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Iraq

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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.

Axis Of Resistance Expands Solidarity With Palestine

In his first speech after the Al-Aqsa Flood, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah stated that the support front from Lebanon operates according to two criteria: one related to the scale of the enemy’s attacks and the other concerning the support needed to prevent the breaking of the resistance in Gaza. The leader of Ansarallah, Sayyed Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, was quick to announce that Yemen’s involvement in the battle aims to stop the aggression and lift the siege on Gaza. Both parties, in all subsequent statements issued by their respective war media, emphasized key phrases: supporting Gaza, backing its resistance and striving to stop the aggression and lift the siege.

EU Admits ‘Double Standards’ On Israel, Ukraine, Iraq, Climate Crisis

The European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Josep Borrell, has acknowledged that the West has hypocritical “double standards”. Borrell argued that “diplomacy is the art of managing double standards”. As examples of Western hypocrisy, the top EU diplomat cited international law, the Russia-Ukraine-NATO war, Israel’s bombing of Gaza, the US-led invasion of Iraq, and climate change. “Wherever I go, I find myself confronted with the accusation of double standards”, Borrell recalled. “I used to say to my ambassadors that diplomacy is the art of managing double standards. Certainly, something difficult, but it is about [that]: to manage double standards”.

‘Dive Bomber’ Drones Strike US Base In Western Iraq

US forces stationed at the Ain al-Assad airbase in western Iraq were attacked with dive bomber drones on 17 July, Al Mayadeen reported. “The attack targeted a commercial center and a gas station inside the American base … the explosions heard were the result of attacks by the incoming drones,” sources told the news outlet. The drone attack comes two days after a source in the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI) told Lebanese daily Al-Akhbar that the armed coalition was considering renewing their operations against US bases in Iraq and Syria. “The [Iraqi] government’s positions are contradictory regarding the termination of the international coalition and US forces’ missions in the country.

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Urgent End Of Year Fundraising Campaign

Online donations are back! 

Keep independent media alive. 

Due to the attacks on our fiscal sponsor, we were unable to raise funds online for nearly two years.  As the bills pile up, your help is needed now to cover the monthly costs of operating Popular Resistance.

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