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Turkey says its soldiers were killed during clashes with fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

Five Turkish soldiers fighting Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq have been killed, the Turkish defence ministry has said in a statement.

Another two soldiers were wounded during clashes that occurred on Tuesday near Iraqs border with Turkey, the statement added.

Turkeys official news agency Anadolu said the Turkish soldiers had clashed with fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which Ankara and some of its Western allies call a terrorist organisation.

The clashes took place during Turkeys latest cross-border offensive against the PKK, which maintains bases in northern Iraq.

The fatalities raise the number of Turkish soldiers killed in the latest offensive to 17. Turkey maintains that dozens of PKK fighters were killed during the operation but the deaths cannot be independently verified.

The PKK has been waging an armed uprising against the Turkish state since 1984, a conflict that has killed 40,000 people, many of them civilians.

Ankara has launched a series of operations against PKK fighters in Iraq and Syria, the latest beginning in April in northern Iraqs Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions.

Since 2016, Turkey has also launched three offensives into northern Syria against the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian-Kurdish offshoot of the PKK.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Turkey would soon launch a new military operation into northern Syria that he said was designed to create a 30-kilometre (19-mile) security zone along their border.

Turkey wants to use these security zones to keep Kurdish fighters at a safe distance and to house some of the 3.7 million Syrian refugees currently sheltering inside its own borders.

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Five Turkish soldiers killed in northern Iraq - Al Jazeera English

The names of two McLennan County veterans who were killed in Iraq, names unintentionally left off a monument erected in 2018 to those from the county killed in the Gulf War, the Iraq War and the Afghanistan War, have been inscribed on this monument.

Army Spc. Javier A. Villanuevas and Army Spc. Jeffrey P. Shaffers names will be unveiled on Memorial Day in a small, private event just for their loved ones and family members, said Steve Hernandez, co-chair of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8564.

VFW Post 8564 and Phipps Memorial coordinated the monument initially, said Larry Bethea, committee chair with VFW Post 8564. Phipps made the donation to erect this monument on Memorial Day in 2018 as well as one listing McLennan County veterans killed in the Korean War. The VFW post compiled the names.

We want pay homage to the family members (on Monday), Hernandez said.

The main Memorial Day ceremony will be in Hewitt Park at 10 a.m.

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Villanueva

Villanuevas mother, Christine Lebron, said his name should have been included with the rest of those on the monument when it was first erected.

Im really grateful theyre doing it (inscribing his name) now, Lebron said.

She said her son should be honored for the soldier he was.

Villaneuva, who graduated from La Vega High School, served with 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment as a combat medic when he died Nov. 24, 2005, in Asad, Iraq, according to an Army site about the medical clinic named for him at Fort Irwin, California. He died at the age of 25.

He received fatal injuries the day before when an improvised explosive device detonated near his unit during combat in Hit, Iraq, according to the Army site.

He was a medic, he saved a lot of lives, Lebron said. He fought and died for his country. He is greatly missed by his family and friends.

Javier Villanueva also had a daughter before he died, Taliyah Villanueva, Lebron said.

Shaffer

Shaffers mother, Melissa Adams, said it is important to her for people to say Shaffers name and remember him. Now that his name is on the monument, people will, she said.

They may not know him personally, but they will know he died fighting a war for this country, Adams said.

People will have the sense of what he did, she said.

Shaffer, who grew up in West, died at the age of 21 on Sept. 13, 2006, in Ramadi, Iraq, according to records. He was a member of the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment when a makeshift bomb exploded near his Bradley fighting vehicle.

Adding the names

In 2020, Adams said Lebron called her and told her both of their sons names were missing. The two mothers reported it to county veterans officials who held a special ceremony with the public driving past to show respect because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Bathea said he and his VFW post committee began to look into Villanueva and Shaffer a few weeks ago to confirm they were actually from McLennan County.

Before we (add) a name on the monument, we verify that they were born in McLennan County or went to school here, Bathea said.

Adams said she and Lebron both had to provide proof to Batheas committee of where Shaffer was born and where he went to school.

The called me to verify where he was born and where he went to school, Lebron said.

Adams remains upset that her sons and Lebrons sons names were left off the monument.

