Friday, November 24, 2023
US support for Israel fuels Iran-supported factions, 24 NOV
US support for Israel fuels Iran-supported factions
Shafaq News / ON THE DAY meant to honor Hezbollah’s own martyrs, the group’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, dedicated a considerable portion of his speech to fighters elsewhere in the region. In a televised address on November 11, Nasrallah praised not just Hezbollah’s strikes on Israel launched from southern Lebanon, but also “supporting fronts” in Iraq and Syria, where armed groups have carried out more than 60 attacks on American troops in the past month.
“These actions reflect great courage because it is the Americans they are fighting, the Americans whose fleets, aircraft carriers, and bases fill the region,” Nasrallah said of his Iraqi allies. “If you Americans want these operations on the supporting fronts to stop, if you don’t want regional war, you must stop the aggression and war on Gaza.”
Nasrallah’s words indicate growing unity among the so-called axis of resistance, a network of Iran-backed actors in the Mideast that includes Hamas, Hezbollah, the Syrian government, the Houthis in Yemen, and armed groups in Iraq and Syria. Though this unity and the violence it threatens to unleash has not yet translated into major military action, it marks the most significant backlash to the U.S. presence in the region in recent years.
The resistance narrative has found appeal beyond members of the axis, many of whom the U.S. considers terror organizations. Even in more moderate circles, America’s unfettered support for Israel, in the wake of the Hamas attack on October 7, has fueled anti-American sentiment in a region where many people see Israel’s relentless bombing of Gaza as an extension of decades of unjust U.S. policy in the Middle East.
Gut-wrenching images of bombing victims in Gaza have brought back memories of bloody conflicts the U.S. has waged or supported in places like Iraq and Yemen, with Western reluctance to condemn Israel for massive Palestinian casualties reminding Arabs and Muslims how little their lives seem to factor into Western policymaking.
The lackluster response of Arab nations has allowed militant groups to capitalize on popular outrage and bolster their resistance credentials by positioning themselves as the only ones willing to stand up to Israel and its backers.
In Iraq, Israel’s war on Palestine has regalvanized armed factions that formed in the wake of the 2003 U.S. invasion, an anti-occupation cause they see as directly linked to the Palestinian struggle for freedom. In just the last 24 hours, there have been several engagements between Iraqi militants and U.S. forces.
In his Baghdad office, Kataib Hezbollah military spokesperson Jaafar al-Husseini arrived for our meeting at the end of October in an upbeat mood that seemed at odds with the bloodshed that engulfed the region since October 7. “To the contrary, this is the easiest of times,” he explained. “This is a straightforward battle. Palestine is the fundamental issue.”
Kataib Hezbollah is the most secretive and most powerful of the Iraqi resistance groups. Although they’ve been partly incorporated into the government security apparatus as part of what Iraqi officials describe as a gradual demobilization — critics call it state capture at the hands of Iranian proxies — they relapse into violence during times of perceived Western meddling. The Pentagon’s recent decision to deploy aircraft carriers and personnel to the Middle East was taken as evidence of direct U.S. involvement in the Israel–Palestine conflict.
“America is a partner in this battle and in killing Palestinians, and therefore, they must pay the price,” al-Husseini said. “What is happening now in terms of targeting American bases is a natural response of the resistance fighters.”
Iraq’s “resistance” factions have momentarily put aside rivalries to jointly claim responsibility, via a newly established Telegram channel, for dozens of rocket and drone attacks on American troops stationed in Iraq and Syria to fight the Islamic State group, which the Pentagon says have resulted in several light injuries.
These ripple effects were part of Hamas’s calculus to help shatter what the Palestinian group regarded as an untenable status quo in the occupied territories. The prospect of a political solution had faded in recent years amid increased violence and expulsions by Israelis, especially in the West Bank, under the watch of the most right-wing government in Israel’s history.
(The Intercept)
https://shafaq.com/en/Report/US-support-for-Israel-fuels-Iran-supported-factions
Dubai to host investment conference for Iraq in December, 25 NOV
Dubai to host investment conference for Iraq in December
Shafaq News / The Iraqi-British Business Council is preparing to host its conference in Dubai on December 7th - 8th, aiming to bolster partnerships and drive economic transformation in Iraq, as reported by the Emirati newspaper "Al Khaleej."
Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, is scheduled to deliver a speech titled "Building a Sustainable Future" on the conference's second day.
Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy for Foreign Trade Affairs, expressed joining efforts with Iraqi friends and the Iraqi-British Business Council to discuss collective endeavors aiding the country in its reconstruction process. The conference aims to gather companies engaged in business and trade, fostering investment opportunities for entrepreneurs and ultimately supporting Iraq's industry and its people.
Al Saleh further stated support for the council's mission in facilitating technology transfer, infrastructure, and expertise to enhance Iraq's growth and development. The substantial growth in trade between the UAE and Iraq, surpassing 60% in 2022, emphasizes the increasing economic ties between the two countries, according to the conference management.
The event underscores the UAE's position as the primary commercial hub for Iraq and highlights the nation's growing role in facilitating international cooperation. The Emirates are regarded as a meeting ground for stakeholders ranging from the UK, European Union, and the United States to India, Turkey, Iraq, and the Gulf.
Moreover, the UAE offers immense investment opportunities for companies operating in Iraq, without the need for administrative and bureaucratic hurdles present within Iraq. Christoph Michels, the conference's Managing Director, highlighted the UAE's ideal location, connecting international firms to Iraq as a regional hub.
Michels emphasized the conference's importance, expecting significant attendance by decision-makers. He anticipates participants to engage with key figures, considering the event's timing and its focus on pivotal issues like economic sustainability, education, finance, and climate change.
Fikas Handa, the UAE representative at the regional level in the council, noted the conference's anticipated importance in long-term development and foresight for Iraq.
"RV UPDATE" BY SANDY INGRAM, 25 NOV
Sandy Ingram
The reason countries have foreign reserves is to make sure that a country has backup funds if its national currency rapidly devalues or becomes entirely worthless. It's common practice for central banks of different countries around the world to hold large amounts of reserves of foreign exchange. Most of these reserves are held in US dollars since it is the most traded currency in the world...The amount of monies a country holds in its reserves has a lot to do with the county's currency rate...Iraq has the largest foreign currency reserves in its' history.
Evening News with MarkZ. 11/24/2023
Member Of The Democratic Party: Postponing The Oil And Gas Law Until After The Kurdistan Parliament Elections, 24 NOV
Member Of The Democratic Party: Postponing The Oil And Gas Law Until After The Kurdistan Parliament Elections
Time: 11/24/2023 19:22:08 Read: 858 times {Politics: Al-Furat News} A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party expected that the draft oil and gas law would be postponed to next year due to continuing disagreements over it.
Wafa Muhammad Karim told Al-Furat News Agency, “The oil and gas law has reached the stage of final touches before being sent to the House of Representatives, but the entry into the oil-producing governorates required more time to write the draft, in addition to the presence of political parties that want to obstruct the law.”
He added, "So far, the law has not been sent to Parliament and will be postponed until next year, because it is one of the most complex laws passed in Iraq."
Karim expected that "the draft law will be implemented after the Kurdistan Regional Parliament elections {scheduled for the beginning of next year} due to its legislative difficulty."
Prime Minister Muhammad Shiaa Al-Sudani confirmed on the second of last August that the draft oil and gas law is part of the commitment to the ministerial approach, which the House of Representatives voted on, and will take into account constitutional principles, in a way that guarantees the fair distribution of oil wealth and improves the reality of the economy in its various aspects, and contributes to the economic reform that The government has made it a priority.
Al-Sudani directed the formation of a ministerial committee to supervise the technical dialogues between the Federal Ministry of Oil and the Ministry of Natural Resources in the region, in addition to inviting the governors of the oil-producing governorates, Basra, Maysan, Kirkuk, and Dhi Qar, and the general directors of government oil companies to the ongoing technical dialogues regarding the law, provided that it is followed by These dialogues complete the political dialogue to agree on submitting the draft law. Raghad Dahham LINK
BRUCE:Iran Peace Deal 2026: Economic Impact, Oil Prices & Global Currency Reset Explained
🚨 RV Intel Update: What’s Happening Right Now? In the latest Big Call update from Bruce (March 26, 2026), several high-impact development...
-
A groundbreaking and irreversible shift is occurring in the global financial system as it rapidly transitions to a gold-backed structure. T...
-
Global Currency Reset: Mon. 19 May 2025 NESARA & QFS REDEMPTION EXPOSED: THE FINAL PHASE HAS BEGUN · The RV Redemption is LIVE. The fin...
-
Confirmed on Live TV – Announced Exchange Rate: $6.02! – Take Advantage!🔊 Highlights Summary Here are reports on the officially confirmed...