Make Sure U.S. Leaves Iraq As Soon As Possible

:Ayatollah Khamenei Tells PM Abdul-Mahdi

Kayhan Int’l

TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei told Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi here Saturday that the U.S. is pursuing goals other than a military presence in the Arab country.
"The Americans seek a long-term presence and are after forming a government similar to military regimes in the early days of Iraq’s occupation,” the Leader said.
"Unlike their rhetoric, the Americans consider democracy and the current political system in Iraq against their interests, and hence, the Iraqi government must make sure that U.S. troops leave Iraq as soon as possible,” he added.
Ayatollah Khamenei said like the Americans, Saudi Arabia is also following ulterior motives in Iraq.
"They were sending money and weapons for Daesh when it occupied Mosul and now that Iraq has defeated Daesh, they (U.S .and Saudi Arabia) are expressing friendship.”
The Leader lauded relations between Baghdad and Tehran, saying the Iranian government and nation deem progress and felicity of Iraq as their own.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has always stood by the Iraqis in hard times, the last of which was during the Arab country’s battle with Daesh terrorists.
The premier touched on his talks with President Rouhani, saying good agreements were reached in the areas of railway construction, establishment of industrial towns, development of commercial relations, transportation and dredging of the Arvand river.
"Iraq's relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are special and we have announced that we will never join the U.S. sanctions against Iran,” Abdul-Mahdi said.
Earlier, President Hassan Rouhani called for Iran and neighboring Iraq to expand their gas and electricity dealings and boost bilateral trade to $20 billion despite difficulties caused by U.S. sanctions against Tehran.
"The plans to export electricity and gas and hopefully oil continue and we are ready to expand these contacts not only for the two countries but also for other countries in the region,” Rouhani said after a meeting with Abdul-Mahdi.
In March, the United States granted Iraq a 90-day waiver exempting it from sanctions to buy energy from Iran, the latest extension allowing Baghdad to keep purchasing electricity from its neighbor.
"We hope that our plans to expand trade volume to $20 billion will be realized within the news few months or years,” Rouhani said.
Rouhani expressed hope that work on building a railway linking the two countries, would begin within the next few months.
The railway project was part of deals reached during Rouhani’s March visit to Baghdad, meant to underline that Tehran still plays a dominant role in Iraq despite U.S. efforts to isolate Iran.
The Iraqi prime minister’s visit comes right on the heels of President Hassan Rouhani's trip to Baghdad last month and the two neighbors' pledge to boost the already flowering trade to $20 billion in two years from $12 billion today.
Along with ministers of commerce, foreign affairs, planning, transportation, health and energy, a number of Iraqi parliamentarians as well as 30 representatives of the private sector are accompanying the Iraqi premier.
Abdul-Mahdi said Iran has played a leading role in fighting terrorism and promotion of peace and stability in Iraq as he called for further development of mutual relations.
Enhanced economic, security, trade and oil cooperation will lead to good achievements not only for Iran and Iraq but also for the entire world, he said.
The Iraqi premier also stressed the importance of promoting peace in the Middle East and solving the Yemeni crisis through political means, saying Iraq is firm on countering any threat by any country against Iran.
With a 1,400-kilometer-long joint border, Iraq has turned into a strategic ally and an important trade partner for Iran in recent years.
Iraq's huge energy reserves and a large, diverse market bestow it a special place in the economic equations of the region.
Until two years ago, Iran was Iraq's third biggest trade partner after Turkey and China, but it vaulted to the top place last year with a record $9 billion worth of exports.
Iraq relies on Iranian gas imports to generate as much as 45 percent of its 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily in addition to another 1,000 megawatts imported directly from Iran.
For their run-of-the-mill sustenance, Iraqis also depend on Iran for everything from food to machinery, fruits and vegetables.
A remarkable feature of this close relationship is that much of the blossoming has occurred either in the run-up or after the reimposition of draconian U.S. sanctions on Iran.
Iraq is pushing back on U.S. pressures in what has become a major point of conflict between Washington and Baghdad, the New York Times reported in February.
Observers say the increasingly powerful and mutually beneficial relations between Iran and Iraq will make it all but impossible for the White House to keep the two neighbors apart.
Iraq's President Barham Salih has stressed that his country would not be part of a regime of unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States against Iran.
"There is no doubt that we will be affected by these sanctions, but it is certain that we will not be part of them,” he said last month.
Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi's visit to Iran also comes after a Saudi delegation traveled to Baghdad to reopen the kingdom's consulate in Iraq.
Saudi Minister of Trade Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi led a business delegation to Iraq as part of efforts to enhance ties between the two nations.
Riyadh has viewed Iraq's proximity to Iran with enmity. This is while Iraqi leaders have repeatedly praised Iran's role in helping the Arab country confront the Takfiri menace.
Iraqi officials have frequently accused Saudi Arabia of aiding and abetting the Daesh terrorist group, which was largely defeated in Iraq and Syria in late 2017.

