dates, places and names and who did what,” Lieutenant Danly said. When asked why he was being so forthcoming, the man said: “Because I am sick of it and I hate them, and I am done.”
Working with insurgents – even those who claim to have switched sides – is a leap of faith for both sides. Every informant who visits Forward Operating Base Falcon, a vast military camp on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, is blindfolded when brought in and out to avoid gleaning any information about his surroundings.
The risk sometimes pays off. A recent tip-off led to the fatal shooting of Abu Kaldoun, one of three senior al-Qaeda leaders in Doura, during a US raid last week. “He was turned in by one of his own,” Colonel Michael said.
Progress with making contacts and gathering actionable information is slow because al-Qaeda has persuasive methods of keeping people quiet. This month it beheaded two men in the street and pinned a note on to their corpses giving warning that anyone who cooperated with US troops would meet the same fate.
The increased presence of US forces in Doura, however, is encouraging insiders to overcome their fear and divulge what they know. Convoys of US soldiers are working the rubble-strewn streets day and night, knocking on doors, speaking to locals and following up leads on possible insurgent hideouts.
“People in al-Qaeda come to us and give us information,” said Lieutenant Scott Flanigan, as he drove past a line of fruit and vegetable stalls near a shabby shopping street in Doura, where people were buying bread and other groceries. The informants were not seeking an amnesty for crimes that they had committed. “They just do not want to be killed,” Lieutenant Flanigan said.
Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – who was killed in a US raid last year – established the Iraqi al-Qaeda network in 2004, but opinions differ on its compilation, size and capabilities. Some military experts believe that the group is a cell-based network of chapters who are loosely linked to an overall leader by go-between operatives.
Others, however, describe al-Qaeda in Iraq as a sort of franchise, with separate cells around the country that use the brand – made infamous by Osama bin Laden – and cultural ideology but do not work closely with each other or for one overriding leader. Despite the uncertainties one thing seems guaranteed. A hardcore of people calling themselves al-Qaeda in Iraq remains devoted to the extremist cause and is determined to fight on whatever the cost.
“They are turning. We are talking to people who we believe have worked for al-Qaeda in Iraq and want to reconcile and have peace,” said Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, which oversees the area. The sewage-filled streets of Doura, a Sunni Arab enclave in south Baghdad, provide an ugly setting for what US commanders say is al-Qaeda’s last stronghold in the city. The secretive group, however, appears to be losing its grip as a “surge” of US troops in the neighbourhood – part of the latest effort by President Bush to end the chaos in Iraq – has resulted in scores of fighters being killed, captured or forced to flee.
“Al-Qaeda’s days are numbered and right now he is scrambling,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Michael, who commands a battalion of 700 troops in Doura. A key factor is that local people and members of al-Qaeda itself have become sickened by the violence and are starting to rebel, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael said. “The people have got to deny them sanctuary and that is exactly what is happening.”
Al-Qaeda informants comprise largely members of the Doura network who found themselves either working with the group after the US-led invasion in March 2003, or signed up to earn extra cash because there were no other jobs going. Disgusted at the attacks and intimidation techniques used on friends, neighbours and even relatives, they are now increasingly looking for a way out, US officers say.
“It is only after al-Qaeda has become truly barbaric and done things like, to teach lessons to people, cut their face off with piano wire in front of their family and then murdered everybody except one child who told the tale afterwards . . . that people realise how much of a mess they are in,” Lieutenant James Danly, 31, who works on military intelligence in Doura, said.
It is impossible to corroborate the claims, but he said that scores of junior al-Qaeda in Iraq members there had become informants since May, including one low-level cell leader who gave vital information after his arrest. “He gave us dates, places and names and who did what,” Lieutenant Danly said. When asked why he was being so forthcoming, the man said: “Because I am sick of it and I hate them, and I am done.”
Working with insurgents – even those who claim to have switched sides – is a leap of faith for both sides. Every informant who visits Forward Operating Base Falcon, a vast military camp on the southern outskirts of Baghdad, is blindfolded when brought in and out to avoid gleaning any information about his surroundings.
The risk sometimes pays off. A recent tip-off led to the fatal shooting of Abu Kaldoun, one of three senior al-Qaeda leaders in Doura, during a US raid last week. “He was turned in by one of his own,” Colonel Michael said.
Progress with making contacts and gathering actionable information is slow because al-Qaeda has persuasive methods of keeping people quiet. This month it beheaded two men in the street and pinned a note on to their corpses giving warning that anyone who cooperated with US troops would meet the same fate.
The increased presence of US forces in Doura, however, is encouraging insiders to overcome their fear and divulge what they know. Convoys of US soldiers are working the rubble-strewn streets day and night, knocking on doors, speaking to locals and following up leads on possible insurgent hideouts.
“People in al-Qaeda come to us and give us information,” said Lieutenant Scott Flanigan, as he drove past a line of fruit and vegetable stalls near a shabby shopping street in Doura, where people were buying bread and other groceries. The informants were not seeking an amnesty for crimes that they had committed. “They just do not want to be killed,” Lieutenant Flanigan said.
Jordanian-born Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – who was killed in a US raid last year – established the Iraqi al-Qaeda network in 2004, but opinions differ on its compilation, size and capabilities. Some military experts believe that the group is a cell-based network of chapters who are loosely linked to an overall leader by go-between operatives.
Others, however, describe al-Qaeda in Iraq as a sort of franchise, with separate cells around the country that use the brand – made infamous by Osama bin Laden – and cultural ideology but do not work closely with each other or for one overriding leader. Despite the uncertainties one thing seems guaranteed. A hardcore of people calling themselves al-Qaeda in Iraq remains devoted to the extremist cause and is determined to fight on whatever the cost.
