Why does America not freeze corrupt money?

• America knows the corrupt one by one.

• It knows their assets in the banks a penny.

• Why does it not freeze their money, but threatens to freeze the money of the Iraqi people if it expels its forces?

Kitabat.com

“Iraqi rebels” accuse Sadr of treason in exchange for “Iranian promise”

The Coordinating Committee for the October Demonstrations in Iraq issued a strongly worded statement against the Shiite leader Muqtada al-Sadr, accusing him of “shame and disgrace” and “betraying the rebels”, after the security forces broke up the Basra sit-in as soon as Sadr’s supporters withdrew from it.

The shock forces arrested a number of demonstrators in connection with the breaking up of the Basra sit-in by force … and scenes documenting the storming and burning of tents
. He rode our wave, rode it, and tried to take advantage of us.

The statement added: “Stay in the arenas until achieving the goals of the revolution, and we will not let the blood of the martyrs down and they will not be a card on the political trading table as Sadr did.”

The statement concluded by saying: “What he did was shame and betrayal of the revolutionaries, and its price will be to lead the next government as promised by Iran.”
The dispersal of the Basra sit-in came immediately after the withdrawal of Sadr’s supporters from it, which raised doubts about his complicity or his prior knowledge of the operation, with the aim of conveying a message that his presence is the one that protects the demonstrators.

Sadr’s supporters withdrew after a tweet of their leader on Friday, in which he blamed the Tahrir Square demonstrators who questioned him, considering that he was a support for them, and he said that after this he will not interfere in their affairs, neither in the negative nor in the affirmative.

Al-Sadr’s tweet followed the withdrawal of his supporters, who sit in the squares in Nasiriyah, Diwaniyah, Basra, and Baghdad.

Nasiriyah-news.net

Expelling the American forces is an Iranian gain and a great loss for Iraq

Iraqi political forces loyal to the Iranian regime continue to push for the passage of its decision to remove American forces from Iraq, despite opposition from Sunni and Kurdish forces, and the positions of President Barham Saleh are identical to the impressions of the Iraqi street, which believes that the American presence is still important in the country. Iran is clinging to its goal of singling out Iraq, which raises a series of questions about the ability of its militias in Iraq to confront ISIS if it appears again, and about the price that Baghdad might pay after the threat of US President Donald Trump to impose economic sanctions on Iraq.

BAGHDAD – Iran is betting by pushing its proxies in Iraq to escalate with Washington and demanding the removal of American forces to show the world that this falls in the category of its responses to the killing of the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, Qassem Soleimani, in January.

Tehran is trying to appear by opening diplomatic channels with Washington that it is not the decision-maker, adopting a deceptive letter stating that the request is purely Iraqi, despite all the geopolitical data confirming the urgent need for Iraq to continue the American forces in the country, especially in the current stage.

And the adherence of the parties and militias attached to the Iranian decision to remove the American forces indicates that they do not consider Iraqi national security considerations as much as they seek to protect Iranian interests.

Historically, prior to 2003, there was a deal for the American occupation of Iraq that granted Shiite politicians rule Iraq, and part of its details revealed the former American ambassador to Iraq, Zalmay Khalilzad.

After this deal, the American and Iranian political, military, and intelligence forces coexisted and cooperated in implementing one program aimed at suppressing the popular Iraqi armed resistance against the American occupation. Concerns of interests and influence remained the main driver for harmony or difference between the two parties.

There are examples of this coexistence that can be summarized in what was happening with the appointment of Iraqi prime ministers, as Tehran was grateful for the appointment of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki by the Americans in 2006.

Throughout those years, the Iranian regime was busy fixing props for the Shiite parties loyal to it and implementing its expansion program, and setting up military logistical arrangements to control factions from the second line, the Iraqi street.

Besides, political allegiances have been gained for some Iraqi Sunni and Kurdish leaders, but the obsession of the American military presence has remained a problem for Tehran because of the possibilities of narrowing its comprehensive project in Iraq.

The elimination of “ISIS” was an opportunity for Tehran to break up the temporary relationship with Washington despite the services provided by the latter within the international coalition in favor of the Iraqis in defeating the extremist organization, but Tehran’s media outlets promoted its man in Iraq, Soleimani, that he was the one who liberated Iraq.

