Iraq’s "Resistance" Factions Shift to Major Crackdown on Media Spaces – The Washington Institute
Having stopped resisting U.S. forces (who shoot back), militias are focusing on unarmed activists in what appears to be a coordinated crackdown on freedom of expression.
Ever since Iraq's Tishreen protests of 2019, which the muqawama (resistance) brutally suppressed, Iranian-aligned militia groups have escalated their draconian campaign to silence any opposition in the media. Recent weeks have seen concerted attacks on anti-corruption campaigners by terrorist and militia factions in the judiciary, parliament, and government, echoed by muqawama media platforms.
Mobilizing the Judiciary
On February 18, Federal Supreme Court chief Jassem Mohammed Aboud sent a letter to Iraqi president Abdul Latif Rashid stating, The News Center on WhatsApp run by Mustafa Kamel and his group has positioned itself to evaluate government agencies and their caretakers...in a way that does not align with public order and ethics. He and those who partner with him make accusations and use immoral words, including Yahya al-Kubaisi" (Figure 1a). The letter continues: "It has been noticed that some officials in sensitive state positions are participating in [this activity]...All of this violates Article 226 of Iraqi Penal Code No. 111 of 1969, which states, 'Anyone who publicly insults the nations council [the parliament], government, courts, armed forces, organizational committees, public authorities, or official or semiofficial offices...shall be punished by a sentence that does not exceed seven years' imprisonment or a fine'...This court will take the necessary legal procedures about that (Figure 1b).
The letterappeared to cast Aboud as the complainant and the judge for this issue. The document was published online, probably on purpose, and received praise frommuqawama media, who no doubt hoped to intimidate activists and prevent them from appearing in the media or expressing their opinions on social media. More specifically,Aboudsignaled that Article 226 of the Baath-era publishing law, which bans criticism of state organs, would be enforced on a more regular basis going forward.
The Prime Minister and Parliament Join the Attack
In recent years, Iraqis have become accustomed to the theCommunications and Media Commission (CMC) banning activists from appearing on television based on accusations such as promoting Baathism or engaging with Israel. Prominent figures subjected to this censorship include the aforementioned Yahya al-Kubaisi, along with Rabee al-Jawari, Alaa al-Nashoo, Omar Abdal-Sattar, Ahmed al-Abyad, and Imad Bajalan.
This year, however, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has begun to bring Article 226 cases against media commentators who criticize him personally:
Assassinating Commentators: Easy to Do, Hard to Mention in Iraqi Media
On February 22, Fakhari Karim, the head of al-Mada for Media, Culture, and Arts, survived an assassination attempt by an unidentified armed group in the gated community of Qadisiyah, Baghdad. The next day, editor-in-chief Ghassan Charbel of the leading foreign newspaperAsharq al-Awsattweeted that Baghdad had become a factory of assassinations.
In response, Iraq'sal-Ahd TV, run by the U.S.-designated terrorist group Asaib Ahl al-Haq, interviewed formerSpokesman for the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed ForcesAbdul Karim Khalaf, who said that Charbel must be sued...This shouldnt pass, the tweet is clear targeting (Figure 4).
A Clear and Disturbing Trend
Article 226 of the old Baath Penal Code is being readied for widespread use against critics of the Sudani government. In other words, a democracy that the United States helped build is planning to send its freedom of expression back to the era of brutal dictatorship. The Iran-backed terrorist groups and militias that control Sudani and his government are trying to snuff out all public criticism of abuses carried out by their personnel, the state organs they run, and even the prime minister himself.
These abuses and censorship efforts demand a significant international response, perhaps including U.S. postponement of Sudanis planned April visit to the White House. Failing that, terrorist groups will conclude that they have a green light to shift their war against U.S. forces into a war against all those who oppose militia rule of Iraq. The U.S. military can protect itself, but unarmed Iraqi citizens cannot; they need international actors to stand up for them.
Read the original here:
Iraq's "Resistance" Factions Shift to Major Crackdown on Media Spaces - The Washington Institute
- US OKs potential sale of aircraft support to Iraq, Pentagon says - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- FBI charges arms dealers for conspiring to send weapons to Sudan, Iraq - USA TODAY - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Biden cheat sheet for Iraq PM meeting caught on camera -- including instructions to 'pause' - New York Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- The Met, Amid an Audit of its Holdings, Returns an Ancient Statue to Iraq - The New York Times - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq Hopes to Expand Economic Relationship With the U.S. - OilPrice.com - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- US and UK forces help shoot down Iranian drones over Jordan, Syria and Iraq - The Guardian - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Footage shows Iranian Shahed 136 drone flying over Iraq en route to Israel - The Times of Israel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Kataib Hezbollah is Part of Iraq's PMF - The Washington Institute - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Denmark will close down embassy in Iraq - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq reopens airspace after Iran's strikes on Israel - The New Arab - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Biden to host Iraq's leader after Iran's attack on Israel spurs chaos across the Middle East - Yahoo! Voices - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq Needs a New Kind of Partnership With the United States - Foreign Affairs Magazine - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq denies any drones or missiles were launched from its territory during Iran attack - The Times of Israel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon reopen airspace after Iran attacks - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq postpones vote on bill including death penalty for same-sex acts - The Times of Israel - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Stroudsburg man sentenced to 70 years for torturing employee in Iraq - 69News WFMZ-TV - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq's struggle, divided between the US and Iran - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraqi Airways announces the resumption of flights between Iraq and Iran - Reuters - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Who are Iran's proxies threatening Israel? - The Jerusalem Post - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Wreckage of Iranian missiles and drones bound for Israel found in Iraq - The National - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraqi PM tells US President that Iraq is shifting from a military alliance to economic ties with the US - Iraqi News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq PM arrives in Washington - Arab News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Defense relationship part of US-Iraq talks in Washington next week, US official says - Reuters - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Ex-Sen. Bob Graham of Florida dies at 87; led Intelligence Committee after 9/11 and opposed Iraq invasion - The San Diego Union-Tribune - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- How an Iraq War veteran coped with PTSD by using taste mindfulness and bourbon - Fox News - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Jordan, Iraq and Lebanon reopen airspace after Iran attacks - Deccan Herald - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Prime Minister Sudani's Pivotal US Visit and Its Implications for Iraq's Future - Wilson Center - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- George Michael Took a Stand Against the Iraq War - Jacobin magazine - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Iraq to enhance air fleet with $140m US aircraft support deal - Airforce Technology - Airforce Technology - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Investigating Torture: FBI-HSI Investigation Leads to U.S. Citizen's Conviction for Human Rights Violations in Iraq FBI - Federal Bureau of... - April 16th, 2024 [April 16th, 2024]
