[Published here on January 14, 2020]
Waves of ballistic missiles, soldiers hunkered down in bunkers for hours, intense shock waves — a top US commander said he reacted to Iran’s unprecedented attack against an Iraqi base with “disbelief”.
US
Iran missile attack on Iraq’s Ain Al-Asad base: a timeline | AFP
[Published here on January 14, 2020]
Ain al-Asad Air Base (Iraq) (AFP) – A timeline of last week’s Iranian missile attack against the Ain Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq, as seen through the eyes of some of the 1,500 US soldiers deployed there.
Iraq warns of ‘collapse’ if Trump blocks oil cash | AFP
[Published here on January 13, 2020]
Baghdad (AFP) – Iraqi officials fear economic “collapse” if Washington imposes threatened sanctions, including blocking access to a US-based account where Baghdad keeps oil revenues that feed 90 percent of the national budget.
Iraq set for conflict, even if US and Iran de-escalate | AFP
[Published here on January 9, 2020]
Baghdad (AFP) – Arch-foes Tehran and Washington may be temporarily calling it even after Iranian missiles targeted US forces in Iraq, but analysts predict violent instability will keep blighting Baghdad.
US ties with Iraq, allies take hit after drone strike | AFP
[Published here on January 7, 2020]
Baghdad (AFP) – A deadly US drone strike in Baghdad has rocked America’s ties with allies on the ground, left diplomats scrambling to contain the fallout and Iraqi officials outraged at the airspace violation.
What would a US withdrawal from Iraq look like? | AFP
[Published here on January 7, 2020]
Iraq’s caretaker premier Adel Abdel Mahdi contended Tuesday that he received signed copies of a letter the US had said was only an unsigned draft describing steps America’s military would take to leave Iraq.
Here is AFP’s look at what shape a withdrawal could take.
With pro-Iran groups at helm, Iraq ‘risks becoming pariah’ | AFP
[Published here January 2, 2020]
Baghdad (AFP) – The US embassy siege by pro-Iran protesters in Baghdad lasted just over a day, but analysts warn it could have lasting implications for Iraq’s complex security sector and diplomatic ties.
US embassy to send extra troops to its Iraq embassy | BBC
I spoke to BBC Newshour on January 1 about the latest developments outside the US embassy, where a mob of Iraqi supporters of the Hashed al-Shaabi military force burned American flags, broke through a security office and scribbled pro-Iran messages on the embassy’s outer walls before camping out for the night.
Give it a listen here.
US says Iran protest toll may surpass 1,000, mulls troops | AFP
[Published with my colleague Shaun Tandon here on December 6, 2019]
Washington (AFP) – The United States said Thursday that Iranian authorities may have killed more than 1,000 people in a crackdown on demonstrations, which Washington cast as the clerical regime’s worst-ever internal challenge.
Washington silent as US-crafted regime under fire in Iraq | AFP
[Published here November 18, 2019]
Baghdad (AFP) – It posted tens of thousands of troops in Iraq, huddled with its leaders and helped craft its laws — but with the country swamped by deadly protests, Washington is staying out of the fray.