The parties that are mortgaging the Iranian decision to remove the American forces confirm that they do not place any consideration on the Iraqi national security as they seek to protect Tehran’s interests.

On the part of the United States, the decision of former President Barack Obama to withdraw American forces from Iraq in 2011 was not satisfied by the strategic leaders in the Pentagon, not because of Iraqi interests, but to see the maintenance of Washington’s foreign policy that was concerned with the need to stay in Iraq, which made its political era in 2003 and spent billions The dollars are in security and military fields, including the training of Iraqi forces and the formation of elite agencies, among them.

The American military concerns were extrapolating the possibility of an escalation of the threat of extremist organizations, and this happened in 2014 through ISIS, where many questioned the role of Nuri al-Maliki in facilitating him, although he requested in the same year that he summon American forces to sponsor a broad international coalition to help Iraq.

With the arrival of Donald Trump to power in 2017, which changed some of the rules of the game with Tehran, which made Iraq a battleground expressed by recent incidents.

The story of expelling American forces from Iraq is a top priority for Iran, which exposes the fragile Iraqi situation, politically and securityly, to serious dangers, foremost of which is Tehran’s unilateral isolation of the country, after evacuating it politically and militarily from any forces opposing this influence.

The parties loyal to Tehran and their militias are working to suppress and end the youth uprising that announced its rejection of both the American and Iranian presence, as forces loyal to Iran in Parliament managed to pass the decision to end the American military presence despite the failure of the Kurds and Sunnis to participate in this emotional decision on the killing of Fasim Soleimani.

And after this decision, the Shiite forces are likely to launch their efforts to reinforce their decision to pass the personality they wish to enable as prime minister without the need for the Kurdish and Sunni blocs, and this was expressed by a pro-Iranian parliamentarian.

The move sparked resentment by the Kurds, as expressed by the President of the Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, who pointed out “the importance of the presence of American and coalition forces for all of Iraq.”

Barzani’s perceptions are in line with the warnings of the American General Alexos Greenwich, who emphasized that the Islamic State can still return to the rise despite its weakening in the event of the withdrawal of American forces from Iraq.

And Iraqi President Barham Saleh strengthened the Iraqi impression of the importance of the presence of American forces in accordance with official understandings that achieve the common interests between the two countries, but there are fears that he will comply with the governmental and parliamentary decision that is committed to removing the American forces.

It is understood that the Kurdistan government has signed a bilateral military agreement with the United States through which American forces use bases deployed in the region and are keen to keep them.

As for the Sunni public, it is believed that the survival of the American forces in Iraq is the “lesser of two evils”, according to foreign press surveys conducted in recent days in some areas of Baghdad.

They believe that the primary goal of the presence of American bases in the Sunni provinces is to prepare to reshape the security and political structures of these areas, which need above all to confront the Iranian influence of the militias.

The US President reacted to the parliament’s decision in simple words, “The Iraqis have to pay the costs of the military bases we built and the cost of the war.”

He pointed out that in his possession of 35 billion dollars in Iraqi money, while the American financial agencies began promoting decisions to cut military aid to Iraq by 250 million dollars, and that the American administration would reconsider a wide range of other economic and military aid to Iraq.

Will the emotional engagement of factions loyal to Tehran – led by Muqtada al-Sadr – lead to practical decisions to remove the American forces, and if this happens amid fears that ISIS activities may return, will these militias alone be able to confront this military danger without the US-led international coalition ? A question that all Iraqi politicians have to answer is to avoid letting Iran decide the future of Iraq, which seems dark.

Rawabetcenter.com

Sadr betrayed everyone, now serves Iran’s interests

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Iraq’s anti-government protesters on Saturday accused Muqtada al-Sadr of “betrayal” a day after the firebrand Shiite cleric withdrew his support for the movement which has occupied Baghdad’s Tahrir Square since October.

On Friday morning, tens of thousands of Sadr supporters and members of Iraq’s pro-Iran parties and militias marched in Baghdad, keeping away from the long-established protest camps, to demand the expulsion of US forces.

Sadr called for the “million-strong” march in response to the US drone strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi militia chief Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis at Baghdad Airport on January 3.

