Monday, September 30, 2024
“Iraq and entire region too volatile for coalition exit”, Talaat argues, 30 SEPT
"The withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces would cause a disaster in Iraq and the region. The Iraqi army and security forces are not capable of dealing with threats independently," he underscored.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Abdulkhaliq Talaat, the Kurdistan Region's representative for the Ministries of Peshmerga and Interior in joint operations, warned that Iraq's military lacks the necessary equipment and weaponry, making the withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces from the country a potentially disastrous move.
In an interview with Kurdistan24, Talaat stated, "The withdrawal of U.S. and coalition forces would cause a disaster in Iraq and the region. The Iraqi army and security forces are not capable of dealing with threats independently."
He emphasized that no commander or soldier in the Iraqi army supports such a withdrawal, citing inadequate military equipment.
"The situation in Iraq and the region does not allow for the withdrawal of American and coalition forces," Talaat added, stressing the importance of their presence.
He further revealed that only one U.S. command remains at the Ain al-Assad military base, which is slated to evacuate and relocate its personnel to Erbil.
Regarding the relocation of U.S. forces to Erbil, Talaat noted, "The arrival of U.S. forces from Ain al-Assad to Erbil is crucial for safeguarding American interests in the region."
On Friday, the U.S. Department of State released a joint statement by the governments of the United States and Iraq, detailing the timeline for ending the global coalition's military mission to defeat ISIS in Iraq.
The statement underscored the strategic relationship between Iraq and the U.S. and outlined the following points:
1. The Coalition’s military mission in Iraq will conclude by September 2025, transitioning to bilateral security partnerships that support Iraqi forces while maintaining pressure on ISIS.
2. The Coalition's mission in Syria, critical for preventing the resurgence of ISIS, will continue until September 2026, depending on ground conditions and further consultations.
3. The Higher Military Commission will devise procedures to ensure the protection of coalition advisors in Iraq during the transitional period, in line with Iraq's constitution and laws.
Briefing Leaves Questions Unanswered
Despite efforts to clarify the status of U.S.-Iraq discussions regarding Operation Inherent Resolve, journalists were left with many unanswered questions about the specifics of the agreement.
Read More: US Officials: “United States is not Withdrawing from Iraq’
It was confirmed that while the Coalition's mission in Iraq will end in 2025, its presence in the Kurdistan Region will extend until at least 2026, reflecting the continuing threat posed by ISIS in Syria.
A senior U.S. official highlighted the importance of the Coalition's work in Syria, with the Kurdistan Region serving as a supply base for forces combating ISIS there.
The extension of the Coalition's presence in Erbil also provides flexibility should the situation in Iraq deteriorate, allowing for a potential surge of troops back into the country.
Kurdish leaders, including Masoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), have welcomed the continued presence of coalition forces.
Barzani, during a meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski, emphasized the national importance of their presence, transcending party lines and contributing to Iraq's stability.
Read More: KDP President Masoud Barzani meets with US Ambassador to Iraq
The U.S. is Transitioning, Not Leaving Iraq
The senior U.S. officials underscored that this is not an exit but a transition, describing it as an evolution of the military mission in Iraq.
Read More: US: Talks with Iraq on ‘Transition’ from Coalition to Bilateral Security Relations are ‘Ongoing’
"While ISIS is weakened, they are not eliminated," one official explained, reiterating that U.S. forces will continue to work with both Iraqi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces to ensure ISIS's enduring defeat.
Details regarding the future number of U.S. troops and their base locations remain under discussion. However, it is clear that the U.S. military presence in Erbil is vital for supporting the ongoing fight against ISIS in Syria and maintaining a strong partnership with the Kurdish Regional Government.
RV UPDATE BY SANDY INGRAM, 30 SEPT
Sandy Ingram
One significant difference between Iraq and many other developing and established countries is Iraq's consistent willingness to pay down debt.
Iraq's foreign debt has now fallen to below $10 billion dollars according to Saleh, financial advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister...Provisions have been set aside...to ensure these obligations are met...These external debts are largely tied to the Paris Club Agreement .
RV UPDATE BY KAPERONI, 30 SEPT
Kaperoni
This is a good quote from that article "The expected path of the Iraqi economy"
Quote: "The most important indicator, in my opinion, is that despite all the attempts to put obstacles in the way of economic development, intentionally or unintentionally,
the government is moving forward with its program, leaving all attempts at obstruction in its wake, and this is one of the secrets of success and the key to hope."
Why does the US still control every penny of Iraqi oil revenues?, 30 SEPT
Why does the US still control every penny of Iraqi oil revenues?
Washington has maintained control over Iraq’s oil revenues since its illegal 2003 invasion – a financial and economic subjugation that undermines Iraqi sovereignty and denies it access to its own national treasure.
In July, the Iraqi Central Bank halted all foreign transactions in Chinese Yuan, succumbing to intense pressure from the US Federal Reserve to do so. The shutdown followed a brief period during which Baghdad had allowed merchants to trade in Yuan, an initiative intended to mitigate excessive US restrictions on Iraq’s access to US dollars.
While this Yuan-based trade excluded Iraq’s oil exports, which remained in US dollars, Washington viewed it as a threat to its financial dominance over the Persian Gulf state. But how has the US managed to exert such total control over Iraqi financial policies?
The answer lies in 2003, with mechanisms established following the illegal US-led invasion of Iraq.
