First Kurdish-Iraqi Airline Flight Departs to Sweden

The Iraqi Kurdistan region’s first airline launches a flight to Sweden. (AFP)
The Iraqi Kurdistan region’s first airline launches a flight to Sweden. (AFP)
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First Kurdish-Iraqi Airline Flight Departs to Sweden

The Iraqi Kurdistan region’s first airline launches a flight to Sweden. (AFP)
The Iraqi Kurdistan region’s first airline launches a flight to Sweden. (AFP)

The Iraqi Kurdistan region’s first airline launched on Monday a flight to Sweden, after years of delays caused by the ISIS offensive in the country.

Officials hope Fly Erbil's take-off is a sign of changing fortunes in the autonomous region, which has suffered from the extremist onslaught and a failed independence bid.

"ISIS delayed our project but today, we mark real progress," said the airline's chief executive, Laund Sheikh Mamundi, explaining the three-year delay since Fly Erbil first announced its launch.

The airline currently has three planes and hopes to increase its fleet to 10, administrative director Ahmad Jamal told AFP.

The company advertises flights to five European countries including Germany and the UK, targeting destinations with large Iraqi communities and investors who operate in Iraq, Jamal said.

Dressed in a navy blue uniform with golden buttons to match the airline's logo, flight attendant Nisrine Rachid was thrilled the crew would be working in the Kurdish language.

"I think that makes them happy and we are delighted to serve them in Kurdish," she said, ahead of the Boeing jet departing from Erbil airport.

Iraqi Kurdistan benefited from an economic boom after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, while the rest of the country descended into violence.

But the lightning offensive of ISIS in 2014 led to a significant fall in investments.

Last year, a controversial referendum on Kurdish independence led to a series of retaliatory measures by Baghdad which ruled the vote illegal.

Disputed areas and their oil fields were retaken by the central government -- a massive hit for the region -- while a nearly six-month air blockade was imposed on Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports.

Kurdistan has relied on its oil wealth to pay back its debts, having borrowed more than $3 billion over three years and paying up with monthly installments of oil barrels.



For First Time in 25 Years, Lebanese Govt Drops ‘Resistance’ Clause from Ministerial Statement

President Joseph Aoun, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pose for a family photo with the new Lebanese government earlier this month. (Lebanese presidency/EPA)
President Joseph Aoun, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pose for a family photo with the new Lebanese government earlier this month. (Lebanese presidency/EPA)
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For First Time in 25 Years, Lebanese Govt Drops ‘Resistance’ Clause from Ministerial Statement

President Joseph Aoun, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pose for a family photo with the new Lebanese government earlier this month. (Lebanese presidency/EPA)
President Joseph Aoun, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam pose for a family photo with the new Lebanese government earlier this month. (Lebanese presidency/EPA)

The new Lebanese government dropped on Monday the “resistance” - Hezbollah - clause from its ministerial statement in a departure from statements of successive cabinets since the year 2000.

Israel withdrew its forces from southern Lebanon in 2000, marking Hezbollah’s rise to prominence in Lebanese internal affairs. Since then, the “resistance” clause had dictated Lebanon’s decision of war and peace.

Salam’s government approved its statement, and it will be referred to parliament for approval.

Following a cabinet meeting, Information Minister Paul Morcos said President Joseph Aoun had praised the government for its rapid drafting of the statement – a process that had often taken several weeks.

The Taif Accord makes up 80 percent of the draft, while the president’s inaugural speech makes up the rest, he told reporters.

The minister stressed that the statement underscores the government’s commitment to liberating all Lebanese territories and demands that the state have monopoly over the possession of weapons.

It is also committed to United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 and steering Lebanon clear of regional conflicts.

Asharq Al-Awsat obtained a copy of the draft, which stressed “Lebanon’s right to defend itself in line with the UN Charter. The state is fully responsible for the security of the country and defending its borders.”

Previous ministerial statements had said that the state was “committed to the truce agreement and seeking to liberate occupied Lebanese territories through all legitimate means.” The statements had “underscored the Lebanese citizens’ right in resisting Israeli occupation and repelling Israeli attacks” - a reference to Hezbollah.

State reforms

The new government statement also declared that it was prioritizing state reforms and fortifying its sovereignty. The state, it continued, “had endured decades of shortcomings that had affected its efficacy, diminished its influence and undermined its authority... Today, we must meet the aspirations of the Lebanese people and restore the trust of the citizens.”

“We want a state that assumes its full responsibility for the security of the country and in defending its borders. Such a state repels aggressors, protects its citizens and fortifies its independence,” it went on to say.

The statement underlined the government’s commitment to its pledges, “most notably the implementation of resolution 1701 in full, as well as other resolutions that safeguard Lebanon’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and political independence within its internationally recognized borders and in line with the 1949 truce agreement between Lebanon and Israel.”

Commitment to national pact

The new government said it was “committed - in line with the national pact - in taking the necessary measures to liberate all Lebanese territories from Israeli occupation, imposing its sovereignty throughout the country and deploying the army in internationally recognized border areas.”

The government “underscored Lebanon’s right to self-defense against any attack in line with the UN Charter. It calls for implementing the president’s call about the state’s right to monopolize the possession of weapons.”

It called for holding discussions over a “comprehensive defense strategy that would be part of national security strategy on diplomatic, economic and military levels.”

“We aspire for a state that possesses the decision of war and peace and for its army to adopt a defensive combat creed,” it added.

Rejection of naturalization

The government tackled economic and social affairs, as well as the issue of Palestinian refugees. It expressed its rejection of their naturalization in Lebanon, saying it was committed to their right to return to their homeland and the establishment of their independent state.

Moreover, it stressed that the Lebanese state “has the right to impose its authority throughout Lebanese territories including Palestinian refugee camps.”

“We want a state that boasts effective public administrations and institutions, and that believes in justice for all without exception,” it continued. It underscored the importance of an independent judiciary according to the highest international standards.

The statement also addressed the issue of people’s deposits that have been frozen in banks. It said tackling the issue will be a priority and the depositors’ rights will be protected.

It also spoke of wanting to achieve economic growth and fixing the electricity sector.

Syria

The government will also work towards keeping Lebanon out of regional conflicts and preventing the country from “being used as a platform to attack friendly states.”

The government also vowed to launch a dialogue over border control and non-interference with new authorities in neighboring Syria, where the opposition ousted Hezbollah ally Bashar al-Assad on December 8.

Syria was the dominant power in Lebanon for three decades under the Assad family, with Damascus only withdrawing Syria’s troops in 2005 following mass protests triggered by the assassination of Lebanese ex-Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

His murder was blamed on Assad and Hezbollah.