Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani visited the PMF headquarters in Baghdad and met with its top commanders. Al-Sudani congratulated the force on its seventh founding anniversary and praised its achievements in the fight against terrorism.

He said the decree of the Supreme Marja’ of Ali Sistani thwarted the plot of the enemies, the decree reversed the status quo and resulted in the establishment of a national force that, along with other security forces, was able to thwart terrorist plots and contribute to the victory over the terrorist group ISIL.

The prime minister also stressed that the PMF is one of the main pillars of the security and military institutions and the government is in the process of approving a military pension bill that guarantees the rights of all security forces employees, including the PMF.

There is real opportunity for the success of the state and investment in a state of stability to review and provide the best services to citizens, the PM added.

Al explained that the government has identified all the details of the problems and has set a three-year roadmap that will make a difference in its tasks.

The PMF emerged as a popular force to counter the growing threat of ISIS, following a decree from Iraq’s supreme religious Shia authority Ali Sistani who called on the Iraqis to take up arms and stop the advance of the ISIS terrorists.

At the official invitation of the Italian President, Iraqi President Dr. Latif Rashid has left for Rome, Italy, where he is scheduled to hold a series of meetings.

According to Salam Presidential Palace, he will meet with the Italian president, prime minister, speaker of parliament and several senior officials.

The president is accompanied by Iraqi First Lady Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmad, Ivan Fayeq, Minister of Immigration and Refugees, Ahmad Fakak Badrani, Minister of Culture and a number of advisors.

An Iraqi army source told Kurdsat, five people were killed and 10 others wounded in an attack by ISIS fighters on an Iraqi army checkpoint in Wadi Naft area of northern Kirkuk province this morning.

Two officers and a soldier were killed and two others wounded in the incident, the source explained.

According to KurdSat reporter the injured are currently receiving treatment at Kirkuk hospital.

ISIS terrorists frequently attack Iraqi security forces in the area.

US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski in a press conference in Sulaimani said that the United States has played a role in resolving the differences between the PUK and KDP and stressed the importance of holding elections on time.

In response to KurdSAT reporter Romanowski said, the United States has played an important role in cooling down and resolving the conflicts between the PUK and KDP, and she urged Iraqis to resolve conflicts and face challenges.

He hoped for free and democratic elections in the Kurdistan region and stressed the importance of approving the budget bill in such a way that the interests of the people are taken into account.

The US ambassador said that Washington has not hidden its concern about security violations on the territory of the Kurdistan region and Iraq.

She said the United States considers human rights, freedom of expression and press in the Kurdistan region important.

The imprisonment of journalists for freedom of expression is worrying, the top US diplomat in Iraq said.

The ambassador also expressed her support and coordination for the reform and unification of the Peshmerga forces.

The Iraqi commission of Integrity today has issued summonses and arrest warrants for 52 senior officials in the last month.

The investigation office of the commission said, the judicial authorities have conducted investigations into the cases and has resulted in issuing 52 calls for questioning and arrest warrants for 52 top government officials.

The office added that among those wanted by the authorities is a former member of the House of Representatives, and two former ministers and two former ministers. There is a current deputy minister, three former undersecretaries, three current governors and two former governors among those wanted by the judicial authorities.

About 3,000 Iraqi terrorists are also held in Syria. Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at a meeting of foreign ministers of the international coalition against ISIS in Saudi Arabia said, the Iraqi government is paying special attention to Camp Hall and a genuine solution to the crisis must be found.

He also added that about 3,000 Iraqi terrorists are being held in Syria.

He said the Iraqi government has returned about 1,400 relatives of ISIS from the Hall camp to the Jeddah camp. Of the 5,000 people, 680 families have been returned to their homes.

Mahdi Taqi, a member of the CF, said that the talks between the political parties to pass the budget bill continue in the session of the House of Representatives. All parties insist on voting on it tonight and not postpone it.

He said the atmosphere of the talks is positive and the talks will continue until the House of Representatives session.

He stressed that there is good understanding between the parties and political consensus and agreement to pass the budget as soon as possible.

In the first session of the meeting, which was held on Thursday, June 8, 2023, in the presence of US Consul General Irvin Hicks, the US Ambassador spoke about her visit to Sulaimani and meetings with civil society organizations. In this regard, the Deputy Prime Minister congratulated the US Ambassador for meeting with the organizations and hoped that the US Embassy will work more closely with these organizations in the future and further assist in the development of civil society in Kurdistan.

Qubad Talabani said that allied countries and international organizations should not only pay attention to the organizations of the big cities, but should also cooperate with the organizations of the other cities to develop civil society in a balanced manner in all the areas of Kurdistan region.

In another part of the meeting, the political situation in the Kurdistan region was discussed and both sides agreed that all issues should be resolved through dialogue. Qubad Talabani expressed his concerns about the continued political conflicts, as it has had a negative impact on the lives of citizens and weakened the position of the Kurdistan region in Baghdad.

Regarding the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, the Deputy Prime Minister said there should be coordination so that the elections can be held in the near future and in the best way. He called on the United States and its allies to cooperate and play their role in bringing the parties closer together.

Both sides also discussed the Iraqi budget bill, Talabani hoped that the law will be passed in a way that is in the interest of the citizens of the Kurdistan region and the whole of Iraq. He called on Iraqi lawmakers to take into account the interests of all Iraqi citizens when voting on the bill.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said it was "disheartening and absolutely unacceptable" that some wealthy countries had not brought their nationals home. 

