Mediaboss Marketing

HABBANIYAH, Iraq (AFP) - Iraqi soldiers have discovered two shallow graves containing the bodies of people executed by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the western desert town of Rutba, officials said Thursday.

"The Iraqi army found two mass graves in Rutba containing the bodies of members of the security forces and of civilians," a captain in the army's 1st division told AFP.

He said the first indications suggested the victims had been executed by ISIS when the jihadist group took control of the town in mid-2014.

Rutba, a small town of significant strategic value, lies on the road to Jordan, about 390 kilometres west of Baghdad.

The mayor of the town, which was retaken from ISIS in May last year, said one grave was found on a plot in a central neighbourhood that had been used to dump hospital waste while the other was located on Rutba's southern edge.

"The bodies we have seen have bullet impacts... We don't know the exact number of bodies because we are leaving this work to a forensic team but we expect there are about 25," Imad Meshaal said.

Rutba is very isolated in the desert of Anbar, a vast western province that has long been a Sunni insurgent stronghold and has borders with Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria.

ISIS militants have attacked the town several times since the security forces retook control of it.

Dozens of mass graves have been found across areas of Iraq that ISIS seized in 2014 and have since been retaken by the security forces.

Here is the original post:
Mass graves found in western Iraq: Officials - The Straits Times

A couple in El Cajon who met and fell in love while fighting the war in Iraq now fear that the President's travel ban may keep their families apart.

Amanda Matti was working as a U.S. Navy Intelligence Analyst and her husband was working as an Iraqi Interpreter, when the two met in Baghdad in 2005. Nowher husbands family fears the proposed travel ban will keep them separated from loved ones still in the Middle East.

It was love at first sight for both of us, it was pretty amazing, Amanda Matti told NBC 7.

Matti had been in Iraq for only three days and needed an interpreter to help with her work. She said she knew things would never be the same after meeting this man.

For months the pair worked side by side and spent several weeks on the front lines in Iraq near the Syrian border.

His work was dangerous, serving alongside members of the Marine Corps and Army in battles, including the first Battle of Fallujah and in Ramadi, said Matti. He was injured in combat several times, and there were many close calls.

"He was shot in the chest, luckily he was wearing body armor," said Matti.

Interpreters in Iraq also lived under the constant threat of being captured by insurgents.

"They were being systematically targeted -- they were being kidnapped and executed and dumped in street alleys. They were considered traitors to their country," said Matti.

The people of Iraq lived in chaotic fear at that time.

"They've had to sleep you know with AK-47s, and they've watched as their neighbors -- for years and years were good friends with -- suddenly turn on them," Matti told NBC 7.

The U.S. military was quick to question the couple's relationship, which was confusing for Matti because some of the men she worked with in the Navy had relationships with foreign women without any scrutiny.

Their affair resulted in a nine month investigation that kept the pair separated. At one point investigators even looked into whether Matti could be a possible spy, she said.

Matti eventually left the Navy. She said it was all because she fell in love with an Iraqi man.

She returned to the U.S., eventually followed by the Iraqi translator who is now her husband. It took two years of undergoing an extensive vetting process before her husband was able to immigrate to the U.S., where the two married and have two daughters together.

Some of his close family members were also eventually able to immigrate as refugees, but not all.

"A lot of these refugees are simply trying to find a safe haven so they don't have to worry about their children being annihilated by bombs," Matti told NBC 7.

Matti understands the fear of terrorism, but says the country needs to strike a delicate balance between security and liberty.

"The Iraqis and the service members who have served in Iraq have come face-to-face with it," said Matti of terrorism.

Although some people in the community where she lives in El Cajon support the proposed travel ban, she does not.

"It's giving people a false sense of security," said Matti.

"We keep limiting our own liberty here to achieve a sense of safety and there's got to be a balance."

Published at 8:58 PM PST on Feb 8, 2017 | Updated 55 minutes ago

More here:
Couple Brought Together in Iraq Fear Travel Ban Will Keep Families Apart - NBC 7 San Diego

Iraq has been blighted by ongoing conflict since the early 2000s, however the rise of the Islamic State in the northwest of the country in 2014 has caused considerable chaos and loss of life. Since the group gained territory across large swathes of Iraq, more than 3 million people have become internally displaced (IDPs), or have fled to border countries such as Turkey and Jordan as refugees. Almost half of those fleeing have taken refuge in Iraqi Kurdistan, including thousands of ethnic Kurds, Yazidis and Syrians escaping the Syrian civil war. The conflict has significantly weakened the health infrastructure in the country, and over 35% of Iraqi doctors have fled the country.