Labels: Abu Kaldoun, Al Qaeda in Iraq, Colonel Ricky Gibbs, Doura, Forward Operating Base Falcon, informants, Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Michael, U.S. military
Iran, Iraq, U.S. to set up security subcommittee
Security
(AP) - The United States, Iran and Iraq have agreed to set up a security subcommittee to carry forward talks on restoring stability in Iraq, the U.S. envoy said Tuesday at the end of a second round of groundbreaking talks with his Iranian counterpart.
"We discussed ways forward, and one of the issues we discussed was the formation of a security subcommittee that would address at a expert or technical level some issues relating to security, be that support for violent militias, al-Qaida or border security," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said after the meeting that included lunch and spanned nearly seven hours.
"We discussed ways forward, and one of the issues we discussed was the formation of a security subcommittee that would address at a expert or technical level some issues relating to security, be that support for violent militias, al-Qaida or border security," Ambassador Ryan Crocker said after the meeting that included lunch and spanned nearly seven hours.
Labels: Iran, Iraq, Ryan Crocker, security subcommittee, U.S.
Boeing wins $10.5 mn. IDIQ Iraq contract
Contracts
(Defense Industry Daily) - The Boeing Co. in St. Louis, MO received a minimum guaranteed $10.5 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for "intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services utilizing an unmanned aircraft system in support of the Global War on Terrorism." This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $381.55 million.
Work will be performed in the area of operations in support of I and II Marine Expeditionary Forces (MEFs) deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and is expected to be complete December 2007 (December 2010 with options). Contract funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Navy Electronic Commerce Office, with two offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA issued the contract (M67854-07-D-2052).
Labels: Boeing Co., contract, IDIQ, Iraq, M67854-07-D-2052, Marine Corps Systems Command, Operation Iraqi Freedom, surveillance
Special IDs to be issued to Baghdad residents
Security
(IRIN) - In a bid to reduce sectarian violence, the Iraqi authorities have decided to issue special IDs to Baghdad residents to make it easy to identify militants, a senior military officer said. "The aim is to easily differentiate between true residents of Baghdad and strangers and militants who come from other provinces to carry out terrorist attacks," Brig Qassim al-Mousawi, spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces, said.
"Nine security centres will be opened in Baghdad soon to issue these IDs, five on the western side and four on the eastern side, and these centres will be run by the US army, Iraqi security forces and local officials in each neighbourhood," al-Mousawi said. He did not specify when the authorities would issue these new IDs, which would bear a person’s full name and address.
However, a former senior army official criticised the plan. "The Iraqi government and US army are skirting around the problem instead of getting to the bottom of it," said retired Brig Fadhil Salman Abdul-Muhaimen, who served nearly 30 years in the former Iraqi army. "Terrorists, militants, insurgents or whatever they call them not only come from outside Baghdad, they are also residents of Baghdad," Abdul-Muhaimen said.
There have been reports of Sunnis carrying fake IDs with Shia names and Shias carrying fake IDs with Sunni names in case insurgents or militias stop people to find out their possible sectarian affiliation. “Sitting ducks” For Baghdad resident Ghazwan Amin Jaafar, having such an ID will "make us sitting ducks for those who are looking for people to kidnap and kill”. "With these IDs, we can't trick the militants any more, as our real names and addresses will be revealed. I hope the government will think carefully before it kicks this off because it will put us in danger all the time," said 33-year-old Jaafar.
Abdul-Muhaimen urged the government to deal with the essence of the problem. “Why are these militants entering Baghdad and carrying out attacks? It [the government] should do more on reconciliation, and bring back as many former army officers, members of the Saddam-era security services and Baath party members as possible," he said.
Labels: Baath Party, Baghdad residents, Brig Fadhil Salman Abdul-Muhaimen, Brig Qassim al-Mousawi, former security forces, ID cards
Syria cancels Iraqi anti-U.S. groups' meeting
Politics, Security
(Reuters) - A large meeting of Iraqi rebel groups that was due to be held in Damascus on Monday was cancelled at the behest of Syria, delegates said. Hundreds of delegates, including members of the banned Iraqi Baath Party, officers in Saddam Hussein's now defunct security forces and anti-U.S. tribal leaders, had gathered in Damascus to work out a joint programme for groups opposed to the continued presence of U.S. forces in Iraq.
"The Syrians gently made it clear that this is not the time for this," a senior Baath Party member told Reuters.
"The Americans and their Iraqi government clients are intensifying their lies that Syria is behind terrorism and attacks on innocent Iraqis, which we all condemn." He was speaking at a meeting to announce the cancellation of the conference at a hotel in the outskirts of Damascus. The decision did not go down well with most participants, especially those who had travelled from Iraq.
Some delegates linked the meeting's cancellation to the visit last week to Syria by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A communique issued after a meeting between Ahmadinejad and President Bashar al-Assad last week said the two leaders were adamant about the need to end U.S. occupation but back the Iraqi government and "condemn terrorism against the Iraqi people and their institutions".
Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi is expected to visit Damascus next month. With a 360-km (225-mile) border with Iraq and some 1.4 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Damascus has said that a descent into an all out civil war there would have "devastating consequences" for the region.
Thousands of Iraqi Baathists and former security figures have made Syria their base since the 2003 U.S. invasion. The Iraqi government says they play a major role in supporting the insurgency. Washington accuses Syria of letting fighters cross its borders into Iraq, a charge Syria denies.
Damascus says its influence with rebel forces in Iraq could help the United States achieve an "honourable withdrawal" for American troops. "We should not see a contradiction between raising the gun and negotiating an end to the occupation," a tribal leader from Iraq's western Anbar province addressed the delegates. He acknowledged, however, that the rebel groups lack a unified political front.
