PM confirms the government's keenness to support the security forces.
Baghdad-INA
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, confirmed on Sunday the government's commitment to supporting the security forces, noting that international assessments of the Counter-Terrorism Service are the best evidence of its standing.
The Prime Minister's Media Office said in a statement received by the Iraqi News Agency (INA): "Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, participated in an iftar banquet with officers and fighters at the headquarters of the Special Operations Command of the Counter-Terrorism Service during the holy month of Ramadan."
Al-Sudani recalled "the heroism and sacrifices of the heroic Counter-Terrorism Service, which was the first nucleus of the Special Operations Command, which carried out qualitative operations that continue to punish terrorists." He praised "the operation in which the Service's forces were able to punish the terrorist known as Abu Khadija, a fact that all security institutions are proud of."
The Prime Minister affirmed "the government's commitment to supporting the security forces," noting that "the international ratings of the service are the best evidence of its standing, and our mission is to maintain this status, while remaining prepared and planning to confront the remaining remnants and cells of the defeated ISIS, and to achieve the purpose for which the service was formed, which is to combat terrorism."
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Memri
32 minutes ago
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Editor Of Qatari Government Daily: Hamas Must Not Disarm – It Will Defeat Israel With The Strength Of Its Weapons Like The Taliban Defeated Both The U.S. And The West
According to numerous recent reports in Arab media, a demand to disarm has been presented to Hamas, as part of the contacts for a ceasefire in Gaza, and this demand was rejected by Hamas officials.[1] Joining Hamas in its position are journalists in Qatar, who call the weapons of the Palestinian resistance an "existential necessity" that "are not to be bargained over"; they also refer to them as "honor" and that "relinquishing them is humiliation" and as a means that "caused heavy losses to the occupation." Particularly noticeable among these journalists was the position of Jabar Al-Harmi, editor of the Al-Sharq government daily, who called on Hamas not to give up its weapons and not to disavow its October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, because "what was taken by force will be restored only by force." He called on Hamas to act like the Taliban in Afghanistan, which despite its sacrifices never gave up its weapons and, "armed from head to toe," forced the U.S. to sit at the negotiating table with it to discuss "not what it [the U.S.] would achieve and what it would gain, but how it would escape [from Afghanistan]." Hamas's holding on to its weapons, he said, would stop Israel from recovering from October 7; he added that in any case, Israel's disappearance was nearer than people think. It should be noted that Al-Harmi also holds antisemitic views and has called for the destruction of Israel. In his articles in the newspaper, and on his X account, he regularly expresses support for Hamas and its October 7, 2023 attack, in which 1,200 were killed and 251 were taken to Gaza as hostages.[2] This mirrors Qatar's absolute support for Hamas.[3] Cartoon in Qatari daily Al-Quds Al-Arabi: Resistance fighter stands fast against attempts to take "the weapons of the resistance" from him. (Source: Al-Quds Al-Arabi, London, April 25, 2025) This report will present the positions of writers in Qatar on the subject of the "weapons of the resistance," particularly the position of Al-Sharq editor Jabar Al-Harmi: Al-Sharq Editor Al-Harmi On X, May 24, 2025: Like The Taliban, Hamas Must Not Give Up Its Weapons – And Must Not Disavow Its October 7 Attack Al-Sharq editor Jabar Al-Harmi called on Hamas not to give up its weapons and not to disavow its October 7, 2023 attack. He likened Hamas's situation to that of the Afghan Taliban, who never relinquished their weapons and even, he said, forced the U.S. to negotiate with them by force of their weapons, in addition to "defeating Russia and then the U.S. and the West all together" who today seek "the love of the Afghans – love that comes by force of arms." In a May 24, 2025 post on X, Al-Harmi wrote: "Had the Afghans agreed to solutions of submission during the invasion of their country by two of the strongest countries – the U.S.S.R. in 1979 and the U.S. in 2002 [sic[4]] – and had they said 'We have no strength against these two countries, we are a poor country, and if we are in a position of inferiority, we have no weapons and the world is set against us,' they would not today have a state that is respected by all those who invaded them previously. "The Afghans