The story: Baghdad is joining its neighbors in aiding Ankara and Damascus following the Feb. 6 earthquakes that have devastated southeastern Turkey and northwestern Syria. In parallel, Iraqi Shiite armed groups which have been active in Syria since the outbreak of civil conflict in 2011 are seemingly capitalizing on their foothold to separately provide relief—and accusing the US of hindering the inflow of humanitarian aid.

The coverage: The combined death toll from the 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude quakes has risen above 20,000. More than 17,000 of these fatalities have been reported in Turkey.

The Iraqi government on Feb. 7 pledged 3B IQD (2.3M USD) worth of medical aid and shelter equipment to Syria and Turkey, and 650 tons of food to Syrians.

• Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani on Feb. 7 stated that Baghdad had dispatched 28 tankers carrying gasoline and gas oil to Syria. The day before, Damascus shut down the country’s main oil refinery in Baniyas after it was damaged by the quakes.
  
  
• Abdul-Ghani added that Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia' Al-Sudani had approved the delivery of 70 tons of medical and shelter equipment to Syria by air. Sudani on Feb. 6 ordered the establishment of air bridges to Syria and Turkey.

Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) on Feb. 7 provided “logistical support and...