Archive | Politics

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

Turkey Agrees Loan for KRG

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 […]

The Importance of Sunni Unity in Iraq

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 […]

Iraq gets First Female Mayor

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 […]

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Mladenov: Most Pressing Goal Remains Defeating IS

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 […]

PM Dismisses Mayor of Baghdad

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)

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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 […]