In 2014, Doctors of the World launched operations in Iraqi Kurdistan to provide access to healthcare for displaced people fleeing the Islamic State. Our teams work alongside the Iraqi government to provide medical and psychological assistance to refugees and IDP populations, such as those living in Chamisku camp on the border with Turkey.

We we run mobile health clinic projects in the newly liberated areas around Sinjar, such as Borek village and our teams are also active in the southern governorate of Kirkuk, where we operate 4 mobile clinics. In 2016 we expanded our operations in light of the battle to retake Mosul from the Islamic State, which resulted in the forced movement of thousands of people trying to escape the fighting between the Iraqi government and IS. We currently operate in once-small towns such as Kalata Farhahn, 12 miles from Mosul, where many have taken refuge.

Several of the displaced Iraqis fled to Chamisku refugee camp the largest IDP camp in northern Iraq. For the 26,000 residents of the camp, access to healthcare is extremely limited. Doctors of the World provides primary medical care, sexual and reproductive healthcare, psychosocial support and nutritional screening to identify cases of malnutrition in babies and children.

We provide 250 consultations a day in Chamisku camp, and many of our team are themselves refugees who live in Chamisku. Ghazwa Breassam, a mother of 2 children who fled Mosul with her family, provides consultations. About one in ten women who come to visit us are pregnant and there are often complications with the pregnancies. Many have undergone tremendous stress due to trauma. Even though they are safe here, its difficult to carry a child and give birth in this environment. We provide advice on family planning and a lot of emotional support, says Ghazwa.

Many of the people we treat have experienced significant trauma, and as a result require critical psychosocial support to help them cope. Most of our patients have witnessed shocking human rights abuses, such as acts of torture, executions and enslavement. In addition to providing individual counseling, our teams also provide group counseling sessions and psychosocial activities for children affected by the violence. We also conduct trainings for local medical and paramedical staff.

One of our psychologists working in Chamisku, Hairan Khalifa, fled with her Yazidi family to escape the Islamic State. Two of her cousins were killed, and the fate of her grandmother is still unknown. She currently lives in two neighboring tents with nine family members: her mother, her four sisters, her brother, his wife and her two nephews. Hairan believes that in her line of work, The most essential thing is to listen to people. I often see patients three or four times and their story is usually similar to mine. I do not prescribe medication, but I try to give advice to reduce stress. I try to be positive, to say the right thing and to bring some comfort. If their condition worsens, then they see a doctor and sometimes go to the hospital.

While the fighting in Mosul rages on, it is likely that more people will flee. Hairan tries not to dwell on the fate of her family too much. I hope one day we can leave this country, we have no future here. But for now, she concentrates on her work in Chamisku helping those fleeing the Islamic State to put the horrors of war behind them.

Continue reading here:
Iraq: 12 Miles From the Front Line - ReliefWeb

General Khalifa Haftar has refused to recognise the EU deal to stem the migrant influx through Libya. Photograph: Esam Omran Al-Fetori/Reuters

European diplomats are attempting a last-ditch effort to dissuade Russia from helping the renegade military strongman Khalifa Haftar seize overall military power in Libya.

Haftar, the military commander of Libyas eastern government, has sought Moscows help to battle Isis, but European diplomats fear that that he could join what has been described as Vladimir Putins axis of secular authoritarians in the Middle East alongside Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi.

The EU is instead hoping Russia possibly in alliance with the US will seek to persuade Haftar to settle for an enhanced military role, but under civilian command, and inside the UN-backed government of national accord (GNA) set up in December 2015.

In the wake of its success in Syria, Russia is seeking to expand its influence in the Middle East. Diplomats are watching to see if Russia engages constructively in Libya, or seeks instead solely to back Haftar to undermine the laborious UN efforts to get the multitude of Libyan factions to compromise.

Moscow, which is eager to recover lost oil and infrastructure investments in Libya has feted Haftar, and also tended to his wounded soldiers.

The crisis is urgent since the EU needs a viable government to work with to control the flow of refugee boats across the Mediterranean.

In a bid to test Russian intentions, the Italian government, the lead European nation on Libya, is to hold a second round of talks with Russia to persuade Moscow that a military dictator in sole power, especially Haftar, is not a viable solution to Libyas lawless trauma.

Foreign minister Angeleno Alfano said there were already positive signals coming from the dialogue with the Kremlin and he will meet his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, for a second time on 16 February in Bonn, Germany.

