Archive | Politics

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

Iraqis Play Politics with Mosul Investigation

By Shukur Khilkhal for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqis had high hopes when in December, following months of waiting, a committee began an investigation into last June's fall of Mosul to the Islamic State. At the start, the committee banned more than 50 […]

Why Salafists see Shiites as their Greatest Enemy

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. Helping Shiite groups in their military operations against Israel or the United States has always been a source of discord among Salafists. Radical Salafists consider both Shiites and Jews the enemies of Islam. But anti-Shiite […]

Iraqi Tribes Become 'State within a State'

By Adnan Abu Zeed for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Equipped with various firearms, convoys of tribal members can be seen across Iraq, in defiance of the laws prohibiting the firing of guns into the air. This causes major economic losses, while the country […]

Mladenov to be New UN Mideast Envoy

By John Lee. The UN Security Council has reportedly approved the appointment of Nikolay Mladenov as the United Nations' top Middle East envoy, replacing Dutch diplomat Robert Serry. Mladenov, aged 42, has been the UN envoy in Iraq since August 2013, and has previously served as Bulgarian foreign and defense minister. No replacement for Mladenov […]

Sunni Ministers Oppose Debaathification Bill

By John Lee. A move in cabinet to reform Iraq's controversial debaathification law has been opposed by Sunni ministers. Current laws prevent former Baath Party members from participating in Iraq’s government and public service. The Sunni ministers said the reforms do not go far enough, while the rest of the cabinet approved them. The reforms […]

We Are All Responsible, Says Iraqi Donor

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. We Are All Responsible For What Is Happening In Our Country, Says Donor of US$2 Million Iraqi School Iraqi émigré, Madiha al-Birmani, is clearly a woman with attitude. She attended […]

Fake Bomb Detectors still Endanger Iraqis

By Shukur Khilkhal for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. In 2007, the Iraqi Interior Ministry imported 7,000 ADE651 bomb detectors in a deal with British businessman James McCormick. Though widely used at Iraqi checkpoints, these devices have not helped stop the bombings in Baghdad […]

Rising Incomes, Multiple Wives

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. Rising incomes mean many Iraqi men marry multiple wives Hashem (a pseudonym), told Al-Monitor, “I married a widow who works as a schoolteacher and lives in the city of Karbala. I did so because […]

EU to Open Office in Kurdistan

By John Lee. The European Union (EU) is to open a representative office in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) representative to the EU, Dlawar Azhgayi, told BasNews: “It is an important message that Europe is nurturing its relationship with the Kurdistan Region." He added that the process of choosing the representative has already […]

Samarra the Key to Reducing Tensions?

By Shukur Khilkhal for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Is Samarra the key to reducing sectarian tension in Iraq? The Sunni-Shiite sectarian tensions in the city of Samarra are back on the front burner. Sunni politicians, clerics and a number of […]

Is New National Guard the Key to Unifying Iraq?

By Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A wide range of armed forces beholden to different authorities outside the defense and interior ministries are spread across Iraq. This reality was not spawned by the occupation of Mosul by the Islamic State (IS) […]