Our boys were born in Waco and they deserve respect, Adams said.

At the time the monument was initially erected, County Veteran Service Officer Jeremiah Ballard said the names etched into it were taken from National Archives and Records Administration information.

According to those records, the Army listed Villanueva as being from Temple and Shaffer from Arkansas. That is why neither was included initially.

Adams maintains that Hernandez knew her from day one. She said that as a co-chair of the committee that put the monument together initially, he should have made sure her sons name was on it.

At the time, Ballard said he expected residents to come forward with more names of family members who should be included, and officials would welcome those additions.

Hernandez said that after Lebron and Adams brought their sons omission from the monument to his and Batheas attention, COVID-19 lockdowns hit.

Then came the gamma wave, the delta wave, and omicron. A few weeks ago was the first time he and Bathea could get the committee together to discuss Villanuevas and Shaffers cases.

Bathea said he was pleasantly surprised that Phipps Memorial was able to get the names inscribed last week.

Keeping their (Shaffers and Villanuevas) names going, keeps their legacy going, Adams said.

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Names of two McLennan County veterans, killed in Iraq, added to local monument - Waco Tribune-Herald

The Strategy, supported by UNICEF, is a decisive step towards reaching SDG target #4.2 in Iraq by 2030, ensuring that all girls and boys have access to quality Early Childhood Development (ECD), care and pre-primary education.

Baghdad, 26 May 2022.- The Government of Iraq, in collaboration with UNICEF, launched today the National Strategy on Early Childhood Development (ECD). The Strategy represents a comprehensive and coherent approach to ECD and acknowledges different stages in child development up to age 8. It puts accountability on relevant authorities, providers, and communities to ensure the promotion and protection of the needs of young children.

During the launch, UNICEF OiC Representative, Janet Kamau noted that: The new National Strategy on ECD is closely aligned with the global Nurturing Care Framework, developed by UNICEF and other partners, and will be key for benefiting Iraqi children in two ways: first in relation to early life influences on their health during the critical first 1,000 days, from conception and continuing through at least the first two years of life, and second through a stronger focus, up to age 8, on maintaining growth, ensuring psychosocial and physical well-being and early childhood education (ECE).

In recent years, Iraq has made progress on key child survival and nutrition indicators, but progress on access to ECE and sensitive child-rearing has been slower. Participation in formal ECE programs such as kindergarten is below 10%, and almost 90% of children aged 1-14 years have been exposed to some type of violence. This new ECD Strategy represents a major milestone on the road to developing the thrive agenda, with a focus on healthy development and well-being for Iraqs children in a safe and stimulating environment, giving them the strongest foundation for educational achievement, successful socialization, and a long and productive working life.

The Strategy is based on the vision of a safe, stable, and happy childhood within a supportive family, society, and a safe environment to ensure the best opportunities for children's well-being in Iraq. In addition, the executive framework of the ECD strategy has been developed covering the main five areas related to the rollout of the Strategy: management and planning; quality; curricula; training; family, children, and community participation. The framework also includes the adoption of basic goals for each field linked to the ministries involved in this strategy.

This new strategy will need to be matched with new investments to overcome related challenges. For example, while there is a national network of primary health care facilities and high rates of skilled birth attendance and immunization, the ECE network remains scarce, and limited priority is given to early stimulation at the domestic level. UNICEF acknowledges the additional efforts of the Government of Iraq in the National Development Plan 2018-2022, but the goal of increasing ECE coverage to 30% by 2031 is ambitious and will require a higher budget share in the coming years.

To ensure access to ECD services for all children, UNICEF, WFP, and the ILO, funded by the European Union, are working to ensure that children from the most vulnerable groups are prioritized through social protection programs, aiming to improve access to early childhood education (ECE).

With the additional support of other partners like the World Bank and Germany, and in coordination with UNESCO and other UN agencies, UNICEF will work to support the Government of Iraq on the implementation of the National Strategy on ECD, from conception until 8 years of age.

