Archive for March, 2017

Iraq: Youth and Coexistence Forum Diyala Stop Underscores Iraqi Diversity’s Role in Building Future [EN/AR] – Reliefweb

Baqouba, Iraq, 25 March 2017 The United Nations took its Iraq: Youth and Coexistence Forum to Diyala Governorate, hoping to enrich the discussions aimed at gauging the opinions of the young generation on reconciliation with experiences from an area that symbolizes diversity but one which has paid a heavy price from conflict and violence.

It is the fourth of a series of cross-country youth forums intended to give a voice to youth for their crucial role in charting the road to peaceful coexistence in a future Iraq. With these kind of fora, the young generation of Iraqis across different ethnic and sectarian backgrounds has the opportunity to deliberate post-conflict issues, engage on national reconciliation and voice their opinion.

A total of 68 youth in the age group of 18-35 from Diyala Governorate participated in the Iraq: Youth and Coexistence forum, which the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) organized in collaboration with the Iraqi Al-Amal Association.

The opening session was attended by Mr. Khidr Muslim Hafez, secretarygeneral of the Diyala Governorate Council representing the governor, some members of the Diyala Governorate Council, Mr. Jaafar al-Zarkoush, director-general the Education Directorate in Diyala, Ms. Hana Edwar, head of the Al-Amal Association, and Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Iraq for Political and Electoral Affairs, Mr. Gyrgy Busztin.

Mr. Busztin noted in his address that the Diyala Governorates mix of various ethnic, sectarian and religious groups and the conflict it endured makes this stop all too important. He recalled that the UN has lost a staff member as a result of the violence in Diyala.

This governorate has suffered immensely and has offered great and painful sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. Diyala knew how to vanquish terrorism, rivalry and hate. The role of the young in peaceful coexistence and national reconciliation gives this stop in the series of forums great importance because of the diversity of this governorate and its suffering as a result of terrorism and rivalry, as well as triumphing over it, Mr. Busztin said.

The Diyala forum is the fourth of the cross-country forums. The first was launched in Basra on 28 January 2017 and brought together about 120 participants from the four southern governorates of Basra, Missan, Dhi Qar and Muthanna. The second followed in Erbil on 19 February with 135 participants from Ninewa Governorate. The third was held in Najaf on 18 March, with 115 participants from the Najaf, Karbala, Babel and Qadissiyah Governorates taking part. Other conferences are to follow in the Governorates of Suleimaniyah, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Salaheddin, culminating in an overarching national conference in Baghdad in May to be attended by representatives of the youth to incorporate recommendations from these forums in the decisions that support the process of reconciliation and coexistence.

As with the format for all the conferences, the participants in the Diyala forum broke up into working groups to deliberate and respond to questions about what they would like to see in a future Iraq and how they can contribute. At the end of the meeting, the participants debated their responses and adopted a set of recommendations.

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Iraq: Youth and Coexistence Forum Diyala Stop Underscores Iraqi Diversity's Role in Building Future [EN/AR] - Reliefweb

President Trump’s Meeting With the Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al … – The White House (blog)

On Monday, President Donald J. Trump welcomed Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to the Oval Office to reaffirm Americas support for Iraq and the Iraqi people in our shared fight against the terrorist group ISIS/Daesh.

President Donald Trump greets Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Monday, March 20, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Ben Applebaum)

President Trump was particularly honored that Prime Minister al-Abadi was one of the first foreign leaders he has hosted at the White House, a testament to the close bonds between the American and Iraqi people and the importance of the relationship between our governments.

President Donald Trump meets with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi in the Oval Office, Monday, March, 20, 2017. (Official White House photo by Benjamin Applebaum)

The President held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister al-Abadi of Iraq in the Cabinet room of the White House where he commended the Prime Minister on the work being done in Iraq. I want to thank you very much for being here, great respect for you. I know you're working very hard, and General Mattis and General McMaster and Rex Tillerson have all been telling me that you're doing a job -- its not an easy job, its a very tough job.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence pose for photos with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi and the Iraqi delegation in the Oval Office, Monday, March, 20, 2017. (Official White House photo by Benjamin Applebaum)

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President Trump's Meeting With the Prime Minister of Iraq Haider al ... - The White House (blog)

Tillerson’s Push for Safe Zones in Iraq and Syria Faces Questions, Obstacles – Foreign Policy (blog)