"The Syrians gently made it clear that this is not the time for this," a senior Baath Party member told Reuters.
"The Americans and their Iraqi government clients are intensifying their lies that Syria is behind terrorism and attacks on innocent Iraqis, which we all condemn." He was speaking at a meeting to announce the cancellation of the conference at a hotel in the outskirts of Damascus. The decision did not go down well with most participants, especially those who had travelled from Iraq.
Some delegates linked the meeting's cancellation to the visit last week to Syria by Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A communique issued after a meeting between Ahmadinejad and President Bashar al-Assad last week said the two leaders were adamant about the need to end U.S. occupation but back the Iraqi government and "condemn terrorism against the Iraqi people and their institutions".
Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdul Mahdi is expected to visit Damascus next month. With a 360-km (225-mile) border with Iraq and some 1.4 million Iraqi refugees in Syria, Damascus has said that a descent into an all out civil war there would have "devastating consequences" for the region.
Thousands of Iraqi Baathists and former security figures have made Syria their base since the 2003 U.S. invasion. The Iraqi government says they play a major role in supporting the insurgency. Washington accuses Syria of letting fighters cross its borders into Iraq, a charge Syria denies.
Damascus says its influence with rebel forces in Iraq could help the United States achieve an "honourable withdrawal" for American troops. "We should not see a contradiction between raising the gun and negotiating an end to the occupation," a tribal leader from Iraq's western Anbar province addressed the delegates. He acknowledged, however, that the rebel groups lack a unified political front.
Labels: Baath Party, former security forces, Syria, tribal leaders
Iranian, U.S. officials meet for security talks on Iraq
International
(RFE/RL) - U.S. and Iranian officials met in Baghdad on July 24 for a second round of talks aimed at supporting the Iraqi government, RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq reported. The meeting, hosted by the Iraqi government, was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and his Iranian counterpart, Hasan Kazemi-Qomi.
Iraqi state-television channel Al-Iraqiyah cited Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's address to the two sides at the start of the talks. Al-Maliki reportedly told both sides Iraq is keen on good relations with all parties. He added that Iraq does not want to interfere in the affairs of others, just as it does not want others to interfere in Iraq's internal affairs.
Meanwhile, an Iraqi source attending the meeting told AP that an argument broke out early on between Crocker and Qomi after the U.S. ambassador claimed Iran is training and supplying Shi'ite militiamen to target coalition forces. Qomi reportedly responded by saying the United States has no proof to back up the claim. Iranian sources have said the status of five Iranian diplomats detained by U.S. forces in Iraq since January will also be high on the meeting's agenda.
Labels: Hasan Kazemi Qomi, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, Shia militias, U.S.
U.S. offers fellowships for threatened scholars from Iraq
(Iraq Scholar Rescue Project) - The Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund (SRF) has received special funding for the Iraq Scholar Rescue Project to provide fellowships to scholars in Iraq whose lives and work are threatened. The Fund is currently seeking applications from suitable candidates and/or candidate referrals.
Academics, established researchers, and professors from Iraq in any field or discipline may qualify. Preference will be given to scholars with a Ph.D. or other highest degree in their field; who have been employed in scholarly activities at a university, college or other institution of higher learning during the last four years (excluding displacement or prohibition); who demonstrate superior academic accomplishment or promise; and whose selection is likely to benefit the academic community in Iraq and/or host country or region. Applications from female scholars are encouraged.
Fellowship recipients will be expected to resume their teaching, lecturing, research, writing and publishing at a host academic institution. Fellowship recipients will also be expected to participate in the Fund's efforts to continue the education of Iraqi students, both within and outside of Iraq.
The host institution will be determined based on the qualifications of the fellowship recipient. Candidates are encouraged to contact universities or institutions who may potentially act as host for the fellowship. Placement within the Middle East and North Africa region will be encouraged.
Fellowships will be awarded for visiting academic positions of up to two years. A living stipend and relocation expenses for scholars and their families will be included in the fellowship. To apply for a fellowship or to learn more, please send an email to: SRFIraq@iie.org . Kindly include SRF Iraq Project in the subject line of your message. For universities and colleges interested in potentially hosting an SRF Iraq fellow, please also contact SRFIraq@iie.org.
Contact: IIE Scholar Rescue Fund Fellowships: 809 U.N. Plaza, Second Floor, New York, New York 10017, SRFIraq@iie.org Web: www.iie.org/SRF
Labels: academics, Association of Muslim Scholars of Iraq, fellowships, Institute of International Education's Scholar Rescue Fund, Iraq, Iraq Scholar Rescue Project, U.S.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Iraq's top five political leaders to hold a summit
Politics
(Reuters) - Iraq’s top five political leaders are due to hold a summit this week in an attempt to end a political crisis which has paralyzed the country for months, officials said on Monday. They told Reuters that Kurdish, Sunni Arab and Shi’ite leaders acknowledge the political impasse and may meet on Friday. “They will be holding marathon meetings. So far we have the 27th as the date but it is yet to be confirmed,” a senior government official told Reuters.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful Shi’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said. Kurds want Kirkuk included in their autonomous Kurdistan region as its capital and want to press ahead with a referendum by the end of the year, but other ethnic groups object. Iraq’s constitution stipulates a Kirkuk referendum by year’s end.
