Saturday, September 12, 2015

Iraq snapshot

Saturday, September 12, 2015.  Chaos and violence continue, Nouri al-Maliki's latest scheme blows up in his face, kidnapped Turkish workers are back in the news, the attacks on Canada's NDP party continue (because the NDP is arguing for peace), and much more.



Friday evening, Tim Arango (New York Times) reported the latest on the September 2nd Baghdad kidnapping of 17 Turkish workers and their Iraqi interpreter: "A previously unknown Shiite militia released a video" of those kidnapped and called for "Turkey [to] stop the flow of jihadists into Iraq and lift a seige of several Shiite-dominated villages in Syria."


Iraq Times notes that the video posted by "death squads" is approximately three minutes and has the 18 victims in the foreground with five masked men -- four of which are holding guns (even if you don't read Arabic, there is an image capture from the video, FYI).  And here's some of the video:









  • Shia terrorist militia publishes video showing Turkish workers kidnapped in Baghdad few days ago.







    Dana Khraiche and Selcan Hacaoglu (Bloomberg News) add, "The group, which appeared to be Shiite, also called for Turkey to 'stop stealing oil' through Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region and to end sieges on Syrian villages with majority Shiite populations, according to a video posted on social media on Friday. Nurol Holding Chief Executive Officer Ugur Dogan confirmed the men being held in the video are company staff."  On the oil, Tim Arango explains, "The demands include stopping the flow of oil from Iraqi Kurdistan through Turkey, something that has been at the heart of a dispute between Baghdad and the semiautonomous Kurdish region in the north."

    AFP reports Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani has issued a statement: "We demand the release of the kidnapped men and the end of such practices, which harm the image of Islam." Alsumaria adds that al-Sistani stated the practice of kidnapping also drops the prestige of the Iraqi state/government.


    Chatham House's Hayder al-Khoei offers this take:







  • Sistani statement is quite significant: he calls on all political groups to support ISF put an end to outlaws who destabilise Iraq

  • Alsumaria also reports that Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr has deemed the kidnapping a "heinous crime" and called for the immediate release of the 18 kidnapping victims.

    The video of the kidnapping victims is not the only video catching attention in Iraq currently.  Mamoon Alabbasi (Middle East Eye) reports:


    A video circulating on Iraqi media outlets purportedly shows the head of Iraq's most powerful militia boasting of battles on behalf of Iranian forces against the Iraqi army during the first Gulf war.
    In the video, which appears to be filmed by Iranian TV in the late 1980s, Hadi al-Ameri said that his forces had managed to deal fatal strikes against "the enemy," in a reference to the Iraqi army under executed President Saddam Hussein.
    Ameri then added that his forces managed to stop the "mad" Iraqi advance, which he said was backed by "the hypocrites," in a reference to the Iraqi-based Iranian opposition militia People's Mojahedin of Iran (MEK).




















  •  Meanwhile Reuters reports, "Qatar’s emir has appointed an ambassador to Iraq, the first since the embassy was closed 25 years ago, Iraqi and Qatari media said, in the latest sign of a thaw in relations between Gulf Arab countries and Iraq."   Zayed al-Khayareen is the new ambassador.  Heba Fahmy (Doha News) reminds:


    The decision comes on the heels of a controversial conference that Doha hosted to discuss political issues in Iraq.
    That event apparently upset Baghdad, prompting Iraq to recall its Charge D’Affaires ambassador to Qatar last week after what it called a “flagrant intervention in internal affairs.”


    For those who missed that drama, Nouri al-Maliki attempted to oust the Speaker of Parliament.  This was a conspiracy that actually should have landed Nouri in prison.  There was a meet-up in Doha.  Nouri tried to use the participation of the Speaker of Iraq's Parliament, Salim al-Jabouri, as a pretext to have him removed from office.  Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi did nothing (no surprise).  The real surprise?  The US State Dept actually did something.

    It leaked the news that Nouri's State of Law was in attendance (Sadiq al-Rikabi among them) as well as members of the Dawa Party (Tarek Najm).

    Nouri had been insisting that this was a Ba'athist meeting, that this was all about putting the Ba'ath Party back in power, blah blah blah.

    He forgot to note that his State of Law were among the (Shi'ite and non-Baathist) participants.

    He's still trying to stir up trouble over this but it appears his moment has passed for this faux scandal.


