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By Shelly Kittleson

BAGHDAD - March marks the one-year anniversary of an Iraqi law meant to grant financial compensation to victims of the Yezidi genocide.

The Iraqi parliament passed the Yezidi Survivors Law one year ago this month after debating it for two years. However, civil society organizations in the country warn that insufficient funds have been allocated to implement it.

Meanwhile, continued insecurity in the Yezidi ethno-religious group's traditional homeland in northwestern Iraq and insufficient funds to implement the law leaves little for IDPs and refugees from the suffering ethno-religious minority to go back to.

The Coalition for Just Reparations (C4JR), an alliance of Iraqi civil society organizations, held a press conference in Baghdad earlier this month to mark the anniversary and claimed no funding had yet been granted for its implementation this year.

A statement issued by the coalition claimed that:" this groundbreaking law is one of the very few examples of states taking deliberate action to specifically address the rights and needs of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence".

It stressed, however, that "any law is only as good as its implementation" and that: "Apart from the preliminary emergency funding allocated in 2021, no financial means have, as of yet, been envisaged to support the sustainable and thorough implementation of the law in 2022." Thousands of members of the ethno-religious group were killed, displaced or abducted after the Islamic State (ISIS) took over their area in the northwestern part of Iraq close to both the Turkish and the Syrian border in August 2014.

Over 2,000 women - many of whom enslaved and tortured sexually, psychologically, and physically by ISIS fighters - remain missing.

Some have been found in recent months in the al-Hol IDP camp thought to house only family members of ISIS in northeastern Syria, infamous for the risks and poor conditions within the camp. Others were taken by ISIS fighters who "married" them to other areas of Syria.

Thousands of Yezidi remain internally displaced within Iraq, most of whom in the Kurdistan Region, almost five years after the country declared victory against ISIS in 2017.

Many others fled abroad with a significant number leaving to Germany, where there had been a large Yezidi community even before the emergence of ISIS. It was a German court that in December of last year held the world's first criminal trial addressing genocide against the Yezidis, leading to the conviction of a man known as Taha Al. J for genocide and crimes against humanity. The case marked the first time a former ISIS member had been convicted of genocide.

Numerous refugees who returned to Iraq on flights from the border between Belarus and Poland late last year, amid freezing conditions and a sealed border, were from the Yezidi minority group.

Some of the Yazidis that arrived in Erbil on humanitarian flights in the autumn said that they did not have funds even for transportation back to the internally displaced persons (IDP) camps that had previously been their homes for years.

Many now watch the open-door policy towards Ukrainians fleeing their home country as well with something akin to despair.

Late last month, the UN Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by ISIS (UNITAD) began digging up seven mass graves in the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar, much of which was destroyed by ISIS and the fighting to retake it from the group.

The presence of several non-state armed groups operating in the Sinjar area also prevents the return of IDPs and remains a source of instability. An agreement signed in late 2020 to remove these groups - including the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which trained and engaged in recruitment for a local branch of fighters - remains unimplemented.

Though bombs are not falling on them and they are no longer being rounded up and shot in mass, many Yezidis fear a slow death in an area filled with painful memories while depending indefinitely on humanitarian aid in camps for survival.

Read more:
Iraq: Little to return to for Yezidi IDPs and refugees - General news - ANSAMed - ANSAmed

Baghdad, 13-14th March 2022 - 41 government legal advisors and veterinary representatives throughout Iraq participated in the workshop hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) under the title of veterinary legal legislation, in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, and within the activities of the Project to Improve Animal Health Service Delivery and Disease Control in Iraq funded by the Defence Threat Reduction Agency American (DTRA). The workshop aimed to introduce regulatory mechanisms for animal disease surveillance and control, import and export of animals and their products, as well as to bridge the gap between animal health services and disease control legislation and its practical application.

