The US has warned it will shut down its largest diplomatic mission, if the lives of its diplomats and staff are not better protected.
The American embassy in Baghdad has been shelled on a near-weekly basis for months, by rogue militias backed by Iran. These groups, deemed "outlaws" by the Iraqi government, have increasingly threatened US targets, including diplomats and troops stationed in the country, since the killing of Qassem Suleimani in a US strike near Baghdad airport. Suleimani headed the Al Quds force, an elite branch of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that co-ordinates overseas operations conducted by its proxies.
These militias have terrorised and killed innocent Iraqi civilians for years. Just yesterday, a rocket that landed near Baghdad airport killed five civilians and wounded two more. Some factions within the Popular Mobilisation Forces, an umbrella group of mostly Iranian-backed militias that are officially part of the Iraqi state's security apparatus, are also believed to be behind a deadly crackdown on peaceful protesters.
These militias have access to the Green Zone, which houses the Iraqi parliament, the US embassy, and other diplomatic missions. The heavily fortified compound was partially opened to the public last year, by former prime minister Adel Abdel Mahdi, who also invited the PMF to establish offices in the area. Numerous diplomatic missions have voiced their concerns about the presence of these groups in the Green Zone.
Washington has a right to demand that the safety of its diplomats is ensured, particularly with tensions expected to rise as the one-year anniversary of popular protests in Iraq is upon us and the date for the US presidential election draws near.
The US move has initiated a much-needed conversation about the importance of shielding diplomats, who can facilitate peaceful talks and co-operation, from violence. Anti-American populist cleric Moqtada Al Sadr, who heads the largest bloc in parliament, has said that attacks on diplomats must stop. Other groups have heeded his call. It is crucial for the state to clamp down on militias and provide better protection for diplomats as well as ordinary Iraqis. This feat, however, is impossible to achieve without the support of Iraq's closest allies, chief among them the US.
Closing the US embassy could harm American and Iraqi interests. It would send the wrong message to militias threatening innocent lives. These groups would be quick to claim such a move as a victory, boosting their influence in the country, to the detriment of the Iraqi state. A propaganda win is what they seek, as they frame any withdrawal from the US as a victory for them.
America's warning should serve as a wake-up call for Iraqi politicians
The US is an ally of Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi, a reformer who has attempted to reign in the militias, one of the main demands of Iraq’s peaceful protest movement. Mr Al Kadhimi needs international support to achieve this goal. The departure of American diplomats from the capital could be a blow to his efforts, and it could leave a void that Iran would be all too happy to fill, even as mass protests against Tehran’s influence have been ongoing for almost a year.
The US warning should serve as a wake-up call for Iraqi politicians. For the country to move forward and its people to thrive, state institutions must regain the power they lost to paramilitary groups. Various militia groupings, meanwhile, have a decision to make – and they are already divided. They can either continue to harm innocents, in a proxy war that only undermines Iraqi interests and security, or they can choose to respect the authority of the state, which they are supposed to serve, granting Iraq a new chance to flourish.
Indoor Cricket World Cup Dubai 2017
Venue Insportz, Dubai; Admission Free
Day 1 fixtures (Saturday)
Men 1.45pm, Malaysia v Australia (Court 1); Singapore v India (Court 2); UAE v New Zealand (Court 3); South Africa v Sri Lanka (Court 4)
Women Noon, New Zealand v South Africa (Court 3); England v UAE (Court 4); 5.15pm, Australia v UAE (Court 3); England v New Zealand (Court 4)
Brahmastra%3A%20Part%20One%20-%20Shiva
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAyan%20Mukerji%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERanbir%20Kapoor%2C%20Alia%20Bhatt%20and%20Amitabh%20Bachchan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
Cricket World Cup League 2 Fixtures
Saturday March 5, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy (all matches start at 9.30am)
Sunday March 6, Oman v Namibia, ICC Academy
Tuesday March 8, UAE v Namibia, ICC Academy
Wednesday March 9, UAE v Oman, ICC Academy
Friday March 11, Oman v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Saturday March 12, UAE v Namibia, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Chirag Suri, Muhammad Waseem, CP Rizwan, Vriitya Aravind, Asif Khan, Basil Hameed, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Karthik Meiyappan, Akif Raja, Rahul Bhatia
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
Other workplace saving schemes
- The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
- Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
- National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
- In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
- Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.
Brief scores:
Day 1
Toss: India, chose to bat
India (1st innings): 215-2 (89 ov)
Agarwal 76, Pujara 68 not out; Cummins 2-40
RESULTS
6.30pm: Longines Conquest Classic Dh150,000 Maiden 1,200m.
Winner: Halima Hatun, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Ismail Mohammed (trainer).
7.05pm: Longines Gents La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,200m.
Winner: Moosir, Dane O’Neill, Doug Watson.
7.40pm: Longines Equestrian Collection Dh150,000 Maiden 1,600m.
Winner: Mazeed, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
8.15pm: Longines Gents Master Collection Dh175,000 Handicap.
Winner: Thegreatcollection, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
8.50pm: Longines Ladies Master Collection Dh225,000 Conditions 1,600m.
Winner: Cosmo Charlie, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson.
9.25pm: Longines Ladies La Grande Classique Dh155,000 Handicap 1,600m.
Winner: Secret Trade, Tadhg O’Shea, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
10pm: Longines Moon Phase Master Collection Dh170,000 Handicap 2,000m.
Winner:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
