Iraq's PM Slams Former US President Donald Trump

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani during the memorial ceremony on the third anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis (INA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani during the memorial ceremony on the third anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis (INA)
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Iraq's PM Slams Former US President Donald Trump

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani during the memorial ceremony on the third anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis (INA)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani during the memorial ceremony on the third anniversary of the assassination of Soleimani and al-Muhandis (INA)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani strongly attacked the administration of former US President Donald Trump for carrying out the strikes that killed Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Sudani said during a speech at a memorial ceremony on the third anniversary of the assassination that this action by the previous US administration was a "flagrant assault on Iraqi territory and sovereignty."

He condemned the assassination, saying it was against all international norms and laws and a dangerous act, warning that its repercussions could have threatened security and stability in the entire region.

"Targeting a leadership that had a role in repelling the terrorist attack on Iraq and the region is an action that does not express respect for bilateral agreements and friendship," the Iraqi premier said.

He recalled the heroism of the two and their achievements on battlefields and against the "most violent extremist terrorist group in our contemporary history," referring to ISIS.

"Our government is working to build a solid foundation for Iraqi sovereignty, an Iraq that is independent in its policies, building its relations based on common interests," he said.

The ceremony was attended by the head of the Supreme Judicial Council in Iraq, Faiq Zaidan.

Zaidan described the killing of Soleimani and Muhandis as "a treacherous and cowardly crime that has no moral basis."

He asserted that the judiciary would hold those involved in the crime accountable, adding that the court would not hesitate to take legal action.

Zaidan recalled that the judiciary issued an arrest warrant against the former US president, who confessed to committing the crime.

In January 2021, Iraq's Supreme Judicial Council issued an arrest warrant for Trump for his part in the assassination of the two leaders.

The memorandum was based on the provisions of Article 406 of the Iraqi Penal Code in force related to premeditated murder, and its penalty is death.

The head of a committee set up by the Foreign Ministry to investigate the US assassination of Soleimani, Abbas Ali Kadkhodaei, announced last Wednesday that an Iraqi judicial delegation would visit Tehran this week to discuss the case.

Kadkhodaei said in press statements that Iraq has been cooperating with Iran since the beginning, and the two countries held bilateral meetings, adding that a delegation of Iraqi judicial officials is expected to visit Iran.

He stated that cooperation has been good between the two, and the Iraqi official helped collect evidence, expecting more actions with the new cabinet.

The official noted that Iraq has obligations and agreements with the US government.



Palestinians' UN Proposal Demands Israel Leave Gaza, West Bank in 6 Months

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 08 September 2024. (EPA)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 08 September 2024. (EPA)
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Palestinians' UN Proposal Demands Israel Leave Gaza, West Bank in 6 Months

Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 08 September 2024. (EPA)
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, 08 September 2024. (EPA)

The Palestinians have circulated a draft UN resolution demanding that Israel end its "unlawful presence" in Gaza and the West Bank within six months.

The proposed General Assembly resolution, which was obtained by The Associated Press, follows a ruling by the top United Nations court in July that said Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories is unlawful and must end.

In the sweeping condemnation of Israel’s rule over the lands it captured 57 years ago, the International Court of Justice said Israel had no right to sovereignty over the territories and was violating international laws against acquiring the lands by force. It also said Israeli settlement building must stop.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon denounced the resolution and described it as a "reward for terrorism." He called for the resolution to be rejected.

"Let it be clear: Nothing will stop Israel or deter it from its mission to bring home the hostages and eliminate Hamas," he said.

The draft UN resolution comes as Israel's military assault on Gaza enters the 11th month after being triggered by the Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7 and as violence in the West Bank reaches new highs.

The proposal, if adopted by the 193-member General Assembly, would not be legally binding but the extent of its support would reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly, unlike in the 15-member Security Council.

A council diplomat said the Palestinians are aiming for a vote before world leaders of the General Assembly start their annual high-level meetings on Sept. 22. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because discussions on the draft resolution have been private.

The proposal demands that Israel comply with international law, including by immediately withdrawing all military forces from the Palestinian territories.

The draft resolution not only demands an end to all new settlement activity but the evacuation of all settlers and the dismantling of the separation barrier Israel constructed in the West Bank.

And it calls for all Palestinians displaced during Israel’s occupation to be allowed "to return to their original place of residence" and that Israel make reparations "for the damage caused" to all people in the territories.

Israel considers the West Bank to be disputed, the future of which should be decided in negotiations, while it has moved people there in settlements to solidify its hold. It has annexed east Jerusalem in a move that isn’t internationally recognized. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005 but maintained a blockade of the territory after Hamas took power in 2007.

Since the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, Gaza’s Health Ministry says over 40,900 Palestinians have been killed there. It does not differentiate between fighters and civilians in its count. The war has caused vast destruction and displaced around 90% of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million, often multiple times.

Meanwhile, settler violence in West Bank has reached new highs, and Israeli military raids on West Bank cities and towns have grown more devastating, killing 692 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Attacks by Palestinian gunmen on Israelis within the territory also have increased.

Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war. The Palestinians seek all three areas for an independent state. The international community generally considers all three areas to be occupied territory.

Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Security Council last month that he planned to introduce a General Assembly resolution in September to enshrine the ICJ ruling. "We are sick and tired of waiting," he said. "The time for waiting is over."

The proposed resolution includes other demands, including for Israel to be held accountable for any violations of international law, sanctions against those responsible for maintaining Israel's presence in the territories, and for countries to halt arms exports to Israel if they're suspected of being used in the territories.