The official account of Sheik Mohammed bin Zayed, ruler of the UAE, Tweeted:
MENA reports that Iraq's prime minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi departed the UAE and "Seeing the State's guest and his accompanying delegation off at the Presidential Terminal of Abu Dhabi International Airport, were H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and a number of officials." Mustafa has been on his begging tour of Arab countries. ARAB NEWS notes, "Al-Kadhimi’s visit to the UAE comes after his trip to Saudi Arabia last week, during which Riyadh said it would increase investments in Iraq by five-fold to $2.67 billion." Vivian Nereim (BLOOMBERG NEWS) also notes the $2.67 billion and adds, "Iraq maintains ties with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, regional rivals who back opposing sides in Middle East conflicts including Yemen. Al-Kadhimi’s first trip abroad as leader last year was to Iran, and U.S. troops are stationed in Iraq to fight Islamic State militants, alongside Iranian-backed Shiite militias." So that's $2.67 billion from Saudi Arabi and, EMIRATES NEWS AGENCY notes, $3 billion from the UAE. A total of $5.67 billion from just two countries. (Later this spring, Mustafa's scheduled to meet with leaders in Jordan and Egypt.)
Meanwhile an attack in Iraq is being seen as an attack on US interests in Iraq and, as WION points out, this attack comes "just three days ahead of a strategic dialogue with" the US government. AP reports, "Two rockets landed Sunday near an Iraqi air base just north of Baghdad where American trainers are present, causing no casualties or damage, an Iraqi official said." RUDAW notes, "The Katyusha rockets landed outside of the airbase at around 12:15 pm, and did not cause any human or material losses, according the statement released on Telegram. They were reportedly launched from Diyala province's Dojama area." Mychael Schnell (THE HILL) observes, "The last attack on Balad air base, according to Reuters, was on March 15, when at least five rockets landed on the base." Riya Baibhawi (REPUBLIC WORLD) explains, "Amidst rising friction between Baghdad and Washington, assaults have seen a spike. Last month, a similar attack, which involved 10 rockets hitting a base in western Iraq led to the killing of at least one American contractor. In late February, Washington ordered strikes against Iran-aligned militia targets along the Iraq-Syria border." AFP offers, "Sunday’s was the 14th attack against American interests — including troops, the Baghdad embassy or Iraqi supply convoys to foreign forces — since US President Joe Biden took office in January. Two Americans and an Iraqi civilian have been killed in the attacks."
Homophobia does not respect geography or geographical borders. It can -- and, sadly, does -- exist anywhere. Iraq's LGBTQ community is again under attack -- specifically in Sulaimani. The current attacks are rooted in homophobia that's been expressed for over three months on social media with various homophobes insisting that the American University of Iraq- Sulaimani has been promoting gay rights -- specifically that the gender studies department there has been. In late February, Dilan Sirwan (RUDAW) reported:
LGBT+ activists have slammed an “immoral” lawsuit filed against a Sulaimani based LGBT+ organization by a member of the Kurdistan Parliament.
Omar Gulpi, an MP for the Kurdistan Justice Group (Komal) filed a lawsuit against Rasan Organization, a non-profit advocating for LGBT+ rights in the Kurdistan Region, on February 15.
Speaking to Rudaw’s Rozhan Abubakir on Monday, Gulpi described homosexuality as a “violation” of public rights and morals after being asked about the lawsuit filed against Rasan, which “strives to improve the lives of women, youth and LGBT+ in Iraq,” according to its website.
“If this person is familiar with science he would know that homosexuality is a natural thing and even the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared it as such,” Sweden-based LGBT+ rights activist and founder of IraQueer Amir Ashour told Rudaw English on Monday.
“I believe that his lawsuit is immoral. Why would he get to decide what is moral or not?” Ashour added.
“What this man is saying is very wrong and does not comply with facts and science at all..homosexuality is not a choice...people are born that way,” LGBT+ activist Zhyar Ali told Abubakir.
LGBT+ individuals have previously spoken to Rudaw of the discrimination and violence they face in both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, from being made homeless to facing death.
Now the region has gone beyond slamming the American University and filing lawsuits, LGBTQs -- and those assumed to be -- are being arrested in Sulaimani. Sanar Hasan Tweets the following:
The US Consulate in Erbil Tweeted:
Ziya Tweets:
More than ten men were taken into custody in Sualimani’s Sarchinar neighborhood on Thursday evening (April 1) in an apparent operation to arrest people perceived to be gay.
Sulaimani Asayish Directorate Brigadier General Pishtiwan Bahadin told an NRT reporter that the Sulaimani Police and Sulaimani Asayish arrested the men in a joint operation between the Asayish and the Sulaimani Police for allegedly “creating chaos and performing immoral acts in public.”
Bahadin added that they will be sent to the court for prosecution.
It was not immediately clear what precise legal charges they may face or if they remained in custody as of Friday.
NRT attempted to contact Sulaimani Police Spokesperson Sarkwat Ahmed multiple times on Friday morning for comment, but did not receive a response by time of publication.
In comments made to a media outlet affiliated with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), Bahadin appeared to suggest that the operation would not be limited to one night or location, but would be ongoing.
When the arrests began on Friday, Dilan Sirwan (RUDAW) spoke with members of the city's LGBT community:
“Our lives are not safe. Everyone cancelled all their plans last night. Even I was afraid of going out, in fear of being caught at a checkpoint,” LGBT+ activist Zhiar Ali told Rudaw English on Friday.
“The Asayish [security forces] were arresting people based only on suspicion of being homosexual, without even having done anything wrong,” he added.
“I am terrified. I was close to the scene when it was happening and I was wondering how I could get home. Now that I am home, I do not want to go out again,” said another individual who wished to remain anonymous.
The operation has “dehumanized” the community, another person said.
“We speak a genderless language. We seek no harm, we never have. We only wish to exist within society as normal civilians.”
“This act dehumanized us to the limit."
Journalist Rebas Majeed offers this thread:
The executive director of IraQueer Amir Ashour Tweeted:
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