opposed [the invaders] with their force and might, defeating Russia and then the U.S. and the West all together. Although the invaders used the most criminal weapons, including weapons banned by international conventions, the Afghans did not surrender, despite all the victims. This is what ultimately forced the invaders to sit at the negotiating table with them, by force of arms – not to negotiate over what it [the U.S.] would achieve and what it would gain, but how it would escape [from Afghanistan]. "This did not happen by virtue of the Afghans' consent to disarm – it was by virtue of their strong opposition to the invaders and their defense by means of everything they had, and by means of the weapons of the enemies that they had seized. This is the path to liberation. What was taken by force will be restored only by force, and anything else is an attempt to anesthetize and distract the occupied peoples. Today, Russia and the U.S. seek the love of the Afghans – a love that comes by force of arms. "Consent to disarm the resistance in Gaza and to disavow the October 7 [attack] means that the enemy [Israel] will revive, [and will continue to exist] for the next 100 years. Even if the Palestinian people is wounded, and if the Gazans are dead, do not think that the enemy is relaxed – on the contrary, its fear is greater, and it is now focusing on its entity's future. Will this entity, which is [weaker than] a spiderweb,[5] survive, or will it disappear and not see out its eighth decade? Its disappearance is nearer than you think. 'If you should be suffering – so are they suffering as you are suffering' – but the difference [between the two comes at the end of the verse]: 'You have hope of reward, help, and support from Allah, which they cannot hope for.'[6]"[7] Post by Jaber Al-Harmi ( May 24, 2025) Al-Harmi On X, April 14, 2025: The "Weapons Of The Resistance" In Gaza Are Not For Sale And Are Nonnegotiable In a previous X post, on April 14, 2025, Al-Harmi rejected the demand that Hamas disarm, using the same parallel to the Taliban's refusal to negotiate over disarming. 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For example, Palestinian writer Hadir Rashad explained in his column in Al-Sharq, under the headline "The Weapons Of The Resistance Are Not For Bargaining," that "it is not easy to raise the issue of disarming the resistance without this proposal crashing into the obvious wall of reality, according to which weapons in the hands of peoples under occupation are not a choice but an existential necessity... The weapons of the resistance in Gaza will never be a mere symbol or slogan – they are an influential means of action that caused the occupation heavy losses in lives and in [its] economy... "The call to disarm the resistance in Palestine before the occupation departs is a call for surrender, not peace; for permanent consent to the aggression and not for stopping it; for apparent calm whose hidden meaning is seizing the trump card from the hands of the people that has only force of will and arms."[9] Article In Al-Watan, May 16, 2025: Weapons Are Honor, Relinquishing Them Is Humiliation In his May 16, 2025 column in the Qatari government daily Al-Watan, Palestinian writer Samir Al-Barghouti presented the results of a Palestinian poll that showed widespread Palestinian support for Hamas amid the decline in the prestige of the Palestinian Authority and of Fatah. He stated that "82% of the Palestinian [respondents] said that they oppose handing over the weapons of the resistance." He summarized the survey, stating: "Since the first and second intifadas, and the [Al-Aqsa] Flood [the October 7 attack], Palestinians have believed that they have no other choice but resistance, and that weapons are honor, and relinquishing them is humiliation."[10]
Memri
33 minutes ago
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Iranian Regime Mouthpiece 'Kayhan': For The Houthis, It's 'Open Season On American F-35s' That Israel Uses To Strike Yemen
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Mahdi Al-Mashat says that we need to wait just a few days to see if they have the capability of downing F-35s! "In May, there were only a few days in which the Yemenis did not attack Tel Aviv, Israel's airports, and sensitive security centers, and [Israel] will apparently again attack Yemen in an attempt to stop this. In light of Mahdi Al-Mashat's statements, this potential [future] Israeli attack is expected to be particularly fateful! We must wait and see. But we must also consider that any news about downed Israeli F-35s jets will be censored, and no one will hear about it.