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US Deputy Secretary Visits Iraq

Deputy Secretary Bill Burns (pictured) traveled June 28-30 to Baghdad, Iraq for meetings with Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki and other Iraqi leaders. These meetings allowed them to discuss the full range of bilateral and regional issues, including the ongoing crisis in Syria. In all of his meetings, the Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to […]

UN Releases Casualty Figures for June

According to UNAMI figures, a total of 761 Iraqis were killed and another 1,771 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in June. The number of civilians killed was 685 (including 131 civilian police) and the number of civilians injured was 1,610 (including 221 civilian police). A further 76 members of the Iraqi Security […]

USAID Supports Iraq’s Young Entrepreneurs

The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), sponsored Baghdad’s first Startup Weekend June 28-30. More than 100 young Iraqi entrepreneurs participated in the three-day event to discuss tech-oriented business ideas and how to turn the best ideas into viable companies. A panel of successful entrepreneurs judged the business […]

John Kerry Comments on Chapter VII

Statement by Secretary Kerry: UN Security Council Decision to Transfer Chapter VII Mandate to the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq: The United States congratulates the Governments of Iraq and Kuwait on successfully resolving key bilateral and international issues over the past year, which helped result in today’s milestone decision by the UN Security Council. It's […]

Iraqis Question Parliamentary Pensions

By Omar al-Shaher for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Some political blocs in Iraq believe that the demand to abolish retirement pensions for former MPs is a ploy by one political party to restore its popularity after losing in the […]

AMAR Ramadan Box Appeal

As Ramadan approaches, we draw your attention to the AMAR International Charitable Foundation’s 2013 Ramadan Box Appeal (advertised on this website). The Appeal will provide less fortunate Iraqi and Lebanese families, and refugee Syrian families, with essential food items during the Holy Month of Ramadan. AMAR’s wide network of Women Health Volunteers will be deployed […]

Chapter VII: Iraq to Restore Arms Industry?

By John Lee. Modhir al-Janabi, a member of the parliament Security and Defense Committee, has said the lifting of UN Chapter VII sanctions on Iraq provides an opportunity to restore the country's ability to manufacture weapons. He told AIN: "After being relieved from the UN sanctions, Iraq can renew this industry to manufacture weapons which […]

Iraq Exits Chapter VII ... Partially

By John Lee. The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed today (Thursday) to move several outstanding issues between Iraq and Kuwait from Chapter VII to Chapter VI of the UN Charter, reports Reuters. Chapter VII allows the Security Council to authorize actions ranging from sanctions to military intervention if states do not abide by council demands, […]

First Deputy Speaker Resigns Amid Queries

By Ali Abel Sadah for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On June, 24 2013, Qusay al-Suhail (pictured), first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament and a leading member of the al-Sadr bloc, also known as the Liberal bloc, resigned without providing […]

Is Iraq Headed for Complete Disintegration?

By Reidar Visser. The following article was published by Reidar Visser, an historian of Iraq educated at the University of Oxford and currently based at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. It is reproduced here with the author’s permission. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq […]

Black Iraqis Struggle To Shake Legacy of Racism

By Ali Mamouri for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Many people are surprised to hear that there is a black minority of African descent in Iraq, particularly in Basra, and they are even more surprised to hear that this minority is […]