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Tag: Iraq

  • ISIS running out of options – Coalition

    ISIS running out of options – Coalition

    Maj.-Gen. Joseph Martin, Commander of Operation Inherent Resolve’s Combined Joint Forces Land Component Command says the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is running out of options as the coalition closes in against the terrorist group.

    Martin, in a statement issued by Pentagon said the coalition would continue to support the Iraqi forces until the country is liberated from ISIS.

    “We will continue to support them until all the Iraqis are liberated and the country is free to choose its own future.

    “The fight has cost the lives of many brave Iraqi security forces personnel and innocent civilians.

    “There is still tough fighting ahead, and the coalition will go anywhere the Iraqis go.

    “The military defeat of ISIS in Iraq is inevitable, and we will help the Iraqis achieve that.

    “The enemy is encircled and running out of options”, the coalition commander said.

    According to him, the coalition continues to support the Iraqi forces by providing joint coalition fires, adding progress has been steady but slow at times.

    “It’s metered by the diversity of the terrain and the stiff resistance they face or they don’t face but each day there’s progress,” Martin said.

    He said Iraqi security forces were making progress every day against the ISIS in West Mosul, adding the fight to liberate Mosul from ISIS brutality has been hard-fought and long.

    The Iraqi security forces have liberated hundreds of thousands of civilians in Mosul since October, and life is returning to normal in portions of the city, he said.

    Over the last two years, Iraqi forces have liberated more than three million civilians, he added.

    “The Iraqi forces have taken the fight to the enemy and sacrificed their blood for the people of Iraq. I’m honoured to serve by their side in this endeavor,” he said.

    East Mosul was liberated in January, however, in west Mosul, many Iraqis remain under the domination of ISIS terror, Martin said, adding that the coalition stands united, side by side with Iraq’s government and people.

  • Former Australian PM calls for special ‘terror courts’ to deal with fighters

    Former Australian PM calls for special ‘terror courts’ to deal with fighters

    Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott on Thursday called for a “special court” to be created specifically to deal with returning Australian Islamic State (IS) fighters.

    He declared that Australia is “pussyfooting” around the role radical Islamism is playing in causing terrorism.

    The former Prime Minister said that returning foreign fighters were getting away with traveling to and from conflict zones such as in the Middle East due to a loophole in current Australian law.

    Abbott said that just two Islamist extremists have been charged in Australian courts despite dozens returning to Australia from Iraq and Syria over the last few years something that was recently made illegal by the government.

    He argued that a new courts system needed to be created in order to deal specifically with Australian jihadis who had abandoned their country to join the fight with Islamic State.

    Abbot said in a piece he penned in News Corp newspapers on Thursday, that too many extremists were putting Sharia law before Australian law.

    “The only safe jihadi is one who’s been lawfully killed, lawfully imprisoned or thoroughly converted from Islamism.

    “We need to ensure that every returning jihadi can readily be charged and convicted, possibly through the creation of special courts that can hear evidence that may not normally be admissible.”

  • Coalition to ISIS: Surrender or be killed

    Coalition to ISIS: Surrender or be killed

    The Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said that terrorists of Islamic State around Raqqa, Syria and Mosul, Iraq should either surrender or be killed.

    Spokesman of the coalition, Col. John Dorrian, said on Wednesday that the coalition was closing in on ISIS,

    Dorrian said this in a statement by the U.S. Department of Defense.

    “Iraqi forces control both main routes west of Mosul, limiting ISIS fighters’ freedom of movement. ISIS has been encircled for ‘quite some time’.

    “The Iraqi counterterrorism service and federal police are pressing more deeply into the dense, urban terrain along the Euphrates River and the old part of the city.

    “While elements of the Iraqi army continue clearing territory to the north and west of the city centre; there is only a ‘shrinking cordon’ in Mosul where ISIS can operate.

    “This enemy in Mosul is not going anywhere; they’re not going to be able to leave to the west; they are cut off.

    “They have really two choices: they can surrender to the Iraqi security forces, or they’re going to be killed,” he said.

    Dorrian said U.S., coalition and partner forces were edging towards victory in the campaign to defeat ISIS.

    “In Iraq, Iraqi forces are making incremental progress on the west side of Mosul, in large part because of the need to protect against civilian casualties.

    “The enemy has intensified their exploitation of civilians by moving them in large numbers into harm’s way,” he said.

    According to him, since the effort to take Mosul back from ISIS began on Feb.19, Iraqi forces supported by coalition airstrikes had cleared nearly 200 square miles of territory.

