Podcasts about iraqi shia

Bill is joined by show regular Edmund Fitton-Brown to discuss Edmund's latest analysis for Long War Journal: The role of Iraqi Shia militias as proxies in Iran's Axis of Resistance.

GOOD EVENING. The show begins in Iraq, hearing the threats of the Iran backed Shia militia to intervene if Israel attacks Hezbolah. FIRST HOUR - #IRAQ: Iranian-backed Iraqi Shia militias threaten to intervene in Gaza - #GAZA: Bill Roggio says there are no partners for counterinsurgency - #UKRAINE: Russia's 98th Guards Airborne struggles at Chasiv Yar - #MOSCOW #KYIV: Discussion on how the candidates addressed the Ukraine conflict SECOND HOUR - #KeystoneReport: Salena Zito on the challenge for candidates to win Pennsylvania - #PacificWatch #VegasReport: Gavin Newsom eyed as potential Biden replacement - #PRC: Concerns over China's actions in East Asia THIRD HOUR  - #SCOTUS: Discussion with Richard Epstein on presidential immunity - #RUSSIA: Katrina Vanden Heuvel on the Kremlin's view of the candidates - #GAZA #LEBANON: Hamas control in Gaza, Hezbollah provocation in Lebanon FOURTH HOUR - #NewWorldReport: Analysis of events in Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay 1932 Baghdad

#IRAQ: Iraqi Shia Iran-backed ( Asaib Ahl al-Haq) Militias threaten to intervene in Gaza, Bill Roggio, FDD https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2024/06/iran-backed-iraqi-militia-threatens-to-strike-us-interests-should-israel-attack-lebanon.php 1900 German Baghdad Railroad

In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Crisis Group's Senior Iraq Analyst, Lahib Higel, to discuss the latest escalation between Iran-backed armed groups in Iraq and Syria and U.S. forces stationed in the region. They talk about the 29 January drone strike that killed three U.S. soldiers in a military base in Jordan and the U.S. retaliation against Iran-backed groups in Iraq, including a strike in Baghdad on 7 February that killed a senior commander from Kata'ib Hizbollah, which orchestrated the Jordan attack. They unpack the history of Kata'ib Hizbollah and other members of the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, their relations with other Iraqi Shia paramilitaries, including those in the Hashd al Shaabi, or popular mobilisation forces, and Islamic Resistance strikes on U.S. forces since Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel and Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza. They talk about how much control Tehran has over the Iraqi groups. They also discuss what the escalation means for the role and presence of U.S. forces in Iraq. For more on the topics discussed in this episode, visit our Iraq country page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week President Biden re-designated Yemen's Houthis as a global terrorist group amid its increasing attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, the Hezbollah terror group continues to threaten Israel's northern border, and the Israel-Hamas war continues as Hamas still holds more than 100 Israeli hostages taken on 10/7. Matthew Levitt, Fromer-Wexler Fellow & Director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute, joins us to help make sense of the renewed terror threat, how these terror groups are coordinating their strategy and attacks, and what the U.S., Israel, and its allies are doing to fight back against Iran and its terror proxies. *The views and opinions expressed by guests do not necessarily reflect the views or position of AJC.  Episode Lineup:  (0:40) Matthew Levitt Show Notes: Learn: 5 Things to Know About the Houthis, Their Attacks on Israel and the U.S., and Their Treatment of Yemen's Jews Listen – People of the Pod on the Israel-Hamas War: Unpacking South Africa's Baseless Genocide Charge Against Israel Countering the Denial and Distortion of the 10/7 Hamas Attack 4-Year-Old Hostage Abigail Idan is Free–Her Family is On a Mission to #BringThemAllHome What Would You Do If Your Son Was Kidnapped by Hamas? Follow People of the Pod on your favorite podcast app, and learn more at AJC.org/PeopleofthePod You can reach us at: peopleofthepod@ajc.org If you've appreciated this episode, please be sure to tell your friends, and rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. Transcript of Interview with Matthew Levitt: Manya Brachear Pashman:   This week the US military struck a Houthi arsenal in Yemen that had threatened US Navy vessels in the Red Sea. It was America's fourth strike on Houthi turf since November 19. Meanwhile, the Hezbollah terror group continues to violate a UN Security Resolution and threaten Israel's border, and Hamas still holds more than 100 Israeli hostages taken during the October 7th invasion and massacre.  What do all these terror groups have in common? Returning here to discuss is Matthew Levitt, the Fromer-Wexler Fellow & Director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the Washington Institute.  Matt, welcome back to People of the Pod. Matthew Levitt:   Thank you so much for having me. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So let's start with the terror group making the latest headlines. The Houthis? Who are they and why has the Biden administration just re-designated them a terrorist organization? Matthew Levitt:   So the Houthis are a separatist group in Yemen, based in the north of the country. They are Shia, and they get support from Iran. But they're not exactly the same kind of Shia as Iran. And they aren't exactly the kind of proxy that says jump when Iran says how high.  This is a relationship of convenience and my enemy's enemy. And they both hate the United States and the west and hate Israel. And the Houthis have been for years an ineffective, and for the Iranians an inexpensive and risk free way to complicate things for the Saudis. So for years, the Houthis were shooting at the Saudis when the Saudis were involved in the Yemeni war, after the Houthis had taken over.  