Archive for the ‘Iraq’ Category

Iraq: The battle is over, but recovery takes years – MSF UK

Besides directly delivering medical care, MSF is also helping the citys health system to get back on its feet providing the required support to ensure it can cope with new emergencies.

In 2019, MSF rebuilt a hospital dedicated to the treatment of infectious disease in the east of Mosul, improving access to health services for the local community.

And, between March and December 2020, we supported the citys hospitals to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic when our teams temporarily transformed a post-operative care centre into an isolation and treatment centre for coronavirus patients.

During that time, we directly cared for almost 1,000 patients at the centre. We also ran an intensive care unit between November 2020 and April 2021, offering advanced care for critically ill COVID-19 patients.

Our activities in the city are evolving with the challenges, says Van der Woerdt.

And were trying to adapt to the best of our ability to the populations medical needs, guided solely by our medical ethics and neutral and impartial principles.

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Iraq: The battle is over, but recovery takes years - MSF UK

US advises citizens against travel to Iraq due to security conditions, Covid-19 – The National

The US issued its highest level travel alert for Iraq on Tuesday, urging citizens not to travel to the war-scarred country because of mounting security risks and Covid-19.

Do not travel to Iraq due to terrorism, kidnapping, armed conflict, civil unrest, Covid-19, the US State Department said on its website, adding that its diplomatic mission to Iraq has a limited capacity to provide support to US citizens.

It said US citizens are at risk of violence and kidnapping due to attacks by militant groups against Iraqi security forces and almost daily attacks by Iran-backed Shiite militias against US assets in the country.

The statement said sporadic protests can develop quickly without prior notification, often interrupting traffic, transportation, and other services; such events have the potential to turn violent.

It also cited the Level 4 Travel Health Notice issued by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which advises Americans to avoid travelling to Iraq, saying even fully vaccinated travellers may be at risk of contracting the virus.

Although coronavirus infections have dropped significantly in recent weeks to less than 1,000 a day, health authorities have warned a fourth wave of the pandemic is imminent.

On Monday, the country registered 829 new cases and 21 deaths, taking the total number of confirmed infections to 2,075,248 and known fatalities to 23,686, although the real figures are thought by experts to be much higher.

The decision has taken Iraqis by surprise as Covid-19 restrictions have eased. Foreign tourists, businessmen and archaeologists have been returning.

Amir Abdul-Razaq Al Zubaidi, general director of the provincial antiquities department in the southern Thi Qar province, described the decision as hasty.

A view inside Thi Qar museum

We are surprised because Iraq has significantly recovered from coronavirus and the number of tourists from all the world, mainly from the US, is increasing, Mr Al Zubaidi told The National.

He said American tourists and others are already travelling freely in his province and other parts of southern Iraq without any problem.

We don't want cross-cultural communication to be affected and so we hope that the US administration will reconsider such a decision, he added.

Last month, Iraq held early national elections to choose a new parliament, the fifth since the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Husseins regime.

Early elections were one of numerous demands of the pro-reform, youth-led protest movement that engulfed the country in October 2019.

Initial results show that a political group sponsored by the Shiite cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, known as the Sadrist bloc, was the clear winner in the elections, securing 73 seats in the 329-member parliament.

The Iran-backed Fatah Alliance, made up mainly of pro-Tehran Shiite militias, won only 14 seats, significantly fewer than the 48 seats it secured in 2018 elections.

Shiite political parties, mainly the Fatah Alliance, have rejected the results as manipulated and demanded recounts of all ballot boxes.

Their supporters have been protesting outside Baghdads fortified Green Zone, the home of key government offices, the Independent High Electoral Commission and foreign embassies.

Earlier this month the protests turned violent, leaving two militiamen killed and more than 100 protesters and security personnel wounded.

Days later, the countrys Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi survived an exploding drone assassination attempt.

Although investigations are continuing, Iran-backed Shiite militias stand accused of launching the attack on Mr Al Kadhimis residence.

