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Iraqi News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Halabja's new dawn: Governorate status brings hope and challenges to the historic city
Baghdad ( – After nearly four decades scarred by the horrific 1988 chemical attack and a subsequent 12-year political struggle, the Iraqi Kurdish city of Halabja has officially become Iraq's 19th governorate, and the fourth within the semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region. The Iraqi Parliament's decision in mid-April 2025 grants this city, synonymous with one of the modern era's most heinous crimes, a new administrative status. This is seen by many as long-overdue recognition and a potential catalyst for development, yet it also heralds fresh political and security complexities. The name Halabja is seared into global memory by the Ba'athist regime's chemical bombardment in March 1988, during the final months of the Iran-Iraq war, which killed an estimated 5,000 civilians, mostly women and children, and injured up to 10,000 more. The long-term effects on health and the environment have plagued the city for generations. The journey to governorate status began with a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) decision in 2013, followed by a KRG parliamentary vote in 2015. However, federal recognition was repeatedly stalled by intricate political bargaining in Baghdad, often linking Halabja's case to demands for creating other new governorates in disputed or ethnically mixed areas like Tel Afar and Tuz Khurmatu. During these years of political limbo, Halabja suffered from economic decline, high unemployment, and significant out-migration as residents sought opportunities elsewhere. The new governorate status unlocks significant potential: dedicated annual budgets, thousands of new administrative and security positions, direct federal allocations for resources like medicine and fuel, and enhanced prospects for investment across various sectors including housing, industry, commerce, entertainment, and vital services. In a groundbreaking development, Ms. Nukhsha Saleh has been appointed as Halabja's governor, making her the first female governor in Iraq's modern history. However, these new entitlements are expected to intensify internal Kurdish political competition. Traditionally, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) holds sway in Erbil and Duhok, while the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) dominates Sulaymaniyah. Halabja, previously administered under Sulaymaniyah, now joins it as a PUK-influenced governorate, potentially recalibrating the power dynamics between the two main Kurdish parties. Furthermore, Halabja's strategic location bordering Iran, with key trade crossings like Shushmi-Tawila and Bashta, positions it as a potential new arena for regional influence—a common feature across Kurdistan, which navigates Turkish military presence and Iranian political interests. Developing its tourist areas will also require careful management to avoid political corruption. The elevation of Halabja to a governorate is undoubtedly a momentous occasion, offering a chance for healing, development, and empowerment. Yet, its future will be shaped by how these new opportunities are managed amidst existing political rivalries and complex security undercurrents. True progress will require genuine commitment from both federal and regional governments, robust local governance, and continued international support to ensure this city of martyrs not only remembers its painful past but builds a resilient and prosperous future, free from the shadows that have long loomed over it. The hope is that Halabja's new beginning truly places it on the map of recovered and thriving cities, rather than entangling it further in escalating power struggles.
NDTV
14-05-2025
- Politics
- NDTV
Global Terrorist To Syrian President: Trump-Al-Sharaa Meet Scripts History
Quick Reads Summary is AI generated, newsroom reviewed. Donald Trump met Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia. Al-Sharaa, formerly a UN-designated terrorist, now leads Syria's new regime. Trump announced the lifting of sanctions on Syria, in place since 1979. Riyadh: Donald Trump, who is on a whirlwind visit to the Middle East, has scripted history when he met Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa in Saudi Arabia today. Of all his meetings and interactions, this meeting by President Trump was arguably the most significant and has reshaped the geopolitical landscape in central and west Asia. WHY HEADS TURNED GLOBALLY The first reason why heads turned when President Trump met President al-Sharaa is because of the latter's questionable background. Till very recently Ahmad al-Sharaa was known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jawlani (also spelt al-Golani or al-Joulani) - a UN-proscribed and US-designated terrorist. Over the last two decades Al-Jawlani held key positions in global terror organisations like Al Qaeda and ISIS. According to the United Nations Security Council's 'ISIS and Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee', in July 2013, Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani was declared a global terrorist for "participating in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating acts of terror". FROM GLOBAL TERRORIST TO SYRIA'S PRESIDENT According to the UN Security Council sanctions committee, he was also