Explosion Hits Building of Iraq Parliament Speaker’s Party, 2 Wounded

Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
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Explosion Hits Building of Iraq Parliament Speaker’s Party, 2 Wounded

Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
Iraq's newly elected for a second term as speaker of Parliament Mohammed al-Halbousi attends the parliament headquarters in Baghdad, January 9, 2022. Picture taken January 9, 2022. Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters

An explosion from a hand grenade hit the headquarters of Iraqi parliament speaker Mohammed Halbousi's Taqaddum party in Baghdad early on Friday wounding two guards, police sources said.

The blast caused damage to the building's doors and windows, police said.

No group claimed responsibility and there was no comment from Halbousi or the Iraqi government immediately for the incident.

A similar incident hours later targeted the Baghdad headquarters of the Azm party of another Sunni politician, Khamis al-Khanjar, police said, but caused only light damage.

There was no claim of responsibility for the second incident.

Iraq's parliament, newly elected after an October 10 general election in which Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was the biggest winner, voted to reinstate Halbousi for his second term as speaker on Sunday.

Shiite parties aligned with Iran and which rival Sadr, opposed the selection of Halbousi.



Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
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Italy Plans to Return Ambassador to Syria to Reflect New Diplomatic Developments, Minister Says

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)
Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani speaks while meeting with members of the G7, on July 11, 2024, during the NATO summit in Washington. (AP)

Italy plans to send an ambassador back to Syria after a decade-long absence, the country’s foreign minister said, in a diplomatic move that could spark divisions among European Union allies.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking in front of relevant parliamentary committees Thursday, announced Rome’s intention to re-establish diplomatic ties with Syria to prevent Russia from monopolizing diplomatic efforts in the Middle Eastern country.

Moscow is considered a key supporter of Syrian President Bashar Assad, who has remained in power despite widespread Western isolation and civilian casualties since the start of Syria’s civil war in March 2011.

Peaceful protests against the Assad government — part of the so-called “Arab Spring” popular uprisings that spread across some of the Middle East — were met by a brutal crackdown, and the uprising quickly spiraled into a full-blown civil war.

The conflict was further complicated by the intervention of foreign forces on all sides and a rising militancy, first by al-Qaida-linked groups and then the ISIS group until its defeat on the battlefield in 2019.

The war, which has killed nearly half a million people and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million, is now largely frozen, despite ongoing low-level fighting.

The country is effectively carved up into areas controlled by the Damascus-based government of Assad, various opposition groups and Syrian Kurdish forces.

In the early days of the conflict, many Western and Arab countries cut off relations with Syria, including Italy, which has since managed Syria-related diplomacy through its embassy in Beirut.

However, since Assad has regained control over most of the territory, neighboring Arab countries have gradually restored relations, with the most symbolically significant move coming last year when Syria was re-admitted to the Arab League.

Tajani said Thursday the EU’s policy in Syria should be adapted to the “development of the situation,” adding that Italy has received support from Austria, Croatia, Greece, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Cyprus and Slovakia.

However, the US and allied countries in Europe have largely continued to hold firm in their stance against Assad’s government, due to concerns over human rights violations.