"To those countries, you must step up, you must take your responsibility," he told a meeting of the international anti-ISIS coalition that was attended by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The "caliphate", which ISIS proclaimed across swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, was declared defeated in 2019 following counter-offensives in both Iraq and Syria.

Thousands of militants and their family members continue to be held in detention canters and informal camps where US commanders have warned they could fuel an IS revival. 

Despite repeated calls for their repatriation, foreign governments have allowed only a trickle to return home, fearing security threats and domestic political backlash.

Blinken applauded countries, including Canada, that have brought home their nationals from Syria, urging other nations to follow suit. 

"Repatriation is critical" to reduce populations of large informal camps such as Syria's Al-Hol, which houses 10,000 foreigners, including ISIS relatives, he said.

"Failure to repatriate foreign fighters risks that they may again take up arms," he told coalition partners, pledging $148.7 million for stabilization efforts for Iraq and Syria.

The anti-ISIS coalition was formed in 2014 following the militants' lightning advance that saw reports of atrocities multiply as they overran non-Muslim as well as Muslim areas.

Despite its territorial defeat, ISIS militants continue to conduct attacks against civilians and security forces in both Iraq and Syria. 

The United Nations estimates that ISIS still has 5,000 to 7,000 loyalists across the two countries, roughly half of whom are fighters.

In April, the US-led coalition reported a significant drop in ISIS attacks in both Iraq and Syria since the start of the year.

ISIS attacks in Iraq dropped by 68 percent through April, while Syria saw a 55 percent decrease during the same period, the coalition said.  

The coordination framework will hold an important meeting in the presence of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani in the coming hours to speed up the passing of the budget bill, according to KurdSat reporter in Baghdad.

In the house of Hadi Amiri in Baghdad, coordination framework leaders are to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Sudani, the reporter added.

The meeting will be attended by several members of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives and will discuss the latest progress in the negotiations between the political parties to pass the budget bill, KurdSat reporter said. 

 

 

Hawkar Abdullah Rasoul, known as Hawkar Jaff, was a colonel in the ranks of Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG), but was assassinated in 2021.

Jaff was killed in Erbil’s 32 Park neighborhood on October 7, 2021 after a sticky bomb, attached to his vehicle, detonated. 

His brtoher, Sirwan Jaff told a news conference on the grave of Hawkar Jaff on Wednesday (June 7), and said that they have undeniable evidence on the perpetrators behind the assassination of Hawkar Jaff and the names of those who are the real killers of his brother.

“Opportunists have not stopped after martyring Hawkar Jaff, they rub salt in our wounds and deal with his case seeking to obtain positions and ranks," Sirwan Jaff said.

He revealed that some people try to create divisions among his family, but they are forever members of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) and consider themselves as the party fellows.

Hawkar Jaff's brother called on the consulates and representatives of foreign countries to come forward and investigate the case alongside an international committee.

The family members who were assassinated, consist of a man, a woman and a girl, Kurdsat News reporter said.

The incident was revealed by a plumber who visited the house of the victims to clean the water tank.

The incident occurred in Erbil’s Shadawi neighborhood and the plumber alerted the security forces after seeing the lifeless bodies in the house.

A witness, who is a religious preacher in mosque of the neighborhood, said the man used to visit the mosque daily and didn’t seem to have any issue.

I pray God to heal Pope Francis, a man of peace who loves brotherhood. Iraqi President Dr. Latif Rashid said in a tweet.

He said they hope he will improve his health and be safe as soon as possible.

The pope’s health has deteriorated in the past few days.

The Kurdistan Regional Government department of media and information said in a statement on Wednesday that the KRG Council of Ministers will meet on June 7, 2023 to discuss the latest developments in the Iraqi federal budget bill for 2023-2024, the issue of oil exports from the Kurdistan Region, and other issues.

The ministers will draft the building code in the Kurdistan Region and the new guidelines of the Ministry of Municipalities for planning and electronic registration of state property in the Kurdistan Region, the statement added.

The meeting also discussed putting of the previous decision of the Council of Ministers on unregistered cell phone carriers into effect.

The meeting will also touch upon unregistered vehicles in the region, according to the statement.

Dr. Latif Rashid expressed his sincere congratulations on re-electing Erdogan as Turkey's President, wishing him every success and all the best in discharging the tasks entrusted to him, and wishing the Turkish people further progress and prosperity.

In the phone conversation, Dr. Latif Rashid emphasized his country's eagerness to advance bilateral ties further and underpin cooperation further between Iraq and Turkey, in a way that would most benefit both nations' citizens.

Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan thanked President Rashid for his kind words of congratulations and the congratulatory telegram he sent, wishing further developments of the relations between the two countries.

On Sunday, a source from Greek police told the Associated Press that the migrants included 32 men, 25 women and 34 children.

The Greek prime minister's office confirmed the rescue in a statement, but said the number of the migrants was 80.

Murad Ismael, President & co-founder of Sinjar Academy, said "I have spoken to few sources in Greece and they reported that Greek authorities have taken the Yazidis from the islet to Greece. We are grateful to everyone who brought attention to this and appreciate Greece & the Greek people for their big heart and support."

According to Murad Ismail, the migrants number more than 80 people, all of them Kurdish Yazidis.