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Shafaq News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Al-Hol exodus: +830 Iraqis return home in 11th 2025 convoy
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, 223 Iraqi families left Syria's Al-Hol camp in Al-Hasakah province returning to Iraq under heavy security provided by the US-led Global Coalition. The Head of the Departure Office at Al-Hol, Shukri Al-Hajji, told Shafaq News that this is the 11th repatriation operation since the beginning of 2025 and the 26th overall. The current convoy includes 832 individuals. The repatriation is coordinated between the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria and the Iraqi government. Iraqi families who expressed a desire to return are gradually being evacuated in organized groups. In a previous round last month, 241 families—comprising 865 individuals—were returned to Iraq in a similar operation. The Iraqi Ministry of Migration and Displacement Spokesperson Ali Abbas Jahangir told Shafaq News earlier that over 15,000 individuals have been transferred from Al-Hol to Iraq since repatriation efforts began, adding, 'More than 12,600 persons remain in the camp, awaiting relocation in future batches.' Iraq launched the repatriation program in 2021. Returnees are received at the Jadaa camp in Nineveh, where they undergo social and psychological rehabilitation. The effort, however, continues to face backlash from local communities—especially families of ISIS victims in Nineveh—who express concern over the reintegration of returnees into their hometowns.
News18
25-05-2025
- Politics
- News18
Defeating Seamless Integration Of Terror & Drugs In Democracies
Last Updated: India needs a model for counter-terrorism adjudication, taking into account the terror problem in all its facets, including narco-terrorism and money laundering Terrorism is senseless violence in which civilians are often the target, like the recent Pahalgam incident in Kashmir. Militant groups that engage in transnational terrorism employ disparate terrorist tactics for several disruptive motives. Their transnational terrorist operations are underpinned by a strategic need to influence intended audiences abroad in achieving their process and outcome goals. Depending on the militant groups' short- and long-term objectives, the type of attack indicates the type of terrorist strategy they will employ. At its core, terrorism is a senseless, violent discourse, aimed at influencing the policies and support of an intended audience beyond the immediate victims. These targeted third-party audiences can include governments (domestic or foreign), opposition political parties, the passive public, and the supporting global religious constituency of the militant group. The major international agreements are: • 1988 UN Drug Convention – United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (1988) • UN Single Drug Convention – United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs (1961 as amended by the 1972 Protocol) • UN Psychotropic Substances Convention – United Nations Convention on Psychotropic Substances (1971) • Migrant Smuggling Protocol – Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Air and Sea, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime • Firearms Protocol – Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition, supplementing the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime. Significantly, both India and Pakistan are signatories to all these international agreements. In addition, a significant recent initiative is the Global Coalition to Address Synthetic Drug Threats, an international partnership which the United States launched in mid-2023. In September 2024, the United States hosted a Leaders' Summit at the UN General Assembly to mark the first year of the Global Coalition, which now has 164 participating member states and 15 international organisation partners working to disrupt the supply chain for synthetic drugs and detect emerging drug threats. The United States also spurred new global action against the synthetic drug crisis at the High-Level Segment of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) in March 2024, which marked the first time a US Secretary of State attended a meeting of the UN's drug policymaking body. Also, the US Department of State, Bureau of Counterterrorism identifies State Sponsors of Terrorism. Countries determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism are designated pursuant to three laws: section 1754(c) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act, and section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. Taken together, the four main categories of sanctions resulting from designation under these authorities include restrictions on US foreign assistance; a ban on defence exports and sales; certain controls over exports of dual-use items; and miscellaneous financial and other restrictions. Currently, there are four countries designated under these authorities: Cuba, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Iran, and Syria. Is it not surprising that the name of Pakistan, which is a global hub of narcotics, is significantly missing? The value and utility of all the above agreements, dialogues and pronouncements, are all highly debatable. Western strategic interests are only articulated and protected in these deliberations, but Asian and African countries always get a raw deal. