Levels of violence rose slightly in Iraq over the past week although conditions remain quieter than much of the year so far. Fewer than 50 people were killed, which is a moderate figure by Iraqi standards, albeit still abhorrently high. A notable number of the dead and injured were caught up in a double suicide […]
A French magistrate has decided to send giant Frence oil company Total and its chief executive to trial on charges that the company engaged in corruption during the United Nations oil-for-food program in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, according to Reuters. The magistrate is sending the company to trial on charges of corruption and involvement in fraudulent […]
By By Mu Chunshan. Originally published in The Diplomat, and re-produced with permission by Iraq Business News. The visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to China didn’t just fail to grab much international media attention – there was also little coverage in the Chinese media, too. Most Chinese associate Iraq with Saddam Hussein and […]
Bandits, border guards and big profits NIQASH’s correspondent follows the illegal nicotine trail, as he joins local smugglers taking cigarettes into Syria. Dodging border guards and bandits, he meets the locals risking their lives to deliver millions of profitable packs to smokers every day. Several days ago, two soldiers and a member of the public […]
An arms deal under which Iraq would buy $13 billion in American weapons has been recommended for cancellation by the Iraqi parliament’s integrity committee, reports AKnews. The deal has been criticized for involving extensive financial corruption. A member of the committee, Aliya Nussaif, told AKnews that the parliament has passed a request by the committee […]
AFP reported on Tuesday that Iraqi forces took charge of security at Basra's oil export terminals at the southern port of Basra from US troops. Nearly 80 percent of Iraqi oil is exported through the south. "Today, we took charge of the oil terminals at Basra from the Americans," an Iraqi navy official said, speaking […]
Changes in legislation have led to an explosion in building companies in Iraq’s economic hub, Basra. Some exist only on paper but get jobs worth millions. Some say it’s the fault of US-formulated laws. Others say its corruption and public budgets. One of the most popular kinds of business in Basra city, the second most […]
Levels of violence fell slightly in Iraq last week, but there were still over 60 separate incidents recorded. Given a slight decline in the number of attacks recorded since July AKE has lowered the security risk rating for the country on Global IntAKE. Violence remains concentrated in Baghdad, Mosul and Kirkuk although attacks were […]
The following article was published by Reidar Visser, an historian of Iraq educated at the University of Oxford and currently based at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs. It is reproduced here with the author’s permission. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. […]
A former U.S. Army major has admitted that he took $250,000 in bribes from two companies that wanted contracts to supply the military with bottled water in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to Westlaw Journals. Derrick L. Shoemake, aged 49, admitted accepting the bribes while serving as a contracting officer’s representative in Kuwait between October 2004 […]
The Iraqi Railway Company accused government officials on Sunday of attempting to open up the transport system to private companies for personal gain through the suspension of the national transport law that was passed by the Ba'ath regime. Spokesperson for the company, Jawad al-Kharsani, told AKnews that the law meant that government ministries were required […]
General Inspector’s office at Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs said 190 employees, including four directors, will be investigated on charges of financial corruption. The Integrity Commission will investigate the allegations and if they find sufficient evidence the employees will be sent to court, General Inspector Hammed al-Zaidi, told AKnews. All are suspected of 'money […]
