Latest news with #Khazali
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi parliament to vote on an anti-tobacco law next week: MP
Also in Iraq PM Sudani directs increased services to Faili Kurds on Faili Martyrs' Day Iraq repatriates nearly 700 nationals from Syria's al-Hol camp Five killed in Diwaniyah tribal dispute clash a day after a similar conflict in Basra Khazali says Israel seeks to 'separate' Kurdish territories in Iraq, Syria A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A draft law on combating smoking and imposing additional taxes on tobacco products will be presented for voting in the Iraqi parliament, the head of the legislature's health and environment committee told Rudaw on Wednesday. 'We are in the final drafting stage of the law on combating smoking and protecting society from its damages,' Majid Shingali said, adding that they will share the final draft with experts for 'legal and linguistic review' soon as a preparation to discuss it in next week's session. The 21-provision draft law has been passed through the first and second reading, making it ready for the final vote. If passed, the law will impose a tax of 500 Iraqi dinars (around $0.38) on each imported pack of 20 cigarettes. It will also prohibit smoking in public places, with violators facing a fine of 50,000 Iraqi dinars (around $38.20). Additionally, individuals who sell tobacco products - including hookah materials, electronic cigarettes, and vapes - to minors will be subject to a prison sentence of no less than six months or a fine ranging from 250,000 (around $190) to 500,000 Iraqi dinars (around $382). Dara Sekaniani, a member of the Iraqi parliament's legal committee, expressed pessimism regarding the passage of the draft law, saying that the legislative product was initially enacted in 2012. 'I have never heard of anyone being punished for smoking,' Sekaniani said. 'The government is not serious with its execution [anti-smoking law] and the citizens are not committed to implement it.' Similarly, the Kurdistan Region parliament enacted an anti-smoking law in 2007 that banned smoking in public places and fined people breaking the law. Nevertheless, the law remained unenforced. Smoking is highly prevalent in Iraq, with smoking prevalence for people 15 years of age and above reaching 18.6 percent, and 9.5 percent for youth aging 10 to 14 years in 2022, according to the Tobacco Atlas, a World Health Organization (WHO)-recognized global public health initiative providing data-driven insights on tobacco control. Tobacco Atlas also estimated that more than 27,000 people die from smoking in Iraq each year.
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraq repatriates nearly 700 nationals from Syria's al-Hol camp
Also in Iraq Five killed in Diwaniyah tribal dispute clash a day after a similar conflict in Basra Khazali says Israel seeks to 'separate' Kurdish territories in Iraq, Syria Baghdad captures major drug dealer amid ongoing anti-narcotics efforts Tribal violence leaves 1 killed, 8 injured in Basra A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi government recently repatriated some 700 nationals linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) from the Kurdish-held al-Hol camp in northeast Syria (Rojava), a spokesperson told Rudaw on Wednesday. 'The returned persons comprise 168 families, or 681 individuals,' said Ali Abbas, the spokesperson for Iraq's migration and displaced ministry. The repatriation took place on Saturday, marking Iraq's 24th batch of nationals from the notorious camp. However, the Iraqi government has not yet disclosed the total number of individuals returned from al-Hol, nor the exact figure of Iraqi nationals still residing there. Abbas estimates that around 16,000 Iraqis remain in the camp, while Saad al-Jayashi, an advisor at the Iraqi National Security Advisory, told Rudaw late last month that the number is more than 14,000. Iraqis and Syrians make up the majority of the 40,000 ISIS-linked individuals being held at the camp, which has been branded as a breeding ground for terrorism. The repatriation of ISIS affiliates has long been a contentious issue in Iraq given the heinous human rights violations and war crimes the group committed following its 2014 seizure of large swaths of territory in Iraq's north and west. While some tribes and communities have expressed willingness to integrate individuals linked to the group, others argue that reintegration should be limited to families of ISIS members, particularly those who were not directly involved in severe crimes.
Rudaw Net
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Five killed in Diwaniyah tribal dispute clash a day after a similar conflict in Basra
Also in Iraq Khazali says Israel seeks to 'separate' Kurdish territories in Iraq, Syria Baghdad captures major drug dealer amid ongoing anti-narcotics efforts Tribal violence leaves 1 killed, 8 injured in Basra Mission of global coalition forces in Iraq to end by 2026: Security Media Cell A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Five people were killed and one was injured in a tribal dispute in Iraq's southern province of Diwaniyah, local authorities reported on Tuesday. The incident follows a similar conflict a day earlier in the southernmost Basra province, where one person was killed and eight others were injured. The mayor of Diwaniyah district, Kadhim Abdullah al-Jubouri, told Rudaw on Tuesday that 'a personal dispute erupted between several relatives while they were at a guesthouse in the al-Hard region on the outskirts of al-Shinafiya [west of Diwaniya].' The disagreement 'escalated into a verbal altercation, after which one of the attendees killed two people using a firearm,' Jubouri said, adding that the relatives of the slain victims 'responded with arms [as well], resulting in the deaths of three more individuals and the injury of another.' Security forces were quick to arrive at the scene, cordon off the area, and refer the offenders to the relevant authorities, while seizing several weapons used in the incident, Jubouri elaborated. The incident in Diwaniyah followed a similar tribal conflict in Iraq's southernmost Basra province on Monday, which left one person dead and eight others injured, local sources told Rudaw. The dispute broke out between two families from the al-Bazzoun tribe in the al-Zubair district, west of Basra, on Monday, leading to an armed clash. Local Iraqi media reported that the families had a long standing dispute and that one of those injured was a bystander. Tribal conflicts in southern Iraq continue to be a major security concern for the Iraqi government. Armed clashes remain a frequent occurrence especially in Basra, Dhi Qar and Maysan provinces, with some requiring intervention from the Iraqi military to contain them. These disputes typically involve the use of light and medium weapons, and in some cases, mortar shells. The violence is chiefly driven by control over agricultural land, water resources, and border crossings. These conflicts are also compounded by the widespread availability of arms, with tribes in the region possessing millions of weapons, many obtained from military caches of the regime of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and paramilitary groups. The dynamics of tribal violence have evolved in recent years, with political parties sometimes shielding their tribal affiliates, further exacerbating the issue. The complex web of tribal, political, and paramilitary networks make it difficult for the government to enforce rule of law. Between 2019 and 2021, Basra alone witnessed 280 armed disputes, resulting in 35 deaths and 74 injuries.