Later on Friday, Sadr told his supporters to leave Tahrir Square and other areas occupied by anti-government protesters and formally withdrew his support for the movement.

Early on Saturday morning, Iraqi security forces launched a violent crackdown, ejecting protesters from their camps, burning their tents, and retaking several strategic bridges.

Hussam, 26, who has been protesting in Tahrir Square since late October, told Rudaw that Sadr had simply used the anti-government protests to further his own and Iran’s political interests.

Sadr is busy working for Iranian interests to be achieved in Iraq by expelling US troops. He has no intention of saving the protests in Iraq if they are a threat to Iran,” Hussam said.

“Sadr left one day after his so-called million person demonstration against the US and that shows that he used the protests for his interests and the interests of Iran,” he added.

Sadr’s march attracted far fewer than the “million” protesters he had hoped to mobilize.

Shortly after his march dispersed on Friday afternoon, Sadr released a statement confirming he was withdrawing his support for the anti-government protests, which have been ongoing since October 25.

Young Iraqis took to the streets of the nation’s southern and central cities on October 1 to protest the lack of basic services, rampant corruption, and high unemployment.

Following a short pause for the Shiite religious observance of Arbaeen, the protests resumed on October 25 with fresh demands for the overthrow of the post-2003 political establishment.

More than 600 people have been killed and around 18,000 injured in clashes between protesters, security forces, and pro-Iran militias according to Amnesty International.

Luay, 31, has been protesting in Karbala since October 26. He traveled to Baghdad on Friday to participate in Sadr’s march – a decision he now regrets.

“I regret that I went all the way to Baghdad to participate in Sadr’s demonstration against the US troops, as he clearly used us for his own interests,” Luay told Rudaw English on Saturday.

“Sadr betrayed everyone and now all he does is serve Iranian interests in Iraq,” he added.

Now Luay fears the anti-government protests “will be finished in a bloody way”.

He is surprised by Sadr’s apparent shift from Iraqi nationalist to Iran-backer.

“It is weird to see Sadr is pro-Iran now, while he was the man who invented the “Iran out, out” slogans back in 2018, in [former prime minister Haider al-] Abadi’s days,” Luay said, referring to similar mass protests in the summer of that year.

(Maybe he wasn’t all that “anti-Iran” but more anti-Abadi, as Abadi was about to drop the hammer on Maliki – the waning days of his regime…)

Following weeks of relative calm, violence again resumed in Baghdad and other southern cities where security forces used live ammunition to disperse protesters.

At least 10 died in clashes last week, according to the Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights, and more than a dozen in recent days. At least three protesters were killed on Saturday alone, according to AFP.

In a tweet, Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Secretary-General’s special representative to Iraq, called on Iraqi authorities to serve and protect the people and to continue implementing reforms.

“Unaccountability and indecisiveness are unworthy of Iraqi hopes, courageously expressed for four months now. While death and injury tolls continue to rise, steps taken so far will remain hollow if not completed. The people must be served and protected, not violently oppressed,” Hennis-Plasschaert tweeted Saturday.

Rudaw.net

Trump meets Saleh on the sidelines of the Davos Forum

Baghdad / news – The President of the Republic, Barham Salih, met with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland.

A political source familiar with “Al-Ikhbaria” said, “President Barham Salih met with US President Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland.”

It is noteworthy that Saleh left on Tuesday to attend the “Davos” economic conference in Switzerland, where a number of world leaders, including US President Donald Trump, are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the conference to discuss bilateral relations.

Ikhnews.com

Shabandar: Maliki is an absolute evil … ruining the country and its people

The researcher and writer on Iraqi political affairs, Ghaleb Al-Shabandar, launched an attack on the leader of the State of Law coalition, Nuri al-Maliki.

Shabandar said in a tweet on “Twitter” that “Nuri al-Maliki is an absolute evil that believes in the Ali equation and my enemies, and the country and its people are ruined.”

“I know him well for decades and we lived together.”

Tasrebat.com

BGG ~ This source article was taken down… that didn’t last long.

I wonder how long before Al-Shabandar gets Epsteined?