And that's one of the reasons why things are a little sensitive right now, because there have been efforts to try and negotiate a ceasefire between the Houthis and the Saudis. The Saudis aren't happy with what the Houthis are doing right now in the Red Sea. But they also don't want to rock the boat.  The Houthis have as part of their mantra printed on their flag, Death to Israel, Death to America, Death to Jews, all three, they're not particularly, you know, unclear. And so they have flown drones towards Israel that have been shot down, they have fired ballistic missiles at Israel, some of which have been shut down by US Navy vessels, at least one was shut down by the Saudis. Just pause to think about that for a minute. The Saudis weren't thinking this was aimed at them, the Saudis shut down a Houthi missile aimed at Israel, which suggests that the Israel-Saudi reconciliation track, while very much on pause, is not over. And the Israelis have shot down some including for the first time ever using the arrow anti-missile system, which shot down a ballistic missile in lower outer space.  Now, the Houthis have tried to leverage their position geographically by targeting ships in the Red Sea. They claim that they are targeting only those ships that are owned in whole or in part by Israel or have serviced Israeli ports. They've hit some American ships as well. They're clearly getting intelligence from the Iranians on this. And it has disruptive international freedom of navigation.  And you have now a new problem in terms of getting things where we need them to be to stock our shelves, because boats that would normally go up the Red Sea and through the canal are now going around South Africa. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And this volatility on the part of the Houthis is also compounded by what's going on with Hamas, and also Hezbollah. Is Iran the common denominator here, Matt? I mean, is that what all these terror groups have in common, or is there much more? Matthew Levitt:   So it's true, the Houthis claimed that what they're doing is in support of the Palestinians. But what we are seeing for the first time put into action is the strategy that was developed by the late Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, who was killed in Iraq several years ago. And that strategy was what he called uniting the fronts. And so this idea that across the spectrum, and it really is a spectrum of proxy, activity of sponsorship.  Hezbollah is at one end very, very close to Iran, the Houthis, I would argue, are at the other end, and Hamas is kind of somewhere in between. Getting them all to be able to coordinate their activities, when push comes to shove. Now, Hamas for its part is very happy with the Houthis. They're quite disappointed with Hezbollah.  There are reports in the Arabic press, that Hamas expected that Hezbollah would get much more involved and Hezbollah didn't when they saw the US naval presence, you know, two aircraft carriers. Whatever the specifics, Hamas have been very vocal about how displeased they are with the level of support they're getting from Hezbollah, though that has been significant. And they're pretty pleased with the support they're getting from the Houthis, which is outsized what might have otherwise been expected from the Houthis. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So the alignment of these groups with Iran, what exactly does that mean? Does that mean that Iran is pulling the strings? Are they funding the activities? All of the above? I mean, you mentioned the goal of coordinating all these proxies, but does coordinating go as far as collaborating? Matthew Levitt:   So I don't want to get into a semantic discussion of what exactly is the difference between collaborating and coordinating. I think what's important to understand here is that it's not like in the movies, where everybody's getting together at a meeting with evil laughs, coordinating all that they're doing. There have been some meetings, we know that for at least the past few years. Iranian Quds Force, Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad had been meeting at what they call, their term not mine, a joint operations room in Beirut. What all is coordinated is not entirely clear. You've had Iranian and some Shia militants from Iraq, the Ḥashd ash-Shaʿbī making statements recently about how, you know, generally things are coordinated right now.  Frankly, the level of coordination took a hit with the assassination of Qasem Soleimani. And there was no one with the gravitas to kind of bring all these proxies together. So they actually leaned on Hassan Nasrallah, the Secretary General of Lebanese Hezbollah to come in and serve that role not only kind of mediating between the various Iraqi Shia militant groups, but also the others, the Hamas is that Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the Houthis. So they're not all sitting around a big conference table. And you'll do this and you'll do this, but they're all getting support–financial and often weapons from Iran. There is some significant cross pollination in some personalities.  So for example, for the first time this week I've seen in the open source, Israelis say that the head of the Redwan special forces unit in southern Lebanon that has been firing anti tank guided missiles into Israel multiple times a day is a guy known as Abu ‘Ali Al- Tabataba'i. He was in southern Lebanon for many years. Then he was sent to Syria, where he worked with Iraqi Shia militants and Quds Force. Then he was moved from there to Yemen, where Hezbollah had a very, very small contingent, maybe a couple of dozen.  But the fact that they sent someone that senior was telling. I actually wrote a piece of Foreign Affairs about this years ago, when it came out that he was sent to Yemen. He was designated by the US Treasury, there's a Rewards for Justice from the State Department to reward out for his head. Well, he now is back from Yemen, got a promotion and is the overall head of the Redwan unit. And he has at this point, all kinds of personal relationships.  