Archive | Politics

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

Zebari Dismissed - What now for IMF Loan?

By Omar Sattarfor Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. What's the status of IMF loan as Iraq dismisses finance minister? Prior to his dismissal Sept. 21, Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari ran successful negotiations with international banks to obtain […]

Will Iranian Pilgrims forsake Mecca for Karbala?

By Ali Mamouri for Al Monitor. Any views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  Saudi newspapers reported Sept. 15 that Shiites are expected to replace their pilgrimage to Mecca with religious visits to Iraq’s Karbala instead. According Al-Riyadh newspaper, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali […]

Problems Threaten Postponement Of 2017 Elections

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. Political conflicts, war with extremists and millions of displaced: All these threaten to see Iraq’s next elections postponed, despite the fact that many say they will be the country’s most […]

IMF Reaffirms Iraq Commitment after Zebari Ouster

By John Lee. Following the dismissal of Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said it remains committed to working with Iraq on implementing a $5.34 billion loan. Bloomberg quotes IMF mission chief Christian Josz as saying that the Stand-by Arrangement (SBA) was approved in July, “and we are committed to […]

Finance Minister Zebari Sacked

By John Lee. Iraq’s finance minister, Hoshyar Zebari (pictured), has been voted out of office by the country’s parliament on Wednesday. Lawmakers voted 158 to 77 against Zebari, after a parliamentary inquiry last month into charges of corruption and mismanagement of public funds. Zebari, a senior Kurdish official who previously served as foreign minister, denies all […]

Who will Replace Sacked Iraqi Defense Minister?

By Omar Sattar for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  Three lists of candidates have been proposed to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for the position of minister of defense, held by a Sunni, to replace sacked Minister Khaled al-Obeidi. […]

Britain "Keen to Invest in Iraq"

By John Lee. Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ibrahim Al-Jaafari met the British Minister of State for International Development Mr Rory Stewart in London on Saturday. Both sides discussed a number of important issues, especially the return of the displaced families to their homes after liberating their towns from Da'esh. His Excellency said that Iraq […]

Nadia Murad named UNODC Goodwill Ambassador

Human trafficking survivor Nadia Murad named UNODC Goodwill Ambassador Nobel Peace Prize nominee Nadia Murad Basee Taha - who survived trafficking at the hands of the Islamic State group (IS, ISIL, ISIS, Da'esh) - was formally appointed UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime) Goodwill Ambassador for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking […]

What next for Baghdad-Tehran ties as MEK leaves Iraq?

By Mustafa Saadoun for Al Monitor. Any views expressed here are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.  What's next for Baghdad-Tehran ties as last MEK members leave Iraq? On Sept. 10, commenting on the news that the last batch of Iranian dissidents affiliated with the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq […]

IMF starts first review of $5.3bn Assistance Package

The Iraqi authorities and the staff of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held discussions in Amman from August 28–September 10, 2016 on the first review of Iraq’s 36-month $5.3-billion Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) approved by the IMF Executive Board on July 7, 2016. Mr. Christian Josz, Mission Chief for Iraq, issued the following statement: “The Iraqi […]