Foreign Policy (blog)
Tillerson's Push for Safe Zones in Iraq and Syria Faces Questions, Obstacles
Foreign Policy (blog)
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson announced a plan to establish safe zones in war-torn countries to allow refugees to return home, setting the stage for a dramatic shift in refugee policy and a greater U.S. and Western military footprint in Iraq and ...
Pentagon: After defeat of ISIS in Iraq, our troops will remain to protect our 'interests'AMN Al-Masdar News (registration)
US troops to stay in Iraq after fight against ISIS ends Defense Dept. officialsRT
Mattis: Expect US troops in Iraq even after ISIS fallsMilitary Times
Center for Research on Globalization -Newsweek -Breitbart News
all 363 news articles »

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Tillerson's Push for Safe Zones in Iraq and Syria Faces Questions, Obstacles - Foreign Policy (blog)

New state veterans secretary is Iraq War vet – Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Dan Zimmerman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served in the first Gulf War and Iraq, is the new state secretary of veterans affairs.(Photo: Meg Jones/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

MADISON- The new secretary of veterans affairs takes over a department facingcontroversy over care at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at King and contentious relations with county veterans service officers.

Dan Zimmerman, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, 51, is being praised for his transparency, improving communications with veterans organizations and county veterans service officers and for moving swiftly to reassign the commandant of the King home. Thedepartment has a $143 million budget and 1,300 employees, most of whom work at the state's three veterans homes in Chippewa Falls, King and Union Grove.

Under Zimmerman's predecessor John Scocos, who left in January, the Legislature launched an audit of the King home because of concerns over the quality of care and spending. Last year county veterans service officers and county administrators sharply criticized efforts to change the way block grants are doled out by the state Department of Veterans Affairs.

He said the biggest challenge is ensuring veterans living in Wisconsin take advantage of the benefits and programs available to them.

"One of the things with veterans is they tend not to self-identify. We know we have over 400,000 in the state, but we don't know where they're all at and they don't always come in" to seek services and benefits, Zimmerman said in an interview last weekin Madison.

Rick Patton, Fond du Lac County's veterans service officer, is encouraged by the change in leadership.

"There was a lot of friction with the last secretary and our state association. I am looking forward to a new slate," said Patton, an Army veteran. "I've already seen some of the ice melt in Madison, which is a good sign."

On Zimmerman's first day he visited the home at King and drove to Oshkosh to meet withJoe Aulik, president of the state veterans service officer association.

"We felt like we weren't looked at like stakeholders in the delivery of benefits. We didn't have good communication and collaboration with the previous administration. Dan wants to open that up," said Aulik.

Zimmerman faces an evolving cohort of veterans that includesrapidly dwindling World War II and Korean War populations as the ranks of post-9/11 veterans swell. Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are coping with traumatic brain injuries, amputated limbs and spinal injuries, PTSDand other health issuesas well as difficulties reintegrating into society, homelessness, suicide and addictions to drugs and alcohol. And they'll be in the veterans care system for many decades.

Programs for homeless veterans are located at each of the homes, but Zimmerman said an effort is underway to boost the number of beds for homeless female veterans at King. He has launched a strategic plan to identify the future needs of veterans.

Zimmerman joined the Army shortly after graduating from New Berlin West High School in 1983, choosingcombat engineers because of the short two-year enlistment. After his Army stint, he went to the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse andearned a geography degree. He joined ROTC where he was encouraged to return to active duty and pickedmilitary intelligence.

He deployed to Honduras in 1987, the Gulf War in 1990-'91, Bosnia in the mid-'90s and Kosovo, 2000-'01. During the first Gulf War Zimmermanwas an assistant brigade intelligence officer in the 3rd Armored Division, moving through Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq. He volunteered to return to Iraq in 2006-'07 and was the chief of staff for a 1,000-member team training Iraqi police.

"I really honestly hoped I didn't have to go back there," Zimmerman said of returning to a country he left 15 years earlier. "But you do what you have to do."

Afterretiringfrom the Army in 2008, Zimmerman, who lives in Ripon, worked as a training consultant for the U.S. National Guard Bureau and a threat planner at Wisconsin Emergency Management. He was hired in the early 2000s to directthe ROTC programs at Marian University and Ripon College by Tony Blando, then commander of the Fox Valley Army ROTC Battalion.

Blando, who is now chief of staff forU.S. Sen.Ron Johnson, praised Zimmerman for his moral character and intelligence.

