"Iraq News" posted by Samson Sunday 8-23-2020

KTFA:

Samson:  The Central Bank renews the ISO Quality Management System Certificate in Cash Management

23rd August, 2020

As a continuation of the efforts made to achieve sustainability in the application of quality management standards, the Central Bank of Iraq completed the second annual review procedures to renew the quality management system in accordance with the international standard ISO 9001: 2015.

It is noteworthy that the company specialized in this field granted the Central Bank of Iraq in the year 2018 a certificate in effect for three years after internal audit in the field of cash management and its full implementation of the requirements of the international system.

The Central Bank of Iraq information Office    23 August 2020   LINK

Samson:  An explosion targets an American convoy west of Baghdad19:16 - 22/08/2020

On Saturday, a security source reported that an attack had targeted a military convoy of the American forces, west of Baghdad.

The source told "the information" that "an explosive device that was placed under a bridge on the highway towards the Shuala-Ghazaliya area exploded on an American convoy."

He added, "The explosion targeted one of the American convoys fleeing from the Taji base, after the US forces announced their readiness to hand over the base tomorrow."

He pointed out that "smoke plumes rose clearly in the middle of the Karkh area."   LINK

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Samson:  The ceremony of handing over Taji base to Iraqi forces begins

09:32 - 23/08/2020

On Sunday, the Joint Operations Command announced that the international coalition forces had begun withdrawing from the Taji base north of Baghdad, indicating that the American side would hand over several bases during the next phase.

The spokesman for the leadership, Major General Pilot Tahseen Al-Khafaji, said in a statement to / information / that “the New Zealand, American and Australian forces within the international coalition began this morning to withdraw from the Taji military base,” indicating that “the handover ceremony was attended by the representative of the prime minister and several military leaders.”

Al-Khafaji added, "These forces were working as advisors and trainers for the Iraqi forces, and their term of work ended according to joint memoranda of understanding."

He pointed out that "the American side will hand over several bases according to a timetable agreed upon between the two countries to the Iraqi forces."   LINK

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Samson:  Al-Saadi: Iraq is surrounded by a fire belt

23rd August, 2020

The head of the Iraqi Business Council in Jordan, Majed Al-Saadi, confirmed, on Sunday, that Iraq is surrounded by a fire belt represented by its sensitivity to the sensitivity of the geopolitical factors surrounding it

Al-Saadi said, in a press statement followed by Al-Eqtisad News, that "Iraq is surrounded by a fire belt, resulting from the influence of neighboring countries on it, as well as internal problems accumulated for 17 years, which is a heavy legacy for Mustafa Al-Kazemi's government regarding the file of the Iraqi economy

He added, we presented many economic proposals to the previous Iraqi governments, but the latter did not interact with them because they were preoccupied with "the quota system and the sharing of positions

Al-Saadi explained that the interest in restoring the security system is an urgent necessity to rebuild the Iraqi economy, pointing out that Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi raised the issue of rebuilding the security system with US President Donald Trump

He stated, that in light of the dangerous repercussions of the Corona virus on the global economy, the low oil prices and the inability of Iraq to finance new projects, the solution lies in the Iraqi and foreign private sector, which will only return through the giant oil companies   LINK

Samson:  Al-Kazemi identifies "difficult questions that remain unresolved" with America

23rd August, 2020

The Prime Minister, Mustafa Al-Kazemi, identified what he described as "difficult questions" with the United States of America. The prime minister is trying to create a different model for Iraq that emphasizes sovereignty, combating corruption, and a sustainable military training relationship with the United States, the Washington Post said about him.

Al-Kazemi explained his vision in a lengthy interview Thursday, after his meeting at the White House with President Donald Trump, and it seems that he and Trump are comfortable at the present time with a military relationship in which several thousand American forces remain in Iraq to train local forces, without any timetable so far for their withdrawal. Given the United States' history of military expansion in Iraq, followed by a hasty retreat, this approach is a welcome change.

 It is clear that the combat role of the United States there is over, but it appears that limited military support will continue and that is the right balance.  Despite all of Trump's past speeches about Iraq, he was surprisingly friendly in his meeting with Al-Kazemi, describing him as a "very respectable gentleman" and describing the relationship between the United States and Iraq as "very good."

The newspaper adds that Al-Kazemi is an interesting new face in the region, as he was the head of intelligence and then became interim prime minister last May, after months of anti-corruption protests by Iraqi youths that paralyzed the country.  “We don't need American combat forces in Iraq,” Al-Kazemi said, now that ISIS is defeated. "We need American forces that focus on training and capacity building."  He added that former Iraqi leaders were "shy" about recognizing military support from the United States, "We believe that this relationship is not an embarrassment," adding, "It is something we should be proud of."

Al-Kazemi explained that some difficult questions remain unresolved, including the United States' use of Iraqi airspace and the "road map" for the redeployment of American forces, and that these issues will be addressed in a joint "strategic dialogue" between the two countries. Al-Kazemi also seeks to improve relations with Saudi Arabia. He said that he discussed Saudi-Iraqi coordination on oil and economic policy with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a phone call on Wednesday, one day before his meeting with Trump.

Al-Kazemi talks about a European-like future for his region, with freer flows of capital and technology. Next week, he plans to meet with the leaders of Egypt and Jordan in Amman, Jordan, to discuss this approach, and he will soon travel to Saudi Arabia. When asked about the recent normalization of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, Al-Kazemi said with an accurate answer: "This is an Emirati decision, and we should not interfere."

Asked about his agenda, Al-Kazemi listed a series of initiatives dealing with public health and the economy. But he said that in order to make progress in every area, "the most important issue is corruption." Sadly, such reforms are rarely successful in the modern Middle East. But in Iraq and across the region, public anger at politicians is growing as usual.   LINK