- Couple Travels to Iraq After Vowing to Visit All 195 Countries Their Experience Goes Viral (Exclusive) - Yahoo Entertainment - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- The devastation of Gaza was inevitable: A comparison to US operations in Iraq and Syria - The Times of Israel - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- A careful rethinking of the Iraq War - MIT News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq War veteran struggles to access VA care in rural area - DAV - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Maintaining the best thing the US built in Iraq: Continued support to the Iraqi Counterterrorism Service - Middle East Institute - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Couple Travels to Iraq After Vowing to Visit All 195 Countries Their Experience Goes Viral (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq's Twenty Years of Carnage | Joshua Hammer - The New York Review of Books - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Thousands of Ugandans may sue over U.S. security work in Iraq, Afghanistan - Semafor - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Book Review: The Achilles Trap, by Steve Coll - The New York Times - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq/KRI: Further Information: Journalist Released After Three Years Imprisonment: Guhdar Zebari - Amnesty International - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- He saw the horrors of PTSD after serving in Iraq. Now this former Goldman Sachs analyst has a startup aimed at improving mental health treatment -... - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Cafe in Iraq allows customers to play with cats - WNCT - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq Attracts Wave of Saudi and Gulf Investments for the First Time - The Media Line - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- FEMA employees brought government devices abroad without authorization, including to China and Iraq, document ... - FedScoop - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq War failures can be boiled down to miscommunications, according to this author - WLRN - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Steve Coll discusses collaboration with RCFP attorneys for new book, "The Achilles Trap" - Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- The National Guard's quiet role in Iraq, Syria and Jordan - Yahoo! Voices - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Two killed in Turkish drone strike in northern Iraq - Al Arabiya English - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq to close all IDP camps by July 30 - Mission Network News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- President of the Republic: Iraq's oil production increased twofold to 4.7 million barrels in the past decade - Shafaq News - Shafaq News - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Third Edition of Antalya Diplomacy Forum Opens with Participation of Iraq Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of ... - - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Opinion: American airstrikes in Iraq, Syria, Yemen solidify a concerning reality - UT Daily Beacon - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Home Iraq Stories Rebuilding Social bonds through Baking - United Nations Development Programme - March 2nd, 2024 [March 2nd, 2024]
- Iraq's Central Bank sells over $1 billion in one week - Iraqi News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Iraq's Alssad parters with Saudi Arabia's Al Rabie and Switzerland's Tetra Pak to tackle Iraq's food security - Iraqi News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Iraq's positive trajectory serves as a beacon of hope - Arab News - February 23rd, 2024 [February 23rd, 2024]
- Iran-backed militias in Iraq claim to have targeted Israeli gas rig in Mediterranean - The Times of Israel - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- I fought in Iraq, Israel has a sacred obligation to protect innocents that all those in uniform share - Fox News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- US troops in Iraq and Syria have faced over 100 attacks since October - Military Times - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Is Iraq really divided on resistance operations against US targets? - The Cradle - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Acting Deputy Secretary of State Nuland's Travel to Jordan and Iraq - United States Department of State - Department of State - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- US must prepare for a long battle with Houthi rebels. Remember Iraq-Iran Tanker War in 1980s? - ThePrint - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Nikki Haley is correct that fentanyl deaths top casualties from 3 wars combined - The Dallas Morning News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- How Iraq is managing the Israel-Gaza crisis | Brookings - Brookings Institution - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Tragedies Born of Negligence in Iraq - Human Rights Watch - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- No US troops injured in latest rocket strike at Iraq base - Stars and Stripes - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Senators Coons, Cruz introduce resolution to condemn attacks by Iranian military proxies on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria - Senator Chris Coons - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Iraq and Turkey boost security ties in Ankara talks - The New Arab - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Iraqi militia attempts Eilat drone attack, was intercepted over Jordan - The Jerusalem Post - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Iraq heads to provincial elections, first in ten years - The Jerusalem Post - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Three Turkish soldiers killed in attack in northern Iraq ministry - Arab News - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- 6 Turkish soldiers killed in terror attack in northern Iraq - Mehr News Agency - English Version - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- WHO EMRO | WHO tackles low immunization challenges in Iraq | News | Iraq site - WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Iraq arrests fugitive wanted in connection with Speicher massacre - Rudaw Media Network - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Trkiye, Iraq agree on expulsion of PKK terrorist group | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Trudeau government to spend nearly $10M to support unemployed youth in Iraq - Toronto Sun - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Korea to face Iraq in final tuneup before Asian Cup in January - - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Iraq, Turkiye FMs meet to discuss security, water issues - Middle East Monitor - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- 6 Turkish soldiers killed in terror attack in northern Iraq - News.Az - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
- Head of Iraq's National Wisdom Movement congratulates President Sisi for new term of presidency - Egypt Today - December 23rd, 2023 [December 23rd, 2023]
Tags: