Baghdad tribal representative warns against return of 'terror hideouts' in Jarf al-Nasr area

BAGHDAD, Iraq — A representative of Baghdad tribes, Karim al-Dinawi, has warned against the re-emergence of what he described as "terror hideouts" in the Jarf al-Nasr area, saying any return of such groups to the region would cross a "red line" and could lead to renewed bloodshed in Baghdad, Babel and Karbala. In a written statement on Thursday, al-Dinawi argued that Jarf al-Nasr was never "occupied territory" but rather "one of the terrorist strongholds," and stressed that the tribes would not allow the recreation of terror hideouts in the area. He described the raising of the Jarf al-Nasr file during this period as a "despicable conspiracy" aimed at "breaking Iraq's solid fortress" and targeting what he called the "resistance weapon" and the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi). The statement also rejected foreign interference in Iraq's internal affairs and called on the government to protect national sovereignty. Al-Dinawi questioned what would become of "the state's prestige and the rule of law" in light of the continued presence of Turkish military bases in the north. He also criticized the Peshmerga forces as "an obstacle before the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces" and said Iraq's political, economic and military decisions must be independent of U.S. will and external impositions.