Iraq postpones plans for US troop withdrawal amid regional tensions
Iraq has postponed announcing an end-date for the US-led military coalition’s presence in the country due to “recent developments,” raising questions about the future of US military presence in the Gulf state amid heightened tension in the region.
Iraq’s Higher Military Commission had aimed to propose an end date for Operation Inherent Resolve, the US military operation combatting terror group ISIS.
“We were very close to announcing this agreement, but due to recent developments, the announcement of the end of the international coalition’s military mission in Iraq was postponed,” a statement by Iraq’s foreign ministry said Thursday, without giving further details on what the “recent developments.”
Tensions are mounting in the region as Israel and the United States brace for a potential Iranian attack on Israel to avenge the killing of Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last month. Iran blames the assassination on Israel, which has not confirmed or denied responsibility.
Iran-backed militias in Iraq are pressuring the Shia-led government to end the US troop’s presence in Iraq.
Several powerful militias in Iraq have stepped up attacks on US sites in the country since October 7, saying in support of people in the Gaza Strip, where they view the US administration as one of Israel’s main allies. In response, the US has launched retaliatory airstrikes inside Iraq targeting the groups.
The US has roughly 2,500 troops currently in Iraq who have been operating there in an “advise and assist” capacity since December 2021, when the US military announced the end of its combat role in the country.
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Harris Gets Progressives’ Stamp of Approval for Tim Walz VP Pick
Progressive support of Vice President Kamala Harris and Gov. Tim Walz is not a surprise, considering the alternative is former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance. But there are still issues progressives hope to push Harris left on.
Vice President Kamala Harris on Tuesday picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate – a decision that not only capitalizes on his proven ability to appeal to swing voters but one that also helps her avoid a possible fissure in the Democratic Party’s support.
Walz was a safe choice for several reasons – not the least of which was that he’s well-liked by progressives whose backing she needs to ensure her base is unified and motivated.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont called Walz a “great asset” to Harris’ campaign.
“He is a former public school teacher, football coach and strong union supporter,” Sanders posted on social media. “As governor, he delivered for working families in MN. As VP, he will deliver for the working families of the U.S.”
Progressives point to Walz’s track record, campaigning for governor on a “One Minnesota” platform that emphasized union organizing, a $15-per-hour minimum wage and assistance for school children and college students.
“Governors Tim Walz and Andy Beshear are persuasive advocates for core Democratic values and will energize voters across America without marginalizing any of the communities that we must engage in order to win the electoral college,” the progressives, who included California Democratic Party Progressive Caucus Chair Emeritus Amar Shergill, wrote.
The group’s main desire was that Harris not pick Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as her running mate.
“Governor Shapiro, although a valued member of the Democratic coalition, has made too many controversial policy decisions on issues such as school choice and the environment to be the consensus voice our nation needs right now,” they wrote.
Others expressed worries about Shapiro’s strong support for Israel and the possibility that his stance could alienate progressive voters who are concerned about the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Harris already garnered the support of leading progressives like Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York before her vice president decision. Still, going with Shapiro would have risked creating a crack in what had otherwise been overwhelming support from the Democratic Party since she announced she was running for president.
Progressive support of Harris is not a surprise, considering the alternative would be former President Donald Trump. And while Trump and his surrogates are eager to characterize Harris as so liberal as to be out of touch with mainstream America, there are certain issues on which progressives hope to push Harris further left.
Sanders recently said that Harris should run on a progressive economic agenda that includes expanding Social Security benefits by making the wealthy pay the same tax rate as the working class, expanding Medicare, cutting the cost of prescription drugs and hiking taxes on rich and multinational corporations.
“Indeed, it is the formula that could give Harris the sort of victory that sweeps in a Democratic Senate and House and allows her to govern in the best tradition of Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal and Joe Biden’s Build Back Better program,” Sanders wrote in an opinion for The Guardian.
Notably, Harris has moved to the center on a couple of issues she ran on during her 2020 presidential bid, including reversing her stance on a fracking ban.
Though the focus for now is on Harris winning the election, expect progressives to ramp up the pressure on certain issues – including abortion access and climate change – if she does become president.
For example, restoring protections promised under Roe v. Wade won’t be enough for certain reproductive rights groups, who will likely push for abortion protections to go further under a potential Harris administration. And climate advocates, while happy with Harris and Walz on the ticket, will probably want to see progress on slashing fossil fuel production.
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Game on: ABC News says Harris, Trump have agreed to presidential debate on Sept. 10
ABC News says that both Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his Democratic counterpart, Kamala Harris, have agreed to meet in a debate on Sept. 10.
The network’s announcement on Thursday came shortly after Trump told a news conference that he had agreed to three debates with Harris in September on separate networks.
Trump is rejoining the ABC debate days after posting on his social media network that he would not appear on the network, citing a lawsuit he has filed. His decision sets up a highly anticipated moment in an election where the first debate led to a massive change in the race — with Democratic President Joe Biden ending his reelection bid and endorsing Harris.
“I think it’s very important to have debates,” Trump said Thursday. “I look forward to the debates because I think we have to set the record straight.”
On the social media site X later on Thursday, Harris wrote that “I hear that Donald Trump has fully committed to debating me on September 10. I look forward to it.”
At a private fundraiser in Paris on Thursday, Harris’ husband, Doug Emhoff, said he “cannot wait” to see his wife debate Trump. He was in Paris as head of the U.S. delegation to the Summer Olympics closing ceremony.
Fox News has also proposed a debate between Harris and Trump to take place on Sept. 4, and NBC News is angling to air one on Sept. 25. During an appearance in Michigan, Harris said she was “happy to have that conversation” about an additional debate.
Trump also said he wants his vice presidential candidate, JD Vance, to debate Harris’ choice for veep, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, on CBS. The network is discussing potential dates to propose for that meeting.
ABC says that David Muir and Linsey Davis will moderate the Sept. 10 contest. That’s the same date that Trump and Biden had agreed to their second and final debate, before Biden’s decision put that event in doubt.
Any debate promises to take on extra importance with polls showing a tight race between the former president and current vice president. While Harris has ridden a wave of excitement among Democrats since inheriting the mantle from Biden, she has yet to appear at a news conference or give an interview to a journalist.
Republicans are already making that an issue. Vance, in a post on X as Trump was in his news conference on Thursday, said Harris was hiding behind a TelePrompter. “It’s been 18 days since she answered real questions from the media,” he wrote.
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Venezuela Launches Criminal Probe Into Publishers of Election Tally Website
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro attend a march amid the disputed presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela, August 3, 2024. REUTERS/Fausto Torrealba/File Photo
CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's top prosecutor Tarek Saab said on Wednesday he would open a criminal investigation into the publishers of a website showing election tallies collected by the country's opposition, which contests the July 28 election.
"It was decided to launch a criminal investigation against those responsible for the publication and maintenance of the website," Saab said in a statement, citing forgery of public documents, computer crimes and conspiracy.
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