Archive for the ‘Iraq’ Category

Pope demands ‘urgent’ action to protect civilians in Iraq – WJLA

Pope Francis arrives for his weekly general audience, at the Vatican, Wednesday, March 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

VATICAN CITY (AP) Pope Francis demanded "urgent" action Wednesday to protect civilians in Iraq, saying forces involved in the battle for Mosul have an obligation to protect innocents following a recent spike in civilian casualties.

Francis issued a special appeal for peace in Iraq at the end of his general audience. He greeted an interfaith group of Iraqis on hand in St. Peter's Square, encouraging them in helping Iraq find reconciliation among various ethnic and religious groups.

Francis said that he was particularly concerned about Iraqis trapped by recent fighting to take Mosul back from Islamic State group militants.

"In expressing profound sadness for the victims of the bloody conflict, I renew my appeal that everyone commit themselves to using all efforts to protect civilians, an imperative and urgent obligation," he said.

The U.N. human rights office has called on the U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes on Mosul to minimize civilian casualties, saying at least 300 people have been killed since mid-February including 140 from a single March 17 airstrike incident on a house. The U.N. says IS militants are using human shields and setting a trap for the coalition.

Amnesty International has said the rising civilian death toll suggested the U.S.-led coalition wasn't taking adequate precautions as it helps Iraqi forces try to retake the city, though the U.S. has denied any loosening of the rules of combat.

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Pope demands 'urgent' action to protect civilians in Iraq - WJLA

Army General: Iraq Must Do More to Engage, Empower Its Sunni Population – CNSNews.com


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Army General: Iraq Must Do More to Engage, Empower Its Sunni Population
CNSNews.com
(CNSNews.com) - Army General Joseph Votel, the head of U.S. Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that "there is still much work to be done" to bridge the Sunni-Shi'a divide in Iraq, something that must be done to ...
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Army General: Iraq Must Do More to Engage, Empower Its Sunni Population - CNSNews.com

Turkey slams move to raise Kurdish flags in Iraq – TRT World

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said the Kirkuk provincial assembly's decision "will not help Iraqs future, stability and security."

Photo by: (AFP)

The Kurdish flag (L) flies next to an Iraqi flag (R) over a government building in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk on March 28, 2017.

Turkey expressed concerns on Wednesday over the decision of an Iraqi provincial assembly to raise theKurdish flag alongside the Iraqi national flag at public buildings.

On Tuesday, 26 Kurdish members of Kirkuks provincial assembly voted in favour of raising the Kurdish flag alongside Iraqs national flag atthe citys public buildings and institutions.

We dont approve of this voting held by the regional administration, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview with state-broadcaster TRT Haber.

Such a step will not help Iraqs future, stability and security at a time when Iraq is fighting against Daesh. We dont support this step and we want everyone to act responsibly.

TRT Worldspoke toOwenHoldawaywho hasmore fromErbil.

UN concerned

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) also said it was concerned by the recent decision of the governor of Kirkuk.

Iraqi Vice-President Osama al Nujeifi also condemned the move on Tuesday, saying it could lead to friction between Kirkuk residents.

Thereare nineTurkmenand sixArabrepresentatives in the 41-memberKirkukprovincialcouncil,who were conspicuously absent during Tuesday's vote.

Kirkuks population is mainly composed of Arab, Turkmen and Kurdish inhabitants.

The citys Turkmen residentsopposed this idea, saying Kirkuk should enjoy a special status.

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Turkey slams move to raise Kurdish flags in Iraq - TRT World

Army’s 1st Armored Division tapped for Iraq, Afghanistan tours – Stars and Stripes


Stars and Stripes
Army's 1st Armored Division tapped for Iraq, Afghanistan tours
Stars and Stripes
WASHINGTON Soldiers from the Army's 1st Armored Division will deploy later this year to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of ongoing operations in those long-embattled nations, the Army announced Wednesday. The division, based at Fort Bliss in Texas, ...
Fort Bliss to send troops, commander to IraqEl Paso Times

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Army's 1st Armored Division tapped for Iraq, Afghanistan tours - Stars and Stripes

Fingerprints of Refugee Admitted To US Were Found In An Iraq Bunker Used To Hold Hostages In Terrible Conditions – Townhall

Two Iraqi men in the United States as refugees, brothers Yousif Al Mashhandani and Adil Hasan, were arrested and charged Monday with immigration fraud after federal authorities found they lied about their biological connection to Majid Al Mashhadani. Mashhadani is an Iraqi who kidnapped an American in 2004 and held them in horrible conditions for nearly a year.

From a Department of Justice release (bolding is mine):

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, on Nov. 1, 2004, a U.S. citizen, identified as R.H., was kidnapped and held with other hostages for months in horrible conditions in an underground bunker. After a raid in 2005 freed the hostages, Majid Al Mashhadani (Majid), who is a full biological brother of Yousif and Hasan, was detained and admitted his complicity in the kidnapping of R.H.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, Yousif was admitted into the U.S. as a refugee in 2008. In May 2013, Yousif resided in Vienna and applied for naturalization as a U.S. citizen. In connection with Yousifs applications for citizenship, his fingerprints were taken. According to an FBI fingerprint specialist, analysis conducted in November 2013 determined that Yousifs fingerprints match those found on a document at the underground bunker where forces rescued R.H. and others in Iraq in 2005.

According to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint, to justify his application for refugee status, Hasan provided sworn testimony that, in 2006, he had been kidnapped and tortured by members of the Al Mahdi Army and held for nearly a month. Hasan said he was released upon the payment of a ransom of $20,000. In an interview by FBI agents in April 2016, Hasan said he was threatened in Iraq on two occasions, but made no mention of being kidnapped, held hostage and tortured for nearly a month. In a subsequent interview in October 2016, FBI agents confronted Hasan about the discrepancy in his stories and Hasan admitted to making false statements and creating his persecution story.

Based on the fingerprint match found in the Iraqi bunker, Yousif may have been involved in holding hostages with Mashhaadni. As noted, one of those hostages was an American citizen.

Hasan's wife, Enas Ibrahim, was also arrested and charged "attempting to obtain naturalization contrary to law." All three individuals live in Virginia. More from the release:

According to the affidavit, Hasan and Ibrahim also falsely represented their income level while on welfare to obtain an automobile loan.

"On January 8, 2015, Hasan and Ibrahim made a $10,000 down payment on an auto loan they obtained on the basis of their representations that they jointly earned at least $84,000 annually, including $36,000 that Ibrahim claimed to earn as a daycare worker in a job that she held for three years. At that time, Ibrahim was receiving benefits from the SNAP and TANF programs through the County of Fairfax on the basis of representation from 2014 renewal applications with Fairfax County Social Services that a) she was unemployed and had no income; b) their joint income was less that $4000 a week; c) that they had virtually no assets. The representations that Hasan and Ibrahim made to NMAC in January 2015 were inconsistent with the representations that Hasan made to Fairfax County in September and December 2014."

You can read the entire affidavit below:

2017 03 28 Mashhadani Affidavit by Katie Pavlich on Scribd

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Fingerprints of Refugee Admitted To US Were Found In An Iraq Bunker Used To Hold Hostages In Terrible Conditions - Townhall