As the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August, what had been a privileged education at the American University of Afghanistan suddenly became a dangerous liability.

Students and staff frantically searched for an escape route from a country that, with the withdrawal of U.S. forces, would fall to the Taliban — a group that has described the U.S.-funded university as a den of infidels and has shut schools and universities for girls and women.

Iraq, though, was not the first destination that came to the students’ minds as a refuge.

“OK, now I’m leaving the Taliban behind,” said Mashall, 24, a master’s student in information technology. “And now I’m going to face ISIS,” she said, describing her concern and using an alternate name for the Islamic State when told her evacuation flight would end up in Iraq.

Those fears have proved unfounded for Mashall and her classmates, who are among the first Afghan students to arrive at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. It is located in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, a liberal metropolis dotted with parks, filled with cafes and restaurants, and considered the safest major city in Iraq.

The students said they realized as much when they arrived, welcomed in the middle of the night by the university’s president and professors with bouquets of flowers to a campus with no high walls or security patrols.

So far, 109 young Afghans are studying in Sulaimaniyah, a portion of the 300 American University students that are ultimately expected to relocate there.

Many of the relocated students, traumatized by the loss of their homeland and haunted by worry over the families they left behind, are still in a state of shock and uncertain how to navigate life in a strange land.

On the university campus, a group of relocated students told their stories to The New York Times, speaking publicly for the first time since they were evacuated from Kabul. The Times is using only their first names and is not showing their faces in photographs to protect their families still in Afghanistan.

As the Taliban neared Kabul in August, Neda, a business student who worked part time at the university, frantically fed student documents into a fire on the nearly empty campus. “We tried to burn all the contracts or documents so they couldn’t find the students’ names and addresses,” she said.

The students and staff feared the Taliban would hunt them down along with their families and kill them.

“The Taliban came to an office I was working at,” recalled Murtaza, a law student who was later evacuated. “They wanted to beat us. They called us infidels and American spies.”

That night in August, as Neda burned papers, the foreign staff at the university had already been evacuated to a British-run security compound near the airport. For almost four hours Neda and a handful of other Afghans threw student records into the fire.

And then it was time to leave for the British compound, in what would become a harrowing journey ending in what many of the students initially considered to be the dangerous destination of Iraq.

But the Afghan university’s academic administrator knew better.

Vice President Victoria Fontan had worked in Iraq and during the pandemic had collaborated with her counterpart in Sulaimaniyah on an online curriculum. When the Kabul university started searching for a place to relocate students, she thought of Iraq, and a network of powerful friends kicked into action.

President Barham Salih of Iraq, the founder of the university in Sulaimaniyah and himself a former refugee, pledged to take in up to 300 students and arranged for them to enter without visas or in some cases even passports.

“The Iraqis really took an enormous leap of faith in this,” said Jared Cohen, CEO of Jigsaw, a technology incubator formerly known as Google Ideas. He became involved in a personal capacity after being asked by a friend, an Afghan-born BBC journalist, to help evacuate students.

Cohen said he obtained in a single afternoon from American philanthropists pledges of $3 million to evacuate and fund the studies of the 109 Afghan students in Sulaimaniyah and relocate another group of civil society professionals and journalists to another country. The Qatari government provided planes to evacuate the students.

The president of the Afghan university, Ian Bickford, said 106 other students had been sent to the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, and about 200 to other countries, including Pakistan and the United States.

Another 375 American University students are still in Afghanistan, along with many more staff and hundreds of alumni, Bickford said. Many are in hiding.

Students in Afghanistan still have access to online courses led by teachers now living outside the country. But many of those students no longer have reliable access to the internet or feel safe to connect, their former classmates said.

Some students, like Neda, are still traumatized by their escape. The British security compound where she was sheltering with the university’s foreign staff was taken over by the Taliban, who demanded money and vehicles before they let the occupants leave. Neda was terrified that the Taliban, who later took photos and videos of everyone on the buses to the airport, would recognize they were not foreigners but Afghans.

When they finally arrived at the Kabul airport gate with the foreign staff, she said, British soldiers barred them from entering.

“They said, ‘No, you guys are Afghans; you cannot go,’ ” Neda said. She said they were kicked out of the airport and into an area controlled by the Taliban. “I was in a very bad situation because I had never seen the Taliban face to face.”

Eventually, she made it onto a Qatari evacuation flight Aug. 21, leaving in a sandstorm amid the chaos of foreign soldiers including Turks trying to control an airport overrun with people desperate to escape.

“The Turkish Army and American Army treated us in a very bad way,” she said, wiping away tears. “I mean, it was my own country; it was my own land. But still they shouted at us.”

Neda did not tell her family she was going to Iraq because she knew they would worry. “All you hear about Iraq is the Islamic State and explosions,” she said.

One of the other students, a political science major named Fatima who plans to be a diplomat, had lived in Kabul for just four years. For years, she and her family were refugees in neighboring Pakistan, but she had persuaded them to return to Afghanistan so she could pursue her education.

“When I came to Kabul I was thinking that I belong to this land and it belongs to me,” she said. “It was such a beautiful feeling.”

Now, Fatima finds herself in yet another country — and wondering what the future holds.

Murtza, 22, a law student who was among those relocated, said he missed Kabul, even with its frequent electricity cuts. “I didn’t feel safe around Kabul,” he said. “But it was my hometown. It was my country. It was my soul, and it was my heart.”

Mujtaba, a law student, was among a group of students who relocated to Sulaimaniyah in October. Before he left, he would lie awake at night, listening to the constant roar of planes leaving Kabul.

“We couldn’t sleep because of the sound. And not just the sound, the thought that so many great people are just leaving the country. It was just devastating,” he said. Now he has become one of them. But he says he is determined to return to Afghanistan when he can to help rebuild it.

Mujtaba taught English and ran a book club in Kabul, while also teaching his mother to read.

He showed videos of his brother and sister reading by flashlight during a power cut in Kabul. While his brother still goes to school, Mujtaba said, his sister, a ninth grader, was forced to stop after the Taliban shut down high schools for girls.

In the small room he shares with another Afghan student in Sulaimaniyah, Mujtaba writes inspirational notes to himself on sticky notes placed above his desk.

“Be strong,” said that day’s note, with a smiley face drawn underneath.

As the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August, what had been a privileged education at the American University of Afghanistan suddenly became a dangerous liability.

As the Taliban closed in on the Afghan capital, Kabul, in August, what had been a privileged education at the American University of Afghanistan suddenly became a dangerous liability. Students and staff frantically searched for an escape route from a country that, with the withdrawal of U.S. forces, would fall to the Taliban — a group that has described the U.S.-funded university as a den of infidels and has shut schools and universities for girls and women. Iraq, though, was not the first destination that came to the students’ minds as a refuge. “OK, now I’m leaving the Taliban behind,” said Mashall, 24, a master’s student in information technology. “And now I’m going to face ISIS,” she said, describing her concern and using an alternate name for the Islamic State when told her evacuation flight would end up in Iraq. Those fears have proved unfounded for Mashall and her classmates, who are among the first Afghan students to arrive at the American University of Iraq, Sulaimani. It is located in the Kurdish city of Sulaimaniyah, a liberal metropolis dotted with parks, filled with cafes and restaurants, and considered the safest major city in Iraq. The students said they realized as much when they arrived, welcomed in the middle of the night by the university’s president and professors with bouquets of flowers to a campus with no high walls or security patrols. So far, 109 young Afghans are studying in Sulaimaniyah, a portion of the 300 American University students that are ultimately expected to relocate there. Many of the relocated students, traumatized by the loss of their homeland and haunted by worry over the families they left behind, are still in a state of shock and uncertain how to navigate life in a strange land. On the university campus, a group of relocated students told their stories to The New York Times, speaking publicly for the first time since they were evacuated from Kabul. The Times is using only their first names and is not showing their faces in photographs to protect their families still in Afghanistan. As the Taliban neared Kabul in August, Neda, a business student who worked part time at the university, frantically fed student documents into a fire on the nearly empty campus. “We tried to burn all the contracts or documents so they couldn’t find the students’ names and addresses,” she said. The students and staff feared the Taliban would hunt them down along with their families and kill them. “The Taliban came to an office I was working at,” recalled Murtaza, a law student who was later evacuated. “They wanted to beat us. They called us infidels and American spies.” That night in August, as Neda burned papers, the foreign staff at the university had already been evacuated to a British-run security compound near the airport. For almost four hours Neda and a handful of other Afghans threw student records into the fire. And then it was time to leave for the British compound, in what would become a harrowing journey ending in what many of the students initially considered to be the dangerous destination of Iraq. But the Afghan university’s academic administrator knew better. Vice President Victoria Fontan had worked in Iraq and during the pandemic had collaborated with her counterpart in Sulaimaniyah on an online curriculum. When the Kabul university started searching for a place to relocate students, she thought of Iraq, and a network of powerful friends kicked into action. President Barham Salih of Iraq, the founder of the university in Sulaimaniyah and himself a former refugee, pledged to take in up to 300 students and arranged for them to enter without visas or in some cases even passports. “The Iraqis really took an enormous leap of faith in this,” said Jared Cohen, CEO of Jigsaw, a technology incubator formerly known as Google Ideas. He became involved in a personal capacity after being asked by a friend, an Afghan-born BBC journalist, to help evacuate students. Cohen said he obtained in a single afternoon from American philanthropists pledges of $3 million to evacuate and fund the studies of the 109 Afghan students in Sulaimaniyah and relocate another group of civil society professionals and journalists to another country. The Qatari government provided planes to evacuate the students. The president of the Afghan university, Ian Bickford, said 106 other students had been sent to the American University of Central Asia in Kyrgyzstan, and about 200 to other countries, including Pakistan and the United States. Another 375 American University students are still in Afghanistan, along with many more staff and hundreds of alumni, Bickford said. Many are in hiding. Students in Afghanistan still have access to online courses led by teachers now living outside the country. But many of those students no longer have reliable access to the internet or feel safe to connect, their former classmates said. Some students, like Neda, are still traumatized by their escape. The British security compound where she was sheltering with the university’s foreign staff was taken over by the Taliban, who demanded money and vehicles before they let the occupants leave. Neda was terrified that the Taliban, who later took photos and videos of everyone on the buses to the airport, would recognize they were not foreigners but Afghans. When they finally arrived at the Kabul airport gate with the foreign staff, she said, British soldiers barred them from entering. “They said, ‘No, you guys are Afghans; you cannot go,’ ” Neda said. She said they were kicked out of the airport and into an area controlled by the Taliban. “I was in a very bad situation because I had never seen the Taliban face to face.” Eventually, she made it onto a Qatari evacuation flight Aug. 21, leaving in a sandstorm amid the chaos of foreign soldiers including Turks trying to control an airport overrun with people desperate to escape. “The Turkish Army and American Army treated us in a very bad way,” she said, wiping away tears. “I mean, it was my own country; it was my own land. But still they shouted at us.” Neda did not tell her family she was going to Iraq because she knew they would worry. “All you hear about Iraq is the Islamic State and explosions,” she said. One of the other students, a political science major named Fatima who plans to be a diplomat, had lived in Kabul for just four years. For years, she and her family were refugees in neighboring Pakistan, but she had persuaded them to return to Afghanistan so she could pursue her education. “When I came to Kabul I was thinking that I belong to this land and it belongs to me,” she said. “It was such a beautiful feeling.” Now, Fatima finds herself in yet another country — and wondering what the future holds. Murtza, 22, a law student who was among those relocated, said he missed Kabul, even with its frequent electricity cuts. “I didn’t feel safe around Kabul,” he said. “But it was my hometown. It was my country. It was my soul, and it was my heart.” Mujtaba, a law student, was among a group of students who relocated to Sulaimaniyah in October. Before he left, he would lie awake at night, listening to the constant roar of planes leaving Kabul. “We couldn’t sleep because of the sound. And not just the sound, the thought that so many great people are just leaving the country. It was just devastating,” he said. Now he has become one of them. But he says he is determined to return to Afghanistan when he can to help rebuild it. Mujtaba taught English and ran a book club in Kabul, while also teaching his mother to read. He showed videos of his brother and sister reading by flashlight during a power cut in Kabul. While his brother still goes to school, Mujtaba said, his sister, a ninth grader, was forced to stop after the Taliban shut down high schools for girls. In the small room he shares with another Afghan student in Sulaimaniyah, Mujtaba writes inspirational notes to himself on sticky notes placed above his desk. “Be strong,” said that day’s note, with a smiley face drawn underneath.