Iranian-Iraqi relations

Iranian President's visit to Iraq, compared to Trumps secret travel at night to this country, was another proof to the defeat of the US's policies in the region.

Iranian President has made his first trip in 6 years as President, to Iraq. Foes in the 1980s, Iran and Iraq have managed to keep a friendship going since after Saddam, the Iraqi Baath leader. It may not go unsaid that it was the US which provoked Saddam and gave him the courage to attack Iran.

Compared to Trumps secret travel to Iraq at night, Iranian President's visit to Iraq was like a visit to his second country. He has been long invited to go there and especially with regard to the new government in Iraq, the two countries needed to hold discussions on different issues.

Iraq-Iran relations have grown a lot in various economic, social and strategic aspects. Rouhani's visit to Iraq hit the mainstream media maybe because the world expected Iraq to sever economic ties with Iran after the US's sanctions against this country. Iraq's new government has made 2 important decisions; first, it has decided not to participate in any coalition against another country. Second, it has decided not to act as a means against any other country by the Western powers or the regional antagonist powers. To this end, it has so far resisted against the excessive demands of the US.

Sometimes, the United States arms the minorities of a country and uses terrorism to change the political structure of that country. When Daesh occupied three provinces of Iraq, we saw that this country immediately referred to the security agreement it had signed with the US and asked the Americans for help. As expected, the US refused to help. Iraq had signed $60 billion worth of arms contracts with the US but again as expected it refused to give Iraq its purchased arms. This shows that the US, as part of its policies, prefers the minorities or terrorists gain power in any country that it wants because that's what serves the US's interests.

In fact, two things helped Iraq mainly to defeat Daesh; first the fatwa issued by Ayatollah Sistani and second Iran's help.

Uncle Sam’s Futile Bid to Wean Away Iraq from Fraternal Iran

By: Kayhan Int’l 

The US is taking the government and people of Iraq for a ride on the assumption that the Land of the Two Rivers is a fertile ground for tomfoolery. 

Washington, which failed to seize control of oil-rich and strategically situated Iraq through the macabre crimes of the takfiri terrorists it had created in complicity with Saudi Arabia, thinks that its devilish designs can succeed in weaning away Iraq from time immemorial and fraternal neighbour Iran.

This was evident by the recent claims of the US Energy Secretary Rick Perry on providing Iraq with Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).

What a laughable statement by a senior official of the quixotic US president, Donald Trump the dotard, to say: "The US is well prepared to be a transparent, competitive and reliable source of liquefied natural gas to Iraq.”! 

Does Perry think that officials of the elected government in Baghdad are a bunch of ignorant bums ready to put their trust in the very same wolf that was a supporter of the bloodthirsty Saddam during the 8-year war against the Islamic Republic of Iran in the 1980s as well as the periodic bouts of massacre of the Shi’a Arab majority and the ethnic Kurds carried out by the US-backed Ba’th minority regime?

The Americans are no friends of the Iraqi people, and have no right to meddle in the affairs of Mesopotamia. If they think they can turn the Iraqi government in one of those pet poodles they have placed in neighbouring Arab states, they are living in a fool’s paradise. 

The bonds between the Iraqi and Iranian peoples are too solid to be shaken by Uncle Sam’s machinations, in view of the fact they transcend history and historical developments. Moreover the two neighbouring countries are well aware of each other’s potentials and how best to continue their commercial, industrial, cultural, religious, and historical relations. 

Trade transactions between Iran and Iraq currently stand at $12 billion, and are all set to reach $ 20 billion figure. 

