By John Lee. A committee has been formed to manage the distribution of 48 billion Iraqi dinars ($40 million) in compensation to the people of Samarra. It will be chaired by the Minister of Sciences and Technology, Dr. Abdul Kareem Al-Samarra’yie [Abdul-Karim al-Sammaraie, Abd al-Karim al-Samarrai], and will include the Mayor of Samarra, and the […]
By John Lee. The Iraqi government has agreed to allocate additional funds from the supplementary budget to boost its air defences. Mr. Ali Mohsen Al-Allaq, the Secretary General to the Council of Ministers, said the country's sovereignty requires that its airspace should not be violated, a fear that was expressed by Acting Minister of Defense Mr. […]
By John Lee. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Stuart Bowen (pictured), has found serious weaknesses in the government’s controls over Iraq reconstruction funds that put billions of American taxpayer dollars at risk of waste and misappropriation. The precise amount lost to fraud and waste can never be known, but SIGIR believes it […]
A new draft law on information technology crimes would restrict free speech in violation of international law and poses a severe threat to journalists, whistleblowers, and peaceful activists, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The pending law includes vague provisions that would allow Iraqi authorities to harshly punish expression they decide constitutes […]
By Shwan Zulal. 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. The disputes between Baghdad and Iraqi Kurdistan have led some local politicians to call for the semi-autonomous region to secede from Iraq and become its own […]
By John Lee. British Police have charged six people over the sale of allegedly fake bomb detection equipment to foreign countries, including Iraq. James McCormick, 55, who has been charged with six counts of fraud, was the director of British-based security company ATSC that sold explosive-detecting devices, according to Reuters. The ATSC website says its […]
By Gary Sandiford, Olive Group's Dubai-based assessments manager. Olive Group is a leading provider of security and technology solutions and has operated continuously in Iraq since 2003. Overview Olive Groups Iraq statistics are drawn from multiple sources, including media reporting and direct liaison with in country assets. Included within the statistics are a minority sub-set […]
By John Lee. "Is Iraq a failing state, or has it already failed", asks Peter Lavelle on Russia Today's Crosstalk programme. Discussing the question are Robert Maginnis, Douglas Ollivant and John Glaser.
By John Lee. Australian construction group Leighton Holdings has sacked a senior manager, whom it did not name, as part of its probe into allegations of bribery related to its $1.3 billion of oil contracts in Iraq. The company said "its internal review of the Iraq projects undertaken by its subsidiary, Leighton Offshore Pte Limited, […]
By Gary Sandiford, Olive Group's Dubai-based assessments manager. Olive Group is a leading provider of security and technology solutions and has operated continuously in Iraq since 2003. Overview Olive Groups Iraq statistics are drawn from multiple sources, including media reporting and direct liaison with in country assets. Included within the statistics is a degree activity […]
Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning consumers across the United States to be wary when considering any foreign currency investment, particularly the Iraqi dinar. Over the years, BBB complaints nationwide about dinar investments allege a number of scams surrounding the profit potential of dinar currency investments. For this reason, BBB advises consumers looking to buy […]
Bloomberg reports that billions of dollars in Iraqi reconstruction projects may be wasted as the U.S. transfers them to the Iraqi government. Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR), Stuart Bowen (pictured), told the US's House Oversight Committee: “There remains a vulnerability that thousands of projects [completed with $51 billion in American reconstruction funds] will […]
