The Iraqi Kurdistan Region, known for its relative stability amid the turmoil in Iraq, is facing a worrying surge in assassinations of senior officials.
The alarming trend has raised questions regarding the region’s security, its political landscape, as well as potential involvement of regional players ahead of the long-awaited parliamentary elections scheduled in November.
The latest victim of these attacks is Mohammed Mirza Sindi, a former senior official of a powerful intelligence agency linked to the Kurdistan Democratic Party, one of two main political parties that share power in the region. He was a senior officer in the Parastin intelligence agency.
Mr Sindi died after his car exploded in the city of Zacho in Duhok province, according to police. The region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani ordered an investigation into his killing.
It is the third assassination in the region this month.
On July 7, two members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, which is based in northern Iraq, were shot dead by a militant, according to Kurdish human right watchdog the Hengaw Organisation.
Another was wounded in the same attack, which took place in a village in Sulaymaniyah province, it said.
A few days later, the dead body of another Iranian dissident was found in an abandoned building in a village in Erbil, the capital of the three-province region, it said.
The Hengaw Organisation accused Iran of being behind these attacks.
In May, Karwan Gaznay, a lawmaker at the regional parliament linked to KDP rival, the Patriotic Union Of Kurdistan, said he survived an assassination attempt. His driver was injured.
In April, a Turkish drone carried out a strike on the commander of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, Mazloum Abdi, in the vicinity of Sulaymaniyah airport. Mr Abdi escaped unharmed.
Ankara, which has a military presence in Kurdistan, also hunts down militants of Turkey's Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
The PKK has enjoyed good relations with the PUK, but its relationship is thorny with the KDP, which has strong economic ties with Turkey. The KDP accuses the PUK of harbouring militants, and bringing conflict to the region.
"Overall, the assassinations are overlapped with Turkish and Iranian efforts to target Kurdish dissidents in the Kurdistan Region,"
Mike Fleet,
Iraq analyst
"Overall, the assassinations are overlapped with Turkish and Iranian efforts to target Kurdish dissidents in the Kurdistan Region," Mike Fleet, an Iraq analyst told The National.
As both countries are demanding that the Federal Iraqi Government and KRG take on more actions against these groups "this pressure trickles down into the already strained KDP-PUK relationship, complicating it even further", Mr Fleet added.
"This comes at a time where the KDP-PUK relationship continues to be strained, especially if this was PKK", he said.
The Kurdish region won self-rule in 1991, when the US imposed a no-fly zone over it in response to Saddam Hussein’s brutal repression of Kurdish uprisings.
The KDP, the largest party in the Kurdistan, controls Erbil and Duhok province, while Sulaimaniyah province is controlled by its rival Patriotic Union of Kurdistan PUK.
There is deep mistrust between the two parties as they fought a civil war in the mid-1990s during which thousands were killed, and many more Kurds sought refuge abroad.
In 1998, the two sides ceased hostilities after signing a US-brokered deal.
The two parties entered a power-sharing deal following the 2003 US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein's regime and paved the way for the recognition of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq in the 2005 constitution.
But the deal remains fragile due to deep disagreements over issues including resources in the oil and gas-rich region.
Their relationship was further tested after the assassination of an intelligence officer and a PUK defector when a bomb exploded in his car in Erbil in October last year.
The KDP accused the PUK of carrying out the attack and sentenced some of its affiliates in their absence in Erbil. The PUK strongly denied the accusations.
The incident further strained the power-sharing agreement, prompting the PUK to boycott the Kurdistan Regional Government.
But in a sign of reconciliation before elections, the PUK ended its boycott in May.
“The nature of these assassinations indicates that they are politically motivated”
Kadhim Yawar,
independent political analyst
“The nature of these assassinations indicates that they are politically motivated,” independent political analyst Kadhim Yawar told The National.
“They are being carried out by either local players due to the internal political infighting or external ones especially with regards to Iranian opposition groups residing in the region,” Mr Yawar added.
“The latest incidents are dangerous as they suggest that the atmosphere will be unsafe ahead of the elections,” Mr Yawar said.
“They may force individual candidates who are against the policies of the two ruling parties to reconsider their nomination,” he added.
As Iraq plunged into chaos after 2003, the Kurdistan region was largely spared the violence that rocked other parts of the country.
But in recent years, Turkey and Iran have increased their military operations against Turkish and Iranian dissident groups based in Kurdistan.
Operations against Turkey’s number one nemesis, the Kurdistan Workers Party as well as the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan were confined to rural areas, but recently they have spanned across major cities.
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV
Power: 360bhp
Torque: 500Nm
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Price: from Dh282,870
On sale: now
Fixtures
Wednesday
4.15pm: Japan v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: UAE v Italy (Group A)
6.45pm: Russia v Mexico (Group B)
8pm: Iran v Egypt (Group B)
Rankings
ATP: 1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 10,955 pts; 2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 8,320; 3. Alexander Zverev (GER) 6,475 ( 1); 5. Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) 5,060 ( 1); 6. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 4,845 ( 1); 6. Roger Federer (SUI) 4,600 (-3); 7. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 4,110 ( 2); 8. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3,960; 9. John Isner (USA) 3,155 ( 1); 10. Marin Cilic (CRO) 3,140 (-3)
WTA: 1. Naomi Osaka (JPN) 7,030 pts ( 3); 2. Petra Kvitova (CZE) 6,290 ( 4); 3. Simona Halep (ROM) 5,582 (-2); 4. Sloane Stephens (USA) 5,307 ( 1); 5. Karolina Pliskova (CZE) 5,100 ( 3); 6. Angelique Kerber (GER) 4,965 (-4); 7. Elina Svitolina (UKR) 4,940; 8. Kiki Bertens (NED) 4,430 ( 1); 9. Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) 3,566 (-6); 10. Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 3,485 ( 1)
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
WHY%20AAYAN%20IS%20'PERFECT%20EXAMPLE'
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RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,200m
Winner: Shafaf, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Ahmed Al Mehairbi (trainer)
5,30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,200m
Winner: Noof KB, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
6pm: The President’s Cup Listed (TB) Dh380,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Jim Crowley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
6.30pm: The President’s Cup Group One (PA) Dh2,500,000 2,200m
Winner: Rmmas, Tadhg O’Shea, Jean de Roualle
7pm: Arabian Triple Crown Listed (PA) Dh230,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Mekhbat, Antonio Fresu, Ernst Oertel
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
QUARTER-FINAL
Wales 20-19 France
Wales: T: Wainwright, Moriarty. Cons: Biggar (2) Pens: Biggar 2
France: T: Vahaamahina, Ollivon, Vakatawa Cons: Ntamack (2)
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
The%20specs%3A%20Taycan%20Turbo%20GT
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Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Rebel%20Moon%20-%20Part%20One%3A%20A%20Child%20of%20Fire
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WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
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%20Ramez%20Gab%20Min%20El%20Akher
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES
Mar 10: Norwich(A)
Mar 13: Newcastle(H)
Mar 16: Lille(A)
Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)
Apr 2: Brentford(H)
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
UAE Rugby finals day
Games being played at The Sevens, Dubai
2pm, UAE Conference final
Dubai Tigers v Al Ain Amblers
4pm, UAE Premiership final
Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Jebel Ali Dragons