###

Media contacts

Miguel Mateos MunozChief of CommunicationUNICEF IraqTel: +964 7827820238Email: mmateosmunoz@unicef.org

Zaid FahmiCommunication OfficerUNICEFTel: 07809126792Email: zfahmi@unicef.org

Originally posted here:
Iraq launches, with the support of UNICEF, the National Strategy on Early Childhood Development [EN/AR] - Iraq - ReliefWeb

The entire United States Military Academy Corps of Cadets (roughly 4,000 men and women) eats meals together in a massive, open mess hall. At the center of it all is what remains of an early structure of the academy; an open balcony that overlooks each of the thousands of cadets at their 10-person tables.

During lunch, it is common for an appointed cadet to ascend the balcony, grab a microphone, and make announcements that pertain to the entire Corps. Attention to orders, the cadet will lead in, and at once, thousands of conversations and clinking utensils will drop silent. The announcing cadet then passes along the relevant information of the day.

I attended and graduated from the United States Military Academy West Point during a time of war, as did tens of thousands of future officers over the past two decades. When I started in 2002, the United States had forces in active combat in Afghanistan. In the spring of my first year, we invaded Iraq. As my time at West Point progressed and the wars escalated, so did the number of my friends and acquaintances who had gone into the fight.

During that time, I came to brace myself for the sad new reality of the lunchtime announcement: the persistent expectation that it may bring news of the death of another graduate a leader, mentor, and friend to those of us still wearing cadet gray. Attention to ordersthe Corps mourns the passing of a graduate of the Academy who was killed on combat operations in Iraq or Afghanistan, a fellow cadet would say. This was the announcement each time a death had been made public.

Lunch felt more serious for me after the first time a mentor of mine was killed. There seemed to be a daily moment when 4,000 of us would collectively hold our breath and hope that the next words after attention to orders wouldnt be the Corps mourns.

Personally, I came to accept it as a sobering reminder of the serious work I had agreed to take on: leading people in the execution of the policies of our elected leaders. It was a way of maintaining focus, and honoring and revering the fallen and those who still served. But I simultaneously felt deep guilt for the thought that came to mind with every announcement the Corps mourns, the announcer would say, and I would think, I hope its not someone I know.

Time has passed, and with it the march of sad news; many more friends, teammates, or even just familiar faces have met their end in service to our country. I have been out of the Army for years now, but I still carry the same sense of dread I did as a cadet. The lunchtime announcement has been replaced by the unexpected text from someone I havent spoken with in years. Hey, do you have a minute to talk? they often read, leading me to think, I wonder who died.

I have come to accept this feeling. I chose to enter the military and, thus chose to build some of my closest relationships with people who are disproportionately exposed to the risks of military service.

But I do not believe that every American should have to live with this lingering fear. Nor should we have to live like we are deployed in a combat zone.

I entertained the prospect of death every day during my deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. I mitigated risk as much as possible for my soldiers before leading them on missions. I prepared letters for a friend to share with my wife, unborn son, brothers, and parents should I die. I even indulged in rituals a prayer hanging by the doorway of my sleeping quarters that I would read every time I left, or a rubber band around my wrist when I was back home to remind me to think about my friends in harms way.

Now it feels like the mentality I had while serving has returned. I feel things that I felt when I was at war; when Im thinking about what I will do with my family this weekend; when I am out and about with them. Where would a shooter start his attack? Where is the best place for me to put my children behind cover? Are my friends and relatives safe right now, wherever they are?

Just a few weeks ago, we saw yet another hate-filled person with legal access to war-making equipment end 10 lives, and destroy an unknowable number of others, right here on American soil. Afterward, I began a mental inventory of friends and colleagues who do I know who is from Buffalo or has loved ones there?

It was not the first time I have felt this dread and frustration. I have a friend whose family belongs to a synagogue in Pittsburgh. In October 2018, when I heard the news of the domestic terrorist using a legally-obtained assault rifle to attack the Tree of Life Synagogue, my heart immediately sank as I fumbled to grab my phone and reach out to my friend and make sure he and his family were safe (thankfully, they were).

I live in Colorado. Last year, after the Boulder supermarket shooting, I got out my phone to start checking on people who lived or worked in or near the town, feeling the same selfish feeling that causes me so much guilt: I hope nobody I know died.

