By Michael Knights and Alexandre Mello, for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Three top commanders have been replaced in northern areas where Iran-backed militias are trying to outmuscle the regular security forces. Washington should find out why. Full report here. (Source: Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
By Ambassador Daniel Speckhard, for The Hill. The progress achieved in Iraq was evident to me on the drive from the airport. As a diplomat serving in post-war Iraq from 2005 to 2007, I traveled often from the airport to the U.S. embassy in the heavily fortified Green Zone, riding in an armored vehicle with […]
The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued the following assessment of democracy and human rights in Iraq, as part of its annual Human rights report: The principal human rights concerns in Iraq in 2018 were the lasting effects of Daesh atrocities, the use of the death penalty, gender disparity in society and politics, violations […]
Iran Has Taken Invaluable Steps to Cement Ties with Iraq: Envoy Iran’s Ambassador to Iraq Iraj Masjedi highlighted the importance of bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries and said Tehran has taken major strides to strengthen ties with Baghdad. “We are trying to boost our relations with Iraq in all areas,” Masjedi said, addressing […]
By John Lee. Baghdad’s International Zone (Green Zone) is to be opened to traffic around the clock from tonight (Tuesday). Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi told a news conference on Monday evening that the move showed that the government is convinced the security situation in Baghdad is improved. The high-security zone is home to the Iraqi […]
By Hamdi Malik for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. ExxonMobil evacuated dozens of its non-Iraqi employees from Iraq on May 18. The evacuation follows a US State Department decision to withdraw its non-essential staff from the US Embassy in Baghdad and its consulate […]
By John Lee. Amnesty International has challenged a statement from the US-led Coalition in which it acknowledges at least 1,302 unintended civilian deaths during Operation Inherent Resolve. The organisation’s Senior Crisis Response Adviser, Donatella Rovera, said: “While all admissions of responsibility by the US-led Coalition for civilian casualties are welcome, the Coalition remains deeply in […]
By Dana Taib Menmy for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Thousands of dunams of wheat and barley crops were torched this month in Kirkuk, Ninevah, Salahuddin and Diyala provinces, adding agony to the harsh lives of Iraqi farmers and raising the question […]
By Kamal Chomani 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 Adel Abdul Mahdi is under great pressure from his government to force the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to deliver the allotted 250,000 barrels of oil per day to the State Organization for Marketing of […]
GardaWorld, a global leader in comprehensive security and risk management, has made its weekly security report available to Iraq Business News readers. Prepared by GardaWorld's Risk Analysis Team in Iraq, this essential report includes short- and medium-term outlooks on the security situation, reports and commentary on recent significant events, and a detailed overview of developments […]
By John Lee. According to a report from Reuters, employees from Exxon Mobil will start returning to work at the West Qurna 1 oilfield on Sunday. Sources told the news agency that the company had received assurances from the Iraqi Ministry of Oil and the Basra Oil Company (BOC) that its staff would receive extra […]
Iraqi officials said they have successfully carried out a plan to ensure the security of pilgrims converging on the holy city of Najaf, south of Iraq, to mark the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Ali (PBUH). In a statement on Monday, the central Euphrates operations command said the Iraqi security forces have managed to implement a […]
