Saturday, September 7, 2024
DINAR REVALUATION REPORT: Pentagon: No Timeline for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq Yet, 8 SEPT
Pentagon: No Timeline for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq Yet
As of September 7, 2024, the Pentagon has not provided a definitive timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Despite ongoing negotiations and discussions regarding the future of the U.S. military presence in the country, no specific dates have been announced.
Current Military Presence
Approximately 2,500 U.S. troops are currently deployed in Iraq as part of the international coalition formed in 2014 to support the Iraqi government in defeating the Islamic State (ISIL). The coalition's main objective was to assist Iraqi security and military forces in their fight against ISIL.
Bilateral Talks
In recent months, the U.S. and Iraq have engaged in bilateral talks to address the future of the U.S. military presence in the country. These discussions have included the formation of a joint commission to oversee the winding down of the coalition's military mission in Iraq.
Regional Instability and Public Calls
The urgency of the talks has been heightened by regional instability and public calls from the Iraqi government for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. These calls have been in response to U.S. airstrikes targeting Iran-backed militants who have been attacking U.S. personnel in Iraq.
Advisory Role
Discussions are also underway to establish a new advisory role that could involve a smaller number of U.S. troops remaining in Iraq after the main drawdown. This advisory capacity would focus on supporting Iraq's security forces and ensuring that ISIL cannot resurge.
Pentagon: No timeline to withdraw troops from Iraq yet, 8 SEPT
Shafaq News/ A Pentagon official confirmed, on Friday, that the United States is aware of media reports regarding possible plans to withdraw US troops from Iraq but has not set any specific timelines.
The US government is “not ready yet to announce any dates,” the official stated in a press briefing.
Earlier, Reuters reported that the United States and Iraq have reached a preliminary agreement on the withdrawal of US-led Global Coalition forces from Iraq, quoting sources familiar with ongoing negotiations.
Sources said that the plan, which has been broadly agreed but awaits final approval and a formal announcement, would see several hundred troops depart by September 2025, with the remaining forces set to leave by the end of 2026.
“We have an agreement. It is now just a question of when to announce it,” a senior US official said.
Discussions are also underway to establish a new advisory role that could see a smaller number of US troops remain in Iraq following the drawdown, sources added.
An official announcement was initially expected weeks ago but was delayed due to regional tensions stemming from Israel’s war in Gaza and remaining logistical details, according to sources, including five US officials, two Coalition representatives, and three Iraqi officials, all speaking on condition of anonymity.
Technical negotiations between Baghdad and Washington, initiated by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani in January, have concluded. Farhad Alaaldin, the prime minister’s foreign affairs adviser, said the talks marked a shift in the US-Iraq relationship, emphasizing future bilateral cooperation in military, security, economic, and cultural sectors. Alaaldin did not comment on the specifics of the plan.
The agreement follows months of rising tensions, including attacks by Iran-backed Iraqi factions on US forces, which have killed three American troops and injured dozens more. US forces have retaliated with airstrikes, complicating efforts to stabilize Iraq after years of conflict.
The US currently has 2,500 troops in Iraq and 900 in neighboring Syria, part of a Coalition formed in 2014 to combat ISIS. While ISIS has been territorially defeated in Iraq since 2017, Us forces remain to support operations against the group in Syria.
Under the terms of the deal, Coalition forces will leave the Ain al-Asad airbase in al-Anbar governorate and scale back operations in Baghdad by September 2025.
Some US and Coalition forces are expected to remain in Erbil until the end of 2026 to support ongoing operations in Syria.
Prime Minister Al-Sudani has emphasized that US troops, while helpful, have become a target for instability, with attacks on their bases prompting uncoordinated retaliatory strikes. For the US, the two-year timeline allows flexibility for adjustments should the regional security situation evolve, a US official said.
Shafaq.com
LATEST FROM TNT, 8 SEPT
TNT
- Fri. 6 Sept. 2024 TNT Update
- The rates are still live. All kinds of meetings yesterday . Everyone says it’s going to happen by Monday. Some believe this evening.
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DINAR REVALUATION REPORT: Iraq's Six-Year Strategy to Combat Corruption: An Update for 2024, 7 SEPT
Iraq's Six-Year Strategy to Combat Corruption: An Update for 2024
In an effort to tackle the pervasive issue of corruption, the Federal Commission of Integrity in Iraq has announced its determination to draw up a six-year strategy aimed at addressing this critical problem[^1^]. This ambitious plan comes at a time when Iraq is grappling with the aftermath of decades of armed conflict, seeking to stabilize and reform its governance systems[^2^].
