US forces remain in Iraq, all this time later. In fact, two died in Iraq last month. PRESS TV reports:
Iraqi resistance forces say their response will have no limits if US forces use Iraq's airspace to attack Iran.
The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee issued the warning in a statement on Monday.
“As the forces of arrogance continue their brutal and treacherous attacks against nations and their resistance fighters, they persist in their support and protection of the security of the Zionist entity at the expense of the security of the region, without regard for the sovereignty of Iraq or the nations rejecting their criminal policies,” the resistance statement said.
“The Iraqi Resistance Coordination Committee is not bound by any restrictions. If the American occupation forces once again target our sons in Iraq or exploit its airspace to carry out attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran, our response will have no limits,” the statement added.
The Iraqi groups have been pressing for an end to the presence of foreign forces in Iraq for more than a decade after a US-led coalition invaded the country in blatant violation of international law based on false claims of it owning weapons of mass destruction.
In related news, APA notes, "The foreign minister of Iraq will travel to Washington next month to make a formal announcement about the withdrawal of American military forces from the Arab country, informed sources said, APA reports citing TASNIM." Officially, 2,500 US troops remain in Iraq. The number is actually much higher. Last month, someone at the US Embassy in Baghdad shot a woman in an apartment across the way leaving her hospitalized which has increased the calls for US troops to leave Iraq. SABA reports, "State of Law Coalition member Ahmed Al-Sudani on Sunday said that Washington is procrastinating in determining the withdrawal paragraph from Iraq, stressing that the withdrawal of US forces is necessary to achieve national security.
"
In other news, AFP reports:
The taps have run dry, and the wells are almost empty. In the capital of Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, 80-year-old Babir hasn't bathed in weeks and impatiently waits for trucked-in water deliveries.
"There is nothing worse than not having water," said Babir, who gave only his first name, in his modest house in Arbil's Darto suburb.
As in several other densely populated areas of Arbil and its suburbs, Babir and his neighbours rely on groundwater as their primary water source.
But for years, they have dreaded summer, when relentless drought, a lack of wells and power outages that bring pumps to a halt leave them cut off the supply of water.
For everything from bathing to watering plants, cooking and washing, they have been forced to depend on trucked-in water.
SHAFAQ adds, "Iraq has lost nearly 60% of its farmland irrigated by river water due to severe water shortages and climate change, the Ministry of Agriculture confirmed on Sunday. The ministry's spokesperson, Mohammad Al-Khuzai, told Shafaq News Agency that the drastic reduction in available water has forced Iraq to cut its winter wheat cultivation plan to just 1.5 million acres. "The shortage of water and harsh climate changes that have hit Iraq have led to this significant loss of agricultural land," he said." Climate change is impacting the region. But Palestinians are suffering not just due to climate change but also due to the Israeli government. Mohammed Salim (RUDAW) explains:
The water crisis in Gaza continues to take a severe toll on the
displaced people in the Strip amid scorching temperatures, with people
pleading for urgent assistance from humanitarian organizations.
“We, the Palestinian people, suffer greatly in obtaining water as it is
not available in sufficient quantities, and this exhausts us a lot,”
said Ali al-Zaini, a displaced 70-year-old man. “Despite my old age, I
am forced to come to this place to get water at 4 am, having to wait
until 7:30 am until my turn arrives.”
The limited quantities of water that Gaza’s people manage to fetch barely meet their needs.
The Gaza Strip has been experiencing a severe water crisis due to
Israel’s relentless bombardments, destroying around 700 water wells that
90 percent of the population depended on, according to Palestinian
officials.
In other news, Nada AlTaher (THE NATIONAL) reports:
Israel pressed ahead with another offensive in southern Gaza on Sunday amid international outrage over its bombing of a school on Saturday that killed scores of displaced Gazans who were sheltering there.
The Israeli military ordered thousands of people living in neighbourhoods of Khan Younis to leave early on Sunday, including areas that are part of the humanitarian zone it designated as a safe area for people affected by previous evacuation orders.
