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Iraq won't take part in any regional or international conflicts, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told state TV on Saturday.

The comment came after Abadi had spoke in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump during which tensions with Iran were mentioned. The call was the first between the two leaders.

A political commentator close to Abadi, Ihsan al-Shammari, said Abadi's comment addressed the U.S.-Iranian tensions.

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Iran has close ties with the Shi'ite political elite ruling Iraq while Washington is providing critical military support to Iraqi forces battling the Islamic State militant group (ISIS).

"Iraq is very keen to preserve its national interests (..)and does not wish to be part of any regional or international conflict which would lead to disasters for the region and for Iraq," Abadi said, according to state TV.

Trump said on Friday that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani "better be careful" after the latter was quoted as saying that anyone who speaks to Iranians with threats would ''regret it.''

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi attends a news conference in Kirkuk, Iraq, October 14, 2016. Ako Rasheed/Reuters

The White House on Friday said Trump and Abadi "spoke to the threat Iran presents across the entire region," in their first phone call since the inauguration of the U.S. president.

Abadi's office on Friday also gave a readout of the phone call that took place overnight Thursday, without specifically mentioning Iran.

Both readouts stressed the importance of their continued cooperation against ISIS, as the militants are being pushed back in Iraq and losing control over Mosul, the last major city stronghold under their control in the country.

The United States has more than 5,000 troops deployed in Iraq and is providing air and ground support in the battle of Mosul.

Iran has also played a major role in the fight against ISISby arming and training Iraqi Shi'ite groups collectively known as Popular Mobilization.

"The Iraqi prime minister Dr. Abadi is stressing once again the policy of neutrality and to steer clear from conflicts,'' political commentator Shammari told state TV.

The Iraqi readout said Abadi asked Trump to lift the ban on people from his country traveling to the United States.

U.S. courts suspended the restrictions announced end January on entries from Iraq, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Trump has said he will keep trying to reinstate them.

Abadi resisted calls from influential pro-Iranian Shi'ite politicians to retaliate against the ban, at a meeting held on Jan. 29, citing Iraq's need for U.S. military support.

Washington last week ratcheted up pressure on Iran, putting sanctions on 13 individuals and 12 entities days after the White House put Tehran "on notice" over a ballistic missile test.

Iran's dominant influence in Iraqi politics was eroded after ISISrouted the Iraqi army commanded then by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a close ally of Tehran, in 2014.

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Iraq: Leave Us Out of US-Iran Tensions - Newsweek

And even more incredibly begin paying him and his law firm Public Interest Lawyers hundreds of thousands of pounds to accompany clients to interviews, held in Lebanon and in Turkey.

At least one of Shiners agents Abu Jamal was also paid more than 100,000 by Ihat while also being paid by Shiner.

The MoD privately accepts that the cases involving Shiner are now tainted as a consequence.

The Telegraph can also disclose that Red Snapper, the recruitment company that supplied almost 130 private investigators to Ihat, is expected to be paid almost 5 million this year - even after the inquiry is wound up.

An Ihat spokesman said Red Snapper had a contract to supply staff to Ihat that runs until January 31 2018.

The contract is worth 4.8 million a year. The MoD, which funded Ihat, will now have to explore break clauses in the contract.

An Ihat spokesman said it was too soon to say how much Red Snapper would receive in the lead up to the shut down of the Iraq investigation.

The Telegraph previously disclosed how Red Snappers founders the husband and wife team Martin and Helen Jerrold had paid themselves hundreds of thousands of pounds in dividends since being awarded the Ihat contract.

Mr Jerrold said: A key feature of the Red Snapper service is our ability to scale teams up and down in an expedient, professional manner ensuring both our clients and workers are fully supported. This is all part of the service we supply and we are ready to move to a scaling down, redeployment phase at the request of the Ihat.

Hilary Meredith, a defence solicitor who represents a number of war veterans who were investigated by Ihat, is calling for an inquiry into what went wrong with Ihat.

She said: Had the MoD supported our troops many of the false accusations brought by Ihat would have come to light much sooner, saving money and anguish. The MoD must take responsibility for creating an environment in which claims were allowed against service personnel with little or no supporting evidence. There needs to be a full inquiry into the relationship between the MoD, Phil Shiner and his firm Public Interest Lawyers.

Rachel Webster, a former Army captain, who was investigated by Ihat and was subsequently paid damages for her rough treatment during her arrest, said: There needs to be some form of inquiry into why these investigations were allowed to go on for so long.

