"Tidbits From TNT" Friday Morning 12-10-2021

Dec 10

TNT:

Tishwash: The commander of the US Central Command: We will keep 2,500 soldiers in Iraq

The commander of the US Central Command, General Frank McKenzie, said that Washington will keep the current forces of 2,500 soldiers in Iraq, warning of an increase in terrorist attacks.

McKenzie said, according to "Alsumaria" News, that "despite the transformation of the role of US forces in Iraq into a non-combat role, they will continue to provide air support and other military assistance in Iraq's fight against ISIS," considering that "the escalation of violence by militias The attack on US and Iraqi forces may continue this month."

And he considered that "these militias want all American forces to leave Iraq... but we would not leave, which may provoke a response as we approach the end of the month," noting that "we withdrew from the bases that we did not need, and made access to us difficult. But the Iraqis are still They want us to be there and to be involved... as long as they want to, and we can mutually agree, we'll be there."

McKenzie believed that "elements of ISIS will continue to pose a threat in Iraq and that the organization will continue to reconfigure itself, perhaps under a different name," noting that "the key to the solution will be to ensure that the organization is unable to integrate with other elements around the world and does not become more powerful." and dangerous link

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Tishwash: The Minister of Finance discusses with the Lebanese Ambassador ways to support and develop economic and financial cooperation

Minister of Finance Ali Abdul-Amir Allawi discussed with Lebanese Ambassador Ali Adib Al-Habhab ways to support and develop economic and financial cooperation between the two countries.

Allawi stressed, according to a statement by the ministry, Iraq's pride in the historical relations with the government and people of brotherly Lebanon, and its keenness to strengthen the bonds of mutual cooperation in various fields to achieve the interests of the two peoples. link

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Tishwash: Is this a devalue of their currency ?

The Banque du Liban sets a new exchange rate for withdrawals from dollar deposits in pounds

The Central Bank of Lebanon announced, today, Thursday, that a new exchange rate for withdrawing from dollar deposits in Lebanese pounds was set at 8000 pounds to the dollar, after the exchange rate from banks was 3900 pounds.

The Banque du Liban said in a statement that "until an integrated and comprehensive governmental plan is developed that complies with economic and reform principles and the requirements of the International Monetary Fund, allowing the reactivation and growth of the local economy and reforming the financial sector in order to reach fair and balanced solutions that preserve the rights of depositors and constitute a basis for restoring confidence, and pending the government plan that To allow for the unification of exchange rates, to protect social and economic stability and to limit depositors’ losses, the Central Bank of Lebanon decided, for those wishing to benefit from Circular No. 151, to raise the exchange rate of the US dollar from 3900 LBP to 8000 LBP, provided that, in order to limit the growth and impact of the monetary mass In light of the inflation rate, the ceiling for monthly withdrawals is set to a maximum of $3,000 per account.

The bank stressed that “fairness to depositors and preserving their money can only be done by developing and implementing the above-mentioned plan,” stressing the “necessity of meeting it by taking appropriate measures and basic initiatives to support the economy and protect it from the increase in inflation and set economic policies to withdraw the monetary mass from By activating levying and expanding the base of tax coverage.

It is noteworthy that the exchange rate of the dollar on the black market (parallel) recorded today, 25000 pounds for sale and 24950 for purchase, after it crossed the end of last November the threshold of 25 thousand Lebanese pounds, which is its highest level since the start of the economic crisis in 2019. link

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Tishwash: The largest Christmas tree was erected in Baghdida, northern Iraq

The people of Baghdida town, east of Mosul in Iraq, completed today, Friday, the erection of the largest Christmas tree in the center of the city, which is also known as the city of "Qarah Qosh", with the start of its recovery from the effects of the occupation of the "ISIS" organization, and after carrying out a series of crimes against the residents of the town with the majority Christian Arabism, as well as extensive violations of its historical buildings, especially churches and monasteries , some of which date back to the first centuries AD.

The town, located about 30 km east of Mosul, appears to be recovering more than the previous years that followed the expulsion of ISIS from it on these days in 2016, after a campaign of the joint Iraqi forces under the cover of the international coalition led by the United States of America.

And local Iraqi media reported, quoting local officials in the town, that the residents completed the erection of the largest Christmas tree on Friday , which was placed in the center of the town to beautify it, and to mark the start of Christmas celebrations.

The Christmas tree was 14 meters high and 5 meters in diameter, and was painted in white and gold, the largest in years.

The pastor of the Mar Behnam Church, located in the center of the town, Boutros Sheto, said that this tree is "a message of peace for all Iraqis, not only Christians," noting, in an interview with reporters today, that "the message of Christians is: Enough of disagreements and partisanship and enough of conflict. To live in peace and security and unite even on our holidays

International and local organizations continue to rehabilitate the Nineveh Plain areas in general, and the towns to which the residents returned in particular, through projects to rehabilitate infrastructure, homes and service departments that were destroyed by the war, but so far, the majority of the residents of the towns that fled after the invasion of ISIS have not returned, for various reasons. , including the influence of militias and armed groups allied to Iran in those areas, most notably the "Hasd al-Shabak", "Babylonians", "Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq", and "Hezbollah Brigades".

Nihad Salius, a woman from Baghdida, expresses her joy at seeing the Christmas tree bloom in the town of this size, pointing out, in an interview with reporters on the sidelines of the celebration, that the reason for her adherence to her return to the town is her feeling that "it is part of my soul and I have many memories in which I cannot stay away from and live in The diaspora, which prompted me to return to my home after the liberation of the area

In turn, the deacon Sabah Boutros says that he hopes that “the celebrations will permeate all the cities of Iraq as it was before the occupation,” adding, in a telephone conversation with “The New Arab,” that “the government and the authorities are absent so far, and all that is taking place in terms of preparation and celebration are initiatives. of the churches and the population in the areas where they are located.”

He expressed his hope that "these celebrations will be an occasion to emphasize the importance of the return of all Iraqis to their homes and cities as they were, not only those who fled the brutality of ISIS, but also all those who have been displaced since the US occupation of Iraq in 2003 until now link