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BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) An explosion rocked a market in east Baghdad on Thursday, killing one person and injuring 12 others, according to Iraqs military.

The military said the blast in the capitals Sadr City, in the Habibiya neighborhood, was caused by a car laden with highly explosive materials that blew up while passing through a popular used furniture market. It sent a cloud of black smoke above the area. Shortly afterward, a crowd of people gathered around the mangled wreckage of a charred car and a burned-out white van. A fire engine was parked nearby.

A military statement said one person was killed and 12 injured, according to a preliminary investigation. Five vehicles were burned, it added. It did not say what caused the detonation.

The driver of the car was killed in the explosion, the statement said.

Iraqs president condemned the attack, calling it a shameless attempt by terrorist groups to destabilize the country during the holy month of Ramadan.

We stand firmly against these attempts, Barham Salih tweeted.

Explosions in the Iraqi capital, particularly in the predominantly Shiite Muslim Sadr City district, were once almost daily occurrences but have become less frequent in the past few years, particularly following the defeat of the Islamic State group in 2017. In January, twin suicide bombings ripped through a busy market in the Iraqi capital, killing more than 30 people and wounding dozens.

No one immediately claimed responsibility for Thursdays bombing.

The development comes hours after a drone strike targeted US-led coalition troops near Irbil airport and a Turkish military base in northern Iraq.

Wednesday nights drone attack targeted coalition forces based near Irbil international airport and caused a fire that damaged a building, according to the Kurdish regions Interior Ministry and coalition officials.

Separately, a rocket attack targeting a Turkish military base in northern Iraqs Bashiqa region killed one Turkish soldier and wounded a child in a nearby village, Turkeys Defense Ministry said.

There was no claim of responsibility for either attack.

___

Associated Press writer Samya Kullab contributed reporting from Istanbul.

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1 killed, 12 wounded in market explosion in Iraq's capital - Associated Press

After exploring the Watergate scandal, the impeachment of Bill Clinton, and more, the podcast Slow Burn will offer a beat-by-beat accounting of the years leading up to the Iraq War when it returns for its fifth season, April 21st.

Reporter Noreen Malone helmed this investigation, which will examine how the Iraq War now widely considered a disaster was launched with tremendous support. The new trailer highlights interviews with people who remain staunch defenders of the invasion, as well as those who voiced early objections but didnt get very far with them. The clip also touches on the post-9/11 anthrax scare that helped fuel further support for the war and seems to nod toward the lies that surrounded Americas claims that Iraq was harboring weapons of mass destruction.

In an email interview with Rolling Stone, Malone said she wanted to explore the run-up to the Iraq War specifically because of how peculiar the vast support for the war looks in retrospect. She noted it wasnt just Republican politicians and commentators who were in favor of the war, but a wide array of respected journalists and others across the political spectrum.

This started as a bit of an investigation for me why exactly had they believed what they did? Malone said. What have we forgotten about that moment?What looks different now through the lens of recent history?

As for the repercussions of that 2001 to 2003 period (as opposed to the Iraq War as a whole), Malone said she was struck by how many people involved in the invasion were more sincere in their intentions than we tend to believe in hindsight. She continued, But I think that common perception of malintent actually speaks to what was broken in that time trust in government to tell the truth, and to get the facts right, and to act in the best interest of Americans and the world. Not to mention that the failure to properly plan out for a post-invasion Iraq didnt exactly make people think our government was capable of effective action on large-scale projects. That period of time also probably helped erode trust in the media, which largely failed to actually investigate claims from the government at the time. A lot of whats happened in our politics since can, unfortunately, be chalked up to that distrust.

Among the people Malone interviewed for Season Five of Slow Burn are former George W. Bush White House official Frank Miller (a special assistant to Bush, and Senior Director for Defense policy and Arms on the National Security Council staff), Senators Tom Daschle and Dick Durbin, journalists Dan Rather, Bill Kristol and Ann Curry, and intellectuals like Kanan Makiya, an Iraqi academic who was one of the leading voices in America advocating for the other throw of Saddam Hussein.