    In other news, the attacks on Canada's National Democratic Party continue.  As noted in Thursday's snapshot, the NDP has the common sense position that the year of bombing Iraq with war planes on the pretext of defeating the Islamic State has been a failure and, with combat having failed, it's time to attempt new ways to address the various crises in Iraq.

    This honest appraisal and common sense has already earned them scorn from the Canadian Press.   Now the hag of Canada's political commentariat, Kelly McParland (think Thomas Friedman with even less intelligence) has come after them.

    Given his status as frontrunner to become prime minister in October, Thomas Mulcair’s views on the crisis in the Middle East bear closer scrutiny than they’ve received to date.
    In an interview with the CBC’s Peter Mansbridge, he repeated his rote dismissal of any role for Canada’s military in halting the horrors perpetrated by the Islamic State across Syria and Iraq. “We will immediately stop the bombing mission and bring those troops home,” he said, stressing he was “profoundly in favour “ of the pledge to pull out.


    Oh, the horror.

    McParland is a mean spirited man who fools himself into believing safety for Canada comes from dropping bombs on Iraq.

    Barack's 'plan' has been a failure.  They've had to cook the books in an attempt to demonstrate otherwise.  But even that's fallen apart. As Ali Watkins (Huffington Post) notes:


    News that senior U.S. intelligence officials may have doctored analysis on the Islamic State weighs heavily on Washington. It suggests that President Barack Obama's intelligence apparatus didn't learn from the costly failures of the Bush era.

    The Daily Beast reported late Wednesday that more than 50 intelligence professionals have formally complained that their analysis of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and of Syria's al Qaeda branch, al Nusra, was altered by U.S. Central Command higher-ups in order to make the U.S. military campaign to defeat those groups look more successful than it actually was.


    It really is amazing to watch how many cowards -- who used to pretend to be pro-peace -- in the US stay silent while the NDP is attacked.

    And someone can make the argument, "You support the NDP."

    I don't vote in Canada, I'm a citizen of the United States.

    But, yes, I do know many NDPs -- including Olivia Chow -- and you can make the argument that I'm 'just sticking up for friends.'  But the reality is honestly that I would support any group standing for peace and being attacked for that stance.



    Turning to some recent violence, All Iraq News notes Kurdish Peshmerga commander Muhammad Haji Mahmoud was injured Friday as the Peshmerga attempted to recapture villages near Kirkuk.  Iraq Times reports 2 Friday evening Dhuluiya bombings left 5 security forces dead and four more injured.  Today?  Alsumaria notes a Kirkuk province bombing left 3 people dead and six more injured (they are said to have been fleeing the Islamic State), a Baquba attack left two police officers dead, a Harthiya stick bombing left one person injured,  That is some of the violence, not all.



    Protests continued Friday in Iraq and as the front page of the Al Mada newspaper website notes . . .

    almada2


    . . . women took part.


    It's interesting how the western press still ignores Iraqi women.


    If they can use them to pimp war, to promote destruction, they're all over the women.


    I'm not interested in the 'brave' Yazidi women who are fighting in combat units -- this week's whoring to continue war.  And I wasn't interested two weeks ago when the same right-wing US publicity firm was promoting the same Yadzidi women as rape survivors.  Not interested in the Yazidi teen been pimped to promote war either.

    These women and the girl may be wonderful people but for a year now we've been decrying the Yazidi political leadership teaming up with right-wing American officials and a right-wing p.r. firm.  We noted that we were not promoting their stories for the reason that it's the same outlets and officials that pimped war on Iraq.

    We've washed our hands of them and done so publicly.

    That's why we don't cover this nonsense.


    But why does the western press -- especially the US press -- ignore Iraqi women unless it comes out of the right wing of the War Factory?

    Why do they ignore the female activists protesting?

    Why do they ignore the female politicians?

    (Including the female MP who states Haider al-Abadi bailed on Parliament Thursday after he learned that he was going to face serious questioning.)

    Iraqi women have been ignored by the western press throughout the Iraq War.


    This continues to this day.


    So when the western press is in a frenzy over Yazidi women being raped or in combat -- it's suspect.

    Not that whatever didn't happen, but their concern and interest is suspect.


    We will not take part in the promotion of war propaganda.  Sadly, many so-called news outlets in the US cannot say the same.


