Latest in Tag: Iraq Highlight
Latest in Tag: Iraq

We warned NATO against intervention in Libya and Iraq: Putin
Putin speaks on Western involvement in Libya and Iraq as conflict in regions continues

Air raids by US coalition kill 10 IS leaders, Coalition spokesperson
One of the killed leaders, Abd El Kader Hakim, was facilitating attacks abroad, says US led collation spokesperson

Iraq announces recapture of government complex from IS in Ramadi
Victory in the Sunni-majority Ramadi will strip IS of one of its key locations along its supply line

Egypt, Arab League condemn Turkish military deployment in Iraq
Turkey has repeatedly justified the deployment as “routine” training

1 million refugee entered Europe this year: IOM
More coordinated European response is beginning to take shape, says joint IOM-UNHCR statement

Report: ‘Islamic State’ loses 14 percent of territory
The “Islamic State” has lost 14 percent of the territory it held at the start of the year, suggesting the group may have overstretched. The Syrian Kurds have increased territory under their control by 186 percent.

Turkey announces continued withdrawal of troops from Iraq
Ankara admits “lack of communication” with Baghdad over troop deployment

Amid tension, Turkey agrees to pull more troops out of Iraq
Ankara has said it is to continue pulling its military forces out of Iraq after an appeal from President Obama. Turkish troops have allegedly been taking on fighters with the so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) near Mosul. Following an appeal from the White House, Turkey agreed on Saturday to pull more of its soldiers out of …

Saudi anti-terrorism coalition continues to unravel
It is a political statement, but building coalitions takes time, say political analysts

Thousands protest in Iraq against Turkish troop deployment
Mass demonstrations have been staged in Baghdad and Basra calling for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from near the northern city of Mosul. Some protesters threatened violence against the soldiers. Thousands of Iraqis, many of them members of Shiite militias, gathered in Tahrir Square in the capital, Baghdad, on Saturday to call on Ankara to …

Turkey to halt troop transfers to Iraq after angry objections from Baghdad
Turkey has promised to stop deploying troops to northern Iraq after Baghdad threatened to appeal to the UN Security Council to force the soldiers out. Iraq’s government says Turkish forces entered the country illegally. Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu assured Iraq on Sunday that no more troops would be sent across the border until Baghdad’s …

What have we learned in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq?
International military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya have led to some of the worst possible outcomes. Will the United States and Europe repeat their past mistakes in their war on the “Islamic State”? Scenes from September 11, 2001, vaguely resemble those of November 13, 2015: Terrorists carry out an unthinkable attack in a country …

Iraq summons Ankara’s envoy over Turkish troops deployed near Mosul
Turkey committed a ‘hostile act’ by deploying troops to northern Iraq, according to the Foreign Ministry in Baghdad. Turkey claims it just reinforced an existing training camp for local volunteers

Turkish soldiers enter northern Iraq, Baghdad demands swift withdrawal
Baghdad says the entry of a battalion of Turkish troops is a violation of its sovereignty. Iraq’s foreign ministry has described the activity as “an incursion” and demanded the immediate withdrawal of Turkish forces

Mass grave of ‘Islamic State’ victims found near Sinjar in Iraq
Officials in Iraq’s north say they’ve found a mass grave containing the remains of over 100 people killed by “Islamic State.” It’s said to be the sixth such find near Sinjar since the town was retaken from the group. At least 113 members of the Yazidi minority were found in the bomb-rigged grave about 10 …

Iraqi author Najem Wali: ‘Arabic media outlets are controlled by petro-dollars’
The Iraqi writer and journalist discusses with DW about the responsibility of intellectuals in the Arab world and the inspiration for his books, explaining why the poet Adonis does not deserve a peace prize at all. Born in 1956 in the town of Basra in Iraq, writer and journalist Najem Wali fled the country in …

