Iraq's PM Stresses Need to Refrain from ‘Policy of Axes’

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi heads cabinet meeting. Iraqi government
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi heads cabinet meeting. Iraqi government
TT

Iraq's PM Stresses Need to Refrain from ‘Policy of Axes’

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi heads cabinet meeting. Iraqi government
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi heads cabinet meeting. Iraqi government

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi stressed the need to distance Iraq from what he called “the policy of axes,” and praised the results of the Amman tripartite meeting which brought him together with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The Jordan-Egypt-Iraq summit has raised concern among Iran’s allies in Iraq.

“Getting Iraq away from the policy of axes is the approach that the current government is following, and it is in the interest of our people," Kadhimi said.

“Balance, moderation, and reliance on strengthening cooperation, especially in economic relations to ensure the interest of Iraq, is what we seek in our relations with countries,” he added.

“The challenges are great, and we must succeed, and we have the opportunity to move the country on the right path,” Kadhimi stressed, calling on Iraqi ministers to meet with their counterparts in Egypt and Jordan to enhance cooperation.

The PM further voiced his hopes that the summit will serve as a gateway to a future that serves the people, brings about prosperity and development, and consecrates the spirit of dialogue, understanding and regional security.

Member of the Parliament’s Foreign Relations Committee and pro-Iran politician Amer Al-Fayez downplayed the results of the Amman summit.

“No commitment can be made during the tripartite summit unless it is approved by Parliament,” Fayez said.

He added that “the agreements between Iraq and all countries must be voted on within Parliament, according to the law and the system of the Iraqi state.”

Fayez urged the government to send the drafts of the memorandums of understanding and agreements struck at the summit to Parliament to schedule a date for voting.

Ihsan al-Shammari, President of the Baghdad-based Iraqi Center for Political Thought, noted that the trilateral summit’s outcomes are considered a step forward for Iraq.

“There are parties that see this trend contradicting their ideological orientations, especially as they represent the interests of regional powers,” Shammari told Asharq Al-Awsat, adding that rejectionists may throw obstacles at and try to undermine Iraq’s shift towards its Arab partners.



Israel Strikes Beirut's Southern Suburbs once Again

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon November 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon November 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
TT

Israel Strikes Beirut's Southern Suburbs once Again

Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon November 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani
Smoke billows over Beirut's southern suburbs after an Israeli strike, amid the ongoing hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, as seen from Baabda, Lebanon November 16, 2024. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani

Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s Haret Hreik area in the southern suburbs again on Friday after evacuation warnings were issued to residents prior to the attacks by an Israeli spokesman.
The Israeli army issued evacuation orders to residents in the areas of al-Hadath and Haret Hreik, as well as several villages in Lebanon’s south requesting they move to north of Awwali River.
When it issues such a warning, Israel cites alleged presence of Hezbollah fighters or infrastructure in civilian areas as a justification for its airstrikes.
Avichay Adraee, spokesperson for the Israeli army, issued an evacuation warning to the residents of the towns of Tayba, Aadchit, Qusayr, and Deir Seryan, as well as to the residents of the towns of Burj al-Shamali and Maashuq in southern Lebanon.
He also requested the evacuation of residents from specific buildings in Hadath and Haret Hreik in the southern suburbs of Beirut.
Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,583 people and wounded 15,244 in Lebanon since October 2023, with 25 fatalities reported on Wednesday, the Lebanese health ministry said on Thursday.