Updated: November 23rd 2021, 6:03 PM

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US advises citizens against travel to Iraq due to security conditions, Covid-19 - The National

48 Years Ago A KLM Boeing 747 Was Hijacked Over Iraq – Simple Flying

Today marks 48 years since the hijacking of KLM flight 861 from Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS) to Tokyo Haneda (HND). Flown by a Boeing 747-200, the flight had more than 250 people onboard at the time of the incident. Led by three passengers said to have been from the Arab Youth Organization for the Liberation of Palestine, the hijack happened over Iraq.

KLM flight 861 was a scheduled service that connected Amsterdam with Tokyo. In the early 1970s, the flight made several stops along the way, as was customary for long-haul routes of the time. The first of these took place at Athens International Airport (ATH) in Greece.

After touching down in the Greek capital, flight 861 had two more intermediate stops before it reached Tokyo. The first of these was at Beirut International Airport (BEY) in Lebanon. This was then followed by Indias Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL).

48 years ago today, a three-year-old Boeing 747-200 registered as PH-BUA operated KLM flight 861. The aircraft was named Mississippi, and KLM flew it until October 1989. On November 25th, 1973, it took to the skies bound for Tokyo with 247 passengers and 17 crew members onboard. While the first two legs passed without incident, the third was different.

While cruising over Iraq on the third leg of the route, between Beirut and Delhi, KLM flight 861 took an alarming turn. It was at this point that three passengers hijacked the aircraft. ASN notes that the hijackers, who claimed to belong to the Arab Youth Organization for the Liberation of Palestine, first demanded that the plane would divert to Damascus, Syria.

They then asked that the flight could head back towards Europe, aiming to land in Nicosia, Cyprus. It was here that their intentions became clear, with the hijack being used as a vehicle to demand that seven Palestine prisoners could be released. However, with their demands unfulfilled at this point, the hijackers directed the plane to Tripoli, Libya.

With Libyan authorities unwilling to let the hijackers surrender on the condition of being let free, the plane then flew to Malta for another failed set of negotiations. This prompted them to alter the course back towards Iraq, where they demanded to be allowed to land in Baghdad. However, this was refused, and they faced similar rejection in Qatar and Kuwait.

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Following these rejected landings, the aircraft was eventually permitted to land in Dubai, UAE as it was running low on fuel. Negotiations failed here too, and the 747 took off again for Aden, Yemen, only for its landing there also to be rejected. This prompted it to return to Dubai, where the hijackers surrendered on the condition of being free to leave the country.

While hijackings can sometimes be violent occurrences, there were no fatalities among the flights 264 occupants. With the situation having been resolved largely peacefully, KLM continues to use the flight number KL861 today. It still applies to an Amsterdam-Tokyo service, although this non-stop Boeing 777/787-operated flight serves Tokyo Narita.

What do you make of this incident? Did you ever fly on one of KLMs Boeing 747s? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

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48 Years Ago A KLM Boeing 747 Was Hijacked Over Iraq - Simple Flying

Kurdistan Region to open Iraq’s first rehab center dedicated to treating drug addiction – Kurdistan24

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) For the first time in either Iraq or the Kurdistan Region, a rehabilitation center dedicated solely to the treatment of drug addiction will be built in a joint public-private sector project in Erbil.

The soon-to-be-built facility will provide comprehensive treatment options for those struggling with substance abuse, according to Kurdish investor Ibrahim Idriss Bapir, who spoke to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)s Media and Information Department.

Although the center will be privately-owned, it will be under the supervision of government entities such as the KRG's Ministries of Labour and Social Affairs, Interior, and Education, he added.

According to a government statement, some 20,000 squares meters of land have been allocated to the project by municipality authorities.

Since Iraq and the Kurdistan Region have never had such a facility, dedicated exclusively to combating addiction, those needing rehabilitation or intensive addiction treatment regimens have to travel abroad to seek treatment.

Unlike wings of existing hospitals or clinics within Iraq's borders that attempt to face multiple mental health conditions, patients will enroll in classes and have access to swimming pools, libraries, and many other addiction-based resources that can be crucial for a successful recovery, said Bapir.