Russias role in Libya will also come up in talks between the Italian prime minister Paolo Gentiloni and Theresa May in London on Thursday where they will discuss what compromise could be crafted, if any, to give Haftar a role in the Tripoli-based GNA. Many Libyans have lost faith in the accords ability to deliver the basics such as functioning banks and electricity.

In repeated reconciliation talks overseen by the UN, the ineffectual GNA has so far failed to reach a political compromise with its Tobruk-based rivals in the east, noticeably Haftar, head of the Libyan National Army.

Haftar said over the weekend he believes his anti-terrorist agenda will now get a positive response from Donald Trump. The possibility of the combined backing of US and Russia is hardly conducive to Haftar compromising.

But EU sources still believe both US and Russia can be persuaded to look for a political compromise that brings the West and East of the country together.

Briefing the UN Security Council, special envoy for Syria Martin Kobler stated on Wednesday he was confident that within weeks a format could be agreed to make changes to the Libyan constitution including the role of Haftar. The challenge is to allow Haftar a senior role in the national defence force, but with the red line that he is subject to civilian control.

Crispin Blunt, the chair of the foreign affairs select committee, is one of the British voices urging the US not to be lured by the myth of a strong man.

Haftar needs to be part of the solution, but the suggestion that he is the solution falls apart in contact with the realities of Libya, he said. He is a divisive figure and it is more than an inconvenient truth that can be fudged.

There is some sign that a version of this message conveyed by European officials is getting through to Washington. In a weekend phone conversation Trump encouraged Gentiloni to continue with his Libyan policy. The outgoing US special envoy for Libya, Jonathan Winer, has also urged Trump not to back Haftar.

Boris Johnson, the UK foreign secretary, last week welcomed discussions with Russia about a future role for Haftar in Libya. We are still hopeful that Gen Haftar can be persuaded that he can be a big part of the future of Libya but without necessarily having to be a new jefe, he said.

The EU, largely dependent on Italian diplomacy, has agreed an ambitious plan to stem the flow of refugees by sea, including the use of the Libyan coast guard to turn the ships back. Italy also wants to stop the smuggling routes along Libyas southern borders with Niger and Chad.

The EU plan is already under attack from charities fearing the EU is planning to send migrants to inhumane detention camps in Libya in breach of international law. The Tobruk-based parliament has refused to recognise the EU deal and even Kobler has urged caution about the condition of the Libyan camps.

The next few weeks will determine whether the EU plan will work, or instead the baton is handed to a different team in Washington and Moscow.

Read more:
EU reaches out to Russia to broker deal with Libyan general Haftar - The Guardian

Alongside its debt crisis, the European Union has been grappling with another major problem: unwanted immigration. Last year, more than a million men, women and children refugees and irregular, economic immigrants poured into the bloc, putting a big strain on public services and leading to the re-imposition of border controls between some of the member states. A deal between the EU and Turkey eventually reduced to a trickle the flow of incomers from the east, but the influx from North Africa is increasing, and with tragic consequences. Of the tens of thousands of immigrants who reached Europe from the south after paying smugglers to get them across the Mediterranean, 4,500 perished in the attempt.

In a bid to stop this human traffic and save lives, the EU has now offered a second deal, this time with Libya.

The deal emerged from a recent summit of EU leaders in Malta and represents a new and controversial way of curbing immigration. British Prime Minister Theresa May, who took part in the summit, described the initiative as a comprehensive and coordinated approach to tackling one of the biggest challenges facing Europe.

The leaders agreed to pour millions of euros into beefing up the Libyan coast guard to stop people smugglers and to step up search and rescue operations. But far more controversially, the EU also offered to set up and fund refugee camps in southern Libya where people who are trying to reach Europe could be held and have their asylum claims processed. Human rights groups are aghast.

If Europe is admitting that it will struggle to meet the needs of refugees, how on earth can it expect a country, which barely has a functioning government, to do it?" asked Nick Dearden of the Global Justice campaign group.

This is not about saving migrant lives. This is simply about giving some money probably a lot of it will be taken from the aid budget to keep people where they are and push that burden onto other countries, he said.

The United Nations Human Rights Rapporteur has also entered the fray over the EUs new deal. Professor Francois Crepeau accused the European Council of pandering to anti-immigrant feeling for political reasons in order to stave off any populist backlash in the upcoming general elections in the Netherlands, France and Germany this year.

No one at the European Council headquarters in Brussels was prepared to comment.

Read more:
EU pins hopes on immigrant deal with Libya - WHQR