Miss Webster, who was officially cleared by Ihat in September two-and-a-half years after being arrested in a dawn raid, added: Who thought it was right to do what they did to me and every other soldier?

Writing in todays Sunday Telegraph, Johnny Mercer, the former Army captain who chaired the parliamentary investigation into Ihat, said he was dismayed that the MoD had congratulated itself on the decision to shut Ihat when it should have been questioning why it had allowed Ihat to flourish.

It'ssad... that after all these years, the MoD decided that the best way to handle this situation was to shower praise on itself for reporting Phil Shiner, disregarding their role facilitating him, and the ensuing pain and bitterness this process had created amongst the serving ranks, he writes.

On Saturday, Mark Lancaster, the Minister in charge of defence veterans, defended its handling of Ihat.

Mr Lancaster told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: It was set up for entirely the right reasons. Without having Ihat, potentially our troops could have been subjected to inquiries by the International Criminal Court.

But it was a process that was completely abused by lawyers.

Asked about the MPs report that the MoD had been complicit in the creation of the legal industry that sprang up around Ihat, Mr Lancaster said: It is a serious allegation. Im not sure that there is any evidence that the MoD have been complicit in that."

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Unanswered questions behind the failed witch hunt of Iraq veterans - Telegraph.co.uk

An injured protester is assisted after reacting to tear gas during a demonstration against corruption in Baghdad, Iraq, on Feb. 11, 2017. (Karim KadimAP

(BAGHDAD) Two rockets landed in Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone on Saturday night following clashes at anti-government protests that left five dead, according to Iraqi security and hospital officials.

The rocket attack left no casualties as the munitions landed on the parade grounds in the center of the highly fortified Baghdad compound that is home to Iraq's government and most foreign embassies. It was not immediately clear who fired the projectiles.

Saturday's protests were called for by influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and clashes that erupted as crowds pushed toward the Green Zone left two policeman and three protesters dead, according to police and hospital officials.

The officials said six other policemen were injured along with dozens of protesters. The violent outbreak prompted the government to call for a "full investigation."

The demonstrators loyal to al-Sadr gathered in Baghdad's downtown Tahrir square demanded an overhaul of the commission overseeing local elections scheduled this year. Al-Sadr has accused the commission of being riddled with corruption and has called for its overhaul.

Shots rang out in central Baghdad as security forces used live fire and tear gas to disperse the crowds. An Associated Press team at the scene witnessed ambulances rushing away protesters suffering from breathing difficulties.

Hospital officials who spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to brief journalists said the policemen died of gunshot wounds. They gave no details as to the cause of death of the protesters.

While at times the crowds advanced toward Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, by afternoon they began to disperse after a statement from al-Sadr's office called on his followers to refrain from trying to enter the compound.

Meanwhile, Iraq's prime minister ordered an investigation into the violence.

"The prime minister ordered a full investigation into the injuries among security forces and protesters during the demonstration today in Tahrir square," read a statement from Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's office Saturday evening.

Al-Sadr's office issued another statement Saturday night following news of protester casualties claiming that "excessive force" was used against the demonstrators and threatened greater protests. "The next time the blood of our martyrs will not go in vain," the statement read.

"We will not give in to threats," said the head of the electoral commission, Serbat Mustafa, in an interview with a local Iraqi television channel Saturday afternoon. Mustafa said he would not offer his resignation and accused al-Sadr of using the commission as a political "scapegoat."

Al-Sadr has been a vocal critic of al-Abadi, and last year protests that included many of his followers breached the highly fortified Green Zone twice.

Attention in Iraq is generally focused on the war against the Islamic State group, with Iraqi forces currently fighting the militants in Mosul, but al-Abadi is also facing a serious power struggle in Baghdad. A deepening economic crisis and persistent insurgent attacks in the Iraqi capital have fueled support for powerful political opponents of al-Abadi like al-Sadr.

Al-Abadi has said that he respects the rights of all Iraqis to peacefully demonstrate but called on the protesters Saturday to obey the law and respect public and private property.

The Green Zone is home to most of Iraq's foreign embassies and is the seat of the Iraqi government.

___

Associated Press writer Murtada Faraj contributed to this report.

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Rockets Hit Baghdad's Green Zone After Protests Turn Violent - TIME

Baghdad, 12 February 2017 On 9 February, UNESCO, together with the Ministry of Education of Iraq, launched the piloting of a national Student Information Management System (SIMS). The SMIS aims at providing accurate and up-to-date information on the education system in Iraq, immediately available for effective decision-making.