Maliki’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
Behind the scenes there has been talk about reshuffling the government, but some people think this would push Iraq to the brink of collapse because various factions would then argue to scratch issues that had already been agreed on. Washington has been pushing Iraq to speed passage of several laws aimed at curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Only one draft, which concerns Iraq’s huge oil reserves, has been submitted, but the full legislature has yet to debate it. The draft oil law aims to ease tension by ensuring Sunnis share in oil profits. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but most is in the Kurdish north or Shi’ite south. Other laws that set provincial elections by the year-end and allow some members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to government and the military also need to be passed.
But the Iraqi government is running out of time ahead of a report due in Washington by Sept. 15 on Iraq’s security and political progress. The report, by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and military leader General David Petraeus, is being viewed as a political watershed. Lack of action on those benchmark laws is sure to heighten calls from opposition Democrats in Congress and also some Republicans for an American troop pullout from Iraq.
The summit will bring together President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi. It will also involve Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and a top aide of powerful Shi’ite leader Abdul Aziz al-Hakim. The government official said the summit may also be extended to include other key figures such as former interim prime minister Iyad Allawi.
The leaders are expected to discuss various issues, including how to agree on amending the constitution. The identity of the disputed oil-rich northern city of Kirkuk could also be on the agenda, officials said. Kurds want Kirkuk included in their autonomous Kurdistan region as its capital and want to press ahead with a referendum by the end of the year, but other ethnic groups object. Iraq’s constitution stipulates a Kirkuk referendum by year’s end.
Maliki’s government is under mounting pressure to meet benchmarks set by Washington to end sectarian violence and push for economic and political reforms. But political wrangling among its factions has left it weak and shaky. Sunni Arab ministers in the government have stopped attending cabinet meetings, while Shi’ite ministers loyal to fiery cleric Moqtada al-Sadr have left the government.
Behind the scenes there has been talk about reshuffling the government, but some people think this would push Iraq to the brink of collapse because various factions would then argue to scratch issues that had already been agreed on. Washington has been pushing Iraq to speed passage of several laws aimed at curbing sectarian violence and healing deep divisions between majority Shi’ites and minority Sunni Arabs.
Only one draft, which concerns Iraq’s huge oil reserves, has been submitted, but the full legislature has yet to debate it. The draft oil law aims to ease tension by ensuring Sunnis share in oil profits. Iraq has the world’s third largest oil reserves, but most is in the Kurdish north or Shi’ite south. Other laws that set provincial elections by the year-end and allow some members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party to return to government and the military also need to be passed.
But the Iraqi government is running out of time ahead of a report due in Washington by Sept. 15 on Iraq’s security and political progress. The report, by U.S. ambassador Ryan Crocker and military leader General David Petraeus, is being viewed as a political watershed. Lack of action on those benchmark laws is sure to heighten calls from opposition Democrats in Congress and also some Republicans for an American troop pullout from Iraq.
Labels: Abdul Aziz Al Hakim, Iyad Allawi, Jalal Talabani, Kirkuk, Massoud Barzani, meeting, Nouri Al-Maliki, Tareq al-Hashemi
U.S. ambassador in Iraq calls for Iraqi employees to be granted asylum status
Humanitarian
(The Guardian) - The United States ambassador in Iraq, Ryan Cocker, has called for all Iraqis working for the US government to be granted refugee status in recognition of the dangers they face. Mr Cocker warned in a cable obtained by the Washington Post that unless Iraqi employees were given hope of finding safe haven in America they would quit, weakening the ability of the Bush administration to make an impact in Iraq.
He said that Iraqis in US government employment "work under extremely difficult conditions, and are targets for violence including murder and kidnapping. Unless they know that there is some hope of a [visa] in future, many will continue to seek asylum, leaving our mission lacking in one of our most valuable assets".
The US government and its main coalition partner in Iraq, Britain, have both been criticised by human rights and refugee organisations for failing to allow significant numbers of Iraqi asylum seekers into their countries. The US has admitted 825 Iraqis since the invasion in 2003.
He said that Iraqis in US government employment "work under extremely difficult conditions, and are targets for violence including murder and kidnapping. Unless they know that there is some hope of a [visa] in future, many will continue to seek asylum, leaving our mission lacking in one of our most valuable assets".
The US government and its main coalition partner in Iraq, Britain, have both been criticised by human rights and refugee organisations for failing to allow significant numbers of Iraqi asylum seekers into their countries. The US has admitted 825 Iraqis since the invasion in 2003.
Labels: asylum, Iraqi employees, refugee status, Ryan Crocker, U.S.
Northern Iraq commander proposes reducing troop levels
Security
(AP) -- In a move that could portend a strategy change, the commander of U.S. forces in northern Iraq said Sunday he has proposed reducing his troop levels and shifting next year to missions focused less on direct combat.
Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon told The Associated Press that if current trends hold, he would like to begin this troop reduction and change in mission in Ninevah province, where he said Iraqi army forces already are operating nearly independently. He has proposed shifting the province to Iraqi government control as early as August. Ninevah's capital is Mosul, the country's third largest city.
If put in place, Mixon's approach would not necessarily mean an overall reduction in U.S. troops early next year. It could mean shifting several thousand troops from Mixon's area to other parts of Iraq for some months.
That, however, could mark the beginning of a phased move away from the heavy combat role that U.S. troops have played, at a cost of more than 3,600 U.S. deaths, for more than four years. That, in turn, could lead to the first substantial U.S. troop reductions beginning in the spring or summer - a far slower timetable than many in Congress are demanding.
Mixon is not the only U.S. commander contemplating a repositioning or reduction of U.S. troops in the months ahead. Col. John Charlton, commander of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, who leads a task force of 6,000 U.S. soldiers in a section of Anbar province that includes Ramadi, said in an interview Friday that by January he might be ready to take a 25 percent troop cut if the Iraqi police, numbering about 6,000 now, are made stronger by then.
Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon told The Associated Press that if current trends hold, he would like to begin this troop reduction and change in mission in Ninevah province, where he said Iraqi army forces already are operating nearly independently. He has proposed shifting the province to Iraqi government control as early as August. Ninevah's capital is Mosul, the country's third largest city.
If put in place, Mixon's approach would not necessarily mean an overall reduction in U.S. troops early next year. It could mean shifting several thousand troops from Mixon's area to other parts of Iraq for some months.
That, however, could mark the beginning of a phased move away from the heavy combat role that U.S. troops have played, at a cost of more than 3,600 U.S. deaths, for more than four years. That, in turn, could lead to the first substantial U.S. troop reductions beginning in the spring or summer - a far slower timetable than many in Congress are demanding.
Mixon is not the only U.S. commander contemplating a repositioning or reduction of U.S. troops in the months ahead. Col. John Charlton, commander of the 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, who leads a task force of 6,000 U.S. soldiers in a section of Anbar province that includes Ramadi, said in an interview Friday that by January he might be ready to take a 25 percent troop cut if the Iraqi police, numbering about 6,000 now, are made stronger by then.
Labels: Col. John Charlton, Maj. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, Ninevah, U.S. troop reduction
PKK leader readies troops as he believes Turkey will attack
Regional
(AP) -- The commander of Iraq-based Kurdish rebels said he believed Turkey will quickly follow its parliamentary elections Sunday with a long-anticipated offensive against his remote mountain bases. Murat Karayilan, the leader of the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, warned that his fighters were prepared for battle, but denied Ankara's charges that his group was using Iraqi soil to launch attacks against Turkish forces across the border.
"The date of the Turkish offensive has drawn near," Karayilan told The Associated Press in an interview Friday at his base in the remote northern Iraqi village of Lewzhe. "We are ready to confront it and to defend ourselves. The Turkish army cannot move with ease in this mountainous terrain." Turkey has been fighting PKK rebels since 1984 in a war that has killed tens of thousands.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose party won a new mandate Sunday, has threatened to stage an incursion into northern Iraq if post-election talks with Iraq and the United States fail to produce effective measures against the Kurdish guerrillas. Erdogan told jubilant supporters in a victory speech in Ankara that: "In our struggle against separatist terrorists, we are determined to take every step at the right time."
Opposition parties have criticized his ruling party for not showing determination to stage an incursion, a move that could seriously strain ties with Iraq and Turkey's NATO ally, the United States. The United States, facing problems elsewhere in Iraq, opposes such a move, but Turkey, frustrated by escalating rebel violence, says Washington has reneged on promises to help it fight terrorism.
Karayilan said that the autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq was not supporting his group. He described his group's bases in northern Iraq as primarily political indoctrination centers. An AP reporter, however, saw PKK guerrillas training on the use of light arms and doing endurance drills in full combat gear as he made his way to Lewzhe.
"The date of the Turkish offensive has drawn near," Karayilan told The Associated Press in an interview Friday at his base in the remote northern Iraqi village of Lewzhe. "We are ready to confront it and to defend ourselves. The Turkish army cannot move with ease in this mountainous terrain." Turkey has been fighting PKK rebels since 1984 in a war that has killed tens of thousands.
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose party won a new mandate Sunday, has threatened to stage an incursion into northern Iraq if post-election talks with Iraq and the United States fail to produce effective measures against the Kurdish guerrillas. Erdogan told jubilant supporters in a victory speech in Ankara that: "In our struggle against separatist terrorists, we are determined to take every step at the right time."
Opposition parties have criticized his ruling party for not showing determination to stage an incursion, a move that could seriously strain ties with Iraq and Turkey's NATO ally, the United States. The United States, facing problems elsewhere in Iraq, opposes such a move, but Turkey, frustrated by escalating rebel violence, says Washington has reneged on promises to help it fight terrorism.
Karayilan said that the autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq was not supporting his group. He described his group's bases in northern Iraq as primarily political indoctrination centers. An AP reporter, however, saw PKK guerrillas training on the use of light arms and doing endurance drills in full combat gear as he made his way to Lewzhe.
Labels: Lewzhe, Murat Karayilan, northern Iraq, PKK, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey
Eagle Global Logistics 2nd guilty plea in Iraq cargo fraud case
Crime
(AP) -- A former executive of a company that shipped military cargo to Iraq has pleaded guilty to lying about a fraud scheme that bilked the government out of more than a million dollars. Kevin Andre Smoot, 43, pleaded guilty Friday to making a false statement and violation of the Anti-Kickback Act in U.S. District Court.
Smoot, who had been the managing director of Eagle Global Logistics's freight forwarding station in Houston, faces up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Another former executive, Christopher Cahill, pleaded guilty in February 2006 to inflating invoices for military shipments to Baghdad through EGL's subcontract with the Haliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root. Cahill had been the company's former regional vice president for the Middle East and India.
Smoot admitted that he lied to federal investigators who questioned him about Cahill's scheme to inflate invoices by adding a "war risk surcharge" of 50 cents for each kilogram of freight transported to Baghdad. Smoot said he also gave more than $33,000 worth of entertainment to five Houston-based KBR transportation department employees for favorable treatment in getting subcontracts.
The gratuities included food, drinks, golf outings, tickets to rodeo events, baseball and football games. From Nov. 22, 2003, through July 20, 2004, EGL flew 379 shipments of military goods from Dubai to Baghdad under EGL's subcontract with KBR. The total amount of the EGL invoices was about $13.26 million, including $1.14 million in fraudulent charges.
