After French Government Dissolves Fascist Lyon Populaire Group, Another Lyon-Based Fascist Cell Reactivates
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Rudaw Net
15 hours ago
- Rudaw Net
US-led coalition support for Peshmerga to continue: Peshmerga ministry official
Also in Kurdistan Halabja not its own constituency in Iraq's parliamentary elections PKK leader gives Makhmour camp residents hope of return KRG offers free online Kurdish classes for diaspora Suspect turns himself in after Halabja double homicide A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Assistance to the Kurdish Peshmerga from the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat the Islamic State (ISIS) will continue in accordance with existing agreements between Erbil and Washington, a senior official from the Kurdistan Region's Peshmerga Ministry told Rudaw on Sunday. The remarks come amid reports that the United States may be planning to reduce or eliminate support for the Kurdish forces. Lieutenant Colonel Bakhtiar Mohammed, secretary-general of the Peshmerga Ministry, confirmed that "according to the bilateral memorandum of understanding, the aid will continue until October 2026." As part of this assistance, the coalition provides an estimated $20 to $25 million in monthly aid to the Peshmerga. However, recent media reports suggest that this support may be significantly reduced or potentially redirected to Iraqi security forces, including the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), later this year. For years, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has sought to unify its various military units into a single, professional, and depoliticized national force. This initiative has received strong backing from international partners, especially the United States and its coalition allies. Central to the effort is the integration of Unit 70 and Unit 80 - affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), respectively - into a unified command structure. Together, these units comprise the bulk of the Peshmerga, totaling over 100,000 troops. Despite consistent international support, the unification process has faced recurring obstacles. Between 2010 and 2013, approximately 42,000 fighters from Unit 70 and Unit 80 were merged, resulting in the formation of 14 brigades. However, progress stalled amid internal political disputes and the outbreak of war against ISIS in 2014. In 2018, the process was revived through a 35-point reform plan developed with coalition partners. Most recently, in late April, an initiative to digitize health data for Peshmerga forces was launched as part of the broader effort to professionalize the forces. The US-based NGO Spirit of America funded the project. In July, Babakir Zebari, former chief of staff of Iraq's Army and advisor to the Kurdistan Region's presidency, told Rudaw that Peshmerga unification had entered its final phase and would be completed by the end of the year. 'So far, ten brigades have been formed. We are now on the final one, and the process will be completed this year. All forces will be unified,' he said. However, on Sunday, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammed acknowledged that 'the unification of all Kurdish Peshmerga forces continues and has not stopped, but it is proceeding slowly.' He cited several reasons for the delay, including the absence of a 'dedicated budget' for the Kurdish Peshmerga as well as 'problems between Erbil and Baghdad have their own impact.' Another contributing factor, according to Mohammed, is the delay in forming the KRG's tenth cabinet. Following parliamentary elections in October, the KDP emerged as the largest party with 39 seats in the 100-member legislature, followed by the PUK with 23 seats. With no party holding a majority, coalition negotiations between the two ruling parties have continued for months. Another reason for the slow progress, according to Mohammed, is the delay in forming the KRG's tenth cabinet. Preeminent Kurdish leader and KDP head Masoud Barzani on Monday revealed that a 'better level of understanding' had been reached between the PUK and the KDP regarding the formation of the new cabinet, which he said would be completed ahead of Iraq's legislative elections in November.
Rudaw Net
3 days ago
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Iraq denies oil smuggling after US sanctions Iran-linked network
Also in Iraq Flights to resume at Mosul airport in 2 months after 11-year hiatus Iraq says 'committed' to receiving 230,000 barrels of oil daily from KRG KRG delegation in Baghdad for salary talks after oil export deal KRG to resume oil exports after new agreement with Iraq A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's oil marketing agency on Friday denied reports of smuggling or blending Iraqi oil with that of neighboring countries, after United States sanctions targeted an Iraqi-linked network accused of disguising Iranian oil. "Talk about the existence of places that allow the smuggling of Iraqi oil and blending it with the oil of neighboring countries is untrue," Ali Nizar Faiq, general director of the State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO), told state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA). "There are no blending or smuggling operations inside Iraqi ports or regional waters,' he added. Last month, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against a network accused of smuggling 'billions of dollars' worth of Iranian oil.' The sanctions target companies allegedly controlled by Iraqi-British businessman Salim Ahmed Said, who is accused of using fraudulent documentation and ship-to-ship transfers to disguise Iranian oil as Iraqi, including through blending. 'There is no evidence in any international body that confirms the existence of this kind of blending or smuggling,' Faiq said. The sanctions are part of renewed US pressure on Iran following the reimposition of Washington's 'maximum pressure' policy in February. The July measures came shortly after a 12-day war between Iran and Israel, during which the US struck Iranian nuclear facilities. Kurdistan Region oil exports Faiq also said Iraq is prepared to resume oil exports from the Kurdistan Region once producing companies begin deliveries. SOMO 'has completed all preparations, and has completed contracts with the purchasing companies, and is fully prepared to start exporting oil from the region as soon as the producing companies in the region start delivering the produced quantities,' he said. Under a recent agreement between Erbil and Baghdad, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) committed to exporting its oil - about 230,000 barrels per day - through SOMO. In return, Baghdad agreed to release delayed salaries for the KRG's public servants. Kurdistan Region's oil exports through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been halted since March 2023, when a Paris-based arbitration court ruled Ankara had violated a 1973 agreement by allowing the KRG to export oil independently starting in 2014. Talks between Baghdad, Erbil, and international oil companies continue about a long-term framework to fully restore the Region's exports.
Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Shafaq News
SOHR: Nearly 10,000 people killed since al-Assad's fall
Shafaq News – Damascus Nearly 10,000 people have been killed across Syria following the collapse of President Bashar al-Assad's government, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR). The watchdog documented 9,889 deaths, including 7,449 civilians—among them 396 children and 541 women—attributing widespread violations to both pro-government forces and armed non-state groups. SOHR said that March 2025 was the deadliest month, with 2,644 deaths, most occurring during mass executions and attacks on security checkpoints in Syria's coastal region. The group reported 1,726 executions that month alone. Another major spike came in late 2024, when 2,354 people—mostly civilians—were killed in similar violence in the same region. In July 2025, heavy fighting in the southern province of Suwayda left 1,733 people dead. Over the eight-month period, the Observatory recorded more than 2,500 field executions, along with intensified shelling, targeted killings, and unexplained deaths. These included 866 people killed by forces under the Military Operations Administration, a coalition of security units now controlling parts of Syria, and 590 shot by unidentified gunmen. At least 1,750 deaths occurred under unverifiable circumstances, while landmines and unexploded ordnance killed 571 people. SOHR also confirmed 50 torture-related deaths in detention facilities, most under the Military Operations Administration, with others occurring in the custody of the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Non-civilian casualties over the same period totaled 2,440, including fighters from pro-government units, opposition factions, local militias, Kurdish forces, Iranian-backed groups, Turkish troops, and ISIS remnants. The group criticized what it described as Syria's entrenched culture of impunity, citing the 'failure' of a government-appointed Fact-Finding Committee to publish findings on the coastal massacres. It also accused state media of discrediting rights monitors while fueling sectarian tensions.