    He noted that there had already been some positive results for the people of Iraq as the fight against ISIS continued.

    “One of the things it’s very important to understand is that millions of people have been able to return to their homes because of the rollback of ISIS territorial gains.

    “And a lot of the reason for that is the coalition airstrikes that have supported our partners as they’ve taken that territory back,” he said.

    According to him, while progress continues, it has still a slow and tough fight because of the efforts of the coalition to avoid civilian casualties.

    He described ISIS use of civilians as human shields as “a despicable tactic, and unfortunate, and heartbreaking” adding “but it is something that we’re seeing”.

    “In reality, it’s very, very slow and very, very hard, and it’s gut-busting, difficult fighting between our forces and theirs. But our forces and the Iraqi security forces continue to make progress.

    “It’s very slow, it’s very tough. One of the reasons for that is because we want to do it in a manner that protects civilian life.

    “Prime Minister Haider Abadi’s been very clear on that, and it’s been an enduring principle of the campaign throughout” he said.

  • America IS militant ‘surrenders’ to Kurds in Iraq

    US officials are checking reports that an American member of the so-called “Islamic State” group (IS) has been held in northern Iraq.

    The fighter gave himself up when he was approached near the town of Sinjar on Monday morning, an Iraqi Kurdish general said.

    He was reportedly carrying a large quantity of cash, three phones and a US driving licence.

    The US is leading an international military coalition against IS.

    The US state department said that it was aware of reports that a US citizen had been captured by Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, Reuters reports.

    CBS News said the man was trying to enter Turkey when he was intercepted by Kurdish forces.

    Maj Gen Feisal Helkani of the Kurdish peshmerga forces said the man was currently being held by the peshmerga for interrogation, AP reports.

  • Nothing has changed in US visa policy for Nigerians-Ambassador

    Nothing has changed in US visa policy for Nigerians-Ambassador

    The United States (U.S) government has allayed the fears of many Nigerians over the Executive Immigration Order.

    According to the U.S Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Stuart Symington, no Nigerian will be discriminated against on the basis of the order.

    Trump had signed an executive order barring citizens from Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan from entering the country for 90 days and also suspended the admission of all refugees for 120 days.

    Symington stressed that the Nigeria-U.S relationship  is a strategic one that must be sustained; adding that the connection between our two countries has been strong today and will continue to be strong tomorrow.

    He however stressed that in granting of visas, the full process must be followed and not religion.
    The envoy therefore emphasized that should there be any rejection, it should not be construed to mean discrimination, as every single conversation will be part of the process.

    Symington who briefed newsmen on the Executive Order on ‘Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorists Entry into the United States’ said  relating to Nigeria, nothing has changed.

    He also said that contrary to the report making the rounds, U.S has not reduced the visa time frame for Nigeria, saying that the two years multiple entry visa policy is still in place.
    Besides, he said those with valid visas have nothing to fear, as the validity of the visa will remain until the expiry date.

    Also, for a Nigerian with dual nationality affiliation with the seven affected Muslim countries, the ambassador said  he or she would not be banned from entering U.S.

    “Security is not the job of only one country. Let me reassure Nigerians that every single action the US takes would be on the basis of legality and due process no one will be discriminated against. No Nigerian would be denied visas because he or she is from a particular region of the country.

    “The new order now is for the US government to cross check as many that are coming into the US before issuing visas; we will not discriminate on the basis of religion in issuing visas to Nigerians. The two years visa is still valid contrary to reports we have heard in the media.

    “Nigeria’s leadership role is crucial in the world and Nigeria cannot be blacklisted. The importance of Nigeria in the world is legal.”

    Meghan Moore, Head of Consular U.S Embassy, Abuja explained that, “the  idea of how the US government decide the duration of Visa issuance is based on Nigeria government treatment to US travelers to Nigeria.  The US government generally issues multiple entry non-immigrant visas  with a validity of two years to eligible individuals who are travelling with the Nigeria passport. We issue as a general rule a two year visa and that has not changed. There  can be some exception based on some specific individuals.”

    What has changed, according to her is the period for visa renewal.

    “It used to be 45 month for visas renewal before now, but as a result of the new order, it’s now 12 month to renew visas. If not, registration and visa interview has to be carried out,” she explained.
    “Nigerians can use the DHL renewal process if their visas expire within 12 month.  If not, they have to schedule another interview with the embassy,” Moore said.