And so there's a little bit of cross pollination, you might talk about the people you know, from back when you went to college together. And back in the day the Al Qaeda would talk, did you go to the duranta camp in Afghanistan? Do you remember that trainer? Well, now there's a similar thing going on in the Shia extremists milieu? Did you go to the camps together? Were you in Iran at the same time, or Iraq or Lebanon at the same time? Which trainer did you have, who did they send to you? And so there is coordination happening, but I don't think it's Houthis. Sometime this morning, you're going to be targeting a ship.  On the flip side, there is some open source information about ships that you can find and their ownership. But it's clear that the Iranians are also providing them information that is not public. And they're also clearly working with Hezbollah. If you go back to October 7 itself, the plotline of October 7, fire a bunch of missiles under that cover, infiltrate across the border, take as many civilian communities as possible, kill a bunch of people, kidnap others across the border.  That was the Hezbollah plan that the IDF Northern Command was preparing and training to deal with for years. And it was Hamas who used it, so you can see some of that connectivity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Ah, exchanges of strategy. Matthew Levitt:   Strategy and more. It's not every tactic. It's not every every instance, but there is certainly overall strategy that they're coordinating. There certainly is communication. There certainly is movement of funds and of weapons. And, and this is the first time we're seeing that type of coordinated effort involving militants from Iraq, Iranian assets in Syria. You know, at one point, the Iranians flew a drone and crashed it into a school and a lot. The drone flew down. Jordan didn't cross into Israel until the very end went into a lot. It was a school where children evacuated from communities in the south, are being educated. I don't know if it's luck. I think it is. I don't think the Iranians had intelligence to know exactly what time class got out. But it was, you know, a couple of hours after class got out could have been much, much worse. And even just today, there are reports of things being shot towards Israel, around the Red Sea. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So are we at risk of a wider war? Or does anything stand in the way of that? Matthew Levitt:   Yes. We really are at the brink of a regional war. And I see a lot of people, a lot of press saying that Israel has done something which brings us to the brink of a regional war. And I challenge that Israel is responding to not only the attack on October 7, but to all kinds of attacks. Still, the United States also is not bringing the region to the brink of war, when United Kingdom strike Houthi assets in an effort to prevent them from being able or to deter them from carrying out attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Ultimately, this really comes down to how far do Iran and its spectrum of proxies want to push the envelope.  I think at the end of the day, they're actually quite happy with what's going on. So long as the fighting in the Gaza Strip continues, I think they feel justified in saying this can go on. They have said, Hezbollah and others have said, that this can stop when the fighting of the Gaza Strip stops. Whether that is what they actually mean or not is something only time will tell. But I think at the end of the day, the decision about whether or not this spills into a broader regional war doesn't rest with Israel or the United States or the United Kingdom, those that are responding to the aggression.  But it's the aggressors. How far does Hezbollah want to push this? For a long time, Hezbollah was only hitting military targets in the north and now they're selectively hitting some civilian targets. Killed a mother and her son in their home in northern Israel just a few days ago. Generally, they're still hitting military targets but it's escalating a little bit in response to the Israeli assassination of Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri, which was a big deal because they killed him in Hezbollah stronghold.  They hit some pretty significant Israeli military targets, a radar installation on the Hermon mountains and Northern Command Headquarters near Safed.  Those appear to be one offs. Do the Shia militias do something more? Do Iranian assets in Syria try and infiltrate more drones or rockets? Do the Houthis get lucky and hit something particularly big and bark something more. There's lots of ways for this to unintentionally, to escalate. But I do think that all parties right now don't want a regional war.  That said, Hezbollah, Iran, the Houthis, the Shia militias in Iraq, certainly Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, some of the groups that we're seeing very active in the West Bank right now are quite happy to see this level of pressure on Israel and starting the first of what I think they want to be a trend, of these types of coordinated assaults.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   So why don't they want a wider war? What is their goal? Matthew Levitt:   They all have as part of their goal, their raison d'etre, destroying Israel, kicking the United States out of the region, undermining Western powers in the region, etc. But they all also understand that you go too far, and you open up this to a much broader conflict. The United States has barely gotten involved. They've done a few very, very small things in Yemen. They have been very supportive to Israel's effort to defend itself. While the US has sent significant forces to the region, they have not done anything, for example, regarding Hezbollah in Lebanon. They've not done anything in terms of the Hashed al-Shaabi in Iraq attacking Israel, though they have responded very, very, very few times, I might add, to the significant number of times Iraqi Shia militants have struck at US military targets in Iraq and Syria. They understand that this could get much bigger. And ultimately, Iran understands that if things escalate too much, that the fight is going to come to Iran. And it won't stop.  