Background on Corruption in Iraq
Corruption has long been a major concern in Iraq, affecting various sectors and undermining public trust in the government. The most recent scandal, dubbed "the theft of the century," involved the embezzlement of $2.5 billion from an idle government account[^2^]. This incident, among others, has highlighted the extent to which corruption is embedded within the state apparatus, implicating high-ranking officials and compromising accountability mechanisms[^2^].
The Role of the Federal Commission of Integrity
The Federal Commission of Integrity, established as Iraq's foremost anti-corruption body, shoulders the strategic responsibility for monitoring and ensuring national compliance with the provisions of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC)[^3^].
The New Strategy: Key Objectives and Approach
The proposed six-year strategy aims to mobilize ministries, institutions, and other key stakeholders through a comprehensive policy and regulatory framework designed to assist Iraqi institutions in reducing systemic corruption[^4^]. This includes the use of digitization as a foundational tool to enhance transparency and efficiency in governance[^3^]
International Support and Collaboration
The European Union Advisory Mission (EUAM) Iraq has been actively engaged in supporting the national anti-corruption agenda through its partnership with the Federal Commission of Integrity, key stakeholders, and international organizations such as the UNDP[^4^]. Such collaboration is crucial in addressing the complex phenomenon of corruption, which poses a significant risk to Iraq's stability, national security, and economic development[^4^].
Conclusion
As of September 7, 2024, the Federal Commission of Integrity's commitment to combat corruption through a strategic, multi-year approach is a significant step in the right direction. By leveraging international support and prioritizing digitization, Iraq is positioning itself to tackle corruption more effectively and promote good governance.
Chairman Of The Integrity Commission: We Are Determined To Draw Up A Six-Year Strategy To Combat Corruption, 7 SEPT
Chairman Of The Integrity Commission: We Are Determined To Draw Up A Six-Year Strategy To Combat Corruption
Thursday,05-09-2024 The Chairman of the Federal Integrity Commission, Judge Haider Hanoun, confirmed today, Thursday, the determination to draw up a six-year strategy to combat corruption, while stressing the importance of adopting national strategies to combat this scourge within the preventive approach and the principle of participation in confronting corruption.
Hanoun said, during his speech at the ceremony announcing the first report on implementing the strategy to combat corruption in the public sector, held by the Kurdistan Integrity Commission in Erbil and reported by the Integrity Commission in a statement received by Noon News Agency, that "the national strategy for integrity and combating corruption includes economic, industrial, agricultural, scientific, humanitarian, military and health plans,"
stressing "the necessity of its efforts to preserve the country's wealth and needs and cover those needs, in addition to creating human energies from its citizens capable of leading the helm of affairs in the future."
Hanoun urged, "adopting mechanisms to raise the level of integrity in the performance of institutions and create a competitive environment among them on the one hand, and among their employees on the other hand; to determine the most honest institution and the institution that best provides services to citizens,"
noting that "the Federal Integrity Commission adopted such visions in launching the National Strategy for Integrity and Combating Corruption for the years (2021 - 2024), as well as the Integrity Commission in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq in launching the Anti-Corruption Strategy in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq for the years (2021 - 2025)."
He pointed out that "the Commission is in the process of preparing a new national strategy for integrity and combating corruption for the next six years (2023-2025), which relies in its preparation and implementation on cooperation with the three legislative, executive and judicial authorities, and with the Federal Board of Supreme Audit and the Integrity Commission in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq on the one hand, in addition to partnership with the private sector, civil society and investigative journalism."
He added, "The strategy, which is currently being prepared, will take a scientific approach using advanced technology in its implementation, and will seek to integrate influential categories of stakeholders such as women, youth, scientific and professional competencies, and give them distinguished roles in it;
with the aim of raising levels of integrity in the public and private sectors, helping institutions correct errors on their own, motivating them to make continuous improvements in their performance, accelerating the pace towards the digital transformation of good governance, and enhancing all of this with regional and international cooperation."
He pointed out that "the Federal Integrity Commission and the Integrity Commission in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq are determined to put the final touches on signing a joint coordination memorandum between them in implementation of the provisions of Articles (11 / Fourth) and (16 / Fourth) of the Integrity and Illicit Gains Commission Law No. (30) of 2011 (amended), and to coordinate efforts in the field of combating corruption within the Republic of Iraq,"
noting that "training workshops for the teams implementing the National Strategy for Integrity and Combating Corruption in the Commission, ministries and entities not affiliated with the Federal Ministry will soon be held at the headquarters of the Integrity Commission in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq in Erbil, and that these workshops will include the strategy implementation teams in the Kurdistan Region." https://non14.net/public/169914
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