What is the difference between the war in Iraq and the war in Ukraine?

What is the difference between the war in Iraq and the war in Ukraine?

    Tuesday, March 07, 2023   No comments

 While US and EU Allies attack Russian military intervention in Ukraine as illegal, and in a display of complete tone deafness, US military chief lands in Iraq to remind the world of its own illegal war on Iraq.

Just before the twentieth anniversary of the American invasion, Lloyd Austin visits Iraq.

An American official says that this visit aims to demonstrate Washington's commitment to maintaining its military presence in Iraq after nearly 20 years of invasion.

An American official said that this visit aims to demonstrate Washington's commitment to maintaining its military presence in Iraq after nearly 20 years of US-led invasion alongside an international coalition to overthrow Saddam Hussein's regime.

On Twitter, when landing in Baghdad, Austin wrote, "I am here to reaffirm the strategic partnership between the United States and Iraq as we move towards a safer, more stable and sovereign Iraq".

Prime Minister of Qatar: The war with Iran is not in the interest of the Gulf states, and reaching a solution through frank dialogue would be a great achievement for peace, trade and the economy

Prime Minister of Qatar: The war with Iran is not in the interest of the Gulf states, and reaching a solution through frank dialogue would be a great achievement for peace, trade and the economy

    Thursday, March 02, 2023   No comments

The former Prime Minister of Qatar, Hamad bin Jassim, said that the war with Iran is not in the interest of the Gulf states, calling for a frank dialogue to reach a solution that would be “a great achievement not only for peace but also for trade and the economy.”

This came in an interview with “Bloomberg” in response to a question about the concern of many Arab countries from Iran, especially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Bin Jassim added, “My first fear is not Iran, but we are in the region and the way we behave, I mean the leaders, I am not one of them. It should be discussed in a civilized manner.”

He continued, “If we have challenges ahead, and if we agree that Iran is our number one enemy, how will we deal with this matter? Will we deal with it through direct negotiations or war? Nobody wants war because it is not in our interest.”

He explained, “The problem is that this decision is not in our hands because we are not currently in a position, as I said about the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, to take the lead in our region and say, ‘Okay, we have problems with Iran. In harmony between Iran, Iraq and the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

And the former Prime Minister of Qatar believed that "if the Gulf countries were able to do this, it would be a great achievement not only for peace, but also for trade, business and the economy."

And he added, “They (in Iran) have more than 100 million people, Iraq has 40 million people, and we (the Gulf countries) have about 50 million people. We are talking about 200 or 250 million people in oil-rich countries, imagine what they can do.”

Secret documents reveal for the first time.. Bush and Blair were certain of Iraq's inability to develop weapons of mass destruction two years before the war

Secret documents reveal for the first time.. Bush and Blair were certain of Iraq's inability to develop weapons of mass destruction two years before the war

    Tuesday, February 21, 2023   No comments

Britain recently released documents to the British Cabinet that reveal information about the US-British lies that the two countries told before the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The documents revealed that London was confident that the allegations of Iraq's possession of any ability to obtain weapons of mass destruction or long-range missiles, at least two years before its invasion, were false.

And the “BBC” considered that these documents are the first of their kind that “proves that the British Prime Minister (at the time) Tony Blair knew that Iraq was devoid of any capabilities to possess prohibited weapons in accordance with United Nations resolutions issued before and after the removal of the Iraqi army from Kuwait in February. 1991, in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm.

Twenty years after the start of the war, the documents confirm that "the policy of containment and the strict international sanctions imposed on Iraq after the liberation of Kuwait from the occupation of its army in 1991 achieved its goal of preventing Saddam Hussein from developing weapons that were not permitted."

The documents refer mainly to the effectiveness of British military, arms and technological sanctions in the context of a review conducted by the Blair administration in 2001 of the US-British policy on Iraq, and this review was agreed upon during the first visit of the British Prime Minister to Washington after the inauguration of George Bush Jr., as US President.

The documents confirm that (at the time) Britain offered the Bush administration a new policy called “a contract with the Iraqi people” aimed at obtaining support, especially from the countries and peoples of the Arab region, for the US-British policy in dealing with Iraq.

The review clearly confirmed, according to the documents, that “without the containment policy that we follow, it was likely that Iraq would now possess a long-range missile capable of reaching Britain and Europe, as well as chemical, biological and nuclear warheads for such a weapon (the missile).”

She pointed out that the United Nations ban on Iraq manufacturing missiles with a range not exceeding 150 kilometers "is a major restriction that prevents it from developing such a missile."

The documents say that "the Blair administration sought to communicate effectively with the French to persuade them to include elements of the contract with the Iraqi people in any statements issued to promote our new approach at the United Nations."

The review suggested that “we may inform major Arab countries such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait about the new approach in order to issue supportive statements.”

