On Aug. 22, the northeastern Syrian city of al-Hasakah was inundated with leaflets condemning creeping Iranian influence in the area. The printed messages were plastered around several highly sensitive locations in the city center, including the local branch of the Ba’ath Party, the neighborhoods of al-Matar and al-Mahatah, as well as near the Great Mosque and market streets.
Published date: 2 January 2021 18:12 UTC | Last update: 2 months 2 weeks ago
With the famed Quds Force leader gone, Tehran is embarking on a complete overhaul of its Iraqi paramilitaries. If it succeeds, a two-headed dragon will emerge
To say that Iraq s Shia leaders are disappointed in the man who replaced Qassem Soleimani is an understatement. They are shocked.
Soleimani, the top Iranian general who was killed in a US drone strike on 3 January, 2020, moved among them with ease. He knew each leader, commander and many of their subordinates personally. Their bond, forged over decades, was renowned.
Brigadier General Esmail Qaani, the new commander of the Quds Force, Iran s elite unit tasked with overseas operations, boasts none of the same qualities and appears uninterested in replicating them.
ISHM: December 10 - December 17, 2020
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UNAMI Urges Parliament To Fund Elections; KRG “Ready” To Exchange Oil For Funds; Controversial Politician Barred From Elections; Dhi-Qar Protest Site Cleared; Kadhimi Visits Ankara – On December 11, UNAMI urged lawmakers to quickly approve a IQD329 billion bill, without which the Independent High Electoral Commission won’t be able to perform critical electoral preparations. UNAMI also projected that the distribution of biometric cards would reach only 2% of 11.3 million voters who still don’t have them by June. On December 12, PM Kadhimi and Speaker Halbousi chaired a meeting between the federal government and a KRG delegation led by Qubad Talabani to negotiate for funding under the deficit financing law Iraq’s Parliament passed in November. Talabani said the KRG was ready to hand over its oil and non-oil revenue. On December 14, an Iraqi court barred Salah ad-Din politician Ahmed Abdullah al-Jubouri (aka Aby
Tuesday, 15 December, 2020 - 06:30 Jazairi with former commander of Quds Force Qassem Soleimani (Asharq Al-Awsat AR) Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat
Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) continue to arrest prominent figures linked to the Saraya al-Khorasani brigades and Iran, who are accused of attacking civilian activists.
Less than 24 hours after the arrest of Hamid al-Jazairi, deputy commander general of the group, the PFM arrested on Monday 30 members of the Brigades while searching for their Secretary-General Ali Al-Yasiri.
Sources reported that Al-Yasiri “was not present at the Saraya headquarters during the raid launched by PMF security personnel.
“He intended to travel to Syria, but he returned and turned himself over in to the PMF Security Directorate,” the sources added.