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| Iraq | ||
| US is yet to renew Iraq’s 90-day waiver on Iran sanctions: PM | ||
| 2019-03-07 | ||
| [Rudaw] Iraq is yet to be granted a new waiver exempting it from complying with US energy sanctions against Iran, Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi revealed Tuesday evening. The existing 90-day waiver, which allows Iraq to continue importing Iranian energy, will soon expire.
The US, however, is "practical enough to understand" that Iraq will develop relations with its neighbors, whether ...the most dubious NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. It's headquartered in Belgium. That sez it all.... ally.... , Iran, [or] the Kingdom of Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... , he added. Last November, the US granted Iraq and several other countries a 45-day waiver to allow them time to gradually reduce their reliance on Iranian electricity and energy imports. The US reimposed sanctions on Iran after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal in May. Iraq was given a second 90-day waiver in December, which is set to expire this month. "We are trying to have really good relations with all our neighbors. And I think this is in the interest of peace and stability in the region, and in the world," the prime minister said. "Iran is a neighboring country, is a friendly country." Abdul-Mahdi spoke with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo by phone. They discussed "bolstering Iraq’s capabilities and its independence," according to a readout from the prime minister’s office on Wednesday. Washington has repeatedly urged Baghdad to end its energy dependency on Iran. In their phone call, Abdul-Mahdi and Pompeo focused on the mission of US forces in Iraq, which is to "fight ISIS, train Iraqi forces, and not establish foreign bases, and all based on Iraqi permission," the readout detailed. There are growing calls in Baghdad for US forces to fully withdraw after US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and what ever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th President of the United States... said he wanted American troops in Iraq to watch Iran. The Secretary of State also held a phone call on Tuesday with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) chief Masoud Barzani. They discussed recent political developments in Iraq. On Sunday, Iran’s Minister of Energy Reza Ardkanian told state news agency Tasnim that Iran wants to play a bigger role in rebuilding Iraq’s electricity infrastructure. On February 8, Iran and Iraq inked a deal for Iraq to buy Iranian electricity for another year. Iran exports 1,200 megawatts of electricity to Iraq.
Iraq is planning to capture gas flares from its oil fields in a bid to bolster domestic energy production. On Wednesday, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani made a televised speech condemning the US sanctions, insisting his government will overcome the pressure. "No country supported the US in imposing further sanctions on Iran," Rouhani said. "At the Warsaw Summit, they tried to rally the world against Iran." "The US wants Iran to go back to 40 years ago ... The US should understand Iranians will not succumb," he added. Sanctions targeting Iran’s oil and finance sectors have devastated the economy and send the currency tumbling. Abdul-Mahdi’s government has tried to balance relations with the US and Iran. Iraqi premier, U.S. state secretary discuss presence of American troops in Iraq Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) ‐ Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi discussed in a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the legal status of U.S.-led coalition forces stationed in Iraq, Xinhua quoted Abdul Mahdi’s office as saying Wednesday. During the phone conversation, the two sides confirmed "the legal framework for the work of the international coalition forces, including the U.S. forces operating in Iraq," the office said in a statement. The two sides confirmed that the mission of those troops is to combat ISIS (IS group) and train Iraqi forces, and not to establish foreign military bases on Iraq’s soil, the statement said, adding that all the coalition missions are conducted in cooperation with Iraqi authorities. The two officials discussed the latest developments of the fight against IS group near the borderline with neighboring Syria, as well as the impacts of the fight on Iraq, the statement said. They also tackled economic issues and means to support Iraq’s military capabilities and independence, it added. Over 5,000 U.S. troops have been deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces during the battles against IS Death Eaters. The troops were part of the U.S.-led international coalition that has also been conducting air raids against IS targets in both Iraq and Syria. | ||
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