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Middle East peace can be achieved by shift to Iraq Washington Times Attempts to rehabilitate the Iranian revolutionary regime into a normal state have failed. Release of the regime's frozen funds, via the nuclear-weapons agreement, have allowed Iran to use that money to support militias and mercenaries in Iraq, Syria ... Iraq's outspoken Shia cleric Sadr urges Saudi-Iran 'serious dialogue'The New Arab This is the aim of Donald Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia and it isn't good for Shia communitiesThe Independent all 542 news articles »

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Middle East peace can be achieved by shift to Iraq - Washington Times

Iraq is on track for what may be the countrys highest monthly crude exports even as the Middle East nation supports moves to extend OPEC-led production cuts aimed at trimming bloated global inventories.

Vessels hauling 62 million barrels of the nations crude departed ports in the Persian Gulf and Mediterranean Sea in the first half of May, according totanker-tracking and shipping agent data. If sustained through May, the daily rate of 4.14 million barrels would exceed any month since Bloomberg began tracking shipments in January 2015.Current shipments, a partial proxy for output, would exceed sales in October which was the baseline month for the production accord.

Countries pumping more than half the worlds oil are trying to cut an excess of stored crude thats weighing on pricesby limiting their own supply. Led by the worlds biggest producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, the 24 nations party to the accord look set to extend the dealwhen they meet in Vienna next week. Iraqi Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said this month theres a consensus around prolonging the deal and his country backs it.

Iraqs compliance to its production target was always going to be a moving target as the country was reluctant to limit production in the first place, said Edward Bell, a commodities analyst at Dubai-based bank Emirates NBD PJSC. The higher Iraqi volumes shows one of the flaws of the deal: the focus on production rather than exports.

Iraq,the second-largest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped 4.41 million barrels of crude a day in April, according to production estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The country produced more in each month so far this year than the 4.351 million barrels a day limit it agreed to under the OPEC deal in November, according to the Bloomberg-compiled data. The production limits took effect in January, initially for a period of six months. Al-Luaibi said in March that Iraq would fully comply with its output limit in March and April.

Neighboring Iran, OPECs third-largest producer, also boosted the level of exports in the first half of May, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show. Observed crude shipments from the Persian Gulf country rose to 2.14 million barrels a day in the first half of the month, up 366,000 barrels from the same period of April. Iran was allowed to raise output slightly to about 3.8 million barrels a day under the OPEC deal.

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Iraqs commitment to OPEC was that it would reduce output by 210,000 barrels a day. While exports are not a perfect match, they are one means by which external observers try to gauge output. Iraq doesnt have the same capacity to store crude as some other producer nations, meaning that whats pumped out of the ground is piped relatively quickly onto ships. Iraq produced less than 4 million barrels a day until June 2015, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Iraqs export surge can partly be explained by catching up on reduced flows in April, when a damaged jetty was being repaired. Partial monthly data is subject to changes by the end of the month, with single shipments capable of shifting the barrels-a-day rate significantly. Still, the timing of the additional shipments isnt ideal, said Emirates NBDs Bell.

This of course doesnt look great coming ahead of next weeks OPEC meeting, Bell said, adding that Saudi and Russian backing for an extension meant the deal will likely be prolonged. Overproduction by countries like Iraq mean theres going to be more reliance on Saudi Arabia to compensate by over-cutting.

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Iraq Set for Highest Monthly Crude Exports as OPEC Meeting Nears - Bloomberg

ABOARD A US MILITARY AIRCRAFT (AFP) - The top US military commander floated the idea late Wednesday (May 17) of Nato assuming some responsibility for training troops in Iraq after Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) forces there are defeated.

The 28-member Atlantic alliance "might be uniquely posturing to provide a training mission for an enduring period of time" in Iraq, General Joe Dunford told reporters during his flight back to the United States from Brussels, where he attended a planning meeting ahead of next week's Nato summit.

"You might see Nato making a contribution to logistics, acquisitions, institutional capacity building, leadership schools, academies - those kind of things," Gen Dunford, who is chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said.

The issue is at the top of the agenda for next week's summit, with US President Donald Trump pushing the allies to take on a greater role in combating terrorism.

After months of brutal, street-by-street combat, ISIS has lost control of most of its stronghold of Mosul in Iraq, while the militants have become largely isolated in Raqa in neighbouring Syria.

