US Offers $3 Million for Information on Iraq Attacks

A drone struck Baghdad airport, where US troops are based, an hour after five rockets were fired at an airbase to the north on Wednesday. (AFP)
A drone struck Baghdad airport, where US troops are based, an hour after five rockets were fired at an airbase to the north on Wednesday. (AFP)
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US Offers $3 Million for Information on Iraq Attacks

A drone struck Baghdad airport, where US troops are based, an hour after five rockets were fired at an airbase to the north on Wednesday. (AFP)
A drone struck Baghdad airport, where US troops are based, an hour after five rockets were fired at an airbase to the north on Wednesday. (AFP)

The US Department of State's Rewards for Justice program said Thursday it was offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on attacks against Americans in Iraq.

The announcement comes a day after an attack was carried out with three "explosive-laden" drones on Baghdad airport, where US troops are deployed.

"O faithful people of Iraq, cowardly terrorists are attacking US diplomatic missions in Iraq, then they are fleeing to hide among civilians," said a statement in Arabic on the Twitter account of Rewards for Justice.

"America is offering a reward of up to $3 million for information on planned attacks or past ones against American diplomatic installations," said the statement, which was accompanied by a video.

It provided a US telephone number, and said the information could be sent via the messaging apps Whatsapp, Telegram or Signal.

US interests in Iraq have come under repeated attacks since October 2019, including with rockets, with the United States routinely blaming them on Iran-backed factions.

Since the beginning of the year, a total of 42 attacks have targeted the US embassy in Baghdad, Iraqi bases housing US troops or Iraqi convoys carrying logistical support.

The latest attack on Wednesday was carried out with three drones packed with explosives, the Iraqi army said on Thursday.

It said one of the drones had been intercepted by air defenses Wednesday evening, the fourth such drone attack in less than two months.

Experts say the use of such drones marks an escalation in attacks against American interests by pro-Iranian forces.

The techniques are similar to those deployed by the Houthis in Yemen against Saudi Arabia, according to AFP.

Wednesday's attack was the first such attack on targets in the Iraqi capital, the Arab world's second-most populated city.

On Wednesday, five rockets also landed at Balad, an airbase further north where American contractors are based, a security source said.

They did not cause any casualties or damage, the source said.

The Balad base has been targeted so regularly that US weapons firm Lockheed Martin withdrew last month, citing concerns about the safety of its personnel.

Pro-Iran groups on Wednesday had hailed what they described as "one more victory" for the state-affiliated Hashed Al-Shaabi paramilitary coalition, as commander Qassem Muslah was released.

Muslah had been arrested in May by police intelligence on suspicion of ordering the killing of Ihab al-Wazni, a pro-democracy activist shot dead earlier that month by unidentified gunmen on motorbikes.

Iraqi authorities have repeatedly blamed "outlaws" of carrying out "terrorist" attacks with rockets or explosive-laded drones but have struggled to identify those behind these assaults.



Lebanon, Israel Ceasefire Deal Will Take Place in Three Phases and ‘Simultaneous’ Withdrawals

 Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)
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Lebanon, Israel Ceasefire Deal Will Take Place in Three Phases and ‘Simultaneous’ Withdrawals

 Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike on Beirut's southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2024. (AP)

Informed sources revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that US-President elect Donald Trump agreed on the steps that President Joe Biden’s administration will take to ensure the success of the ceasefire agreement between Lebanon and Israel.

Israel approved the ceasefire on Tuesday night after Lebanon had already agreed to it.

The sources, which followed up on the negotiations for the 60-day truce, said the steps call for the withdrawal of Hezbollah fighters and their weapons from the South where the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon is deployed. In return, Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon.

More negotiations through American mediators will take place throughout the process.

The sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Trump “gave his blessing” to the process during his meeting with Biden at the White House two weeks ago.

A committee led by the US will oversee the implementation of the withdrawal. France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL are also part of the committee.

Asharq Al-Awsat learned that Hezbollah’s withdrawal will take place in three 20-day phases. The first withdrawal will take place in the western sector.

It will coincide with an Israeli pullout from areas it occupied in that region. A strengthened Lebanese army force and UNIFIL troops will deploy in their place.

The second phase will cover the central sector and follow the same process.

The residents of the frontline southern villages will not be allowed to return to their homes immediately until they are deemed safe and after ensuring that no Hezbollah members or weapons remain there.

Residents of the so-called second and third line of villages south of the Litani River will be allowed to return to their homes immediately.

The source expected the US to play an “effective role” in the mechanism to oversee the withdrawal. It did not clarify whether any American forces will take part in the process.

It revealed that Britain and other countries will “exert special efforts to verify whether illegitimate weapons are being smuggled to Hezbollah.”

The five-member committee will not replace the tripartite committee already in place and that includes Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL.