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122 killed by a fire in a wedding hall. 82 killed by a fire in a Covid-19 hospital. Three months later, another hospital fire claimed the lives of 92 more.

Though they may seem to be freak accidents, these fires were preventable tragedies sharing one common theme: gross negligence.

Government investigations into these fires found that local authorities were negligent in their failure to enforce safety regulations and conduct inspections. Contractors used cheap, highly flammable construction materials to cut costs. Corruption allowed violators to act with impunity. Death tolls were exacerbated by absent or insufficient fire escapes, sprinkler systems, and evacuation plans.

Authorities recorded 32,400 fires in federal Iraq and 7,546 in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in 2022. The two leading causes were voltage fluctuations and defective wires in commercial and residential areas, often because contractors cut corners in violation of building codes.

Its not just fires, either.

In 2019, an overcrowded ferry sunk near Mosul, killing 128 people and leading to the sacking of then-governor Nawfal Hammadi. Investigations suggested that orders from the river police stating conditions were unsafe for operation were ignored, with river speeds more than double the safely operable limit. The ferry was carrying 287 people when it sank; maximum capacity was 80.

In January, a building under construction collapsed, killing three and injuring nine. Two months later, the Iraqi Civil Defense Directorate warned that more than 2,500 buildings across Iraq are on the verge of collapse, blaming authorities greenlighting sub-standard buildings and leading to the evacuation of residents from homes at risk.

The Iraqi government imprisoned, fired, or fined those whose negligence was found to be responsible for these tragedies, as it should. But, just as importantly, authorities must take steps to prevent these tragedies in the first place by enforcing rules on fire safety, construction standards, and reliable transport.

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Tragedies Born of Negligence in Iraq - Human Rights Watch

U.S. soldiers conduct an artillery exercise at al Asad Air Base in Iraq on Dec. 1, 2023. The base was targeted in a rocket attack Dec. 20, but there were no injuries or damage for American personnel, a U.S. Central Command statement said. (Quince Lanford/U.S. Army)

U.S. troops at a base in western Iraq once again came under rocket fire, military officials said Thursday, adding that the attack did not cause any injuries or damage.

The Wednesday morning attack on al Asad Air Base was carried out with a 122 mm rocket, a U.S. Central Command statement said.

Although officials didnt name the suspects in the attack, Iraqi security forces seized a truck believed to have launched the rocket, the statement said.

Iranian-backed militias have launched dozens of attacks on U.S. troops at bases in Iraq and Syria since the start of a war between Israel and Hamas that American officials have worked to prevent from escalating into a regional conflict.

More than 100 attacks involving drones, rockets and mortars have targeted American troops in Iraq and Syria since Oct. 7, a U.S. defense official told Stars and Stripes on Thursday.

No U.S. forces have died, although dozens have been injured, and an American defense contractor died of a heart problem in October while scrambling for cover during an alert at al Asad.

The U.S. has announced at least six retaliatory and pre-emptive airstrikes on militants in Iraq, including one in late November after al Asad Air Base came under fire from ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon has roughly 2,400 troops deployed to Iraq, as well as 800 troops and about 130 contractors deployed to Syria, a statement from U.S. Central Command in early December said.

Militant groups in Iraq are known for using 122 mm rockets, which are most commonly based on models from the Soviet Union, a 2014 report published by Small Arms Survey said.

These rockets range from 6 to 9 feet in length, and the most common model has an explosive payload of about 41 pounds, the report said.

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No US troops injured in latest rocket strike at Iraq base - Stars and Stripes

WASHINGTON U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) today introduced a resolution condemning attacks by Iranian military proxies on U.S. armed forces in Iraq and Syria and emphasizing the urgency of responding to and deterring such attacks.

American troops in the region have been targeted by Iranian proxies more than 115 times since mid-October in the wake of the terror attacks committed by Hamas against Israel. Iran provides financing, training, and other support to militia groups throughout the region, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen. In addition to targeting U.S. troops and infrastructure, attacks by Iran-backed militias have forced global shipping companies to stop using the Red Sea as a travel route, slowing down critical supply chains throughout the region.