    So-called news outlets also can't seem to get their reporters to cover Congressional hearings.  With that in mind, we'll close with this:





    Isakson to Hold Hearing on Veterans’ Health, Benefits Legislation
     
    WASHINGTON The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., will hold a legislative hearing on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, on pending legislation for veterans’ health care and benefits, as well as legislation to increase accountability at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  
     
    The hearing will be streamed online at www.veterans.senate.gov.
    The committee will considering the following proposed legislation at the hearing:
     
    S.290 (Moran), Increasing the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability to Veterans Act of 2015
     
    S.563 (Moran/Tester), Physician Ambassadors Helping Veterans Act
     
    S.564 (Moran/Tester), Veterans Hearing Aid Access and Assistance Act
     
    S.1450 (Hirono), Department of Veterans Affairs Emergency Medical Staffing Recruitment and Retention Act
     
    S.1451 (Hirono), Veterans’ Survivors Claims Processing Automation Act of 2015
     
    S.1460 (Brown/Tillis), Fry Scholarship Enhancement Act of 2015
     
    S.1693 (Hirono), a bill to expand eligibility for reimbursement for emergency medical treatment to certain veterans that were unable to receive care from the Department of Veterans Affairs in the 24-month period preceding the furnishing of such emergency treatment, and for other purposes.
     
    S.1856 (Blumenthal), a bill to provide for suspension and removal of employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs for performance or misconduct that is a threat to public health or safety and to improve accountability of employees of the Department, and for other purposes.
     
    S.1938 (Blumenthal/Tillis), Career Ready Student Veterans Act
     
    (Discussion Draft) a bill to make improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to educational assistance, and for other purposes.
     
     
    WHO:         Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
     
    WHERE:   418 Russell Senate Office Building
     
    WHEN:      2:30 PM
                       Wednesday, September 16, 2015
     
    WHAT:      Pending Legislative Hearing
     
    ###
     
    The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is chaired by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., in the 114th Congress.
    Isakson is a veteran himself – having served in the Georgia Air National Guard from 1966-1972 – and has been a member of the Senate VA Committee since he joined the Senate in 2005. Isakson’s home state of Georgia is home to more than a dozen military installations representing each branch of the military as well as more than 750,000 veterans.

      




















    Friday, September 11, 2015

    Isakson Rejects Iran Nuclear Deal




    isakson



    Senator Johnny Isakson is the Chair of the Senate Veterans Committee and his office issued  the following yesterday:




    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
    Thursday, September 10, 2015

    Contact: Amanda Maddox, 202-224-7777
                  Marie Gordon, 770-661-0999


    Isakson Rejects Iran Nuclear Deal
    Appalled that Senate Democrats blocked up-or-down vote;
    Will continue the fight to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today issued the following statement after Senate Democrats blocked an up-or-down vote on President Obama’s nuclear agreement with Iran:
     
    “I am appalled that Senate Democrats are choosing to keep the people of the United States in the dark on where they stand on Iran by blocking an up-or-down vote on the president’s dangerous agreement with Iran. Just four months ago, when the Senate passed the Iran Nuclear Review Act in May, 98 out of the 100 senators were in favor of having an up-or-down vote. Today, Senate Democrats reversed course and blocked having a vote. Americans deserve to know where their senators stand on what is one of the most consequential votes we will cast as elected officials.
     
    “I reject the president’s negotiated nuclear agreement with Iran, and I will vote against it if given the chance. I cannot support any deal that would facilitate Iran’s conventional arms sales in the Middle East. Further, I cannot support any agreement that includes secret side agreements between Iran and the IAEA that my colleagues and I cannot read for ourselves. Worst of all, the United States has negotiated away all of its leverage to enforce accountability by Iran by releasing existing sanctions and removing the ability to impose sanction in the future.
     
    “This is not the end of this debate. This is a bad deal for America; it’s a bad deal for Israel and the world. It’s a bad deal for my children and grandchildren. I reject the agreement on its face and will continue to fight against it.”

    Yesterday, Isakson began the Senate debate by urging his colleagues to reject the deal. On Aug. 19, 2015, Isakson officially announced his opposition to the agreement.  He also penned an op-ed articulating his position that appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sept. 4, 2015.
     
    ###
     
     
     

    Description: Description: cid:image001.gif@01CB9C61.36E8FA70
    AMANDA MADDOX
    Press Secretary

    OFFICE OF UNITED STATES SENATOR JOHNNY ISAKSON
    131 Russell Senate Office Building | Washington, DC 20510
    phone: 202.224.3643 | fax: 202.228.0724



    Visit Johnny’s website to learn more about his work in the Senate and to sign up for his newsletter.