held guilty for "supplying, selling or transferring arms" as well as "recruiting for" Al Qaeda and ISIS. He coordinated directly with then Al Qaeda chief Aiman al-Zawahiri and later with then ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (who also went by the name Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim Ali Al-Badri Al-Samarrai). In 2011, the year of the uprising in Syria against the Russia and Iran-backed Assad regime, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi instructed Al-Jawlani to establish a front for the Al Qaeda in Iraq and Syria by developing a local presence. In 2012, Al-Jawlani founded the Al-Nusrah Front (also known as Jabhat al-Nusrah), officially known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham - a UN-designated terrorist group which officially became Al Qaeda's offshoot in Syria. By now, the uprising in Syria, which began in 2011 with peaceful protests, had turned into a revolution, with mass protests against the Ba'athist dictatorship of then President Bashar al-Assad. TARGETING RUSSIA AND IRAN-BACKED ASSAD REGIME In 2017, the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham rebranded itself as the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham or HTS. It's principal objective was to overthrow the Assad regime led by Bashar al-Assad and establish an Islamic Caliphate. Over the years the revolution in Syria turned into an armed conflict, before escalating into a full-blown civil war, slowly gaining ground across the country. In November 2024, in a sudden and massive offensive, spearheaded by Al-Jawlani's HTS, the Assad regime rapidly lost major ground, including its stronghold cities. On December 8, 2024, Bashar al-Assad fled to Russia and the Assad regime collapsed after 53 years of ruling the country with an iron fist. Moscow could not come to Bashar Assad's rescue in Syria because most of Russia's military was committed on the Ukrainian front. HTS chief Al-Jawlani declared victory, and was appointed interim President of Syria in January. He then officially assumed his current name Ahmad al-Sharaa. US MAKES INROADS IN SYRIA The second reason why Donald Trump's meeting with Ahmad al-Sharaa raised eyebrows was because the US President announced that he is lifting all sanctions imposed on Syria, which have been in place since 1979. According to the US Department of State, sanctions were imposed on Syria and the Assad regime in 1979 after the country was designated "a State Sponsor of Terrorism" for providing "political and military support to various terrorist groups". "The regime continued to provide weapons and political support to Hezbollah (Hizballah) and continued to allow Iran to rearm and finance the terrorist organisation," it said. THE ROLE OF SAUDI ARABIA AND CROWN PRINCE MBS The third reason that gained global attention was that it was Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman who suggested and arranged the meeting between President Trump and President al-Sharaa. After the meeting, Donald Trump acknowledged that the Saudi royal played a crucial role in the decisions made today. Besides all sanctions being raised, Donald Trump's meeting, followed by a statement by the White House makes it clear that the United States has recognised and legitamised the new regime in Syria. President Trump said, "Syria deserves a chance at peace under al-Sharaa" as the two heads of states met. A closed-door meeting then commenced, during which, President Trump encouraged President Al-Sharaa to do a great job for the Syrian people. The US President also urged his Syrian counterpart to sign onto the Abraham Accords with Israel, and expel all foreign terrorists from Syria. Today, President Trump, at the invitation of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa. President Erdogan of Turkey joined by phone. President Erdogan praised President Trump for lifting sanctions on Syria and committed to working alongside Saudi… — Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) May 14, 2025 THE TURKEY EQUATION AND BACKING FROM THE GULF The fourth reason why the meeting assumed significance for Asia, was because Turkey's President Erdogan joined Donald Trump and Syria's al-Sharaa over a phone call during their meeting. Several Gulf nations have also put their weight behind Syria's new regime, viewing it as a possible counterweight to Iran, with Tehran-backed Assad now confined to the history books. ISRAEL'S CAUTION TO THE US Israel isn't pleased with US' recognition of Ahmad al-Sharaa as Syrian President. Tel Aviv has cautioned Washington against giving legitimacy to the new government due to its terror background. But with sanctions being lifted and today's historic meeting, a new era has begun in the Middle East (Gulf) and West Asia. Ahmad al-Sharaa's meteoric rise from a UN-designated global terrorist to Syria's new President - now with formal ties with America - is perhaps the most astonishing turnarounds in geopolitical history. Syria's Foreign Ministry has hailed Donald Trump's announcement today as a "pivotal turning point" in the country's journey. A statement released by their foreign office said, "The removal of these sanctions offers a vital opportunity for Syria to pursue stability, self-sufficiency and meaningful national reconstruction, led by and for the Syrian people."
Shafaq News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Cancellation of the "Feyli Genocide Commemoration"!
