Joint Operations announces the arrest of five people involved in bombing Ain al-Assad base

The Joint Operations Command reported on Thursday that the security forces arrested five people involved in the “attack” on the Ain al-Assad Air Base in Anbar Governorate, west of the country.

The command said in a statement today, “Through in-depth legal investigations, listening to witness statements, cross-referencing information, and obtaining judicial approvals, (5) five of those involved in this illegal act were arrested, in accordance with original arrest warrants issued by the competent judicial authorities.”

Yesterday, Wednesday, Iraqi security forces arrested 4 people accused of targeting the Ain al-Assad air base, which includes American soldiers and advisers from the international coalition against ISIS, according to what a security source told Shafaq News Agency.

The Joint Operations Command reported, the day before yesterday, Tuesday, that it had obtained information described as “important” regarding the identity of the perpetrators of the attack on the “Ain al-Assad” base in western Iraq, in order to arrest them and bring them to justice.

On Monday evening, the Ain al-Assad air base, west of Anbar province, which includes American forces and international coalition advisors, was bombed by two missiles.

Meanwhile, an informed security source revealed that the targeting of Ain al-Assad base was prepared with 5 missiles that were loaded on the launch platform on the wheel, but the platform failed to launch the remaining missiles.

Reuters quoted US officials as saying that at least five US soldiers were injured in an attack on a military base in Iraq on Monday.

One soldier was seriously wounded, the U.S. officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said. The number of wounded was based on preliminary information and could change, they said.

“Military personnel at the base are assessing the damage after the attack,” an official said.

Shafaq.com

Iraq raises its gold holdings to more than 148 tons

The World Gold Council announced on Thursday that Iraq has increased its gold holdings to more than 148 tons.

According to the latest report published by the Council in August 2024, which Shafak News Agency reviewed, Iraq advanced one rank to reach 29th place globally out of 100 countries listed in the table, after it was ranked 30th.

The report indicated that Iraq ranks third in the Arab world after Saudi Arabia and Lebanon.

The report indicated that Iraq increased its gold holdings to 148.3 tons, after it was 145.7 tons, which represents 10.02% of its total other reserves.

The Council also indicated that the United States tops the list of countries with the largest gold reserves in the world, with 8,133.5 tons, followed by Germany with 3,351.5 tons, then Italy with 2,814 tons, while Suriname came at the bottom of the list with 1.2 tons.

The World Gold Council, headquartered in the United Kingdom, has extensive experience in analyzing market changes and includes the world’s largest gold mining companies as members.

Shafaq.com

Shafaq News exclusively reveals details of Al-Kadhimi’s pursuit of a journalist and his demand for 250 million dinars

“I will not publish the post again.”  With these words, writer and journalist Qais Hassan pledged to “calm down and reduce publication” after former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi filed a lawsuit against him and demanded financial compensation of 250 million dinars due to the material and moral damage caused by his words.

Hassan told Shafaq News Agency, “I published a post on June 30, in which I mentioned Al-Kadhimi, Adel Abdul Mahdi, and the rest of the prime ministers by name.

He added that my words were a criticism of what they had presented, the bad situation we were experiencing, and the country’s problems. On July 16, Al-Kadhimi filed a lawsuit against me before the Karkh Court of First Instance, accusing me of insult and defamation, and that I had caused him material and moral harm, and he is requesting compensation of 250 million dinars.

court session

He explained, “The session was on the 23rd of last month, but I was notified late on the 22nd, so I was unable to attend. The session was postponed to August 7 (yesterday), and then it was postponed to August 22nd, after the judge requested an expert opinion.”

Hassan confirmed, “I do not have an appeal to any party or a request, but there are movements from mutual friends, and we have not reached a result yet, and it is an attempt to calm the situation and reduce the publication, but there was a quasi-agreement between the mediators and friends not to republish the article that contains harsh words towards Al-Kadhimi in order to calm things down and drop the case, because in the event of escalation, the plaintiff will escalate further, so I will not publish the post in which I spoke about Al-Kadhimi again.”

He pointed out that “the report came through the Journalists Syndicate, and despite this, no one from the Syndicate contacted me, and they have no role, and I do not expect them to do anything given their previous positions in lawsuits similar to my case, as they did not move in any way, but their position is known, either silence or sometimes supporting the government or the authority.”

Solidarity campaign

Social media sites in Iraq are witnessing a wide solidarity campaign with the writer and journalist Qais Hassan, after the lawsuit filed against him by Mustafa Al-Kadhimi. While they denounced the policy of gagging mouths, they stressed that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are guaranteed by the Iraqi constitution.

Hassan had said in a post on his Facebook page, “Former Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi filed a lawsuit against me, accusing me of insulting and defaming him based on a post I published about him and the heads of the political class since 2003, and I mean the prime ministers, and he is demanding financial compensation in the amount of 250 million dinars (a quarter of a billion) due to the material and moral damage caused to him by my words, as he mentioned in his lawsuit.”