Afghan college students find a new life, and safety, in Iraq

West Asia is no stranger to assassination attempts. But the brazen attack on Iraqi Prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi's home has taken the region by shock. On The West Asia Post this week, Ghadi Francis tells you what this means for the war-scarred nation.

The West Asia Post | Iraqi PM Mustafa Al-Kadhimi survives assassination attempt

A 2,700-year-old Assyrian wine press factory has been discovered in Khenes village in Dohuk governorate, in the northern Kurdish region of Iraq. The site is made up of 14 basins carved into the stone of a mountainside and connected to each other through small canals.

Archaeologists discovered a 2,700-year-old Assyrian wine press factory in Dohuk

Iraqi PM Mustafa al-Kadhimi appeared in video footage published by his office chairing a meeting with top security commanders to discuss the drone attack. He called for 'calm and restraint' in the aftermath of the attack.

Iraqi PM Kadhimi chairs meeting after escaping drone attack in Baghdad

Iraq’s prime minister survived a drone strike on his home early Sunday, Iraqi officials said, raising fears of wider instability after disputed results in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.

“I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” the prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, wrote on Twitter after the predawn attack. In a video appealing for peace, he appeared with his wrist wrapped in what seemed to be a white gauze bandage.

A senior official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Saad Maan, said on state television that the prime minister’s house in the fortified Green Zone had been targeted by three armed drones.

Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the attack as a prelude to a coup, tweeting that “we cannot accept that Iraq will be dragged into chaos and a coup against its constitutional system.”

On Friday, tensions over results of the October&nbsp;10 parliamentary elections came to a head after a clash outside the Green Zone the site of the executed leader Saddam Hussein’s former palace grounds&nbsp; where the US Embassy and many other Western diplomatic missions are. Iraqi security forces used tear gas and live ammunition on militia members protesting the election results after the protesters tried to breach the heavily fortified zone’s barriers.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-pm-says-have-identified-perpetrators-of-drone-assassination-attempt-427565">Also read |&nbsp;Iraqi PM says have identified perpetrators of drone assassination attempt</a>

Leaders of Iranian-backed militias&nbsp;to which most of the protesters belong&nbsp;have blamed al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s former intelligence chief, for the use of force that killed at least one person.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the most powerful Iranian-backed militias, identified the person killed as Abdul Latif al-Khuwayldi, one of its brigade deputy commanders. The Iraqi Health Ministry said that more than 120 other people at the demonstration had been wounded, most of them security forces trying to hold back the protesters.

Iraq’s election commission has yet to announce final results for the nationwide elections held almost a month ago as it wades through fraud accusations. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has emerged as the biggest winner, at the expense of Iranian-backed parties that lost seats. Al-Sadr, whose fighters battled American forces during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, is viewed as an Iraqi nationalist with an uneasy relationship with Iran.

Political analysts believe those gains were mostly because of a more sophisticated strategy by the Sadrist organization, taking advantage of a new electoral system, which has an increased number of electoral districts. The United Nations, which had observers at the polls, praised the process. The political wings of the militia groups that lost seats claim they were defrauded.

One of al-Kadhimi’s main goals has been to rein in Iranian-backed militias. After 2014, when many were created to fight the Islamic State group, some of the biggest militias have been integrated into Iraq’s official security forces. Those militia forces, though, only nominally answer to the Iraqi government and some are blamed for continuing attacks on US&nbsp;interests.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack Sunday on the prime minister’s residence.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/act-of-terrorism-says-us-after-iraq-prime-minister-escapes-drone-attack-427472">Also read | Act of terrorism, says US after Iraq Prime Minister escapes drone attack</a>

Most analysts saw the attack as a warning to al-Kadhimi and his allies rather than as an assassination attempt. The prime minister has remained in power by balancing Iraqi relations between Iran and the United States, and he is seeking another term.

“What we’ve seen in the past is the use of violence, not necessarily to assassinate, but to warn that, ‘We’re here,’ ” said Renad Mansour, head of the Iraq Initiative at the think tank Chatham House. “I think this would also be a warning perhaps gone wrong because you can gain a bit more popularity and sympathy as the prime minister who survived an assassination attempt.”

The attack, though, significantly complicates efforts to form a government. Such efforts rely on forging alliances among parties, some of them with armed wings, to form the biggest bloc in Parliament.

A US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, called the strike Sunday an “apparent act of terrorism” that was “directed at the heart of the Iraqi state.”

Although al-Kadhimi said that both he and those who work with him were fine, the Iraqi military command said that several guards were being treated for injuries.

Photographs released on state media of damage to the house showed cracked concrete steps, doors apparently blown off their hinges and what looked like shrapnel holes in the back of a parked vehicle.

Al-Sadr, whose movement has won the highest number of seats of any political bloc in Parliament, described the attack as an attempt to return the country to the control of “nonstate forces to make Iraq live under riots, violence and terrorism.”

Iranian-backed groups that have previously threatened al-Kadhimi condemned the drone strikes.

Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the militia group, which was among those that lost seats in the parliamentary elections, called the strikes an attempt to divert attention from the deadly clash outside the Green Zone on Friday and blamed foreign intelligence agencies.

A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, expressed relief that the Iraqi prime minister had not been hurt in the attack. In a statement, Khatibzadeh blamed the strikes on an unspecified foreign plot.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqi-prime-minister-escapes-assassination-attempt-after-explosive-laden-drone-targets-his-house-427315">Also read |&nbsp;Iraqi Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt after explosive-laden drone targets his house</a>

Abu Ali al-Askari, the nom de guerre of one of the leaders of Kitaib Hezbollah, a main Iranian-backed militia, accused al-Kadhimi of playing the role of a victim and said that no one in Iraq considered the Iraqi leader’s home worth losing a drone over.

“If there is anyone who wants to harm this Facebook creature there are many ways that are less costly and more guaranteed to achieve this,” he said in a posting on his Telegram channel.

While the attack has raised fears of growing instability amid Iraq’s political turmoil, the country’s citizens seemed to generally shrug it off. Later Sunday morning, the start of the Iraqi workweek, Baghdad streets were full of the normal rush-hour traffic jams.

Near one of the entrances to the Green Zone, food vendors placed spatchcocked chickens to cook over charcoal grills on crowded sidewalks. Inside a butcher shop, a green parrot perched on a pole greeted customers by chirping out “meenoo” — “who is that” in the Iraqi dialect of Arabic.

“We are used to these incidents,” said Ali al-Hussayni, 50, the shop owner, about the attack on al-Kadhimi. “I am not saying people are not scared at all, but we have seen far worse than this.”

Iraq’s prime minister survived a drone strike on his home early Sunday, Iraqi officials said, raising fears of wider instability after disputed results in Iraq’s parliamentary elections.