Iraq bank set to halt Iran gas transfers as US sanctions waiver expires

The Trade Bank of Iraq is expected to stop processing payments to Iran if US sanction exemptions expire next month, Agence France-Presse reported Tuesday. The bank is used by Iraq to pay for Iranian gas imports that are used to power the country’s electricity grids. About a third of Iraq’s electricity supply relies on Iran.

“We’ll stop. As simple as that,” the head of the bank, Faisal al-Haimus, told the news agency, adding that the bank will not pay for or deal with any Iranian entity over gas or electricity.

Why it matters: The statement comes amid escalating US-Iran tensions. In 2018, Washington ordered sanctions on Iran’s energy sector but has granted Iraq temporary waivers to continue Iranian imports over the last 15 months.

US sanctions against Iran have severely impacted Iranian energy exports and stopping payments from Iraq could cause further concerns. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in December that Iran lost $200 billion from US sanctions and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei earlier this month said the country’s reliance on oil revenues needs to stop.

What’s next: Earlier this month, Iraq’s parliament passed a nonbinding resolution calling on the government to expel US troops from the country. Just over 5,000 US troops are in the country to train Iraqi security forces and cooperate in battling remaining Islamic State fighters. The vote followed a US drone strike near Baghdad airport that killed Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian major general and commander of Iran’s Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy head of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units. In response to the vote, US President Donald Trump threatened sanctions against Iraq “like they’ve never seen before” if American troops were forced to leave.

If Iraq complies with the sanctions, it could paralyze their electricity sector, which relies heavily on Iranian imports. However, if the country ignores the sanctions after the exemption expires, they could be hit with secondary sanctions, including restricted access to crucial US accounts. Washington is considering blocking Iraq’s access to a $35 billion US-based account where Baghdad holds its oil revenues, according to Agence France-Presse. This account contributes to 90% of the national budget.

Know more: Read White House correspondent Laura Rozen’s report on Iraqi President Barham Salih’s call for restraint after meeting with Trump in Davos today, and congressional correspondent Bryant Harris’ story on Senate Republicans’ support for the White House’s call for Iraq sanctions.

Al-monitor.com

Rudaw English on Twitter

Iraqis must shoulder the responsibility of what is happening in their country rather than blaming foreign countries, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani tells #Davos #WEF2020 panel. “All the causes of protests should not be blamed on external hands.” pic.twitter.com/OyIEBXBRp5

— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) January 23, 2020

Al-Khalidi calls Saleh to assign Allawi to form a government and refuse to give in and dictate

Member of Parliament Muhammad Al-Khalidi called on President of the Republic Barham Salih to win the masses and not to bow to pressure and dictates by assigning Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi to form a government and leaving the final choice to the people’s representatives.

Al-Khalidi said in an interview with Alsumaria News, that “there are dialogues and meetings took place between many members of the House of Representatives today to talk about the latest developments in the political scene and obstacles facing the process of selecting and assigning a candidate for prime minister,” noting that “there is clear support and support from a large number Among the deputies are the positions of the candidate of National Representatives, Muhammad Tawfiq Allawi, and his refusal to submit to dictates and pressure from some to obtain narrow gains in exchange for passing it.

Al-Khalidi added, “There is a clear increase in the number of deputies supporting Allawi’s latest stance, and warnings of the dangers of continued procrastination and procrastination in resolving this thorny and dangerous file, especially in light of the popular escalation,” calling on the President of the Republic, “to end this controversy and take a position recorded by history and people in Implementation of the constitution and victory for the masses by meeting their demands to choose a non-dialectical and independent personality away from pressure, and that Allawi be commissioned immediately after returning from the Davos conference and throwing the ball at the stadium of the House of Representatives and representatives of the people to vote by giving him and his government confidence in it or not.

Alsumaria.tv

BGG ~ I’m not sure I agree with the premise here. Kahlidi is basically telling Saleh to assign Allawi to be the PM and let the Parliament vote yea or nay on his government… but we shall see. I have the idea Saleh wants to find a candidate the protesters can get behind.

Rudaw English on Twitter

“There is a generation [in Iraq] who are between 15-23 years of age who do not remember Saddam and the US … This generation is fed up with 16-17 years of governance which cannot provide basic services. The people are tired of it,” President Barzani tells #Davos #WEF2020 panel. pic.twitter.com/ZIcdWKqlHI

— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) January 23, 2020