Author Archive | JohnDrake

Weekly Security Update for 18th May 2011

Overview Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week, although there were still over 60 incidents recorded countrywide. There was a welcome fall in the number of casualties, and the week saw fewer fatalities than any recorded since February. Incidents were concentrated in Baghdad, which accounted for over half of all the attacks recorded countrywide. […]

Weekly Security Update for 11th May 2011

Overview Levels of violence rose in Iraq over the past week, mainly in the centre of the country, throughout the capital, in the east of Anbar province and the west of Diyala province. Other hotspots included Mosul, Kirkuk, Diwaniyah, Hillah and even Karbala and Basrah. Kurdistan remained largely quiet, although the risk of unexploded ordnance […]

Weekly Security Update for 5th May 2011

Overview While many have been concerned at the impact of Osama bin Laden’s death on the security situation in Iraq, conditions have not changed significantly in recent days. Levels of violence actually fell last week, although conditions are still worse than normal. The majority of attacks continue to take place in Baghdad, although last week […]

The Death of Bin Laden

Security measures have been heightened in Iraq following the killing of Osama bin Laden. The authorities are expecting the possibility of a retaliatory attack by radical jihadists in response to the news of his death. However, the impact of the killing may be relatively limited.   Weakened Organisation Al-Qaeda is neither the powerful organisation it […]

Weekly Security Update for 28th April 2011

Overview Levels of violence rose in Iraq last week to the highest level seen this year. The graph below indicates that there were over 70 major attacks recorded countrywide, the majority of which took place in Baghdad. There were several incidents also recorded in eastern Anbar province, a slight fall in the number of attacks […]

Weekly Security Update for 20th April 2011

Overview Levels of violence rose in Iraq last week, with a particular increase in the number of attacks targeting civic employees in Baghdad. There were also clusters of violence in the cities of Fallujah, Ramadi, Mosuk and Kirkuk, as well as in the north of Babil province. The south was relatively quiet, as was most […]

Sticky Bombs on the Rise

  Iraq has seen a rise in the number of sticky bomb attacks over the last week. This is a worrying trend, particularly for the state employees and security force personnel who are being singled out for these attacks. The Tactic Sticky bombs are also known as Under Vehicle Improvised Explosive Devices (UVIEDs). They are […]

Weekly Security Update for 14th April 2011

Overview There was a fall in the number of violent incidents taking place in Iraq last week, although there was a spate of attacks around the centre of the country on Monday, leaving a number of people dead. In general, violence remains concentrated in Baghdad, the dstricts immediately surrounding it, and the northern city of […]

Weekly Security Update for 6th April 2011

Overview The past week has seen a slight drop in the number of violent attacks taking place in Iraq. Incidents were concentrated in Baghdad and in the districts west of the capital in Anbar province. Mosul also experienced a significant proportion of attacks, while even Sulaymaniyah in Kurdistan saw incidents of unrest and reported cross-border […]

Weekly Security Update for 30th March 2011

Levels of violence continue to creep up in Iraq. Tuesday’s deadly attack on a government building in Tikrit serves as a reminder that terrorist groups retain the ability to conduct horrific attacks in the country. Otherwise terrorist activity was concentrated in Baghdad and Mosul. The south saw a slight rise in activity but it remains […]

Managing a Crisis

Crisis management When it was announced that the Arab League summit would take place in Baghdad, many leaders expressed concerns for the safety of the event. Now, several months later, the tables have turned in the Middle East, and some of those leaders are facing a much more hazardous situation at home. It has been […]

Weekly Security Update for 26th March 2011

Overview Levels of violence crept up once again in Iraq last week. What is of concern is that this violence was attributed almost entirely to terrorists and militants, whereas recent weeks saw an increase in violence related to civil unrest. Protests subsided (to a degree) last week but more hostile elements, capable of inflicting far […]