Kadhimi: Mosul’s Fall Was The Result of Wrong Policies We Are Trying to Correcthttps://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3028521/kadhimi-mosul%E2%80%99s-fall-was-result-wrong-policies-we-are-trying-correct
Kadhimi: Mosul’s Fall Was The Result of Wrong Policies We Are Trying to Correct
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi listens during a meeting with then- US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Kadhimi: Mosul’s Fall Was The Result of Wrong Policies We Are Trying to Correct
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi listens during a meeting with then- US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi blamed the fall of Mosul to ISIS in June 2014 on the wrong policies that were followed at the time.
While he praised the fatwa of “defensive jihad” issued by the supreme Shiite authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Kadhimi warned against exploiting it for non-national projects.
In a statement on the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the issuance of the fatwa, the Iraqi premier said: “Iraq has gone through very difficult circumstances (in reference to ISIS’ occupation of about three Iraqi provinces in the western region of the country), which put it in front of a serious existential challenge.”
He continued: “All this came as a result of neglecting the security institutions and the heroic Iraqi army, and the accumulation of wrong policies that caused these disasters.”
“Divine Providence, the fatwa and directives issued by the supreme authority, Sayyed Ali al-Sistani, stopped a terrorist monster that had frightened the whole world, and led to the elimination of this organization during a period that the world could never have imagined,” he underlined.
Kadhimi went on to say that he was working “to correct the path by supporting the armed forces and guiding their performance in accordance with national military rules.”
In this regard, he underlined his government’s determination to “consolidate the pillars of brotherhood” among the Iraqi people, pledging to provide the citizens with equal rights without any form of discrimination.
Al-Kadhimi vowed to work “despite all the difficulties and obstacles to build a bright future,” adding: “Soon, you will have a role in building your future through your participation in the elections.”
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Dr. Hussein Allawi, Advisor to the Prime Minister, stressed that Kadhimi was seeking to “build the Iraqi forces away from political pressure so that they can perform their duties, tasks, and obligations in accordance with the military values of patriotism and professionalism.”
“Building and strengthening the work of the Iraqi armed forces per the principle of diversity will allow them to represent all members of Iraqi society, and will make them closer to the citizens,” Allawi stated.
US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Acthttps://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5156359-us-senators-introduce-legislation-repeal-syrias-caesar-act
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
US Senators Introduce Legislation to Repeal Syria's Caesar Act
Syrian Foreign Minister Assaad al-Shaibani (2nd L) looks on as US special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack raises the flag of the United States at the US ambassador's residence in Damascus, Syria, May 29, 2025. (AFP)
US Senators Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican Rand Paul introduced on Thursday a bill repealing the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act of 2019.
“The legislation reflects a growing recognition that while the Caesar Act achieved its goal of isolating the Assad regime, it now risks obstructing Syria’s path toward stability, democracy and reconstruction,” they said in a joint statement.
“Repealing the Caesar Act would end broad-based economic sanctions while preserving US tools to hold Syrian officials accountable,” it added.
The act was named after a defector from the Syrian army, who smuggled thousands of photos that document the torture and violations committed in Syrian prisons. It was designed to hold the Assad regime and its backers to account for their war crimes and human rights violations.
“The Syrian people have a generational opportunity to write a new chapter for their country and the entire Middle East,” said Shaheen. “For too long, the brutal Assad dictatorship, propped up by our adversaries Iran and Russia, has ruled with an iron fist. And for too long, the Syrian people have endured a devastating civil war to rid themselves of this oppression.”
“We can keep the new Syrian authorities accountable without decimating the economy. Sustained diplomatic engagement can yield tremendous results,” she stressed.
“I look forward to working with Special Envoy Thomas Barrack to support the Syrian people’s aspirations for democracy, stability and security,” she added.
For his part, Paul said: “For years, I’ve opposed broad sanctions that hurt innocent people more than the regimes they target. While the Caesar Act was intended to isolate the Assad regime, it has ended up punishing everyday Syrians, fueling poverty, crippling recovery, and blocking progress toward peace.”
Senator Rand Paul pauses to speak to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP)
“This repeal is about restoring a more targeted, principled approach that holds bad actors accountable without inflicting unnecessary suffering on the very people we claim to support,” he stated.
Matthew Levitt, Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute, said it was logical to end the Caesar Act after the reasons for its adoption are no more.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that it was enacted to tackle the grave human rights violations committed in the Assad regime’s prisons. With the ouster of the regime, there is no need to keep it in place.
Pressure
Meanwhile, Dr. Murhaf Ibrahim, head of the Alawite Association of the United States, said it was important to bolster Syrian-American ties on all levels, to lift sanctions and for the United States to display political and economic openness towards Syria.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, he said that in order to boost these ties, they must align with American values related to diversity, democracy, decentralization in state management and respect of human rights.
So far, the government of Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa has not committed to these principles, he stressed.
He called on the US Congress to hold the government to account over its pledges to address violations and hold their perpetrators responsible.
It must also review the political and constitutional measures it has taken so far and that have sparked criticism because they do not represent the entire Syrian population, he went on to say.
US Senator Jeanne Shaheen speaks during a press conference with fellow Democratic senators calling on the Trump administration to continue Medicare drug price negotiations on Capitol Hill in Washington, US, January 22, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian-American lobby
Ahed al-Hendi, Senior Fellow at the Center for Peace Communications in Washington, underlined the importance of the legislation because it was issued by the Senate, which first enacted the Ceasar Act, not the president.
Action by the Congress demonstrates the existence of Syrian-American lobby that did not make do with pledges made by the American administration, he said. Rather, it is working hard to secure bipartisan support to turn President Donald Trump’s words in Riyadh into political and legislative action in Washington.
Even though the administration has still not shaped a clear policy on Syria, the removal of the Caesar Act will help open a new chapter in relations and deliver a clear message that the lifting of sanctions is a necessary step in Syria’s reconstruction, he added.
It will also underscore government efforts to consolidate civil peace, respect minorities and avert regional escalation, he said.
Syrian activist Ayman Abdelnour said the removal of the Caesar Act will no doubt revive Syria and push forward reconstruction efforts.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that lifting the sanctions will allow the American administration to assess the performance of the new Syrian government on the political, economic and social levels.
