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☆ Pentagon chief makes unannounced trip to Iraq as 20-year anniversary of invasion nears
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Idrees Ali | Thomson Reuters | National Security Correspondent Focusing On The Pentagon In Washington D.C. Reports On U.S. Military Activity | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Austin, the most senior official in President Joe Biden’s administration to visit Iraq, was the last commanding general of U.S. forces there after the invasion. “I'm here to reaffirm the U.S.-Iraq strategic partnership as we move toward a more secure, stable, and sovereign Iraq,” Austin said. The United States is broadly interested in a strategic partnership with the government of Iraq," the senior U.S. defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters. The United States and Iran came close to full-blown conflict in 2020 after Iran's Revolutionary Guards' top commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a drone strike. "I think that Iraqi leaders share our interest in Iraq not becoming a playground for conflict between the United States and Iran," the defense official added.

☆ Earthquake death toll surpasses 50,000 in Turkey and Syria
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] Workers clean the rubble of a collapsed building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Antakya, Hatay province, Turkey, February 21, 2023. REUTERS/Thaier Al-SudaniANKARA, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The death toll from the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria that struck on Feb. 6 surpassed 50,000 on Friday after Turkey declared more than 44,000 people died. The Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) said the death toll in Turkey due to earthquakes rose to 44,218 on Friday night. With Syria's latest announced death toll of 5,914, the combined death toll in the two countries rose to above 50,000. Reporting Ali Kucukgocmen; Writing by Huseyin Hayatsever; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A senior ISIS leader is dead, but the raid went sideways when an explosion injured several US troops and a dog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces carried out a joint helicopter raid in Syria on Thursday. The target, a senior Islamic State leader named Hamza al-Homsi, was killed during the operation. Although the target, Hamza al-Homsi, was killed, the operation went sideways when an explosion wounded the four Americans and their working dog. Meanwhile, the US military and its partner forces continue to hunt down ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria. Local Syrian forces killed the Islamic State's leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, during an October raid.

Before Sudani formed his government he struck a deal with the KDP, which dominates the administration in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region in northern Iraq. Under the Iraqi constitution, the Kurdish region is entitled to a portion of the national budget. A spokesman for the KRG, Jotiar Adil, said the "politically motivated" court was trying to spoil the deal between Erbil and Baghdad. A source with knowledge of the meetings said Erbil and Baghdad remained far apart on the hydrocarbon law. Additional reporting by Ali sultan in Sulaimaniya; Editing by Michael Georgy and Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The quake killed at least 36,187 in southern Turkey, while authorities in neighbouring Syria have reported 5,800 deaths - a figure that has changed little in days. While several people were found alive in Turkey on Wednesday, the number of rescues has dwindled significantly. Neither Turkey nor Syria have said how many people are still missing. More than 4,000 fatalities have been reported in the rebel-held northwest, but rescuers say nobody has been found alive there since Feb. 9. Deliveries from Turkey were severed completely in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, when a route used by the United Nations was temporarily blocked.

☆ Russia's Lavrov visits Baghdad to discuss bilateral relations, energy cooperation: Iraqi statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BAGHDAD, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will arrive in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss boosting bilateral relations and energy cooperation, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement. Lavrov, who is leading a delegation that includes oil and gas companies' representatives, is scheduled to meet his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein on Monday, Ahmed Al-Sahhaf said in a statement. Sahhaf said the visit will focus on "strategic relations with Russia and to encourage investment opportunities, especially in relating to energy sectors". The Russian foreign minister will also meet on Monday Iraqi top officials, including Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, President Abdul Latif Rashid and parliament speaker, Sahhaf said. Reporting by Ahmed Rasheed; Editing by Toby ChopraOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Forces Kill Senior Islamic State Militant in Somalia
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Vivian Salama | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—Nearly a dozen operatives with the Islamic State group in Somalia were killed in a U.S. military assault operation, including a senior militant who the U.S. had intended to capture but instead killed, U.S. officials said. The raid, which took place in a mountainous cave complex in northern Somalia late Wednesday, killed Bilal al-Sudani , a key operative and facilitator of ISIS’s global network who has been under U.S. sanctions. Ten other operatives were also killed. The operation resulted in no U.S. or civilian casualties, officials said, adding that the only injury suffered by an American servicemember was a dog bite from a U.S. military canine.