Smoot, who had been the managing director of Eagle Global Logistics's freight forwarding station in Houston, faces up to 15 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Another former executive, Christopher Cahill, pleaded guilty in February 2006 to inflating invoices for military shipments to Baghdad through EGL's subcontract with the Haliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root. Cahill had been the company's former regional vice president for the Middle East and India.
Smoot admitted that he lied to federal investigators who questioned him about Cahill's scheme to inflate invoices by adding a "war risk surcharge" of 50 cents for each kilogram of freight transported to Baghdad. Smoot said he also gave more than $33,000 worth of entertainment to five Houston-based KBR transportation department employees for favorable treatment in getting subcontracts.
The gratuities included food, drinks, golf outings, tickets to rodeo events, baseball and football games. From Nov. 22, 2003, through July 20, 2004, EGL flew 379 shipments of military goods from Dubai to Baghdad under EGL's subcontract with KBR. The total amount of the EGL invoices was about $13.26 million, including $1.14 million in fraudulent charges.
Labels: Anti-Kickback Act, cargo, Christopher Cahill, court case, Eagle Global Logistics, EGL, fraud, Halliburton, Iraq, KBR, Kevin Andre Smoot
Five Sunni tribal leaders killed in attack
Security, Tribal
(Al Jazeera) - Five Sunni tribal leaders opposed to al-Qaeda have been killed after a suicide bomber drove a minivan packed with explosives into a house north of Baghdad. The men were meeting in Jurf al-Milih, near Taji, about 20km north of the Iraqi capital, to discuss joining US and Iraqi forces in fighting al-Qaeda.
A police source said another 12 people were wounded in Sunday's attack and the death toll could rise. An Iraqi army source said the tribal chiefs were meeting after talks with local Shia leaders were held in Taji on Friday under the protection of US forces.
US military commanders have been trying to expand their plan, first used in the violent western province of Anbar, of recruiting local Sunnis who are tired of al-Qaeda violence into special provincial police units. Al-Qaeda is blamed for stoking sectarian hatred and violence between majority Shias and minority Sunni Arabs who were dominant under Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader.
The US military began a security crackdown in Baghdad five months ago which initially helped bring down the number of sectarian murders but which also pushed al-Qaeda fighters out of the capital and into surrounding areas. US and Iraqi forces later launched another big operation in the middle of June coinciding with the arrival of the last of 28,000 extra US troops in Iraq.
A police source said another 12 people were wounded in Sunday's attack and the death toll could rise. An Iraqi army source said the tribal chiefs were meeting after talks with local Shia leaders were held in Taji on Friday under the protection of US forces.
US military commanders have been trying to expand their plan, first used in the violent western province of Anbar, of recruiting local Sunnis who are tired of al-Qaeda violence into special provincial police units. Al-Qaeda is blamed for stoking sectarian hatred and violence between majority Shias and minority Sunni Arabs who were dominant under Saddam Hussein, the former Iraqi leader.
The US military began a security crackdown in Baghdad five months ago which initially helped bring down the number of sectarian murders but which also pushed al-Qaeda fighters out of the capital and into surrounding areas. US and Iraqi forces later launched another big operation in the middle of June coinciding with the arrival of the last of 28,000 extra US troops in Iraq.
Labels: Jurf al-Milih, Sunni tribal leaders, Taji
Triple car bomb attack in Baghdad kills 12
Security
(AP) - Three parked cars exploded within 30 minutes in a predominantly Shiite area in Baghdad on Monday, killing at least 12 people, police said, the deadliest in a series of bombings and shooting attacks nationwide. Two of the blasts in the Baghdad neighborhood of Karradah struck nearly simultaneously. One targeted a passing police patrol, killing three officers and three pedestrians and wounding nine other people, a police officer said, adding that at least seven cars also were damaged in the blast, which struck near to the Interior Ministry's nationality and social affairs directorate and the 14th of July bridge, he added.
Another parked car bomb about 500 yards away struck at about the same time, ripping through a bustling market of vegetables and household goods, killing three civilians and wounding five others, the policeman added. Another car packed with explosives struck a police patrol in Elwiyah square at about 11:30 a.m. in another part of Karradah, killing two policemen and a civilian and wounding five people, police said.
Karradah, a popular shopping area, has been hit by several high-profile bombings, and Monday's attack occurred despite a 5-month-old U.S.-Iraqi security operation aimed at stopping such violence in the capital.
Another car packed with explosives blew up on the main road about 200 yards from an entry point to the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, killing at least four Iraqis and wounding seven, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. The heavily fortified Green Zone is home to the U.S. and British embassies as well as Iraqi government offices and thousands of American troops and contractors.
Another parked car bomb about 500 yards away struck at about the same time, ripping through a bustling market of vegetables and household goods, killing three civilians and wounding five others, the policeman added. Another car packed with explosives struck a police patrol in Elwiyah square at about 11:30 a.m. in another part of Karradah, killing two policemen and a civilian and wounding five people, police said.
Karradah, a popular shopping area, has been hit by several high-profile bombings, and Monday's attack occurred despite a 5-month-old U.S.-Iraqi security operation aimed at stopping such violence in the capital.
Another car packed with explosives blew up on the main road about 200 yards from an entry point to the U.S.-controlled Green Zone, killing at least four Iraqis and wounding seven, a police officer said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. The heavily fortified Green Zone is home to the U.S. and British embassies as well as Iraqi government offices and thousands of American troops and contractors.
Labels: car bombs, Elwiyah square, Green Zone, Karrada, police officers
Soccer unites Iraq in Asian Cup quarter final win against Vietnam
Sport
(AP) - One Sunni man drove 30 minutes through the dangerous streets of Baghdad to watch the soccer game with his Shiite friends whom he hadn't seen in months. A 40-year-old Shiite couldn't contain his tears when he joined three Sunni friends who used to play on a local soccer team with him in a local coffee shop to watch Iraq face off against Vietnam in the Asian Cup quarterfinals on Saturday.
