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Differences Among Iraqi Politicians over Basra Autonomous Region

Iraqis protest against the government and lack of basic services, on September 3, 2018 in the southern city of Basra. AFP
Iraqis protest against the government and lack of basic services, on September 3, 2018 in the southern city of Basra. AFP
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Differences Among Iraqi Politicians over Basra Autonomous Region

Iraqis protest against the government and lack of basic services, on September 3, 2018 in the southern city of Basra. AFP
Iraqis protest against the government and lack of basic services, on September 3, 2018 in the southern city of Basra. AFP

The Basra provincial council unanimously approved on Tuesday to transform the southern governorate into an autonomous region.

The Council also invited other governorates to join the new region.

The Iraqi Constitution states that any governorate can become a region with independent powers.

Article 119 of the Constitution states that one or more governorates have the right to organize into a region in two methods: A request by one-third of the council members or a request by one-tenth of the voters in each of the governorates intending to form a region.

Since 2008, Basra residents have been calling for a federation. However, their request has been rejected.

The city had witnessed a series of demonstrations since June 2018 due to poor services and unemployment.

Head of the Basra provincial council Sabah al-Bazoni said Tuesday the decision on the formation of the autonomous region needs the votes of 12 council members. “Today, we have more than 20 signatures,” Bazoni said.

“We support the Constitution and the will of the people in Basra to establish a region,” Galih Khazali, a deputy allied with the Bina Alliance and who represents Basra in Parliament, told Asharq Al-Awsat.

He said Basra provides Iraq with 85 percent of its financial revenues, but “gets nothing in return, unlike the Kurdistan Region that offers nothing to the government from its oil revenues.”

However, another Basra deputy form the Reform Alliance, Badr al-Ziadi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the council’s latest move did not come at the appropriate time.

“Basrans cannot agree on appointing a governor, so how can we manage the whole Basra region?” Ziadi asked.

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Netanyahu Says Israel Will Respond ‘Strongly’ after Hezbollah Strike

Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
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Netanyahu Says Israel Will Respond ‘Strongly’ after Hezbollah Strike

Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
Flares are fired from northern Israel over the southern Lebanese border village of Aita al-Shaab, on October 28,2023. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel would respond "strongly" after the Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah, citing repeated Israeli ceasefire violations, carried out a strike on an Israeli military position. 

Hezbollah fired into a disputed border zone held by Israel on Monday, the group's first attack since its ceasefire with Israel took hold last week, after Lebanon accused Israel of violating the truce more than 50 times in recent days.

The Israeli military said two projectiles were launched toward Mount Dov, a disputed Israeli-held territory known as Shebaa Farms in Lebanon, where the borders of Lebanon, Syria, and Israel meet. Israel said the projectiles fell in open areas and no injuries were reported.

Hezbollah said in a statement that it fired on an Israeli military position in the area as a “defensive and warning response” after what it called “repeated violations” of the ceasefire deal by Israel. It said complaints to mediators tasked with monitoring the ceasefire “were futile in stopping these violations.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Hezbollah made a "serious mistake" firing into Israel and the latter must respond with a "powerful blow".

The US- and French-brokered ceasefire came into effect on Wednesday calling for a 60-day halt in fighting, aiming to end more than a year of exchanges of fire between Hezbollah and Israel.

Since then, Israel has carried out a number of strikes in Lebanon, most recently on Monday, when a drone strike killed a man on a motorcycle in southern Lebanon and another hit a Lebanese army bulldozer in the northeastern town of Hermel, wounding a soldier. The Lebanese army had stayed on the sidelines of the war between Israel and Hezbollah.

Israel says the strikes are in response to Hezbollah violations of the ceasefire, without giving specifics.

During the 60-day period, both Israel and Hezbollah are to withdraw from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah is supposed to pull back to north of the Litani River, which is about 30 kilometers from the Israeli-Lebanese border. The site of Monday’s drone strike on the Lebanese army bulldozer was far north of the Litani.  

On Saturday, two people were killed in an airstrike on Marjayoun province, Lebanon’s state media said.

Lebanon’s parliament speaker, Nabih Berri, accused Israel on Monday of committing 54 breaches of the ceasefire, including the alleged demolition of homes in border villages, the persistent overflight of Israeli reconnaissance drones, and airstrikes that have caused casualties.

Speaking to the Lebanese newspaper Al Joumhouria, Berri called for urgent intervention to halt what he called “flagrant violations.”

The United States and France are tasked with monitoring compliance with the accord. Israel says that it reserves the right under the deal to respond to perceived ceasefire violations.