National Overview One year on from the start of the militant uprising in Anbar province, Iraq’s fractured regions remain on sharply different political trajectories. In the Sunni heartlands of Ramadi and Fallujah where an initial protest by local tribesmen forced the withdrawal of the Iraqi security forces in December 2014, ISIS units launched a major […]
Archive | Security
US Considers Upgrades for Iraqi Tanks
By Patrick Schmidt. Like the United States, Iraq’s main battle tank is the M1A1 Abrams, manufactured by General Dynamics. The United States Army is considering providing additional technology for Iraqi tanks including mine clearing blades/rollers, heavy-duty armor tiles, stronger belly armor, as well as other features. Many of these features will assist in the fight […]
US Delays Additional Troop Deployments
By Patrick Schmidt. The United States has delayed the deployment of an additional 1,500 troops to Iraq. Defense Department Spokesman John Kirby mentioned the delay in December. Current budget, and congressional issues are slowing the deployment. Most of the American troops in Iraq currently serve as military advisors or provide protection for American facilities in […]
Video: Iraq Unwilling to Arm Sunnis to Fight IS
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq's armed forces are marking their 94th anniversary. But sadly there's little to celebrate. The army is facing unprecedented challenges - an enemy that has seized large parts of the country, internal corruption […]
Al-Abadi Calls for Australian Support
By John Lee. Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi received the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott at his office on Sunday, and called on Australia to increase its militarty support to Iraq. The Australian PM expressed his readiness to support to Iraq in "military and training fields", according to a press releasee from the Iraqi PM's office, […]
Video: On Frontline of Fight against IS
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. In northern Iraq, Kurdish Peshmerga forces are also trying to re-take territory occupied by ISIL. One of the key battles is in the village of Sultan Abdullah. Peshmerga forces were reportedly in full […]
ISIL Kidnap 170 Men Near Kirkuk
By John Lee. Members of the so called "Islamic State" have targeted up to 170 men near Iraq's northern city of Kirkuk, AFP reports. The men have been kidnapped in response to the alleged burning of an ISIL flag in two villages outside the city. While ISIL have been known to severely punish dissenters, other reports have […]
Government of Iraq Releases 2014 Casualty Data
By Patrick Schmidt. According to figures from the Iraqi government, at least 15,000 individuals have been killed since the start of the year. Many of those individuals died following the rise of the Islamic State (IS) in June. This year’s figure is a sharp increase from 2013, when only 6,522 people were killed by violence […]
ISIL Hit by 100 Air Strikes Since Christmas
By John Lee. The Christmas and the New Year period brought no respite for fighters of the so called "Islamic State" in Iraq and Syria, with some 100 strikes targeting the group in their key command and control sites including Raqqa in Syria, and Mosul and Fallujah in Iraq. US Defence officials also reported other […]
Iran, Iraq Defence Ministries Sign Cooperation Agreement
By John Lee. A recent announcement from the Iraqi government has stated that Baghdad and Tehran are continuing to negotiate additional plans for military aid and the reformation of a national army. Defense ministers from both nations have already signed a memorandum of understanding regarding this issue, following a visit from Iraqi Defence Minister Khaled al-Obeidi to […]
Basra "Moving Towards Independence"
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. Since the establishment of modern Iraq in 1921, its provinces have had different positions toward decentralization as a result of the country's ethnic and cultural diversity. In addition, economic resources have varied widely from one […]
Tags: Basra News, Federalism
Displaced Iraqis seek Safety as Winter Falls
More than 3,000 internally displaced Iraqis are living in Arbat camp three months after it opened to shelter to some of the 2 million people uprooted by conflict in northern and central Iraq in 2014. They comprise some 660 families, including 40-year-old Laila, her husband Khalaf and their seven children. The family from Sinjar fled […]