“Tidbits From TNT” Saturday 1-24-2026
TNT:
Tishwash: $100 billion in Iraqi savings revealed at the US Federal Reserve
Economic expert Duraid Al-Anzi said on Friday that Iraq should not have been exposed to any financial crisis or any form of financial distress, stressing that the concerned authorities did not adopt the proposed oil prices in the budgets, which led to the current financial situation.
Al-Anzi explained in a statement to Al-Furat News Agency that “Iraq has been objected to several times regarding not relying on high prices in budgets, and the necessity of not exceeding $65 per barrel in order to be able to save,” noting that “oil prices have changed a lot, but the competent authorities did not think about the future and did not adopt the proposed prices.”
He added that “Iraq is able to demand additional amounts from its savings held by the US Federal Reserve, as Iraq has savings in the US Federal Reserve exceeding $100 billion, which were transferred to JPMorgan,” explaining that “these funds belong to Iraq after 2003 and have accumulated, and the only beneficiary of them is JPMorgan, which gives simple interest rates, and it is not known whether they reach Iraq or not, and they have not been addressed, despite the amounts being doubled.” link
Sudani's chances are improving again... New information revealed by MP Al-Luwaizi
MP Abdul Rahman Al-Luwaizi, from the Reconstruction and Development bloc, said that what is being circulated regarding an official concession or political marketing to hand over the premiership to the leader of the State of Law Coalition, Nouri Al-Maliki, is “untrue in word and deed,” stressing that the political reality indicates a different course in managing the nomination file.
Al-Luwaizi explained in televised statements followed by “Jarida Platform” that what is currently happening is opening the way for the current Prime Minister, Muhammad Shia Al-Sudani, to give Nouri Al-Maliki the political opportunity to enter the race for the nomination, indicating that this option does not mean deciding the position in favor of Al-Maliki, but rather subjecting him to a test of his ability to form the government within the existing equations and balances.
He added that Maliki’s failure to form a government, if he is officially tasked with it, will reopen all political options, noting that Mohammed Shia al-Sudani’s chances may rise again strongly, based on considerations of internal balances and the magnitude of the challenges that any new tasked person may face.
Al-Luwaizi indicated that if the option of assigning Al-Maliki proceeds, the Reconstruction and Development bloc will have a "significant" ministerial share within the new government formation, explaining that the talk is about five sovereign or heavy service ministries.
He also pointed out that the political blocs that had previously objected to al-Sudani’s appointment and nomination for the premiership may receive modest ministerial shares compared to the supporting blocs, which reinforces the hypothesis of al-Sudani’s repositioning as a strong option in the next stage.
Al-Luwaizi concluded his remarks by emphasizing that the political scene is still open to several scenarios, and that the decision regarding the premiership will remain contingent on the candidate's ability to overcome political complexities and form a government that enjoys broad consensus. link
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Tishwash: Announcement of a joint US military exercise at the embassy and Baghdad airport
US President Donald Trump stated that a large naval fleet is moving towards the Middle East region, including an aircraft carrier and a number of destroyers.
This came in a statement to reporters aboard the presidential plane, "Air Force One," on his way back to the United States after meeting with leaders from around the world in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump said, "We have a large number of ships moving in that direction, in case of any emergency... I don't want anything to happen, but we are watching them very closely."
The US forces in the Middle East are being reinforced with the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and a number of destroyers equipped with guided missiles and additional air defense systems that could be critical to defense if any Iranian attack occurs on US bases in the region.
According to media reports and statements by a US Navy official, the aircraft carrier "Abraham Lincoln" and three destroyers are making their way to the Middle East region, with estimates suggesting their arrival within the next few days.
US media reported that the US force includes an aircraft carrier, cruisers and missile destroyers, in addition to squadrons of fighter jets belonging to the Air Force and ground-based air and missile defense systems.
American warships, including the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, several destroyers, and fighter jets, began moving from the Asia-Pacific region to the Middle East last week, amid rising tensions and escalation between Tehran and Washington over the recent protests in Iran.
It is noted that the US military had amassed a large force last summer before its strikes last June against sites in Iran.
The White House announced last Thursday that President Trump and his team are closely monitoring developments in Iran, and stressed that "all options regarding Tehran remain on the table." link
Mot: Notice!!! -- the GroundHog Has been Warned!!!
Mot: Snow Advisory!!!!
