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With Wave of Strikes, Israel Starts New Phase in War on Iranian Proxies

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With Wave of Strikes, Israel Starts New Phase in War on Iranian Proxies UK £2 Issue 220, Year 5 September 1, 2019 EU €2.50 www.thearabweekly.com Turkey’s military Tunisia on eve Cairo wary woes at home of presidential about Gaza and abroad violence Page 15 elections Pages 12-13 Page 11 With wave of strikes, Israel starts new phase in war on Iranian proxies ► Israel’s message to Iraqi militias is that “we are capable of reaching you and we have the support of other Iraqi groups,” said Haider al-Safi, a BBC Arabic producer. Mamoon Alabbasi the second-largest number of seats in parliament, said the Iraqi govern- ment would file a complaint against London Israel with the UN Security Council. “Some of the government inves- eported Israeli attacks tigations have reached a conclusion against Iran-backed mili- that the perpetrator behind some of tary sites in Iraq, Lebanon the attacks is absolutely, certainly R and Syria increased ten- Israel,” Asadi said August 30. “The sions in a region on edge over the government is preparing sufficient standoff between Iran and the Unit- evidence and documents to com- ed States but it also appears to have plain to the Security Council.” prompted renewed political infight- Observers said the strikes in Iraq ing in Baghdad. carried a twin message from Israel. Israel confirmed it hit a military “Israel’s message to Iran is that target in Syria August 24, saying it ‘we are aware of your movements pre-empted a drone attack planned and we know the political affilia- by Iran’s elite al-Quds Force against tion of Iran’s militias in Iraq.’ Israel’s Israeli territories. message to Iraqi militias is that ‘we Israel did not confirm or deny are capable of reaching you and involvement in drone attacks Au- we have the support of other Iraqi gust 25 against Iran-backed militant groups’,” said Haider al-Safi, a BBC groups in Lebanon and Iraq but Is- Arabic producer and author of “Ira- raeli Prime Minister Binyamin Ne- qi Media: From Saddam’s Propagan- tanyahu said he “gave the security da to American State-Building.” forces a free hand and instructed Safi said Washington is sending them to do anything necessary to a message, too. “By turning a blind thwart Iran’s plans.” eye to the Israeli raid, the US is stat- Shifting tactics. A Lebanese Army soldier walks past forensic investigators inspecting the scene Both the Lebanese Hezbollah ing that Iran’s allies (in Iraq) are a where two drones crashed in the vicinity of a media centre of the Shia Hezbollah movement in movement and the Iraqi Popular legitimate target,” he said. southern Beirut, August 25. (AFP) Mobilisation Forces (PMF) blamed The Iraqi government, led by Israel for the drone attacks and Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, vowed to retaliate. reiterated that it does not want to “We have evidence that shows increased calls for the withdrawal tias from Syria. “Iraq is more worthy While Israel had frequently tar- be involved in a conflict between the US has brought four Israeli of US troops in Iraq. Observers said of the blood of its own people,” he geted pro-Iranian forces — whether Iran and the United States but it has drones into Iraq. The US is using the the suspected Israeli strikes could posted on Twitter. Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi, Afghan struggled to keep the PMF under drones to target the PMF and Iraqi put US interests in Iraq at greater The developments highlighted or other — inside Syria, it has not control. bases, rather than targeting (the risk. the use of advanced drone war- been involved in a major operation The strikes against the PMF wid- Islamic State),” Muhandis said in “It is the Americans who will face fare by Israel as well as Iran and its against Lebanon since 2006 and ened the rift the Iran-backed militia a statement. “We have the right to the retaliation of Iraqi militias be- proxies. While Israelis fear being Iraq since 1981. UN officials warned leaders and the government, which defend ourselves. From now on we cause the Israelis are unreachable targeted by enemy drones, Israel that the latest tensions could deal observers said is already threatened will target any drone flying over our (from Iraq). The attacks will reach has benefited from deploying the “a huge blow” to Iraq or “lead to a by the rising tensions between Teh- bases.” the Americans in Iraq while Israel unmanned aerial vehicles in the new conflict” between Israel and ran and Washington. In a rare move, Muhandis’s re- won’t be affected,” said Sadeq al- region: they won’t need to coordi- Lebanon. “The Iraqi government is really marks were contradicted by PMF Taai, an Ira qi writer and researcher nate with the Russians in Syria nor PMF bases and arms depots in under great pressure from all