Iraq’s prime minister survived a drone strike on his home early Sunday, Iraqi officials said, raising fears of wider instability after disputed results in Iraq’s parliamentary elections. “I am fine, praise be to God, among my people, and I call for calm and restraint from everyone, for the sake of Iraq,” the prime minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, wrote on Twitter after the predawn attack. In a video appealing for peace, he appeared with his wrist wrapped in what seemed to be a white gauze bandage. A senior official in the Iraqi Interior Ministry, Maj. Gen. Saad Maan, said on state television that the prime minister’s house in the fortified Green Zone had been targeted by three armed drones. Iraq’s president, Barham Salih, described the attack as a prelude to a coup, tweeting that “we cannot accept that Iraq will be dragged into chaos and a coup against its constitutional system.” On Friday, tensions over results of the October 10 parliamentary elections came to a head after a clash outside the Green Zone the site of the executed leader Saddam Hussein’s former palace grounds where the US Embassy and many other Western diplomatic missions are. Iraqi security forces used tear gas and live ammunition on militia members protesting the election results after the protesters tried to breach the heavily fortified zone’s barriers. Also read | Iraqi PM says have identified perpetrators of drone assassination attempt Leaders of Iranian-backed militias to which most of the protesters belong have blamed al-Kadhimi, Iraq’s former intelligence chief, for the use of force that killed at least one person. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, one of the most powerful Iranian-backed militias, identified the person killed as Abdul Latif al-Khuwayldi, one of its brigade deputy commanders. The Iraqi Health Ministry said that more than 120 other people at the demonstration had been wounded, most of them security forces trying to hold back the protesters. Iraq’s election commission has yet to announce final results for the nationwide elections held almost a month ago as it wades through fraud accusations. Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr has emerged as the biggest winner, at the expense of Iranian-backed parties that lost seats. Al-Sadr, whose fighters battled American forces during the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, is viewed as an Iraqi nationalist with an uneasy relationship with Iran. Political analysts believe those gains were mostly because of a more sophisticated strategy by the Sadrist organization, taking advantage of a new electoral system, which has an increased number of electoral districts. The United Nations, which had observers at the polls, praised the process. The political wings of the militia groups that lost seats claim they were defrauded. One of al-Kadhimi’s main goals has been to rein in Iranian-backed militias. After 2014, when many were created to fight the Islamic State group, some of the biggest militias have been integrated into Iraq’s official security forces. Those militia forces, though, only nominally answer to the Iraqi government and some are blamed for continuing attacks on US interests. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack Sunday on the prime minister’s residence. Also read | Act of terrorism, says US after Iraq Prime Minister escapes drone attack Most analysts saw the attack as a warning to al-Kadhimi and his allies rather than as an assassination attempt. The prime minister has remained in power by balancing Iraqi relations between Iran and the United States, and he is seeking another term. “What we’ve seen in the past is the use of violence, not necessarily to assassinate, but to warn that, ‘We’re here,’ ” said Renad Mansour, head of the Iraq Initiative at the think tank Chatham House. “I think this would also be a warning perhaps gone wrong because you can gain a bit more popularity and sympathy as the prime minister who survived an assassination attempt.” The attack, though, significantly complicates efforts to form a government. Such efforts rely on forging alliances among parties, some of them with armed wings, to form the biggest bloc in Parliament. A US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, called the strike Sunday an “apparent act of terrorism” that was “directed at the heart of the Iraqi state.” Although al-Kadhimi said that both he and those who work with him were fine, the Iraqi military command said that several guards were being treated for injuries. Photographs released on state media of damage to the house showed cracked concrete steps, doors apparently blown off their hinges and what looked like shrapnel holes in the back of a parked vehicle. Al-Sadr, whose movement has won the highest number of seats of any political bloc in Parliament, described the attack as an attempt to return the country to the control of “nonstate forces to make Iraq live under riots, violence and terrorism.” Iranian-backed groups that have previously threatened al-Kadhimi condemned the drone strikes. Asaib Ahl al-Haq, the militia group, which was among those that lost seats in the parliamentary elections, called the strikes an attempt to divert attention from the deadly clash outside the Green Zone on Friday and blamed foreign intelligence agencies. A spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Saeed Khatibzadeh, expressed relief that the Iraqi prime minister had not been hurt in the attack. In a statement, Khatibzadeh blamed the strikes on an unspecified foreign plot. Also read | Iraqi Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt after explosive-laden drone targets his house Abu Ali al-Askari, the nom de guerre of one of the leaders of Kitaib Hezbollah, a main Iranian-backed militia, accused al-Kadhimi of playing the role of a victim and said that no one in Iraq considered the Iraqi leader’s home worth losing a drone over. “If there is anyone who wants to harm this Facebook creature there are many ways that are less costly and more guaranteed to achieve this,” he said in a posting on his Telegram channel. While the attack has raised fears of growing instability amid Iraq’s political turmoil, the country’s citizens seemed to generally shrug it off. Later Sunday morning, the start of the Iraqi workweek, Baghdad streets were full of the normal rush-hour traffic jams. Near one of the entrances to the Green Zone, food vendors placed spatchcocked chickens to cook over charcoal grills on crowded sidewalks. Inside a butcher shop, a green parrot perched on a pole greeted customers by chirping out “meenoo” — “who is that” in the Iraqi dialect of Arabic. “We are used to these incidents,” said Ali al-Hussayni, 50, the shop owner, about the attack on al-Kadhimi. “I am not saying people are not scared at all, but we have seen far worse than this.”

Fears of wider instability in Iraq after attack on Prime Minister’s home

The violent unrest over Iraq's election results has spiralled into a crisis. Earlier today Iraq's Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi was targeted in a drone attack at his high security residence in capital Baghdad's high security green zone. Officials say that a drone laden with explosives struck the building. The leader - however escaped unhurt from the assassination attempt. While 6 bodyguards were injured photos issued by Kadhemi's office showed debris strewn on the ground. Below a damaged exterior stairway and a door that had been dislodged.

Violent unrest over Iraq's election results spirals into a crisis

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped an assassination attempt on him in Baghdad after an explosive-laden drone targeted his residence on Sunday.

A statement from the Iraqi military said the attack targeted Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the failed assassination bid.

Al-Kadhimi went on to Twitter moments after the attack and called for “calm and restraint from everyone.”

"Thank God, I am fine and among my people," he tweeted on his official account.

"I was and still am a redemption project for Iraq and the people of Iraq. The missiles of treachery will not discourage the believers and will shake a hair of the stability and determination of our heroic security forces to preserve people's security, achieve justice and set the law in place," he said.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
كنت ومازلت مشروع فداء للعراق وشعب العراق، صواريخ الغدر لن تثبط عزيمة المؤمنين، ولن تهتز شعرة في ثبات وإصرار قواتنا الأمنية البطلة على حفظ أمن الناس وإحقاق الحق ووضع القانون في نصابه. 
أنا بخير والحمد لله، وسط شعبي، وأدعو إلى التهدئة وضبط النفس من الجميع، من أجل العراق.
— Mustafa Al-Kadhimi مصطفى الكاظمي (@MAKadhimi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MAKadhimi/status/1457141910557151232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Iraqi military said that Al-Kadhimi was unharmed and in good health, and that security forces were “taking the necessary measures in connection with this failed attempt.”

Calling the assassination attempt "an act of terrorism", the United States condemned the attack on the Iraqi prime minister and offered assistance to investigate the matter.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moqtada-al-sadrs-party-claims-largest-seats-in-initial-iraq-poll-results-420027">Moqtada al-Sadr's party claims largest seats in initial Iraq poll results</a>

“We are following the reported drone attack targeting the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. We are relieved to learn the Prime Minister was unharmed. This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state,” the US department of state said in a statement.

“We are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq’s sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate this attack. Our commitment to our Iraqi partners is unshakeable. The United States stands with the government and people of Iraq,” it added.

The attack comes in the backdrop of tensions in the capital. Supporters of Iran-backed militia groups have been staging demonstrations near the Green Zone, protesting against the results of a general election last month which dealt a blow to their parliamentary power.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-will-form-iraqs-next-government-421944">Who will form Iraq's next government ?</a>

The groups, who have grown their political power considerably in Iraq over the years, alleged voter fraud and irregularities in counting the results of the October 10 election.

Protests by supporters of parties turned violent on Friday when demonstrators pelted police with stones near the Green Zone, injuring several officers.

The police responded with tear gas and live gunfire, killing at least one demonstrator.

Independent analysts say the election results were a reflection of anger towards the Iran-backed armed groups, which are widely accused of involvement in the killing of nearly 600 protesters who took the street in separate, anti-government demonstrations in 2019.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped an assassination attempt on him in Baghdad after an explosive-laden drone targeted his residence on Sunday. A statement from the Iraqi military said the attack targeted Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped an assassination attempt on him in Baghdad after an explosive-laden drone targeted his residence on Sunday. A statement from the Iraqi military said the attack targeted Kadhimi’s residence in Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses government buildings and foreign embassies. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the failed assassination bid. Al-Kadhimi went on to Twitter moments after the attack and called for “calm and restraint from everyone.” "Thank God, I am fine and among my people," he tweeted on his official account. "I was and still am a redemption project for Iraq and the people of Iraq. The missiles of treachery will not discourage the believers and will shake a hair of the stability and determination of our heroic security forces to preserve people's security, achieve justice and set the law in place," he said. كنت ومازلت مشروع فداء للعراق وشعب العراق، صواريخ الغدر لن تثبط عزيمة المؤمنين، ولن تهتز شعرة في ثبات وإصرار قواتنا الأمنية البطلة على حفظ أمن الناس وإحقاق الحق ووضع القانون في نصابه. أنا بخير والحمد لله، وسط شعبي، وأدعو إلى التهدئة وضبط النفس من الجميع، من أجل العراق. — Mustafa Al-Kadhimi مصطفى الكاظمي (@MAKadhimi) November 7, 2021 × The Iraqi military said that Al-Kadhimi was unharmed and in good health, and that security forces were “taking the necessary measures in connection with this failed attempt.” Calling the assassination attempt "an act of terrorism", the United States condemned the attack on the Iraqi prime minister and offered assistance to investigate the matter. Also read | Moqtada al-Sadr's party claims largest seats in initial Iraq poll results “We are following the reported drone attack targeting the residence of Iraqi Prime Minister Kadhimi. We are relieved to learn the Prime Minister was unharmed. This apparent act of terrorism, which we strongly condemn, was directed at the heart of the Iraqi state,” the US department of state said in a statement. “We are in close touch with the Iraqi security forces charged with upholding Iraq’s sovereignty and independence and have offered our assistance as they investigate this attack. Our commitment to our Iraqi partners is unshakeable. The United States stands with the government and people of Iraq,” it added. The attack comes in the backdrop of tensions in the capital. Supporters of Iran-backed militia groups have been staging demonstrations near the Green Zone, protesting against the results of a general election last month which dealt a blow to their parliamentary power. Also read | Who will form Iraq's next government ? The groups, who have grown their political power considerably in Iraq over the years, alleged voter fraud and irregularities in counting the results of the October 10 election. Protests by supporters of parties turned violent on Friday when demonstrators pelted police with stones near the Green Zone, injuring several officers. The police responded with tear gas and live gunfire, killing at least one demonstrator. Independent analysts say the election results were a reflection of anger towards the Iran-backed armed groups, which are widely accused of involvement in the killing of nearly 600 protesters who took the street in separate, anti-government demonstrations in 2019. (With inputs from agencies)

Iraqi Prime Minister escapes assassination attempt after explosive-laden drone targets his house

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi escaped an assassination attempt on him in Baghdad after an explosive-laden drone targeted his residence on Sunday.