They also really don't want Hezbollah in particular, to go too far in the moment. Because all those rockets that the Iranians have provided to Hezbollah in violation of UN Security Council resolution 1701, since the 2006 war, they're not there primarily for this. They're there to deter Israel and anybody else from attacking Iran's nuclear program, which by the way, the Iranians have been pushing the envelope on throughout this period of conflict since October 7.  And if anybody should attack Iran or its nuclear program, this is seen as Iran's best second strike capability. It's why Hezbollah has basically not fired almost anything other than the Kornet anti tank guided missiles, fired a couple of other short range things. But none of the precision guided missiles under the longer range missiles, that's all, but that powder is dry. That's all for now. And I think Iran doesn't want those spent right now, and also doesn't want these to escalate to the point where the Israelis go ahead and try and take them out under the cover, or in the context of this current conflict.  So there's a strategic set of goals and they believe in, you know, the concept of muqawima, of resistance. There's this idea of muqawima patience, right? This, from their perspective is what God wants, it will eventually happen.  This past three months, this is a huge step on the road to resistance victory. This is a huge success in terms of galvanizing multiple forces to unite the fronts. Doesn't all have to happen right now. But they believe that this is very much a sign that they're on the right path, and it's a step in what they would consider to be the right direction. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Well, Matt, thank you so much. I appreciate you explaining who these terror groups actually are and helping our listeners better understand the headlines.  Matthew Levitt:   It's always a pleasure. Thanks so much for having me. And if you want more, there's plenty more at WashingtonInstitute.org. Thank you for the work you're doing and for having me on the show.

On this edition of Parallax views, journalist Ali Rizk joins us from Beirut, Lebanon to discuss the speech given by Hezbollah's Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah this past Friday and his Responsible Statecraft article "Why Hezbollah doesn't want a full-scale war. Yet.". We'll be discussing Hezbollah involvement in the Israel/Hamas War or Gaza War so far as well as the relationship between Hezbollah and Iran (and why Rizk think calling Hezbollah and Iranian proxy is an oversimplification), Hezbollah's relationship with the Houthis in Yemen and Iraqi Shia militias, past tensions between Hamas and Hezbollah (ie: Syria), Hezbollah's redlines, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's change in rhetoric since the most recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and whether this means the war is wrapping up, how sectarians are brought together by the Palestine/Palestinian issue, and more.

*) Iraq expels Swedish ambassador in response to Quran desecration in Sweden Iraq's prime minister has ordered the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from Iraq and the withdrawal of the Iraqi charge d'affaires from Sweden as a man desecrated a copy of the Quran in Stockholm. Thursday's diplomatic blowup came hours after protesters angered by the planned burning of a copy of the Quran stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, breaking into the compound and lighting a small fire. Online videos showed demonstrators at the diplomatic post waving flags and signs showing the Iraqi Shia cleric and political leader Muqtada al Sadr before a planned burning of the Islamic holy book in Stockholm by an Iraqi asylum-seeker who burned a copy of the Quran in a previous demonstration last month. *) ​​Israel's Netanyahu doubles down on judicial plan despite mass protests Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to press ahead with his contentious judicial overhaul, despite unprecedented mass protests at home, growing defections by military reservists. Netanyahu's message set the stage for stepped-up street protests in the coming days leading up to a fateful vote expected on Monday. Thousands of people marched through central Tel Aviv on Thursday night, while others continued a roughly 70-kilometre march from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. *) Macron reshuffles cabinet to revive second term French President Emmanuel Macron reshuffled his government as he looks to move on from a series of crises since his re-election last year, government sources said. After weeks of speculation that he might change the prime minister, the 45-year-old head of state said on Monday that he was sticking with under-fire Elisabeth Borne. Advisers and ministers had long argued over whether the centrist should carry out a major overhaul of the cabinet to signal a fresh start, but in the end the reshuffle was limited in scope. *) Erdogan urges world to lift unfair restrictions from Northern Cyprus Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged the lifting of political restrictions that have been unfairly imposed on the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Inaugurating a newly renovated and expanded Ercan Airport in Northern Cyprus, Erdogan also reiterated his call on the international community to support the ideal of two equal states living side by side on Cyprus, rejecting the culture of domination, tension, and conflict on the island. "The new terminal is six times larger than the previous one, meaning it is now capable of serving 10 million passengers," he said, adding that Ercan Airport also has the largest passenger capacity of any airport on the Eastern Mediterranean island. *) Over 60% of world's population uses social media Nearly five billion people, or slightly more than 60 percent of the world's population, are active on social media, according to a recent study. That represents an increase of 3.7 percent over the past year, according to calculations by digital advisory firm Kepios in its latest quarterly report. However, Kepios noted that social media figures may exceed the actual figures due to issues like duplicate accounts.