Two Palestinians were killed and several wounded in a strike on Sunday afternoon, while five others were wounded in morning strikes, the Palestinian state news agency Wafa reported.
The evacuation orders issued by military spokesman Avichay Adraee said the areas being targeted had been used for launching rockets at Israel.
Saturday, the Israeli government attacked another school in Gaza leaving at least 100 dead. FRANCE 24 notes, " International condemnation followed Israel’s deadly strike on the Tabeen school complex. Turkey called it a 'new crime against humanity', France 'firmly condemned' the strike, the UK said it was 'appalled' by the attack and the US expressed 'deep concern' and underscored the 'urgency of a ceasefire and hostage deal'." THE NATIONAL notes, "US President Joe Biden said on Sunday that a ceasefire deal was still possible and that his team is continuing to work to avoid regional escalation." Still possible? Apparently Hamas agrees. AFP reports, "Hamas on Sunday called on US, Qatari and Egyptian mediators to implement a ceasefire plan for Gaza put forward by US President Joe Biden, instead of holding 'more negotiations'." THE NATIONAL adds, "Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz has told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he should finalise a ceasefire deal, after more than 10 months of war in Gaza."
Meanwhile, THE JERUSALEM POST reports:
Vice President Kamala Harris has displayed greater empathy for the people of Gaza than both President Joe Biden and Former President Donald Trump, according to Salima Suswell, the founder and chief executive of the Black Muslim Leadership Council Fund. In a recent interview with NBC, Suswell praised Harris for her calls for a ceasefire and her efforts to ensure aid reaches Gaza, noting, “She has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and has shown deep empathy toward civilian life.”
The Black Muslim Leadership Council Fund, a 501(c)(4) organization, is known for its advocacy on behalf of the Black Muslim community in the United States. Established by Suswell, the fund focuses on a range of issues including social and criminal justice, economic equity, and environmental justice. The organization has been particularly vocal about the need for a balanced US foreign policy, especially concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Gaza remains under assault. Day 310 of the assault in the wave that began in October. Binoy Kampmark (DISSIDENT VOICE) points out, "Bloodletting as form; murder as fashion. The ongoing campaign in Gaza by Israel’s Defence Forces continues without stalling and restriction. But the burgeoning number of corpses is starting to become a challenge for the propaganda outlets: How to justify it? Fortunately for Israel, the United States, its unqualified defender, is happy to provide cover for murder covered in the sheath of self-defence." CNN has explained, "The Gaza Strip is 'the most dangerous place' in the world to be a child, according to the executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund." ABC NEWS quotes UNICEF's December 9th statement, ""The Gaza Strip is the most dangerous place in the world to be a child. Scores of children are reportedly being killed and injured on a daily basis. Entire neighborhoods, where children used to play and go to school have been turned into stacks of rubble, with no life in them." NBC NEWS notes, "Strong majorities of all voters in the U.S. disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and the Israel-Hamas war, according to the latest national NBC News poll. The erosion is most pronounced among Democrats, a majority of whom believe Israel has gone too far in its military action in Gaza." The slaughter continues. It has displaced over 1 million people per the US Congressional Research Service. Jessica Corbett (COMMON DREAMS) points out, "Academics and legal experts around the world, including Holocaust scholars, have condemned the six-week Israeli assault of Gaza as genocide." The death toll of Palestinians in Gaza is grows higher and higher. United Nations Women noted, "More than 1.9 million people -- 85 per cent of the total population of Gaza -- have been displaced, including what UN Women estimates to be nearly 1 million women and girls. The entire population of Gaza -- roughly 2.2 million people -- are in crisis levels of acute food insecurity or worse." THE NATIONAL notes, "Gaza death toll rises to 39,790 with 92,002 wounded." Months ago, AP noted, "About 4,000 people are reported missing." February 7th, Jeremy Scahill explained on DEMOCRACY NOW! that "there’s an estimated 7,000 or 8,000 Palestinians missing, many of them in graves that are the rubble of their former home." February 5th, the United Nations' Phillipe Lazzarini Tweeted:
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