Sunday, February 26, 2023

The Tigris and the Euphrates

Work just got a little harder for Antony Blinken.  The US government spent over a year trying to elevate Moqtada al-Sadr because he was supposedly this country's 'only hope.'  But Moqtada couldn't lead and Iraq faced it and then the US had to because another group in Iraq formed a government.  

Much to the US government's surprise, Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani turned out to far more willing to work with them than they could have ever guessed. The US Secretary of State and others were breathing a little easier.


Wait for the monkey wrench. 



We give $46 billion in aid, in foreign aid. So, you're basically talking about a billion dollars going to Iraq, who's basically dealing with the Iranians, who are saying "Death to America." You're giving $2 billion to Pakistan, who are harboring terrorists trying to kill our soldiers.


That's the idiot Nikki Haley babbling on as only a lunatic let loose on FOX NEWS can.


If al-Sudani has any new fears, the US State Dept should just remind him that Nikki Haley is a certified fool who has little to no chance at becoming president of anything.


Iraq has serious problems -- including water.  ASHARQ AL-AWSAT runs a report from AFP:


Iraq's Tigris and Euphrates rivers have witnessed a sharp decrease in their levels in the south of the country, officials said Sunday, pledging to take urgent measures to ease water shortages.

In Nasiriyah, capital of the southern province of Dhi Qar, an AFP photographer saw the river bed of the mighty Euphrates dry in patches.

The water ministry blamed the situation in some southern provinces on "the low quantity of water reaching Iraq from neighboring Türkiye".


ALASKA COMMONS adds:

At a meeting to discuss the problem, Iraqi President Barham Salih highlighted the need for Iraq to reach an agreement with its neighbours over water sharing. The sources of the two main Iraqi rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, are both located in Turkey, and many Turkish and Iranian dams are located upstream of Iraq. The Iraqi authorities have accused Tehran and Ankara of reducing the flow of the rivers, however, agricultural practices in Iraq have also contributed to the decline in water reserves.

In response to the emergency, the Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources has promised to release more water from the dams located in the north of the country. The World Bank has also called for Iraq to modernise its irrigation methods and the Iraqi President has reiterated this call. 


Robert Tollast (THE NATIONAL) explains, "Iraq has long accused Turkey of holding back water in a network of giant dams, built between the 1970s and the present day. Since then, flows from both rivers have declined by about 40 per cent, cutting off a significant percentage of Iraq’s freshwater, although climate change has also been blamed for declines." Amr Salem (IRAQI NEWS) adds, "The Iraqi Ministry of Water Resources indicated that Iraq lost 70 percent of its water shares because of the policies of neighboring countries."



That's US Ambassador to Iraq Alina L. Romanowski meeting with Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid.  Her Tweet above notes that they discussed the recent Iraqi delegation that made a trip to the US and that they reaffirmed the US support for Iraq to be energy independent, to resume a leading role in the region and to foster the country's private sector.  Somehow, Alina left out the discussion KURDISTAN 24 reports on:


The President of the Republic of Iraq, Abdul-Latif Rashid, on Sunday, received United States Ambassador to Iraq, Alina L. Romanowski, according to a readout from the Iraqi Presidency Office.

Strengthening bilateral ties between both countries, Iraq’s participation in the United Nations (UN) 2023 Water Conference, combating corruption, and the importance of cooperation on issues of common interest were addressed in the meeting, the readout added.

The Iraqi President stressed the importance of Iraq’s  participation at the UN Water Conference in 2023, as Iraq is one of the countries most affected by water scarcity and drought, per the readout.

The US ambassador reiterated her country's support for Iraq's efforts to strengthen its security and sovereignty, and hoped that the UN Water Conference in 2023 will adopt solutions for water scarcity in Iraq.


Kat's "Kat's Korner: The re-release of Diana Ross' SURRENDER" went up earlier today.  The following sites updated:








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