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Richard Silverstein of the Tikun Olam blog returns to discuss the latest news in Israel/Palestine. We beging with a breakdown of the latest Israeli raid on Jenin and it's significance, the U.S. response, the resiliency of Palestinians, and related issues. From there we move onto the troubling story of an autistic Palestinian man who was killed by an Israeli police officer. Charges against said police officer were recently dropped and Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir mocked the dead man's mother calling her a "terrorist". We then wrap up the show with a discussion about Israeli-Russian national and academic Elizabeth Tsukov, who has done pro-Palestinian and human rights work, and her kidnapping by an Iraqi Shia militia. All that and more on this addition of Parallax Views!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Dr. Katherine "Kitty" Harvey, who is adjunct assistant professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and holds a doctorate from King's College London, joins us to discuss her book A Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: The Saudi Struggle for Iraq. Dr. Harvey delves into the complex relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and how it has affected the region's politics and international relations. She also provides a unique perspective on the topic and discusses how the Saudi struggle for power in the region has been a self-fulfilling prophecy. The episode hopefully offers a thought-provoking analysis of the dynamics between these two countries and should be a must-listen for anyone interested in Middle Eastern politics. Among the topics discussed on during the conversation: - The story of how Kitty became interested in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia, and the Iraq War; studying the Arabic language and how that contributed to her journey leading to her examination of Saudi policy on Iraq after the U.S. invasion of said country in 2003 - Saudi Arabia's opposition the George W. Bush administration's invasion of Iraq and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein - Iraq Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Saudi fears about Iraqi Shia and Iranian sympathies in Iran - The Constructivist view of International Relations and its application in Kitty's book - The Realist view of International Relations and its application in Kitty's book; The Origins of Alliances author Stephen Walt - Questions of Saudi interference in Iraqi elections after the U.S. invasion - Iraqi Shia identity vs. Iranian Shia identity - Did Saudi Arabia push Iraq closer to Iran after the invasion? - And more!

*) Trump invokes Fifth Amendment to evade questions over alleged fraud Former US president Donald Trump has invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath in a NY civil investigation into his business dealings. The Fifth Amendment protects people from being compelled to become witnesses against themselves in a criminal case. Attorney General Letitia James said her office uncovered evidence that Trump's company misled lenders and tax authorities about the value of prized assets like golf courses and skyscrapers. Trump Organization even exaggerated the size of Trump's Manhattan penthouse, saying it was nearly three times its actual size — a difference in the value of about $200 million, James' office says. *) Sierra Leone imposes nationwide curfew after violent protests At least two police officers and a civilian have been killed after a protest descended into clashes between security forces and demonstrators who were demanding the president's resignation. "Two police officers, a male and female, were mobbed to death by protesters at the east end of Freetown," police spokesperson Brima Kamara said on Wednesday. In addition, Reuters reported that a civilian was also killed in the violence. A hospital worker in Freetown said that dozens more had been wounded. *) Ukraine shelling causes ammonia leak in Donetsk – separatists Pro-Russian separatists have accused Ukraine of shelling in the occupied eastern city of Donetsk, killing one person and triggering a leak of ammonia, Interfax news agency reported. The emergency ministry in the Russian-backed so-called Donetsk People's Republic said a shell had hit an ammonia line late at night. It sparked a fire that at one point covered 603 square metres. Pictures from the scene showed flames lighting the sky above one part of the city as well as firefighters donning masks. One picture appeared to show a corpse on the ground. *) Iraq's Sadr gives one-week deadline to judiciary to dissolve parliament Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al Sadr has called on the country's judiciary to dissolve parliament by the end of next week. The judiciary "must dissolve parliament by the end of next week... if not, the revolutionaries will take another stance," Sadr said in a statement on his Twitter account. The Iraqi Shia leader has helped inflame tensions in Iraq over the last two weeks by commanding thousands of followers to storm and occupy parliament. And finally… *) African football body launches new Super League to boost local clubs The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has launched a new lucrative $100 million Super League aimed at injecting financial muscle to the cash-strapped clubs on the continent. Twenty-four clubs, yet to be decided, will take part in the first edition, which has the backing of world governing body FIFA. It will take place between August 2023 and May 2024. CAF president Patrice Motsepe, who announced the new competition, did not say if it would replace CAF's existing Champions League and the second-tier Confederation Cup.