Muqtada al-Sadr's attempts to form a goverment to his liking reached a deaded so he decided to retire from politics; What are the reasons that prompted Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr to retire now?

Muqtada al-Sadr's attempts to form a goverment to his liking reached a deaded so he decided to retire from politics; What are the reasons that prompted Mr. Muqtada al-Sadr to retire now?

    Monday, August 29, 2022   No comments

After many tweets announcing steps to force his will and dissolve the parliament in favor of another elections, Muqtada al-Sadr abruptly quits politics and attacks a senior religious scholar.

Muqtada al-Sadr paved the way for his sudden decision, after many tweets, to protest against the political process, combat corruption, and call for demonstrations and sit-ins.

It is important to note that al-Sadr retired from politics, but did not call on his supporters to end their sit-ins and return to their homes.

Muqtada al-Sadr's supporters, after hearing about his decision to retire, went to the Republican Palace and there were attempts to storm it.

His quitting like this is akin to starting a fire and leaving it to someone else to put it out. For this is not the first time that al-Sadr has brandished the weapons of the street in the face of his opponents. Today's storming of the Republican Palace was preceded by a lightning storming of Parliament, in the past few days. His retirement today comes, in what appears to be an attempt to evade responsibility for what matters may develop into, despite Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's pleas for him to "help in calling on the demonstrators to withdraw from government institutions."

The head of the Regional Center for Studies, Ali Al-Saheb Al-Iraqi, confirmed that Muqtada Al-Sadr's decision may have come as a result of political pressures, heavy balances, and many accusations, especially after the al-Hairi reference stated that he would withdraw from the religious leadership (marja`iyya).

Ali Al-Saheb Al-Iraqi stressed that the security services are expected to intervene to restore calm and stability, and perhaps Mr. Al-Sadr will return to his audience if he feels that this audience is starting to escalate, and it is not excluded that there are parties or people pushing the Sadrist movement to escalate.

Ali al-Saheb al-Iraqi explained that the judiciary is expected to issue a decision to return members of the Sadrist movement to parliament.

According to Iraqi sources, the head of the Sadrist movement in Iraq, Muqtada al-Sadr, announced his final retirement and the closure of institutions, except for the Holy Shrine and the Noble Museum.

Mr. Al-Sadr's office issued a decree prohibiting any activity in the name of the Sadrist movement, as well as the raising of slogans, media, political chants and others in the name of the Sadrist movement.

Al-Sadr's office also banned the use of media, including social media platforms, in the name of the Sadrist movement.

In a tweet, Sadr seems to respond directly to al-Hairi, accusing him of being untruthful about the reasons behind his actions.

The religious authority, Ayatollah Sayyid Kazem Al-Haeri, issued a statement, announcing that he would not serve in the marja`iyya because of illness and advancing age, and decided to drop all agencies and permissions issued by him or by his offices and not to receive any legal rights from his agents and representatives on his behalf as of the date of this announcement .

Below is the text of the statement:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Praise be to God by the weight of His Throne and the ink of His words, and what His Book has enumerated and His knowledge encompasses. And prayers and peace be upon the Prophet of God, who was sent as a mercy to the worlds, Muhammad bin Abdullah, and his pure family.

God Almighty said in the text of His Book: “God does not burden a soul beyond its capacity” Surah Al-Baqarah: verse: 286. Believe God Almighty.

There is no doubt that one of the most important responsibilities and the greatest trusts in the era of the absence of the Imam Al-Hujjah (may God Almighty hasten his reappearance) is that the jurists who gather the conditions of the nation’s affairs and protect its interests in general and in particular, through issuing fatwas and clarifying the legal rulings, and giving instructions and directives, and everything that would preserve its entity, its dignity and its dignity. risks reported.

And after God Almighty enabled me to be a student at the hands of my teacher, the Great Ayatollah, the martyred master Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr (may God be pleased with him), I assumed this responsibility and did my best to achieve the goals for which he was martyred, to the extent of my ability, and to sponsor Islamic work in the Iraq of Al-Hussein (peace be upon him) and support authentic Islam. And protecting the believers, especially the Iraqi society, from the machinations of foreign colonizers.

It is clear that among the necessities of carrying out this great responsibility is the availability of physical health and the ability to follow the affairs of the nation, but today, when my health and physical strength are deteriorating due to illness and advancing age, I feel that it prevents me from performing the duties placed on my shoulders - as I used to perform them before - In a manner that does not achieve perfection and satisfaction, therefore, I declare not to continue to address this heavy and great responsibility, to drop all agencies and permissions issued by us or by our offices, and not to receive any legitimate rights by our agents and representatives on our behalf as of the date of this announcement.

I must have some last words to recommend to my faithful children:

First: All believers must obey the leader, the leader of the Islamic Revolution, His Eminence Grand Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (may his shadow be long), for His Eminence is the best and most qualified to lead the nation and manage the struggle with the forces of oppression and arrogance in these circumstances in which the forces of infidelity and evil have fought against the original Muhammadan Islam.

