The US has announced its intention to withdraw combat troops from Iraq – again. In 2011, under the command of then President Barack Obama, the US declared a full withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, except for an undisclosed number for “train and assist missions”.
Three years later, combat troops were back to fight ISIS.
Then, in September 2020, the US made a similar announcement. This time, former President Donald Trump said he would reduce the number of troops in Iraq to 3,000 soldiers to “train and assist” Iraqi forces.
And now, on Monday, US President Joe Biden and Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi issued a joint statement after their meeting in the White House, saying: “the security relationship will fully transition to a training, advising, assisting and intelligence-sharing role, and that there will be no US forces with a combat role in Iraq by December 31, 2021”.
Iraqi and American officials have been briefing journalists and analysts about the significance of the withdrawal of combat troops for days, as both Mr Al Kadhimi and Mr Biden want to appear to be delivering on domestic promises. Yet, the key point is that US troops will continue to maintain a presence in Iraq. For those who want to see a continued American engagement in the country, this is good news. For militias who want to attack Mr Al Kadhimi and the US, this is also good news as they can continue to claim “resistance to the US”, while they attack Iraqi bases and personnel.
Monday’s meeting between Mr Al Kadhimi and Mr Biden was significant as it sent a renewed signal of US interest in Iraq. The US announced that it will donate 500,000 Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine doses to Iraq via Covax. And the US State Department announced it will “continue to support efforts to prevent Covid-19 through community awareness, the promotion of vaccine acceptance, the sustainment of primary health care services and the provision of mental health and psychosocial support”. But how all of this will be delivered is unknown.
A number of other announcements were made of US support to Iraq and some of them – similar to the troop announcement – were recycled.
The White House meeting was also, as expected, a boost for Mr Al Kadhimi. Soon after the meeting, Iraq's parliamentary bloc, Sairoon, affiliated with cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, issued a statement stating: “we appreciate the great efforts made by the Iraqi government to formulate a national vision that contributes to achieving the full sovereignty of Iraq”. It then added, “we renew our position rejecting the presence of any foreign forces on Iraqi soil”. The two sentences have become staples for Sairoon and other political parties who seek to maintain a populist line rejecting “foreign forces”, while also realising that the presence of US troops can help limit the control of extremists militias and expansionism of Iran. Similarly, Iraqi President Barham Salih and former Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi, who leads Al Nasr coalition, announced their support for the US-Iraq strategic dialogue.
Iraq's sovereignty is violated by domestic armed groups backed by Iran, rather than by the presence of foreign troops
By the time Mr Al Kadhimi gets back to Baghdad, he will have two months to prepare for parliamentary elections in October. While he is not standing in the elections, Mr Al Kadhimi has ambitions to be prime minister once again. He will need the support of blocs like Sairoon, even though Al Sadr has declared it will not support the formation of the next government.
In one year, Mr Al Kadhimi has visited all the capitals that can influence the fate of Iraq. More importantly, he has visited many Iraqi cities and entities that rarely get official attention. He is hoping to garner enough support to be renamed prime minister.
The big challenge that faces the entire political class, and particularly Mr Al Kadhimi, is whether Iraqis will turn out to cast their votes in October. There is a general sense of malaise among Iraqis and a disbelief that change can be brought about by the ballot box. The proliferation of militias, organised crime and corruption has undercut the Iraqi state, particularly in providing security for its people.
While both US and Iraqi officials stressed the importance of ensuring the integrity of the Iraqi state during this week’s meetings in Washington, the reality is that its sovereignty is violated by domestic armed groups backed by Iran, rather than by the presence of foreign troops.
A case in point is the airing of confessions of the killer of analyst and activist Hisham Al Hashimi earlier this month. One year after his murder, the ultimate culprit who ordered the assassination is still unknown. The Iraqi government broadcast the confessions of Ahmed Kinani, an officer in the Ministry of Interior, saying that he killed Al Hashimi, without articulating who gave Kinani the order.
By all indications, one of the militias in the country was behind the assassination. The Iraqi government, however, does not want to escalate tensions with the armed groups and thus withheld that information.
Ironically, the Iraqi government was willing to say one of its own ministries is penetrated by murderers, but is not willing to name any armed group. That paradox – the willingness to sacrifice public faith in the Ministry of Interior, rather than uncover the name of the militia responsible for the killing of Al Hashimi – explains the lack of sovereignty in the country. And that paradox will continue to dictate the realities of Iraq.
However, with continued American military presence and political engagement, those who want to push back against the militias have a better chance of success than without it.
The joint statement of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue states: “the United States intends to continue its support for the Iraqi Security Forces, including the Peshmerga, to build their capacity to deal with future threats”.
Whether this support includes militias and Iranian-backed groups remains to be seen.
UK%20-%20UAE%20Trade
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
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Available at Magrudy’s , Dh104
List of officials:
Referees: Chris Broad, David Boon, Jeff Crowe, Andy Pycroft, Ranjan Madugalle and Richie Richardson.
Umpires: Aleem Dar, Kumara Dharmasena, Marais Erasmus, Chris Gaffaney, Ian Gould, Richard Illingworth, Richard Kettleborough, Nigel Llong, Bruce Oxenford, Ruchira Palliyaguruge, Sundaram Ravi, Paul Reiffel, Rod Tucker, Michael Gough, Joel Wilson and Paul Wilson.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Hotel Data Cloud profile
Date started: June 2016
Founders: Gregor Amon and Kevin Czok
Based: Dubai
Sector: Travel Tech
Size: 10 employees
Funding: $350,000 (Dh1.3 million)
Investors: five angel investors (undisclosed except for Amar Shubar)
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3ECompany%20name%3A%20Znap%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarted%3A%202017%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFounder%3A%20Uday%20Rathod%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EBased%3A%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EIndustry%3A%20FinTech%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EFunding%20size%3A%20%241m%2B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EInvestors%3A%20Family%2C%20friends%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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A Prayer Before Dawn
Director: Jean-Stephane Sauvaire
Starring: Joe Cole, Somluck Kamsing, Panya Yimmumphai
Three stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
ENGLAND%20SQUAD
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
