Latest news with #Baath
Shafaq News
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Kurdish MP slams Diyala redistricting: Breach of Iraq constitution
Shafaq News - Diyala Upgrading Qara Tapa in Diyala to district status and merging nearby subdistricts is a violation of Article 140 of Iraq's constitution, Kurdish lawmaker Karwan Yarwais stated on Friday. In a statement, Yarwais warned that the Ministry of Planning's decision to incorporate Jabbarah, Qaws Qulah, and Kulajo into the new administrative unit violates constitutional protections prohibiting changes to disputed territories until Article 140 is fully implemented. Article 140 of Iraq's Constitution mandates the normalization, census, and referendum process to resolve the status of disputed territories between the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region, including Kirkuk and areas in Nineveh, Diyala, and Saladin. The process was constitutionally required to conclude by the end of 2007 but remains unimplemented. 'This move mirrors past Arabization policies pursued under the former [Baath] regime,' Yarwais stated, referencing historical boundary manipulation in disputed areas. Recognizing Qara Tapa as a district must be matched by constitutional recognition of restoring Kalar, Kifri, and Chamchamal to Kirkuk — areas previously removed as part of demographic restructuring, he argued. The lawmaker urged Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to block what he called an unconstitutional shift and called on President Abdul Latif Rashid, as constitutional guarantor, to prevent further imbalance in disputed regions.
Shafaq News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Iraq's raid on secret Baathist cell and the persistent shadow of Saddam
Shafaq News/ The Arab Socialist Baath Party, long banned in Iraq and synonymous with dictatorship and war, has once again cast its shadow over the country. In a recent high-profile security operation, Iraqi forces raided a clandestine meeting of senior Baath figures in al-Sulaymaniyah province. From Power to Prohibition The Baath Party emerged in the 1940s, grounded in Arab nationalism and socialism. It reached its apex in Iraq following the 1968 military coup led by Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, before Saddam Hussein assumed full control. Over decades in power, the party waged catastrophic conflicts, including the eight-year war with Iran (1980–1988) and the 1990 invasion of Kuwait. The latter triggered an international military response and ushered in a crippling economic blockade that persisted until 2003, when US-led forces removed Saddam's regime. Enshrined in Iraq's 2005 constitution, the party remains banned, accused of crimes against humanity and severe rights violations. Precision Strike A security source told Shafaq News, 'The operation targeted a meeting planned weeks in advance, attended by key figures attempting to rebuild the party's structure in Iraq.' According to the source, 'Accurate intelligence enabled the operation's perfect timing, leading to the arrest of several members, including former military and political officials.' The source further noted, 'Over the past period, the National Security Service has detained multiple Baath Party members across provinces such as Baghdad, Saladin, and Kirkuk, dismantling cells aligned with the banned party.' Jamal Mustafa Abdullah Sultan, previously a presidential office officer and Saddam's son-in-law, evaded capture during the raid. 'He had already been listed among the 55 most wanted by US forces and spent several years in detention before his release,' the source explained. Baath's Evolving Objectives Experts argue that while the party's remnants no longer pose a significant political threat, they seek to exploit Iraq's political, economic, and social crises to foster sympathetic environments, particularly in areas with security gaps or poor services. Political analyst Shamil Imran told Shafaq News, 'These cells' reemergence reflects attempts to capitalize on popular frustration and a lack of justice, but they remain futile amid widespread public rejection and vigilant security efforts.' He added, 'Iraq's intelligence agencies have dismantled numerous Baath-linked networks in recent years, executing all arrests under judicial warrants. The constitution explicitly criminalizes any attempt to revive this party.' Imran emphasized, 'The Baath's crimes targeted all Iraqi communities—Shiites, Sunnis, Kurds—leaving behind mass graves and forced displacement. It is highly unlikely that this party will find any fertile ground for a comeback.' No Ground for Return Security expert Mazen al-Jubouri commented, 'The Baath's role as a coherent, influential force ended in 2003. What remains are scattered remnants operating through limited networks seeking survival.' He told Shafaq News, 'Security forces are tracking these efforts meticulously, and so far, they have successfully prevented any real threat. The concern lies with possible external actors or agendas that might exploit this issue for political or regional purposes.' Observers say the operation could spark a new wave of arrests and legal pursuits, especially as the identities of the meeting's attendees are being confirmed. The crackdown is also expected to bolster public confidence in Iraq's security institutions, despite lingering fears about the resurgence of Baathist rhetoric in new forms. The 2005 constitution's Article 7 explicitly criminalizes any activities, promotion, or financing related to the Baath Party, mandating legal consequences for violators. Voices of Rejection In Baghdad and al-Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi citizens expressed unequivocal opposition to any Baath revival. Ali Khudair, a government employee, told Shafaq News, 'It is unfortunate that some still dream of reviving this party that destroyed Iraq and engaged in disastrous wars.' He added, 'This party devastated the country and paved the way for its occupation by US forces. Its leader's emergence from the hole was a fitting testament to the regime's end.' Nisreen Jamil, another resident, stated, 'Names like Saddam Hussein remind us of repression, fear, and mass graves. We never want this nightmare or even the mention of its fascist party that committed crimes against the Iraqi people. This past cannot be erased from Iraq's memory.' She urged authorities to 'pursue anyone promoting this bloody ideology that pushed Iraq into dark historical eras through wars.'