  • Iraq: UN records 6,878 killed, 12,388 wounded in 2016

    The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) has announced that it recorded a total of 19,266 civilian casualties in Iraq in eight months of 2016, made up of 6,878 killed and 12,388 wounded.

    The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Iraq, Ján Kubiš, said in a press statement that the casualty figures excluded four months – May, July, August and December.

    “In December, a total of 386 Iraqi civilians were killed and another 1,066 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict.

    “These casualty figures do not include the civilian casualty figures for Anbar for the months of May, July, August and December.

    “Though the figures for December are lower than previous months, we are nevertheless noticing an increase in terrorist bombings towards the end of the month and in the last couple of days, targeting civilians.

    “This is, no doubt, an attempt by Daesh to divert attention from their losses in Mosul and, unfortunately, it is the innocent civilians who are paying the price,” Kubiš said.

    The UN envoy for Iraq strongly condemned the New Year’s triple bombings in Baghdad in which large numbers of civilians were killed and injured.

    “This is outrageous. Terrorists of Daesh who are steadily losing ground in Iraq are now trying to sow terror and discord.

    “They will fail here as they are failing at the frontlines.

    “I call on the authorities to do their utmost in order to speedily bring the perpetrators to justice,” he added.

    The UN envoy extended his condolences to the families of the victims as well as wishing the injured a speedy recovery. (NAN)

  • 3.2bn people at risk of malaria globally – WHO

    3.2bn people at risk of malaria globally – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO), has said that about 3.2 billion people remained at risk to malaria attack globally.

     

    This is contained in a report entitled: “Eliminating Malaria”, released on Monday on World Malaria Day, observed every year on April 25.

     

    It stated that in 2015 alone, 214 million new cases of the disease were reported in 95 countries and no fewer than 400,000 people died of malaria.

     

    The “Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030”, approved by the World Health Assembly in 2015, calls for the elimination of local transmission of malaria in at least ten countries by 2020.

     

    WHO’s estimates showed that 21 countries were in a position to achieve this goal, including six countries in the African Region, where the burden of the disease is heaviest.

     

    It added that the efficacy of the tools that secured the gains against malaria in the early years of this century is now threatened.

     

    The WHO also said that mosquito resistance to insecticides used in nets and indoor residual spraying is growing.

     

    It also warned of parasite resistance to a component of one of the most powerful antimalarial medicines.

     

    It added that further progress against malaria will likely require new tools that do not exist today, and the further refining of new technologies.

     

    “Since the year 2000, it showed that malaria mortality rates have declined by 60 per cent globally.

     

    “It also showed that in the African Region, malaria mortality rates fell by 66 per cent among all age groups and by 71 per cent among children under five years.”

     

    The advances, it added, came through the use of core malaria control tools that have been widely deployed over the last decade:

     

    They are insecticide-treated bed-nets, indoor residual spraying, rapid diagnostic testing and artemisinin-based combination therapies.

     

    WHO, however said in 2015 for the first time, the European Medicines Agency issued a positive scientific opinion on a malaria vaccine.

     

    In 2015, it added, all countries in the European Region , for the first time, recorded zero indigenous cases of malaria, down from 90 000 cases in 1995.

     

    Outside this region, it added that eight countries reported zero cases of the disease in 2014: Argentina, Costa Rica, Iraq, Morocco, Oman, Paraguay, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates.

     

    Eight other countries, it added, tallied fewer than 100 indigenous malaria cases in 2014.

     

    It also added that 12 countries reported between 100 and 1000 indigenous malaria cases in 2014.

     

    WHO says vigorous leadership by the governments of affected countries is key.

     

    It said that governments must strengthen surveillance of cases to identify gaps in coverage and be prepared to take action based on the information received.

     

    It also said, as countries approach elimination, the ability to detect every infection becomes increasingly important.

     

    “Reaching the goals of the “Global Technical Strategy” will require a steep increase in global and domestic funding from 2.5 billion dollars to an estimated 8.7 billion dollars annually by 2030.

     

    “Through robust financing and political will, affected countries can speed progress towards malaria elimination and contribute to the broader development agenda as laid out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” the report said.

     

    NAN reports that the Global Technical Strategy for Malaria 2016-2030, launched in January, seeks to reduce the rate of new malaria cases, and malaria death rate by at least 90 per cent.

     

    Others are eliminate malaria in at least 35 countries and prevent a resurgence of malaria in all countries that are malaria-free.

  • Iraq’s health systems collapsing – WHO

    Iraq’s health systems collapsing – WHO

    The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday in Baghdad cautioned that Iraq’s public health, water and sanitation systems were collapsing.

