Missile attacks on US personnel and diplomatic missions in Iraq will push Washington to review its policies, the US ambassador to the country, Mathew Tuller said on Monday.
His remarks come after two Katyusha rockets fell near Baghdad airport on Sunday night. It was the third such attack on sensitive sites hosting US and foreign troops in the capital this week.
Washington blames such attacks on Iranian-backed militias but Tehran has not directly commented on the incidents.
"There are extremist voices that prompt the targeting of the US’s military and diplomatic presence, and this does not represent the Iraqi people or the interest of Iraq," Mr Tuller told reporters.
If such attacks continue then it will “prompt a review of many issues, not between Iraq and America, rather, between Iraq and the international coalition in general.”
There are around 5,000 US personnel and hundreds more from other countries in Iraq which are deployed at the request of the government to assist Iraqi forces in their fight against ISIS.
Yet the Iraqi oarliament passed a bill following the US killing of top Iranian general Qasem Suleimani and Kataib Hezbollah commander Abu Mahdi Al Muhandis in January, that demanded the invitation be revoked.
Mr Tuller said that Washington does not want to have permanent military bases in Iraq, indicating that the US will make its decision on whether or not its troops will remain in Iraq based on the “readiness of the Iraqi forces.”
"There is some misunderstanding and intended confusion regarding the nature of the relationship between the international coalition and the Iraqi government. America does not want permanent military presence or permanent bases in Iraq,” Mr Tuller said.
The Pentagon said last wekk that it will reduce US force stationed in Iraq to about 3,500 troops within the next few months.
The killing of an American civilian last December triggered a round of violence which ultimately led US President Donald Trump to order the killing of Suliemani and Al Muhandis.
It resulted in deadly tit for tat attacks between US and Iran on Iraqi soil.
"We hope that the Iraqi parliament will not reject the recent agreements between Baghdad and Washington," noting that "the strategic framework agreement was ratified by Parliament in 2008, and anything we do within this framework is in force as a law,” he said.
For months Iraqi officials have said they are seeking to avoid being drawn into any regional conflagration.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi concluded a trip to Washington earlier this month where he held talks with Mr Trump and various top US officials.
The meeting in Washington shows “the strength of the relationship” Mr Tuller said.
"We all understand the challenges that Iraq suffers from the outbreak of the coronavirus and the drop in oil prices, especially as it does not have a strong position to attract foreign investment,” Mr Tuller said.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan 2 (Vecino 65', Barella 83')
Verona 1 (Verre 19' pen)
Padmaavat
Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Jim Sarbh
3.5/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Know before you go
- Jebel Akhdar is a two-hour drive from Muscat airport or a six-hour drive from Dubai. It’s impossible to visit by car unless you have a 4x4. Phone ahead to the hotel to arrange a transfer.
- If you’re driving, make sure your insurance covers Oman.
- By air: Budget airlines Air Arabia, Flydubai and SalamAir offer direct routes to Muscat from the UAE.
- Tourists from the Emirates (UAE nationals not included) must apply for an Omani visa online before arrival at evisa.rop.gov.om. The process typically takes several days.
- Flash floods are probable due to the terrain and a lack of drainage. Always check the weather before venturing into any canyons or other remote areas and identify a plan of escape that includes high ground, shelter and parking where your car won’t be overtaken by sudden downpours.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
