Members of the Lions of the Tigris, a group of Sunni Arab fighters and part of the Hashed Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Comimittee) warm themselves near a fire during a pause in a military operation against ISIL in Shayyalah Al Imam, Iraq on November 30, 2016. Thaier Al Sudani / Reuters
Members of the Lions of the Tigris, a group of Sunni Arab fighters and part of the Hashed Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Comimittee) warm themselves near a fire during a pause in a military operation against ISIL in Shayyalah Al Imam, Iraq on November 30, 2016. Thaier Al Sudani / Reuters
Members of the Lions of the Tigris, a group of Sunni Arab fighters and part of the Hashed Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Comimittee) warm themselves near a fire during a pause in a military operation against ISIL in Shayyalah Al Imam, Iraq on November 30, 2016. Thaier Al Sudani / Reuters
Members of the Lions of the Tigris, a group of Sunni Arab fighters and part of the Hashed Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Comimittee) warm themselves near a fire during a pause in a military operation ag

Sunni tribesmen favour Iraqi federalism – but with new leaders


  • English
  • Arabic

SHAYYALAH AL IMAM, IRAQ // When the men — and one woman — from the Sunni fighters of the Lions of the Tigris military unit gathered with some of their tribal leaders in a village near Mosul, the perils posed by ISIL were not foremost in their minds. Instead, they discussed their deep distrust of the politicians who govern Iraq now. So pervasive is the mistrust that some tribal leaders even believe ISIL is part of an elaborate plot to weaken Sunnis.

“Everyone knows ISIL will be defeated. The conspiracy was designed to hurt Iraq, especially Sunnis, after we liberate Mosul,” said Abdel Rahman Ali, a tribal commander. “Our own politicians are behind it.”

Top tribal commander Sheikh Mohammed Al Jibouri said, “Iraq needs serious reforms. Only serious reforms will lead to the unity of Iraq.”

Like many Sunnis, the minority who dominated under Saddam and then watched the majority Shi’ites rise to power, they are disillusioned with a governing system that allocates posts according to sects. Sunnis themselves are divided and lack a strong leadership, adding to Iraq’s fragmentation.

The Lions of the Tigris are part of the Popular Mobilisation Committee, or Hashid Shaabi, which was formed to take on the hardline Sunnis of ISIL after they swept through northern Iraq in 2014, facing little resistance from the army.

Hashid Shaabi mostly comprises Shi’ites but there are also Sunnis, such as the 655-strong Lions of the Tigris unit, who fought alongside government soldiers, capturing villages in the offensive to drive ISIL from its stronghold of Mosul, Iraq’s second largest city. Such apparent cooperation between soldiers and tribesmen lends credibility to the Shi’ite-led government in Baghdad, where prime minister Haider Al Abadi has struggled to persuade Sunni tribesmen — who helped American forces defeat Al Qaeda during the 2003-11 occupation — to join the battle against ISIL.

But some tribesmen doubt the politicians have the resolve or desire to unify a nation now awash with sectarian bloodshed since the US-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein.

Officials believe the Mosul offensive, the biggest ground operation since 2003, could make or break Iraq. If it inflames sectarian tensions in the predominantly Sunni city, the fighting could lead to Iraq’s partition, they warn.

But if the campaign goes smoothly and a new administration in Mosul is seen as nonsectarian, that could help the country to unite.

Mr Ali said federalism modelled on the autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq is the best option, even though that has created friction with Baghdad over oil resources.

As the men spoke, ISIL militants fired more mortar bombs towards their unit. One day earlier, bland collection of cement houses overlooking the desert was attacked by suicide bombers.

Warming his hands by a small campfire was Nashwan Sahn, a Sunni tribesman who has been fighting Islamist militants in Iraq for 11 years, taking on Al Qaeda and then ISIL. His companion on guard duty? A Shiite soldier. Both said they support Iraqi unity but neither had any faith in the politicians to manage the sectarian tensions which provoked a civil war in 2006-2007.

Mr Sahn said Sunni and Shiite politicians were as bad as each other. “Federalism would be good but only if we have good leaders,” he said. “We liberate these villages where Sunnis live. Yet Sunni politicians who have constituents here have never visited us at the front line.”

Miaad Madaad, the only female member of the Lions of the Tigris, clutched an AK-47 assault rifle and vowed to defeat ISIL. “The last time they came to my house and threatened me I threw rocks at them and called them dogs,” she said proudly.

ISIL militants beheaded her father-in-law and brother-in-law. But her story illustrates the sectarian and ethnic complexities and mistrust facing Iraq.

When she and her husband fled to the relatively stable Kurdish region earlier this year, he was arrested by Kurdish fighters who suspected him of being an ISIL fighter.

* Reuters

CREW
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The%20specs
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Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption. 

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks. 

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes. 

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion. 

8. Pillar 2 implementation 

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations. 

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity. 

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo

Power: 268hp at 5,600rpm

Torque: 380Nm at 4,800rpm

Transmission: CVT auto

Fuel consumption: 9.5L/100km

On sale: now

Price: from Dh195,000 

Company%20Profile
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While you're here
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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

Company profile

Company: Rent Your Wardrobe 

Date started: May 2021 

Founder: Mamta Arora 

Based: Dubai 

Sector: Clothes rental subscription 

Stage: Bootstrapped, self-funded 

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group H

Manchester United v Young Boys, Tuesday, midnight (UAE)

The specs

Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8

Power: 611bhp

Torque: 620Nm

Transmission: seven-speed automatic

Price: upon application

On sale: now

Profile

Company: Justmop.com

Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

 

 

Result

6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-3 – Group 1 (PA) $65,000 (Dirt) 2,000m; Winner: Brraq, Ryan Curatolo (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)

7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (Turf) 1,800m; Winner: Bright Melody, James Doyle, Charlie Appleby

7.40pm: Meydan Classic – Listed (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Naval Crown, Mickael Barzalona, Charlie Appleby

8.15pm: Nad Al Sheba Trophy – Group 3 (TB) $195,000 (T) 2,810m; Winner: Volcanic Sky, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor

8.50pm: Dubai Millennium Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby

9.25pm: Meydan Challenge – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Zainhom, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi

Director: Laxman Utekar

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

Rating: 1/5

McLaren GT specs

Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: seven-speed

Power: 620bhp

Torque: 630Nm

Price: Dh875,000

On sale: now

The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8

Price, base: Dh853,226

Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 550hp @ 6,000pm

Torque: 770Nm @ 1,960rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km

The years Ramadan fell in May

1987

1954

1921

1888

First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus 

MATCH INFO

Burnley 1 (Brady 89')

Manchester City 4 (Jesus 24', 50', Rodri 68', Mahrez 87')

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059