    WHO said Iraq’s prime minister responded to protests this summer over failing public services by launching a campaign against corruption and mismanagement.

    It said less than four months later, there was little sign of improvement in one key sector such as healthcare.

    “With Iraqis fleeing Islamic State in ever greater numbers, the country’s growing population of internal refugees is straining public facilities already ground down by decades of war, sanctions and red tape.

    The human right groups also said that with lower revenues from oil exports and higher costs associated with the battle against Islamic State, the government was failing to help the most vulnerable.

    It said that the situation had become so desperate that thousands of Iraqis forced to flee Anbar province in the west, had opted to bypass the government and seek medical care from non-governmental organisations such as one called Dari.

    The group said based in a modest apartment building in Baghdad’s Karrada Mariam neighbourhood, Dari treated about 50 patients a day, mostly children and the elderly.

    Alaa Abdel-Sadaa, Dari President, said so far this year, the group had provided more than 15,000 families with food aid and registered another 8,400 patients at its free medical clinic.

    He said Dari relied partly on donations and supplies from pharmaceutical firms and food manufacturers.

    “On our part, we rely on volunteers and none of its more than 100 medical professionals are paid.

    “We can treat 100 patients with $1,000, and that is difficult for the health ministry or any government hospital to say,” he said.

    Ali Makki, Chief of the NGO Directorate in the Iraqi cabinet, said his office was intensifying efforts to facilitate the work of non-governmental organisations, especially those providing relief and health services.

    Health Ministry Spokesman, Rifaq al-Araji, said non-governmental organisations had helped to ease the pressure.

    He blamed economic sanctions imposed by the UN in 1990 after Iraq invaded Kuwait, subsequent wars and violence, for the poor state of the health care system.

    Ameera Abdel-Muhsin, 50, a housewife, at a state hospital, said “I came to a government hospital because I can’t pay the high cost of private doctors.

    She said the problem was she still had to get medication from a private pharmacy as it is usually not available in government hospitals.

    Another patient, Qasim al-Kinani, 68, said he was admitted to hospital two days ago suffering with kidney failure but his condition was getting worse because of lack of treatment.

    “Look at this farce. I’m sleeping on a bloodstained mattress with a filthy smell. I feel like I’m sleeping in a zoo.”

    He said Al-Yarmouk hospital in western Baghdad was typical, as patients were transported through corridors littered with cigarette butts.

    The war with Islamic State has displaced more than 3 million Iraqis, with most belonging to the minority Sunni sect.

    The problem is also a political one which Iraq is poorly placed to handle following years of sectarian bloodletting between Sunnis and Shi’ite Muslims.

  • Arab League postpones talks on regional military

    Arab League postpones talks on regional military

    A meeting of Arab defence chiefs and foreign ministers on forming a joint regional military force has been postponed for the second time in two months, the Arab League said Wednesday.

    The talks, scheduled for Thursday, were postponed on requests from Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kuwait, Iraq, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the Cairo-based League said in a statement.

    The pan-Arab organisation did not give a reason for the delay, saying that a new date for the meeting will be set later.

    The countries were meant to endorse an agreement on creating a military force that would tackle the growing influence of hard line jihadists in the region.

    Arab defence chiefs had met twice in May and June to draft the mechanism for setting up the joint force, which was initially approved at an Arab summit held in Egypt earlier in 2015.

    In late March, Saudi Arabia and Sunni fellow Arab countries unleashed an air campaign in Yemen targeting Shiite Houthi rebels allied with Shiite Iran.

    In 1950, members of the Arab League signed a joint defence agreement, which has been rarely enforced.

  • IS militants kill 120, capture 350 people in Iraq

    IS militants kill 120, capture 350 people in Iraq

    Islamic State (IS) militants have executed no fewer than 120 people and captured over 350 others in Mosul, Provincial Governor, Atheel al-Najafi, said on Monday.

    “With the people’s rising rejection of the IS, executions and detentions are mounting in different parts of the city,’’ Al-Najafi, the governor of Nineveh province of which Mosul is the capital, said.

    The victims, some of whom had been held hostage by the IS for months, were executed by gunshots to the head.

    According to al-Najafi, those captured by the IS are mainly police officers, current and former army officials, electoral commission employees, former parliamentary candidates and religious scholars.

    Mosul, Iraq’s second city, was captured by the IS in 2014 as part of its territorial push into the region which include large parts of Syria and Iraq.