Some "Friday News" Posted by Samson at KTFA 7-30-2021

KTFA:

Samson:  “Untouchable" .. New government reassurance on Iraq's money abroad

07/30/2021 08:45:29

  The Prime Minister's Advisor for Financial and Economic Affairs, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, reassured Iraq's money abroad.

 Saleh told {Euphrates News}, "Iraq is a dollar area because oil revenues are in dollars, and the Kuwait war compensation is deducted from the mechanism of accounts of the Federal Bank in New York and since 2003 until today the mechanism is sound

He added, "Any lawsuits raised by commercial creditors in the foreign private sector, and most of them are related to the previous regime." He pointed out that "most of the debts ended with the Paris Agreement of 2004 in liquidating the Iraq indebtedness, and as long as Iraq's money remained open in the name of the Central Bank of Iraq.

Saleh stressed that "international banks respect the customs among themselves, and there was no incident of creditors seizing the money of any bank." He stressed that "Iraq is economically protected under international agreements

And the Central Bank of Iraq had announced last Tuesday, that "the legal authorities in the United States of America to the Governor of the Central Bank that all the reserves and funds of the bank are fortified and no party can seize them, and also confirmed that they will defend their immunity with the rest of the countries and these reserves cannot be compromised

And the central bank said in a statement that "Iraq will complete during the coming period the full payment of the compensation and benefits accruing from it before 2003, this will lead to the lifting of the international immunity of Iraq's money abroad and it will be subject to implementation by some creditors from other parties and companies.

He pointed out that "those legal authorities confirmed that the funds and reserves of the Central Bank of Iraq are protected under the laws followed in the United States of America, and pledged to defend what is available from them in the central banks and banks in other countries   LINK

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Samson:  Kurdistan Region appeals to the world after America returns 17 thousand artifacts to Iraq

30th July, 2021
Iraqi antiquities specialists in the city of Sulaymaniyah in Kurdistan Region welcomed on Friday the return of 17,000 antiquities from the clay figure from the United States to the country.

The United States of America handed over to Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi 17 artifacts during his recent visit to Washington, which he ended yesterday and returned to Baghdad, bringing with him these priceless antiquities.

In this regard, the Director of the Department of Antiquities of Sulaymaniyah, Kamal Rashid, told Shafaq News, that this is a great achievement for the Iraqi Antiquities Foundation, and with the efforts of the Iraqi Embassy in Washington and its continuous attempt to return the Iraqi antiquities that were stolen and looted from Iraq during the American invasion. He added, "I hope that this step will be a catalyst for the rest of the countries that have illegally stolen Iraqi antiquities and return them to their original homeland in the service of Iraqi civilization and human civilization in general."

In turn, the director of the Sulaymaniyah Museum, Hashem Hama Abdullah, praised the return of these antiquities, and said in a statement to Shafak News Agency, "We are pleased with this important civilized work, and it is a gesture from the efforts of the current government and institutions concerned with Iraqi antiquities and culture. Through this work, Iraq confirms the return of Iraq to its true sovereignty, and presented His civilization is in its motherland and not in other countries.” He added that the return of these antiquities will stimulate tourism by displaying important artifacts in museums, as well as a qualitative leap for Iraq to be in the advanced centers in the number of artifacts and their presentation compared to other countries.

Al-Kazemi directed, earlier today, the reopening of the Iraqi Museum in the capital, Baghdad, to the public and researchers. Al-Kazemi said in a tweet to him on the social networking sites "Twitter", "In conjunction with the return of 17,000 Iraqi artifacts with our delegation, which ended a successful visit to Washington yesterday, we directed the reopening of the Iraqi Museum to the public and researchers, to be a new beginning to inspire our ancient civilizational values, and our identity. authentic patriotism, and educating our generations with the sciences, cultures, and achievements this land has provided.”LINK

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Samson:  US report: Let it be remembered.. This is what will happen after the 2022 withdrawal from Iraq

30th July, 2021

While experts and analysts in the Middle East are wondering whether ending the combat role of the United States in Iraq will negatively affect American counter-terrorism operations against the extremist remnants of ISIS in Syria, American officials have not announced, until now, any change in the military mission in northeastern Syria.

"Voice of America" ​​radio, in a report translated by Shafak News Agency, stated that "about 900 American soldiers provide support to the Kurdish-led (Syrian Democratic Forces) as part of a major coalition in the fight against ISIS."

The war against ISIS in Syria

And the American radio quoted the researcher in Syrian affairs, Sadr Al-Din Kino, who follows the military developments in the country, as saying that "separating the American military mission in Syria from the one in Iraq is difficult."

Kino added, according to the report, that "unlike the situation in Iraq, the US military presence in Syria was not at the invitation of the Syrian government," noting that "this fact makes Iraq enjoy an important position for the United States to successfully implement its mission in Syria." Kino considered, "The Syrian Democratic Forces are a non-state actor, and therefore it is imperative for the United States to rely on an allied government in Iraq to ensure that its operation in Syria remains robust in terms of logistics and other issues related to transportation of supplies."