Slate

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Slow Burn Examines the Lead-Up to the Iraq War in Season Five Trailer - Rolling Stone

Iraqs government is trying to accelerate the process that lays out timetables for the withdrawal ofUS-led coalition troops, in an attempt to pull the rug from under Iran-backed paramilitaries and secure some modicum of calm before Octobers parliamentary elections.

For Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, an end to the relentless attacks on US targets in Iraq cannot come soon enough.

Wednesday night saw the latest attack on US forces, as a drone dropped explosives on a base hosting American troops, resulting in no reported casualties but stirring tumult nonetheless.

EXCLUSIVE: US agrees to staged withdrawal of forces from Iraq, says negotiator

The attacks, predominantly claimed by previously unknown Iraqi armed factions but widely believed to be carried out by powerful Iran-backed paramilitaries, are accompanied by demands US troops leave Iraq.

Last week, Iraq and the United States moved a step closer to that eventuality, announcing their agreement to withdraw US-led coalition forces according to timetables determined by joint technical military committees.

The Wednesday statement followed a third round of strategic dialogue between the two parties, and included an agreement to change the nature of the anti-Islamic State coalitions mission from combat to advisory and training.

By setting time limits for the withdrawal and having Washington publicly commit to abiding by them would relieve the huge pressure on Kadhimis government, giving him room to manoeuvre until a new parliament and government is sworn in.

Moves to speed up the process are beginning. Days before the Erbil attack, Kadhimi announced the formation of a technical military committee headed by the Army Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Abdul Amir Yarallah.

And on Saturday, the Iraqi negotiating team sought to follow up with the US ambassador and a number of officials in Baghdad over details related to the formation of the committees in an attempt to hurry things along, two Iraqi negotiators told Middle East Eye.

'The current US administration is aware of the reasons why we pressed them to expedite the formation of technical committees and start setting timelines'

- Iraqi negotiator

"The current US administration is aware of the reasons why we pressed them to expedite the formation of technical committees and start setting timelines," one of the members of the Iraqi negotiating team said.

According to the negotiator, Washington is keen to prove the credibility of last weeks statement.

The prime minister announced the formation of the Iraqi technical committee headed by Yarallah, and we are waiting for the American side to announce the formation of their committee and decide the president's representative to start the next stage of negotiations, he added.

"There will be a meeting of the Iraqi-American committees, perhaps this week or next week. It is likely that the meeting will be in Baghdad and it will be face to face, but if officials from Washington join the US committee, then the meetings will be conducted via video call."

The US negotiating team did not agree to withdraw combat forces and change the mission of these forces in Iraq for free.

Iraq must secure the protection of Western diplomatic missions and coalition forces as part of the agreement, Iraqi negotiators told MEE, in order to prove Baghdad can assure foreign officials security after the pullout.

In a meeting with the prime minister on Thursday outlining the outcomes of the US dialogue, the leaders of the most prominent Shia blocs showed Kadhimi "support and satisfaction", sources said.

Iraq: Paramilitaries feel the heat as Kadhimi steps up moves against them

Yet the picture that emerged from meetings on Friday and Saturday at the office of Hadi al-Ameri, head of the Iran-backed Fatah parliamentary bloc and Badr Organisation paramilitary force, was quite different.

There, Shia political leaders and armed factions commanders told MEE, talks including Asaib Ahl al-Haq, Kataeb Hezbollah and Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada resulted in a great division among Iran-backed groups.

Some at the meetings saw the Iraqi-US announcement as a step in the right direction and an achievement.

But others perceived it as a "deception that Kadhimi and the Americans agreed upon, with no concrete steps, no schedule for withdrawal and no real change in the coalitions status, said a prominent commander of an Iranian-backed armed faction familiar with the meetings.

