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Al Mayadeen
an hour ago
- Business
- Al Mayadeen
Iraq to end int'l coalition mission by September, PM's advisor says
The Iraqi government announced on Sunday that the US-led international coalition's mission in Iraq will officially end in September 2025, according to Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's advisor, Hussein Allawi, as reported by the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA). Allawi confirmed that the coalition's presence at its Baghdad headquarters and Ain al-Asad airbase will end in September under an agreement between Iraq and coalition members, in line with the government's plan to bolster Iraq's armed forces and transition to bilateral defense partnerships. 'The Iraqi government is committed to its program of building the armed forces and ending the coalition's mission, while transitioning relations with coalition countries into stable bilateral defense arrangements guided by political, economic, and cultural ties,' the advisor told INA. The prime minister's advisor outlined a two-stage timeline agreed upon by Iraq and the coalition, with the initial withdrawal phase scheduled for September 2025 and the full completion targeted by September 2026. He noted that Iraq plans to continue advisory and capacity-building partnerships with international allies beyond that period. Allawi explained that this approach demonstrates the government's commitment to establishing long-term partnerships across all sectors, particularly in security, while acknowledging the ongoing efforts of the joint military committee tasked with coordinating discussions regarding the coalition's mission. The advisor emphasized that the phased withdrawal reflects Iraq's strategic shift toward normalized relations with the US and coalition nations, moving from multilateral military structures to bilateral security agreements. 'It will return Iraqi-American and Iraq-coalition ties to the kind of strategic framework agreements that existed before the fall of Mosul to ISIS in 2014,' he told INA. In 2014, ISIS captured Mosul and large portions of Iraqi territory, prompting Baghdad to seek international assistance. The US rapidly mobilized a coalition of more than 80 nations under Operation Inherent Resolve, aiming to provide military support through targeted airstrikes, specialized training programs, and comprehensive logistical assistance for Iraqi security forces. Though Nouri al-Maliki had requested US and UN assistance, the coalition's operations proceeded without a new UN mandate, prompting legal debates and fueling Iraqi perceptions of the mission as an extension of American occupation rather than legitimate counterterrorism. The coalition was the center of much controversy; coalition airstrikes that aimed to help the recapture of cities like Mosul also caused many civilian casualties, reaching thousands, according to NGOs like Amnesty International. Critics have argued that the coalition underreported such casualties. Bombing campaigns devastated infrastructure, leveling Mosul's Old City and fueling criticism that anti-ISIS operations sometimes punished civilians collectively. Despite Iraq's December 2017 declaration of victory over ISIS, coalition forces maintained an advisory and counterterrorism presence that became increasingly controversial within Iraqi politics. In 2021, Washington and Baghdad reached an agreement to transition the US military role from combat operations to training and advisory missions, though thousands of coalition troops continued to be deployed across Iraqi bases.
Al Mayadeen
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
US envoy Barrack: In coming weeks, we will witness a development that will reflect a better life for the Lebanese people and neighboring countries.
Latest Gaza ceasefire proposal includes temporary suspension of military operations for 60 days, Egyptian official source to Reuters Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates the release of all children and women Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: In exchange for every body of an Israeli killed, 10 Palestinian bodies will be released Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates opening the Rafah crossing in both directions, in accordance with the previous agreement Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The United Nations and its agencies, as well as the Red Crescent and international organizations operating in Gaza are the sides that receive and distribute aid Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The aid includes fuel, water, electricity, hospital and bakery rehabilitation, and rubble removal equipment Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: Aid will be sent to the Gaza Strip immediately after the agreement enters into force in intensive and coordinated quantities, in accordance with the January 19, 2025, agreement Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates amending the redeployment maps in the north and east Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: 1,500 Gaza detainees will be released Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: In exchange for 10 living captives, 140 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 60 serving sentences of more than 15 years will be released
Al Mayadeen
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Larijani: Hezbollah's epics in confronting the Israeli entity's aggression against Lebanon prevented it from prevailing on the ground
Latest Gaza ceasefire proposal includes temporary suspension of military operations for 60 days, Egyptian official source to Reuters Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates the release of all children and women Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: In exchange for every body of an Israeli killed, 10 Palestinian bodies will be released Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates opening the Rafah crossing in both directions, in accordance with the previous agreement Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The United Nations and its agencies, as well as the Red Crescent and international organizations operating in Gaza are the sides that receive and distribute aid Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The aid includes fuel, water, electricity, hospital and bakery rehabilitation, and rubble removal equipment Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: Aid will be sent to the Gaza Strip immediately after the agreement enters into force in intensive and coordinated quantities, in accordance with the January 19, 2025, agreement Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates amending the redeployment maps in the north and east Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: 1,500 Gaza detainees will be released Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: In exchange for 10 living captives, 140 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 60 serving sentences of more than 15 years will be released
Al Mayadeen
an hour ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Larijani: Our duty is to stand by our brethren and provide them with assistance, but we do not issue orders
Latest Gaza ceasefire proposal includes temporary suspension of military operations for 60 days, Egyptian official source to Reuters Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates the release of all children and women Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: In exchange for every body of an Israeli killed, 10 Palestinian bodies will be released Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates opening the Rafah crossing in both directions, in accordance with the previous agreement Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The United Nations and its agencies, as well as the Red Crescent and international organizations operating in Gaza are the sides that receive and distribute aid Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The aid includes fuel, water, electricity, hospital and bakery rehabilitation, and rubble removal equipment Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: Aid will be sent to the Gaza Strip immediately after the agreement enters into force in intensive and coordinated quantities, in accordance with the January 19, 2025, agreement Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: The proposal stipulates amending the redeployment maps in the north and east Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: 1,500 Gaza detainees will be released Senior Palestinian source to Al Mayadeen: In exchange for 10 living captives, 140 Palestinian prisoners serving life sentences and 60 serving sentences of more than 15 years will be released
Al Mayadeen
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Normalisation is death of Arab sovereignty, Syria is the best example
We have reached the stage where it can no longer be denied that the Syrian leadership is at the complete mercy of the US and its allies. Its normalisation drive, whereby its officials meet with their Israeli counterparts, are not negotiations but discussions aimed at achieving the best implementation of Tel Aviv's orders. When Arab states make the decision to capitulate to the Israeli-US normalisation and neo-liberal economic model, they set themselves up for a loss of sovereignty and to become at best a tool for policy makers in Washington. If we look at the Jordanian and Egyptian models, we see that their agreements have not saved them from growing instability and economic decline, particularly in Egypt's case. Once, it had become a big deal when President Hosni Mubarak began selling gas to the Israelis, now, Cairo purchases gas through its own pipelines that have reversed the flow. Turning our focus to the current predicament of Syria, it is not even correct to assess it is based upon the Egypt model. In fact, despite some similarities, it is in even worse a predicament than Sudan. The Sudanese state, following the fall of its former leader Omar Bashir, went into a transitional phase whereby the Army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia agreed upon a power-sharing phase. During this time, the Zionist Entity swept in to take advantage of the situation, fostering relations with both sides, but particularly with notorious goldmine owning war-lord Hemedti's RSF. Sudan, working closely with US President Donald Trump's administration at the time, managed to get sanctions lifted, remove itself from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List, receive sanctions relief and aid, while almost paving the way to adopt a neo-liberal economic model; seeking IMF and World Bank loans. Khartoum had pledged that in exchange for these 'gifts' from the US, they would join the so-called 'Abraham Accords' and began negotiations behind closed doors with the Israelis. Is this starting to sound familiar? Then, in April of 2023, the Civil War erupted, and the Israelis swept in to back both sides, after having covertly provided the RSF with military capabilities that enabled it to balance the power on the battlefield in the first place. While the Mossad supported the RSF, the Israeli Foreign Ministry leaned towards the Sudanese Army. In Syria, almost the exact same process has occurred. Yet most pretend as if we haven't seen this same story before. The key difference, however, is that the new Syrian government of Ahmad al-Sharaa has less control than when the RSF and Sudanese Army ran an interim unity government. The recent sectarian bloodshed in Sweida proved this without a shadow of a doubt. There are now separatist militias in Sweida who actually coordinated with Israeli-Druze army forces who had set up a joint communications room to help locate targets during the latest round of bloodshed. Meanwhile, the Syrian security forces had coordinated the entry of tanks into Sweida with the Israelis, yet were bombed anyway, leading to as many as 700 dead amongst their ranks. While the majority of the Syrian Druze and wider Syrian public oppose ties with the Israelis, the Zionist Entity finds inroads with both sides and watches on as they slaughter each other, all in the interest of further weakening the country. Ahmad al-Sharaa was basically non-existent, as it appeared for over a week that Syria was heading towards another civil war, only offering brief statements before the US envoy announced a bizarre arrangement, claiming that Damascus and Tel Aviv had agreed to a truce. It was especially strange because the announcement didn't initially come from the Syrians themselves, but also due to the fact that there was no Syrian-Israeli war. What was happening was that Syrian forces were getting blown to pieces and ordered to stand down. The only relevance the Syrian government forces had was in their failed role inside Sweida, where they went out of control and participated in civilian massacres, alongside Bedouin tribal forces. Never in the known history of war has a nation been invaded, occupied, its capital repeatedly bombed and hundreds of its soldiers blown to pieces, and the country being attacked did not respond in any way. Not only have Ahmad al-Sharaa's forces failed to fire a single bullet towards their occupiers, they have not even threatened the use of force. Even worse, rather than respond, they give the Israelis gifts like infamous spy Eli Cohen's belongings, cracking down on the Palestinian Resistance forces, and declaring fellow Muslims and Arabs their enemies, despite them being the only ones willing to stand up for Syria. Meanwhile, every minority group in the country is isolated, and every community feels the need to bear arms and protect themselves, as nobody trusts the ill-trained, unprofessional security forces. This is what capitulation looks like, a leadership which exists more so on Facebook, X [formerly Twitter], and Instagram than it does in real life. A sectarian bloodbath, with no stability, no national unity, no sovereignty, and whose leaders are collaborating with the genocidal entity, in violation of all the regional, national, cultural, and religious moral obligations. This is normalisation. This is capitulation. This is what happens when you worship at the feet of your occupiers. Syria is the worst case of all, because there is no longer even a united nation or cause that it embodies, which has, for the current moment, died. Only through a unified resistance front will Syria liberate itself. It may take time, but this is the only path, and historically, the Syrian people had resisted the Ottomans, the French, and even got themselves back on their feet after the CIA overthrew their government in 1949. It can happen, but it will take the Syrian people to come together in order to overcome their predicament. There is no example of where normalisation with the Zionist regime, or total capitulation to the US, saves a nation in turmoil. Even in the cases where the US poured trillions into attempts to set up new regimes, like what happened with Iraq and Afghanistan. The only examples of where a regime has not yet declined or sacrificed its security predicament due to normalisation, are in the cases of the UAE and Bahrain, but both were already immensely rich, and nothing much changed upon normalisation. However, even in the cases of the UAE and Bahrain, their positioning themselves as part of the Israeli-US regional anti-Iran alliance puts them in the firing line and could risk national stability in the event of a broader war. The positions of the current regime in Syria are indefensible. Not even from a selfish materialist perspective could you argue their case without engaging in mental gymnastics. There is no strategic depth, nor a demonstration of competent governance in the direction we see the nation going, and at a time when unity is needed the most.