Attacks on American troops are reprehensible, and Iranian support for these attacks has rightfully earned a swift and forceful response from the Biden administration, said Senator Coons. I join Senator Cruz in introducing this resolution to condemn these attacks, increase pressure on Iran to cease its support for violent militia groups, and support efforts to deter Iranian-backed militia attacks on U.S. troops and the international community. I also commend the resiliency and bravery of American service members across the Middle East and hope this resolution makes clear Congress support for U.S. Central Commands mission of countering terrorism and maintaining stability across the region.

The Iranian regime is attacking Americans, our allies, and our interests across the Middle East, said Senator Cruz. They are not only launching attacks and massacres against our Israeli and Arab allies, but their Houthi proxies are now trying to shut down freedom of navigation that is vital to the American and global economies. It is clear that they are not deterred, and it is long past time for the Biden administration to take all necessary steps to deter and counter these activities. Enough is enough.

In addition to Senators Coons and Cruz, the resolution is cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska.).

The text of the full resolution is available here.

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Original post:
Senators Coons, Cruz introduce resolution to condemn attacks by Iranian military proxies on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria - Senator Chris Coons

Iraqi militias launched a drone attack on Eilat, but the drone never made it and was intercepted by Jordan in its airspace.

An X (formerly Twitter) account associated with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella term for multiple pro-iran militias, announced that they had launched a drone attack on Eilat in Israel.

The Jordanian Defence Ministry announced that it had shot down the drone after it had crossed into Jordanian airspace, according to Maariv.

The document, signed by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq (IRI), says that this attack is a continuation of their resistance to the occupation as well as to support the people of Gaza in response to "the massacres committed by the usurping entity against Palestinian civilians".

The IRI is not a fixed group according to the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, "but rather a generic name used to denote unity among Iran-backed armed groups and deemphasize their individual identities during attacks spurred by the Gaza crisis."

The Institute recorded a series of attacks against American bases in Iraq launched by the IRI since October 17, with all of them being attributed to this "generic, no-logo brand" militia, this is part of Iran's "facade strategy" to avoid accountability for attacks on Americans.

They suggest this hints that Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is likely coordinating the attacks and "corralling" Iran's proxies which would normally argue over public leadership.

The Institute highlights three main militias likely operating under the IRI umbrella, Kataib Hezbollah (who kidnapped Israeli Elizabeth Tsurkov earlier this year), Asaib Ahl al-Haq, and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada. Indeed the original account that tweeted about the drone attack is affiliated with Asaib Ahl al-Haq.

This escalation is likely part of Iran's attempts to use proxy groups around the Middle East to put pressure on the US and Israel, as has been the case with increased Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Further complicating the situation groups such as Asaib Ahl al-Haq also hold 17 seats in the Iraqi parliament as part of the Fatah Alliance (unrelated to the Palestinian party of the same name).

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Iraqi militia attempts Eilat drone attack, was intercepted over Jordan - The Jerusalem Post

Iraq headed to provincial elections on Monday, for the first time since war with ISIS broke out in early 2013, causing massive displacement of people, genocide, and other atrocities.

When the war ended in 2017, further chaos followed: An independence referendum in the Kurdistan autonomous region provoked the Iraqi federal government, backed by Shiite militias, to attack Kurds in Sinjar and Kirkuk, followed by Iranian-backed militias that began a campaign against US forces in 2019 and 2020.

Nowadays, Iraq is trying to put some of its violent past behind it. However, reports warned of voter apathy and potential violence, though indications show high turnout in some areas, which could be the way forward for some regions, experts have motioned.

A special early vote for 50,000 displaced people and security forces has taken place already.

There are around 16 million voters, 7,766 polling centers in Baghdad and the governorates, and 38,000 polling stations around the country, Gulf-based Al-Ain media said, and 38 electoral alliances are competing with more than 4,000 candidates.

The Sadrist movement, led by Muqtada al-Sadr, is the largest Shiite group and one of the most prominent absentees in the provincial council elections after they decided to boycott them.

In addition, the Iraqi supreme court has sought to remove Mohammed Halbousi from parliament, which has made him popular in some Sunni areas of Iraq, where he is from.

Former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, who is pro-Iran, has support groups in the elections. Local parties are competing in Anbar province. Several Kurdish parties, such as the Kurdistan Democratic Party, are competing.

The elections are important for Iraq and will show whether the country can have a peaceful election and represent most of its various groups, including Sunni and Shiite Arabs, Kurds, Yazidis, Turkmen, Assyrians, and others.

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Iraq heads to provincial elections, first in ten years - The Jerusalem Post