    It's the stupidity, stupid

    Today's Zaman notes:


    Turkish warplanes bombed the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq overnight, a security source told Reuters on Friday, the latest in a series of daily air strikes on the militants as conflict surges in southeast Turkey.


    Reuters words it this way:

    Turkish warplanes bombed PKK targets in northern Iraq overnight, a security source told Reuters on Friday, the latest in a series of daily air strikes on the terrorists as conflict surges in southeast Turkey.

    More than 15 warplanes struck sites where the PKK are located at Qandil, Zap and Avashin in the mountains of northern Iraq in attacks launched shortly before midnight that continued until 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), the source said.



    Lots of words but none that note Iraq's objection.  From yesterday's snapshot:





    All Iraq News reports today:



    Iraq has condemned Turkey for dispatching special forces into its soil in reported pursuit of Kurdish militants, calling it a "clear violation" of its territory.


    The Iraqi "foreign ministry expresses its condemnation of the incursion of a number of Turkish military units inside Iraqi territory," spokesman Ahmed Jamal said in a statement on Thursday.

    "It represents a clear violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a clear offense to bilateral relations between the two countries," he said.
    Two units of the special forces crossed into northern Iraq on Tuesday after at least 14 Turkish police officers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in the eastern Igdir Province the same day and 16 Turkish soldiers died in twin roadside bombings in the southeastern Hakkari region last Sunday.


    We all realize, right, that John Kirby has never acknowledged the Iraqi government calling out Turkey for violating its sovereignty?

    Not this time.

    Not a month ago.

    At what point does the lazy press covering the State Dept ask why Kirby and company never back up the Iraqi government when it calls Turkey out?




    Exactly when does the western press note Iraq's objection to their sovereignty being violated by the Turkish government?

    Or is the Turkish government such a bully that they can intimidate reporters not only within the borders of Turkey but around the world?

    And if you're going to go into the PKK history -- as Reuters does -- it might be nice to note that they don't feel they called off the cease-fire and that they've called on the US government to mediate.

    Apparently those truths might offend delicate sensibilities.


    So many delicate sensibilities.

    Apparently throughout the US government which leads Secretary of Defense Ash Carter to call for intelligence that hasn't been happy talked to death.  Bill Gertz (Free Beacon) reports:


    Defense Secretary Ash Carter wants “unvarnished” intelligence on the military campaign in Iraq following reports of an ongoing Pentagon inspector general probe into allegations that intelligence on Iraq was politicized to support Obama administration views.
    Congressional oversight committees also are investigating reports of biased intelligence that sought to portray the administration’s military campaign against the Islamic State (IS, also known as ISIS or ISIL) as more successful than intelligence assessments showed.

    The probes followed a report that two intelligence analysts at the U.S. Central Command in July formally called for the IG probe, claiming reports on the Islamic State and al Qaeda in Syria were altered improperly by unidentified senior officials.


    Lot of protection for the stupid.  And someone sent what has to be the greatest of all stupid to the public e-mail account.  Joshua Booth?

    He's left-wing -- check the links on the side.  But he's deeply, deeply stupid.


    Colin Powell, he insists, is "honorable."

    Because Joshua Booth is an idiot.

    Norman Solomon and Robert Parry long ago exposed Powell's long history of lying which pre-dates 2000.


    Then there's Collie's "blot."

    John Wilkes Booth killed a president.  Joshua Booth just kills the facts with drivel like this:

    When the honorable General Colin Powell (honorable because he served his country, not in the ironic Shakespearean sense) announced, “We know where the weapons are,” what he really meant was, “we know to whom we sold the weapons.” 


    I didn't know Booth was involved with Colin -- you generally have to be sleeping with someone to get away with, "I know they said ____, but they really meant _____."

    Colin Powell has never said "we sold them the weapons so we know where the weapons are" -- or any variation of that.


    Maybe Joshua Booth should stick to writing fan fiction?


    Better than his ending 'answer' for Iraq.

    God will, apparently, take care of it.

    So now, to scrub Colin of his War Crimes, we've taken to blaming the Lord Jesus Christ for the current state of Iraq?

    Good to know.


    The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley and Dissident Voice --  updated:


  • ago






  • The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.