The sale or consumption of illicit drugs is strictly prohibited in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, where authorities often intercept shipments of drugs passing mainly through the provinces of Basra, Diyala, Erbil, and Sulaimani, specifically in the towns and villages connecting the autonomous federal region of Iraq with neighboring nations Iran and Turkey.

Security forces in the Kurdistan Region regularly announce the arrest of drug traffickers, made as part of its bid to disrupt gangs and other criminal networks dealing drugs, but sometimes with a conspicuous absence of apparent programs to treat those who find themselves addicted to some controlled substance or another.

Since the beginning of 2021, security forces attached to the Directorate "have impounded 214 kilograms of various banned substances, 556 kilograms of drug-laced tobacco, thousands of hallucinogenic pills, and 3,100 US dollars in counterfeit bills."

Read More:KRG destroys batch of illicit drugs on International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

On Tuesday, the Kurdistan Regions Anti-Narcotics Directorate in Erbil announced the arrest of 10 individuals who now face drug charges.

Read More: Erbil security forces arrest a group accused of drug trafficking, possession

"Erbils security apparatus managed to arrest ten suspects today, Tuesday, with the confiscation of many types of narcotic substances in their possession," read a government statement.

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Kurdistan Region to open Iraq's first rehab center dedicated to treating drug addiction - Kurdistan24

Feltham Iraq War hero forced to sell bravery medals to get on the housing ladder – MyLondon

An Iraq War hero is selling his bravery medals for 40,000 so he can buy a house after leaving the army.

Colour Sergeant Martin Caines served three tours in Iraq and two in Afghanistan during 24 years in the military.

The Feltham dad is now on civvy street and needs to raise a deposit in order to buy a family home.

Read more: Man overjoyed after receiving 'more realistic' worlds first 3D printed prosthetic eye

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The forthcoming sale of the father of two's George Medal once again calls into question the issue of war veterans having to sell their decorations so they can get on the property ladder.

Last month Afghan War hero Steven Gadsby sold his Conspicuous Gallantry Cross for over 100,000 so he could buy a house.

Sgt Caines received the prestigious award for calmly facing-down an angry mob of Iraqi army soldiers who turned on their British colleagues during a search patrol in 2006.

The native troops were angry and frustrated at a lack of supply of food and water for them as opposed to the well-resourced British.

The resentment culminated in a group of 15 soldiers opening fire on Sgt Caines' platoon, firing shots into the ground and above their heads.

The Iraqi ringleader then produced a sniper rifle and started shooting directly at the front of the British position.

Realising that if the men shot back it would lead to a bloody firefight, Sgt Caines got to his feet and stood within 50m of the gunmen with his own weapon lowered.

He stared down the barrel of the gun and a standoff ensued before the ringleader threw down his weapon and withdrew, resulting in an immediate change of atmosphere.

For his 'outstanding act of bravery' Sgt Caines was awarded the George Medal.

He has now put his medal group up for sale with London auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb.

Christopher Mellor-Hill, head of client liaison at Dix Noonan Webb, said: "Colour Sergeant Caines, as platoon leader, employed both clear-headed discernment and cold courage in resolving a dangerous and escalating incident involving his men and Iraqi soldiers at Maysaan, Iraq, on July 7, 2006, and in so doing prevented a fire-fight, the implications of which would have been disastrous, both militarily and politically.

"It is an honour to be able to oversee the sale of his George Medal."

Sgt Caines joined the Army's Princess of Wales' Royal Regiment in 1997.

Having completed two tours in Kosovo he went to Iraq for his first tour in July 2004.

While on one operation Sgt Caines' armoured vehicle was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade and knocked out.

The vehicle was repeatedly hit by blast bombs, RPGs and small arms fire until help came seven hours later.

Sgt Caines returned for two more tours of Iraq in 2006 and 2008 when he helped oversee the withdrawal of British soldiers.

He went on to serve on two Afghanistan tours.

The 42-year-old retired from the army earlier this year. His medals will be sold on December 8.

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Feltham Iraq War hero forced to sell bravery medals to get on the housing ladder - MyLondon