☆ France and Iraq sign comprehensive strategic partnership agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

France and Iraq signed a treaty seeking to strengthen bilateral relations in anti-corruption, security, renewable energy and culture, the Elysee Palace said in a statement issued in the early hours of Friday. "In terms of alternative energies, they showed their commitment to the implementation of TotalEnergies's (TTEF.PA) multiple-energies project (...) based on solar energy and investments in gas." When TotalEnergies and Baghdad in 2021 signed an agreement to build four giant solar, gas, power and water projects in southern Iraq over 25 years, hopes for an exodus reversal were high. Exxon Mobil (XOM.N), Shell (SHEL.L) and BP (BP.L) have all sought to scale back their operations in Iraq in recent years. Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru and Benoit Van Overstraeten in Paris; Editing by Tom Hogue and Sudip Kar-GuptaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Before a secret raid on an ISIS leader's mountain cave complex, US forces ran the mission at a special recreation of the target area
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US forces carried out a raid in northern Somalia this week and took out a top ISIS money man. Before the operation, troops ran practice runs on a recreation of the mountainous target area. It's a similar technique to the one used before the 2011 raid that brought down Osama bin Laden. US forces used the mock-up to practice what their ground movements and helicopter approaches would look like during the actual raid. Wednesday's raid in Somalia comes as the US and partner forces continue to track down ISIS fighters in Syria.

☆ U.S. military raid in northern Somalia kills a senior ISIS leader and 10 ISIS fighters
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Courtney-Kube-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Courtney Kube | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

A U.S. military operation in northern Somalia killed a senior leader of the Islamic State terrorist group and 10 other ISIS fighters on Wednesday night, according to two senior administration officials. Bilal al Sudani, who the officials described as a key operative and facilitator of the terror group’s global network, was the target of the raid. The only injury the officials reported was a U.S. service member who was bitten by one of the American military service dogs. The operation took place in a mountainous area in northern Somalia and followed months of planning, the officials said. “Our intelligence community expects to glean valuable information from this operation as well, demonstrating our continued emphasis on maximizing intelligence collection,” one official said.

☆ U.S. military operation kills Islamic State leader in Somalia - officials
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. military carried out an operation that killed a senior Islamic State leader in northern Somalia, U.S. officials said on Thursday. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told reporters that Bilal al-Sudani, a U.S.-designated ISIS leader in Somalia, was killed in the operation along with about 10 of his associates. They added that the operation was approved by President Joe Biden earlier this week and carried out within the past 24 hours. . The officials declined to discuss basic details of the operation. Reporting by Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart and Ismail Shakil; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

DUBAI/LONDON, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Qatar is in talks to acquire a stake from French company TotalEnergies' (TTEF.PA) $27 billion cluster of energy projects in Iraq, three sources told Reuters, as Baghdad hopes to stem efforts by Western energy companies to exit the country. The TotalEnergies deal with Iraq, which will require an initial investment of $10 billion, followed a visit from French President Emmanuel Macron in September 2021. Sources told Reuters last year that disputes over terms had risked scrapping the project. A senior Iraqi oil ministry official said he was not aware of QatarEnergy plans to acquire a stake in the TotalEnergies' project. One of the sources told Reuters Sudani would also meet TotalEnergies Chief Executive Officer Patrick Pouyanne in a bid to end the deadlock.

