By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting The Iraqi parliament’s approval of Sunni MP Khaled al-Obeidi as defense minister, and Mohammed al-Ghabban, a Shia member of the Badr Organisation, as interior minister, will provide a stronger political foundation for Abadi to counter the ISIS insurgency. Ghabban’s appointment follows weeks of negotiations and resistance from Abadi to nominate […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting Elevated levels of violence continued to be reflected in a high number of casualties, with at least 408 recorded deaths over the reporting period. While reporting remains interrupted in large swathes of the North, evidence of war crimes committed by Shia fighters against Sunni populations was described in a briefing […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting ISIS’s military strategy continued to defy airstrikes conducted by the US and their allies, with militants gaining ground in Anbar and launching successful assaults on towns to the north of Baghdad. The security situation continued to complement stagnating political dynamics in Baghdad, with disagreements opposing moderates and conservative elements judging […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting High levels of violence continued to plague Iraq’s security environment, with general dynamics in line with pre-established patterns. Whilst ISF counter-offensives were successful in re-taking some of the lost territories in Anbar and Diyala, the situation remained generally stagnant, with pro-government forces and insurgents each failing to make major gains. […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting On 16 September, Iraq’s parliament rejected two appointees to head the critical defence and interior ministries, two of the most sensitive positions which remain to be filled. The opposition of the Shia Alliance prevented the parliament from reaching a majority vote, which would have been necessary to approve the appointments […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting The formation of the new Iraqi government last week led to the swift mobilisation of several Western powers pledging support to the Kurds and Iraqi forces. On 15 September, leaders from thirty countries promised to help fight the Islamic State militants in the north of Iraq, following an international meeting […]
On 08 September, the Iraqi Parliament voted to form a new government around Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi. The vote did not include the key positions of Defense and Interior Ministers however, which were previously occupied by Nouri al-Maliki and are considered crucial to the Sunni participation in the new cabinet and political process. While the […]
Iraq’s casualty figures released by the UN on 01 September showed that at least 1,420 people were killed in August alone, in a slight decrease compared to last month. Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi continued to hold meetings with Iraqi parliamentary leaders, in order to facilitate negotiations towards the formation of a new government. Forming […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting Amidst continuing violence across northern and central Iraq, particularly where Peshmerga, ISF or Shia volunteers defend new borders with IS militants, the shooting of over 60 Sunni worshippers by suspected Shia militiamen in Diyala is a reminder of the extreme sectarian tensions which provide the backdrop to the current headlines […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting On 14 August, Nouri al-Maliki bowed to increasing domestic and international pressure, and agreed to step down as Prime Minister to endorse Haider al-Abadi in a televised speech. This endorsement paves the way for the formation of a new government, after months of parliamentary deadlock and Maliki’s stubborn insistence to […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting After months of parliamentary deadlock, President Massoum nominated Haider al-Abadi as Prime Minister on 11 August, effectively removing incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki from office. This nomination follows lengthy and opaque negotiations between Massoum and leaders from the Shia National Alliance, of which Maliki’s State of Law coalition is a […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting Amid elevated levels of violence accounting for nearly 300 fatalities, the reporting period was marked by ISIS advances across the North. Militant offensives in several districts held or contested by Peshmerga forces led to fierce clashes between ISIS and Kurdish elements in Sinjar district and areas around Mosul, causing tens […]