They weren't disappointed as Iraq won 2-0 to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1976, causing hundreds of people from across the sectarian divide to overcome fears of violence and take to the streets in a spontaneous celebration. Men of all ages waved Iraqi flags and did a jig in the streets, while others jumped on top of cars and rode around, horns honking.
On a negative note, five people, including two children, were killed and 25 were wounded in celebratory gunfire, according to health officials in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Iraqis said Sunday the jubilation over the victory - albeit brief - showed they can come together despite the past years of spiraling violence between Sunnis and Shiites that has made Baghdad a maze of concrete barriers and largely confined people to their own neighborhoods.
Many expressed regret that Iraqi political factions couldn't emulate the soccer team, as the Shiite-dominated government's failure to bring minority Sunnis into the mainstream has been blamed for fueling the insurgency and retaliatory violence. "None of our politicians could bring us under this flag like our national soccer team did. I wish that politicians could take a lesson from our team, which is made up of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds who worked together regardless of their backgrounds and won," Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hassan said.
Marwan Ahmed, a 23-year-old Sunni tailor in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, called Saturday "the most beautiful day in Iraq over the past four years." He said people from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered in a casino to watch the game and the revelry went well past midnight, which he pointed out "was very rare in Basra. All the people at the casino congratulated each other, even those who didn't know each other. I felt like this team helped clean our hearts from hatred as all were thinking only of Iraq and nothing else."
They weren't disappointed as Iraq won 2-0 to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 1976, causing hundreds of people from across the sectarian divide to overcome fears of violence and take to the streets in a spontaneous celebration. Men of all ages waved Iraqi flags and did a jig in the streets, while others jumped on top of cars and rode around, horns honking.
On a negative note, five people, including two children, were killed and 25 were wounded in celebratory gunfire, according to health officials in Baghdad, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns. Iraqis said Sunday the jubilation over the victory - albeit brief - showed they can come together despite the past years of spiraling violence between Sunnis and Shiites that has made Baghdad a maze of concrete barriers and largely confined people to their own neighborhoods.
Many expressed regret that Iraqi political factions couldn't emulate the soccer team, as the Shiite-dominated government's failure to bring minority Sunnis into the mainstream has been blamed for fueling the insurgency and retaliatory violence. "None of our politicians could bring us under this flag like our national soccer team did. I wish that politicians could take a lesson from our team, which is made up of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds who worked together regardless of their backgrounds and won," Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Hassan said.
Marwan Ahmed, a 23-year-old Sunni tailor in the southern Iraqi city of Basra, called Saturday "the most beautiful day in Iraq over the past four years." He said people from a variety of religious backgrounds gathered in a casino to watch the game and the revelry went well past midnight, which he pointed out "was very rare in Basra. All the people at the casino congratulated each other, even those who didn't know each other. I felt like this team helped clean our hearts from hatred as all were thinking only of Iraq and nothing else."
Labels: Asian Cup quarterfinals, football, soccer, Vietnam
Sistani aide stabbed to death in Najaf
Security, Religion
(AP) - The safety of Iraq's pre-eminent Shiite cleric is in question after one of his close aides was stabbed to death in the Muslim leader's compound in the holy city of Najaf, a place beset by unsolved murders and believed to be infiltrated by insurgents. Najaf's police chief, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Mayahi, said late Sunday that authorities had arrested the alleged killer - a security guard at the compound of the much-revered cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
An official at the Iranian-born cleric's office said the person arrested may have only played a supporting role in the weekend killing of Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi. His death came a little over a month after another al-Sistani aide was killed in a drive-by shooting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said al-Sistani's office will launch an independent investigation into the killing of al-Basrawi, a confidante of al-Sistani who was in his late 30s.
According to different police accounts, al-Basrawi was slain late Friday or early Saturday at his office, which is approximately 30 to 40 yards away from where al-Sistani works and lives. That a killer was able to reach the heart of the compound, kill al-Basrawi and escape undetected has raised serious concern among al-Sistani's aides. But the official said al-Sistani refuses to move to a safer residence.
Security at al-Sistani's compound has been stepped up, with more armed guards posted at the entrance, which lies off the city's storied Rasoul street close to the gold-domed shrine of Imam Ali, Shiism's most revered saint. Routine body searches of visitors were markedly more thorough Sunday, and identity documents were examined more carefully, witnesses said.
It was not immediately clear whether al-Basrawi's killing was part of internal Shiite disputes or the work of Sunni insurgents opposed to the vast influence enjoyed by al-Sistani over Iraqi Shiites and politics. The official at al-Sistani's office also said theft may have been a motive. Al-Basrawi ran an office that collected a Shiite religious tax known as "khoms," which is paid to al-Sistani and used to run his seminaries and charities.
Al-Sistani, who rarely leaves his compound and doesn't grant media interviews, has been the target of at least one assassination attempt since 2003. The cleric, who is in his 70s, commands the deep respect of Iraq's majority Shiites. A death other than one of natural causes could spark riots by millions of his followers and fuel more sectarian violence.
Najaf has been relatively safe compared to the violence in Baghdad or other cities in the volatile center and north of Iraq, but a series of unsolved murders in recent months have struck clerics, academics and security officials. None of the killings had an obvious motive or could be linked to tribal, personal or religious disputes.
Najaf's deputy provincial governor, Abdul-Hussein Abtan, recently announced the arrest of nine leaders of what he called terrorist groups in the city, suggesting the overwhelmingly Shiite city has been infiltrated by Sunni insurgents who have been targeting Shiite civilians with bombings.
