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By Nick, April 9, 2013 5:21 pm

Baghdad (AINA) — The Council of the Heads of Christian Sects brought a proposal on Tuesday to the head of the Iraqiya List- Ayad Allawi- for dialogue and reconciliation, warning at the same time of the dire consequences of the continuation of disputes between political blocs with the upheaval in the regional situation. In this, Allawi expressed his cooperation and his agreement with the attitudes of the council.

Allawi said in a published statement following his reception of a delegation from the council headed by Patriarch Mar Louis Rafael- in a copy obtained by ‘Sumaria News’ from him- that “the two sides discussed the situation of Christians, the turbulent political crisis in the country and the proposal for reconciliation that the Council of Christian Sects strives for.”

Allawi also spoke of “the role of Christians and their indigenous history: their being a fundamental part of society,” expressing his “great dismay because of the exodus of the Christian component [of society] from Iraq.”

He pointed to the “deterioration in the security situation, the collapse of institutions, the worsening of corruption and the poverty that have been greatly contributing to the exodus of our Christian brothers,” adding that, “If there had been serious government measures, protection and stability would have been guaranteed for them when we witnessed this great exodus.”

For his part, the Patriarch, according to the statement, spoke of “the disputes between the Iraqi political blocs, the upheaval in the regional situation, especially in Syria, which will have a great impact on the stability of the entire region.” He emphasized that “it is necessary for all to find a solution to these problems. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.”

The statement pointed to the fact that “the meeting of the Council of the Heads of Christian Sects with the head of Iraqiya guarantees the advancement of a proposal for dialogue and reconciliation in order to rebuild Iraq,” indicating that it [the proposal], “encompasses the requirement for the breaking of the growing deadlock between political and government factions with an urgent appeal for political factions to commit to prevent opening up the arena to foreign intervention, [to commit to] a solution to pending problems and to ensure to hasten the process of considering the dossiers of detainees.”

The statement added that “the proposal for dialogue includes a guarantee for a roundtable featuring the most prominent religious and political figures from all sects and components [of society] to get out on paper an agreement to secure constructive dialogue and serious work to resolve pending issues.”

Allawi thanked “the Council of Heads of Christian Sects headed by Patiarch Mar Louis for this proposal,” expressing his “cooperation and agreement with the attitudes of the council since they are on a national level.”

The head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World- Cardinal Mar Louis Sako- had released his proposal on the 28th of March for dialogue and reconciliation between Iraq’s political factions.

The Council of the Heads of Christian Sects brought forth the proposal during a meeting with the head of the Council of Representatives Osama al-Nujaifi on the 28th March and emphasized the need to “prevent opening up the arena to foreign intervention and hasten the process of considering the dossiers of innocent detainees.” During this meeting, Nujaifi affirmed his “positive agreement” after studying the contents of the proposal.

In the same way did the deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq on the 5th of April this month express approval of the proposal, which the head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World- Cardinal Mar Louis Sako- brought forth. During this time, the cardinal expressed his hope that the proposal would reverberate well among the politicians.

Translated from Arabic for AINA by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, April 9, 2013 5:21 pm

Baghdad (AINA) — The Council of the Heads of Christian Sects brought a proposal on Tuesday to the head of the Iraqiya List- Ayad Allawi- for dialogue and reconciliation, warning at the same time of the dire consequences of the continuation of disputes between political blocs with the upheaval in the regional situation. In this, Allawi expressed his cooperation and his agreement with the attitudes of the council.

Allawi said in a published statement following his reception of a delegation from the council headed by Patriarch Mar Louis Rafael- in a copy obtained by ‘Sumaria News’ from him- that “the two sides discussed the situation of Christians, the turbulent political crisis in the country and the proposal for reconciliation that the Council of Christian Sects strives for.”

Allawi also spoke of “the role of Christians and their indigenous history: their being a fundamental part of society,” expressing his “great dismay because of the exodus of the Christian component [of society] from Iraq.”

He pointed to the “deterioration in the security situation, the collapse of institutions, the worsening of corruption and the poverty that have been greatly contributing to the exodus of our Christian brothers,” adding that, “If there had been serious government measures, protection and stability would have been guaranteed for them when we witnessed this great exodus.”

For his part, the Patriarch, according to the statement, spoke of “the disputes between the Iraqi political blocs, the upheaval in the regional situation, especially in Syria, which will have a great impact on the stability of the entire region.” He emphasized that “it is necessary for all to find a solution to these problems. Otherwise, the consequences will be dire.”