[1] "The Tone Of Yemen's Supreme Political Council Head [Al-Mashat] Regarding The Yemenis' Powerful New Air Defense Is So Serious That It Can Be Said That Important News Is Imminent" "Experts on Yemen say that war with it, for whatever reason, is a very difficult challenge, even for the biggest military powers. This difficulty stems mainly from the 'character of the Yemeni people.' The Yemenis are a unique people; all those who have studied Yemeni society in depth unanimously confirm their uniqueness. For example, it is said that when [the Yemenis] encounter a problem or crisis, they do not 'wait,' but find a solution by themselves and continue moving forward in any way possible. Just as they have found a solution for the [problem of the] enormous American aircraft carriers, they say they have already found a solution for the [problem of the] F-35s. We must wait and see how effective their solution is. "'Courage' is one of the Yemeni people's most prominent characteristics, and this has made it hard for any enemy to fight them. They [the Houthis] have reiterated after every major attack by America and the Zionist regime that these attacks would not make them abandon their Palestinian brothers. The very fact that you have the courage to strike the world's largest military power and expel it from the region – is that not the height of courage? 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"They'll say, for example, that a 'technical glitch' was what caused the downing of the advanced fighter jet – just like they did in in the case of the three American F-18s, when they tried to claim that their downing was the result of evasive maneuvers by the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier – not by the precision firing of Yemeni missiles. At the same time, there may be barbaric Israeli attacks on civilian centers in Yemen, as well as an even more cruel massacre of Gazans. The Zionists generally advance their interests while taking civilians hostage. "'The option of starting secret negotiations' is another scenario that could materialize if an Israeli F-35 is downed. Israel may enter into secret negotiations with Yemen with American mediation, just as Trump conducted secret negotiations with the Yemenis, since neither Israel nor America can bear such great humiliation to its image. "The tone of Yemen's Supreme Political Council head [Al-Mashat] regarding the Yemenis' powerful new air defense is so serious that it can be said that important news is imminent. The best thing to do in this situation is to wait and see what happens. If the Yemenis' promise is kept, it can be said that the rules of this war will change. "The main question is: Are the Israeli regime and the U.S. willing to accept the risk of losing F-35s? Or would they rather avoid direct confrontation with Yemen?"[2]
Shafaq News
44 minutes ago
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Basra court summons cleric over protest incitement
Shafaq News/ A court in Basra summoned Sheikh Abdul-Ghaffar Jabbar Fadel Al-Awadhi, a prominent figure from northern Basra, over allegations of inciting protests against the local government. According to an official document dated June 1, 2025, based on a complaint filed by the Basra Governorate Office, the Court for Publication and Media Issued ordered Al-Awadhi to appear within three days of notification, warning that failure to comply could result in an arrest warrant. In his first response to the legal action, Sheikh Al-Awadhi confirmed to Shafaq News that he will appear in court after the Eid holiday 'to reaffirm legitimate demands guaranteed by the constitution.' He also criticized the Basra government's treatment of demonstrators, describing it as 'negative and dismissive of citizens' rights.' Addressing a widely circulated image of him holding bottles of contaminated water, he noted that 'it reflects the painful reality faced by residents' and was not intended as a threat or act of incitement. Sheikh Haitham Al-Mansouri, leader of the Al-Sadiq Movement, expressed to Shafaq News his support for Sheikh Al-Awadhi and the protesters, indicating that the demonstrations stemmed from chronic neglect and deprivation in northern Basra—despite the region's wealth in natural resources. He also warned the governor, 'If you choose to open a judicial front against the demonstrators, then you are opening the door to the beginning of the end of your authority in Basra,' calling for a new chapter in relations with the province's residents. Additionally, legal expert Jaafar Ismail told Shafaq News, 'Rather than addressing a basic demand or reassuring citizens, the response has been to silence voices and suppress civil expression by exploiting legal provisions.' Article 38 of the Iraqi Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful protest, as well as freedom of expression and media. Articles 5 and 20 grant citizens the right to hold authorities accountable, Ismail said, arguing that the complaint lacks legal basis and does not amount to proof of criminal conduct. He concluded that the core charge—allegedly inciting protest—is not a crime in itself as long as the demonstrations are peaceful and constitutionally protected.