Second: I advise my children in our beloved Iraq to do the following:

A- Preserving unity and harmony among them and not making room for colonialism, Zionism and their agents by igniting the fire of sedition and strife among believers, and knowing that their common enemy is America, Zionism and their cowards, so let them be tough against the infidels and merciful among them.

B - The liberation of Iraq from any foreign occupation and from any presence of any security or military force, especially the American forces that perched on the chest of our wounded Iraq under various pretexts, and not allowing them to remain in Iraq, the country of sacred things, and that keeping them is one of the greatest prohibitions in God Almighty, as we have clarified. in previous data.

C- I call upon those who stand up to positions and responsibilities to carry out their legitimate functions that they pledged to the people to fulfill, and to stay away from narrow personal and factional interests, which have inflicted calamities on the oppressed Iraqi people. This is security for them, pride for the people, and stability for the country.

D- Scholars, religious seminary students, cultural elites, and conscious and sincere writers should work to educate the people, so that they can distinguish between enemy and friend and realize the reality of their interests and so that they will not be overlooked and belittled and disobeyed from them in what they do not know and do not benefit them, and so that they become acquainted with the machinations and conspiracies of the enemies, or their origins. At least they do not fall prey to their malicious and misguided goals.

E- The sons of the two martyrs (may God sanctify their secret) must know that the love of the two martyrs is not sufficient unless faith is combined with their approach to righteous work and true adherence to their goals for which they sacrificed themselves. (May God be pleased with them both), or he addresses the leadership in their name while he lacks ijtihad or the rest of the conditions required for legal leadership, then he is - in fact - not a Sadrist, no matter what he claims or affiliation with.

F- I recommend to all believers in our holy mobilization that it must be supported and supported as an independent force that is not integrated into all other forces, for it is the fortified fortress, the striking hand and the force majeure for those who are stalking the security of the country and the interests of its people alongside the rest of the Iraqi armed forces, as we have repeatedly stated and affirmed.

G- The Baathists, the criminals, the corrupt, and the agents must be kept away from positions and responsibilities in the country, and they should not be empowered in any way. They do not want the best for you, and they only care about their partisan interests and serving their masters from the colonialists, the Zionists and their cowards.

________________________________________

al-Hairi's statement

al-Sadr response to al-Hairi

Muhammad Al-Sudani, candidate for the final coordination framework for the prime minister of Iraq

Muhammad Al-Sudani, candidate for the final coordination framework for the prime minister of Iraq

    Tuesday, July 26, 2022   No comments

 

It would not have been possible for the “coordinating framework” forces to agree on the nomination of the founder of the Euphrates Movement, Muhammad Shiaa al-Sudani, for the position of prime minister, had it not been for the lack of fortunes of former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, after the recent leaks in which he attacked many Iraqi figures, especially his political opponent. The leader of the "Sadr movement" Muqtada al-Sadr. The question remains: Does the head of a small current in the House of Representatives, such as the Sudanese, represent a way out in light of the obstruction of the political process as a result of disputes between the elders, so that the stage is passed until the next parliamentary elections, whether early or normal. The consensus within the "Coordination Committee" on the Sudanese, means Maliki's acceptance of stepping aside, after he insisted that he be the candidate of the "framework", as he heads the largest party in it, which is the "state of law coalition." It also means the possibility of al-Sadr's lack of objection, whose candidacy raises a special sensitivity for him, given the rivalry between them, despite the fact that al-Sudani, who presents himself as an independent, has its roots in the "Dawa" party, which is considered one of the bearers of his legacy; He lost his father and five members of his family to death for belonging to the party 42 years ago, when he was ten years old.

Al-Sudani’s failure to have a significant bloc in the House of Representatives, as his bloc includes only three deputies, after obtaining two of the resigned “Sadrists” replacements, makes him a middle candidate within the “Coordination Committee” first; If a major figure was nominated from the "framework", this would have provoked the sensitivity of al-Maliki, who considers himself more deserving of his leadership. The candidacy also sends a message to al-Sadr that the formation of the new government aims to disrupt the current stage, knowing that the latter is betting on the failure of any government formed by the “framework,” to pave the way for new elections that would lead him, he hopes, to win a clear majority that would allow him to form a government that does not include his opponents. Accordingly, Al-Sudani's candidacy could open the way to forming a new government, after the Kurds agreed to choose a new president of the republic. The Coordination Council has more than 160 deputies in the 329-seat House of Representatives, which means that it is easy to obtain the required majority for the government in the event that a deal is reached that includes the election of a president and the formation of the government.

Al-Sudani is a member of the Iraqi parliament and a representative of the province of Baghdad, and he is the Secretary of the Euphrates Movement.