Iraq: Gunfire after drone attack in Baghdad, PM escapes an assassination attempt

Showcasing traditional dance, music and arts, Iraq's Babylon International Festival has attracted thousands of fans for the first time in two war-scarred decades.

"It's a great joy. We haven't seen a festival like this for years," said Shaima, 45, visiting the event at the ancient archeological site with her two daughters.

The last edition of the festival was held in 2002, the year before the US-led invasion that toppled the veteran dictator Saddam Hussein.

In Pics |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/mexico-returns-to-lively-day-of-the-dead-celebration-with-a-bang-425774">Mexico returns to lively 'Day of the Dead' celebration with a bang</a>

In the years after, Iraq saw war between US troops and insurgents, sectarian clashes and the battle against the Islamic State group. Tens of thousands died and much of the country and its rich cultural heritage were reduced to rubble.

Today there is relative stability, though marred by periodic IS attacks and political tensions, and Iraqis are looking to the future. The five-day festival, which ended Monday, is one of the symbols of this new hope.

The arts showcase, staged in what was the capital of the ancient Mesopotamian state of Babylonia, this year drew artists from dozens of countries including Jordan, Serbia and Russia as well as homegrown talent.

"It's a fundamental change compared with the terrible ordeals that we suffered," Shaima said.

Rooted in history&nbsp;

The festival, first launched in 1987, was staged at the majestic UNESCO World Heritage site of Babylon, south of Baghdad.

Most performances were held in the Babylon theatre which Alexander the Great built around 311 BC.

Because history, both ancient and modern, is never far away in Iraq, one of the palaces Saddam built still stands just a few hundred metres (yards) from the Babylonian ruins.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/during-halloween-weekend-solar-flare-helps-northern-lights-become-visible-to-us-425602">During Halloween weekend, solar flare helps northern lights become visible to US</a>

In the shadow of a replica of Ishtar Gate, built originally by Nebuchadnezzar II around 575 BC, Iraqi photographer Haider al-Masalmawi was showing his work to visitors.

He voiced hope that the festival would "relaunch art, culture and even the economy of Iraq. It's a showcase."

Egyptian performer Mohammed Fathy said he was happy to be back in Iraq, as melodies from his Al-Ahram group played in the background.

"I came here as a dancer in the 1990s and returned today as stage manager," he said.

A Serbian folklore group along with Jordanian and Palestinian practitioners of dabkeh, a Middle Eastern line dance, were rehearsing their show.

Yasser al-Ardawi, head of the Jordanian troupe, while arranging his red and white keffiyeh head covering voiced confidence that the festival's return means that "security and stability have returned to Iraq".

'Free to sing'&nbsp;

Funding for culture is still often an after-thought in Iraq, a corruption-plagued country with crumbling infrastructure where millions live in poverty despite the nation's vast oil wealth.

The festival was financed privately, said its executive director Mohamed al-Rubaie, adding that the event also faced other challenges.

Babylon is located close to the Muslim Shiite shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf, both socially conservative centres of religious study.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-has-the-christmas-shopping-season-overtaken-halloween-425837">Has the Christmas shopping season overtaken Halloween?</a>

Two days before the festival's opening, the governor of Babylon province, Hassan Mendil, demanded the cancellation of concerts at the festival in response to calls from "religious students".

But the song and dance shows went ahead.

"It's a joyous festival that reflects Iraqi culture," Rubaie said. "Of course there are some fears and we take into account the opinion of others."

Those fears were brushed off by festival visitor Ali Saleh from Diwaniyah, south of Babylon.

"If I want to sing, I am free to do so," he said.

Showcasing traditional dance, music and arts, Iraq's Babylon International Festival has attracted thousands of fans for the first time in two war-scarred decades.

Showcasing traditional dance, music and arts, Iraq's Babylon International Festival has attracted thousands of fans for the first time in two war-scarred decades. "It's a great joy. We haven't seen a festival like this for years," said Shaima, 45, visiting the event at the ancient archeological site with her two daughters. The last edition of the festival was held in 2002, the year before the US-led invasion that toppled the veteran dictator Saddam Hussein. In Pics | Mexico returns to lively 'Day of the Dead' celebration with a bang In the years after, Iraq saw war between US troops and insurgents, sectarian clashes and the battle against the Islamic State group. Tens of thousands died and much of the country and its rich cultural heritage were reduced to rubble. Today there is relative stability, though marred by periodic IS attacks and political tensions, and Iraqis are looking to the future. The five-day festival, which ended Monday, is one of the symbols of this new hope. The arts showcase, staged in what was the capital of the ancient Mesopotamian state of Babylonia, this year drew artists from dozens of countries including Jordan, Serbia and Russia as well as homegrown talent. "It's a fundamental change compared with the terrible ordeals that we suffered," Shaima said. Rooted in history The festival, first launched in 1987, was staged at the majestic UNESCO World Heritage site of Babylon, south of Baghdad. Most performances were held in the Babylon theatre which Alexander the Great built around 311 BC. Because history, both ancient and modern, is never far away in Iraq, one of the palaces Saddam built still stands just a few hundred metres (yards) from the Babylonian ruins. Also Read | During Halloween weekend, solar flare helps northern lights become visible to US In the shadow of a replica of Ishtar Gate, built originally by Nebuchadnezzar II around 575 BC, Iraqi photographer Haider al-Masalmawi was showing his work to visitors. He voiced hope that the festival would "relaunch art, culture and even the economy of Iraq. It's a showcase." Egyptian performer Mohammed Fathy said he was happy to be back in Iraq, as melodies from his Al-Ahram group played in the background. "I came here as a dancer in the 1990s and returned today as stage manager," he said. A Serbian folklore group along with Jordanian and Palestinian practitioners of dabkeh, a Middle Eastern line dance, were rehearsing their show. Yasser al-Ardawi, head of the Jordanian troupe, while arranging his red and white keffiyeh head covering voiced confidence that the festival's return means that "security and stability have returned to Iraq". 'Free to sing' Funding for culture is still often an after-thought in Iraq, a corruption-plagued country with crumbling infrastructure where millions live in poverty despite the nation's vast oil wealth. The festival was financed privately, said its executive director Mohamed al-Rubaie, adding that the event also faced other challenges. Babylon is located close to the Muslim Shiite shrine cities of Karbala and Najaf, both socially conservative centres of religious study. Also Read | Has the Christmas shopping season overtaken Halloween? Two days before the festival's opening, the governor of Babylon province, Hassan Mendil, demanded the cancellation of concerts at the festival in response to calls from "religious students". But the song and dance shows went ahead. "It's a joyous festival that reflects Iraqi culture," Rubaie said. "Of course there are some fears and we take into account the opinion of others." Those fears were brushed off by festival visitor Ali Saleh from Diwaniyah, south of Babylon. "If I want to sing, I am free to do so," he said.

Iraq's Babylon arts festival back after almost 20 years

Three rockets on Sunday hit a&nbsp;Baghdad&nbsp;neighbourhood near the high-security Green Zone where the US embassy is located without causing any casualties, an Iraqi security official said.

"Three Katyusha rockets fell in the Mansur district of&nbsp;Baghdad," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP.

The rockets struck near a Red Crescent hospital, a bank and the district's water management department, the source added.

The so far unclaimed attack, the first to target the Green Zone since two rockets fired on July 29, comes as authorities conduct a recount of votes cast in an October 10 parliamentary election.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It was both blast💥&amp; it was at least 4 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Katyusha?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Katyusha</a> missiles shelling in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Baghdad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Baghdad</a> s neighborhood like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%86%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#المنصور</a> &amp; huge blast in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#الکرخ</a>/<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A8%D8%BA%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#بغداد</a> too 
 
According to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Iraqis?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Iraqis</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/resistance?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#resistance</a> the rockets shelling was from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%B9?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#البیاع</a> &amp; the main goals was to hit the green zone but it seems to missed <a href="https://t.co/NwzyUZW5su">pic.twitter.com/NwzyUZW5su</a>
— SyriaWarNews🇸🇾🇳🇴🇮🇷🇮🇶🇦🇿🇾🇪🇦🇫🇵🇰 (@ilias90sam) <a href="https://twitter.com/ilias90sam/status/1454755783237935105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Preliminary results show the Conquest Alliance, the political arm of the Hashed al-Shaabi network of pro-Iranian militias, lost ground in the election.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/11-dead-in-iraq-attack-blamed-on-is-group-security-sources-424471">Also read |&nbsp;11 dead in Iraq attack blamed on IS group: Security sources</a>

Hashed leaders have vehemently contested the results and several hundred of their supporters staged a sit-in on an avenue leading to the Green Zone this month in protest.

The powerful network is fiercely opposed to the US presence in Iraq.

Its leaders have repeatedly praised the rocket and drone attacks in recent months that have targeted Iraqi military bases housing US troops, without claiming responsibility.

Some 2,500 US troops are still deployed in Iraq. They will officially limit themselves to an "advisory" role to the Iraqi security forces from 2022.

The Green Zone also houses Iraqi government buildings.

Three rockets on Sunday hit a Baghdad neighbourhood near the high-security Green Zone where the US embassy is located without causing any casualties, an Iraqi security official said.

