Archive | Politics

Iraq Business News brings you the latest Iraqi politics news, keeping you up to date with the latest information and developments.

Public Payroll Expansion in Iraq: Causes and Consequences

By Ali Al-Mawlawi. Public Payroll Expansion in Iraq: Causes and Consequences The public payroll in Iraq has grown unchecked since 2003, commensurate with the country’s vastly expanding oil wealth. With few alternative sources of government income, the state budget’s growth poses worrying questions about whether this ongoing trend can be sustained without risking economic ruin. […]

Leaked Intelligence about Iraq only Part of the Story

By C. Anthony Pfaff, for the Atlantic Council. Leaked Iranian intelligence about Iraq only tells part of the story The recent story in the New York Times on leaked Iranian intelligence reports about Iranian influence operations in Iraq elicits a couple of possible reactions. If one works for the United States government, particularly in any […]

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Nineveh Council Dismisses Governor

The Nineveh Provincial Council has voted unanimously to dismiss Governor Mansour Al-Maraeed and appoint his deputy, Sirwan Rozbiani, to the post temporarily. Candidates wishing to run for the post have until Saturday afternoon to apply. However, Al-Maraeed stressed that he would continue in his post. The vote came as the National Security Agency in Nineveh […]

Iraqi Protesters Block Major Port

By John Lee. Protesters in Iraq have reportedly blocked the country’s second-largest commercial port on Tuesday. According to Fox News, they halted operations at the Khor al-Zubair port as oil tankers and other trucks were unable to enter or exit. They have also obstructed access to Umm Qasr port. (Source: Fox News)

Leaked Iran Spy Docs reveal Grip on Iraq

Leaked Iran spy documents reveal extent of grip on Iraq Ground-breaking documents detailing staggering evidence of Iran’s espionage operations, bribery payments and efforts to expand influence within Iraq have been leaked to the US-based media organisation The Intercept in collaboration with the New York Times. Together they reveal the huge extent of Iran’s grip on […]

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Iraq Falls in Doing Business Index

By John Lee. Iraq has been ranked 172nd out of 190 countries in the World Bank‘s recent Doing Business 2020 report, down from 171st place the previous year. Top of the list were New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong, with last place going to Somalia, just behind Eritrea and Venezuela. Iran ranked 127th, with Libya […]

The Future of Iraq’s Oil Is Russian

By Vera Mironova and Mohammed Hussein, for Foreign Policy. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. With ongoing protests making other investors nervous, Moscow is charging ahead. Despite ongoing protests in Baghdad, which have seen the departure of many foreign diplomats for […]

The Subtle Power of Sistani

By Harith Hasan, for Carnegie Middle East Center. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On November 11, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani received Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the representative in Iraq of the United Nations secretary general. Sistani welcomed a reform plan proposed by Plasschaert […]

Is Iran trying to Hijack Protesters’ Demands?

By Omar Sattar for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  Is Iran trying to hijack Iraqi protesters’ demands? In reaction to continuing mass protests that began Oct. 1, the Supreme Judicial Council is reviewing the Iraqi Constitution and will submit proposed amendments to parliament […]

Pompeo calls on Iraq to Enact Reforms and Tackle Corruption

The following is attributable to US State Department Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus: Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo spoke [on Tuesday] with Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abd al-Mahdi. Secretary Pompeo emphasized that peaceful public demonstrations are a fundamental element of all democracies. The Secretary deplored the death toll among the protesters as a result of the […]

US Interests and the Unsustainable Status Quo in Iraq

By Michael Knights, for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. U.S. Interests and the Unsustainable Status Quo in Iraq The unprecedented protests in Iraq underline the reality that Iraq is slowly failing as a state. […]

Can Iraqi PM weather ongoing Protests?

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. Despite several proposals to solve the crises in Iraq and in spite of using different tactics such as promises and threats, the Iraqi government is unable to stop the protests and is […]