Iraq has made it clear time and again that it does not recognize the illegal economic sanctions the US has imposed on its friendly and fraternal neighbour which saved it from turning into ‘Takfiristan’. 

So any talk of American pressures on Iraq in this regard is useless, and the two countries will continue to expand relations, whether Washington likes it or not. 

As a matter of fact, the arrogant Americans are totally ignorant of the state of Iraq’s hydrocarbon resources.

True, Iraq has large proven natural gas reserves. Iraq is the world’s 13th largest holder of proven natural gas reserves which stand at 3,158 bcm. Yet it produces only a mere 0.9 bcm of marketable natural gas, most of which is re-injected to maintain crude oil production.

This means energy-starved Iraq is in dire need of natural gas supplies for running its industries and providing people with much needed fuel. 

There may be several world countries possessing natural gas for sale, including Qatar in the Persian Gulf, but compared to Iran, which shares a lengthy border with Iraq, no gas imports could be as cheap and readily available as those from the Islamic Republic.

For this reason Tehran and Baghdad struck an agreement for supply of 35 million cubic meters of Iranian natural gas on a daily basis to the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad, and an additional 25 million cubic meters of gas per day to the port city of Basra.

Last June, Iran’s gas supply to Baghdad began at a rate of 7 million cubic meters per day, and as per the agreement, will soon increase to 35 million cubic meters daily. 

If Perry and his colleagues in the thuggish administration of Trump have any sense they will stay out of Iraqi affairs. The Iraqi people do not like the criminal US, and the only reason the government of Baghdad is asking Washington to exempt it from any penalties in case of continuing trade with Iran, is out of diplomatic courtesy. 

The Iraqis are preparing for the day to lawfully and legally kick out the remnants of American military personnel from Iraq, since like the Iranians they fully know as long as they adhere to the dynamic teachings of Islam as taught by the Prophet and his Infallible Ahl al-Bayt, the US cannot do a damn thing.

Iraq Inching From Sectarianism to Patriotism: Expert

Alwaght- After the political marathon in Iraq to pick a new president and a prime minister, the country’s politics now witnesses a debate of how the experienced, technocratic Prime Minister-designate Adel Abdul Mahdi will form his cabinet. When Abdul Mahdi was named for the post, he vowed to put meritocracy first in choosing his ministers, adding that his government will be strong and cross-party including figures from all Iraqi political factions regardless of their ethnicity or religion.

Alwaght has talked to Sayed Mahdi Afqahi, an Iranian West Asia affairs expert, asking him for comments on the new government’s plans, as well as the challenges and obstacles ahead.

When asked about how the new cabinet will look like, Mr Afqahi told the parties in this year’s election talked against sectarian quota system in hope of attracting the maximum votes. This view was held by the Shiite alliances such as Saeroon and Fatah, as well as other blocs.

“With the parties’ shift of vision and expanding their horizons, I believe that Iraq will move, with a gentle slope, from the sectarian approach to a patriotic one to form a national unity government. In fact, the participant parties insisted on driving out the sectarian quota system and highlighted the need for Iraqis unity to beat the problems.”

Mr Afqahi continued that President Barham Salih, Speaker Mohamed al-Halbusi, and PM-designate Adel Abdul Mahdi all strongly believe in this political path and have recently raised the slogans anew. Abdul Mahdi, for example, vowed to form a government where no political party feels marginalized. He, thus, told the Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish factions to each name four ministers for each post. This will pave the way for a national unity government, according to him.

“With regard to the pro-inclusion, cross-sectarian rhetoric of the Iraqi politicians, Abdul Mahdi works towards the realization of this aim.”

But Mr Afqahi pointed to the fact that uniting all Iraqis around this anti-sectarianism ideal is a difficult job, adding that to date none of the PMs managed to materialize this ideal. He, however, maintained that Abdul Mahdi enjoys wide-ranging acceptance and support by both the politicians and the clergy. So, he can learn from the previous governments' mistakes and form a technocratic government.

Alwaght also asked the expert about the key challenges the new government will face. He replied that the challenges are both at home and abroad. Domestically, according to him, Abdul Mahdi will face financial and administrative corruption, which is a hugely heavy case.

