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WORLD NEWS Friday 27 March 2020
As planned, U.S.-led coalition pulling out of 2nd Iraqi base

By ALI ABDUL-HASSAN and Iraqi capital.The first attack
QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA on Camp Taji killed three
Associated Press coalition servicemen, in-
QAYARA AIR BASE, Iraq (AP) cluding two Americans.
— The U.S.-led coalition on That prompted U.S. air-
Thursday started pulling strikes against what Wash-
out of a second base in ington said were mainly
Iraq, in line with a planned weapons facilities belong-
drawdown of troops, hours ing to Kataib Hezbollah,
after two rockets hit inside the Iran-backed Iraqi militia
Baghdad's heavily fortified believed to be responsible
Green Zone. for the attack.
The attack in the Iraqi capi- However, Iraq's military said
tal, the seat of government those airstrikes killed five se-
and home to the American curity force members and
Embassy, was the first fol- a civilian, while wounding
lowing a brief lull in violence five fighters from the Popu-
from earlier this month. Iraqi lar Mobilization Forces, an
officials also said the U.S. umbrella organization in-
renewed a sanctions waiv- cluding an array of Iraqi mi-
er enabling Iraq to import litias, including some Iran-
crucial gas and electricity backed groups.
from Iran, but with a shorter Iran-backed Iraqi militias
deadline. In this Friday, Jan. 3, 2020, file photo, the U.S. Embassy is seen across the Tigris River in Baghdad, have vowed revenge for
The pullout from the Qa- Iraq. Associated Press the attacks.
yara airfield in northern Iraq Thursday morning's attack
is in line with plans to with- coming days and that $1 coronavirus at home. Cag- away from the U.S. Embas- came as a state-imposed
draw from bases across million worth of property gins said, however, that sy, which is a regular target curfew to contain the
Iraq and consolidate co- would be transferred to only French trainers had of rocket attacks. spread of the new coro-
alition forces in Baghdad the Iraqi government at gone home over corona- There were no casualties, navirus was extended for
and at Ain al-Asad Air Base the handover ceremony. virus fears and that France according to an Iraqi secu- a second time until April
in the country's western Last week, coalition troops continues to provide advis- rity official, who spoke on 11, according to an Iraqi
desert. The plan has been withdrew from the al-Qaim ers and air support. condition of anonymity in Cabinet statement. The
in the works since late last base on the border with "We think in some time, line with regulations. effective lockdown pro-
year, a senior coalition mili- Syria. maybe some weeks, the No rockets had been fired hibits large public gather-
tary official said last week, "Our partnership contin- French trainers will come at the Green Zone since ings and has shuttered all
and accelerated when ues with the Iraqi security back," he said. last Tuesday, when three businesses except essential
Iraqi forces proved they forces, but in the future you In the Green Zone attack, hit an area near the em- ones like pharmacies and
were capable of facing will see less coalition troops the two projectiles struck bassy. That was the fourth supermarkets.
the threat from the Islamic in fewer places with fewer near the Baghdad Opera- rocket attack in the span An Iraqi army statement
State with limited coalition bases," said Caggins. tions Command, which co- of a week targeting U.S. in- said it was enforcing the
assistance. France said late Wednes- ordinates Iraq's police and terests in Iraq, after assaults curfew by allocating army
Coalition spokesman Myles day that it will pull out all of military forces, the military on the Basmaya training units to assist police forces
Caggins said several hun- its military forces from Iraq, statement said. camp and two separate on the street and to cordon
dred troops would depart citing the need for French The command center is a attacks on Camp Taji. off areas if a flare up of virus
the Qayara base in the forces to help fight the new few hundred meters (yards) Both bases are near the cases occurs.q

Norway extradites convicted Kurdish cleric to Italy

By JAN M. OLSEN attempting to overthrow newspaper. His criticism
Associated Press the Kurdish government in was directed at Norwe-
COPENHAGEN, Denmark northern Iraq and create gian courts that have ruled
(AP) — A Muslim cleric was an Islamic caliphate. in favor of his extradition,
extradited Thursday from Earlier this year, Norway has the government and the
Norway to Italy, where he long wanted to get him out opposition.
has been sentenced to 12 of the country, decided he Italian prosecutors had
years in jail for planning ter- could be extradited on an alleged Krekar is behind
ror. Norwegian Justice Min- Italian extradition request. Rawti Shax, a European
ister Monica Maeland told He opposed that, fearing network aimed at violently
a news conference that he would be extradited overthrowing the govern-
Iraqi-born Mullah Krekar to Iraq. Most recently, he ment in Kurdistan.
had been sent to Italy. also expressed fears that In 2015, European authori-
"We have been waiting for Italy had become the epi- ties arrested 15 Iraqi-Kurd-
Italy to say it was justifiable center of the outbreak of ish nationals on terrorism-
to do so, and they thought the new coronavirus. "This related charges. Rawti This June 13, 2016, file photo shows Najmuddin Ahmad Faraj,
it was today," Maeland is a day of shame for all Shax recruited foreign better known as Mullah Krekar attends a court hearing, at Oslo
said. In July, Krekar, who those who have not stood terrorist fighters to be sent District Court in Oslo, Norway.
was born Najm al-Din Faraj up against the extradition to Iraq and Syria and pro- Associated Press
Ahmad, was found guilty of an obviously innocent vided logistical and finan- the Italian prosecutors who They alleged that Krekar
by a court in northern of man," Meiling told the VG cial support, according to spearheaded the probe. was the leader. q