Shafaq News/ Amid worsening financial and administrative crises and the spread of corruption within the relevant institutions, a pressing question arises: Is there still hope for improving the conditions of the Feyli Kurds despite the modesty of their demands? Supporting this cause requires active involvement from political and governmental actors, who—although they have not given the issue sufficient attention in the past—still possess the ability to play a meaningful role in crafting practical solutions. The activities held in April remain the only formal discussions and commemorations, albeit limited, and have faced many fluctuations in recent years. At times, this process has led to positive decisions and events, and at other times, to mixed outcomes—underscoring the complexity of a path that requires engagement with authorities, political movements, legal institutions, and executive bodies, in an effort to ease the pain and consequences of this catastrophe. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in commemorating the tragedy, thanks to the role of nationalist and sectarian groups, along with the efforts of dedicated individuals—whether they hold influence within power structures or are volunteers who have contributed according to their means. The names of these individuals should not be overlooked when this occasion is remembered. Since 2004, the process of commemorating the tragedy has gone through several phases, with public and official participation ranging from wide attendance to hesitant presence. Today, the political, parliamentary, and governmental landscape includes a considerable number of Feyli figures, who—depending on their level of concern and sense of responsibility—can contribute to strengthening and institutionalizing this commemoration as one of Iraq's major national occasions, and among the most impactful in raising awareness of the genocidal crimes committed in the country. There is no doubt that our individual and collective efforts, combined with serious governmental support, can help expose these crimes, erase their effects, and compensate for the damage caused by the former Ba'athist regime. Despite the establishment of dozens of Feyli social and political organizations, they have—due to various reasons—so far failed to unify their efforts into effective collective activities. Nevertheless, it can be fairly said that national commitment remains a point of light that justifies the legitimacy of the Feyli Kurds' objections, especially at a time when Shiite political forces acknowledge—and even condemn in their literature—that the displacement and genocide of the Feylis constitute crimes that do not expire with time. Therefore, any talk of erasing or downplaying this massacre, however one chooses to label it, is entirely out of the question. Based on this awareness, it is essential to intensify efforts to protect the material and moral rights of the genocide survivors, whose officially registered victims at the Martyrs Foundation exceed 16,000.
Shafaq News
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
PM Al-Sudani: Iraq has turned the page on Anfal-era tyranny
Shafaq News/ On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani commemorated the victims of the Anfal Campaign, condemning the atrocities committed against the Kurdish population 37 years ago by the former Ba'athist regime. In a post on X, Al-Sudani emphasized that Iraq has since turned the page on tyranny, affirming that the values of unity and peaceful coexistence have prevailed over the divisions the former regime sought to impose. The Anfal Campaign, launched in 1986 and peaking in 1988, was orchestrated by Ali Hassan al-Majid—known as 'Chemical Ali'—who served as the Ba'ath Party's Northern Bureau chief and military governor of the region. Military operations were led by then-Defense Minister Sultan Hashim. In May 3, 2011, Iraq's High Criminal Court officially classified the campaign as genocide and a crime against humanity. Al-Majid, also responsible for the chemical attack on Halabja, was sentenced to death and executed in 2010. The Kurdistan Regional Government commemorates the victims annually on April 14.
Iraqi News
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Iraqi News
Anfal Crime Is a Deep National Wound, Says Al-Mandalawi
First Deputy Speaker of Parliament Mohsen Al-Mandalawi affirmed on Monday that the Anfal crime is a deep national wound. In a statement obtained by the Iraqi News Agency (INA), Al-Mandalawi said, "The Anfal crime committed by the Ba'athist regime against the Kurdish people 37 years ago was not merely a military operation, but a dark page in the history of tyranny and oppression. Internationally prohibited weapons were used to commit genocide against innocent people, in an unforgettable scene of pain and betrayal." He added, "What happened in Anfal is not merely a painful past, but rather a moral and national responsibility that requires us to document the facts, stand with the victims and their families, and work to achieve justice and restore dignity." The First Deputy Speaker emphasized that "restoring the dignity of the victims can only be achieved by consolidating the values of justice and equality, and building a state that respects its diversity and protects all its components from any recurrence of these tragedies." He affirmed that "the parliament will spare no effort in supporting every legal and humanitarian effort to criminalize these crimes before history and the world."
