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Iraq
Iranian ballistic missile platforms in Basra city directed towards the Gulf, Exxon evacuating, German mil. trainers evacuating
2019-05-15
[Twitter]


ExxonMobil evacuating staff from Basra oil fields in southern Iraq
[Twitter]

German army halts Iraq military training amid Iran tensions

[IsraelTimes] Berlin says ’no concrete threat’ against its forces in the region, but decision comes after State Department orders non-emergency US embassy staff to leave Baghdad and Erbil.
All tied in with Iranian missiles stationed in Basra.
Things are getting interesting over there, so I’ve stacked the articles in one post for ease of perusal. See also the U.S. State Department is sending home non-essential personnel here.

Netherlands suspends mission in Iraq over security threats
Update at 2:15 p.m. EDT.
Baghdad (IraqiNews) The authorities of Netherlands announced, on Wednesday, suspending its mission in Iraq over security threats.

Dutch news agency ANP reported, today, that the Dutch government has suspended a mission in Iraq that provides assistance to local authorities due to a security threat. It added that the threats are directed toward the Dutch personnel who train Iraqi forces in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan region, along with other foreign troops, including Germany.

Meanwhile, a number of news outlets reported that the German government earlier announced halting its mission in Iraq amid heightening tensions in the region. However, Defense Ministry Media Director Major General Tahseen al-Khafaji said in a brief statement that Germany has not suspended training and is continuing to work with the Ministry of Defense.

According to the Dutch Ministry of Defense website, the Netherlands is contributing to the international fight against the Islamic State group by providing military as well as political and humanitarian support. Dutch military personnel support Iraqi forces on the ground with military training and advice.

Dutch military instructors have already trained a total of over 100,000 members of the Iraqi armed forces and Kurdish armed forces (Peshmerga). Since these forces have achieved the basic level required, the anti-ISIS coalition is now providing a higher level of training.
Posted by:3dc

#9  Plus, the German military is practically bankrupt and the Dutch are busy having a political crisis and probably want to show that "the Middle East is FINE" for those nasty "right wingers" we hear so much about. The slightest increase in tensions would be great excuses for both to pull out now that ISIS is mostly gone.
Posted by: Vernal Hatrack2366   2019-05-15 21:01  

#8  Yeah, this whole story doesn't make sense. As noted above, why would Iran have missiles in Basra (without having invaded already) and why would they need ballistic missiles to hit Gulf targets? Is the writer just ignorant or poorly translated? Neither of those options makes me trust the rest of the info. Is ELINT a reputable news source for these sorts of things? I don't doubt things can go sour in an hour, but there are holes in the reports here.
Posted by: Vernal Hatrack2366   2019-05-15 21:00  

#7  I guess Iraq is done exporting oil?
Posted by: Frank G   2019-05-15 18:41  

#6  Iran has ballistic missiles in Iraq (the only Basra City I know about is in Iraq)???

and why would they need ballistic missiles to hit something in the Gulf?
Posted by: lord garth   2019-05-15 18:38  

#5  But the Chip Diller Brits, who helped the anti-Trump dossier, say "nothing to see here. Everything is fine". Ima thinkrn we should demand a housecleaning at GHCQ before we share/work with them again
Posted by: Frank G   2019-05-15 18:33  

#4  "that the German government earlier announced halting its mission in Iraq amid heightening tensions in the region"

This is correct
Posted by: European Conservative   2019-05-15 17:15  

#3  The Netherlands is also pulling out for the nonce. Interesting times — may we be the fan, not the soft, smelly stuff hitting it.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-05-15 14:18  

#2  Set as today’s headline. Hopefully this isn’t the beginning of a SHTF situation.
Posted by: trailing wife   2019-05-15 13:32  

#1  So. The anti-US crowd didn't even have to push us all the way out to give iran a foot in the door. Who's more to blame: Sadrites or US DoS?
Posted by: M. Murcek   2019-05-15 11:39  

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