“If he forms the best cabinet but declines to seriously fight bribery and the labyrinthine network of banking and financial mafia– the heavy cases which remained unsolved by the previous PM Haider al-Abadi–, he will certainly fail to proceed with his programs.”

Essentially, the parties strongly insisted that corruption needs to be uprooted. Sayyed Muqtada al-Sadr, Saeroon's leader, has set an ultimatum for the new government to effectively fight corruption, warning that if it fails to meet the demand, he will sink the government. Fatah bloc, led by Hadi al-Amiri, also placed its main emphasis on the anti-corruption fight which has so far marred many development programs.

“Another internal issue,” Mr Afqahi told Alwaght, “is the reconstruction of Iraq. We can now say that Iraq is a ruined country. Three largest and most strategic provinces of Iraq have been destroyed by ISIS. Beside ISIS destruction, the Americans under the excuse of fighting ISIS reduced to rubble many areas in Nineveh, Salahaddin, and Anbar provinces, making them uninhabitable for years. I visited them in person.”

Another big issue at home is the unemployment, according to the Iranian expert. The oil sales income is only enough to pay the salaries of the state workers and armed forces personnel. So, the government’s hands to create jobs along with the pursuing rebuilding projects will be tied. If it seeks to borrow money from the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, then it should meet the tough demands of the creditors. This, in turn, will lead to further reliance on abroad.

“So the government has to rely on home achievements of the fight against corruption and also expand cooperation with its strategic neighbor, Iran. Partnership with Tehran in areas like oil, gas, and electricity production, and technology transfer will be useful to Iraq. Baghdad apparently saw the fruits of anti-terror cooperation with Iran. But Saudi Arabia is an origin of terrorism. Turkey still occupies parts of Iraqi territories. Syria is itself in need of help amid the devastating war against terrorism. And the US, as another partnership choice, seeks to dominate Iraq and loot its oil.”

Yet another challenge the new government is facing is the American military presence. Now some 7,000 American troops are present in Iraq, which is contrary to the security pact between the two countries, signed in 2008 that was aimed at training the Iraqi army and helping it reorganize.

“The question for the Iraqis is that what these 7,000 troops under the guise of military advisors are doing in Iraq. Was this approved by the parliament, or is it a secret agreement between al-Abadi (former premier) and Washington? The US has under construction its biggest consulate in the world in Erbil, with a size of 24 hectares.”

Mr Afqahi also commented on the future of relations between Baghdad and the Kurds under Abdul Mahdi. He noted that this issue is related to the autonomous region’s demands from the central government. Masoud Barzani, the former president of the Kurdistan Regional Government, has recently called on Baghdad to hand back Kirkuk to the Kurds. “Certainly, neither the parliament nor the al-Hashd Al-Sha'abi [Arabic name for Popular Mobilization Forces] will allow Abdul Mahdi to return the oil-rich Kirkuk to Barzani to sell its oil to Israel and Turkey.”

Mr Afqahi also pointed to the foreign challenges of the new government. The first challenge, he said, is the American influence in Iraq's political, military, cultural, and financial areas, despite the fact that this year’s election indicated a sharp decline in the US sway in Iraq, which can be labeled a decline from strategic to tactical level. Abdul Mahdi and Salih's relationship with Washington will never be submissive as was that of Barzani and Osama al-Nujaifi, former parliament speaker. “Another foreign challenge is the Turkish military presence in Bashiqa region in northern Iraq,” he continued.

Afqahi also addressed the chances of victory over the challenges ahead, saying it depends on the makeup of the cabinet, genuine anti-corruption fight, and the popular and clergy help. He said the new PM should make priorities. First, he should solve the main problems like unemployment and meet the people’s basic needs. This will win him people’s support which is necessary for dealing with heavier problems. “Empty slogans only dangerously infuriate people,” the pundit concluded.  

Iraq, Iran Further Cement Fraternal Ties to US Detriment

By: S. Nawabzadeh

We had said earlier – on several occasions – in the columns of this newspaper that in West Asia there are no countries as close to each other in terms of a shared history geography, religion, politics, culture, economy, trade exchanges, ecology, types of food, etc., as Iran and Iraq.

