Tishwash: US Senate unanimously endorses repeal of 2002 Iraq war resolution
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than two decades later, Congress is on the verge of writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq.
More than two decades later, Congress is on the verge of writing a closing chapter to the war in Iraq.
The Senate voted Thursday to repeal the resolution that authorized the 2003 U.S. invasion, following a House vote last month that would return the basic war power to Congress.
The amendment by Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a Democrat, and Indiana Sen. Todd Young, a Republican, was approved by voice vote to an annual defense authorization bill that passed the Senate late Thursday — a unanimous endorsement for ending the war that many now view as a mistake.
Iraqi deaths were estimated in the hundreds of thousands, and nearly 5,000 U.S. troops were killed in the war after President George W. Bush’s administration falsely claimed that then-President Saddam Hussein was stockpiling weapons of mass destruction.
“That’s the way the war ends, not with a bang but a whimper,” Kaine said after the vote, which lasted only a few seconds with no debate and no objections. Still, he said, “America is forever changed by those wars, and the Middle East is too.”
Supporters in both the House and Senate say the repeal is crucial to prevent future abuses and to reinforce that Iraq is now a strategic partner of the United States. The House added a similar amendment to its version of the defense measure in September, meaning the repeal is likely to end up in the final bill once the two chambers reconcile the two pieces of legislation. Both bills also repeal the 1991 authorization that sanctioned the U.S.-led Gulf War.
While Congress appears poised to pass the repeal, it is unclear whether President Donald Trump will support it. During his first term, his administration cited the 2002 Iraq resolution as part of its legal justification for a 2020 U.S. drone strike that killed Iranian Gen. Qassim Soleimani. It has otherwise been rarely used.
Young said after the vote that he thinks Trump should “take great pride” in signing the bill after campaigning on ending so-called “forever wars,” especially because he would be the first president in recent history to legally end a longstanding war.
He said the vote establishes an important precedent.
“Congress is now very clearly asserting that it is our prerogative and our responsibility not only to authorize but also to bring to an end military conflicts,” Young said.
The bipartisan vote, added to the larger bipartisan defense measure, came amid a bitter partisan standoff over a weeklong government shutdown. Young said the quick vote was an “extraordinary moment” that he hopes “will help some people see that we can still do consequential things in the U.S. Congress.”
The Senate also voted to repeal the 2002 resolution two years ago on a 66-30 vote. While some Republicans privately told Kaine that they were still opposed to the measure, none objected to the unanimous vote on the floor Thursday evening.
A separate 2001 authorization for the global war on terror would remain in place under the bill. While the 2002 and 1991 resolutions are rarely used and focused on just one country, Iraq, the 2001 measure gave President George W. Bush broad authority for the invasion of Afghanistan, approving force “against those nations, organizations, or persons” that planned or aided the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.
Passed in September 2001, it has been used in recent years to justify U.S. military action against groups — including al-Qaida and its affiliates, such as the Islamic State group and al-Shabab — that are deemed to be a threat against America. link
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Tishwash: Preemptive strikes thwart attempts to promote counterfeit currency in Iraqi markets.
The Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee revealed, on Wednesday, that new qualitative strikes had been directed against networks specialized in counterfeiting local and foreign currency in several governorates.
Committee member, MP Yasser Iskandar, told Al-Maalouma Agency, “Several joint and specialized security teams have succeeded over the past two weeks in carrying out four qualitative operations during which a number of suspects were arrested and counterfeit money was seized that was on its way to the markets.”
He added that “these operations came within the framework of a distinguished intelligence effort aimed at blocking the path of these networks that are trying to harm the national economy by counterfeiting and circulating currency,” noting that “citizens’ awareness and cooperation with the security services have contributed fundamentally to the success of many of the seizure procedures.”
Iskandar pointed out that “investigations are ongoing to uncover the nature of the work of these networks and completely block attempts to re-counterfeit currency in the future.” link
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Tishwash: Italy considers Iraq, Kurdistan safe for Italian investors, eyes deeper economic ties
Italy is pushing to expand its business footprint in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region beyond oil and energy, the country’s ambassador to Iraq told Rudaw in an exclusive interview on Tuesday, as Baghdad and Erbil’s growing stability and developments across all sectors draw renewed interests from European investors.
“We started our cooperation decades ago, and the two main sectors were infrastructure, construction, and energy sector, so oil and gas mainly,” Italy’s Ambassador to Iraq Niccolo Fontana told Rudaw, adding Rome’s diplomatic missions in Iraq are currently focused on diversifying cooperation into non-oil fields.
Rome and Erbil enjoy good ties and last year Italy upgraded its consulate in Erbil to a consulate general.
Italy is a member of the global coalition against the Islamic State (ISIS) that was formed by the United States in 2014 when the terror group seized control of a swath of Iraqi and Syrian land. Italian forces have had a key role in training Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
A year into office in Iraq, the Italian ambassador said he had witnessed clear signs of transformation and economic momentum.
“I saw a transformed city for the better, notably in terms of infrastructure. But I see a lot of construction works going on, both in Baghdad and Erbil,” he said, adding that “We say in Italy that when there is construction going on, it means there’s a push towards social economic development.”
“What we as an embassy and with the consulate general in Erbil, are trying to do right now is to attract more companies in non-oil sectors,” the ambassador said, adding Rome is encouraging companies to work in the “agro industrial sector” to work in Kurdistan, underscoring the safety and security in the Region.
Fontana described “stability” as “the right word to describe what’s going on now in the country,” crediting both Baghdad and Erbil for playing “a role as a stabilizing factor in the region.”
The ambassador noted that his country is “committed to working alongside Iraq and Kurdistan to enhance furthermore this development,” highlighting a shared interest in stability and economic diversification.
“Together with the Kurdish government, we organized a mission to Rome last July, and apparently we succeeded in convincing an important Italian group to come here,” the ambassador revealed, adding that “they are coming in mid-October here to check, really in person, if those opportunities are real, and how to cooperate with local partners.”
As Iraq and Kurdistan seek to attract broader foreign investment, Italy’s strategy aligns with their vision of diversifying the economy, strengthening local industries and deepening regional ties.
Below is the full transcript of the interview with Niccolo Fontana. link link
