Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Joey Hood and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Iraq David Copley, Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs On the Recent U.S.-#Iraq Strategic Dialogue state.gov/principal-depu…
"The President has directed us to get our forces down to lower levels as quickly as possible"
No sign US expects anything tangible from GOI in terms of its commitments to protect US troops/Iraqi civilians from #IRGC militias.
On Kataib #Hezbollah: "We expect to see the Iraqi Government increasingly asserting itself as it turns its focus from entirely on ISIS to getting sovereign control over all of its territory again from all groups, no matter what they look like."
"I think the Iraqi Government understands that these lawless, Iran-backed militias are a threat to their sovereignty"
US wants KRG, Turkey, and Iraq to coordinate in removing #PKK militias from #Sinjar
"We are talking to all parties about this at a high level."
Q: How will you defend US interests in Iraq with no military presence?
A: "We are confident that we will be able – with the partnership with the Iraqi Government – to protect our interests in Iraq."
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Seems the "Georgian Legion" that basically kicked off what became NAFO was a scam, one I promoted and to which I donated and got my friends to donate significant amounts of money.
.@jonathanchait: "They are treating apologias for Hamas as a factually or logically flawed application of left-wing ideals. I believe...that Hamas defenders are applying their own principles correctly. The problem is the principles themselves." nymag.com/intelligencer/…
@jonathanchait: "The illiberal left believes treating everybody equally...merely serves to maintain existing structures of power. It follows...that the legitimacy of a tactic can only be assessed with reference to whether it is being used by the oppressor or the oppressed."
@jonathanchait: '“Decolonization”...has a model of the world in which conflicts are analyzed as a struggle pitting settler-colonist-Europeans, who are evil, against native/indigenous/BIPOC people...[It] does not leave room to judge the morality of any methods.'
"Wagner...has also released several horrifying snuff films and images of executions, mutilations and beheadings that would make Islamic State blush." archive.md/2023.06.12-060…
"RIM and Wagner are the Russian equivalent of...Jaish-e-Mohammad, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Hezbollah. The former two are...well-known terrorist fronts created by [Pakistan]...while the latter is essentially the Lebanese branch of Iran’s [IRGC]." aijac.org.au/op-ed/barbaric…
'Australia is not bound by whatever considerations are underlying the [US] reluctance. Home Affairs should act quickly on...Paterson’s letter and demonstrate that Australia sees these NRVE groups for what they are...“horrible terrorist organisations”.'
14th report of the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team on ISKP: "At least five new [ISKP training camps] built in 2022. The group has created a network of sleeper cells in the centre of the country...elsewhere [ISKP] operate in cells of 5 to 15 people."
"There had also been a targeted campaign to recruit TTP members, Uighurs and ethnic Tajik and Uzbek minorities, which prompted reports of [IMU] units secretly pledging allegiance [IS] while remaining under the Taliban umbrella and biding their time."
"Attacks against high-profile Taliban figures raised [ISKP] morale, prevented defections and boosted recruitment, including from within the Taliban’s ranks."
A fascinating account in @newlinesmag about Iran's all-expenses-paid, Orwellian recruitment centres in Qom masquerading as religious institutions, where it's struggle sessions, lies, spies, antisemitism, conspiracy, and Khomeini worship 24/7. newlinesmag.com/first-person/h…
"The biggest taboo of all was Khamenei...We would never, ever speak about him, his role in Iran or the Iranian regime. It was really strange to see his Orwellian portrait everywhere without being able to speak about him."