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Iraq-US Resume Dialogue on Future of International Coalition

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holds discussions with his Iraqi counterpart, Thabet Al-Abbasi, in Washington last year (Pentagon)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holds discussions with his Iraqi counterpart, Thabet Al-Abbasi, in Washington last year (Pentagon)
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Iraq-US Resume Dialogue on Future of International Coalition

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holds discussions with his Iraqi counterpart, Thabet Al-Abbasi, in Washington last year (Pentagon)
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin holds discussions with his Iraqi counterpart, Thabet Al-Abbasi, in Washington last year (Pentagon)

 

A high-level Iraqi delegation and US officials began in Washington on Monday a new round of joint security dialogue on the withdrawal of the military international coalition from Iraq.
An official Iraqi source told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday that the Iraqi team headed by Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi and Iraqi military commanders was in Washington to discuss the presence of the international coalition forces in the country.
“The dialogue aims to start building a bilateral relationship between Iraq and the United States,” the sources said, noting that the visit comes after months of negotiations between the joint Higher Military Commission.
For her part, US Ambassador to Baghdad Alina Romanowski said on X that security officials from the United States and Iraq will discuss the future of the international coalition’s mission and strengthen bilateral security cooperation.
US-Iraqi negotiations resumed in February following Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shiaa Al-Sudani’s request to end the mission of the international coalition that was created to fight ISIS in June 2014.
Iraqi politician Bahaa Al-Araji, former deputy prime minister, said in a televised interview last week that Al-Sudani had agreed with the American side on the date for the complete withdrawal of international coalition forces from Iraq.
Meanwhile, a number of Iraqi armed factions loyal to Iran declared the end of the truce that they had concluded with Washington on behalf of the government through mediation adopted by Sudani.
The armed factions bombed the Ain al-Assad base in western Iraq with two drones without causing any losses, while both the Iraqi Hezbollah Brigades and the Loyal Ansar Allah Movement announced the end of the truce with the US side, as a result of what they considered to be American procrastination regarding the withdrawal from Iraq.

 

 

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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
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Cairo May Request Extradition of Qaradawi’s Son from Abu Dhabi

Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)
Umayyad Square in Damascus (Reuters)

As Lebanese authorities proceed with the deportation of Egyptian activist Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, the son of the late cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, to the United Arab Emirates, an Egyptian source involved in the case told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cairo plans to formally request his extradition from Abu Dhabi once he arrives there.

Controversy has surrounded the case since Lebanon announced that the government had approved the deportation of Qaradawi to the UAE instead of Egypt, where he holds citizenship.

Former Lebanese Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour explained to Asharq Al-Awsat that citizenship is not an obstacle in extradition cases between countries, saying that a state may decide to extradite a person to another country even if they hold the nationality of a third state, as in the case of Qaradawi’s son.

According to Lebanese sources, the decision to extradite Qaradawi to the UAE is based on a warrant issued by the Council of Arab Interior Ministers. As a member of the council, Lebanon is obligated to comply with the UAE’s request, despite the absence of a direct bilateral extradition agreement between the two countries.

Additionally, the extradition decision was influenced by the fact that the charges against Qaradawi are criminal, not political, as political charges would prevent extradition and instead warrant protection under international conventions.

An Egyptian judicial source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the International Cooperation Office of Egypt’s Public Prosecutor had prepared a comprehensive file containing all rulings issued against Qaradawi to ensure that the extradition request met all legal requirements. This file was sent to Lebanese judicial authorities through official channels. However, Egypt has yet to receive a response from Lebanon, though one is expected in the coming days.

Dr. Mohammed Mahmoud Mehran, a member of the American and European societies for international law, told Asharq Al-Awsat that international law generally allows extradition when the individual is either a citizen of the requesting state, has committed a crime on its territory, or when the requesting state has a direct legal interest in the case.

As Qaradawi is an Egyptian citizen, Egypt “has the legal right to request his extradition under international law and bilateral agreements, provided all legal conditions are met,” Mehran said.

Meanwhile, Qaradawi’s lawyer, Mohammed Sablouh, confirmed plans to file an urgent appeal in Lebanese courts to prevent his client’s extradition, according to Reuters. Mehran explained that extradition laws grant the individual the right to appeal in court, while the requesting states also have the right to challenge decisions.

Mehran suggested that if Qaradawi is ultimately handed over to the UAE, it is highly likely he will later be extradited to Egypt after procedural requirements in the Emirates are fulfilled. This is due to the strong bilateral relations and close security coordination between Egypt and the UAE.

Abdel Rahman al-Qaradawi, who holds dual Egyptian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested in Lebanon on December 28 after returning from Syria. His arrest followed an Interpol red notice issued based on an in absentia ruling by an Egyptian court sentencing him to five years in prison for spreading false news, inciting violence, and terrorism. Before his arrest, Qaradawi appeared in a video filmed at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, where he made remarks considered offensive to both Egypt and the UAE.