☆ Hundreds protest in Baghdad over Iraqi dinar's slide
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BAGHDAD, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Hundreds of people demonstrated near central bank headquarters in Baghdad on Wednesday to protest at the recent slide of the Iraqi dinar against the dollar that has triggered a rise in prices of imported consumer goods. Hundreds from different Iraqi regions waved Iraqi flags or carried banners demanding government intervention to stop the dinar's decline to around 1,620 to the greenback from 1,470 in November. Under the curbs that took effect this month, Iraqi banks must use an online platform to reveal their transaction details. [1/2] Police officers gather as Iraqi protesters demonstrate against the dinar's slide in value against the U.S. dollar, near the central bank in Baghdad, Iraq January 25, 2023. Dozens of anti-riot policemen were deployed around the central bank building and surrounding streets but no clashes or arrests were reported.

☆ Iraq’s Prime Minister Dismisses Central Bank Governor Amid Currency Drop
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ghassan Adnan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAGHDAD—Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani has dismissed the country’s central bank governor amid growing anger over the weakening of the local currency in recent weeks that has caused the price of food and imports to rise. Mr. Sudani said Monday he decided to replace the governor, Mustafa Ghaleb Mukheef, who requested to be relieved of the post he has held since 2020. The prime minister named Muhsen al-Allaq as the new central bank governor, according to the state-backed Iraqi News Agency. Mr. Allaq previously served in that role between 2014 and 2020.

☆ Analysis: Iraqi PM walks diplomatic tightrope in crackdown on dollars smuggled to Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The New York Federal Reserve introduced tighter controls on international dollar transactions by commercial Iraqi banks in November. "Americans are using the dollar transfer rigid restrictions as warning messages to Prime Minister Sudani to stay tuned with the American interests. The new system has slowed down dollar transactions, said Nabil al-Marsoumi, economics professor at Basra University. Meanwhile the price of consumer goods has increased and the Iraqi currency has taken a beating. The Iraqi prime minister replaced the central bank governor after the slide in the dinar, the state news agency said on Monday.

DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 17 (Reuters) - A long-running dispute on oil revenue-sharing between Iraq's national government and the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region may be resolved within months with agreement on a hydrocarbons law, Iraqi Kurdish Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said on Tuesday. Agreement on regular budget payments from Baghdad would help authorities in the Kurdish Regional Government resolve payment delays to international oil companies in the region, as well as easing a backlog in salary payments for KRG employees. Asked about the timing for agreement on the hydrocarbon law, Barzani said it should be within months. Under the Iraqi constitution, the KRG is entitled to a portion of the national budget. The standoff has affected the KRG's ability to pay international oil companies (IOCs) operating on its territory and to pay thousands of local employees.

☆ Iraqi Prime Minister Supports Indefinite U.S. Troop Presence
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( David S. Cloud | Michael Amon | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

BAGHDAD—Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani defended the presence of U.S. troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, signaling a less confrontational posture toward Washington early in his term than his Iran-backed political allies have taken. “We think that we need the foreign forces,” Mr. Sudani said in his first U.S. interview since taking office in October, referring to the American and North Atlantic Treaty Organization troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat. “Elimination of ISIS needs some more time,” he added.

☆ Iraqi PM supports indefinite U.S. troop presence, Wall Street Journal reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Jan 15 (Reuters) - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani defended the presence of U.S. troops in his country and set no timetable for their withdrawal, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday. Referring to the U.S. and NATO troop contingents that train and assist Iraqi units in countering Islamic State but largely stay out of combat, Sudani said that the foreign forces are still needed. "Elimination of ISIS needs some more time," he said in the interview. "I don’t see this as an impossible matter, to see Iraq have a good relationship with Iran and the U.S.," Sudani told the newspaper. Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Susan FentonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Germany in talks with Iraq over possible gas imports - Chancellor
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani hold a news conference at the Federal Chancellery in Berlin, Germany January 13, 2023. REUTERS/Michele TantussiBERLIN, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Germany is in talks with Iraq over the possibility of importing natural gas from the oil-rich country, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday, as Berlin scrambles to diversify its energy sources to replace a drop in Russian fossil fuel shipments. "We also talked about possible gas deliveries to Germany and agreed to stay in close contact," Scholz told journalists in a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Berlin. Scholz did not give further details on the volumes of gas Germany hopes to import from Iraq. Baghdad has offered opportunities to German companies to invest in using Iraq's natural gas and the gas generated as a byproduct from oil production, al-Sudani said, adding that Iraq wants to deliver gas through a pipeline via Turkey to Europe.