The piloting of the SIMS in Rusafa/3 general directorate of education in Baghdad is the result of a significant, sustained financial and human investment by UNESCO: you now have a system that is capable of collecting data on all forms of education, from schools to the central levels said Mrs. Louise Haxthausen, Director of the UNESCO office for Iraq, adding that such a comprehensive system is critical to strengthen the evidence-base for planning, management and reform of the education sector in Iraq.

The launch of the piloting came on the last day of a 5-day intense training of trainers own the use by Ministry of Education staff in SIMS. We will do everything we can to ensure the implementation of the SMIS, because it is crucial for improved management of the education system in our country, said Dr. Saad Ibrahim, Director General of the Education Planning in the Ministry of Education.

This project is very important for the development of education. I urge all of you to be committed to implement what you have learned, said Dr. Hamid Khalef the Head of the following-up committee on the requirement of IPSM Programme rest assured that the Government and UNESCO will work hand-in-hand to support you for a successful piloting of the SIMS.

The development and testing of the SIMS is a contribution to the Iraqi Public Sector Modernisation Programme, jointly implemented by the United Nations in Iraq.

For more information, contact: Mr. Dhea Subhee, Public Information Officer, UNESCO Office for Iraq Tel.: +964 078 2783 2739; Email: d.subhee@unesco.org

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UNESCO launches a Student Information Management System (SIMS) in Iraq [EN/AR] - ReliefWeb

I started working with the U.S. Army, Bravo Company 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) in Baghdad on March 1, 2003. I joined because of my complete faith that the United States had come to Iraq to give us our freedom and dignity back and remove injustice.

Despite my decade of service to the United States, when I finally got my visa and arrived in New York late last month, I was detained for more than 18 hours at the airport because of the ban President Donald Trump ordered on travel from Iraq and six other mostly Muslim nations. This was not the America I knew. Maybe the ban is not really reflective of America: It has been blocked by the courts so far, including a federal appeals court ruling Thursday night, so that it cannot take effect while it's being challenged.

When I was first detained, I was disappointed and surprised. But when I was released, my faith was again restored. I was moved by the crowds of people who came to welcome me. And I'm so glad that I have come to live here with my wife and our three children.

I spent about a decade working for the U.S. government in Iraq, as an Army interpreter, an engineer with the Army Corps of Engineers and for the State Department at the U.S. Consulate in Irbil. I helped Americans protect Iraqis from al-Qaida terrorists, provide water and electricity, train local police and renovate utilities, roads, bridges, schools, libraries, clinics and hospitals. When I was with my Army colleagues, we were brothers in arms. We lived together, ate together and looked out for each other. They treated me like a soldier alongside them, and we were all one unit. I still have a very strong relationship with them.

In 2005 in Baghdad, terrorists tracked and killed two of my Iraqi colleagues. I was also ambushed, but got away. The same terrorists tried to track me a second time. They knew my home address, and I expected them to attack any moment. I lived very carefully. The day that they came to my house, I ran away before they showed up. The next day, my family and I moved to another city. But after 1 1/2 years, the terrorists found me again. They were looking for me in a public marketplace, and neighbors warned me to leave. We moved again, but we knew we would not be safe forever. So I decided to try to move us to the United States.

I contacted a friend who was an Army officer, and he gave me the email address for the International Refugee Assistance Project, a New York-based nonprofit providing legal representation for people seeking refugee status. Its CUNY Law chapter took on my case in October 2014.

I waited almost three years for my visa. I filled out many forms and submitted documents to the U.S. government. I had to travel back to Baghdad to be interviewed at the embassy. I was finally granted my visa on Jan. 20, 2017, the day Trump was sworn in. I received the visas for my whole family the following Wednesday.

That day, our representatives in New York called to say we should fly to the United States immediately because an executive order would be issued soon that would prevent us from traveling. We didn't know it would take effect while we were in midair.

We had to leave most of our things behind; we didn't even get to inform our relatives that we were leaving. Our lawyers first booked us on a flight Thursday that would have gotten us to New York Friday morning. But the airline didn't let us board because we didn't have a visa we'd need to make two scheduled connections in Turkey. IRAP rebooked us on a flight out Friday morning, with just one stop in Istanbul, that would land that evening in New York.

We arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 27 an hour after the travel ban was signed. When we got off the plane, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer escorted me to another office without my family and asked me to wait. He held my passport with my U.S. Special Immigrant Visa inside and took an envelope with additional documents I had been given at the embassy in Baghdad. The officer said my family could wait outside by baggage claim.

They kept me in the back office.