He explained: “On (August 7) ​​was the second session in which the judge decided to refer the case to an expert before ruling on it on the 22nd of this month. To tell the truth, when I left the court session, I asked myself as I returned home tired and overwhelmed, would Al-Kadhimi dare to file a lawsuit against any of the (strong) people with influence, authority and prestige? Would he dare to file a lawsuit against any of the members of the parties and armed factions who did not leave any ugly word or insult without describing him with it? Why did he choose me to arbitrate with me before the law? And why did none of those included in my words file a lawsuit?”

He continued, wondering: “My words that I published about Al-Kadhimi and the prime ministers were as harsh as our situation was harsh and bad. I was angry in my words, as people get angry in a country where everything has been violated: chivalry, integrity, honor, law, constitution, the weak who dream of freedom, prosperity, and the rule of law. Is there anyone among the weak who does not want the rule of law? My words were angry about an official, not a person. I was angry about public figures because of the enormous amount of pain and failure in which we live. What do we write about our ridiculous and tearful situation, except to write with pain?”

He stressed that “resorting to the law is undoubtedly a civilized behavior, and is even required for those who want to see a (respected) state. Then, isn’t a respected state the one where the law prevails? This matter (respect for the law) must be sacred to statesmen first, and the scale of justice must be fair to everyone without regard to their strength or weakness.”

Shafaq.com

Parliamentary Integrity Committee prepares to host the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq

Member of the Parliamentary Integrity Committee, Hadi Al-Salami, revealed on Thursday that his committee has been following up on the file of ending the assignment of the Central Bank Governor, Ali Al-Alaq, from his position for more than a year.

Al-Salami explained to Shafaq News Agency that the committee addressed the Prime Minister several times to pressure him to end Al-Alaq’s assignment, due to the existence of many violations against him.

He added that the government program announced by the Prime Minister when forming the government includes the necessity of ending the management of positions by proxy after six months of forming the government, noting that Al-Alaq is still managing the position by proxy without any action to cancel his assignment so far.

Al-Salami pointed out that there are many files and violations related to the Central Bank, which have been referred to the Integrity Commission and the Public Prosecution, indicating that these violations include issues related to the lack of control over the exchange rate in the market, in addition to millions of dollars and interest received by Arab and foreign banks, including Jordanian banks.

He revealed that the Acting Speaker of the House of Representatives approved the request to host the Governor of the Central Bank in the upcoming sessions, noting that there are many questions that will be put to the Governor during the hosting session.

In contrast, the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, told the official Iraqi News Agency that meetings will be held with the Federal Reserve and the US Treasury Department at the end of this August to review aspects related to foreign transfer operations and discuss the sanctions imposed on some banks.

Al-Alaq confirms the success of the Central Bank in leading the steps related to foreign transfers and selling the dollar.

Shafaq.com

Parliamentary Finance: There is a duality in US sanctions imposed on Iraqi banks

Shafaq News / The head of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Atwan Al-Atwani, confirmed on Sunday, with the governor of the Central Bank, that the fluctuation of the dollar exchange rate creates a state of economic and financial instability, especially with the increasing gap between the official selling price of the dollar and the parallel market price, stressing the existence of duality in imposing US sanctions on Iraqi banks.

Al-Atwani said in a statement received by Shafaq News Agency, while chairing the committee meeting that hosted the Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, to ​​discuss the monetary policy file in the country, that “the increase in the gap between the official price of selling the dollar and the parallel market price creates a state of economic and financial instability.”

He stressed that “the stability of the exchange rate is a central issue for the state,” noting that “there is a duality in the issue of imposing US sanctions between Iraqi banks and correspondent banks, which requires the management of the Central Bank of Iraq to move effectively and address this crisis, in addition to tightening control over the work of private banks, in a way that ensures the integrity of all their procedures and work.”

Al-Atwani stressed that “the housing initiative has achieved positive results, and therefore we are pushing towards supporting and continuing it in order to expand the list of those covered by housing loans and contribute to resolving this crisis,” indicating that “the stability of the monetary market has a direct impact on the general financial situation,” adding that “the labor market is unstable in terms of selling currency, which casts a shadow on the general monetary situation.”

The meeting also reviewed a number of issues, most notably the electronic platform and the procedures related to it in order to facilitate work and economic stability, in addition to the issue of banks and the mechanism for developing the money transfer process.

In turn, the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq, provided a full briefing on the reasons for the fluctuation of the exchange rate, the mechanism of the electronic platform and its role in controlling internal and external trade, the housing initiative file, US sanctions on Iraqi banks, and the status of the cash reserve of hard currencies at the Central Bank of Iraq.

Al-Alaq explained that “our foreign currency reserves are sufficient to create balance in the market,” indicating that “the Central Bank sells more than 250 million dollars daily to meet the requirements of foreign trade.”

Al-Alaq stated during the meeting that 85% of foreign transfers are currently taking place between Iraqi banks and correspondent banks, without going through the US Federal Reserve.

He pointed out that “the housing initiative is of great importance to the bank,” noting that “the volume of loans granted within the real estate initiative amounts to 10 trillion dinars,” stressing that “the Central Bank is now heading to cover the financing of the construction of 23,000 housing units, and priority will be given to completed housing complexes.”

