
Palestinian Ambassador to Syria Samir Al-Rifai: The Zionist Ideology Implemented in Gaza Is Like the American 'Torah-Based' ideology of Genocide and Colonialism Used Against Native Americans; They Als
In a March 30, 2025, appearance on Palestine TV, Palestinian Ambassador to Syria Samir Al-Rifai compared the Zionist ideology of 'genocide' being implemented in Gaza to the American ideology of 'colonialism and genocide' against Native Americans that is 'based upon the ideology of the Torah.' He claimed that in the United States, Native Americans were referred to as 'Canaanites or Amalekites,' or other names now used for Palestinians.

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Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Iraqi airspace: an active corridor in escalating Israel-Iran conflict
Shafaq News/ The military confrontation between Israel and Iran has turned Iraqi airspace into a dangerous transit zone for missiles and warplanes from both sides, exposing the country's skies to unprecedented activity in the absence of a modern air defense system. Security sources told Shafaq News that Israeli warplanes crossed into Iraqi airspace through several flight paths to carry out missile strikes deep inside Iranian territory, including strategic sites in and around Tehran. In response, Iran launched multiple waves of long-range ballistic missiles toward Israel, several of which were detected passing through Iraqi skies. These missile trajectories spanned various regions across the country. The heavy use of Iraqi airspace led to debris from intercepted or malfunctioning missiles falling over populated areas. Shafaq News correspondent reported that a missile fuel tank landed on a residential home in al-Husseiniyah, north of Baghdad, causing material damage but no casualties. Additional missile fragments were also reported in western Iraq. Residents in Baghdad, Babil, Diyala, Kirkuk, and Saladin reported hearing loud explosions and the sound of missiles flying overhead during the overnight hours. A security source described the situation as a de facto transformation of Iraqi skies into an active missile corridor. "There is a state of heightened security alert, but Iraq currently lacks the practical means to intercept or neutralize such threats," the source said, noting that the country still does not possess a modern air defense system or an integrated network to safeguard its airspace from regional conflict spillovers. While the Iraqi government has shut down civilian air traffic as a precautionary measure, military flights and missile traffic through Iraqi airspace have persisted. On Friday evening, security sources confirmed that Iranian missiles and drones heading toward Israel were intercepted over Iraq and Syria. In one incident, a missile fell on farmland along the road connecting Najaf and Karbala after being intercepted, sparking a fire that was extinguished by Najaf's civil defense teams. A source familiar with the matter told Shafaq News that US forces played a role in intercepting Iranian projectiles bound for Israel, and the missile that fell in Najaf may have been among those targeted by American defense systems. In southern Iraq, two drone incidents were reported on Saturday in Dhi Qar province. A security source said that one drone crashed in a desert area near al-Hamaira in Qalaat Sukkar district, while another crashed in a nearby agricultural zone known as Umm al-Qata'. Both areas are located in the northern part of the province. Security forces retrieved the wreckage from both crash sites for analysis. Preliminary reports suggest that one of the drones may have been the Iranian-made 'Arash' model, known for its long-range capabilities.