Three rockets on Sunday hit a Baghdad neighbourhood near the high-security Green Zone where the US embassy is located without causing any casualties, an Iraqi security official said. "Three Katyusha rockets fell in the Mansur district of Baghdad," the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told AFP. The rockets struck near a Red Crescent hospital, a bank and the district's water management department, the source added. The so far unclaimed attack, the first to target the Green Zone since two rockets fired on July 29, comes as authorities conduct a recount of votes cast in an October 10 parliamentary election. It was both blast💥& it was at least 4 #Katyusha missiles shelling in #Baghdad s neighborhood like #المنصور & huge blast in #الکرخ/#بغداد too According to #Iraqis #resistance the rockets shelling was from #البیاع & the main goals was to hit the green zone but it seems to missed pic.twitter.com/NwzyUZW5su — SyriaWarNews🇸🇾🇳🇴🇮🇷🇮🇶🇦🇿🇾🇪🇦🇫🇵🇰 (@ilias90sam) October 31, 2021 × Preliminary results show the Conquest Alliance, the political arm of the Hashed al-Shaabi network of pro-Iranian militias, lost ground in the election. Also read | 11 dead in Iraq attack blamed on IS group: Security sources Hashed leaders have vehemently contested the results and several hundred of their supporters staged a sit-in on an avenue leading to the Green Zone this month in protest. The powerful network is fiercely opposed to the US presence in Iraq. Its leaders have repeatedly praised the rocket and drone attacks in recent months that have targeted Iraqi military bases housing US troops, without claiming responsibility. Some 2,500 US troops are still deployed in Iraq. They will officially limit themselves to an "advisory" role to the Iraqi security forces from 2022. The Green Zone also houses Iraqi government buildings.

Three rockets hit near Baghdad Green Zone, no casualties reported

At least 11 people were killed late Tuesday in an attack on a village in eastern Iraq blamed on the Islamic State group, security sources said.

The attack on Al-Rashad in Diyala province left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said.

Another said that civilians were among those killed by small arms fire in the village, home to many members of the security services.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/car-bomb-kills-six-in-syrias-afrin-monitor-419945">Car bomb kills six in Syria's Afrin: Monitor</a>

The area has been sealed off and reinforcements sent to hunt for the attackers, the first source said.

Both sources said most of the village's inhabitants belong to the same Bani Tamim tribe as the Diyala provincial governor.

IS surged to control large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but its "caliphate" later crumbled under successive attacks.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hardship-of-life-heartbreaking-photo-of-syrian-father-son-wins-sipa-awards-2021-423996">'Hardship of Life': Heartbreaking photo of Syrian father &amp; son wins SIPA awards 2021</a>

Iraq declared it defeated in 2017 and the group was smashed in neighbouring Syria in 2019.

But the jihadist threat remains and the group continues to carry out attacks.

A UN report published early this year estimated that around 10,000 IS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria.

In early September, 13 Iraqi federal police officers were killed in an IS attack on their checkpoint near northern city Kirkuk.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraq-syria-terrorists-actively-entering-afghanistan-vladimir-putin-420560">Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin</a>

In July, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on a market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, Sadr City, in which around 30 people died.

Earlier this month, authorities announced two significant arrests outside Iraq: of the planner of a 2016 IS-claimed attack that killed 320 in Baghdad, and of IS's suspected finance chief, Sami Jasim al-Jaburi.

At least 11 people were killed late Tuesday in an attack on a village in eastern Iraq blamed on the Islamic State group, security sources said. The attack on Al-Rashad in Diyala province left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said.

At least 11 people were killed late Tuesday in an attack on a village in eastern Iraq blamed on the Islamic State group, security sources said. The attack on Al-Rashad in Diyala province left "11 dead and 13 wounded", a local security source said. Another said that civilians were among those killed by small arms fire in the village, home to many members of the security services. Also Read | Car bomb kills six in Syria's Afrin: Monitor The area has been sealed off and reinforcements sent to hunt for the attackers, the first source said. Both sources said most of the village's inhabitants belong to the same Bani Tamim tribe as the Diyala provincial governor. IS surged to control large swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014, but its "caliphate" later crumbled under successive attacks. Also read | 'Hardship of Life': Heartbreaking photo of Syrian father & son wins SIPA awards 2021 Iraq declared it defeated in 2017 and the group was smashed in neighbouring Syria in 2019. But the jihadist threat remains and the group continues to carry out attacks. A UN report published early this year estimated that around 10,000 IS fighters remained active across Iraq and Syria. In early September, 13 Iraqi federal police officers were killed in an IS attack on their checkpoint near northern city Kirkuk. Also Read | Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin In July, the group claimed responsibility for an attack on a market in a Shiite district of Baghdad, Sadr City, in which around 30 people died. Earlier this month, authorities announced two significant arrests outside Iraq: of the planner of a 2016 IS-claimed attack that killed 320 in Baghdad, and of IS's suspected finance chief, Sami Jasim al-Jaburi.

11 dead in Iraq attack blamed on IS group: Security sources

Iraq's October 10 elections reinforced the parliamentary strength of mercurial Shiite preacher Moqtada Sadr and saw a sharp decline in that of his adversaries, the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, according to preliminary results.

A final tally from the ballot, organised to appease youth-led anti-government protests that began in 2019, is expected in the next few weeks, but so far no bloc has a clear mandate.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/moqtada-al-sadrs-party-claims-largest-seats-in-initial-iraq-poll-results-420027">Moqtada al-Sadr's party claims largest seats in initial Iraq poll results</a>

That means the numerous political parties will engage in lengthy negotiations to form alliances and name a new prime minister.

<h2>What alliances are possible ?</h2>

Harith Hasan, a nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, generally sees two main potential scenarios.

The first is the revival of a "Shiite alliance" between Sadr, who has criticised Iranian influence, and the Hashed, a former paramilitary network now integrated into the regular security forces.

Results so far show Sadr won more than 70 of the 329 parliamentary seats.

This coalition option would see Sadr accepting "a new power-sharing arrangement with a compromise candidate" as prime minister, Hasan said.

There would also be an agreement "on certain 'principles' for reform, including the future and the structure of Hashed al-Shaabi," he said.

Any compromise candidate for prime minister will have to have the tacit blessing of Tehran and Washington, arch-foes that are both Baghdad allies.

According to preliminary results the Conquest (Fatah) Alliance, the political arm of the multi-party Hashed, emerged from the election with only around 15 seats in parliament.

In the last chamber it had 48, which made it the second largest bloc.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/record-low-voter-turnout-mars-iraqi-parliamentary-elections-419864">Record low voter turnout mars Iraqi parliamentary elections</a>

A source in Fatah told AFP that some of its leaders "suggested to a representative of the Sadrists to conclude an alliance" with them and other Shiite entities.

A second scenario would see Sadr align himself with Massoud Barzani, the longtime head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party which runs the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq.

Mohammed al-Halbussi, the former parliamentary speaker who cultivates an image of dynamism and leads a construction boom in his home city of Ramadi, would also be part of this coalition, along with smaller groups.

This scenario is only possible if Sadr "did not succumb to the pressure" of Hashed, said Hasan, who does not exclude "some kind of chaos or armed conflict" in the country where virtually all political actors have links to armed groups.

Despite losing seats, the Hashed is still expected to carry weight in parliament through the support of members who say they are independent, and arrangements with former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, who held the post between 2006 and 2014.

An ally of Hashed and a figure close to Iran, Maliki won more than 30 seats.

<h2>Who will be prime minister ?</h2>

No name has yet emerged as a replacement for Mustafa al-Kadhemi.

Sadr had claimed he was going to name the next prime minister, but the one ultimately chosen "has to be a consensus candidate," said Lahib Higel, a senior analyst on Iraq at the International Crisis Group.

It could be Kadhemi himself.

Well connected both in Tehran and Washington, he brought forward the elections, originally scheduled for 2022, in response to the anti-government protests over endemic corruption, unemployment and failing public services.

With no base of his own and no seat in parliament, Kadhemi could be a convenient choice "because to a certain degree you will get rid of a part of the responsibility when the face of the government is someone else," Higel said.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqis-to-elect-new-parliament-amid-deep-crisis-apathy-417813">Iraqis to elect new parliament amid deep crisis, apathy</a>

"He has a chance."

In Hasan's view, "Kadhemi still stands a good chance to stay in office."

<h2>&nbsp;What about Iran's role ?</h2>

The loss of seats by Fatah, which is very close to Iran, will not necessarily weaken Tehran's role in Iraq.

"Iran has had an influence in Iraq ever since 2003," years before the Hashed alliance first entered parliament in 2018, Higel said.

According to Hasan, Iran has three main interests in its neighbour: ending the US military presence which numbers 2,500, and making sure there are no threats coming from Iraq; supporting Hashed; and keeping the Iraqi market open to products from Iran's crippled economy.

Hasan added that Iran "don't see Sadr as an enemy, but they are attentive to the risk of having him dominating" the Shiite scene.

Iraq's October 10 elections reinforced the parliamentary strength of mercurial Shiite preacher Moqtada Sadr and saw a sharp decline in that of his adversaries, the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, according to preliminary results.