On Monday, US President Joe Biden announced that US forces would end their combat responsibilities in Iraq by the end of this year. After a meeting at the White House with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, Biden said that US forces will continue to train, assist, and deal with ISIS as it emerges. Currently, there are about 2,500 American soldiers in Iraq, and Biden did not mention the number of those who will remain in Iraq during 2022. And the radio indicated in its report, that "the US military does not link its operations in Iraq with Syria, but the Pentagon treats its participation in Syria as part of the broader global effort to fight ISIS."

Kurdistan Region

The radio also quoted Nicholas Heras, a senior analyst at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, as saying that "the US military effort in Syria depends in particular on the continued presence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq." And the radio clarified, according to Heras, that "the United States has a large military base in Erbil, and it has become one of the most important staging areas in the Middle East." Speaking to Voice of America, Heras said that "the lines of communication and ground support from Kurdistan to northeastern Syria are the most important for the continuation of US operations to support the Syrian Democratic Forces," pointing out that there are no "indications of the United States withdrawing from its base in Erbil."

In response to a question from "Voice of America" ​​whether the Iraqi government will continue to allow US forces to use Iraqi bases to support their operations against ISIS in Syria, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein said that "the US military forces in Syria enjoy a special status, and Iraq is not involved in that". And the Iraqi minister had said, last Monday, during a press conference in Washington after the meeting with Biden and Al-Kazemi, that "Iraq always discusses with the Americans the presence of ISIS in Syria, because its presence there clearly constitutes a threat to Iraq as well." As for Tennessee State University professor Kermanj Gundy, who writes about Kurdish regional politics, he says that in addition to the impact it will have on the war on ISIS, “any change in the status of the presence of US forces in eastern Syria could have political repercussions on American interests in the country.” 

Withdrawal encourages the Iranians

And if the decision to end the US combat mission in Iraq leads to "changing the current US presence in Syria, it will certainly embolden Iran and its allies in Syria, as well as endanger the partners of the United States," Gundy said. In recent months, US bases in Syria have been subjected to several attacks that Washington blamed on Iranian-backed militias, and US bases in Iraq, including the one in Erbil, were targeted with missiles fired by Iranian-backed groups.   LINK

Samson:  Brookings: Iraq without American support is heading to a darker place, and Al-Kazemi's alternative would be "bad"

30th July, 2021

The American "Brookings Institution" has published a report on the future of American forces in Iraq and the destabilizing threats posed by ISIS and Iraqi militias allied with Iran, in light of the economic crisis and the need for major political reforms, and Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's efforts to address them, and on the decisive role of the United States as for the future of Iraq, Al-Kazemi is trying to play the role of "bridge builder" in the region, with the support of his allies in Baghdad and Erbil.

Details need clarification

The Brookings Institution report, which was translated by Shafak News Agency, included; An interview with the prominent researcher Rang Alaeddin, who spoke about the recent agreement between Al-Kazemi and US President Joe Biden on the end of the combat mission of American soldiers in Iraq, and said, "There are still a number of details that should become clearer over time," recalling that an announcement had been issued. Similar also under the Donald Trump administration. However, Aladdin said, "The main announcement during Al-Kazemi's visit to the White House is that the United States will move completely, and I emphasize a word in full, to move to training, advice, assistance, and intelligence sharing, with the combat forces out of the country by the end of the year".

Political pressure

Aladdin considered, "This is the actual statement," noting that an essential part of it stems from "the political pressure that Al-Kazemi is subjected to in Iraq on the home front," adding that relations between the United States and Iraq have increasingly eroded, and reached their lowest levels since the nineties, He recalled that under the previous US administration, even former President Trump threatened to impose sanctions on Iraq in response to the repeated attacks on US targets by Iraqi groups that are proxies of Iran.

Complicated situation

The researcher in "Brookings" said that in the presence of the current administration, the Iraqis hope that this administration will adopt a more sensitive and moderate approach towards their country, and that it will understand more that the security situation in Iraq is linked to the domestic political dynamics in Iraq, and therefore within this equation, discusses Iraqis about the status and presence of US forces.

But Aladdin noted that all of this has become complicated because Iraq is so dependent on the United States in the campaign to defeat ISIS, adding that this issue represents "the core of the relationship itself" as relations between Washington and Baghdad "are particularly important because of the continuing threat posed by ISIS." ISIS," noting that the organization, despite the defeat it suffered, "has proven its ability to withstand to some extent" and continues to "expand the rule of terrorism" in some areas of Iraq. "This is why the United States is so important to Iraq's efforts to prevent this from happening," he added.

Al-Kazemi Transitional

Aladdin summarized the picture that has emerged since the Trump administration’s decision to assassinate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and the leader in the Popular Mobilization Forces, Abu Mahdi Al-Muhandis, and the exit of Kata’ib Hezbollah to demand the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, referring to the “non-binding vote” taken by the Iraqi parliament to demand the government work to expel the Americans. , with the support of the forces loyal to Iran.