     





    Thursday, September 10, 2015

    Iraq snapshot

    Thursday, September 10, 2015.  Chaos and violence continue, Iraq's government protests the violation of their national sovereignty, the State Dept ignores it, Canada's New Democratic Party is attacked for proposing to do the sensible thing, and much more.



    The Canadian Press is attempting to actively smear the country's New Democratic Party.  Why?

    Because unlike so many -- especially so many in the US -- the NDP can see beyond the bluster and war mania.

    CP gets this part right:

    The New Democrats would immediately halt Canada's bombing campaign against Islamic State militants and withdraw special forces trainers who have been instructing Kurdish peshmerga fighters, leader Tom Mulcair said Thursday.
    The NDP would not wait for the parliamentary mandate — Canada is currently committed to the U.S.-led coalition until the end of March — to expire, he emphasized.
    "Canada would put an end to our participation in the combat mission in Iraq and in Syria immediately. We've been clear on that since Day 1."


    From there, the CP wants to ridicule and mock the NDP and offer this or that statement by this or that war monger.

    Reality -- one that CodeStink and David Swanson and others can't explore because they focus on every damn thing except Iraq -- there is no plan.

    US President Barack Obama has bombed Iraq for over a year now and begged other countries -- such as Canada -- to participate as well.

    That's the so-called plan.

    It's not accomplished one damn thing.

    And the ridiculous Medea Benjamin and David Swanson, so busy pretending to Stop The Next War Now!, ignore the plight of the Iraqi people and the ongoing destruction of their country.

    They spend their time whoring for a deal the White House wants with Iran.

    John Kerry.

    John Kerry voted for the war on Iraq and the war on Afghanistan.

    He turned against the Vietnam War only after the bulk of Americans did.

    John Kerry wants the Iran deal because John Kerry wants war.

    Have we forgotten how his sister Peggy treated Cindy Sheehan?

    Apparently, we have and we've forgotten that there's not been a war John Kerry hasn't wanted.

    The proposed deal is very likely little more than the final negotiation for war with Iran.

    Bully Boy Bush wanted war with Iran.

    He couldn't get it.

    It was too extreme, too horrifying.

    Too many wars.

    World revulsion to the wars was too high.

    But a treaty put in place, one then violated -- or said to be violated -- makes war a lot easier to go down because it's no longer blood thirsty War Hawks screaming for war, it's a document, you understand -- a clearly outlined agreement and, golly, the chance was offered but now the penalties kick in.

    There is nothing in a crooked agreement with an imperialist government for so-called members of the peace movement to support.

    But that's what they spend their time on -- the David Swansons and the Medea Benjamins.


    They don't spend their time helping the Iraqi people.

    The NDP is being attacked for noting the obvious, there is no peace from bombing.

    The NDP would cut the combat mission and instead focusing on the root causes of the problem -- which was what Barack said, June 19, 2014, he was going to focus on.

    David Swanson and Medea Benjamin have never held Barack accountable for his failure to work on a political solution to the crises in Iraq.

    But don't worry, they've enlisted in whoring for him.

    The NDP's statements and actions are met with attacks from the Canadian Press precisely because the NDP can see beyond the bluster and offer a way out.

    Barack's plan or 'plan' is not working.

    So the 'answer' is to give it more time?

    To let it continue and continue until shortly after the next President of the United States is sworn in?

    Iraq is seeing a record exodus right now.

    Iraq which, by 2007, had set the record for the largest refugee crisis in the Middle East since 1947.

    And now the country is seeing such destruction that even more Iraqis are fleeing -- those who've stuck it out through the ongoing chaos since 2003.

    Iraq Times estimates 400,000 Iraqis have fled the country in just the last two months.

    And where's the US peace movement?

    Applauding 'reforms' by Haider al-Abadi that aren't reforms.

    Al Mada reports activists gathered in Baghdad's Tahrir Square on Wednesday to protest the lack of any real action to address their demands.

    Activist Jassim Hilfi outlines the demands as follows: reform the political system, address the corruption and prosecute the corrupt and third address the lack of public services.  Hilfi notes that Haider's announced 'reforms' do little to nothing and don't address the demands of the protesters but these actions of Haider's are, yes, unconstitutional.

    They're unconstitutional actions which are consolidating power within the office of the prime minister.  Of course the White House supports that.  They demanded loser Nouri al-Maliki get a second term in 2010 because they wanted a strong-man (despot) in charge of Iraq.