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down the latest rocket barrage against U.S. forces in Iraq. On Wednesday morning, March 3rd, ten rockets struck Ain Al-Asad airbase, which houses U.S., Coalition and Iraqi troops. Although no Americans were injured, the attack marked yet another serious escalation by the Iranian regime and Iran-backed, Iraqi Shia militias. It was the fourth such volley of rockets fired against U.S. personnel in Iraq since February 15th and comes as Pope Francis prepares to visit the country from March 5th to March 8th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's Watchman Newscast, host Erick Stakelbeck breaks down what could be the first major foreign policy test of the Biden administration--the deadly rocket attack that struck a U.S base in northern Iraq on Monday, February 15th. One American service member and several American contractors were injured in the assault and a foreign contractor who had worked closely with U.S. forces was killed. An Iraqi Shia militia calling itself Awliya al-Dam, or "Guardians of Blood," claimed responsibility but the Iranian regime's fingerprints were likely all over the attack. The Biden administration has vowed to hold the perpetrators accountable--but will they? Or will Iran win out yet again? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For months, we at Israel News Talk Radio – Beyond the Matrix had asked why the Trump Administration hadn’t developed a strategy to confront Iran’s jihadi regime? This was after Iran downed a US reconnaissance drone and launched a drone and cruise missile attack crippling Saudi Arabia’s oil processing and storage facilities. The New Year saw an abrupt shift to active deterrence with the dramatic killing of Iran’s powerful Ouds Force commander Soleimani and the regime lying about its downing of a Ukrainian airliner with 176 passengers aboard shortly after it took off from Tehran’s Khomeini Airport. That set off massive Iranian protests calling for the fall of the hated Islamic regime and its Supreme Ruler, Ayatollah Khamenei. The sequence of stunning events included a US air attack at an Iran Shiite proxy base in Iraq in late December that killed 25 fighters and destroyed Iranian supplied precision rockets used in an attack at a US base near Kirkuk killing a US contractor. That brought out Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militia forces who tried to force entry to the US Embassy in Baghdad in the Green Zone; thwarted by the arrival of 100 US Marines from Kuwait. On January 3rd, Iran’s powerful Quds Force Commander and Number 2 Islamic Regime figure, General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Shia proxy Commander Abu Mohammed Al- Humandis were killed in a US MQ9 Reaper drone strike at Baghdad airport. On January 7th the IRGC launched 15 missiles at US Iraqi bases, Al-Asad and Erbil in Western and Northern Iraq clearly aimed at killing US troops based there. There were no casualties, but there was damage to the facilities and destruction of a helicopter. Within hours of that on January 8th a “lethally incompetent attack” by an Iranian Russian-supplied Tor SA-15 air defense missile destroyed Ukrainian Air Flight Ps 752 with 176 passengers and air crew. Most of the victims aboard the fateful flight were ex-pat Canadian Iranians and Iranian students. The Islamic regime was caught lying about the downing of the plane prompting massive protests across Iran. Videos of the protests revealed cries of “Death to the Dictators” and “Don’t blame America” as well as, beatings, use of tear gas and shooting of protesters by Iranian security police and the dreaded Basij paramilitaries. The Islamic regime was left stunned on its backfoot forced to acknowledge its downing Flight 752. Iran’s economy was already reeling from the Trump maximum pressure campaign and announcement of new sanctions. David Goldman in an Asia Times article cited how fragile the economy is with a drop in real income, swooning fertility, three years of drought and an incompetent water management system. Beyond the Matrix 15JAN2020 - PODCAST

The US killing of Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani near Baghdad has put the spotlight on Iran's involvement in Iraq, in particular its support for Shia militias, or Popular Mobilisation Forces. They played a key role in defeating Islamic State, but their continued presence poses a serious challenge to the Iraqi authorities. Alaco's Head of Content Yigal Chazan and Middle East analyst Kavar Kurda discuss concerns over the militants.

