After Military Victory, Iraq Chases ISIS Intellectually, in the Media

Iraq's Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP)
Iraq's Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP)
TT
20

After Military Victory, Iraq Chases ISIS Intellectually, in the Media

Iraq's Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP)
Iraq's Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi speaks during an interview with The Associated Press in Baghdad, Iraq, Sept. 16, 2017. (AP)

The “Third International Conference Against Fighting ISIS Propaganda” kicked off in Baghdad on Wednesday, less than a week after Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi announced the military defeat of ISIS in Iraq.
 
Over 120 international experts and advisors, representing 42 countries, are taking part in the conference, which would witness ten 10 discussion sessions on how to counter ISIS activities in the information technology and globalization environment and invest the declaration of victory over ISIS to promote international peace and security.
 
The first day events included an opening session attended by senior officials and military leaders, as well as academics in various fields.
 
In a speech delivered on the occasion, Iraq’s Deputy National Security Adviser Safaa Sheikh talked about the nature of military operations launched by Iraqi forces against ISIS, since the beginning of the confrontation towards the end of 2014 until the announcement of the final victory last Sunday.
 
Sheikh called for further promoting international cooperation, strengthening information exchange and intensifying scientific efforts to combat the propaganda of ISIS.
 
For his part, Conference Spokesman Dr. Haider Al-Aboudi told Asharq Al-Awsat that although ISIS no longer represents an imminent military threat, It still poses intellectual and media dangers, which require steady efforts and efficient methods to counter such threats.
 
“The broad participation in the conference, especially by the American and British embassies and the International Alliance, highlights the support for Iraq in the various areas to confront ISIS at the intellectual and media levels,” he said.
 
He also noted that the frameworks of Wednesday’s sessions were information operations and how to combat the propaganda activities of ISIS, especially in cyberspace, as well as the need to invest the Iraqi victory in the promotion of international peace and security.
 
In an address to the conference, the US Charge d'Affaires in Baghdad, Joey Hood, said that his country, with the participation of the international coalition, continues to support Iraq.
 
He pointed out that the US has destroyed many of the sources of funding used by terrorists, revealing that an operation executed by the United States with “social networking companies has led to the closure of thousands of promotional pages for terrorists.”



US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
TT
20

US Targets Houthis with Fresh Sanctions Action

Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)
Houthi members ride a pick-up truck while on patrol amid tensions with Israel, in Sanaa, Yemen, 18 July 2025. (EPA)

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on what it said was a Houthi-linked petroleum smuggling and sanctions evasion network across Yemen and the United Arab Emirates in fresh action targeting the Iran-backed militant group.

The US Treasury Department in a statement said the two individuals and five entities sanctioned on Tuesday were among the most significant importers of petroleum products and money launderers that benefit the Houthis.

"The Houthis collaborate with opportunistic businessmen to reap enormous profits from the importation of petroleum products and to enable the group’s access to the international financial system," said Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Michael Faulkender.

"These networks of shady businesses underpin the Houthis’ terrorist machine, and Treasury will use all tools at its disposal to disrupt these schemes."

Among those targeted on Tuesday was Muhammad Al-Sunaydar, who the Treasury said manages a network of petroleum companies between Yemen and the United Arab Emirates and was one of the most prominent petroleum importers in Yemen.

Three companies in his network were also designated, with the Treasury saying they coordinated the delivery of approximately $12 million dollars’ worth of Iranian petroleum products with a US-designated company to the Houthis.

Since Israel's war in Gaza against the Palestinian group Hamas began in October 2023, the Iran-aligned Houthis have been attacking vessels in the Red Sea in what they say are acts of solidarity with the Palestinians.

In January, Trump re-designated the Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization, aiming to impose harsher economic penalties in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against US warships defending the critical maritime area.

In May, the United States announced a surprise deal with the Houthis where it agreed to stop a bombing campaign against them in return for an end to shipping attacks, though the Houthis said the deal did not include sparing Israel.

The Israeli military attacked Houthi targets in Yemen's Hodeidah port on Monday in its latest assault on the militants, who have been striking ships bound for Israel and launching missiles against it.