Archive | 2017

Will Iraqi-Saudi Rapprochement Undermine Iran’s Role in Iraq?

By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  Iraqi-Saudi relations have witnessed significant improvement after years of boycott that had worsened during Nouri al-Maliki’s rule between 2006 and 2014. On Oct. 22, the establishment of a Coordination […]

Fmr UK Consul-General takes up UNAMI Post

The Secretary-General of the United Nations has appointed Alice Walpole of the United Kingdom as Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Ms. Walpole succeeds György Busztin of Hungary, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service since 2011 in support of […]

How Iran is Winning game of chess in Kirkuk

By Fazel Hawramy for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  For now, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has pushed the separatist Kurds back and extended the power of the federal government once again to the areas considered disputed under the […]

Iraq buys U.S. Wheat

By John Lee. Iraq has reportedly bought U.S. hard red winter wheat in a direct deal outside the tender process. Sources told Reuters that the product will be supplied by Cargill (300,000 tonnes) and ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) (150,000 tonnes). Separtely, private exporters reported to the U.S. Department of Agriculture export sales of 100,000 metric […]

The Human Mules Of Iraq, Circumventing Sanctions On Iran

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On the borders of Iraqi Kurdistan, thousands of locals find work carrying contraband goods into Iran. Recently though, the job’s been getting more dangerous thanks to the Kurdish independence referendum. […]

Int'l Flight Ban Causing Million-a-Day Losses for Kurdistan

This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Iraqi government has banned international flights from landing in Kurdistan. Locals say it's causing major financial trauma and is unfair collective punishment. No one knows when the ban will […]

Video: Iraq’s Kurds on Post-Barzani Future

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Masoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), has decided not to extend his presidential term beyond November 1. His decision came just weeks after the failure of the independence referendum he […]

Flights from Greece to Iraq to Resume

By John Lee. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority (ICAA) has reached an agreement with its counterpart in Greece to re-start flights between the two countries, following a meeting between the parties on Tuesday. According to a report from Neos Kosmos, there will be 10 passenger flights and two cargo flights per week, commencing on Saturday 4th […]

Video: Hundreds Flee as Army Advances on Al-Qaim

From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Hundreds of people flee the village of al-Obeidi after it was recaptured by Iraqi forces, who are battling up to the edge of nearby Al-Qaim, the largest town still held by the Islamic State […]

New Zealand gives another $1m for Iraq Stabilization

The Government of New Zealand has contributed an additional US$1 million to UNDP’s Funding Facility for Stabilization (FFS), which finances fast-track initiatives in areas liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). This brings the New Zealand’s total contribution to FFS to $2 million to date. Based on priorities identified by the […]

"Alarming Violence" against Journalists in Northern Iraq

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the murder of a Kurdistan TV cameraman near Kirkuk and the previous day’s violence against media personnel by demonstrators in Erbil. The two separate incidents in the space of a few hours point to an alarming decline in the security of journalists in northern Iraq. The cameraman, Arkan Shareef, […]

Inherent Resolve Strikes Target ISIS in Syria, Iraq

U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria yesterday, conducting 13 strikes consisting of 15 engagements, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of yesterday's strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria In Syria, coalition […]