By Patrick M Schmidt. Following the Malaysian Airlines MH17 incident in Ukraine, the United States has taken a closer look at events in Iraq in relation to commercial airline safety and security. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that American commercial aircraft with flight plans over Iraqi airspace must maintain an altitude above 30,000 […]
By John Lee. The United Nations Security Council has unanimously approved resolutions extending the United Nations missions in Iraq and Cyprus, recognizing the vital role they continue to play in the maintenance of peace and security. The Council extended the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) until 31 July 2015. In doing so, the 15-member […]
The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for aviation sustainment support, on-the-job maintenance training and maintenance advice and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $500 million (583 Iraqi dinars). The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of […]
The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to Iraq for AGM-114K/N/R Hellfire missiles and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $700 million (816 billion Iraqi dinars). The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on […]
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting Amid worsening levels of violence owing to the increase in direct clashes between the ISF and ISIS militias, Iraq witnessed movements in the political sphere with the election of a new President. Fouad Massoum, a Kurd member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) put forward by the Kurdish alliance, […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. The United Nations Security Council has released as statement following concerns about radical groups in Iraq and Syria using captured oil fields as a means to generate revenue for their organizations. The statement read “that any oilfields and related infrastructure controlled by terrorist organizations could generate material income for terrorists, which […]
In an interview wtih Al-Monitor's Mehmet Cetingulec, Turkey’s Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci said said the Islamic State (IS) is now contacting individual Turkish businessmen to call them back to Iraq: Al-Monitor: The Islamic State is blocking Turkey’s exports to southern Iraq. Are you doing anything to overcome this? Zeybekci: Of our exports, 70% is […]
By John Lee. A former contractor has been extradited from Iraq after six years on the run, making him the first person to be returned to the United States under the U.S.-Iraq extradition treaty of 1936. Metin Atilan, 54, who has dual U.S. and Turkish citizenship, pleaded not guilty to fraud and conspiracy charges on […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. On Saturday, Iraqi security forces reported that ISIS militants had taken control of a portion of the Baiji [Bayji, Beiji] oil refinery. Since then, security forces have driven the militants off of the oil refinery’s premises and are now searching the area for any remaining militants. Over the past month, Baiji […]
By Patrick M Schmidt. Sir Tim Clark, Chief Executive of Emirates Airlines, has announced that the airline would no longer allow its own aircraft to fly over Iraq. This statement comes as a reaction to the missile strike on Malaysian Airlines MH-17 and concerns about ISIS militants in the north of Iraq being in possession […]
From the BBC. John McCarthy meets the Kurds of northern Iraq, a unique island of stability in a nation broken into warring fragments. He asks how a people who have been victims of abuse and atrocity for generations managed to transform their fortunes so dramatically. How did they recently gain the confidence to calmly take […]
The United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC), which settles the damage claims of those who suffered losses due to Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait, today made $1.19 billion (1.4 trillion Iraqi dinars) available to the Government of Kuwait. With today’s payment, the Commission has disbursed $46.7 billion, leaving approximately $5.7 billion remaining to be directed to […]