The representative of the FAO organization in Iraq, Dr. Salah Al-Hajj Hassan, addressed opening remarks by greeting and thanking the attendees. He affirmed the organization's commitment to adopting modern concepts and values in the "One Health" approach to address health threats to animals, humans, plants and the environment. He added that this workshop provides an opportunity to exchange information and ideas on Iraqi animal health legislation and related regulations and how to move forward in amending them in accordance with OIE and international standards. He also explained that all recommendations will be reviewed for the purpose of their announcement after coordination with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Representative of his excellency the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Raed Haddad, the legal advisor to the minister conveyed the greetings of his excellency the Minister of Agriculture, in addition to praising the effective cooperation between the Ministry of Agriculture and the Food and Agriculture Organization and the organization's role in implementing activities and programs funded by donors to support the agricultural sector in Iraq.

While the head of the Iraqi Veterinarians Syndicate, Dr. Samira Latif, explained the role of FAO in supporting the agricultural sector, both plant and animal, and the importance of holding these specialized training workshops, including this one (Veterinary Legislation).

The legal advisor to the Iraqi Lawyers Syndicate, Mr. Ahmed Majid Al-Hassan, stressed the importance of involving the Association in studies on veterinary legal legislation, thanking the role of the FAO by shedding light on this important issue.

The workshop was attended by the representative of the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources/Kurdistan Regional Government, representative of the Syndicate of Veterinarians in Kurdistan, The deans of both veterinary colleges in Baghdad and Duhok, with the participation of officials and representatives of veterinary services from Erbil and Baghdad, in addition to the targeted governorates (Duhok, Nineveh, Anbar, Wasit, Muthanna and Basrah).

The training included of presentations, group work, practical examples and case studies to enrich discussions on elements of veterinary legislation, including animal disease control and animal production, and was supplemented by the exchange of observational experiences and the exchange of information among the participants.

Visit link:
Improving Delivery of Animal Health Services and Disease Surveillance in Iraq (Legislation Training workshop) - Iraq - ReliefWeb

The UAEs crucial World Cup qualifier against Iraq, originally set for Baghdad next week, will be played at a neutral venue outside the host country.

The Football Association confirmed on Wednesday that the March 24 tie, the penultimate match day in Group A that has major implications in the race for Qatar 2022, will no longer be staged in the Iraqi capital.

The National understands the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) will confirm the new venue within the next 24 to 48 hours.

A statement from the FA read: Fifa and the AFC have decided to transfer the national team match against Iraq in Group A of the 2022 World Cup qualification, which is scheduled to be played on March 24, to a neutral venue. This venue will be announced in the upcoming days.

With two matches in the final round remaining, the UAE sit third in Group A and in pole position to secure its play-off spot. Iran and South Korea have already sealed the top two places that guarantee direct entry to the World Cup. After the rescheduled Iraq encounter, the UAE round off their campaign against South Korea in Dubai on March 29.

Should the UAE finish third in Group A, they would enter a play-off against the third-placed side in Group B currently Australia with the winner of that tie then progressing to the intercontinental play-off for a berth at the Middle East's first World Cup.

At present, the UAE are three points above Lebanon in fourth, with fifth-placed Iraq one point further back. The national team have only once previously appeared at a global finals, in 1990.

The UAE are currently training in Dubai with new manager Rodolfo Arruabarrena, the Argentine who was appointed last month as successor to Bert van Marwijk. The UAE were set to leave for Iraq next Tuesday.

Arruabarrena, 46, has been tasked initially with guiding his new side through the finale to World Cup qualification, with the play-off spot the national teams to lose.

Van Marwijks departure came as a shock, given the final round had only two matches to run. The Dutchman, in his second stint as manager, had been heavily criticised following the UAEs exit at the quarter-final of the Fifa Arab Cup in December, when they lost 5-0 to hosts Qatar, but had managed the national team through the most recent set of qualifiers in January and February.

Arruabarrena, meanwhile, has experience of managing in the Emirates, having enjoyed successful spells at both Al Wasl and Shabab Al Ahli.

However, the UAE represents his first foray into international management. He was most recently employed at Egyptian side FC Pyramid, but was dismissed in June last year, seven months into his contract. Arruabarrenas contract with the UAE runs until next years Asian Cup.

Updated: March 16, 2022, 4:56 PM

Continue reading here:
UAE's crucial 2022 World Cup qualifier against Iraq to be played at neutral venue - The National

These are troubled and tragic times. After many years of peace, war has reared its evil head on the continent of Europe, bringing death, destruction and untold suffering to Ukraine. Is humanity on the threshold of a new era of violence, where international disputes are resolved not by civilised negotiations and respect for international law but by force of arms, regardless of what the human cost may be?

