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Morocco Reopens Embassy in Iraq after 18 Years

The Iraqi and Moroccan Foreign Ministers. (AFP)
The Iraqi and Moroccan Foreign Ministers. (AFP)
    Baghdad, Rabat - Asharq Al-Awsat
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Morocco Reopens Embassy in Iraq after 18 Years

The Iraqi and Moroccan Foreign Ministers. (AFP)
The Iraqi and Moroccan Foreign Ministers. (AFP)

Morocco has reopened its embassy in Iraq, which has been closed for 18 years.

This launches a new phase of cooperation between Morocco and Iraq, especially at the economic level.

The Moroccan embassy shut down in 2005 and moved to Amman due to “deteriorating security conditions” in Iraq, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccan Expatriates.

The reopening of the embassy coincides with the official visit of Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation, and Moroccans Abroad Nasser Bourita to Baghdad on Saturday.

"This visit is historic in that it is the first visit of a Moroccan foreign minister and government official for a long time, in addition to that it will witness the opening of the Moroccan embassy in Baghdad, which was closed 18 years ago,” Bourita said during a joint press conference following the meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein.

He emphasized his hope for his visit to be a turning point in Morocco-Iraq relations and boost cooperation and sharing of expertise in all fields, notably politics, economy, security, and fighting extremism.

Rabat and Baghdad would draft a roadmap for future ties including the Palestinian cause, the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as the capital, and the denouncing of attacks against Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Moroccan official also stressed his country's will to develop trade and economic ties with Iraq, and advance cooperation on "combating extremism and enhancing security."

Rabat closed its embassy in Baghdad after Al-Qaeda terrorists kidnapped two of the embassy’s employees.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi foreign minister called on Morocco to facilitate the entry of Iraqi citizens into the North African country, especially businessmen.

“We talked about creating a mechanism to bring together businessmen and investors from both sides, and establishing a forum for businessmen from both countries,” Hussein elaborated.

The Iraqi minister said that between the two countries, there are about 40 MoUs and agreements signed in previous times.

He further affirmed Iraq's support for the territorial integrity of the Kingdom of Morocco and the efforts of the United Nations to reach a final solution to the issue of the Moroccan Sahara.

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Israeli Army is Setting Up Rapid Response Unit on Border with Syria

Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)
Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)
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Israeli Army is Setting Up Rapid Response Unit on Border with Syria

Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)
Anti-government fighters ride military vehicles in the eastern part of Aleppo province, in Syria, on Sunday. (Aref Tammawi/AFP)

The Israeli military has announced the formation of a special rapid response unit in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights to fend off threats from Syria, when necessary.

Commander of the 210th Bashan Division Lieutenant Colonel Yair Palai said the unit would operate as an effective attack force capable to launch in seconds and prevent threats on Israel similar to the one Hamas launched on October 7, 2023.

“The Unit will be prepared 24 hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of events,” he said.

“In the case of any security incident, the Unit will strike the enemy mercilessly. There is no possibility of failure, because this unit depends on constant vigilance,” Palai said.

The unit, which is comprised of elite soldiers from reconnaissance units and special reserve units, will operate under the 210th Division.

Sources said the unit has fully mobilized and operated continuously over the past three months.

Its goal was initially to counter Iranian, Syrian, Yemeni, Iraqi or other militias that might operate from the Golan against Jewish settlements there.

But recent developments in Syria compelled the army to prepare for any additional threats.

Last week, Syrian army soldiers were killed in a major attack by opposition fighters led by Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham, who swept into the city of Aleppo in the northwest, forcing the military to redeploy in the biggest challenge to President Bashar Assad in years.

On Tuesday, Haaretz said the Israeli military fears that amid the Syrian opposition assault and their taking over of military sites belonging to the Assad regime in the country, chemical weapons could fall into the wrong hands.

If such weapons fall into the hands of the opposition fighters or Iranian militias, Israel would have to act in a way that “may affect Syria and the entire Middle East,” according to Haaretz.

The report said that after the country's civil war, Assad tried to rebuild his chemical weapons production facilities, with most having been removed from Syria under an international agreement. But a substantial part of the chemical weapons project, particularly the knowledge accumulated over the years, still remains in Assad's hands.

Haaretz wrote that Israel has relayed messages to the Syrian regime via the Russians insisting that Assad assert his sovereignty and bar Iran from operating from within Syria.

“The army is monitoring with concern the surprise Syrian rebel offensive on Assad strongholds in Syria that began last week,” it said.

Also, intelligence officials believe that while the Syrian president's standing has been weakened, Iran, with Russia's support, is exploiting the chaos in order to send in tens of thousands of fighters from the armed militias that support it.

According to Haaretz, the army's current estimate is that there are 40,000 Iranian militia fighters in Syria.

In tandem with the ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been carrying out strikes almost daily on the border between Syria and Lebanon in order to thwart attempts to smuggle weaponry destined for Hezbollah.

Although to date there is no firm evidence that the Iranian forces plan to station themselves in Damascus, the newspaper said one Israeli diplomatic official involved in the discussions referred to this on Sunday as a known fact. “Iran has begun to send an influx of forces into Syria in an attempt to aid Assad and suppress the revolt,” he said.