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Iraq

Pentagon Demands Iraq Dismantle Resistance Factions, Iran Responds

March 22, 2025 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , , ,
Washington has demanded that Iraq disarm and dismantle Shia resistance factions in the country, the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported on 21 March. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued the demand to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani during a phone call last Sunday, The source stressed that “this issue is of special interest to the administration of [US] President Donald Trump.” Sudani informed the US side that his government is working to address this issue through ongoing dialogue with the armed factions, known collectively as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), the source added.

Trump: ‘Resume Kurdish Oil Exports Or Face Sanctions’

February 22, 2025 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , ,
Officials in the government of US President Donald Trump say Iraq must allow Kurdish oil exports to restart or face sanctions alongside Iran, Reuters reported on 21 February, citing eight sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Washington wants oil exports from Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to resume to offset a potential fall in Iranian oil exports. President Trump has pledged to cut oil exports from Iran to zero as part of a new "maximum pressure" campaign against the Islamic Republic. On Monday, Iraq's oil minister made a surprise announcement saying exports from Iraqi Kurdistan would resume next week. 

Sarah Adams And The Return Of The Iraq War Playbook

January 15, 2025 Robert Inlakesh, MintPress News. , , , ,
A network of former intelligence operatives has woven itself into the fabric of right-wing alternative media, amplifying anti-Muslim scare narratives that appear aimed at countering a noted decline in conservative support for Israel since October 7, 2023. Central to this effort is Sarah Adams, a figure promoting conspiracies about a supposed Palestinian-linked Al-Qaeda plot against the West. On December 12, 2024, Adams appeared on the Shawn Ryan Show for a two-hour interview that quickly amassed over 2.5 million views on YouTube. Shorter excerpts have gained further traction across social media platforms.

Al-Qaeda-Linked ‘Rebels’ In Syria Say They ‘Love Israel’

December 7, 2024 Ben Norton, Geopolitical Economy. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The United States spent billions over years arming and training militants in Syria, many linked to Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Current US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan admitted back in 2012 that “AQ [Al-Qaeda] is on our side in Syria”. In late November 2024, armed extremists took over Syria’s second-biggest city, Aleppo, in an operation sponsored by NATO member Turkey. Some of the Al-Qaeda-linked “rebels” that rule the Syrian provinces of Aleppo and Idlib told the Israeli media that they “love Israel”. They vowed to establish a new pro-Western regime in Syria.

Iran, Iraq Vow Support For Syria During Tripartite Summit In Baghdad

December 7, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , ,
Tehran and Baghdad expressed support for Syria on 6 December during a press conference to discuss the recent expansion of extremist groups across the country, following meetings between the foreign ministers of the three states in the Iraqi capital. “There is an international duty to fight terrorism in Syria,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said during the press conference. The foreign minister thanked Baghdad for hosting the tripartite meeting in the Iraqi capital, where he “held important meetings with the presidencies in Iraq in which he talked about relations between the two countries and the situation in Syria."

Iraqi Abu Ghraib Torture Victims Win $42 Million In Lawsuit

November 28, 2024 John Kiriakou, Scheer Post. , , , , , ,
Three Iraqi survivors of U.S. torture won a major victory in early November when a jury in the federal district court for the Eastern District of Virginia awarded each of them $3 million in compensatory damages and $11 million in punitive damages to be paid by American defense contractor CACI, which was responsible for the cruel and inhumane treatment that they endured in Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison more than two decades ago. The judgment is notable for several reasons. First, it is the first time that a U.S. defense contractor has ever been successfully sued for managing a torture program.

‘Strong US Pressure’ Behind Muffled Israeli Response To Iraqi Resistance

November 17, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , ,
Iraq's State of Law coalition revealed on 16 November that Israel is under “strong pressure” from the US to prevent any response to ongoing operations in support of Palestine by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI). "There is pressure from the United States of America on the Zionist entity to prevent it from carrying out any strikes against Iraq, for fear of straining the relationship between Baghdad and Washington, especially since there is a joint security agreement between the two countries, and for this reason, America is putting strong pressure on the entity," Saad al-Muttalibi, a senior member of the coalition told Shafaq News.

Iraq Denounces ‘False Pretexts’ Used By Western Media To Justify Attacks

November 7, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , ,
Iraq's Ministerial Council for National Security on 6 November denied western media reports that say Iran is “planning a significant attack against Israel from Iraqi soil,” calling the claims “false pretexts" intended to “justify” violating Iraqi sovereignty. "Iraq’s national interests demand distancing its land and airspace from the hostilities fueled by Israel’s expansionist and aggressive policies toward nations and peoples in the region," the statement says. It also reiterates “Iraq’s steadfast support for the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples in their struggle and condemned the acts of genocide committed by the Israeli regime against them.”

