Iraq Business News brings you the latest Iraqi politics news, keeping you up to date with the latest information and developments.
By Patrick Schmidt. During a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), member states expressed their dissatisfaction with the influence Iran has had in Iraq since the rise of the Islamic State (IS). The GCC announced they supported a united Iraq, recognized its territorial sovereignty and condemned interference in Iraqi internal affairs. Iran’s influence has […]
By John Lee. The Saudi Foreign Minister, Saud al-Faisal (pictured), has told reporters in Riyadh that “Iran is taking over Iraq.” The comments were made during a joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry, in which Kerry said the United States was keeping an eye on Iran's 'destabilizing' acts, adding that his country […]
By Mustafa al Kadhimi for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Iraq Business News. Iraq's de-Baathification crisis resurfaced Feb. 2, when the Cabinet approved amendments to the Justice and Accountability Act, which deals with the country's ex-Baathists and the banning of the Baath […]
The World Bank Group and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)-Iraq, have launched a social protection program of support to promote equity in living standards and reduce vulnerability. The program is aligned with the government’s efforts to develop a comprehensive social protection system and contributes to the goals of KRGs Vision 2020 of “freedom, health, welfare, […]
By Wassim Bassem for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. An Iraqi contractor who works on road pavement and sewage projects in the Iraqi capital told Al-Monitor, “Government officials as well as senior contractors related to them have stakes in most, if not all, of […]
By John Lee. BasNews reports that Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi secretly tried to block the Turkish government's deal to lend $500 million [583 billion Iraqi dinars] to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). According to sources, Abadi made the request to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a telephone call. A later request to Turkish […]
Secretary-General Appoints Ján Kubiš of Slovakia as His Special Representative for Iraq United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Ján Kubiš (pictured) of Slovakia as his Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Mr. Kubiš succeeds Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria to whom the Secretary-General […]
By John Lee. Turkey has agreed to provide a $500-million [600 billion Iraqi dinar] loan to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to help pay the wages of state officials. According to a report from Daily Sabah, the loan will be repaid by either being set off from Turkey's crude oil debts or being repaid directly […]
By Mustafa al Kadhimi for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Iraq Business News. Many Iraqi politicians do not hide their concerns and skepticism regarding moves made by Sunni political and tribal groups — whether in the region or Washington — to ensure […]
By John Lee. Zekra Al Wash [Thikra Alwash] (pictured), a civil engineer and director general of the Ministry of Higher Education, has been named as the new mayor of Baghdad. According to a report from AFP, this makes her the first woman to be given such a post in the whole country. Al Wash replaces […]
Delivering his final briefing as the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov today stressed to the Security Council the optimism he feels for the country’s future, while tempering those hopes with fear over the many things that can go wrong. “I am a paranoid optimist,” said Mr. Mladenov, noting the […]
By John Lee. All Iraq News (AIN) has reported that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has dismissed the Acting Mayor of Baghdad, Naeem Aboub [Naeem Abaob al-Kaabi] (pictured). An official from the Higher Education Ministry has replaced him as Acting Mayor. (Source: AIN)
