Bloomberg reports that KBR managers in Iraq and Kuwait are accused by US authorities of taking $45,000 in kickbacks from a dining facility subcontractor from late 2002 through 2003. Terry Hall, who was KBR’s regional food services manager for the two countries, and his deputy, Luther Holmes, were accused of violating the False Claims Act […]
About 7,000 Iraqis protested in the southern oil hub of Basra on Saturday against the presence of Saudi troops in Bahrain, highlighting the sectarian divide in Iraq. Reuters reports that anger has been mounting among Shi'ites in Iraq, Lebanon and Iran over the movement of troops from Sunni Arab states to help Bahrain's Sunni royal […]
Iraq may not be able to protect its oil facilities because of a shortage of equipment and trained oil police, despite intelligence suggesting new attacks on the vital sector, according to Major General Hamid Ibrahim, head of Iraq's oil protection force. Reuters quotes him as blaming al Qaeda for recent attacks on the Baiji [Bayji, […]
The general manager of the Iraqi ports company said on Wednesday that the company had completed a $5 million [6 billion Iraqi dinar] contract with a Danish firm to set up watchtowers in all ports to monitor the works and prevent irregularities. Salah Khudair Abboud told AKnews that the technical staff of the Communications Engineering […]
Overview Levels of violence are still higher in Iraq than in January and February, but conditions did not significantly worsen over the past week. There was a decline in the number of violent protests taking place countrywide although there was also a rise in bomb attacks, particularly in Baghdad. The northern city of Mosul saw a […]
The commander of Iraq's rapid response force has been arrested on suspicion of corruption. According to a report from Reuters, Brigadier General Numan Dakhil was caught during a sting operation in which he was filmed taking a $50,000 bribe from a contractor. Sabah al-Saedi, a member of the Integrity Committee, said that Brigadier General Numan […]
Associated Press quotes an Iraqi official as saying that security forces have foiled a new attack against the country's largest oil refinery. Salahaddin provincial spokesman Mohammed al–Assi said a bomb was found inside the Beiji [Baiji, Bayji] refinery earlier this week but it was successfully dismantled. It had been placed inside a storage tank. The […]
A bomb attack in the northern province of Nineveh halted oil flow through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline, which carries a quarter of Iraq's crude exports, a spokesman for Iraq's oil ministry said on Wednesday. Reuters, quoting Oil Ministry spokesman Asim Jihad, reported that the attack occurred on Tuesday night, but oil flow is expected to resume […]
Overview Levels of violence fell in Iraq over the past week. This is the first time this has occurred so far this year. Protests were less violent than the preceding week while there was a drop in the number of terrorist attacks in all parts of the country except the capital. The contested city of […]
A spokesman for Iraq's Oil Ministry has told AFP that production levels at the Baiji [Bayji, Beiji] oil refinery returned to normal on Friday, just six days after being damaged in terrorist bombing. If true, this contradicts earlier estimates that it would take several weeks to repair the unit. Assem Jihad said "the damaged unit […]
Thousands protested throughout Iraq on Friday in anti-government demonstrations, despite security checkpoints and a vehicle ban in at least ten cities. Baghdad: About 2,000 people demonstrated in and around Liberation Square [Tahrir Square], surrounded by hundreds of security force personnel. Mayor Saber al-Issawi has resigned. Basra: About 1,000 people gathered at the Basra provincial council […]
Overview Conditions continue to worsen in Iraq, with civil unrest gripping cities from Arbil in the north to Basrah in the south over the past week. As well as demonstrations in Kurdistan there has also been a lesser reported rise in ethnic tensions around the city of Kirkuk. The past week has also seen a […]
