Iraq suicide bombings kill Sahwa fighters



BAGHDAD //Suicide bombings in Baghdad and on the Iraq-Syria border killed at least 48 people and injured scores more today, in attacks on anti-al Qa'eda tribal forces. The first explosion hit members of a Sahwa, or Awakening Council, as they queued to collect overdue salaries at an army base in the Radwaniya district, south-west of Baghdad. The blast killed 45 people and wounded more than 40, making it the worst single attack on Iraqi security forces this year. A military official in Baghdad's central operations command, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The National that the bomber was believed to have been a former Sahwa Council member. The second attack, which took place in al Qaim, on the Iraq-Syria border, was similar but claimed fewer lives. A militant wearing a suicide vest stormed into the headquarters of a local Sahwa Council and started shooting. As they returned fire he detonated his bomb, killing at least three and wounding six others. Security officials in the area also believe he was a former Sahwa member, which, if true, is an alarming development. Tribal leaders have warned that the Sahwa Councils, which played a key role in stabilising the country since 2006, are now in danger of unravelling as the Iraqi government phases out US$300 (Dh1,100) per fighter monthly payments. That cash, previously handed over by the US military, underpinned the Sahwa movement, by which tribes that had been allied with al Qa'eda switched sides with ruthless efficiency, turning their guns on the Islamic militants. The Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad, never happy about having well-armed Sunni tribal militias, decided to wind them down, promising to find alternative jobs for fighters. But, with unemployment rife, that has not been happening according to tribal leaders, leaving disillusioned and impoverished former Sahwa members to look, once more, in the direction of al Qa'eda. "We suspect the bomber had been in the Sahwa but the Iraqi government stopped paying the salaries for some of the members so he returned to al Qa'eda," Humood Khalaf, an Iraqi police lieutenant in al Qaim, said in a telephone interview. "This is a serious problem and indicates that some of the people who used to work for the Sahwa are working for al Qa'eda now." Abu Rafaat, 59, a Sahwa council leader in al Qaim, said the attack came as part of a stiffening resistance by Islamic militants in the area. "Al Qa'eda hit us from time to time, and we still hit them regularly but the war is much more difficult than it was in 2006," he said. "The al Qa'eda fighters are living among us and have good relations with society so it's hard to find them." The economic situation in al Qaim was described as dire by residents, making it an ideal place for Islamist militancy to flourish. "The situation is getting worse and worse here," said Saad Abed al Jaleel, 26, an unemployed graduate of teacher training college. "We have no work, there are no real government services here - actually we have nothing. Al Qa'eda attracts the young who don't have jobs." A further two members of Sahwa Councils were wounded in minor attacks south of Baghdad today. More than four months after March's parliamentary election, Iraqi politicians have yet to agree on a new government. Militants have continued to stage attacks during the impasse, although US commanders say they remain on course to cut their forces to 50,000 by the beginning of September. foreign.desk@thenational.ae

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8

Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Price: from Dh850,000

On sale: now

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

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The bio

Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.

Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.

Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.

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Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Will the pound fall to parity with the dollar?

The idea of pound parity now seems less far-fetched as the risk grows that Britain may split away from the European Union without a deal.

Rupert Harrison, a fund manager at BlackRock, sees the risk of it falling to trade level with the dollar on a no-deal Brexit. The view echoes Morgan Stanley’s recent forecast that the currency can plunge toward $1 (Dh3.67) on such an outcome. That isn’t the majority view yet – a Bloomberg survey this month estimated the pound will slide to $1.10 should the UK exit the bloc without an agreement.

New Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said that Britain will leave the EU on the October 31 deadline with or without an agreement, fuelling concern the nation is headed for a disorderly departure and fanning pessimism toward the pound. Sterling has fallen more than 7 per cent in the past three months, the worst performance among major developed-market currencies.

“The pound is at a much lower level now but I still think a no-deal exit would lead to significant volatility and we could be testing parity on a really bad outcome,” said Mr Harrison, who manages more than $10 billion in assets at BlackRock. “We will see this game of chicken continue through August and that’s likely negative for sterling,” he said about the deadlocked Brexit talks.

The pound fell 0.8 per cent to $1.2033 on Friday, its weakest closing level since the 1980s, after a report on the second quarter showed the UK economy shrank for the first time in six years. The data means it is likely the Bank of England will cut interest rates, according to Mizuho Bank.

The BOE said in November that the currency could fall even below $1 in an analysis on possible worst-case Brexit scenarios. Options-based calculations showed around a 6.4 per cent chance of pound-dollar parity in the next one year, markedly higher than 0.2 per cent in early March when prospects of a no-deal outcome were seemingly off the table.

Bloomberg

Director: Laxman Utekar

Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna

Rating: 1/5

Tuesday results:

  • Singapore bt Malaysia by 29 runs
  • UAE bt Oman by 13 runs
  • Hong Kong bt Nepal by 3 wickets

Final:
Thursday, UAE v Hong Kong

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4

Petrarch: Everywhere a Wanderer
Christopher Celenza,
Reaktion Books