Iraq Submits Protest Letter At UN Over Israel’S Use Of Airspace To Attack Iran

October 28, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , , ,
Baghdad announced on 28 October that a protest letter has been lodged with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemning Israel’s “flagrant violation” of Iraq’s airspace to launch airstrikes in neighboring Iran. The office of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the foreign ministry to issue the letter and to communicate with Washington regarding this violation under the terms of the nations’ bilateral strategic framework agreement. Officials who spoke with Shafaq News Agency said Baghdad “will not allow the use of Iraqi airspace or lands to attack other countries, especially neighboring countries that have relations of respect and common interests with Iraq.”

Iraqi Resistance ‘Ready For Open War’ Against Israel After Lebanon Attacks

September 28, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , , ,
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) announced its readiness for a comprehensive war with Israel in response to a series of massive Israeli strikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut overnight, Al-Akhbar reported on 28 September. The Israeli bombing campaign targeted the headquarters of Hezbollah as well as civilian residential buildings in Beirut's Dahiye neighborhoods, causing major destruction. The number of victims remains unclear but is expected to be large, as many were buried underneath the rubble of the destroyed buildings. Ali al-Mahdi, the leader of the Iraqi resistance, told Al-Akhbar in a statement that "the armed factions have the full capacity and readiness in terms of fighters, weapons, and drones to fight a long war on a regional level.

Syria And Iraq: Unsung Heroes In Defending Lebanon And Palestine

September 28, 2024 Richie Merino, Workers' World. , , , , , ,
Syria and the Islamic Resistance in Iraq are demonstrating exceptional solidarity with Lebanon, providing critical aid and defense against Israeli terrorist attacks and indiscriminate bombings, yet their contributions remain largely unrecognized. They are the unseen forces behind Lebanon’s defense and resilience, backing Hezbollah, the country’s militant resistance organization. Syria has bolstered its defensive and humanitarian efforts, while the Iraqi resistance has intensified its offensive operations. They, alongside Iran and Yemen, are united in their material support for Lebanon and Palestine. Syria has significantly increased its defensive measures and humanitarian aid to Lebanon.

Why Does The US Still Control Every Penny Of Iraqi Oil Revenues?

September 28, 2024 Hussein Askary, Orinoco Tribune. , , , ,
In July, the Iraqi Central Bank halted all foreign transactions in Chinese Yuan, succumbing to intense pressure from the US Federal Reserve to do so. The shutdown followed a brief period during which Baghdad had allowed merchants to trade in Yuan, an initiative intended to mitigate excessive US restrictions on Iraq’s access to US dollars. While this Yuan-based trade excluded Iraq’s oil exports, which remained in US dollars, Washington viewed it as a threat to its financial dominance over the Persian Gulf state. But how has the US managed to exert such total control over Iraqi financial policies? The answer lies in 2003, with mechanisms established following the illegal US-led invasion of Iraq.

US, Iraq Settle On ‘Late 2026’ Deadline For Full Troop Withdrawal

September 7, 2024 News Desk, The Cradle. , , ,
The governments of Iraq and the US have agreed on a timetable for the withdrawal of US and “international coalition” troops from the war-ravaged country, according to informed sources who spoke with Reuters. “The plan, which has been broadly agreed but requires a final go-ahead from both capitals and an announcement date, would see hundreds of troops leave by September 2025, with the remainder departing by the end of 2026,” the British news outlet reports. The plan would see all troops from the US-led coalition leave Iraq's Ain al-Asad airbase in western Anbar province and “significantly reduce their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.”

USA Lets Athletes Cheat With Steroids, While Accusing Russia And China

August 11, 2024 Ben Norton, Geopolitical Economy. , , , , , , , , , , , ,
The United States has for a decade allowed athletes in international competitions, including the Olympics, to use prohibited drugs such as steroids, recruiting them as informants to spy on others. This is according to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the global authority on the use of banned substances in sports. WADA revealed this in a statement on August 7, detailing “a scheme whereby the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) allowed athletes who had doped, to compete for years, in at least one case without ever publishing or sanctioning their anti-doping rule violations, in direct contravention of the World Anti-Doping Code and USADA’s own rules”.

Suicide Squad

August 1, 2024 Nick Turse, Consortium News. , , , , , , , , , ,
At the end of the last century, hoping to drive the United States from Saudi Arabia, the home of Islam’s holiest sites, al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden sought to draw in the American military. He reportedly wanted to “bring the Americans into a fight on Muslim soil,” provoking savage asymmetric conflicts that would send home a stream of “wooden boxes and coffins” and weaken American resolve. As lethal as those Islamist fighters have been, however, another “enemy” has proven far more deadly for American forces: themselves. A recent Pentagon study found suicide to be the leading cause of death among active-duty U.S. Army personnel.
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