The statement pointed to the fact that “the meeting of the Council of the Heads of Christian Sects with the head of Iraqiya guarantees the advancement of a proposal for dialogue and reconciliation in order to rebuild Iraq,” indicating that it [the proposal], “encompasses the requirement for the breaking of the growing deadlock between political and government factions with an urgent appeal for political factions to commit to prevent opening up the arena to foreign intervention, [to commit to] a solution to pending problems and to ensure to hasten the process of considering the dossiers of detainees.”

The statement added that “the proposal for dialogue includes a guarantee for a roundtable featuring the most prominent religious and political figures from all sects and components [of society] to get out on paper an agreement to secure constructive dialogue and serious work to resolve pending issues.”

Allawi thanked “the Council of Heads of Christian Sects headed by Patiarch Mar Louis for this proposal,” expressing his “cooperation and agreement with the attitudes of the council since they are on a national level.”

The head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World- Cardinal Mar Louis Sako- had released his proposal on the 28th of March for dialogue and reconciliation between Iraq’s political factions.

The Council of the Heads of Christian Sects brought forth the proposal during a meeting with the head of the Council of Representatives Osama al-Nujaifi on the 28th March and emphasized the need to “prevent opening up the arena to foreign intervention and hasten the process of considering the dossiers of innocent detainees.” During this meeting, Nujaifi affirmed his “positive agreement” after studying the contents of the proposal.

In the same way did the deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlaq on the 5th of April this month express approval of the proposal, which the head of the Chaldean Church in Iraq and the World- Cardinal Mar Louis Sako- brought forth. During this time, the cardinal expressed his hope that the proposal would reverberate well among the politicians.

Translated from Arabic for AINA by Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi.

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, April 6, 2013 3:41 am

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.

During ten years of violence in Iraq, millions of people have fled the country, many of them are Christians.

Now, the new leader of Iraq’s largest Christian group is trying to stem the tide.

Al Jazeera’s Jane Arraf has this report from Baghdad:

(Source: Al Jazeera)

Iraq Business News

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By Nick, April 2, 2013 2:20 pm

Baghdad (CNN) — Iraqi authorities executed four al-Qaeda senior leaders after they were convicted of terrorism, the nation’s Ministry of Justice reported Monday.

Manaf Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Hameed al-Rawi, the leader of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq in Baghdad, was among the four who were executed by hanging Monday morning.

The executions came on a day when a suicide bomber drove an oil tanker into a police station in central Tikrit, killing at least nine people and wounding 20, an official with Iraq’s interior ministry said.

Tikrit is about 160 kilometers (100 miles) north of Baghdad. It’s a predominantly Sunni town located in Salaheddin province and is the hometown of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.

In Baghdad, two policemen and a civilian were shot dead by gunmen in a pair of incidents, the Interior Ministry said.

Two other people were wounded, according to the ministry official.

The security situation in Iraq was supposed to be the subject of a parliamentary session Monday attended by Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, who is also the military’s commander-in-chief, along with the acting minister of defense, the acting minister of interior, the commander of Baghdad operation command and the head of Iraqi intelligence services.

But al-Maliki did not attend, instead sending a letter to the speaker of the parliament, Ossama al-Nujaifi, saying that to discuss such sensitive issues in an open session could harm national security.

The prime minister asked for a closed session including only the leaders of the Iraqi political blocs and the members of the parliamentary commission for security. He asked that the meeting be at his office to guarantee confidentiality.

After the letter was read to Iraqi lawmakers by al-Nujaifi, they agreed to schedule a closed session next week, but insisted that al-Maliki should come to the parliament and discuss security developments in front of all Iraqi lawmakers.

“We will not give up our constitutional duty. It can be in a closed session but al-Maliki should attend the parliament and speak in front of all members of parliament,” al-Nujaifi said.

A few members shouted that al-Maliki should adhere to the Iraqi constitution and not give weak excuses for not attending Monday’s session.

The session was broadcast live on a number of Iraqi satellite television carriers. However, Al Iraqiya state television aired only part of the session.

Executions such as those conducted by the government Monday morning were addressed in Amnesty International’s annual report, issued in March. The death penalty was suspended after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion but was quickly restored by the first post-invasion Iraqi government. Executions resumed in 2005.

Since then, at least 447 prisoners have been executed, including Saddam Hussein, some of his main associates, and alleged members of armed groups. Hundreds of prisoners await execution on death row.

Iraq, where 129 prisoners were hanged in 2012, is now one of the world’s leading executioners, Amnesty International said.

With Monday’s violence, April’s start was similar to March’s end. On Sunday, at least seven people were killed and more than 17 were wounded in violence across the country, police officials said.

In figures compiled by Iraq’s Interior, Defense and Health ministries for the month of March, 163 Iraqi civilians, policemen and soldiers were killed in acts of violence across the country and 256 were wounded. The figures don’t include the Kurdistan region in northern Iraq.

Since the pullout of the U.S.-led coalition forces, Iraqi security forces have sometimes struggled to maintain order. Daily violence has drastically dropped across the country since 2008, but attacks continue.

By Mohammed Tawfeeq

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, March 25, 2013 2:30 am

BRICS leaders to launch development bank
By: AFP on: 24.03.2013 [14:15 ] (209 reads)

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By Nick, March 24, 2013 12:54 pm

BRICS leaders to launch development bank
By: AFP on: 24.03.2013 [14:15 ] (103 reads)

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By Nick, March 24, 2013 10:11 am

BRICS leaders to launch development bank
By: AFP on: 24.03.2013 [14:15 ] (69 reads)

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By Nick, March 21, 2013 12:12 am

RAMADI, Iraq — As Rafe al-Essawi, the embattled Sunni leader, sped south on a desert highway last week to attend the funeral of a political ally who was assassinated, his cellphone rang with a warning: Up ahead, Iraqi soldiers, backed by two helicopters hovering overhead, planned to arrest him.

Mr. Essawi and his entourage turned around and raced back to Ramadi, meeting up with Sunni tribesmen who vowed to protect him.

“The sheiks said to me, we are ready to defend ourselves,” Mr. Essawi said.

Mr. Essawi was until recently Iraq’s finance minister and among the highest-ranking Sunni politicians. That he is now on the run from his own government in Anbar Province, alleging widespread persecution of Sunnis, is the latest sign that persistent sectarian tensions are undermining any lingering hopes of political stability and national unity.

As Iraq marks 10 years this week since the American invasion, Anbar Province — the site of some of America’s bloodiest battles and one of its greatest successes — has emerged as the fulcrum of a rising Sunni resistance against Iraq’s Shiite-controlled central government and the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad across the border.

With American influence severely diminished, the crosscurrents buffeting Anbar have aggravated the fault lines left when the United States withdrew.

“It’s dangerous to have an unhappy minority population that borders Syria,” said an American diplomat, speaking on the condition of anonymity, in accordance with protocol. “You have the potential for what’s in Syria to come to these western provinces.”

Mr. Essawi appears an unlikely figure to emerge as a focus of the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites. He is generally regarded as a voice of moderation in a country where a sense of Sunni embattlement under a Shiite-dominated government is widening. He is quick to point out that he played a pivotal role in cooperating with American forces to defeat Al Qaeda here, as a counterpoint to Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki’s tendency to equate the expression of Sunni grievances with terrorism.

“No one will accept Al Qaeda to return to Anbar,” he said, in an interview from his hiding place in Ramadi. But he described the heart of Sunni anger like this: “They see Maliki as just a Shiite leader, not an Iraqi leader.”

Indeed, a rising sense of Sunni disenfranchisement extends beyond the date palm groves and farmlands of Anbar, to the cities of Mosul and Samara that, like Ramadi, have been the site of weekly protests, and into neighborhoods of Baghdad.

The fear that Mr. Mailiki was out to sideline and punish the Sunni burst into the open even as American troops left at the end of 2011. At that time the government sought the arrest of the Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, on charges of running a death squad. He has since fled to Turkey and been sentenced to death by an Iraqi court. Mr. Hashemi was never a favorite on the Sunni street, and his fate did not endure as rallying cry.

Other Sunni leaders are also in hiding, but it is Mr. Essawi’s problems that appear a pivot point for the Sunnis. He sought refuge here in the compound of Sheik Ahmed Abu Risha, a tribal leader who led the Sunni Awakening, the movement in which former insurgents were paid by Americans to switch sides and fight against Al Qaeda in Iraq.

Abu Risha himself now faces an arrest warrant for financing terrorism, and considers himself one more Sunni target of Mr. Maliki’s government, which since American forces left has used the country’s terrorism laws against Sunni leaders in a campaign that American officials and analysts believe is politically motivated and based on flimsy evidence.