Shafaq News
6 hours ago
- Shafaq News
Experts warn of Iraq's vulnerability as Israeli-Iranian conflict escalates
Shafaq News/ Israel's airstrikes on Iran early Friday, followed by Tehran's missile response, have placed Iraq in a vulnerable position, as lawmakers and experts point to Baghdad's limited ability to act due to its lack of control over airspace and territory. The cross-border escalation has heightened tensions across the region, with some analysts warning that the conflict could spiral into a broader confrontation involving neighboring countries, including Iraq. Israeli strikes targeted multiple Iranian cities, including Tehran, reportedly killing senior military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by launching attacks on Tel Aviv. Member of the Iraqi Parliament's Foreign Relations Committee, MP Mokhtar al-Moussawi, told Shafaq News that Iraq can do little more than condemn the Israeli aggression. 'This is clearly an attack on Iran, but Iraqi security forces must also remain alert and vigilant because the threat is not limited to Iran—Iraq now lies between Tehran and the Zionist entity [Israel],' he stated. Al-Moussawi, a lawmaker from the Iran-backed Fatah Alliance led by Hadi al-Amiri, emphasized that Iraq's current stance is confined to verbal condemnation. 'Iraq does not possess sufficient military capabilities, nor does it control its own skies or territory. The Israeli warplanes that struck Iran reportedly passed through Iraqi airspace,' he said. Security expert Ali al-Maamari believes the Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran are part of a calculated strategy rather than an all-out war effort. 'These attacks are meant to pressure Tehran into reconsidering its nuclear program, potentially forcing it back to the negotiating table to halt uranium enrichment and dismantle sensitive infrastructure,' he told Shafaq News. According to al-Maamari, Iran faces a critical choice. 'If Tehran concedes, it will suffer a partial loss; if it doesn't, the consequences may escalate toward regime destabilization,' he pointed out, adding that Iranian-backed armed forces across the region have not yet launched a coordinated response. 'This is likely because the United States has officially denied involvement in the Israeli strikes, which weakens any justification for retaliating against US interests in Iraq.' For his part, Jordanian political analyst Hazem Ayyad explained to Shafaq News that the Israeli operation may mark the beginning of a prolonged confrontation. 'Given Iran's stated threats to target American bases in the Gulf—including in Iraq and Jordan—the danger of escalation is very real.' Ayyad added that any damage to sensitive facilities, such as the Dimona nuclear reactor near the Jordanian border, poses a serious risk. 'Beyond military implications, the environmental and security threats would be considerable,' he noted. He further warned of possible regional spillovers. 'Strikes on strategic facilities like Haifa Port could have consequences for Lebanon and the eastern Mediterranean. If regional actors such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, or Iraqi factions decide to intervene, the situation could escalate into a full-scale regional war.' Beyond the military scope, Ayyad underlined broader implications that will likely affect the economy, energy markets, maritime routes, and even food security in countries directly impacted, such as Iraq and Jordan. 'What we're witnessing is not just a temporary flare-up, but signs of a long-term conflict that may last for weeks, if not longer, unless serious international efforts are made to de-escalate and prevent the region from sliding into wider confrontation.'


Iraqi News
7 hours ago
- Iraqi News
US judge extends detention of pro-Palestinian protest leader
New York – Pro-Palestinian student protest leader Mahmoud Khalil remained in US detention Friday despite an expected release, his lawyer said, following reported accusations of inaccuracies in his permanent residency application. US District Judge Michael Fabiarz had issued an order Wednesday that the government could not detain or deport Khalil, a legal permanent resident, based on Secretary of State Marco Rubio's assertions that his presence on US soil posed a national security threat. The order gave the government until Friday to release Khalil. But by Friday afternoon, the Trump administration 'represented that the Petitioner is being detained on another, second charge,' the judge wrote. The Department of Homeland Security has provided the court with press clippings from various American tabloids suggesting Khalil, who is married to a US citizen, had failed to disclose certain information about his work or involvement in a campaign to boycott Israel when applying for his permanent resident green card, ABC News reported. 'The government is now using cruel, transparent delay tactics to keep him away from his wife and newborn son ahead of their first Father's Day as a family,' Khalil attorney Amy Greer said in a statement, referring to the US holiday observed on Sunday. 'Instead of celebrating together, he is languishing in ICE detention as punishment for his advocacy on behalf of his fellow Palestinians. It is unjust, it is shocking, and it is disgraceful.' Since his March 8 arrest by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, Khalil has become a symbol of President Donald Trump's willingness to stifle pro-Palestinian student activism against the Gaza war, in the name of curbing anti-Semitism. At the time a graduate student at New York's Columbia University, Khalil was one of the most visible leaders of nationwide campus protests against Israel's war in Gaza. Authorities transferred Khalil, who was born in Syria to Palestinian parents, nearly 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) from his home in New York to a detention center in Louisiana, pending deportation. His wife Noor Abdalla, a Michigan-born dentist, gave birth to their son while Khalil was in detention.