Archive | 2017

Iraq Begins to cut Oil Production

By John Lee. Iraq has begun reducing its crude oil output from the start of the year, in line with its OPEC commitments. Iraqi oil minister Jabar Ali al-Luaibi [Allibi] said in a statement on Thursday: "Iraq confirms its commitment to the decision of OPEC, which was taken during the last meeting in Vienna, by […]

Iraq to Receive $1bn Loan from US

By John Lee. The Iraqi government has signed a one-billion-dollar loan with the United States to "[assist] Iraq to achieve victory in its battle against IS, and to realize economic reform". Stephanie William, the U.S. Embassy's Chargé d'Affaires and Fadhil Nabi, the Iraqi Deputy Minister of Finance signed the agreement in Baghdad on Thursday. The […]

U.S. Airstrikes Weaken Al-Qaida, ISIL Terrorists

A series of precision U.S. airstrikes against al-Qaida operatives this week in northwestern Syria’s Idlib province killed more than 20 militants and destroyed eight vehicles and nine structures, Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook told reporters today. A U.S. strike on Jan. 1 hit two al-Qaida vehicles that had departed a large al-Qaida headquarters near Sarmada, […]

Is Iraq turning into a Drug-Producing Country?

By Wassim Bassem for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  A Nov. 23 report by specialized judges revealed the establishment of plants to produce Krystal — the local name of crystal methamphetamine or crystal meth. The findings suggest that […]

Military Strikes Target ISIL Terrorists in Syria, Iraq

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, bomber, fighter and […]

Currency Auction Results, 5th Jan

By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 33 banks and 17 remittance companies took part in its currency auction on Thursday. A total of $158,915,838 sold at a price of 1182 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)

ExxonMobil pulled out of Kurdistan "Because of Iranian Influence"

By Dilshad Abdullah for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  International oil companies pull out of Kurdistan Exxon Mobil has pulled out of three of the six exploration blocks it operated in the Kurdistan Region. The American oil giant withdrew […]

13,000 people flee Mosul over Five Days

More than 13,000 people have fled Mosul in just five days since 29 December, as the second phase of military operations to retake the Iraqi city from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) terrorists has apparently begun, a United Nations spokesperson said today. “The average daily displacement numbers have increased by nearly 50 […]

Coalition Strikes Continue Against Terrorists

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Iraq and Syria on Tuesday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported yesterday. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, bomber, fighter […]

Iraq EITI Latest Annual Report: Disappointing Despite Improvement

By Ahmed Mousa Jiyad. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Iraq Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (IEITI) published its seventh annual report (Report 2015) on 31 December 2016; a second annual report released in one year after it released its Report 2014 […]