Kataeb Hezbollah was the most hardline and rejected the outcomes of the Iraqi-American negotiations, then Asaib Ahl al-Haq comes second," the commander said.

"This means that the attacks will not stop. Even the Iranians cannot stop it this time. As long as the major factions continue to deny their connection to these attacks, no one has the ability to stop them.

"It is likely that the Iraqi arena will flare up again."

US forces and diplomatic missions have long been targets of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitaries.

But following the January 2020 US assassination of top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the godfather of most Shia armed factions, forcing the United States out of Iraq became one of the paramilitaries chief aims.

Since then, Iran's proxies have targeted US interests and Iraqi military bases hosting coalition forces with attacks that often kill Iraqis and damage governmental property.

An unofficial truce was reached between the US and the Iran-backed factions in October, when tensions reached a height and the Trump administration threatened to close its Baghdad embassy and attack Iranian targets inside and outside Iraq.

In recent weeks raids have intensified once more, however, targeting logistical support convoys of Iraqi and coalition forces across the country almost daily, this time in attacks claimed by groups no one had heard of.

These claims and the major factions continuing denial of responsibility has increased the complexity of the scene and swings open the door for the return of attacks on diplomatic missions and governmental institutions under the pretext of fighting occupying forces, Iraqi officials and armed factions commanders told MEE.

Last week, Kadhimi took the issue to the Iranians themselves.

The prime minister met Soleimanis successor Esmail Qaani during a two-day visit to Iraq, during which he unofficially provided sufficient information indicating the involvement of the prominent Iranian-backed armed factions in these attacks, political leaders and armed factions commanders told MEE.

In addition to Kadhimi, Qaani met with a number of Shia political leaders, including Ammar al-Hakim and Amiri, as well as commanders of the big armed factions and several senior clerics in Najaf.

'Kadhimidemanded an end to these attacks, but the problem that everyone became aware of and recognised is that Iran and the leadership of the Popular Mobilisation Forces lostcontrol over the armed factions'

- Shia political leader

"The meetings focused on the repercussions of the Iranian-American conflict and the need to continue the calm, stop any attacks targeting the coalition forces, and support the Iraqi government in its ongoing negotiations with the American side," a Shia political leader familiar with the meetings told MEE.

"The commanders of the [armed] factions continued to deny their responsibility for the attacks targeting the logistical support convoys, but Kadhimi provided information indicating the involvement of the known factions in these attacks, he added.

"Kadhimi spoke about the confessions of the perpetrators of some of these attacks who had been arrested. He demanded an end to these attacks, but the problem that everyone became aware of and recognised is that Iran and the leadership of the Popular Mobilisation Forces lost their control over the armed factions."

This week, those discussions are ongoing.

On Monday, Qasim al-Araji, the Iraqi national security adviser, flew to Tehran to meet his counterpart Ali Shamkhani, "in response to an official invitation from the Iranian side", to discuss "security issues of common interest and borders, and to enhance security and intelligence cooperation between the two countries," according to the statement issued by Araji's office.

Araji's meeting with Shamkhani was followed by another meeting with Mohammed Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, and Amir Hatami, the defence minister.

In south Iraq, political murders are dismissed as 'personal' to quash investigations

Araji, who led the truce negotiations between the Iraqi government and the Iranian-backed armed factions last month, had met the US ambassador in Baghdad prior to his visit to Tehran, his office said.

He also participated in the last Iraqi-American round of talks, and was one of its leaders, along with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Araji's frantic movement during the past few days clearly indicates that the Iraqi government is racing against time to achieve some goal.

"Kadhimi seeks to take advantage of the surrounding conditions as much as possible to restrain the factions and prepare the appropriate ground for the upcoming elections and attracting investment companies, a member of Kadhimis team told MEE.

The source said Tehran was showing a keenness to dial down tensions in all areas as it conducts negotiations with the US in Vienna over resuscitating the 2015 nuclear deal. Similarly, he noted, the Biden administration was proving much more flexible than its predecessor.

