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Iraq’s Top Court Rejects Case Seeking to Expel US Forces

Training at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq (Archive - US Army)
Training at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq (Archive - US Army)
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Iraq’s Top Court Rejects Case Seeking to Expel US Forces

Training at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq (Archive - US Army)
Training at Al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq (Archive - US Army)

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court (FSC) rejected a lawsuit filed by two lawmakers seeking to expel US forces from Iraq.
The FSC stated on their website that they had dismissed the lawsuit against the President and the Prime Minister of Iraq, filed by parliament members Basem Khashan and Mustafa Sind, due to lack of jurisdiction.
The lawsuit included a demand seeking to invalidate the defendants’ approval to allow US forces to stay in Iraq, and for US forces to restore the areas and facilities that they were exploiting, and compensation for the damages caused by their operations from 2009 until the facilities were handed over to the Iraqi government.
While legal experts see a political way to remove US forces from Iraq, Maj.Gen. Yahya Rasool, the military spokesperson for the Iraqi government, says that “negotiation committees have made significant progress in transitioning the international coalition’s mission.”
US forces are leading the international coalition to fight the ISIS terror group in Iraq.
Rasool added that “the government has largely reduced attacks on Iraqi military bases where coalition advisors are present.”
He emphasized that “Iraq has a military security agreement with the US, and negotiation committees have made good progress in ensuring Iraq maintains good relations with the US."
Legal expert Ali Al-Tamimi explained that “after ISIS’s attack, Iraq officially asked the US for help under UN Security Council Resolution 2170, which brought coalition forces for air support, training, and assistance.”
“Nevertheless, no new agreement exists for foreign troops or bases, so the Iraqi government can request their removal after a parliamentary vote.”
He stressed that “Iraq can also formally request the UN Security Council to remove coalition forces, including US forces, following the same procedure as their entry.”
 

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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
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As Syrian Opposition Sweep into Aleppo, Army Closes Airport and Roads

A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)
A destroyed Syrian army tank in the village of Anjara on the outskirts of Aleppo, Nov. 29. (AP)

Syrian authorities closed Aleppo airport as well as all roads leading into the city on Saturday, three military sources told Reuters, as the groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad said they had reached the heart of Aleppo.
The opposition fighters, led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, carried out a surprise sweep through government-held towns this week and reached Aleppo nearly a decade after having been forced out by Assad and his allies.
Russia, one of Assad's key allies, has promised Damascus extra military aid to thwart the opposition, two military sources said, adding new hardware would start arriving in the next 72 hours.
The Syrian army has been told to follow "safe withdrawal" orders from the main areas of the city that the opposition have entered, three army sources said.
The fighters began their incursion on Wednesday and by late Friday an operations room representing the offensive said they were sweeping through various neighbourhoods of Aleppo.
They are returning to the city for the first time since 2016, when Assad and his allies Russia, Iran, and regional Shi'ite militias retook it, with the insurgents agreeing to withdraw after months of bombardment and siege.
Mustafa Abdul Jaber, a commander in the Jaish al-Izza opposition brigade, said their speedy advance this week had been helped by a lack of Iran-backed manpower in the broader Aleppo province. Iran's allies in the region have suffered a series of blows at the hands of Israel as the Gaza war has expanded through the Middle East.
The opposition fighters have said the campaign was in response to stepped-up strikes in recent weeks against civilians by the Russian and Syrian air force on areas in opposition-held Idlib, and to preempt any attacks by the Syrian army.
Opposition sources in touch with Turkish intelligence said Turkiye, which supports the opposition, had given a green light to the offensive.
But Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said on Friday that Turkiye sought to avoid greater instability in the region and had warned recent attacks undermined de-escalation agreements.
The attack is the biggest since March 2020, when Russia and Turkiye agreed to a deal to de-escalate the conflict.
CIVILIANS KILLED IN FIGHTING
On Friday, Syrian state television denied opposition had reached the city and said Russia was providing Syria's military with air support.
The Syrian military said it was fighting back against the attack and had inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents in the countryside of Aleppo and Idlib.
David Carden, UN Deputy Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Syria Crisis, said: "We're deeply alarmed by the situation unfolding in northwest Syria."
"Relentless attacks over the past three days have claimed the lives of at least 27 civilians, including children as young as 8 years old."
Syrian state news agency SANA said four civilians including two students were killed on Friday in Aleppo by insurgent shelling of university student dormitories. It was not clear if they were among the 27 dead reported by the UN official.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow regarded the attack as a violation of Syria's sovereignty.
"We are in favor of the Syrian authorities bringing order to the area and restoring constitutional order as soon as possible," he said.