"Dan is one of the smartest people I've ever met in my entire life," said Blando. "He's going to do the right thing. He's tough. He has the ability to look at a complex problem, and he can focus in on the root cause and solve the problem."

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Libyan court suspends deal struck with Italy aiming to reduce refugee boat crossings over Mediterranean Sea – The Independent

A Libyan court has suspended an agreement struck with Italy aiming to reduce refugee boat crossings across the Mediterranean Sea.

A document released by the justice ministry in Tripoli did not give a reason for the move, which comes as an increasing numbers of migrants are launched by smugglers towards Europe with the arrival of spring.

The justice ministry of the Government of National Accord (GNA) confirms that the court is still examining the issue in order pending a ruling, and that no final judgement has been issued, it said.

The GNA is not recognised by Libya's Tobruk-based parliament, which backs a rival administration in eastern regions where a powerful Russian-backed warlord holds sway.

The rival parliament declared the agreement struck between Tripoli and Italy null and void in February and declared the GNA had no legal status in the Libyan state.

Continued conflict between warring parties since the Nato-backed removal of Muammar Gaddafi has worsened around crucial oil ports this month, endangering European efforts to replicate the EU-Turkey deal, which dramatically cut refugee crossings to Greece last year.

Rising arrivals to Italy sparked attempts to stem the flow by increasing cooperation with authorities in Libya, where 90 per cent of boats crossing the Central Mediterranean are launched.

Desperate journeys: Rescued at sea, refugees detail abuse in Libya

But the UN-backed GNA is failing to regain territory controlled by factions including Isis, while armed gangs and smugglers have capitalised on widespread lawlessness to detain, extort, enslave and eventually export migrants for profit.

More than 5,000 asylum seekers were killed attempting the treacherous crossing in 2016 and a record of at least 583 more have died so far this year, with fears of another 240 drowning when their dinghies sunk last week.

A deal struck between the Italian and Libyan prime ministers in February said it aimed to tackle people smuggling, with Paolo Gentiloni pledging millions of Euros and equipment to bolster the capacity of Libyan authorities.

The move, backed by fellow EU member states at a summit in Malta, alarmed the UN and humanitarian agencies who have long reported the murder, torture, rape and abuse of migrants in both government and militia-run detention centres.

The Libyan coastguard, being trained by the UK and other European nations, is additionally accused of attacking international rescue ships, shooting refugees and causing hundreds to drown.

Almost 22,000 migrants have been rescued at sea and taken to Italy so far this year, mainly from sub-Saharan African countries and Bangladesh.

EU leaders are aiming to shift some of the responsibility for search and rescue operations to the Libyan government and hope to set up new migrant camps in the country where failed asylum seekers can be returned to their home countries before journeying to Europe.

But the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) cautioned that it could take a long time for facilities to meet international humanitarian standards.

There are a number of vital issues that need to be addressed regarding Libya, Stephane Jaquemet, the UNHCRs regional representative for southern Europe, told The Independent.

Interior ministers from Libya, Tunisia, Italy, Germany, Malta and other nations affected by the crisis released a fresh declaration to tackle the root causes of migration and combat smuggling on Monday, but it was unclear how their aim can be achieved.

Tensions are also increasing over Russias alleged support for General Khalifa Haftar, whose Libyan National Army resists the GNA.

Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, leaves the Russia's foreign ministry after a meeting in November 2016 (AFP/Getty)

The 73-year-old veteran, who served under Gaddafi before fighting to oust him in 2011, visited Moscow twice last year and was invited on to Russias Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier as it returned from waters off the coast of Syria in January, for talks with the defence minister.

Sir Michael Fallon criticised the discussions, saying: We dont need the [Russian] bear sticking his paws in.

The Russian defence minister, Sergei Shoigu, responded by saying there was no animal in Britains zoo that can tell a bear what to do.

General Haftar has the backing of Egypt and the UAE but was shunned by Barack Obamas administration. Donald Trumps position remains unclear.

The head of US forces in Africa said there was an undeniable link between Russia and General Haftar, saying Russian troops were on the ground and trying to influence the action in the region.

Marine General Thomas Waldhauser said the US would maintain a force in Libya, where it backed local forces in the offensive to drive Isis out of its stronghold of Sirte.

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Libyan court suspends deal struck with Italy aiming to reduce refugee boat crossings over Mediterranean Sea - The Independent