Aladdin described Prime Minister Al-Kazemi as a "transitional prime minister," noting that the former prime minister "was actually expelled by the fierce protest movement that demanded more rights, human rights, accountability, reforms and an end to corruption," adding that the protest movement was attacked by Militias allied with Iran, where more than 600 people were killed and thousands wounded, have not been held accountable so far. He added that the violations committed by the militias, which continue on an almost daily basis, contribute to "undermining Al-Kazemi, tarnishing his reputation and creating an atmosphere conducive to the return of ISIS because it causes the emergence of grievances and polarization" in the interest of ISIS.

Breathing space

In sum, Aladdin considered that the purpose of his visit to Washington is "to try to obtain breathing space from the Americans, and to try to ensure that the United States does not respond to the continuous missile attacks and drone attacks launched by the militias allied with Iran on American targets in a manner that may be similar to the confrontational stance that they taken by the Trump administration."

Therefore, Aladdin considered that the bet is on a "proportional" American position, through "a response that does not plunge Iraq into another conflict, and at the same time, it can contribute to calming tensions in the region." He added that Al-Kazemi "is trying to carve out a role for himself, with the support of other political players in Iraq, whether the president or his allies in Erbil, a role through which Iraq can play the role of bridge-builder in the region, so that Iraq actually becomes a channel through which to calm tensions between Iran and its adversaries, as well as between Iran and the United States."

Existential crisis

On the challenges that Al-Kazemi faces internally, Aladdin said that Iraq’s crises are interconnected, whether they are threats from militias linked to Iran, or ISIS or not,” adding that the crises and broader geopolitical turmoil, or US-Iranian tensions, mostly refer to the economic crisis, which It is a quasi-existential crisis for Iraq."

Aladdin explained that Al-Kazemi took office first in order to hold early elections, and the hope is that the elections will allow for some political reforms and the entry of moderate and effective figures into state institutions who want to push Iraq towards recovery and consolidate and implement a culture of accountability, and secondly in order to address the economic crisis.

He added that "the economic crisis in particular was devastating and could become an existential crisis as a result of the drop in oil prices due to the epidemic, and the state can no longer afford the public sector salaries" in a country with a population of more than 30 million people and is expected to reach about 50 million in within a decade. He said, "To be fair to the government, there is a plan of some kind, known as the white paper that entered into force months after Al-Kazemi took office, and it is an ambitious scheme to some degree, but its implementation becomes more difficult, if not impossible, because of those interconnected crises that I refer to it", including the environment and security conditions.

Worst alternative

He added that Al-Kazemi is considered "a transitional prime minister, who is a compromise candidate, and has breathing space among the broader Iraqi public, and for them, it can be said that it could be the least bad option, because the alternative could be much worse." Aladdin explained that the much worse option, "may be a hard-line person or a prime minister linked to Iran, which was possible in the past, and it could become a de facto reality in the future, or in the very near future," adding that the alternative may be to repeat what it took place during the reign of the former prime minister, who is effectively "a carte blanche for Iran-allied militias to launch a large-scale crackdown on protesters and the wider public".

Darker place

The researcher concluded in "Brookings" by saying, "I believe that the United States has the ability to mobilize international support, whether that is from the governments of other countries, or from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and to mobilize international support and resources for the recovery of Iraq's economy."

He pointed to the remarkable improvement that has been achieved since Al-Kazemi took office and since Biden took office, to some extent in Iraq's relationship with its neighbors, especially the Arab world, such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, noting that this could become a very important development for US-Iraqi relations during the era of Biden and Al-Kazemi.  He concluded, "I continue to believe that the United States is particularly crucial to Iraq's path to recovery. Without this support, even symbolic and material support, Iraq will be in a much darker place."  LINK

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Samson:  Economy of Peace after the War"... His Adviser: Al-Kazemi's visit is a turning point in Iraq's history

30th July, 2021
The Prime Minister's Adviser for Economic Affairs, Mazhar Muhammad Salih, considered Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kazemi's visit to Washington a "keystone" turning point in the history of Iraq, after years of war.

Saleh told Shafaq News Agency, "The Prime Minister's visit details the transformation from the economies of war and conflict that Iraq experienced 18 years ago, to the end of ISIS and some difficulties, up to the transition to the economy of construction, reconstruction and peace."

He added that "Al-Kazemi's visit focused on building a peace economy for Iraq and the region," noting that "the current government's policy is a peaceful policy that aims to good neighborliness and benefit from the great powers, as the United States of America is a superpower and Iraq has strong relations with it."

Saleh pointed out that "there is a strategic framework agreement that will transform construction and reconstruction," noting that "the prime minister's call is a sincere one, no matter how unemployed and powerless the country is." He pointed out that "the United States is a great ally, friend and partner, and the partnership must move from wars and conflicts to building and reconstruction."

Al-Kazemi’s advisor concluded, by saying that Iraq will turn, according to those frameworks, to “construction and progress, especially since the region is now entering the economics of peace, and this is what the Iraqi government intends to do.”

Al-Kazemi had returned on Thursday evening to Baghdad, after concluding his visit in Washington, with agreements and understandings described as "historic", perhaps the most prominent of which was the end of the presence of combat forces on Iraqi soil by the end of this year.  LINK