Pope Francis and Ayatollah al-Sistani, meeting in faith
When Pope Francis sets foot in Iraq, he will be breaking historic ground while manoeuvring religious and political minefields. So will his foremost religious counterpart, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the Shia Muslim world’s foremost scholars and leaders. By James M. Dorsey
The three-day visit contrasts starkly with past papal trips to the Middle East that included Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates and Azerbaijan, states that, unlike neighbouring Iran, are more accustomed to interfaith interactions because of their Sunni Muslim history and colonial experience or, in the case of Shia-majority Azerbaijan, a modern history of secular and communist rule.
Papst Franziskus besucht den Irak: Gegen den Wahn, gegen den Hass - Politik
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The Iraqi people are waiting for us : Why Pope Francis is determined to take this historic trip
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How Iran Tried to Recruit Spies Against the U.S. in Iraq
A U.S. Navy plane maneuvers on the runway of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, in July 28, 2015. Photo: Emrah Gurel/APA U.S. Navy plane maneuvers on the runway of the Incirlik Air Base in Adana, Turkey, in July 28, 2015. Photo: Emrah Gurel/AP
February 7 2021, 11:00 a.m.
The Iraqi had a lot to prove to his Iranian spy handler. For years, the Iraqi had secretly spied for Iran, providing valuable intelligence about American operations in Iraq. But when the United States withdrew most of its troops and reduced its presence in Iraq in 2011, he had little new information that interested his Iranian minders. With the Americans pretty much gone, the Iraqi was cut loose by the Iranians.