Arab Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Iran living in an era of suspicion while it needs someone to trust it
CITIZENS of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries want the Gulf to be a peaceful haven, a goal their governments have long strived to achieve. Therefore, the Gulf states' condemnation of the Israeli attack on Iran were sincere, despite Iran's repeated efforts to stir unrest in the region over the past 48 years. The list of reasons for holding Iran accountable is long, starting with the Iran-Iraq War and the terrorist operations carried out during those eight years by militias formed and backed by Tehran. This is followed by Iran's support for the Houthis, including supplying missiles used to target Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Furthermore, since 1982, Tehran has worked to establish terrorist groups in Lebanon. After the fall of the Baath regime, Iran gained control over Iraq through extremist sectarian militias that continue to destabilize the country. Since 1979, the current Iranian regime has sought to weaken Syria's resilience. In 2011, Iran succeeded in replacing the Arab blood that flows through Syria, the beating heart of Arabism, with a sectarian divide that opposes and undermines Arab unity. During this time, Iran's actions led to the deaths and injuries of approximately one and a half million Syrians and the displacement of more than eight million people. The Arab peoples will never forget the devastation caused by these sectarian militias throughout the Arab world, nor their efforts to corrupt the minds of youth through the promotion of drugs and other destructive behaviors. We do not slander the Iranian mullahs' regime, which has repeatedly violated the teachings of God Almighty by refusing to achieve peace and tranquility among Muslims and throughout the world. For the past five decades, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have sought to spare the Iranian people from hardship, even as their leaders persistently ignore reason and logic. The governments and leaders of the GCC countries are well aware that external forces are waiting for the right moment to exploit the region's resources. They also recognize that Iran, which is a great country, could play a vital economic, political, and developmental role in the region if it abandons hostile actions and provocations influenced by the West. Unfortunately, Iran has consistently chosen to fuel crises instead. Successive U.S. administrations since 1979 have not forgotten the 444-day hostage crisis at the U.S. embassy in Tehran, where American hostages lived in terror, along with threats to vital U.S. interests in the Middle East. Consequently, the U.S. has viewed the Iranian regime as a destabilizing force for international security, especially as it revived its nuclear program. Moreover, the Iranian regime has continued to threaten global stability by threatening to block important maritime routes, through which 20 percent of global trade passes daily via the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. This highlights the scale of the potential global crisis if Iran were to block these straits. Such actions are rightly unacceptable to the world, especially after the months of disruption caused by Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels. The administration of former U.S. President Barack Obama appeared uncertain, resulting in an agreement with Tehran that later proved to be little more than ink on paper. Under former President Joe Biden, Washington sought to ease tensions, inadvertently granting Tehran greater freedom of action. In response, Iran openly revealed the true extent of its nuclear program and missile projects. It accelerated uranium enrichment to high levels, signaling an intention to develop a nuclear bomb. On the missile front, Iran possesses long-range missiles capable of reaching all Arab capitals, as well as threatening targets in Europe and Southeast Asia. It is only natural that the world would reject a regime that sponsors terrorism to possesses weapons of mass destruction, which could enable it to spread terror across the globe. Accordingly, Washington and Western capitals have sought to apply the language of reason. Meanwhile, the Iranian Foreign Minister's meetings in Geneva and Tehran's representative's speech at the UN Security Council were marked by arrogance and bravado. This does not absolve Israel of responsibility. As I noted in a previous article, Israel is the mother of all evils. Nonetheless, most countries support and back their actions against the Iranian nuclear program. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rightly stated, 'Israel is currently doing the dirty work on behalf of the West.' In reality, Israel is carrying out this role for the entire world. In contrast, Iran is today living in an era of suspicion, as it suspects everyone, including its own citizens, when what it truly needs is someone to trust it.
