Saudi Arabia wants to remove Maliki by bullets when it failed to remove him by ballets

Saudi Arabia wants to remove Maliki by bullets when it failed to remove him by ballets

    Tuesday, June 17, 2014   No comments

It is no secret that Saudi Arabia and its allies among Sunni Iraqi politicians wanted Maliki out. They have tried since the end of his first term. But he kept winning. Most recently, they expected him to loose the elections that was held on April 30. Instead, he surprised them helping his coalition win about three times more than the Saudi favorites'. He won in a fair and transparent elections. 

It should be noted that Saudi Arabia warned even before the elections that electing Maliki to a third term will mean the splintering of Iraq into three areas: Sunni, Kurdish, and Shiite areas. Saudi Arabia has no respect for the will of the people and for election results. So they used ISIL and its Sunni allies to undo the elections' results. After the fall of Mosul in the hands on ISIL and Baathists, Saudi Arabia issued a statement essentially legitimizing the violence and demanding that Iraq produces a "unity government," again ignoring the fact that elections have consequences. 

Pentagon, State Dept. at odds over coordinating with Iran on Iraq crisis

Pentagon, State Dept. at odds over coordinating with Iran on Iraq crisis

    Monday, June 16, 2014   No comments

The Pentagon is pushing back against a State Department assertion that there is the potential for a military coordination with Iran to help Iraq combat violent al Qaeda-inspired Sunni extremists.

The killing season restarts in Iraq: more war crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in regions inhabited by religious minorities

The killing season restarts in Iraq: more war crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in regions inhabited by religious minorities

    Sunday, June 15, 2014   No comments

ISIL executing civilians in Iraq

The killing season restarts in Iraq: more war crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in regions inhabited by religious minorities:

Iraq is now in the same struggle as Syria; can U.S., and Saudi Arabia solve the problem of one without the other?

Iraq is now in the same struggle as Syria; can U.S., and Saudi Arabia solve the problem of one without the other?

    Thursday, June 12, 2014   No comments

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

Can U.S. and Saudi Arabia fight ISIL in Iraq and not in Syria? Or will they wait and see until another country is taken over?
 
By the time Western governments and their Gulf allies realize their mistake in Syria, ISIL will be in Mecca. The United states spent $25 billion training the Iraqi army. That modern army, whose members were vetted by the U.S. trainers, deserted before the advances of ISIL. The U.S. still insists on building another army of "moderate forces" in Syria to fight both the Syrian government and ISIL; another example of of "keep doing the same thing and expecting different results."

Iraq News Stories:

Battle to establish Islamic state across Iraq and Syria

Battle to establish Islamic state across Iraq and Syria

    Monday, June 09, 2014   No comments

Islamic fundamentalists have opened new fronts in their battle to establish an Islamic state across Iraq and Syria as they launch attacks in cities which were previously under the control of the Baghdad government.

A multi-pronged assault across central and northern Iraq in the past four days shows that the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) has taken over from the al-Qa’ida organisation founded by Osama bin Laden as the most powerful and effective extreme jihadi group in the world.

Isis now controls or can operate with impunity in a great stretch of territory in western Iraq and eastern Syria, making it militarily the most successful jihadi movement ever.

Led since 2010 by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu Dua, it has proved itself even more violent and sectarian than what US officials call the “core” al-Qa’ida, led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is based in Pakistan. Isis is highly fanatical, killing Shia Muslims and Christians whenever possible, as well as militarily efficient and under tight direction by top leaders.

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Interview with UN Peace Envoy Brahimi: 'Syria Will Become Another Somalia' ... armed group used chemical weapons ... are using civilians as human shields

Interview with UN Peace Envoy Brahimi: 'Syria Will Become Another Somalia' ... armed group used chemical weapons ... are using civilians as human shields

    Sunday, June 08, 2014   No comments

For almost two years, Lakhdar Brahimi sought to bring peace to Syria. But in May, the United Nations special envoy stepped down. He speaks with SPIEGEL about the stubbornness of Syrian President Assad, the mistakes of the West and the dangers presented by Islamic radicals.

 SPIEGEL: Mr. Brahimi, in May, you stepped down as the United Nations special envoy to Syria. When you took the position in 2012, many considered the task of achieving peace in Syria to be a mission impossible. What did you hope to achieve?

Iran president to visit Turkey Monday to meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Iran president to visit Turkey Monday to meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

    Thursday, June 05, 2014   No comments

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is expected to visit Turkey on Monday, for the first time since he was elected last year, a Turkish official said.

     

The Iranian leader is expected to meet Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Ankara for talks on bilateral ties and the broader Middle East, the official told AFP on Thursday.

     

"The visit has been in the making for a while, and Rouhani is expected to be flanked by a crowded delegation of ministers," according to the official speaking on condition of anonymity.