The meeting also witnessed important interventions by committee members regarding banks’ initiatives to provide real estate and housing loans, and ways to facilitate procedures and ease conditions for citizens in the process of applying for housing units in complexes.

Shafaq.com

Central Bank Governor: We will not reduce the dollar exchange rate now

Member of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Ikhlas Al Dulaimi, confirmed that the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Al Alaq, confirmed that “there will not be a move to reduce the dollar exchange rate at the present time.”

Al-Dulaimi said in a press statement that “the dollar price has stabilized somewhat, and it may rise and fall within certain limits,” indicating: “We will not currently go to reduce the dollar price, as the governor of the Central Bank said, considering that there are other measures that have not been taken.”

She warned that “the recent security repercussions and the problems between Iran and America may have repercussions on some banks and the dollar price.”

She explained that “the Ministry of Finance is demanding funding, and the issue has not been resolved yet, and this is one of the reasons for hosting the governor of the Central Bank today, as there were answers and other answers will be sent soon.”

Today, Sunday, the Parliamentary Finance Committee hosted the Governor of the Central Bank to follow up on the exchange rate file, the Real Estate Bank initiative, the auction file, and foreign trade financing.

It is noteworthy that the dollar exchange rate in the parallel market is about 1490 dinars, while the Central Bank of Iraq sells the dollar at the official price of 1320 dinars.

Alforatnews.iq

Kuwait revokes citizenship of those accused of theft of the century and seizes their assets

The head of the Federal Integrity Commission, Judge (Haider Hanoun), stressed the importance of twinning between the oversight agencies in different countries, especially sister countries, and cooperation in the field of receiving wanted persons and recovering smuggled funds.

During his meeting with the Kuwaiti Ambassador to Iraq, Tariq Abdullah Al-Faraj, at the Commission’s headquarters, Hanoun discussed ways to enhance cooperation in the field of combating corruption, exchanging expertise and transferring experiences, noting the two parties’ efforts to conclude a memorandum of understanding between the Commission and the Kuwaiti Anti-Corruption Authority.

Hanoun stressed the need to protect foreign investors and provide them with a safe environment, warning anyone who might dare to commit the crime of extortion to achieve economic gains at the expense of investors. He called on Kuwaiti investors to enter the Iraqi market and report any extortion they may be exposed to, pledging to protect them from extortion and to act quickly upon receiving reports.

For his part, the Kuwaiti Ambassador (Tariq Abdullah Al-Faraj) expressed his happiness with the cooperation between the institutions of the two countries, especially the supervisory bodies, stressing that the concerned authorities in the State of Kuwait are providing assistance and cooperation with the Iraqi side in the field of handing over the accused, warning of the beginning of revoking the Kuwaiti citizenship of those accused of stealing tax deposits and wanted by the Iraqi Integrity Commission, and freezing and seizing their funds.

Alforatnews.iq

Parliament hosts Central Bank Governor to discuss exchange rate

Alsumaria News – Politics: A parliamentary source revealed today, Sunday, that the parliament is hosting the Governor of the Central Bank, Ali Al-Alaq, today to discuss the exchange rate.
The source told Sumaria News, “The Finance Committee is hosting the Governor of the Central Bank in today’s parliament session, Sunday.”

The source added, “The focus of hosting the Governor of the Central Bank is to discuss the gap between the official price of the dollar and the price in the parallel market.”

Alsumaria.tv

MP reveals the secrets of the theft of the century and confirms: The real numbers are much higher

Information / Baghdad… MP Adnan Al-Jabri revealed, on Saturday, the secrets of the theft of the century.

Al-Jabri told Al-Maalouma, “The theft of tax deposits is a complex file, and investigations into its details are still ongoing. He confirmed that the amount that was actually stolen is much greater than what was announced.”

He added, “The amount of money stolen during the previous government’s time is large, stressing that the failure to announce the amount of thefts in the tax deposits file confirms that other thefts are being discovered through investigations.”

He pointed out the “importance of recovering all stolen funds, revealing the identity of those involved, and taking legal action, noting that corruption is a scourge no less dangerous than terrorism.”

It is noteworthy that the government recently announced the recovery of hundreds of billions of dinars of stolen money from tax trusts, known as the theft of the century.

Almaalomah.me

Sources: Central Bank “delaying” implementation of Al-Sudani’s directives to launch financing initiatives

Shafaq News / The Central Bank of Iraq is delaying the launch of financing initiatives despite the request of Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, according to informed sources.

The sources told Shafaq News Agency that the Central Bank has launched financing initiatives since 2015 to help the private sector establish their industrial, agricultural and commercial projects, in addition to financing the purchase of housing units in light of the current housing crisis.

According to a document, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani directed the Central Bank of Iraq to reactivate the financing initiative provided by the Central Bank of Iraq.

According to the sources, the Central Bank of Iraq is still delaying the Prime Minister’s directives, although they serve the Iraqi economy by activating the development initiative.

The sources pointed out that the Central Bank’s initiatives had benefited thousands of citizens and contributed to achieving growth in the private sector.

Shafaq.com