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First Post
18-06-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Israel warns Iran's Supreme leader will end up like Saddam Hussein: How did the Iraqi dictator die?
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has warned Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'of a fate similar to Saddam Hussein'. The Iraqi dictator ruled the country with an iron fist for nearly three decades. He was executed in 2006 following his capture by the US forces. But why was America after him? read more Israel has warned Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'of a fate similar to Saddam Hussein' — the late Iraqi dictator. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz made the remarks on Tuesday (June 17) during a meeting with Israeli military and security service commanders. 'I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and launch missiles toward Israeli civilians,' he said, as per a statement from his office. 'He should remember what happened to the dictator in the neighbouring country to Iran who took the same path against Israel.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Katz's comments come amid mounting tensions between Israel and Iran . The West Asian countries have launched strikes and counterstrikes against each other for six days now. But who was Saddam Hussein and what fate did he meet? We will explain. Who was Saddam Hussein? Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq for nearly 30 years. Born into a poor family in the al-Awja village outside Tikrit, 150 km north of Baghdad, in 1937, he went on to join an uprising against pro-British royalist rulers at the age of 19. As a member of the Baath Party, Saddam participated in a botched assassination attempt against Iraq's military ruler, General Abd al-Karim Qasim, in October 1959. Saddam, who was wounded in the attempt, fled – first to Syria and then to Egypt. He returned to Baghdad after the Baath Party returned to power in a military coup in February 1963. However, nine months later, the party was ousted and Saddam was imprisoned. He was made the deputy secretary-general of the Baath party while in jail. In July 1968, the party toppled the rule of President Abdul-Rahman Aref in a coup. Saddam helped install his cousin, Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr, as Iraq's president. After serving as his cousin's vice president, Saddam replaced al-Bakr to become Iraq's president in 1979. He ruled the country with an iron fist, suppressing anyone who opposed him. While most of the public lived in poverty, Saddam had a taste for luxury and built over 20 lavish palaces throughout Iraq. To win public support, he provided universal healthcare, free university education, and equal rights for women, as per PBS. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Saddam Hussein rose through the ranks to become the leader of the Baath party. File Photo/AFP Saddam launched a war against Iran in September 1980. However, it evolved into a war of attrition that lasted eight years. The two countries agreed to a ceasefire in 1988, ending the fighting. In March 1988, Iraqi forces carried out a chemical attack on the Iraqi Kurdish town of Halabja, killing about 5,000 people. Under Saddam's leadership, Iraq invaded neighbouring Kuwait on August 2, 1990. His occupation of Iraq led to a global trade embargo against Iraq. In January 1991, the United States-led forces launched the Gulf War, targeting Iraq and occupied Kuwait with air strikes. Iraq fired missiles at Israel during the conflict, which ended six weeks later. The US forced Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. Saddam was elected unopposed as Iraq's president in October 1995. Eight years later, the US launched a war against Iraq to collapse the dictator's government. How Saddam Hussein met his end In March 2003, the US forces invaded Iraq to destroy the 'Iraqi weapons of mass destruction' and end Saddam Hussein's rule, claiming the Iraqi dictator had links with al-Qaeda. The US-led forces swept into Baghdad in April. As Saddam's rule crumbled, Iraqi civilians and US soldiers pulled down a statue of the Iraqi president in the capital's Firdos Square. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On July 22, the US troops killed Saddam's two sons – Uday and Qusay – in a gun battle in the northern city of Mosul. However, Saddam continued to remain in hiding. After nine months on the run, the former Iraqi dictator was captured on December 13, 2003. The US soldiers found him hiding in a six-to-eight-foot deep hole, or 'spider hole,' at a farmhouse nearly 15 km outside his hometown of Tikrit. The pictures of his capture showed the once 'dapper' man with an unkempt, bushy beard and dishevelled hair. Despite being armed, Saddam did not resist his arrest by the US forces. Saddam Hussein is filmed after his capture in this footage released December 14, 2003. File Photo/Reuters In October 2005, the former Iraqi dictator's trial began. Saddam was charged with crimes against humanity for the killing of about 150 people in the Shiite Muslim town of Dujail, Iraq, in 1982. He pleaded not guilty. Another trial on charges of war crimes against Saddam in the 1988 'Anfal' campaign against Iraqi Kurds began in August 2006. The campaign had led to the killing of 100,000 Kurds. The Iraqi High Criminal Court charged the former president with genocide. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In November, Saddam was sentenced to death by hanging for the 1982 Dujail massacre. An appellate chamber of the Iraqi High Tribunal upheld his death sentence. On December 30, 2006, Saddam, clutching a Quran, was hanged. In 2023, former Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi claimed that Saddam's body was 'disposed of' in an area between his home and that of Nouri al-Maliki, the Iraqi PM at the time of the former dictator's death, in Baghdad's fortified Green Zone. As per Al Jazeera, al-Kadhimi said in an interview with Arabic daily Asharq Al-Awsat, 'I disapproved of the act [of disposing his body next to his home], but I saw a group of guards, and I asked them to stay away from the body out of respect for the dead.' 'Yes, it [Saddam's body] was brought [outside al-Maliki's house],' said al-Kadhimi. 'Al-Maliki ordered its handover to one of the sheikhs of al-Nada tribe, Saddam Hussein's tribe, and so it was collected from the Green Zone.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He added, '[Saddam] was buried in Tikrit. After 2012, when [the area] came under the control of ISIS (ISIL), the body was dug up and moved to a secret location no one knows to this day. The graves of his children were also tampered with.' Despite the US' claims, weapons of mass destruction were never found in Iraq. With inputs from agencies
Indian Express
03-06-2025
- General
- Indian Express
Gurgaon civics bodies clear vending carts and parked vehicles near Unitech Cyber Park
The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) conducted a joint demolition drive Monday morning to clear encroachments along the sector 39/46 dividing road. The action was prompted by multiple complaints about illegal vending carts and parked vehicles obstructing the service road near Unitech Cyber Park, causing significant traffic delays, a GMDA spokesperson said. 'The GMDA and MCG teams found that illegal carts were operating close to the cyber park, while cycle tracks and two-wheeler lanes developed by GMDA were being used as unauthorised parking spaces for cars and bikes. Despite four prior visits by MCG teams, which involved towing vehicles and issuing warnings to cart owners, the encroachments persisted, leading to delays of 45 minutes to an hour to cross a 500m stretch', it was added. The drive was led by R S Baath, Nodal Officer for Encroachments and District Town Planner, GMDA, and also involved traffic police personnel. Approximately 50 illegal carts operating without permits were demolished, and 28 challans worth Rs 15,000 were issued for parking rule violations. Commercial establishments nearby were directed to arrange staff parking within their premises. 'Investigations revealed that some cart owners lacked Aadhaar cards, and many were locals. Public reports also indicated that local mafias were charging up to Rs 3,000 from cart owners to operate on the stretch,' the GMDA spokesperson said. Baath stated that the GMDA is conducting regular day and night enforcement drives on key master and service roads. The authority aims to clear public land, green belts, and improve traffic management in Gurgaon, with more such drives planned over the next three months, he added. Last month the two bodies too jointly cleared over 75 allegedly illegal vegetable carts from Khandsa Road and 14 carts from Mahavir Chowk, Agrasen Chowk, and Bus Stand Road to tackle widespread encroachment. That action had been prompted by residents' complaints about traffic disruptions caused by illegal vendors near the Sabzi Mandi at Khandsa Road that affected school buses and office-goers. In April, the two civic bodies had jointly removed over 200 encroachments by shops on a 2.5 km stretch from Mata Mandir to sector 5 in the city. 'There is a zero-tolerance policy towards encroachment, and FIRs will be lodged against the violators,' Baath said at the time.