"Using Irans wishes and the flexibility shown by the United States to push the armed factions back several steps is Kadhimis top priority now, the source said.

"The Iranian-American negotiations have started, but they will not be short, and their results will not be tangible overnight, just as they are like any other negotiations that will involve a tug-of-war according to new developments. Therefore, this positive atmosphere may not recur again until months later, he added.

"Also, all signs indicate that some [armed] factions will seek to escalate, stir up trouble, and even move their masses to demonstrate against the government and ignite the street for one reason or another. Therefore, everyone seems to be in a race against time."

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Iraq pressing US to agree on troop withdrawal timetable as tensions escalate - Middle East Eye

Baghdad, April 15, 2021: In a new joint initiative, UNICEF and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are providing a cash stipend to the families of 2,400 primary school girls in Basra, to support their transition to lower secondary education. The pilot project will help adolescent girls in the Shatt Al-Arab district continue learning whether they are in school or forced to study at home because of COVID-related closures.

The stipends, which are paid in Iraqi dinars at the equivalent of USD 80, will help impoverished and vulnerable families provide for their children. Three installments will be paid to the families during this academic year, amounting to a total of USD 240 per student who stays in education.

All too often, mothers and fathers who find themselves unable to put food on the table and keep a roof over their childrens heads or provide them an education are tempted to send their daughters into early marriage or into the labour force, said Paul Edwards, UNICEFs Representative. With the support that we are providing, we are working with our partner WFP to help parents close the financial gap and not have to pull their children out of learning as they desperately try to make ends meet,

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions including the closure of schools, the ability of children to learn in-person, socialize and play with their friends in the safety of their schools and in many cases have assured access to a meal have all been threatened. Hard-won gains in human capital may be set back, affecting the long-term future opportunities and earning potential of students, said a World Bank study in 2020. A joint survey by UNICEF and WFP in late 2020 revealed that over 90 percent of parents prefer their children to return to school, so long as mitigation measures are in place, such as limiting the number of children in classrooms and school yard, a full-time health worker at school, staying home for 14 days if exposed to the virus, and mandatory masks.

Through this initiative, WFP and UNICEF are focusing on the most vulnerable schoolgirls and their families, at a crucial time when they risk leaving education forever, said WFP Iraq Representative Abdirahman Meygag. As soon as it is possible, WFP and the Ministry of Education are ready to resume the National School Feeding Programme to support vulnerable students and families through the provision of nutritious school meals, which also attracts and helps keep children in school.

In addition to the stipends to the girls from UNICEF and WFP, the package of support, provided in partnership with NGO Mercy Hands, includes teacher training on gender responsive approaches to teaching and learning methods, now done remotely while schools remain closed.

This initiative was made possible thanks to the support of Germany and Canada, without which some girls in Basra may need to leave school prematurely.

About UNICEF

UNICEF promotes the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

For more information about UNICEF and its work for children, visit http://www.unicef.org. Follow UNICEF on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

About WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate. We are the worlds largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Follow WFP on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

For more information please contact:

Innocent Kafembe, UNICEF Iraq, +9647833352569, ikafembe@unicef.org

Sharon Rapose, WFP Iraq, +964 780 915 0962, sharon.rapose@wfp.org

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WFP and UNICEF continue support to schoolchildren in Iraq in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic [EN/AR/KU] - Iraq - ReliefWeb

Since 2003, ISIL (also known as ISIS or Daesh) has killed an estimated 30,000 civilians, injured 55,000 and displaced 3 million others. Minority groups were specifically targeted by the terror group, including Yazidis, Christians, Sabean-Mandeans, Turkmen, Kakai, and Shabaks. Decried as devil-worshippers, Yazidis were abducted and made into child soldiers and sex slaves. The United Nations has described Iraqs humanitarian crisis as one of the worlds worst.