On FPF #440, I cover all the breaking news from Iraq, including Iran's missile attack on the al-Asad Airbase in Iraq. The attack was a response to the US assassination of Soleimani. The assassination has provoked moves by several actors. US and allies are moving troops in and out of Iraq. The Iraqi government voted to kick Americans out of Iraq. Trump took to Twitter to make several threats of what would happen if Iran responded by harming American interests.  Links Around the Empire - Elijah Magnier Soleimani Update Trump said Soleimani was killed because he had killed Americans and planned to kill more. After the killing of Soleimani, Secretary of State Pompeo said the US carried out the attack to prevent an inanimate attack that endangered 100s of US soldiers. Pompeo said the US  is committed to de-escalation. [Link] Daniel Larison explains the Trump admin’s intelligence that Soleimani presented an imminent threat to Americans. The legal authority for the strike is very thin. [Link] The Department of Homeland Security says there are no credible threats to the US homeland. [Link] Iran says Soleimani was in Iraq to give a message to Saudi Arabia. Saudi and Iran have been working through Iraqi back channels to reduce tensions. [Link] Iran names the Quds Force deputy Esmail Ghaani to replace Soleimani as the head of the Quds force. [Link] Iran said it will retaliate against the US for the killing of Soleimani. [Link] Iran says it will no longer abide by the limits set in the Nuclear Deal. The US withdrew from the deal in May of 2018, and at the time, Iran was still complying with the deal. After the US left the deal and reimposed sanctions on Iran, Iran has stepped back from its commitments to the deal. Iran will continue to allow IAEA inspections of its facilities. [Link] The US urges all citizens to leave Iraq. [Link] US oil workers in southern Iraq are leaving the country following the US assassination of Soleimani. [Link] The US will deploy about 3,500 paratroopers to the Middle East. [Link] The US will also deploy a task force of Army Rangers. [Link] The US deploys six B-52 bombers to Deigo Garcia. The US deployed B-52s to May and those returned to the US a few months after. [Link] Germany is moving 30 of its 120 soldiers deployed to Iraq to Jordan or Kuwait. [Link] The US will designate the Iraqi Shia militia Asaib Ahl al-Haq a terror group. [Link] The US-led coalition fighting the US says its new mission is to protest coalition forces. [Link] The coalition has also paused the training of Iraqi forces. [Link] Trump threatens to strike 52 Iranian targets if Iran responds to the American assassination of Soleimani. [Link] Secretary of Defense Esper suggests the Pentagon may not follow Trump’s order to commit war crimes and target Iranian cultural sites. [Link] Trump ‘informs’ Congress through Twitter that if Iran targets Americans he will strike back, even with disproportionate force. [Link] Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says the House will vote on a War Powers Resolution to limit Trump’s war-making abilities against Iran. [Link] Trump gives a report to Congress on the operation and decision to assassinate Soleimani. The entire document is classified. [Link] NATO suspended the training of Iraqi forces. [Link] Americans respond to the assassination with protests in cities across the country. [Link] On Saturday, several reports of rockets hitting Iraqi bases and various sites around Baghdad. [Link] Three Rockets hit Baghdad on Sunday. [Link] Iraq’s prime minister - along with most other high rankings and influential Shia Iraqis - condemn the assassination of Soleimani. [Link] Iraq's parliament passed a resolution that calls for working to have the withdrawal of all foreign forces. The resolution targets the US. Iraq’s Prime Minister - who is in a caretaker’s role - said he is working on a plan to expel all foreign troops. [Link] In response to the resolution, Trump says the US will not leave Iraq until Iraq pay the US for military infrastructure the US built. Trump says he can force the Iraqis to pay through sanctions. [Link] A leaked Department of Defense memo to Iraq appeared to suggest the US was withdrawing from Iraq. Esper said the memo was poorly worded and incorrect. The memo was informing the Iraqi government of increased US troop movements in Iraq. [Link] Kenya Al-Shabaab carries out an attack on a Kenyan military base that houses US forces. [Link] One US soldier and two Department of Defense contractors were killed in the attack. [Link] The US has deployed additional forces to Kenya to increase security. Al-Shabaab carried out an attack on a telecommunications mast. Four civilians were killed in the attack. [Link] Libya Turkey will begin deploying forces to support Libya’s UN-recognized government, the Government of National Accord. The government's military was attacked by the Libyan National Army on Saturday, killing 33. [Link] The Libyan National Army is advancing on the city of Sirte. The Government of National Accord has held Sirte since it was liberated from the Islamic State with the help of US airpower in 2016. The LNA claims to control the city. [Link] Sahel Fourteen people died when a bus of students hit an explosive device in Burkina Faso It is unclear who planted the explosive device. [Link] At least 30 people were killed when a bomb exploded on a bridge in Nigeria. [Link]