“We are the ones who defeated Al Qaeda,” Abu Risha said. “We are the moderates against sectarianism.”

And now, the men here say they are again picking up weapons, girding for a fight with the central government, and speaking the language of insurrection.

“We are in an emergency and we have fear and I’m defending the people,” said Sheik Teheen al-Assawi. Mr. Assawi, a diminutive man in his early 70s, arrived at Abu Risha’s compound Saturday morning wearing an ammunition vest. Slung over his shoulder was an assault rifle almost as tall as he was.

In a significant move, Mr. Maliki has responded to the call to arms among the sheiks of Anbar — many who formerly worked hand in hand with the Americans at the height of the Awakening, when the Sunni insurgency was tamed — with one of his own.

Another tribal leader, Sheik Hamid al-Hayes, has denounced the protest movement and joined with Mr. Maliki to form a new Sunni militia in Anbar to protect the interests of the central government. After several meetings with Mr. Maliki, Mr. Hayes said he had recruited 3,500 fighters that would provide intelligence to the local army and the police and protect neighborhoods.

“As for the sheiks that do not agree with this, they must reconsider what they say, as it will be very dangerous for the future,” he said.

On a tabletop next to Abu Risha sat a wooden box containing a medal, encased in red velvet, awarded to him by the former American commanding general here, Gen. Ray Odierno, who himself wrote a letter to Mr. Maliki saying there was no basis to allegations that Mr. Essawi had links to terrorism. Abu Risha ticked off his losses from the war: Six brothers and his father were killed, and nearly 50 members of his extended family.

The 10th anniversary of the invasion, he said, “is a black day.”

“The Americans, they don’t make lasting friends,” he said. “They eventually betray.”

The Sunni protest movement around the country began in December after the government arrested several of Mr. Essawi’s bodyguards at his home in the fortified Green Zone in Baghdad. The American ambassador, Robert Stephen Beecroft, happened to visit at the time of the raid and looked on helplessly as an event unfolded that he knew could have lasting repercussions. “He was very upset,” Mr. Essawi said.

Mr. Essawi has vowed to stay in Iraq, and he denies he was trying to flee to Jordan — as some officials believed — when the security forces sought his arrest recently. “I’ve said many times that I would not leave Iraq, even if it’s risky for me,” he said.

But even Mr. Essawi, usually a voice of moderation, now seems to have adopted the language of militancy. He refers to the Iraqi army as a “militia,” and speaks with the machismo this region is known for.

“This is Anbar,” he said. “We defeated Al Qaeda. We will defend ourselves from the militias.”

By Tim Arango and Michael R. Gordon
New York Times

Tim Arango reported from Ramadi, Iraq, and Michael R. Gordon from Washington. Duraid Adnan and Yasir Ghazi contributed reporting from Ramadi.

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, March 12, 2013 4:41 pm

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has invited four Syriac Metropolitans to a meeting that will take place in Ankara on March 18, amid growing interest in the community.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu is also expected to participate in the meeting, alongside Turabidin Metropolitan Samuel Aktaş, Adıyaman Metropolitan Melki Ürek, Mardin-Diyarbakır Metropolitan Saliba Özmen, and Istanbul Metropolitan Yusuf Çetin.

Adıyaman Metropolitan Melki Ürek told the Hürriyet Daily News that the Foreign Ministry had specifically called on them to attend the meeting. “President Gül and Deputy Prime Minister Arınç’s inclusion of the [Istanbul] Metropolitan in their tour was a really positive step,” Ürek said referring to the events of the previous week, during which Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç brought Istanbul Metropolitan Yusuf Çetin with him to a conference held in Berlin. Çetin also accompanied President Abdullah Gül in his visit to Sweden a few days ago.

“Any official announcement regarding the topics of discussion has not yet been made. But probably, the current situation of Syriacs who fled from the violence in Syria will be on the agenda, as well as the issue of supporting those Syriacs who seek asylum in Turkey,” Ürek said.

Some of the Syrian Syriacs heading to Turkey have taken refuge in the Deyrülzafaran Monastery, located in the southeastern province of Mardin, while those with relatives in Turkey have chosen to live with them. A high proportion of the refugees passed to a third country through Turkey. Ürek said the Foreign Ministry’s invitation was very significant for them and that they were ready to play their part.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com

Assyrian International News Agency

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By Nick, March 7, 2013 1:51 am

Russian Media: CIA infects South American leaders with cancer?
By: Bulov on: 07.03.2013 [04:56 ] (43 reads)

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