sides. Chairman Falih Alfayyadh, who is in London. inform the United States of their ac- Iraq were targeted at least five times Abdul-Mahdi has been struggling to also allied with Iran. In a statement, Influential Iraqi cleric Muqtada tions in Iraq. in July and August. Speaking to the survive,” said Baghdad-based jour- Alfayyadh said Muhandis’s remarks al-Sadr, whose political bloc has the New York Times, US officials con- nalist Suadad al-Salhy. were personal and did not represent largest number of seats in parlia- Mamoon Alabbasi is Deputy firmed Israel had been behind sev- PMF Deputy Chairman Abu Mahdi the official policy of the PMF, which ment, warned Iraqi militias against Managing Editor and Online eral attacks in Iraq. al-Muhandis held the United States he said takes its orders from the any “irresponsible” action that Editor of The Arab Weekly. Ahmad Al Asadi, a spokesman for — an ally of the Iraqi government — prime minister. would harm Iraq. He reiterated his Iran-backed Fatah bloc, which has responsible for the drone attacks. Pro-Iranian politicians and clerics call for the withdrawal of Iraqi mili- P2-3,9 Morocco, Spain reactivate border control cooperation but migrants keep trying Saad Guerraoui grants made it into Ceuta. lion approved by the European Un- to counter illegal migration flows. which is playing a major role in help- A previous attempt, in August ion last year for Rabat’s efforts to Spain plans to remove the ing curb illegal migration. 2018, by sub-Saharan migrants curb illegal immigration. barbed-wire fencing around Ceuta “Meanwhile, Spain and the EU Oued Daouiyat charging Ceuta’s heavily fortified Every year, thousands of African and Melilla before the end of the are equipping and financing Mo- border ended with the migrants migrants, including Moroccans, year, opting for other technologies roccan border guards to outsource ll was quiet at the border sent back to Morocco, sparking try to cross into Spanish enclaves to prevent migrants’ illegal pas- control of barbed wire from Ceuta between the Spanish en- condemnation from human rights of Ceuta and Melilla. sage from Morocco. and Melilla. Never has North/ clave of Ceuta and Mo- groups. Approximately 50 mi- Some of them climb the 6-metre South “cooperation” on migrant A rocco amid heavy security grants forced their way into Melilla tall barbed-wire fences separat- hunting been so successful,” Ger- along the long, barbed-wire fence last May during a mass attempt. ing the Spanish enclaves from the The Spanish government man journalist Olivier Cyran post- preventing African migrants from Morocco and Spain have reac- Moroccan territory to make it to approved aid of $35.7 million ed on Twitter. crossing into the European Union’s tivated bilateral security agree- Europe. Others choose a more per- to Rabat in addition to $28.8 The Spanish government’s goal only land border, besides Melilla, ments, allowing the quick return ilous journey by sea, braving the million previously granted to of reducing illegal immigration by with Africa. of migrants to Morocco after illegal strong currents of the connecting Morocco. half in 2019 is getting closer amid a “It has been very quiet for sev- crossings into Ceuta and Melilla. Atlantic Ocean with the Mediter- 39% drop, El Pais reported. eral months here. We haven’t seen Spain has become the number ranean. This year, Spain has become the Rabat has stopped 42,000 peo- African migrants for quite some one target for African migrants af- A total of 859 migrants died in second main entry point for illegal ple, 80% of whom would-be bor- time,” said Mohammed from the ter Italy sealed its borders, prompt- the Mediterranean as of August migrants into the European conti- der crossers, from illegally cross- village of Oued Daouiyat, which ing Madrid to push for more finan- 22 and 14,680 had arrived in Spain nent after Greece. ing to Spain, Moroccan authorities borders Ceuta. cial aid to help Morocco tackle since the beginning of 2019, the In- Morocco has become a key play- said. Moroccan security forces are illegal immigration. ternational Organisation for Migra- er in curbing illegal immigration The Royal Morocco Navy has be- deployed across the 8km border The Spanish government ap- tion (IOM) said. to Europe, with border reinforce- come involved in search-and-res- fence as hallmarks of African mi- proved aid of $35.7 million to Rabat In 2018, approximately 7,000 il- ments making it virtually impos- cue maritime operations, forcing grants are visible in bushes. in addition to $28.8 million previ- legal migrants crossed the border sible to reach Spain. human smugglers to depart from Approximately 250 migrants ously granted to Morocco as part of from Morocco into the two Spanish “Morocco is helping us,” said as far as the western city of Casa- took security forces on both sides the cooperation between the two enclaves, the IOM said.
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