Archive | Politics

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

Sistani Calls for 'Civil State' in Iraq

By Mustafa al-Kadhimi for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi politicians — whether Shiites, Sunnis or Kurds — have for years tried to drag supreme Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani into their ongoing political conflicts. To this day, certain parties have not […]

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Harvesting the Iraqi Diaspora

By Padraig O'Hannelly. Iraq has many assets, and while oil is the first that comes to mind, we should not forget the multitudes of Iraqis who live outside their country of birth -- the Iraqi diaspora. Estimates vary, but there are probably between four and five million Iraqi-born emigrants living in a wide range of […]

US to Assist Iraq with Elections

On January 21, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) formalizing its cooperation to develop IHEC’s institutional capacity in the areas of strategic planning, electoral management, and external relations through the Elections Support Project. Under […]

Maliki Makes Concessions on De-Baathification

By Ali Abel Sadah, for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has been forced to make new concessions to Sunni demonstrators and is finally losing his firm grip on the Accountability and Justice Law, also known as […]

Video: Tensions Flare over Kirkuk

From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Kurdish military officials and the Iraqi central government are currently trying to defuse an armed confrontation over a disputed northern territory. Kurdish military officials said the forces of Nouri al-Maliki, Iraqi prime minister, […]

Video: Funeral of Sunni MP Killed in Suicide Bombing

From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Hundreds of Iraqis have attended the funeral for Sunni Member of Parliament Ifan Saadoun al-Issawi, after he was assassinated near Fallujah, Iraq. Seven people, including the lawmaker, were killed in the suicide […]

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EU-Iraq Agreement: New Opportunities to Boost Democracy

Iraq can enjoy new economic opportunities and receive a boost to its efforts to promote democracy and human rights in the country thanks to its first-ever framework agreement with the EU. That is the view of Italian Christian Democrat MEP Mario Mauro (pictured), who is responsible for steering the agreement through Parliament. He is recommending […]

Iraq’s Political Rights Rating Falls

By John Lee. Iraq’s political rights rating declined over the past year, according to a new report from Freedom House. The fall was due to the concentration of power by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and increasing pressure on the political opposition, as exemplified by the arrest and death sentence in absentia of Vice President Tariq […]

Cabinet Issued 472 Decisions in 2012

By John Lee. Iraq's Department of Cabinet Affairs has announced that the Council of Ministers issued 472 decisions during 2012, 366 of them being what they described as "executive decisions". These decisions included 36 regarding laws and international conventions, five resolutions for ministries and departments "not associated with the ministries", and six resolutions concerning development […]

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Iraqi Parliament Moving Against Maliki on Several Fronts

By Reidar Visser. The following article was published by Reidar Visser, an historian of Iraq educated at the University of Oxford and currently based at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. It is reproduced here with the author’s permission. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq […]

Suicide Bomber Assassinates Sunni MP

A suicide bomber has assassinated a Sunni MP in Fallujah on Tuesday. Ayfan Sadoun al-Essawi [Ifan Saadoun], a member of the secular Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, was targeted as he inspected a road being constructed to the south of the city. Two of the MP's bodyguards were killed and four other people wounded. The attack comes […]