Iraq's October 10 elections reinforced the parliamentary strength of mercurial Shiite preacher Moqtada Sadr and saw a sharp decline in that of his adversaries, the pro-Iran Hashed al-Shaabi alliance, according to preliminary results. A final tally from the ballot, organised to appease youth-led anti-government protests that began in 2019, is expected in the next few weeks, but so far no bloc has a clear mandate. Also Read | Moqtada al-Sadr's party claims largest seats in initial Iraq poll results That means the numerous political parties will engage in lengthy negotiations to form alliances and name a new prime minister. What alliances are possible ? Harith Hasan, a nonresident senior fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center, generally sees two main potential scenarios. The first is the revival of a "Shiite alliance" between Sadr, who has criticised Iranian influence, and the Hashed, a former paramilitary network now integrated into the regular security forces. Results so far show Sadr won more than 70 of the 329 parliamentary seats. This coalition option would see Sadr accepting "a new power-sharing arrangement with a compromise candidate" as prime minister, Hasan said. There would also be an agreement "on certain 'principles' for reform, including the future and the structure of Hashed al-Shaabi," he said. Any compromise candidate for prime minister will have to have the tacit blessing of Tehran and Washington, arch-foes that are both Baghdad allies. According to preliminary results the Conquest (Fatah) Alliance, the political arm of the multi-party Hashed, emerged from the election with only around 15 seats in parliament. In the last chamber it had 48, which made it the second largest bloc. Also Read | Record low voter turnout mars Iraqi parliamentary elections A source in Fatah told AFP that some of its leaders "suggested to a representative of the Sadrists to conclude an alliance" with them and other Shiite entities. A second scenario would see Sadr align himself with Massoud Barzani, the longtime head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party which runs the Kurdish autonomous region in northern Iraq. Mohammed al-Halbussi, the former parliamentary speaker who cultivates an image of dynamism and leads a construction boom in his home city of Ramadi, would also be part of this coalition, along with smaller groups. This scenario is only possible if Sadr "did not succumb to the pressure" of Hashed, said Hasan, who does not exclude "some kind of chaos or armed conflict" in the country where virtually all political actors have links to armed groups. Despite losing seats, the Hashed is still expected to carry weight in parliament through the support of members who say they are independent, and arrangements with former prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, who held the post between 2006 and 2014. An ally of Hashed and a figure close to Iran, Maliki won more than 30 seats. Who will be prime minister ? No name has yet emerged as a replacement for Mustafa al-Kadhemi. Sadr had claimed he was going to name the next prime minister, but the one ultimately chosen "has to be a consensus candidate," said Lahib Higel, a senior analyst on Iraq at the International Crisis Group. It could be Kadhemi himself. Well connected both in Tehran and Washington, he brought forward the elections, originally scheduled for 2022, in response to the anti-government protests over endemic corruption, unemployment and failing public services. With no base of his own and no seat in parliament, Kadhemi could be a convenient choice "because to a certain degree you will get rid of a part of the responsibility when the face of the government is someone else," Higel said. Also Read | Iraqis to elect new parliament amid deep crisis, apathy "He has a chance." In Hasan's view, "Kadhemi still stands a good chance to stay in office." What about Iran's role ? The loss of seats by Fatah, which is very close to Iran, will not necessarily weaken Tehran's role in Iraq. "Iran has had an influence in Iraq ever since 2003," years before the Hashed alliance first entered parliament in 2018, Higel said. According to Hasan, Iran has three main interests in its neighbour: ending the US military presence which numbers 2,500, and making sure there are no threats coming from Iraq; supporting Hashed; and keeping the Iraqi market open to products from Iran's crippled economy. Hasan added that Iran "don't see Sadr as an enemy, but they are attentive to the risk of having him dominating" the Shiite scene.

Who will form Iraq's next government ?

In the 1990s, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein ordered the drainage of the the famous Chebayesh marsh. He wanted to attack the rebels hiding in the reeds. Years after his fall, the wetland was re-flooded. Locals returned too. But now its being threatened by series of factors including climate change. This report tells you more.

Iraq's Chebayesh marsh battles pollution, drought

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that battle-hardened terrorists from Iraq and Syria are "actively" entering Afghanistan.

"The situation in Afghanistan is not easy," Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of ex-Soviet states.

"Militants from Iraq, Syria with experience in military operations are actively being drawn there," he said.

"It is possible that terrorists may try to destabilise the situation in neighbouring states," he added, warning that they could even try "direct expansion". 
 
Watch | Russia is building its military influence in Africa

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russia-is-building-its-military-influence-in-africa-412977/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Putin has repeatedly warned about members of extremist groups exploiting political turmoil in Afghanistan to cross into neighbouring ex-Soviet countries as refugees.

While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new Taliban leadership in Kabul, the Kremlin is concerned about instability spilling over into Central Asia where it houses military bases.

In the wake of the Taliban takeover, Russia held military drills with ex-Soviet Tajikistan -- where it operates a military base -- and in Uzbekistan. Both countries share a border with Afghanistan.

Tajikistan's national security chief, Saimumin Yatimov, for his part told the video conference that he had registered an "intensification" of attempts to "smuggle drugs, weapons, ammunition" from Afghanistan into his country.

Afghanistan has long been the world's largest producer of opium and heroin, with profits from the illicit trade helping fund the Taliban.

Earlier Wednesday French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Tajikistan's leader Emomali Rakhmon in Paris, vowing to help the Central Asian state maintain stability.

While the Taliban has said it does not pose a threat to Central Asian countries, the ex-Soviet republics in the region have previously been targeted by attacks attributed to allies of Afghan Islamists.

Last week the Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Russia will invite the Taliban to Moscow for international talks on Afghanistan scheduled for October 20.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that battle-hardened terrorists from Iraq and Syria are "actively" entering Afghanistan. "The situation in Afghanistan is not easy," Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of ex-Soviet states.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that battle-hardened terrorists from Iraq and Syria are "actively" entering Afghanistan. "The situation in Afghanistan is not easy," Putin said during a video conference with security service chiefs of ex-Soviet states. "Militants from Iraq, Syria with experience in military operations are actively being drawn there," he said. "It is possible that terrorists may try to destabilise the situation in neighbouring states," he added, warning that they could even try "direct expansion". Watch | Russia is building its military influence in Africa Putin has repeatedly warned about members of extremist groups exploiting political turmoil in Afghanistan to cross into neighbouring ex-Soviet countries as refugees. While Moscow has been cautiously optimistic about the new Taliban leadership in Kabul, the Kremlin is concerned about instability spilling over into Central Asia where it houses military bases. In the wake of the Taliban takeover, Russia held military drills with ex-Soviet Tajikistan -- where it operates a military base -- and in Uzbekistan. Both countries share a border with Afghanistan. Tajikistan's national security chief, Saimumin Yatimov, for his part told the video conference that he had registered an "intensification" of attempts to "smuggle drugs, weapons, ammunition" from Afghanistan into his country. Afghanistan has long been the world's largest producer of opium and heroin, with profits from the illicit trade helping fund the Taliban. Earlier Wednesday French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Tajikistan's leader Emomali Rakhmon in Paris, vowing to help the Central Asian state maintain stability. While the Taliban has said it does not pose a threat to Central Asian countries, the ex-Soviet republics in the region have previously been targeted by attacks attributed to allies of Afghan Islamists. Last week the Kremlin's envoy to Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said Russia will invite the Taliban to Moscow for international talks on Afghanistan scheduled for October 20.

Iraq, Syria terrorists actively entering Afghanistan: Vladimir Putin 

Chebayesh wetland has been battling a drought. This rainfall season in Iraq was the second driest in 40yrs. As a result salinity of the river has risen to dangerous levels.

Dams built on rivers feeding Chebayesh wetland

Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr has emerged as the biggest winner of Iraq's parliamentary election. This was the 5th election since America overthrew Iraq's former dictator Saddam Hussein. But Iraqis say their lives have not changed since 2003. Most of them chose not to vote. WION's Palki Sharma has the details.

Gravitas | Iraq Polls: Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr emerges as the biggest winner

The initial results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections are out and the Sadrist movement has secured the largest piece of the pie in the Iraqi parliament, with 73 out of 239 seats. The party leader and Shia Muslim scholar Muqtada Al-Sadr is racing ahead towards the prime ministerial seat of Iraq.

Initial results of the Iraqi parliamentary elections out

Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's party as per initial results in Iraq's parliamentary polls is being seen as the greatest winner, Sadrists claim largest bloc in Iraq.

Iraq parliamentary polls: Shiite Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's party leads

The polls have closed and the vote count is underway in Iraq's parliamentary elections. The country has witnessed a record low voter turnout of 41 percent. This is the fifth parliamentary vote since the ousting of Saddam Hussein in 2003. While few Iraqis expect a meaningful change in their day-to-day lives. The parliament elections will shape Iraq's position in the geopolitical theatre. Let's take a closer look at the parliamentary system of Iraq.

Vote count underway in Iraq's parliamentary elections

Turnout hit a record low for parliamentary elections in war-scarred Iraq, early figures showed Monday, amid widespread disillusionment about a political elite seen as inept and corrupt.

Sunday's vote was moved forward from 2022 as a concession to an anti-government protest movement that has demanded deep reforms in the oil-rich yet poverty-stricken country.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iraqis-head-to-early-vote-with-little-hope-for-change-419564">Iraqis head to early vote with little hope for change</a>

But in the end voter participation hit a new low in Iraq's fifth election since the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein with the promise of bringing freedom and democracy.&nbsp;

Preliminary turnout was just 41 percent, based on results from 94 percent of voting stations, the election commission said -- below the 44.5 percent recorded in 2018.

"There's general apathy. People just don't believe that elections matter," said Iraqi researcher Sajad Jiyad of the Century Foundation think-tank.

"The weak turnout is a warning. It is not only the legitimacy of the next prime minister that is in question, but also the legitimacy of the government, of the state -- of the entire system."

Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi brought forward the vote to appease a youth-led protest movement that erupted two years ago against graft, unemployment and crumbling public services.

Iraq is a major oil producer but nearly a third of its almost 40 million people live in poverty, according to UN figures, and the Covid pandemic only deepened a long-running crisis.&nbsp;

The premier and national spy chief tweeted that he had "kept his promise and done his duty by organising fair elections".

Kadhemi's own political future is now uncertain, with few observers willing to predict who will emerge as leader after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections.

Early fireworks&nbsp;

The election was held under tight security in a country where key parliamentary blocs have armed factions and Islamic State group jihadists have launched mass-casualty suicide attacks this year.

Airports were closed and travel between provinces banned, while voters were searched twice at polling stations.

An attack blamed on IS on a voting centre in a remote part of northern Iraq left a police officer dead, a security source said.

Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/italian-dictator-mussolinis-granddaughter-tops-polls-in-rome-council-vote-418979">&nbsp;Italian dictator Mussolini's granddaughter tops polls in Rome council vote</a>

And a soldier was killed and another wounded by "accidental fire" from a fellow soldier at a polling station in Diyala province bordering Baghdad, officials said.

Authorities also reported the arrests of 77 suspects for electoral "violations".

The vote was marred by technical problems at some stations, including malfunctioning equipment and fingerprint readers, officials and AFP journalists said.

Official provisional results were now expected until later Monday, but some candidates already claimed victory and celebrated with fireworks overnight in Baghdad and the southern city of Nassiriyah.

