Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq have rejected a government plea to extend their truce with US troops stationed in the country, a commander from one of the groups has told The National.
The groups announced on Tuesday that they were ending the truce, which was meant to give the Iraqi government time to negotiate the withdrawal of the US soldiers.
Baghdad and Washington agreed in late July on a two-year plan to end the mission of a US-led coalition in Iraq that was brought in to fight the extremist group ISIS a decade ago. Both sides were set to announce the deal in August but this was postponed after an attack on US troops at Ain Al Asad airbase, in western Iraq, earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the influential Al Nujaba Movement announced it was ending the truce. Haider Al Lami, a member of the movement's political council, told The National there had been too much “procrastination and stalling” from the American side during talks.
The government asked through brothers in the political entities for a renewal of the truce to continue their secret discussions, but there will be no new truce
Mohammed Al Tamimi,
leader of the True Promise Corps
The True Promise Corps, another group in an alliance of Iran-backed groups known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, on Wednesday doubled down on rejecting the ceasefire.
“The government asked through brothers in the political entities for a renewal of the truce to continue their secret discussions, but there will be no new truce,” leader Mohammed Al Tamimi told The National on Wednesday.
“These discussions are a mere lie and illusion,” he said. “There are no genuine discussions regarding the withdrawal.”
The two most powerful factions in the alliance - Hezbollah Brigades and Al Nujaba Movement - as well as others, are “not committed to any truce with the US troops, and they [American soldiers] are legitimate targets for the Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” Mr Al Tamimi said.
US officials have said they are not negotiating the withdrawal of troops from Iraq but rather a new security agreement with the country. Baghdad has only said it is willing to enter bilateral security agreements with individual member states.
About 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq in an advise-and-assist capacity with the aim of preventing a resurgence of ISIS. Hundreds of troops from European countries are also part of the coalition.
Under the agreement reached in July, the US-led coalition would begin withdrawing from their bases in Baghdad and Anbar in September and would formally end their mission by September 2025, according to Iraqi sources. Some troops would remain in Iraq's Kurdistan region until September 2026 to oversee anti-terrorism operations in neighbouring Syria, they said.
But the armed factions want US troops out within six months, Mr Al Tamimi said.
“We do not expect the withdrawal to happen overnight,” he added. “The timetable must be between three and six months maximum.”
The True Promise Corps emerged after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein. Like other Iran-backed groups, it fought in Syria when the country's civil war erupted in 2011.
The group drew attention recently when it joined with the Islamic Resistance in Iraq in claiming several attacks against US troops in the country, as well as in Syria and Israel, after the Gaza war broke out in October last year.
Mr Al Tamimi warned of more assaults against US soldiers.
“The resistance has made its stance clear: it is capable of driving the Americans out with the language of weapons, the language of drones and the language of rockets,” he said.
“The Americans will not leave Iraq except by force.”
The truce breakdown comes as efforts to each a ceasefire in Gaza have stalled, raising prospects of an imminent retaliation by Iran and its proxies in response to the killing of Fouad Shukr, the top military commander of the Lebanese group Hezbollah in Beirut, and the assassination of Hamas's political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
“The Iranian leadership has allowed a period of time for more discussions [on a ceasefire] in hopes they succeed, as the fate of the Palestinians in Gaza is more important than anything else,” Mr Al Tamimi said.
Any action by Iran, he added, will be “highly coordinated” between Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, Yemen’s Houthi movement and others in Syria, and “will be in the heart of Tel Aviv”.
“A military response is inevitable,” he said.
Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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- Carbon sink: Seagrass sequesters carbon up to 35X faster than tropical rainforests
- Marine nursery: Crucial habitat for juvenile fish, crustations, and invertebrates
- Biodiversity: Support species like sea turtles, dugongs, and seabirds
- Coastal protection: Reduce erosion and improve water quality
MATCH INFO
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
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All kick-off times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Saturday
Liverpool v Manchester United - 3.30pm
Burnley v West Ham United - 6pm
Crystal Palace v Chelsea - 6pm
Manchester City v Stoke City - 6pm
Swansea City v Huddersfield Town - 6pm
Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth - 6pm
Watford v Arsenal - 8.30pm
Sunday
Brighton and Hove Albion v Everton - 4.30pm
Southampton v Newcastle United - 7pm
Monday
Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion - 11pm
About Krews
Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Founded: January 2019
Number of employees: 10
Sector: Technology/Social media
Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support
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The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
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Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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AUSTRALIA SQUAD v SOUTH AFRICA
Aaron Finch (capt), Shaun Marsh, Travis Head, Chris Lynn, Glenn Maxwell, D'Arcy Short, Marcus Stoinis, Alex Carey, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Adam Zampa
LIKELY TEAMS
South Africa
Faf du Plessis (captain), Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Vernon Philander, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Morne Morkel, Lungi Ngidi.
India (from)
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Financial considerations before buying a property
Buyers should try to pay as much in cash as possible for a property, limiting the mortgage value to as little as they can afford. This means they not only pay less in interest but their monthly costs are also reduced. Ideally, the monthly mortgage payment should not exceed 20 per cent of the purchaser’s total household income, says Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching.
“If it’s a rental property, plan for the property to have periods when it does not have a tenant. Ensure you have enough cash set aside to pay the mortgage and other costs during these periods, ideally at least six months,” she says.
Also, shop around for the best mortgage interest rate. Understand the terms and conditions, especially what happens after any introductory periods, Ms Glynn adds.
Using a good mortgage broker is worth the investment to obtain the best rate available for a buyer’s needs and circumstances. A good mortgage broker will help the buyer understand the terms and conditions of the mortgage and make the purchasing process efficient and easier.
The specS: 2018 Toyota Camry
Price: base / as tested: Dh91,000 / Dh114,000
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 298hp @ 6,600rpm
Torque: 356Nm @ 4,700rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
Teaching in coronavirus times
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