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on February 5 said that the narcotics network is providing support to infiltrators and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir. He said that there was a need to initiate prompt action with alacrity and rigour against terror funding from the proceeds of the narcotics trade. As J&K continues to grapple with the menace of drug abuse, authorities have revealed that an alarming 1,978 drug-related cases have been registered in 2024-25 alone and over 2,800 persons have been held in connection with them. This is part of a larger crackdown on drug traffickers and suppliers aimed at dismantling the nexus. Notably, drug abuse has picked up in J&K over the last few years. About 14.09 lakh persons in J&K are affected by substance abuse, including addiction to alcohol, cannabis, opioids and inhalants. Around 1,514 cases were registered in 2024, and 2,260 arrests and 274 detentions were made under the NDPS Act. But the ground reality in narcotics enforcement in J&K is disturbing. In February 2025, the Jammu, Kashmir & Ladakh High Court upheld the trial court's acquittal in a case involving the possession of contraband in commercial quantity. The court emphasised that non-compliance with mandatory provisions—such as proper sampling, immediate reporting, and informing the accused of the grounds for arrest—makes the prosecution's case defective. It criticised the lack of diligence in investigations under the NDPS Act, noting: 'Every day, we hear reports of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances being seized, particularly from the youth. However, it is alarming that many genuine cases under the NDPS Act result in acquittals due to casual, unfair, and flawed investigations." The bench further stressed that 'cases under the NDPS Act are frequently handled by incompetent officers, leading to breaches that weaken prosecution arguments, undermine justice, and erode public confidence in the legal system". This is just one of the many cases in which charges against drug dealers have fallen in court. In the last six years, more than 13,186 persons have been arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Yet, the official data shows only four convictions have been secured, an abysmally low rate of just 0.03 per cent. Yet, the situation has barely changed, with legal experts and officials arguing the problems run deeper. They point out the law is stringent against drug trafficking, but the burden of proof is higher, requiring highly professional investigations. 'This law is laced with technicalities, and a single contradiction in the statement of witnesses erodes the credibility in the eyes of the law." The above problem, pointed out by the court, stems from inadequate training of investigators. Also, the government needs to bring in different legislation to handle cross-border narco-terror cases. The situations in Punjab and Kashmir are very alarming. In May 2025, the Punjab Police, in Tarn Taran, made a major recovery of 85 kg of heroin near the border village of Gharinda. This is the biggest heroin seizure of 2025 so far, smuggled from Pakistan. Similarly, in May 2025, the Border Security Force (BSF) officials seized heroin valued at Rs 5 crore after intercepting a drone from Pakistan near the international border in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar. The consignment, believed to have been sent from Pakistan, was found near the barbed-wire fencing along the international border. On April 2, a crashed drone was found in a field near Chak 11F, Sheikhsarpal Border Post, Karanpur. It contained 500 gm of heroin. On March 20, three kilograms of heroin were recovered near the Rawala area (village 12 KND) by BSF personnel after a drone drop. On May 18, 2025, the BSF successfully crossed a significant landmark of recovering the 100th Pakistani drone, including 111 kg of heroin, 60 weapons, 14 hand grenades and more than 10 kg of high explosives from entering Indian territory. In 2024, the BSF recovered 294 such drones along the Indo-Pak border. Investigations conducted over the past four years have indicated that Pakistan-based terror groups were involved in sending drugs and weapons using drones at different locations along the border in Punjab. No other country in the world is facing such a grave narco-terror problem as India. An array of terror organisations, sporting Arabic names, operates near the India-Pakistan border, with global ambitions and a willingness to export terror and war from their base of operations. Though the recent Operation Sindoor delivered a strong punch, terror forces have not been completely obliterated. They will regroup quickly with continued support from Pakistan, to keep alive the spectre of narco-terrorism, in Kashmir and Punjab. So, it is not sufficient to be on the front lines of combating drug smuggling and making waves with seizures. Combating narco-terrorism in the border states of Rajasthan, Punjab and Jammu & Kashmir needs a new law and a different set of yardsticks. The role of the judiciary in the challenge of fighting terrorism needs complete reconsideration and revision. Can and should the courts decide the proper way to fight terrorism? Will constant judicial interference burden the fight against terrorism? Which law is applicable to counter-terrorist activities and narco-terrorism? Is it the law of war or is it the routine criminal law that needs application? What is the plausible balance between human rights and public safety in this era of terrorism? What India sorely needs is a model for counter-terrorism adjudication, taking into account the terror problem in all its facets, including narco-terrorism and money laundering within the legal context. A possible model is the jurisprudence of the Israeli Supreme Court, developed in recent years. The Supreme Court of Israel has dealt many times with questions regarding the role of the Court in the era of terrorism. Counter-terrorism has become a part of daily reality in Israel, very much like in Kashmir. The approach of the Israeli judiciary is unique in comparison with the judges and courts in other democracies. The different forms of counter-terrorism measures reviewed by the Israeli Supreme Court cover preventive measures such as detention and arrest, assigned residence of inhabitants, house demolitions, and the 'separation fence"; interrogation methods; the course of actual combatant activity; provisions for civil liability of the armed forces; and electoral laws banning candidates who support terror activities. For example, in many cases, following a terrorist attack, the IDF demolishes