Iraqi Iran-Backed Outlet: Iraq Should Establish National Telecom Company In Cooperation With China's Huawei To 'Protect User Data From U.S. Intelligence And Its Regional Allies'

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On December 5, 2022, Sabereen News, a media outlet affiliated with the Iran-backed militias in Iraq, proposed in a post on Telegram that Iraq should establish a national telecommunications company in cooperation with China's Huawei.

"The management of Sabereen News channels announces a proposal to establish a national telecommunications company," the post opened, "[Iraqi Communications Minister] Hiyam Al-Yasiri signs a contract with China's Huawei to provide fifth-generation [mobile network] service."[1]

According to the outlet, signing a deal with Huawei will offer several advantages, including "returning billions of dollars that have been looted by telecommunications companies back to the state's treasury," creating "thousands of job opportunities" for Iraqi youth, "protecting user data from U.S. intelligence and its allies and proxies in the region," and "freeing citizens from companies with high prices and very poor service."

The outlet further noted that Huawei "has concluded agreements with more than 65 countries to establish fifth-generation networks, half of which are European countries."

U.S.-Owned Earthlink Is "Corrupt, A Mafia" That Needs To Be Confronted

Sabereen News's proposal followed an earlier Telegram post by the outlet on December 2, 2022, in which it disparaged U.S.-owned Earthlink Telecommunications, which provides services in Iraq, after the company reportedly declined to comply with orders by the Iraqi Government and Ministry of Communications to lower prices.

In the post, the outlet lamented Earthlink reportedly offering years of poor service at high prices and encouraged new Communications Minister Hiyam Al-Yasiri to confront the company on behalf of the Iraqi people.

"Earthlink is a corrupt American-Emirati company which subsists on the pockets of Iraqis and does not comply with the decisions of the mother of poor, [minister of communications] Hiyam Al-Yasiri, who needs a popular mandate to confront this mafia. [Iraqi Prime Minister] Al-Sudani should not leave this woman alone to face the whales of corruption. Lower internet prices and better services are a demand of the people."[2]