The Intelligence Agency announced the seizure of 500 electronic payment cards used to transfer money outside Iraq and the arrest of their holders in Baghdad.
The agency stated in a statement received by (Today News), that “its detachments specialized in combating organized crime in Baghdad/Karkh monitored information indicating the existence of an illegal network that transfers money outside Iraq through electronic payment cards.”
It added, “Immediately, an intelligence team was formed and the locations of the accused were identified, where the place was raided and the accused, numbering (6), were arrested with (500) electronic payment cards in their possession that they use to transfer money outside Iraq illegally.”
It indicated that “a light weapon (2 pistols and 2 rifles) and other materials used in transferring money were seized.”
It continued, “This operation came after obtaining the necessary judicial approvals, and the accused were referred to the competent investigative authorities to receive their just punishment.” link
Nearly 200 billion dinars in “fines” from the Central Bank of Iraq on banks and exchange companies
The Central Bank of Iraq announced on Tuesday that fines imposed on banks and non-banking institutions (exchange companies) amounted to more than 181 billion Iraqi dinars during the past six months.
A table of the bank, which Shafaq News Agency has reviewed, showed that “the fines imposed on banks and financial companies during the past six months, starting from January until the end of last June, amounted to 181 billion, 842 million, 854 thousand, and 458 dinars,” indicating that “the fines also included 151 administrative penalties for these banks and non-banking institutions, distributed between warnings, alerts, and grace periods.”
The table showed that “January witnessed the highest fines on banks and non-financial institutions, as these fines reached 98 billion, 277 million, 722 thousand, and 62 dinars, with 17 administrative penalties, while June witnessed the lowest fines, reaching 2 billion, 829 million, 157 thousand, and 288 dinars, with 30 administrative penalties.”
The table did not show the names of the banks that were fined and subjected to administrative penalties.
The Iraqi Stock Exchange Investors Association had criticized the Central Bank of Iraq’s increase in fines on banks, noting that it would affect the profitability of investors in the shares of these banks. link
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Washington orders the acceleration of the arrival of one of its aircraft carriers in the Middle East
Erbil (Kurdistan 24)- US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln to “expedite its arrival” to the Middle East, the Pentagon announced on Sunday, as military escalation threatens the entire region amid the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said Austin had ordered the fleet, led by the USS Abraham Lincoln and including F-35C fighter jets, to move more quickly, in the face of the threat of a large-scale attack by the Lebanese Hezbollah, backed by Tehran, or by Iran itself against Israel.
Ryder added that Austin held a conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Yoav Galant, on Sunday, and also ordered the deployment of the missile submarine “USS Georgia” in the same area.
The two men discussed “the importance of limiting harm to civilians, making progress toward a ceasefire and releasing hostages held in Gaza,” as well as deterring Iranian-backed groups from launching attacks, he said.
Tensions have risen recently after the assassination of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah’s senior military commander Fouad Shukr in Beirut’s southern suburbs.
Last week, Washington announced that it would strengthen its military presence in the Middle East by deploying more warships and fighter jets.
The aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is scheduled to join another US aircraft carrier in the region, the USS Theodore Roosevelt. link
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Joint Operations: We will not allow Iraq to be an arena for any international or regional conflict – Urgent
The Joint Operations Command confirmed, on Tuesday (August 13, 2024), that it will not allow Iraqi lands to become an arena for any international or regional conflict, while indicating that Iraq will not be a starting point for attacking others.
The spokesman for the command, Major General Tahseen Al-Khafaji, said in an interview with “Baghdad Today”, “According to the directives of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Iraq cannot allow itself to be an arena for settling scores and does not accept attacks from within or from without.”
He added, “The Iraqi position is clear, which is to prevent it from being used as an arena for any regional or international conflict in any way, and it will not be a starting point for attacking others.”
The Iraqi arena has recently witnessed security incidents represented by the bombing of aircraft that the Popular Mobilization Authority said were American, on units in the Jurf al-Sakhar district, north of Babil Governorate, while the Ain al-Assad base in Anbar Governorate was subjected to a missile attack that resulted in injuries among the American forces stationed inside the base.
These developments come in light of the war waged by the Zionist entity against civilians in Gaza, which has been reflected in the rest of the countries that have entered the war against the entity, including Iraq, where armed factions in Iraq announce from time to time the implementation of operations targeting the entity with drones at times and missiles at other times, in addition to participating with the Houthi Ansar Allah in Yemen to carry out these operations.
The world is currently waiting for Iran to respond to the assassination of the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, in the heart of the capital, Tehran, but it has not yet implemented the response.
Observers expect that Iran will carry out a devastating strike targeting Tel Aviv in cooperation with the Lebanese Hezbollah, which also vowed to respond to the assassination of the leader Fouad Shukr in Lebanon. link
