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As the country spirals downwards, the disease spreads

Oct 3rd 2020

PITY THE doctors of Iraq. Thousands are thought to have contracted covid-19. If the disease doesnt get them, local tribesmen might. Every time a patient dies we all hold our breath, says Dr Tariq al-Sheibani, the director of a hospital in southern Iraq. A month ago a young man from the Hasnawi tribe died of covid-19 in his hospital. That night, as Dr Sheibani left work, 20 of the dead mans relatives beat him unconscious. The doctor is trying to press charges (CCTV cameras captured the scene), but officials told his family that they would be safer if he did not.

Most Arab regimes have dealt with covid-19 by tightening their grip. Not Iraq. It gave up on lockdowns long ago. The government seems powerless to enforce social distancing or the wearings of masks (some men see the coverings as an insult to their virility). It has little money to spend on a health service gutted by war and corruption. Clergymen still organise mass gatherings. Officially the virus has infected more than 350,000 Iraqis and killed more than 9,000. That is surely an undercount, yet it is still more than in any other Arab country.

Like Iraqs tribes, the countrys Shia ayatollahs set their own rules. They are going ahead with Arbaeen, an annual pilgrimage to Karbala, a holy city. Thousands of Shia faithful have already begun walking the 500km from Basra, eating and bedding down together in wayside huts. The risk of transmission will increase further when hundreds of thousands more converge on Karbala on October 7th. The surrounding province already has the countrys second-highest infection rate, probably because of a pilgrimage in August.

The government has tried to limit foreign pilgrims by closing Iraqs land borders and restricting flights from Iran. But there is only so much it can do. People believe visiting the tomb of Hussein [in Karbala] cures covid-19, sighs a former government health adviser. Muqtada al-Sadr, a firebrand cleric, has led a campaign to keep the shrines open and defied a ban on Friday prayers. Lately Iraqis have been haphazardly digging up relatives who were buried in a special coronavirus cemetery so that they can be given proper funeral rites.

Better medical care would help. Iraq spends about half as much per person as its poorer neighbour, Jordan, on health. A lot of it is wastedor stolen. The health ministry is led by a technocrat, but it is full of Mr Sadrs men, who stand in the way of reform. Just ask Alaa al-Alwan, who tried to clean it up. The former health minister resigned last year, citing excessive pressure from within the ministry. Other officials persuaded him to stay onbut he resigned again months later, citing corruption, blackmail and defamation.

Today there are fewer hospital beds and doctors in Iraq than before the American invasion in 2003, though the population has almost doubled. Some 20,000 doctors have fled abroad, says the Iraqi Medical Association, the doctors syndicate. Many of those who remain recently went on strike over poor working conditions (basic items, such as masks, are lacking). Hospital directors are so short-staffed that they are loth to let infected doctors go into quarantine. Meanwhile, falling revenues caused by a collapse in the price of oil mean the government has no money to hire thousands of medical graduates. The prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, suggests they volunteer. The least the government could do is protect them from angry tribesmen.

Editors note: Some of our covid-19 coverage is free for readers of The Economist Today, our daily newsletter. For more stories and our pandemic tracker, see our hub

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline "Out of control"

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Iraq is too broken to protect itself from covid-19 - The Economist

Dominate the information environment with weaponized truthFORT HOOD, Texas -- In an overview into the contested information environment in Iraq and Syria, Col. Myles B. Caggins III will lead a Warriors Corner discussion with questions and answers at this years virtual Association of the United States Army 2020 Annual Meeting and Exposition Oct. 15, 1:15 p.m.Caggins, who just returned to Texas from serving as the spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve, will discuss the information challenges faced by the 77-nation Coalition fighting to destroy ISIS, from not just terrorist organizations and state sponsors of terror, but major powers and occasionally, allies.Its about relentless engagement, said Caggins. Dominate the information environment with weaponized truth. I want our adversaries to react to what we are doing.Caggins will also discuss some of the techniques developed by CJTF-OIR to cut through language and technological barriers and combat active enemy influence and disinformation operations.To connect with audiences, the U.S.-led Coalition worked with security partner spokespersons in Iraq and Syria and often conducted press conferences and engagements in Northeastern Syria, Suleimani, Erbil, Kirkuk, Al Asad, and many other locations, working with Arabic, Kurdish, and Western media.The core audience was those who were affected by ISIS, and those threatened by ISIS or security forces fighting ISIS, said Caggins. We tried to inform and inspire, without offending anyone.The discussion includes critical questions for military leaders on the culture of communication, training, resourcing, and competing to win in the public information environment.Maj. Gabriela S. Thompson, past Coalition media outreach officer, will participate in the discussion.Those interested in participating in the discussion need to register with AUSA.Related LinksArmy.mil: Worldwide NewsU.S. Army III CorpsAUSA Now: 2020 Annual Meeting and Exposition Schedule

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Public information warfare in Iraq and Syria whos winning? - United States Army

The following is the Sept. 29, 2020 Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Iraq and U.S. Policy

Al Kadhimi Government Facing Numerous Challenges

In May 2020, Iraqs parliament confirmed Iraqi National Intelligence Service director Mustafa al Kadhimi as Prime Minister, and in June finished confirmation of his cabinet members, bringing months of political deadlock over government leadership to a close. Upon taking office, Al Kadhimi declared that his government would serve in a transitional capacity and would work to improve security and fight corruption while preparing for early elections. Iraqi authorities have instituted curfews and travel restrictions in response to the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, which threatens public health, the economy, and public finances.

