As news emerged on Monday night of a rocket attack in Erbil, aimed at the city's airport and a base housing American soldiers, all eyes were on Washington.
This is Joe Biden’s first real test in Iraq since becoming president less than a month ago. How he handles this incident will set the tone for how he is seen not only in Iraq, but in the region.
Statements of condemnation and phone calls with officials will be read as a timid response to militias supported by Iran. The motivation for inaction, rightly or wrongly, will be perceived as the Biden administration prioritising a diplomatic agreement with Iran about its nuclear file, over the security and stability of the region.
The Iraqi President Barham Salih made a point of describing the attack as a “terrorist attack”, showing the seriousness of the incident. He said in a tweet that “targeting Erbil represents a dangerous escalation and terrorist, criminal attack”, adding “It is a state and sovereignty battle against terrorism and outlaws”.
It is indicative of the strange era we live in, as the nationality of the contractor tragically killed in the attack will likely influence the outcome. Reports that there was one civilian contractor killed, with six others wounded, including a US service member, were followed with questions about the nationality of the contractor. If he or she were American, expectations of a tougher US response would be heightened. The killing of an Iraqi-American contractor in December 2019 led to former US president Donald Trump authorising a strike to assassinate the head of the IRGC's Quds Force, Qassem Suleimani, and the effective head of the Popular Mobilisation Forces, Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis, in January 2020.
Read More from Mina Al-Oraibi
Regardless of the nationality of the contractor killed on Monday night, the response should be swift and stern, including arrests and attacks on unlawful bases of militias targeting Iraqi state entities such as military bases and airports.
Security sources confirm that the rockets were fired from within the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Prior to 2014, few Iran-backed militias were in northern Iraq let alone in the Kurdistan region. However, after joining the counter-ISIS coalition, several militias stayed on and set up illegal bases. Their continued presence in northern Iraq, some within the Kurdistan region border and others in Mosul, antagonises civilians and Iraqi security forces. This should be a moment to support the Iraqi army and police, and to end the presence of militias outside of military bases controlled by the Iraqi military.
Monday’s attack cannot have come as a surprise to American officials, certainly not to US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin who was stationed in Iraq for a number of years. As commander of Centcom, he would be well-versed in how militia groups work in Iraq. So, an American response cannot be overly delayed, as it will be read in Baghdad, Tehran and the wider region as a hesitation that gives the militias and their Iranian backers the upper hand. The developments in Iraq come as the Houthis in Yemen, also supported by Iran, escalate their attacks on Saudi Arabia to a level unseen for years. Non-state actors, just like diplomats and officials in the region, are sizing up this administration and following its every move.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a statement hours after the attack saying “we are outraged”. No official should act out of rage, but that expression of outrage should be translated into serious action, including taking action against elements deemed as “terrorists and outlaws” by the head of state of Iraq himself.
Mina Al-Oraibi is editor-in-chief of The National
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Key facilities
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
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Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
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Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
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- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
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Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
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Dust storm
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
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- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
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Rating: 4/5
TV (UAE time);
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