This campaign was genocide, and the Iraqi parliament has officially recognized it as such in the recently adopted Yazidi Survivors Bill. Aimed at remedying ISILs atrocities and providing reparations for survivors, the bill has been celebrated by human rights leaders and advocates as a revolutionary piece of legislation. There is no doubt it is.

Despite the groundbreaking nature of the new law, survivors trauma is far from resolved. After escaping certain death, victims now must grapple with what the eye cant see nor the mind quantify the loss of self.

Speaking about his story to Jiyan Foundation For Human Rights, the organization I volunteer for that is at the forefront of reparations efforts, Childar, 26, recounts his chilling experience at the hands of ISIL. Chidar and his brothers were captured in 2015 and made into child soldiers. He was regularly tortured by his ISIL captors. I did not know until it happened that torture could be worse than death, he said. They did unimaginably cruel things [to me].

Seran, 23, also bravely recounted her experience to Jiyan Foundation. Her story is not unlike thousands of other Yazidi girls who were captured and made into sex slaves for ISIL fighters and is eerily similar to the story of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and ISIL survivor, Nadia Murad, as she recounted in her memoir The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity and My Fight Against the Islamic State. In the beginning he did not touch me, Seran said. But later he attacked me and I was very scared. I cried a lot.

One night, by a stroke of luck, Seran found a mobile phone and used it to coordinate an escape with the help of her captors sympathetic wife. When she finally saw her family, she felt as if [she] had been born again. But despite her heroic escape and reunification with her loved ones, she still suffers a lot of pain, a lifetime of pain, because of what she endured.

According to a study done by BMC Medicine, more than 80 percent of women and girls interviewed met the criteria for a probable PTSD diagnosis. Victims of ISIL were forced to reject their religion, flee their homeland, and watch their loved ones die in front of them. After suffering months or even years of physical and psychological abuse, it is no wonder that survivors face severe depression and struggle with their sense of identity they once held dear.

Though it is true ISIL targeted men and women, it is women who still continue to bear the brunt of ISILs violence. Many women continue to face abuse in the home directly due to the stress and shame they are thought to bring upon their husbands. Ewrin, 41, told Jiyan Foundation of her experience. My husband thinks I will bring shame on the family if he does not control my every move. He beats me for the tiniest things, she said. Compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has seen a rise in domestic violence, women survivors find themselves in a prolonged state of vulnerability.

Many survivors also remain displaced in refugee camps or temporary housing without livelihoods or a sense of purpose. Since 2014, the Kurdistan region of Iraq has hosted more than 1.5 million internally displaced people, not including over 250,000 Syrian refugees. Many have died by suicide in the camps, while many formerly enslaved women and children struggle to come home.

The same BMC Medicine study reported that formerly enslaved women and girls perceived themselves to be rejected in their community due to being enslaved. Theyre not imagining it. Speaking to Al Jazeera, the deputy of senior Yazidi leader Prince Hazem, Jawhar Ali Beg, was quoted as rejecting the idea of integrating children of Yazidi mothers and ISIL fathers back into the community. The mothers of these children are also summarily rejected. So where can the victims turn?

Even though the bill contemplates material support, such as providing survivors with plots of land, pensions and access to mental health clinics, repairing the identity of a nation cannot be accomplished only by legislation. The civil society sector has recognized this fact and is stepping up to fill the gaps.

Various charitable organizations have set up mental health clinics, social groups, and art programs for survivors. Though incremental, the establishment of these programs in the country emphasizes the importance of addressing survivors mental health and well-being, a subject not often embraced in the region.

Given the recent passage of the bill, it is yet to be seen if survivors will be remedied for the atrocities they suffered. However, with the tenacity of the civil society sector and growing awareness of the plight of Yazidis in Iraq, the future does hold hope, and with hope comes rebirth.

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The Invisible Women of Iraq - ELLE.com