Rudaw Net
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Khazali says Israel seeks to ‘separate' Kurdish territories in Iraq, Syria
Also in Iraq Baghdad captures major drug dealer amid ongoing anti-narcotics efforts Tribal violence leaves 1 killed, 8 injured in Basra Mission of global coalition forces in Iraq to end by 2026: Security Media Cell Iraq to begin implementing land return law 'within two months:' Minister A+ A- SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region - Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Iran-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq (AAH), said on Monday that Israel's main objective in allegedly reshaping the Middle East is to 'support the separation' of Kurdish territories in Iraq and Syria. Delivering an Eid al-Fitr sermon, Khazali stated that Israel's so-called 'David Corridor,' a project aimed at expanding Israeli control to the Euphrates River, involves 'parts of the Iraqi borders and Iraqi lands.' 'Its goal … is to reach the Kurdish lands in Iraq and Syria, considering the ongoing cooperation [between Israel and the Kurds],' Khazali alleged, adding that the plan involves supporting the Kurds to separate from Iraq and Syria. 'The Israeli incursion and occupation of Syrian territory… are primarily aimed at realizing their ambitions to occupy Syrian territory and achieve the greater goal of reaching the Euphrates River,' he continued. The Kurdish-controlled territories in northeast Syria (Rojava) run along the Euphrates River, with the southeastern part under the control of the new Syrian administration headed by President Ahmad al-Sharaa. Khazali's comments come amid increasing Israeli incursions into Syria. AAH is designated as a 'terrorist organization' by Washington because of its alleged ties to Iran and attacks on US and coalition forces. Israel in Syria In late March, a deadly Israeli airstrike on the southern province of Daraa drew international condemnation from regional and global powers such as Germany, Jordan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) said it was targeting 'several terrorists who opened fire toward them,' adding that they launched airstrikes on two military bases in Syria's central Homs province to destroy "military capabilities" in the area. Damascus said six were killed in the Daraa attack. Geir Pedersen, the UN special envoy for Syria, expressed concern in the Security Council on Tuesday about 'Israeli statements on its intention to stay in Syria' and its demands for southern Syria to be demilitarized. Since Assad's ouster in early December, Israel has scrambled to destroy Damascus's military stockpiles. It also sent troops across the border into a buffer zone east of the annexed Golan Heights, justifying the move as a precaution amid the political instability in Syria. Throughout the Syrian civil war, as well, Israel carried out hundreds of strikes, often justifying them under the pretext of targeting pro-Iran armed groups, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah, which supported toppled president Bashar al-Assad at the time. In early February, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar urged Syria's new rulers to respect minority rights, including those of the Druze, Kurds, and Alawites. Minorities in Syria In early March, however, Damascus faced widespread condemnation after a violent crackdown on Assad loyalists in the coastal Alawite-majority areas, where at least 1,500 people were killed - mostly civilians - according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor. The Kurds in Rojava and the Druze in southern Syria have been firm in demanding decentralization in post-Bashar al-Assad Syria, despite Damascus rejecting federalism and at times calling it a 'red line.' Mazloum Abdi, the commander of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) - the de facto army of northeast Syria (Rojava) - said in early March that he would not reject Israeli support if offered. His remarks were in response to a comment by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who had earlier expressed openness to support minorities in Syria, namely the Druze and the Kurds. AAH in Iraq AAH has also taken a firm stance on domestic political and security matters. In September, Khazali rejected the United States' delivery of a number of 105mm howitzers to the Peshmerga forces in August, which the Iraqi defense ministry said at the time was approved by previous federal cabinets. Khazali said it is "important to correct this mistake by returning them [the artillery] to the federal army." Meanwhile, in early March, AAH boycotted a parliamentary session of the Iraqi parliament in protest of the exclusion of a contentious law from the agenda that aims to regulate the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) structure, salaries, and retirement policies. The State of Law Coalition, led by former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Khazali's AAH, are among the most influential Shiite political parties in Iraq, both maintaining strong ties to Iran and advocating for the institutionalization of the PMF, which is composed of various armed factions - some of which have close ties to Iran. The PMF was established in 2014 during the Islamic State's (ISIS) rise to power, which saw the group seize control of large parts of Iraq's north and west. The group was created following a fatwa, a religious edict, by Iraq's highest Shiite authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani to protect the country's holy Shiite sites in the southern Najaf and Karbala provinces Following the Kurdish referendum in 2017 and the defeat of ISIS, the northern oil-rich province of Kirkuk, which was largely controlled by the Kurdish Peshmerga, was expelled and taken over by the PMF. The province is disputed between Baghdad and Erbil.