Bio:

Al-Sudani was born in Baghdad in 1970 and holds a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences and a Master's degree in Project Management.

He held several ministerial positions, including Minister of Labor and Social Affairs in the government of former Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in 2014, then Acting Minister of Industry, Acting Minister of Trade and Minister of Human Rights between 2010 and 2014.

Al-Sudani was governor of Maysan governorate between 2009 and 2010 and a member of the same governorate council between 2005 and 2009, in addition to the position of head of the High Commission for Justice Accountability as an agency and head of the Institution of Political Prisoners as an agency.

Al-Sudani is considered the candidate of the coordination framework for the position of prime minister, as an internal leader, and he has never worked in the opposition, does not have a Western residency, and has never worked in security positions.

Background and resume:

Full name and surname: Muhammed Shaya Sabbar Hatem Al-Sudani.

Birth: Baghdad 1970.

Marital status: He is married and has (5) children.

Academic achievement: Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences / University of Baghdad 1992.

Political Vision:

That the people of Iraq live with honor and dignity, and that Iraq becomes a strong, secure and rich country in human energies and economic resources.

Political Mission:

Fighting poverty, beating corruption, reviving the economy and absorbing unemployment.

About childhood and his father's struggle against dictatorship:

He was born in Baghdad in the city of Al-Hurriya in 1970 from a middle-class family. His father was an employee of the Agricultural Bank. He is the eldest son of Sheikh Sabbar Hatem Al-Sihoud.

He joined the ranks of the Islamic Dawa Party in 1974 and was arrested after returning from France in 1980 from a treatment trip after his group was exposed in the party. He was detained in a hospital in Paris by embassy security and was forcibly returned despite his need for surgery.

His father, the martyr, had a great impact on the life of the engineer Muhammad, the author of the biography, as he accompanied him on all his tours and visits, as well as the strict educational program in studying and memorizing the Qur’an and the principles of good morals that became a clear basis for the personality of Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani.

God honored him when he was ten years old by the martyrdom of his father in the group of martyrs of the Islamic Dawa Party in 1980, as well as five martyrs from members of the family.

Beginning of his political career:

He participated in the Shaaban uprising on 3/1/1991 to get rid of the dictatorship and remove the Baathist regime of oppression, and because of the security harassment that followed the suppression of the uprising, he resided in Baghdad for three years until he graduated from college.

Professional life:

He submitted an application for appointment in 1995, but did not start until 4-6-1997 due to the difficulty of obtaining security approvals, as he was one of the destitute people during the time of the defunct dictatorial regime. He has an actual service for six years in the Directorate of Agriculture of Maysan, in which he assumed several responsibilities, including the presidency of the Kumait and Ali Al Sharqi Agriculture Division and the Plant Production Department. He was the engineer supervising the national research program with the United Nations FAO.

Esper's diary: Trump relied on fabricated and misleading information to target Soleimani

Esper's diary: Trump relied on fabricated and misleading information to target Soleimani

    Tuesday, May 10, 2022   No comments

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper, in his memoirs, asserts that "Trump greatly exaggerates his statements, and often makes unreliable and fabricated statements."

Former US Defense Secretary Mark Esper confirmed that he "opposed" former US President Donald Trump's decision to target the commander of the Quds Force, the martyr Qassem Soleimani, after Trump claimed "Soleimani was involved in targeting 4 US diplomatic missions."

Esper's newly released memoirs, titled "A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Defense Secretary During Difficult Times", stated that "the daily intelligence briefings, which he reviewed, did not include any evidence to support the theory of accusing Soleimani of an attack on American embassies," adding that "Trump Adopt a pattern of behavior based on lying.

"Trump greatly exaggerates his statements, often making unreliable and fabricated statements," Esper wrote in his memoirs.

Esper was directly attacked by President Trump, who accused him of dishonesty, and was subsequently dismissed from office in November 2020.

Earlier, Esper revealed, in his memoirs, that Trump suggested shooting demonstrators who demanded racial justice, when the demonstrations approached the White House.

Redacted quotes in a new book by former US defence secretary Mark Esper suggest that former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on US President Donald Trump to take direct military action against Iran's nuclear programme. 

In the book, A Sacred Oath: Memoirs of a Secretary of Defense During Extraordinary Times, Esper notes that Trump seemed firm in his commitment not to enter a war with Iran, the Haaretz newspaper reported on Tuesday.

He writes: "The president often had others in the room, and foreign leaders like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, telling him [REDACTED]."

Esper wrote that Milley told him that Robert O'Brien, Trump's national security adviser, had called to say that "the president wanted to strike a senior military officer who was operating outside of Iran".

"But why now? What was new? Was there an imminent threat? What about gathering the national security team to discuss this?

"Milley said he was 'stunned' by the call, and he sensed that O'Brien 'put the president up to this,' trying to create news that would help Trump's re-election."