☆ Analysis: Iraq's mercurial Moqtada Sadr risks isolation with political retreat
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Ahmed Rasheed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Pro-Sadr clerics, former legislators and analysts say Sadr has no clearly defined political role for the first time since 2005, leaving him at his weakest since entering Iraqi politics. Sadr officials, pro-Sadr Shi'ite clerics and religious sources in the sacred Iraqi city of Najaf told Reuters they believed Tehran was behind the pronouncement. Haeri told Sadr's followers to seek future guidance on religious matters from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a scholar who is Iran's Supreme Leader. Ghazi Faisal, chairman of the Iraqi Center for Strategic Studies think-tank, said Haeri gave "momentum to Iranian efforts to consolidate the powers of its allies in Iraqi politics." Human rights groups accused Sadr militiamen of kidnapping and killing Sunnis at the height of Iraq's civil war.

☆ The US may have lost in the World Cup, but soccer is more popular than ever in America
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Harry Enten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +36 min

The Atlas Lions made history as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal. They made history as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Less spoken about is that they also rate better on television than the men do in the World Cup. We’ll just have to wait and see, though with the US, Canada and Mexico hosting the 2026 World Cup, soccer isn’t going away anytime soon.

☆ Morocco’s historic World Cup achievement hailed worldwide
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

The Moroccan flag was displayed in cities all around the world on Saturday, as fans celebrated the Atlas Lions’ historic 1-0 victory over Portugal. The qualification of the Atlas Lions for the semi-final of the 2022 world is that of all Africa. Libya’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid al-Dbeibah tweeted: “Congratulations to the Moroccan national team for their historic qualification to the World Cup semi-finals,” alongside an emoji of the Moroccan flag. “CONTINENTAL HISTORY!… What an achievement by the Atlas Lions,” the Confederation of African Football tweeted. !” in reference to her song used as during the 2010 World Cup, with a clapping emoji and a Moroccan flag.

Leaders of Arab League states spanning the Gulf, Levant and Africa began arriving in Riyadh on Thursday when Xi received a lavish reception by Prince Mohammed and signed a China-Saudi partnership pact with King Salman, demonstrating deepening ties. Oil giant Saudi Arabia is a top supplier to China and the joint statement reaffirmed the importance of global market stability and energy collaboration, while striving to boost non-oil trade and enhance cooperation in peaceful nuclear power. Xi invited King Salman to visit China, Saudi state television reported. Diplomats said the Chinese delegation would sign agreements and memoranda of understanding with several states in addition to Saudi Arabia, which inked an MOU with Huawei on cloud computing and building high-tech complexes in Saudi cities. The Chinese tech giant has participated in building 5G networks in most Gulf states despite U.S. concerns over a possible security risk in using its technology.

☆ Croatia beats Japan on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

CNN —Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković made himself a national hero as Croatia beat Japan on penalties 1-1 (3-1) to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Marko Djurica/ReutersJapan’s heartbreakDespite its defeat, Japan can look back at an impressive World Cup campaign. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago. He also became just the third goalkeeper to save three penalties in a single World Cup shootout.

☆ Macron invites Iraq PM for meeting in France in early 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] French President Emmanuel Macron attends a news conference during a visit to the Gendarmerie school as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, in Longvic, France, November 25, 2022 . Christophe Petit Tesson /Pool via REUTERSPARIS, Dec 4 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron has invited Iraq's prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to a meeting in France early in 2023, Macron's office said in a statement on Sunday following a phone call between the two leaders. Macron said the two leaders have agreed to reinforce bilateral cooperation between France and Iraq and that France would help Iraq in its fight against terrorism and attacks on its sovereignty. Reporting by GV De Clercq; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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