By Tom Walker, Director, Assaye Risk COUNTRY OVERVIEW Levels of violence remained constant this week as Sunni insurgents continue to pressurize and attack the Shia majority. Unsurprisingly, the violence predominated in and around Baghdad but was also seen in the smaller satellite towns to the south and north of the capital. Late in the week […]
By John Lee. A source at Mosul Airport has told Reuters: "Security forces closed Mosul airport without giving any reason. All flights are cancelled. "To begin with [the authorities] said there was information about a hijacked plane, and then they said it was closed for maintenance purposes, but there are no maintenance works." The closure […]
The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq.Due to heightened safety and security risks and the ongoing threat of terrorist activities throughout Iraq, the U.S. government remains highly concerned about the danger to U.S. citizens, whether visiting or residing in Iraq, and to U.S. facilities and businesses. Threats […]
By Hayder al-Khoei for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A memoir published in 2012 by a representative of Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani sheds new light on the Battle of Najaf that unfolded in August 2004 in southern Iraq. Hamid al-Khafaf, Sistani’s Beirut […]
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. Iraq's ongoing conflicts are often linked to religious identities. Given the religious nature of these conflicts, the importance of icons, symbols and photographs are certain to emerge more prominently than at other […]
By Mustafa Habib. 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. Iraqis know better than most that military intervention comes at a price. Ten years after foreigners invaded their country and toppled their dictatorship, the country still […]
By Ahmad al-Rubaie. 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. Fantasy Buffer Zone: Baghdad Youths Plan ‘Mini-Iraq’ the Way it Should Be For many educated young Iraqis, there’s no escaping the grim realities of daily life: […]
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against all but essential travel to Iraq. Travel within Iraq remains dangerous given the security situation. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated February 25, 2013, to update information on security incidents and to remind U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns in Iraq, including kidnapping and terrorist […]
By Tom Walker, Director, Assaye Risk COUNTRY OVERVIEW It has been another brutal week in Iraq with many hundreds killed in a spate of bombings and shootings. August was a particularly bloody month with over 800 civilians reported killed, a figure that does not take into account ISF deaths and casualties. Nearly 5,000 civilians […]
Amid a continuing exodus of Syrians into Iraq's Kurdistan region, the heads of the UN refugee agency and the World Food Programme praised the regional government for giving refuge to almost 200,000 people, including some 47,000 who arrived in the last two weeks. Despite the burden of accommodating such a large influx of refugees, the […]
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. Japan has taught Iraqis an important lesson on tolerance and humanitarian devotion when it decided to open a hospital in the city of Fallujah in memory of Japanese journalist Shinsuke Hashida, […]
By John Lee. According to casualty figures released by UNAMI, a total of 804 Iraqis were killed and another 2,030 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in August. The number of civilians killed was 716 (including 106 civilian police), while the number of civilians injured was 1,936 (including 195 civilian police). A further […]
