Archive | Security

Parliament takes back Control over Integrity Commission

The Iraqi parliament took back control over the parliamentary  Commission of Integrity from the Council of Ministers on Saturday. The majority of the members of parliament voted for the new committee law, despite strong opposition form the State of Law Coalition of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. "The parliament can now assign the new head of […]

Weekly Security Update for 22nd September 2011

Levels of violence rose in Iraq over the past week. Conditions are still quieter than July and June but they have been gradually worsening over the course of September. Last week saw a series of brutal attacks, mainly in the central region, affecting Baghdad and the provinces of Anbar and Babil. Mosul in the north […]

Tamimi Global to Pay $13m for KBR Kickbacks

Tamimi Global will pay $13 million to settle U.S. criminal and civil allegations that it paid kickbacks to a KBR employee and improper gratuities to a U.S. Army sergeant, according to a report from Bloomberg. The Dhahran-based unit of the Saudi Arabian construction and manufacturing Tamimi Group, gave kickbacks to get Army logistical support subcontracts […]

Iraq Recovers $116m from Saddam Officials

Iraq has recovered $116 million [139 billion Iraqi dinars] from bank accounts in France belonging to an official from ex-dictator Saddam Hussein's regime, the country's Commission on Integrity said in a statement. The Commission said the funds comprised $106 million deposited in 'French Arab Union Bank' (UBAF), a French-registered bank whose shareholders include 19 Arab […]

Iraq 'Very Close' to Buying F-16s

Iraq is reported to be "very close" to signing a letter of intent to buy up to 36 Lockheed Martin F-16 jets, according to Bloomberg. Major General Russ Handy, a senior U.S. Air Force general in Iraq, told reporters at the Pentagon that Iraq would buy a first installment of 18 aircraft, with a potential […]

Weekly Security Update for 14th September 2011

  Levels of violence rose slightly in Iraq over the past week, with attacks concentrated in Baghdad and the districts surrounding it, as well as the two northern cities of Mosul and Kirkuk. There was also a slight spike in activity around the town of Dujayl in Salah ad-Din province. While bombings around the country […]

Ex-Iraq Official Slams Leaders over Graft

Iraq's former anti-corruption chief slammed its leaders Monday, describing graft as "part of the struggle for power", according to a report from AFP. Rahim Hassan al-Uqailee [Judge Rahim al-Akili; al-Ugeily], who last week stepped down as head of Iraq's Integrity Commission, sharply criticised interference in his inquiries, and said he had lost political support for […]

A Return of Illegal Checkpoints?

Illegal checkpoints may be making a resurgence in Iraq. On 12 September militants stopped and killed several Shi'ah pilgrims at one such installation in Anbar province. Recent months have seen a number of similar facilities being set up by armed militants, mainly in the central provinces, but also around some parts of the north of […]

Weekly Security Update for 8th September 2011

Levels of violence fell considerably in Iraq last week, with a drop by half in the number of incidents being reported from the previous week. Violence was concentrated in Baghdad and Mosul whereas there was an improvement in conditions in the provinces of Anbar, Diyala, Salah ad-Din and Ta’mim. The south of the country was […]

Oil, Power and Ports: Iraq and Kuwait Bicker Over Border Areas

According to lawmakers, the border area between Kuwait and Iraq should no longer be disputed territory. However Iraqi locals see it differently and accuse Kuwait of blocking their waterways, stealing their oil and teaching their children untruths about the area, according to this report from Niqash. As dusk falls along the southern borders that Iraq […]

Iraqi F-16 Deal Making "Significant Progress"

Washington and Baghdad have made significant progress on a deal for Iraq to buy Lockheed Martin F-16 warplanes but do not have a signed contract, according to Bloomberg. In February the Iraqi government delayed its planned purchase of F-16s and diverted $900 million set aside for an initial payment on the aircraft into its national […]