A legacy of ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom’
Since the signing of Executive Order 13303 (EO13303) by President George W Bush on 22 May 2003, all revenues from Iraq’s oil sales have been funneled directly into an account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
EO13303, titled “Protection of the Development Fund for Iraq and Other Property in Which Iraq Has an Interest,” has been renewed annually by every US president, including Joe Biden in 2024. This executive order essentially places control over Iraq’s oil revenues under the discretion of the US President, leaving Baghdad with limited control over its resources and earnings.
The roots of Iraq’s financial dependence on the US stretch back to the 1990s. Following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990, UN Security Council Resolution 661 imposed severe economic sanctions to isolate Iraq from international trade. These sanctions, exacerbated by former president Saddam Hussein’s refusal to comply with withdrawal demands, crippled the Iraqi economy.
Control over Iraq’s finances
UNSC Resolution 687, passed in 1991 after the Persian Gulf War, extended these sanctions while introducing the controversial “Oil for Food” program. Although it allowed Iraq to sell oil in exchange for humanitarian goods like food and medicine, the sanctions resulted in immense human suffering, with over one million Iraqis, half of them children, dying during this period. Then-US secretary of state Madeleine Albright infamously defended the sanctions in a 1996 interview, stating that the deaths were “worth the price.”
Following the invasion of Iraq, the US occupation of the country became a reality after the collapse of Saddam’s government. Faced with a fait accompli, the UN Security Council had to accept the new status quo.
According to International Humanitarian Law, occupation forces – in this case, the US and UK – become responsible for the well-being of the populations they occupy. So, UNSC Resolution 1483 was issued on 22 May 2003 to establish the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) as Iraq’s administrator and create the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) to manage Iraqi oil revenues.
Note that Resolution 1483 did not mention the US Federal Reserve as the depositary of Iraqi funds, nor did it assign a location for the DFI headquarters or account. In fact, the resolution specifically states directed that the DFI should “be held by the Central Bank of Iraq.” It was the CPA, led by Paul Bremer, that decided unilaterally to house the account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
This decision allowed the US government to maintain tight control over Iraq’s oil revenues. From that point until today, the Iraqi Ministry of Finance has had to submit requests for funds to the US Treasury, which then approves or denies these requests based on its own criteria.
This monthly transfer of US dollars – which are literally flown into Baghdad in pallets of hard cash – determines Iraq and its 40-million-population’s ability to pay for basic needs like salaries, food, and medicine.
Blackmailing Iraq
Whenever Washington feels that Iraq is not compliant with US regional goals, these fund transfers can be delayed or reduced. In January 2020, for instance, after the Iraqi Parliament voted to expel US troops following the assassination of Iranian Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) Deputy Commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the Trump administration threatened to freeze Iraq’s access to its oil revenues.
Today, Iraq’s financial situation remains dire. Despite having oil revenues piling up in the Federal Reserve Bank of New York – estimated today at around $120 billion – Iraq is burdened with a growing debt that matches this amount.
The country’s inability to control its own funds has prevented long-term reconstruction and development, forcing it to rely on international loans. Ironically, Iraq has also become one of the largest holders of US Treasury bills, with investments totaling $41 billion in 2023.
In addition to its economic challenges, Iraq has been drawn into the escalating regional conflict amid the ongoing Gaza war and the intensification of Israel’s aggression against Lebanon. Iraqi resistance forces have actively participated in military strikes against Israeli targets in solidarity with both Palestinian factions and Hezbollah.
The involvement of Iraq in this conflict is not isolated. Iraqi factions have routinely targeted US military bases in Iraq and Syria – viewed as illegal foreign forces subjugating Iraq’s sovereignty – contributing to a broader escalation that has drawn in actors from across West Asia .
These troops have vowed to continue their campaign against both US and Israeli targets, aligning their actions with the region’s Axis of Resistance.
The UN shutters DFI, but the US refuses to comply
Iraq ceased to be under occupation, at least formally, when it signed the “Strategic Cooperation Framework” agreement with the US in 2008, which says that American forces are present in Iraq only at the request of the Iraqi government.
Attempts by the UN to restore Iraq’s control over its finances have largely failed. In 2010, UNSC Resolution 1956 demanded the closure of the DFI by no later than 30 June 2011 and the transfer of all proceeds to the Iraqi government.
Despite these clear legal directives, the DFI account remains under US control at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in defiance of the UN Security Council resolution. Worse yet, enduring US dominance over Iraq’s financial resources has deeply exacerbated the corruption and dysfunction plaguing the country.
Ending the work of the UN International Advisory and Monitoring Board of the DFI was one way of obscuring the massive corruption and theft of resources by American and Iraqi actors.
The unprecedented corruption that was spread throughout Iraq and its institutions can be laid at the doorstep of this policy. The gargantuan amounts of hard cash that are flown into the country monthly, the unaccounted-for astronomical sums that disappear from various ministries, and the dollar exchange shops (banks) set up by political groups that thrived alongside the US occupation forces have turned Iraq into one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
Iraq’s dependence on the US for access to its own oil revenues, combined with its growing debt has significant impacts on its sovereignty, while its involvement in the regional war also will have implications on its relations with the US.
While Iraq may no longer be under formal occupation, the mechanisms of financial control established after the 2003 invasion persist. These controls not only limit Iraq’s economic development but also entangle it in broader geopolitical struggles.
Today, both the US Administration of Joe Biden and the Iraqi government led by Mohammad Shia al-Sudani – which has not taken steps to free Iraq’s sovereign funds – can be considered in violation of United Nations Resolution 1956 issued in 2010. link
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