This commonality, or in other words friendship and fraternity, was emphasized yet once again on Saturday in Tehran by Iraqi president, Barham Salih, an ethnic Kurd familiar with both the Arabic and Persian languages, during his meeting with his Iranian host, Hojjat al-Islam Dr. Hassan Rouhani – and reciprocated by Iranian officials.

The newly elected Head of State of the Land of the Two Rivers also made it quite clear that Iraq is looking forward to further expansion of neighbourly ties with Iran and on no account will allow any enemies or outside forces to try to disrupt relations with the Islamic Republic, to whom the Iraqi people feel highly indebted for its timely help.

Such stating of the basic facts regarding Iran’s help are not limited to the recent routing by Iraq’s popular forces of the Saudi-created and US-supported takfiri terrorists who had planned to seize the whole country, but are also indicative of the assistance that the Islamic Republic, as part of its principled foreign policy for peace and stability in the region, has continued to provide to its brethren in Iraq (Arabs, Kurds, Shi’as, Sunnis, and Christians) since the reign of terror of Saddam of the repressive Ba’th minority regime and throughout the American occupation.

Salih’s realistic remarks may have maddened Trump and his team of thugs in Washington who are trying in vain to meddle in Iraq in a bid to distance it from Iran. His statement, coupled with the wise words of senior Iranian officials, especially the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, have certainly struck the seditious Saudis like a slap in the face, but there is nothing the region’s unrepresentative tyrannical regimes and their American masters can do.

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who warmly received Barham Salih and gave him brotherly advice on how to stand firm like a mountain in the face of enemy plots and attempts to meddle, did not mince words when he said: "The way to overcome problems and frustrate enemy plots is to preserve national unity in Iraq, properly recognize friends from foes, stand up to the brazen enemy, rely on youths and maintain and strengthen links with the (religious) authorities.” 

Thanking President Salih for Iraq’s hospitality towards Iranian pilgrims during the recent commemoration of the Arba’een anniversary in holy Karbala marking the traditional 40th day of the martyrdom of Imam Husain (AS) – grandson and 3rd Infallible Heir of Prophet Muhammad (SAWA) – he said in a clear tone: "certain ill-wishing regimes now seek to deprive Iraqis of the sweet taste of their great achievement of gaining independence as part of their plot to prevent restoration of peace in Iraq and the entire region.”

This means that in contrast to the Arab world’s collective submission to Israel, American pressures against Iraq will never succeed including the abortive attempt to disband the popular mobilization units (PMU – Hashd ash-Sha’bi).

Iraq is part of the Solid Chain of Resistance linking Iran to Syria and Lebanon, and Tehran will take every necessary step to further strengthen ties with Baghdad, including the connecting of the railway networks of the two countries in order to facilitate trade and travel.       

The present volume of annual trade exchanges between Iran and Iraq stand at 12 billion dollars, and as President Rouhani told his smiling counterpart during talks, efforts are being made to increase this amount to at least 20 billion dollars yearly. 

In view of these undeniable facts, including the miserable failure of the US plot of the 1980s to create bad blood between the brotherly peoples of the two countries through Saddam’s 8-year war, it is but natural for the Iraqis – both Arabs and Kurds, whether Shi’a or Sunni – to stand beside their Iranian brethren, fully knowing that in addition to their overseas enemy, the US, their chief regional enemy is the Wahhabi cult of the spurious entity called Saudi Arabia, which used to fund to the tune of tens of billions of dollars, the genocide of Shi’a Arab Muslims and the ethnic Kurds by the Ba’thist regime.

It should be noted that the Iraqi people are too mature to be swayed either by Washington’s propaganda tirade to endorse the illegal sanctions against Iran, or the bribes of Riyadh in building a football stadium and a power plant in Basra, as well as the doling out of a few million dollars of the stolen oil wealth of the deprived people of Qatif, to some suspicious elements.

Iraq and the Iraqi people, along with their Iranian brethren, fully know that Trump’s state terrorism of economic sanctions against the Islamic Republic is only a passing phase in the glorious history of the people of the region, while the future appears brilliantly bright with the fast approaching end of the American client regimes in the region, such as the Aal-e Saud, the Aal-e Khalifa, the Aal-e Nahyan and Aal-e Sayhoun (Zionists).