Fragmented parliament&nbsp;

In Sunday's election, some 25 million eligible voters were called to choose from more than 3,200 candidates.

A new single-member constituency system for electing Iraq's 329 lawmakers aimed to boost independents versus the traditional blocs largely centred on religious, ethnic and clan affiliations.

Iraqi politics, and the legislature, have been dominated by factions representing the country's Shiite Muslim majority since the fall of Saddam's Sunni-led regime.

But they are increasingly split, including in their attitudes toward powerful Shiite neighbour Iran, which competes with the United States for strategic influence in Iraq.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/qataris-vote-in-subdued-first-legislative-election-417615">Qataris vote in subdued first legislative election</a>

The biggest bloc has been the Sadrist camp of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, a political maverick and former anti-US militia leader who opposes all foreign influence in Iraq.

Sadr was among those who hailed their electoral "success" ahead of official preliminary results.

The most powerful pro-Iranian factions are from the bloc linked to the Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella group of paramilitary groups, which helped defeat IS.

Experts predict that the large blocs are likely to preserve their dominance in the fragmented parliament, where the llack of a clear majority will force them to negotiate alliances.

Iraq by convention has had a Shiite Muslim prime minister, a Sunni parliament speaker and a Kurdish president.

Turnout hit a record low for parliamentary elections in war-scarred Iraq, early figures showed Monday, amid widespread disillusionment about a political elite seen as inept and corrupt.

Turnout hit a record low for parliamentary elections in war-scarred Iraq, early figures showed Monday, amid widespread disillusionment about a political elite seen as inept and corrupt. Sunday's vote was moved forward from 2022 as a concession to an anti-government protest movement that has demanded deep reforms in the oil-rich yet poverty-stricken country. Also Read | Iraqis head to early vote with little hope for change But in the end voter participation hit a new low in Iraq's fifth election since the 2003 US-led invasion that ousted dictator Saddam Hussein with the promise of bringing freedom and democracy. Preliminary turnout was just 41 percent, based on results from 94 percent of voting stations, the election commission said -- below the 44.5 percent recorded in 2018. "There's general apathy. People just don't believe that elections matter," said Iraqi researcher Sajad Jiyad of the Century Foundation think-tank. "The weak turnout is a warning. It is not only the legitimacy of the next prime minister that is in question, but also the legitimacy of the government, of the state -- of the entire system." Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi brought forward the vote to appease a youth-led protest movement that erupted two years ago against graft, unemployment and crumbling public services. Iraq is a major oil producer but nearly a third of its almost 40 million people live in poverty, according to UN figures, and the Covid pandemic only deepened a long-running crisis. The premier and national spy chief tweeted that he had "kept his promise and done his duty by organising fair elections". Kadhemi's own political future is now uncertain, with few observers willing to predict who will emerge as leader after the usual political haggling between factions that follow Iraqi elections. Early fireworks The election was held under tight security in a country where key parliamentary blocs have armed factions and Islamic State group jihadists have launched mass-casualty suicide attacks this year. Airports were closed and travel between provinces banned, while voters were searched twice at polling stations. An attack blamed on IS on a voting centre in a remote part of northern Iraq left a police officer dead, a security source said. Also Read | Italian dictator Mussolini's granddaughter tops polls in Rome council vote And a soldier was killed and another wounded by "accidental fire" from a fellow soldier at a polling station in Diyala province bordering Baghdad, officials said. Authorities also reported the arrests of 77 suspects for electoral "violations". The vote was marred by technical problems at some stations, including malfunctioning equipment and fingerprint readers, officials and AFP journalists said. Official provisional results were now expected until later Monday, but some candidates already claimed victory and celebrated with fireworks overnight in Baghdad and the southern city of Nassiriyah. Fragmented parliament In Sunday's election, some 25 million eligible voters were called to choose from more than 3,200 candidates. A new single-member constituency system for electing Iraq's 329 lawmakers aimed to boost independents versus the traditional blocs largely centred on religious, ethnic and clan affiliations. Iraqi politics, and the legislature, have been dominated by factions representing the country's Shiite Muslim majority since the fall of Saddam's Sunni-led regime. But they are increasingly split, including in their attitudes toward powerful Shiite neighbour Iran, which competes with the United States for strategic influence in Iraq. Also Read | Qataris vote in subdued first legislative election The biggest bloc has been the Sadrist camp of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, a political maverick and former anti-US militia leader who opposes all foreign influence in Iraq. Sadr was among those who hailed their electoral "success" ahead of official preliminary results. The most powerful pro-Iranian factions are from the bloc linked to the Hashed al-Shaabi umbrella group of paramilitary groups, which helped defeat IS. Experts predict that the large blocs are likely to preserve their dominance in the fragmented parliament, where the llack of a clear majority will force them to negotiate alliances. Iraq by convention has had a Shiite Muslim prime minister, a Sunni parliament speaker and a Kurdish president.

Record low voter turnout mars Iraqi parliamentary elections

Early voting has begun in Iraq. The elections are a major reaction to the protest that rocked the country in 2019. Women candidates are battling for seats in Iraq.

Early voting begins in Iraq, women candidates battle for seats

War-scarred Iraq holds parliamentary elections on October 10, a year early to appease an anti-government protest movement, in a nation that remains mired in corruption and economic crisis.

The country is emerging from almost two decades of conflict and insurgency since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, promising to bring freedom and democracy.&nbsp;

Although security has improved in recent years, elections threaten new volatility in a nation still terrorised by militant attacks and where major political factions are heavily armed.

It is feared turnout will again be low among the 25 million eligible voters, many of whom are deeply disillusioned and view the entire political class as inept and corrupt.

Despite being a major oil producer, Iraq is close to being "economically and ideologically bankrupt," said Renad Mansour of the London-based Chatham House.

The political system is "unable to provide sufficient jobs or services," he added.

According to UN figures, nearly a third of Iraq's almost 40 million people live in poverty, and the pandemic and last year's fall in oil prices only deepened a long-running crisis.&nbsp;

"The country is still mired in corruption which affects all institutions," said Iraqi analyst Ihsan al-Shammari.

Prime Minister Mustafa al- Kadhemi, who only took office in May 2020, moved forward the scheduled 2022 polls as a concession to the unprecedented, youth-led protest movement that erupted two years ago.

The activists railed against graft, unemployment and crumbling public services, but the protests ended after being hit by a wave of bloody violence and the start of the COVID-19&nbsp;&nbsp;pandemic.

Kadhemi's political future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top in the polls after the lengthy haggling between factions that usually follows an Iraqi election.

Threat of escalation

Iraqi politics, and the 329-seat legislature, have been dominated by factions representing the country's Shiite Muslim majority since the fall of Saddam's Sunni-led regime.

But they are increasingly split, including in their attitudes toward the country's powerful Shiite neighbour Iran, which competes with the United States for strategic influence in Iraq.

The biggest bloc in the assembly has been the Sadrist camp of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, a political maverick and former anti-US militia leader who opposes all foreign influence in Iraq.

The most powerful pro-Iranian factions are from the bloc linked to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces) umbrella group of paramilitary groups, which helped defeat the Islamic State jihadist group.

IS had captured a third of Iraq before losing its self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria in late 2017.

The Hashed have been integrated into the Iraqi state security apparatus, and many of their figures were elected as lawmakers in 2018 polls.

Political scientist Fadel Abou Raghif warned of "the danger of a security deterioration after the announcement of the results".

Tensions had already been heightened by the triumphalist speeches of some candidates, he said.

"The results could come as a shock by not matching their expectations," he said. "This could lead them to wage war on the results."

Shammari also said he does not rule out "friction" or "escalation" if "the armed factions do not get sufficient representation in the executive".&nbsp;

'Above the law'

Many parties and activists close to the October 2019 protest movement are boycotting the elections, denouncing the anti-democratic climate and the proliferation of weapons.

Nearly 600 activists were killed, many thousands wounded and scores abducted in attacks that are widely blamed on pro-Iranian "militias".

"Weapons are a big challenge," Shammari said, adding those who hold them "are now above the law".&nbsp;

"These factions are also participating in the elections through their 'political shopfront' groups."

Washington has blamed pro-Iranian groups for attacks on its interests in Iraq, where it still stations 2,500 troops, deployed as part of the anti-IS coalition.

Tensions flared in January 2020, after a US drone strike in Baghdad killed the powerful Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and top Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.

Washington has announced the end of combat missions for US soldiers in Iraq, saying their role will be limited to training Iraqi troops and sharing intelligence.

IS, for its part, has not disappeared as a threat.&nbsp;

While the jihadists have gone underground, their cells have stepped up attacks, including killing more than 30 people in a July suicide attack on a Baghdad market.&nbsp;

A UN report this year pointed to "a marked increase" in IS attacks, including "sophisticated double-pronged attacks, fake checkpoints, abductions and executions of civilians".

War-scarred Iraq holds parliamentary elections on October 10, a year early to appease an anti-government protest movement, in a nation that remains mired in corruption and economic crisis.