    Nouri al-Maliki?

    Haider's over-reach is so great that, as Iraq Times reports, even Nouri is saying the moves are unconstitutional and can be overturned by the federal court.

    Iraq is suffering.

    There is no attempt to heal, there is no attempt to rebuild, there is no attempt at inclusion.

    Haider can't even get on the same page with the KRG on oil.

    And that's after announcing last year that he'd reached a deal with the KRG.

    He never lived up to the deal but Haider's all words and no action.

    But grasp how dangerous the NDP's goal is seen as being.

    The Canadian Press has never, ever covered the Conservative-controlled government's war actions in Iraq by including criticism of it from outside parties.

    But, after the combat has clearly failed, to propose ending it and focusing on building inclusion?  That's seen as a threat by the Canadian Press which, all the sudden, has an interest in how Kurdish youths in Canada feel.




    Alsumaria reports that the Iraqi Parliament is expected to host Haider al-Abadi next week.  Of course, he was due to appear before Parliament today.  But didn't.  All Iraq News notes that the prime minister issued an apology for his no-show.  Alsumaria notes he made it to the Parliament but then cited an emergency for not attending today's session.

    Iraq Times reports that Haider was informed, en route to the session, that this was not going to be applause for him but serious questioning and that, once he learned that, he quickly exited the building.


    Meanwhile US General Martin Dempsey, Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Germany yesterday. The US Defense Dept's Lisa Ferdinando notes some of his comments:


    "ISIL is today's manifestation of a much deeper and broader and longer-term issue, which is pervasive instability, disenfranchised groups, ethnic conflict, [and] religious conflict in the Middle East and North Africa that will take a decade or more to resolve."
    The underlying issues that allowed ISIL to be created are "not going to be resolved in the near term," Dempsey said.

    "We have to look at it over time and achieve a sustainable level of effort that the military instrument can be used and integrated into other lines of effort that relate to diplomacy, economics and information."


    Token 'reforms' will not end the crises in Iraq.


    Nor will the posing and preening of the US State Dept.  From today's press briefing by spokesperson John Kirby.



    QUESTION : Okay. So Russia is starting to find another route to Syria. And they probably are going to use Iran, the north of Iran, Iraq into Syria. Would United States, since they are flying missions over there, have any problem with that?


    MR KIRBY: What we have a problem with is the continued material support to the Assad regime. We talked about this yesterday. I will let the Russians speak for their air flight logistics. That’s for them to speak to. As far as the air space over Iraq, it’s Iraqi air space and it’s Iraqi sovereign airspace that is up to the Iraqi Government to coordinate. For our part, the airplanes that we fly in support of coalition operations over Iraq, we coordinate all that through the Iraqi Government.


    QUESTION: So it’s up to the Iraqi Government to decide?



    MR KIRBY: It’s the Iraqi Government’s airspace. I’m going to let – I’ll let the Iraqis speak for how they manage their airspace. Regardless of what air corridor is being used, we’ve been clear about our concerns about continued material support to the Assad regime. And it’s – it doesn’t matter necessarily – I mean, objectively, what particular air corridor it is or whether it’s by sea, the support to the Assad regime is what concerns us.



    He's so good at pretending to care about Iraq's sovereignty -- and poses and preens while avoiding the topic of Turkey violating Iraq's sovereignty.



    All Iraq News reports today:

    Iraq has condemned Turkey for dispatching special forces into its soil in reported pursuit of Kurdish militants, calling it a "clear violation" of its territory.

    The Iraqi "foreign ministry expresses its condemnation of the incursion of a number of Turkish military units inside Iraqi territory," spokesman Ahmed Jamal said in a statement on Thursday.

    "It represents a clear violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a clear offense to bilateral relations between the two countries," he said.
    Two units of the special forces crossed into northern Iraq on Tuesday after at least 14 Turkish police officers were killed in a roadside bomb attack in the eastern Igdir Province the same day and 16 Turkish soldiers died in twin roadside bombings in the southeastern Hakkari region last Sunday.


    We all realize, right, that John Kirby has never acknowledged the Iraqi government calling out Turkey for violating its sovereignty?

    Not this time.

    Not a month ago.

    At what point does the lazy press covering the State Dept ask why Kirby and company never back up the Iraqi government when it calls Turkey out?