At first, they didn't ask any questions. I could not see a clock, so I did not know how much time had passed. I started to worry: I knew our legal team was waiting for us in the airport, but I wasn't sure if they met my family.

After about two hours, I asked an officer, "Why am I here?" She said, "You just wait." After a while, I asked again, and she got nervous. She told me they were waiting for a phone call. I asked if I was arrested or if they suspected me of something, and her answer was "No." I told them I wanted to meet my attorney or make a phone call, but they did not answer.

After four or five hours, I realized it must be because of the executive order. When I was still in Iraq, my legal team had prepared me for the possibility that the order would make an officer detain and question me. They even prepared a letter for me to give to the officers, which I had done right away. There was no other reason they could have stopped me.

That night, I was confused and did not know what to do. I kept asking about my family, but I got no answers. What happened to them? How were they doing? I was sure they were scared. But I had no choice: I knew I should listen to the officers and keep calm.

At some point, they decided to move me to another part of the airport. Two officers asked me to empty my pockets. They put everything I had in a bag and informed me that they would move me to another terminal. They said they were preparing to send me back to Iraq. When I asked about my family, they told me I would meet them there and we would all be deported from the United States to Iraq.

They said they would handcuff me until we arrived at the next building, telling me, "It is for your safety because it is a dangerous area." I told them I did not want any trouble, and they handcuffed me. It was the first time in my life I had been put in handcuffs. I tried to explain again that I served with the U.S. Army in Iraq, and had come to the United States because the government created a resettlement program to support people like me who worked with the Army. They didn't respond.

I was put in a chair in another room. I couldn't sleep because I was very worried about my family. I thought there must be something wrong, a misunderstanding. It was clear the officers were confused and did not know what to do with me. I asked them, "Are you arresting me?" They said, "No." "Do you suspect me?" "No." I told them again that I had a Special Immigrant Visa. They could not answer my questions.

I was so confused. I had waited for so long and presented so many documents to the U.S. government over many years to prove my service. After all that, they were going to kick me out? They knew I was repeatedly threatened in Iraq. How could they treat me this way after all I had done? No one could give me any explanation for why they were holding me. People like me who served the United States should be welcomed. We have sacrificed and faced enough risks because of our service.

Around 5:30 a.m. on Saturday, after nearly 12 hours in detention, one officer told me, "You have a right to talk to your attorney." They called Jonathan Polonsky, my family's supervising IRAP attorney. He said they were working hard to release me, filing a lawsuit to challenge the ban alongside the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups. He told me: "Do not worry about your family. They are safe with IRAP students. They have left the airport." Federal agents continued to hold me.

That day, one officer bought food for me with his own money. Finally, an officer said they would help by filling out a form with my information, asking me some questions and asking me to sign it. "We will return your stuff and you will be free with your family," one officer said. He apologized and told me they were just doing their duty and following an order. "Welcome to the United States, and thank you for serving our country," he said. "Thank you, sir," I told him. "I understand." And then they released me.

When they escorted me into the airport, a crowd greeted me. They welcomed me to the United States. In that moment, I felt the greatness of America. Yes, this is the United States of America this is the America I knew from my work in Iraq.

Over the course of those 18 hours, I had grown more and more disappointed. They let me down by treating me as a criminal and handcuffing me. But then I was welcomed by good people cheering for me and for my release. I came from a country where there was no respect for human rights, no freedom of speech. So I was shocked to emerge from the airport and be greeted with cameras, members of Congress and reporters asking for my opinions. The people who welcomed me at the airport deserve all I did for their country -- they are the true Americans.

I can never thank IRAP, New York Democratic Reps. Nydia M. Velzquez and Jerrold Nadler, and the people who came to JFK to support me enough. Because of their compassion, I know that my hard work and risks were appreciated. I am grateful to my legal team: Polonsky, Gregory Fries, Amanda Candileri, Katy Naples-Mitchell and Whitney McCann. They worked hard for almost three years until I got here, and continue to support me.

America is great because of its people. The American people have shown me that they are friendly, kind and generous. They believe in freedom, in human rights, in respect for other nations.

What happened to me did not make me cynical. I am very hopeful about my new life and the future of my family here in the U.S. I have a final message for the American people: You make up the greatest nation in the world. Thank you for your help and support. May God bless you and your country. And may you stay united.

Washington Post

Hameed Darweesh recently resettled to the United States after nearly 10 years working for the U.S. government in Iraq.

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I worked for the U.S. Army in Iraq. But when I landed in America, I ... - Chicago Tribune