My brother is gay. After the 2016 mass shooting at a bar in Orlando, I would lay awake wondering if someone with a problem and a weapon of war would happen across one of my brothers hangouts where he lives.

Even more important to consider are children, targeted and slaughtered across our country for decades, with nothing done to stem the ever-rising tide.

Sometimes, the oldest of my three children comes home from school and casually remarks, we did a lockdown today. His school is a few miles away from STEM School Highlands Ranch, the site of a school shooting in 2019. He asked me once a few years ago, Im not going to die for a really, really long time, right? A lump welled in my throat as my immediate and unspoken reaction was that I had no way of guaranteeing that.

The other night, following the mass murder at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, I had to try to help my son process what happened earlier in the day. It was our first open conversation about mass shootings. He was focused on the tactical what should I do if Im in the bathroom alone when theres a lockdown? as he cried for the children who had been murdered earlier in the day.

The next morning, I wept in my car after seeing my children off for the day. It made me think of people saying goodbye to loved ones as they embarked on deployments.

And so I, and I would assume many people like me, live with this dark cloud of dread in the back of my mind. Somewhere out there right now, the next mass murderer is building up the resolve to do the unspeakable. Maybe he is deranged, maybe hes just grossly misled and emboldened by the enlivened presence of misinformation in our country. Regardless, he will get a military-grade weapon, and limitless ammunition, walk into a public space, and destroy countless lives. Will the next lives belong to people I know?

This cloud of dread is accompanied by frustration and outrage. Our society is under attack by domestic terrorists who are armed with inexplicably protected weapons and fueled by ridiculous rhetoric and theories that blossom in our point-scoring political environment. We are all now, to a degree, at higher risk as we live under the policies and leadership of elected officials that fail to protect us.

Those officials have made no real movement to protect us from these terrorists, and moreover, they confoundingly enable them. They protect the ability for people to own weapons of war in the face of an 81% majority of our citizens who want mandatory background checks and nearly two-thirds who want an outright assault weapons ban, according to Pew Research Center.

I volunteered for a life where I would have to think tactically about what to do under fire. My eight-, five-, and four-year-old children did not. I volunteered to become part of a profession in which I would come to know, respect and love a disproportionate number of people who met violent ends. My neighbors did not. Yet these innocents are being asked implicitly and sometimes explicitly to bear the unbearable, while those with the power to change our lot for the better continue to do nothing.

We are all at risk, and an overwhelming majority of us have specified how we want that risk reduced; why are our leaders permitting these attacks to continue?

Thomas Leonard served as an infantry officer in the United States Army from 2006 to 2014. The opinions expressed in this article are his alone and do not represent the United States Army or his current employer.

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Why are Americans forced to feel the same fear that I did as a soldier in Iraq? - Task & Purpose

Yusef JalaliPress TV, Khorramshahr

It is just another day in Iran's southwestern city of Khorramshahr, with the call to prayer resonating from the city's main mosque, Masjed Jame'.But 40 years ago, the mosque was witness to a historic day that changed the course of the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s.It was the day when the city was recaptured from the Iraqi forces after 19 months.

War veteran Abdul Saheb still recalls what he refers to as the decisive day.

Khorramshahr was the first city that was captured by Iraq shortly after the onset of a war that took a marathon eight years only to end in a ceasefire with no gains for Iraq.

Then, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein enjoyed full military support from the West, believing to capture Khorramshahr only in three hours.

But the strategic port city of Khorramshahr was finally captured by Iraq in October 1980.

After an eventful 576 days, the city was liberated in May 1982 during Operation Beit ol-Moqaddas, which forced Iraqis to retreat to the border.

Once known as the 'Bride of the Middle East', Khorramshahr, today, has turned into a symbol of resistance in Iran.

While some of the bullet-riddled walls are still kept untouched, everywhere else in the city, there is a sign that reminds passers by of the May 24th resistance.

The liberation of Khorramshahr went down in history as a turning point in the Iraq Iran war that changed the fate of the war and stopped the Iraqi forces from making further incursions into the Iranian soil.

That's why Iranians still remember the decisive moment to honor those who made it happen.

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A flashback to 1982 liberation of 'Bride of Middle East' from Iraq - Press TV