Kurdish forces enter Sinjar in northern Iraq
Kurdish forces backed by US airstrikes have entered “Islamic State” controlled Sinjar in northern Iraq. Securing the city is expected to be slow because of improvised explosive devices and booby traps. Kurdish forces entered parts of Sinjar on Friday morning after cutting off the main Highway 47 to the east and west. Nearly 7,500 Iraqi …

Iraqi Kurdish forces take key highway connecting IS strongholds in Syria, Iraq
Kurdish forces in Iraq have gained control of parts of the main highway connecting two “Islamic State” strongholds in Iraq and Syria. Backed by US airstrikes, the operation aims to take back the town of Sinjar. Kurdish peshmerga troops in Iraq, backed by US airstrikes, have taken control of a key highway connecting “Islamic State”-controlled …

Obama administration to step up strategy to fight Islamic State
Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has said the US will ramp up air strikes against the terror group in Syria and Iraq. His testimony comes as Russia and Syrian government forces step up their own attacks on the group. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said on Tuesday the Obama administration is stepping up its military campaign …

Blair apologises for Iraq war ‘mistakes’
The former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said he is sorry for mistakes around the US-led military invasion of Iraq. Speaking to CNN, he also conceded that the war may have helped bring about the “Islamic State.” Tony Blair apologised for some aspects of the way the case to invade Iraq in 2003 had …

Car bombs kill dozens across Iraq
Three Iraqi towns have been targeted by deadly bomb blasts, including one in the relatively quiet Basra region, according to officials. The government is struggling to provide security as the fight against IS continues. At least 56 people were killed in three separate car bombings on Monday, targeting busy areas in the towns of al-Khales …

Arab League’s inaction is shameful
Everyone is talking about the refugee crisis overwhelming Europe; everyone apart from the League of Arab States that is. To date it has had little to say on the topic and, as far as I can tell, has no plan to help alleviate the problem. Why have there not been any emergency summits announced? Where …

UN: Not enough money for refugees in Iraq
More than three million Iraqis are on the run in their own country. The United Nations are sounding the alarm bells. The refugee situation is getting increasingly desperate due to a shortage of funding. Now, more than a year after “Islamic State” (IS) gained a foothold in Iraq, UN representative Dominik Bartsch is painting a …

Russia takes advantage of Western reluctance in engage in Syria
Russia may soon bolster the Syrian army by deploying ground troops, allowing Moscow to expand its influence on the developments in the Syrian war. Western states are doing less and less to resist Russian policies.

Shoukry, Hammond discuss Al-Sisi’s visit to UK
British side expects the visit to enhance political and economical bilateral relations, says foreign micerpts are optional hand-crafted summaries of your content that can be usnistry

Turkey renews military mandate for Iraq, Syria
Turkish MPs have voted to extend, for a year, the authorisation of troops to Syria and Iraq to fight “Islamic State” (IS) militants. The mandate passed, despite resistance from the pro-Kurdish opposition. The Turkish parliament convened for an extraordinary session to lengthen the current military mandate for another 12 months. The existing directive expires on …

The industrialisation of reconciliation: Iran, Saudi Arabia and IS
I came across a curious news item the other day on Reuters about an industrial development project in Saudi Arabia, and it rang a few bells. The plan is to build a “new industrial city in the south of the al-Ahsa district in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province”, a project helmed by the state-owned oil company …

Turkey launches first coalition airstrikes against IS
Turkish fighter jets have hit “Islamic State” targets in Syria – for the first time as part of the US-led coalition. Turkey took on a more active role in the fight against IS in July, ending months of indecisiveness
Turkey ready for anti-IS strikes: Pentagon
Turkish officials have said they are now ready to fully participate in US-led coalition strikes against the “Islamic State” group. The Pentagon said joint strikes may begin within day

UN Security Council discusses Islamic State violence against gays
The UN Security Council has discussed violence against gays committed by the “Islamic State” in Syria and Iraq during an informal meeting Monday. The debate was the first of its kind to focus solely on gay rights