As I write, it is being reported that my home country, Iraq, was hit by a barrage of missiles fired from Iran. It brings to mind the terrible war that was fought between the two countries through most of the 1980s. I was not yet born, but from my parents and others of that generation, I grew up with a constant awareness of what happened during those years and the hundreds of thousands of lives that were lost on both sides. Since then, Iraq has experienced further devastating conflicts. I witnessed, and sometimes personally experienced, the suffering and destruction that these caused, and saw at first-hand how often those who bore the brunt were innocent civilians.

From this, I learned from an early age that war is a tragedy that has no winners, regardless of which side comes out on top, and that peace is something precious that we should all be striving to achieve. Too often, however, peace has been elusive because of the hatred and intolerance that remains so sadly prevalent in the way people of different backgrounds and beliefs think about and relate to each other.

In 2017, I was honoured to represent Iraq at the Miss Universe competition and had the opportunity of meeting fellow contestants from all over the world. One of them was Miss Israel, Adar Gandelsman. Iraq and Israel were officially still in a state of war with one another, but so far as we were concerned, this made no difference, and we became friends.

I then decided to post a photo of the two of us on social media. It was not a political gesture signalling support for the Israeli government, nor was it aimed in any way to undermine the Palestinian cause. Rather, it was a sincere expression of hope and desire for peace between our two countries. That, however, was not how many other people saw it, both in my homeland and elsewhere in the world.

Before long, I was being called a traitor and receiving death threats and instead of condemning the threats and supporting my right to freedom of expression, the Iraqi government demanded that I remove the post (which I didnt do) and forced me to denounce Israeli policies. My family was also targeted by this hate campaign, and eventually were forced to leave the country.

From the way my family and I were treated, and by what I have learned since then, I have come to recognise that those calling most loudly for punitive action to be taken against Israel are not pro-peace nor are they even pro-Palestinian, but rather simply anti-Israel, and that so far as the relationship between Arabs and Israelis is concerned, this is deeply rooted in the antisemitic belief systems taught in Muslim countries and which are continually reinforced by biased media.

As a result of my experiences, I was inspired to commit myself to working for peace between Muslims and Jews, Arabs and Israelis, in the Middle East and beyond. To this end, I established the NGO Humanity Forward, and have since had the opportunity of addressing numerous global forums, including the United Nations Human Rights Council in June 2019. During that speech I denounced anti-Semitism and criticised Arab countries for failing to condemn Hamas for inciting terror and dismissing Israel as a potential ally because of ingrained antisemitic attitudes. As a result of my speech, I was called a traitor and the Iraqi parliament pledged to cancel my nationality and citizenship. In any case, it is not safe for me to return to the land of my birth, and I must now live as a political exile.

The Miss Universe experience and what happened to me thereafter have shown me that negotiating peace for Israel and Palestine is not a betrayal of the Arab cause but a vital step to end conflict and suffering for both peoples.

I knew that South Africa was a country whose people had successfully negotiated a transition from white minority rule to multiracial democracy, and that through this had emerged one of historys greatest icons of peace and reconciliation, Nelson Mandela. It therefore came as a great shock to me to read that Mandla Mandela, a grandson of this inspirational figure, had called on Miss South Africa Lalela Mswane to withdraw from last years Miss Universe competition because it was taking place in apartheid Israel. This I saw as a sad betrayal of the values and principles that Nelson Mandela had embodied, not to mention a thoroughly sexist attempt to sabotage a young womans dreams and aspirations and said as much in a widely publicised social media post. Fortunately, Mswane resisted the politically motivated campaign against her and went on to achieve a prestigious third place in the competition.

Despite the persistence of ingrained prejudices, the past two years has seen some encouraging developments in the Middle East. Most notable has been the conclusion of the Abraham Accords, whereby four Arab states the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco committed to normalising relations with Israel.It is to be hoped that these breakthroughs will pave the way to a new era of peace, reconciliation and cooperation in the region. Ultimately, it is only through a shared commitment to the values of peace, empathy and mutual respect that war and all the suffering that it entails will be consigned to history and never again be a blight on the human race.