War-scarred Iraq holds parliamentary elections on October 10, a year early to appease an anti-government protest movement, in a nation that remains mired in corruption and economic crisis. The country is emerging from almost two decades of conflict and insurgency since the 2003 US-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein, promising to bring freedom and democracy. Although security has improved in recent years, elections threaten new volatility in a nation still terrorised by militant attacks and where major political factions are heavily armed. It is feared turnout will again be low among the 25 million eligible voters, many of whom are deeply disillusioned and view the entire political class as inept and corrupt. Despite being a major oil producer, Iraq is close to being "economically and ideologically bankrupt," said Renad Mansour of the London-based Chatham House. The political system is "unable to provide sufficient jobs or services," he added. According to UN figures, nearly a third of Iraq's almost 40 million people live in poverty, and the pandemic and last year's fall in oil prices only deepened a long-running crisis. "The country is still mired in corruption which affects all institutions," said Iraqi analyst Ihsan al-Shammari. Prime Minister Mustafa al- Kadhemi, who only took office in May 2020, moved forward the scheduled 2022 polls as a concession to the unprecedented, youth-led protest movement that erupted two years ago. The activists railed against graft, unemployment and crumbling public services, but the protests ended after being hit by a wave of bloody violence and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kadhemi's political future hangs in the balance, with few observers willing to predict who will come out on top in the polls after the lengthy haggling between factions that usually follows an Iraqi election. Threat of escalation Iraqi politics, and the 329-seat legislature, have been dominated by factions representing the country's Shiite Muslim majority since the fall of Saddam's Sunni-led regime. But they are increasingly split, including in their attitudes toward the country's powerful Shiite neighbour Iran, which competes with the United States for strategic influence in Iraq. The biggest bloc in the assembly has been the Sadrist camp of Shiite leader Moqtada Sadr, a political maverick and former anti-US militia leader who opposes all foreign influence in Iraq. The most powerful pro-Iranian factions are from the bloc linked to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces) umbrella group of paramilitary groups, which helped defeat the Islamic State jihadist group. IS had captured a third of Iraq before losing its self-declared caliphate across Iraq and Syria in late 2017. The Hashed have been integrated into the Iraqi state security apparatus, and many of their figures were elected as lawmakers in 2018 polls. Political scientist Fadel Abou Raghif warned of "the danger of a security deterioration after the announcement of the results". Tensions had already been heightened by the triumphalist speeches of some candidates, he said. "The results could come as a shock by not matching their expectations," he said. "This could lead them to wage war on the results." Shammari also said he does not rule out "friction" or "escalation" if "the armed factions do not get sufficient representation in the executive". 'Above the law' Many parties and activists close to the October 2019 protest movement are boycotting the elections, denouncing the anti-democratic climate and the proliferation of weapons. Nearly 600 activists were killed, many thousands wounded and scores abducted in attacks that are widely blamed on pro-Iranian "militias". "Weapons are a big challenge," Shammari said, adding those who hold them "are now above the law". "These factions are also participating in the elections through their 'political shopfront' groups." Washington has blamed pro-Iranian groups for attacks on its interests in Iraq, where it still stations 2,500 troops, deployed as part of the anti-IS coalition. Tensions flared in January 2020, after a US drone strike in Baghdad killed the powerful Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and top Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis. Washington has announced the end of combat missions for US soldiers in Iraq, saying their role will be limited to training Iraqi troops and sharing intelligence. IS, for its part, has not disappeared as a threat. While the jihadists have gone underground, their cells have stepped up attacks, including killing more than 30 people in a July suicide attack on a Baghdad market. A UN report this year pointed to "a marked increase" in IS attacks, including "sophisticated double-pronged attacks, fake checkpoints, abductions and executions of civilians".

Iraqis to elect new parliament amid deep crisis, apathy

Iraq is heading for elections marked by growing political and social fractures. On this week's The West Asia Post, Ghadi Francis tells you what this means for Baghdad's future?

The West Asia Post: Iraq elections 2021: What does it mean for Baghdad's future?

Iraqi President Barham Salih during the speech at UNGA lauds local communities for fighting ISIS. Watch this report for more details.

Iraqi President Barham Salih lauds local communities for fighting ISIS

The 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest surviving literary works in history, is to be returned to Iraq by the United States later this week, the UN agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday.

Watch:&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/unique-medieval-scroll-in-hebrew-on-public-display-414627/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Gilgamesh Tablet, which is made of clay, is priceless. It features inscriptions in Sumerian, a civilisation of ancient Mesopotamia. After the start of the Gulf War in August 1990, the treasure was taken from a museum in Iraq.

In 2007, it was introduced fraudulently into the US art market. In 2014, the artefact was acquired by the craft retail chain, Hobby Lobby, for display at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington DC, which is funded by the family of Hobby Lobby’s owner, as per news reports. &nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-a-first-sex-worker-group-gets-unionised-in-canada-414677" hreflang="en">In a first, sex worker group gets unionised in Canada</a>

In July, the US Department of Justice announced that it was ordering the official handing over of the tablet, as it had entered the US “contrary to federal law”, noting that federal agents had seized the tablet from the museum, in September 2019. &nbsp;&nbsp;

At a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC on this Thursday, it will now be formally returned to Iraq.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/guinness-certifies-107-year-old-siblings-from-japan-as-worlds-oldest-twins-414652" hreflang="en">Guinness certifies 107-year-old siblings from Japan as world's oldest twins</a>

In a celebratory message, UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said, “By returning these illegally acquired objects, the authorities here in the United States and in Iraq are allowing the Iraqi people to reconnect with a page in their history. This exceptional restitution is a major victory over those who mutilate heritage and then traffic it to finance violence and terrorism.”&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest surviving literary works in history, is to be returned to Iraq by the United States later this week, the UN agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday.

The 3,500-year-old Gilgamesh Dream Tablet, which is one of the oldest surviving literary works in history, is to be returned to Iraq by the United States later this week, the UN agency for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) said on Monday. Watch: × The Gilgamesh Tablet, which is made of clay, is priceless. It features inscriptions in Sumerian, a civilisation of ancient Mesopotamia. After the start of the Gulf War in August 1990, the treasure was taken from a museum in Iraq. In 2007, it was introduced fraudulently into the US art market. In 2014, the artefact was acquired by the craft retail chain, Hobby Lobby, for display at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington DC, which is funded by the family of Hobby Lobby’s owner, as per news reports. Also Read: In a first, sex worker group gets unionised in Canada In July, the US Department of Justice announced that it was ordering the official handing over of the tablet, as it had entered the US “contrary to federal law”, noting that federal agents had seized the tablet from the museum, in September 2019. At a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC on this Thursday, it will now be formally returned to Iraq. Also Read: Guinness certifies 107-year-old siblings from Japan as world's oldest twins In a celebratory message, UNESCO’s Director-General, Audrey Azoulay, said, “By returning these illegally acquired objects, the authorities here in the United States and in Iraq are allowing the Iraqi people to reconnect with a page in their history. This exceptional restitution is a major victory over those who mutilate heritage and then traffic it to finance violence and terrorism.” (With inputs from agencies)

Looted ancient Gilgamesh tablet to be returned to Iraq by US this week

The European Union's first ever election observation mission in Iraq will deploy 80 people to follow early parliamentary polls next month, the group's head Viola von Cramon said Thursday.

"I strongly encourage everyone to make sure this is a peaceful process," von Cramon told reporters in Baghdad, adding that "violence and intimidation have no place in elections".

Bringing forward the elections was one of the only concessions made by the government in the face of mass demonstrations that broke out in late 2019 against endemic corruption and administrative breakdown.

Dozens of demonstrators have been kidnapped, murdered or targeted in attacks over the past two years.

Although nobody has claimed responsibility for the violence, activists blame Shiite militias, a rising force often funded by Iran.

Ahead of the polls, "any violence will only interfere and would finally prevent voters casting their votes," said von Cramon, herself a member of the European Parliament for Germany's Greens party.

Authorities must "ensure that all candidates, and particularly female candidates, political activists, journalists, human rights defenders and the electorate can fully exercise their democratic rights and freedoms," she added.

Nevertheless, calls to boycott the ballot box have grown in recent months, especially from disillusioned young Iraqis who accuse the parties of intimidation on top of vote-buying and cronyism.

Almost 25 million people are on the electoral roll for the October 10 vote to pick 329 MPs.

Human Rights Watch said that there were "significant obstacles" to Iraq's hundreds of thousands of disabled people voting "due to discriminatory legislation and inaccessible polling places".

Most polling stations are in school buildings without easy access for less mobile people, it highlighted.

The European Union's first ever election observation mission in Iraq will deploy 80 people to follow early parliamentary polls next month, the group's head Viola von Cramon said Thursday.

The European Union's first ever election observation mission in Iraq will deploy 80 people to follow early parliamentary polls next month, the group's head Viola von Cramon said Thursday. "I strongly encourage everyone to make sure this is a peaceful process," von Cramon told reporters in Baghdad, adding that "violence and intimidation have no place in elections". Bringing forward the elections was one of the only concessions made by the government in the face of mass demonstrations that broke out in late 2019 against endemic corruption and administrative breakdown. Dozens of demonstrators have been kidnapped, murdered or targeted in attacks over the past two years. Although nobody has claimed responsibility for the violence, activists blame Shiite militias, a rising force often funded by Iran. Ahead of the polls, "any violence will only interfere and would finally prevent voters casting their votes," said von Cramon, herself a member of the European Parliament for Germany's Greens party. Authorities must "ensure that all candidates, and particularly female candidates, political activists, journalists, human rights defenders and the electorate can fully exercise their democratic rights and freedoms," she added. Nevertheless, calls to boycott the ballot box have grown in recent months, especially from disillusioned young Iraqis who accuse the parties of intimidation on top of vote-buying and cronyism. Almost 25 million people are on the electoral roll for the October 10 vote to pick 329 MPs. Human Rights Watch said that there were "significant obstacles" to Iraq's hundreds of thousands of disabled people voting "due to discriminatory legislation and inaccessible polling places". Most polling stations are in school buildings without easy access for less mobile people, it highlighted.

EU observers call for 'peaceful' Iraq vote

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhemi became the first foreign leader to visit and meet with Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi since the hardliner took office in August.

Iraq PM Al-Kadhemi meets Iran President Raisi for first time

Iraq's PM paid a visit to Iran over the weekend. Al-Khademi said that he will stand by Iran in all its challenges.

Iraqi PM Mustafa Al-Kadhemi visits Iran

The city of Mosul was the last bastion of ISIS in Iraq. It was retaken by the Iraqi army and a US-led coalition after the intense bombardment and fighting that left it in ruins. On The West Asia Post this week, Ghadi Francis tells you how Mosul is still struggling to rebuild.

The West Asia Post: Former ISIS stronghold mired in crisis

Millions in Iraq and Syria are facing water shortage as the region's longest river the Euphrates dries up. The Euphrates was a lifeline for many countries. The shortage has led to a shortfall of hydropower.

Drought hits West Asia's longest Euphrates river

iraq

Iraq, News on Iraq, stories on Iraq, articles on Iraq, Iraq stories at Wion, Iraq news, Iraq latest news