Prime Minister Al Kadhimis priorities include:

Al Kadhimi has called for early elections in June 2021 under a revamped electoral system, but fiscal pressures, political rivalries, and limited institutional capacity present serious hurdles to reform. A series of high profile assassinations in 2020 of protest leaders and of a prominent security researcher have intensified public scrutiny of Al Kadhimis credibility and his governments ability to act against armed groups operating outside state authority. Ongoing rocket and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks against U.S. and Iraqi facilities and convoys further underscore these concerns. Islamic State insurgents also remain active, especially in rural areas.

To date, Al Kadhimis administration has focused on COVID-19 risks and responding to related economic and fiscal fallout. The Prime Minister visited the United States in August 2020 for strategic dialogue talks. Throughout September 2020, resurgent reform demands from Iraqi activists and U.S. pressure for action against Iran-backed armed groups dominated the policy agenda in Iraq, as COVID-19 infection rates continued to rise.

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Report on Iraq and US Policy - USNI News - USNI News

A GROUP of tradesmen who were held hostage in Iraq have told how they initially didnt think they were in danger because they were used to a military presence living in Northern Ireland.

In 1990, the painters and decorators travelled to Baghdad with construction company Mivan to work on one of Saddam Husseins palaces, a job that was expected to last just a few weeks.

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But when Iraq invaded neighbouring Kuwait, they found themselves at the centre of an international crisis.

Even worse, they were stranded at the mercy of the evil dictator who used them as pawns in his dealings with the Margaret Thatcher-led UK government.

While Hussein referred to them and thousands of other foreign nationals as his guests and heroes of peace, they remained trapped in Iraq for almost five months.

Now, 30 years after they were dramatically released, their story is being told in a new BBC documentary, True North: Belfast to Baghdad.

Iraq was an attractive country for construction work at the time, and the men had no qualms about travelling there.

Engineer Michael Sands recalled how he had absolutely no concern at all about the job in Iraq.

He explained: Wed all lived through the Troubles.

I was ten in 1969 so I was well used to the Troubles and a militarised country so it didnt have a bearing on my decision to go.

Following Iraqs invasion of Kuwait, family back home were terrified for their safety, but the men didnt realise the seriousness as they only had access to Iraqs heavily controlled media.

Michael ONeill recalled: On the newspapers it was that Kuwait had a revolution and they were there to help, which was lies.

As a US-led coalition prepared for war, the men suddenly stopped getting paid and were forced to move from their hotel to staff houses.

They stopped working in protest, but were then warned that they wouldnt receive exit visas.

Over time, hostages from other countries were allowed home, but due to the UKs strong stance against Iraq, anyone from Britain or NI remained trapped.

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Hussein finally agreed to let them go after five months, fearing the consequences if any foreign citizens were killed on Iraqi soil during the war.

Painter Paul McCabe recalled: Iraq was a lovely country. I know Saddam was a tyrant but it was still a lovely country and the people were great.

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Irish tradesmen recall being held hostage in Iraq after travelling to work on one of Saddam Husseins pa - The Irish Sun

The Army intends to close two units developed to fix problems faced by troops fighting Americas wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the service said in a statement Friday.

The Asymmetric Warfare Group and the Rapid Equipping Force will be deactivated by Sept. 30, 2021, the statement said. Personnel and resources from both organizations will be absorbed into the larger force, the Army said.

The closures are due to a shift in focus away from counterinsurgency operations, the Army said, toward large-scale combat and great power competition, a term that often refers to countries such as Russia and China.

The decision comes as the U.S. looks to end its war in Afghanistan as part of a deal with the Taliban, with troop levels expected to drop to between 4,000 and 5,000 by the end of November, according to congressional testimony last month.

The Asymmetric Warfare Group, or AWG, sends military and civilian consultants to units in training and on the battlefield. The group, which began its missions in 2004, originally focused on countering the improvised explosive device threat in Iraq and grew to more than 300 members.

Over the years, the groups projects included a fast-acting smoke grenade to obscure snipers, a system to remotely shoot dirt off suspicious mounds to check for buried bombs, and a portable tunnel training facility to train soldiers in subterranean warfare.

Advisers, often deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in pairs, also teach combat units how to counter specific enemy tactics.

The Rapid Equipping Force, headquartered in Fort Belvoir, Va., invented new equipment in response to what soldiers deployed to Afghanistan said they needed.

The organization debuted in 2002 and has a team based in Bagram Airfield. There, engineers talk to soldiers about challenges faced and try to create solutions.

In a visit by Stars and Stripes to the team in 2019, engineers showed off battery holsters, hands-free radio attachments and other inventions for soldiers manufactured via a 3D printer.

Research by both organizations will be saved and maintained by the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center, the service said in its statement.

The decision to end the two organizations comes after the closure of Afghanistan-Pakistan Hands, another program created during the War on Terror. The AfPak Hands was much lauded at the time for training advisers in languages such as Dari, Pashto or Urdu. But that program faced criticism for stifling the careers of those who joined and ended Wednesday.

Critics said the Armys decision to focus on large-scale warfare and shutter programs that addressed the counterinsurgency warfare common in Iraq and Afghanistan may be short sighted.

This is a familiar cycle, said Rebecca Zimmerman, an independent researcher formerly at the RAND Corp, on Twitter on Friday. The Army always has to be told to do the missions it dislikes It lasts as long as senior leaders force it and then fades into not quite memory.

lawrence.jp@stripes.comTwitter: @jplawrence3

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Army to shut down units created to help soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq - Stars and Stripes