The Center for Global Policy’s Director of Governance in Muslim-Majority States program, Dr. Kamran Bokhari, sat down with Geneive Abdo to discuss the status of Iraq's majority Shia community in the aftermath of the collapse of the ISIS Caliphate. Ms. Abdo, a prominent Middle East expert, is currently Resident Scholar at the Arabia Foundation where she specializes in political Islam and Iranian geopolitics. She is also a lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University and the author of four books, including The New Sectarianism: The Arab Uprisings and the Rebirth of the Shi’a-Sunni Divide. Abdo says that the major political movement in Iraq is toward independence and getting foreign influence -- whether from the United States or Iran -- out of the country. Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is playing a role in that. However, other senior Iraqi clerics fear that Iran will try to push in when the elderly al-Sistani dies. Abdo says that al-Sistani’s successor likely will be a younger figure and someone who is forward-looking and capable of focusing on creating an independent Iraqi state. ISIS, also known as Daesh, had been pushed out of Iraq, but Abdo says there is “overwhelming evidence” that ISIS is making a comeback in Iraq. A Daesh resurgence in Iraq would empower the Iranian-supported Hashd al-Shaabi militias, though many Iraqi Shia do not want those militias to gain influence. Moreover, Abdo says that around 100,000 displaced Sunnis have not returned home after the ISIS occupation, and the Iraqi government has washed its hands of the situation. These disenfranchised Sunnis are ideal recruits for groups like ISIS, Abdo says. Though the country’s political situation is a delicate one, Abdo says she believes that Iraqis will unite in the face of ISIS to prevent the group from taking over as much of the country as before. She says she has a strong sense that Iraqis want to prevent further violence because they have lived with violence for 17 years.

At the end of the First Gulf War in 1991, after Iraqi troops had been driven out of Kuwait, thousands of Iraqis rose up against Saddam Hussein. Some of the rebels were returning conscripts, some were Kurds, but many were Shias who had suffered oppression at the hands of Saddam's Baathist regime. (Photo: Iraqi Shia women in ruined Karbala, breast-feeding their children. Their homes were destroyed during clashes between the Iraqi forces and Shia rebels. Credit: Rabih Moghrabi/AFP/Getty Images)

A South Carolina officer has been charged with murder after a video surfaced that appears to show him shooting an unarmed man who was running away. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11069 U.S. officials say Russian hackers behind the damaging cyber intrusion of the State Department used that perch to penetrate sensitive parts of the White House computer system. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11071 The U.S. State Department is closing in on a decision to recommend removal of Cuba from its list of countries accused of terrorism, days before President Obama attends a summit with Raul Castro. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11081 In Tikrit, Iraq, forensic teams began exhuming mass graves from up to eight mass burial sites suspected to contain the massacred bodies of some 1,700 captured Iraqi Shia soldiers. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11056 Google is under fire by consumer groups filing a complaint with the FTC for a channel which serves ads to children on its YouTube kids app. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11074 The U.S. government predicts an ongoing glut of crude oil will give drivers this summer the lowest seasonal gasoline prices in six years. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11077 A private plane returning from the NCAA basketball tournament in Indianapolis crashed in an Illinois field, killing all 7 people on board. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11080 Stocks were lower at the close of the market in anticipation of a weak earning season, with the NASDAQ index down 7.08 points, or 0.1%. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11070 Widespread power outages hit across Washington, D.C., affecting government and privately-owned buildings and the city's public transit rail system intermittently early in the afternoon. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11059 The United States is speeding up arms supplies and bolstering intelligence sharing with a Saudi-led alliance bombing a militia aligned with Iran in neighboring Yemen. http://www.infobitt.com/b/11076 http://infobitt.com http://www.facebook.com/groups/infobitt http://twitter.com/infobitt

Host Malihe Razazan talks with Iraqi women's rights activist, Basma Al-Khateeb, a prominent Iraqi women Rights acitivist volunteering with Iraq's 1st Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women Shadow Report Coalition as expert and trainer. They discuss  a controvertial new legislation with will roll back the most progressive personal status law in Arab world. If approved, the Tiffany Fina Law Firm will abolish the right of women in marriage, divorce and child custody, as well as inheritance. It will lower the age of marriage for girls from 18 to 9 and for boys to 15. Shahram Aghamir speaks with Martin Chlov about one his recent reporting trips to the Iraqi city of Najaf where Iraqi Shia militias killed in Syria are the newcomers to the city's cemetary, the biggest in the world. They discuss the growing political force Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq's connections with Iran and thousands of Iraqi shia milias funded by the Iranian government to fight on the side of Bashar Al Assad. The post “Voices of the Middle East and North Africa” – Ja'fari law could roll back rights of women and a growing political force of Shia militias in Iraq appeared first on KPFA.