An official at the Iranian-born cleric's office said the person arrested may have only played a supporting role in the weekend killing of Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi. His death came a little over a month after another al-Sistani aide was killed in a drive-by shooting. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said al-Sistani's office will launch an independent investigation into the killing of al-Basrawi, a confidante of al-Sistani who was in his late 30s.
According to different police accounts, al-Basrawi was slain late Friday or early Saturday at his office, which is approximately 30 to 40 yards away from where al-Sistani works and lives. That a killer was able to reach the heart of the compound, kill al-Basrawi and escape undetected has raised serious concern among al-Sistani's aides. But the official said al-Sistani refuses to move to a safer residence.
Security at al-Sistani's compound has been stepped up, with more armed guards posted at the entrance, which lies off the city's storied Rasoul street close to the gold-domed shrine of Imam Ali, Shiism's most revered saint. Routine body searches of visitors were markedly more thorough Sunday, and identity documents were examined more carefully, witnesses said.
It was not immediately clear whether al-Basrawi's killing was part of internal Shiite disputes or the work of Sunni insurgents opposed to the vast influence enjoyed by al-Sistani over Iraqi Shiites and politics. The official at al-Sistani's office also said theft may have been a motive. Al-Basrawi ran an office that collected a Shiite religious tax known as "khoms," which is paid to al-Sistani and used to run his seminaries and charities.
Al-Sistani, who rarely leaves his compound and doesn't grant media interviews, has been the target of at least one assassination attempt since 2003. The cleric, who is in his 70s, commands the deep respect of Iraq's majority Shiites. A death other than one of natural causes could spark riots by millions of his followers and fuel more sectarian violence.
Najaf has been relatively safe compared to the violence in Baghdad or other cities in the volatile center and north of Iraq, but a series of unsolved murders in recent months have struck clerics, academics and security officials. None of the killings had an obvious motive or could be linked to tribal, personal or religious disputes.
Najaf's deputy provincial governor, Abdul-Hussein Abtan, recently announced the arrest of nine leaders of what he called terrorist groups in the city, suggesting the overwhelmingly Shiite city has been infiltrated by Sunni insurgents who have been targeting Shiite civilians with bombings.
Labels: Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Brig. Gen. Abdul-Karim al-Mayahi, khoms, Najaf, Sheik Abdullah Falak al-Basrawi
Iran-U.S. Iraq security talks confirmed
International
(RFE/RL) - Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari says Iran and the United States will hold a second round of talks on Iraq's security on July 24. Zebari said the ambassadors to Iraq from both countries will lead the talks in Baghdad. The meeting was confirmed today by Iran.
The two envoys, Ryan Crocker and Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, had a first round of talks in May, the highest-level meeting since 1980, when the United States and Tehran severed diplomatic relations after Iranian revolutionaries seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, keeping its diplomatic staff hostage for 444 days.The United States has long shunned direct contact with Iran, which it accuses of sponsoring terrorism and seeking to secretly develop nuclear weapons. But in the face of major problems in Iraq, Washington is searching for ways to stabilize the country, where Tehran has emerged as a major player since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.
At the same time, Iran has called for the release of five Iranians detained in Iraq, whom the United States has said are the operations chief and other members of Irans elite Quds Force, which is accused of arming and training Iraqi militants. Iran says the five are diplomats in Iraq with permission of the government.
Labels: Hassan Kazemi-Qomi, Hoshyar Zibari, Iran, Iranian detainees, Ryan Crocker, U.S
Insurgent group leader speaks out about group's operations
Insurgency
(Al Hayat) - Abu Muhammad al-Zubaydi, the head of the political bureau of the insurgent group known as the Al-Rashidin Army, told London-based "Al-Hayat" that his group has been active in Iraq since late March 2003, the daily reported on July 19.
Al-Zubaydi described his group's structure in detail, saying it has special wings for military training and weapons training, as well as a sophisticated intelligence network that gathers, analyzes, and verifies information. It also has a so-called surveillance unit, which monitors the movements of U.S. forces. "These are all linked to the general staff that plans and times the attacks," al-Zubaydi said.
He added that the group rejects the political process in Iraq, and refuses to be lured into disputes with other insurgent groups. Al-Zubaydi said his group does not subscribe to sectarian or takfiri ideology, which labels other Muslims as infidels, saying: "We are opposed to Al-Takfir. We do not practice it and we do not believe in it." The group also rejects the killing of civilians "under any pretext."
"Al-Hayat" reported that the insurgent group differs from other insurgent groups in its outlook for a future Iraqi government. Whereas other groups claim to support the establishment of an Islamic state in various forms, the Al-Rashidin Army believes Iraqis should agree together on what type of state will serve their religion, their country, and future generations.
Muhammad al-Zubaydi talked about the Al-Rashidin Army's media presence and the importance of the Internet to his group, "Al-Hayat" reported on July 19. Al-Zubaydi would not give specifics when asked about the average number of operations carried out by his group, except to say that "operations are carried out daily and some of these are filmed and posted on the army's Internet site."
He added, "the Al-Rashidin Army's Internet site attracts thousands of readers and this figure is constantly rising." He noted that several regional satellite channels have aired a recently produced video by the group that depicts attacks on U.S. forces, and said a new video is in production that will show "the qualitative operations that the army has carried out." He added that the Al-Rashidin Army began posting a monthly series on its activities at the start of 2007.
COMMENT: The Al-Rashidin Army sounds like more of a nationalist resistance group than an insurgent group. COMMENT ENDS.
Labels: Abu Muhammad al-Zubaydi, Al-Rashidin Army, insurgent group, internet