View post:
When Miss Iraq met Miss Israel: War is a tragedy that has no winners - Mail and Guardian

Links to South Africa have emerged in an expansive matter involving a global medical services provider alleged to have falsely represented contract requirements for work it did at US State Department and US Air Force facilities in Iraq.

The company at the centre of the allegations is Comprehensive Health Services LLC, which is based in Florida. Its website describes it as one of the nations largest and most experienced providers of medical management solutions and humanitarian program support.

Daily Maverick has established that Comprehensive Health Services, established in 1975, now falls under the umbrella of Acuity International, which was established in 2021.

Last Tuesday, 8 March 2022, the US Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York announced that the company agreed to pay a $930,000 (about R14-million) settlement in the matter.

This was to resolve allegations it violated the False Claims Act by falsely representing to the State Department and the Air Force that it complied with contract requirements relating to services it provided to those departments facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The settlement involved two actions brought under whistle-blower provisions of the US False Claims Act.

In last weeks statement, the US Attorneys Office explained that Comprehensive Health Services was contracted to provide support services at its government-run facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This required the company to provide medical supplies, which included controlled substances, approved by either the US Food and Drug Administration or European Medicines Agency and manufactured in accordance with federal quality standards.

Bypassing US controls via SA

Links to South Africa emerged in this arena.

According to the US, between 2012 and 2019 Comprehensive Health Services falsely represented to the State Department and Air Force that certain substances provided under those contracts were approved by the Food and Drug Administration or European Medicines Agency.

The company allegedly did not have a Drug Enforcement Agency licence to export controlled substances from the US to Iraq.

It was alleged the company got hold of controlled substances by having [company] physicians based in Florida send letters requesting that a South African physician prescribe the controlled substances.

A South African shipping company then received controlled substances that were not approved and sent them to [the company] in Iraq, where [it] supplied the unapproved controlled substances to patients under the State Department and Air Force contracts.

It was therefore alleged that Comprehensive Health Services sidestepped US-imposed controls by operating via South Africa.

But it was accused of doing so from the US and, without that governments approval, for the US.

Neither the name of the South African physician nor that of the shipping company was divulged.

Questions from Daily Maverick to South Africas Health Department had not been responded to by the time of publication.

Daily Maverick sent queries to email addresses listed for Comprehensive Health Services, but these were not responded to.

Acuity International also failed to respond to questions.

How armed gangs steal fuel worth millions from buried Transnet pipelines

Data breach

In another set of allegations, the company submitted claims to the US State Department relating to the cost of a secure electronic medical record system.

This was meant to store all patients medical reports including the confidential identifying information of United States service members, diplomats, officials, and contractors working and receiving medical care in Iraq.

However, between 2012 and 2019 Comprehensive Health Services allegedly failed to disclose to the State Department that it had not consistently stored patients medical records on a secure electronic medical record system.

When [company] staff scanned medical records for the system, [they] saved and left scanned copies of some records on an internal network drive, which was accessible to non-clinical staff, the US alleged.

Even after staff raised concerns about the privacy of protected medical information, [the company] did not take adequate steps to store the information exclusively on the [electronic medical record] system.

A statement on the Comprehensive Health Services website from last month said it learned of a data security incident relating to a limited number of people.

In September 2020 it had detected unusual activity within its digital environment following discovery of fraudulent wire transfers.

Comprehensive Health Services launched an investigation.

On November 3, 2021, [the company] learned that certain personal information may have been impacted in connection with the incident, the notice on its website said.

[We] then worked diligently to identify address information required toeffectuatenotification.

On 20 January and 11 February 2022, the company sent notifications to individuals who may have been affected, it said.

In last weeks statement about the Comprehensive Health Services settlement, the US made it clear that the claims resolved via the $930,000 settlement were only allegations and there has been no determination of liability.

Elisabeth Kaminsky, a special agent in charge of the US State Departments Office of Investigations, said the settlement demonstrated its commitment to protecting personnel.

Our hope is that this outcome will send a clear message that cutting corners on State Department contracts has significant consequences, she said. DM

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Original post:
CONTRACT FIDDLE: SA link to US medical firm accused of sneaking unapproved drugs to military patients in Iraq - Daily Maverick