A change in who leads the training mission would likely also mean revamping the nature of the effort, Gen Dunford said.

"We are not talking about Nato doing what we are doing now for combat advising in places like Mosul or Raqa," the general said.

"I don't think we are at the point now where we can envision or discuss Nato taking over" all missions of the anti-IS coalition in Iraq, he added.

Nato's top brass said on Wednesday they believed the alliance should consider joining the anti-ISIS coalition put together by Washington to fight militants in Syria and Iraq.

General Petr Pavel, head of Nato'smilitary committee, told reporters after chiefs of defence staff (CHODS) met in Brussels that it was time to look at this option.

"Nato members are all in the anti-IS coalition. The discussion now is - is Nato to become a member of that coalition," he said.

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US presses idea of Nato taking over training of Iraq troops - The Straits Times

Jordan Times

Iraq's unity, stability a Jordanian interest King Jordan Times AMMAN His Majesty King Abdullah and Iraqi President Fuad Massoum on Thursday discussed the "deep-rooted" relations between the two countries, the latest developments in Iraq and current regional issues. During their meeting, held at Al Husseiniya ... and more »

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Iraq's unity, stability a Jordanian interest King - Jordan Times

Last year a British judge ruled Blair had immunity from prosecution. Photograph: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

A high court judge is to consider whether a legal ban on prosecuting Tony Blair over the Iraq war can be challenged.

A private criminal prosecution against the former Labour prime minister was blocked in 2016 when it was ruled Blair would have immunity from any criminal charges.

On Tuesday the high court will consider arguments for reversing that ban and for keeping it.

The attorney general, the governments top law officer, wants the ban upheld and also to join the case.

The current controversy revolves around Blairs decision when prime minister to take Britain into the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which was led by the United States and sparked huge opposition.

In November 2016, a British court ruled against an application to bring a private prosecution. A district judge at Westminster magistrates court ruled Blair had immunity from prosecution over the Iraq war and that any case could also involve details being disclosed under the Official Secrets Act.

The attempted private prosecution was brought in the name of a former top Iraqi general and sought to try Blair for the crime of aggression. On Tuesday, a more senior judge will consider whether there are sufficient grounds to grant a judicial review of the rejection of the prosecution.

The high court judge will consider the paper submissions made by lawyers and there will be no public hearing.

The high court will also consider whether Jeremy Wright QC, the attorney general, can join the case. Wright believes it is in the public interest that the private prosecution is blocked.

A spokesperson for the attorney general said of the high court proceedings: The next stage will be the court considering the papers and making a decision on whether to grant permission for a judicial review.

The attorney is seeking to intervene to represent the public interest.

The private prosecution seeks the trial in a British court of Blair, the foreign secretary in 2003, Jack Straw, and Lord Goldsmith, the attorney general at the time the government was deciding to join the invasion of Iraq.

It seeks their conviction for the crime of aggression and is based on the damning findings of last years Chilcot report into the British decision to join the invasion of Iraq, under the false pretext that Saddam Husseins regime had weapons of mass destruction.

The attorney general claims the case for the crime of aggression does not exist in English law, even though it does exist in international law. But that argument appears to be undermined in a document written by Goldsmith himself.

In his 2003 memo on the legality of the Iraq war, Goldsmith, then attorney general, seemed to accept a key point of those now seeking his prosecution. Aggression is a crime under customary international law which automatically forms part of domestic law, he wrote.

After the Chilcot report was released some families of British service personnel who died fighting in Iraq called for Blair to face criminal charges.

The latest attempt at a private prosecution is brought by Gen Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat, former chief of staff of the Iraqi army and now living in exile.

His application to Westminster magistrates court for a summons to be issued against Blair was refused by district judge Michael Snow, who said the former prime minister had implied immunity as former head of state and government ministers, therefore offence not made out Allegations involve potential details being disclosed under the Official Secrets Act for which attorney general and director of public prosecutions consent are required.

The lawyers behind the private prosecution attempt include Michael Mansfield QC and Imran Khan, who fought a long battle for justice for the family of Stephen Lawrence.

It is not clear when the decision by the high court will be made public.

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Tony Blair: Iraq war prosecution attempt goes back to court - The Guardian