the house of the terrorist. It does this mainly to deter terrorists. This measure is administrative rather than part of any criminal procedure, and is considered severe because it often results in the loss of housing for an entire family, even though the family may not be involved in the terrorist activity. As a matter of practice, the IDF has also used this tactic in cases where the terrorist died or escaped from the country. In numerous cases, petitioners requested the Israeli Court to cancel these demolition orders. Upon review, the Court ruled that this counter-terrorism method can be used to deter terrorists, but not to punish them, and that no international or domestic law renders the practice illegal. The fact that other people, namely the families of the terrorists, were affected by this action was not found to make the action itself illegal under international law. A few states in India have adopted a similar procedure, which goes by the name of 'bulldozer justice". But the Supreme Court promptly intervened and termed it a 'lawless, ruthless state of affairs", and issued pan-India guidelines. The common man who is facing the brunt of terrorism and narco-terrorism is facing a conundrum, are laws and their interpretations tilted in favour of the terrorists? It is because of the soft approach of the US judiciary that the American government was compelled to establish the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay in 2002 to house individuals designated as 'enemy combatants" and suspected terrorists following the September 11 attacks. This facility, located within the US Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was intended to hold those captured in the 'war on terror," particularly in Afghanistan and Iraq. The primary reason for its creation was to detain individuals outside the legal framework of the US. India, which is facing aggravated terrorism, needs to think of setting up a similar Guantanamo facility, to circumvent judicial barriers. top videos View all Cicero's aphorism that laws are silent during war should be made valid for all terror cases. The writer is Former Director General, Multi-Disciplinary School of Economic Intelligence, and National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes & Narcotics. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 25, 2025, 19:13 IST News opinion Opinion | Defeating Seamless Integration Of Terror & Drugs In Democracies
Shafaq News
24-05-2025
- Business
- Shafaq News
Iraq seeks deeper US partnership
Shafaq News/ Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani met, on Saturday, with US Senators Angus King and James Lankford, reaffirming Iraq's commitment to strengthening its partnership with the United States. According to the PM's office, the talks focused on expanding cooperation under the Iraq–US Strategic Framework Agreement, with al-Sudani highlighting energy sector reforms and encouraging greater US investment in oil, gas, and infrastructure. He also discussed plans to transition Iraq's role within the US-led Global Coalition, shifting toward an 'advisory and capacity-building' phase for Iraqi security forces. In turn, the senators commended Iraq's 'successful hosting' of the Arab League and Arab Development summits, and expressed US support for reconstruction and long-term cooperation.
Shafaq News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
ISIS torches 5 civilian vehicles in Iraq's Al-Anbar
Shafaq News/ ISIS militants set fire to five civilian vehicles belonging to local shepherds in a remote desert area south of Al-Rutbah district in western Al-Anbar, the district mayor reported on Monday. Mayor Imad Al-Rishawi told Shafaq News that the attack occurred in an isolated area far from security checkpoints, where 'sleeper cells of the terrorist group occasionally operate.' While no casualties were reported, Al-Rishawi described the material losses as 'severe,' warning that the incident highlights the continued threat posed by ISIS remnants. He stressed the need for increased security presence and more robust intelligence operations in the desert interior, where extremist cells exploit the vast, open terrain to launch attacks with minimal resistance. 'Security forces are currently conducting search and surveillance operations to track down the perpetrators and prevent further attacks,' he added. Al-Anbar, Iraq's largest province, holds strategic importance due to its long borders with Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. In 2014, ISIS seized control of much of the province, turning it into a central stronghold within its self-proclaimed caliphate. Although the group was territorially defeated in Iraq by late 2017 following a major military campaign backed by the US-led Global Coalition, its fighters have since regrouped into low-level insurgent cells that continue to stage attacks using hit-and-run tactics, IEDs, and mortar fire against security forces, civilians, and infrastructure.
Shafaq News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Under tight security: US military convoy heads toward Iraq's Qayyarah Air Base
Shafaq News/ A US military convoy moved toward the Qayyarah Air Base in northern Iraq, a security source said on Thursday. The source told Shafaq News that the force departed from a military location in northern Iraq and is believed to be heading toward the Air Base in northern Saladin province. No details were provided regarding the size of the convoy or the nature of its mission. The movement reportedly occurred under tight security, and authorities have yet to release any official information explaining the purpose of the deployment. Qayyarah Air Base, situated approximately 60 kilometers south of Mosul, is considered a strategic military site. It was previously used by US-led Global Coalition forces in operations against ISIS. Approximately 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq, stationed at key military bases, including Ain Al-Asad Airbase, Erbil Air Base, Camp Taji, Union III Base, and Al-Harir Air Base.
