U.S.-led efforts in Iraq have cleared more than 190 million square feet of land from unexploded ordnance, the U.S. State Department said. The State Department said Iraq is near the top when it comes to nations plagued with land mines and unexploded ordnance. Most of those, the department said, are the consequence of more than […]
Over the coming week terrorists are likely to attack Shi’ah worshippers marking the religious period of al-‘Ashura. Many pilgrims will travel to the holy city of Karbala for the event, which culminates on 17 December and has seen numerous bouts of violence in recent years. Security will be tighter than normal, but roadside attacks against […]
Iraq has not enjoyed regular foreign relations since 2003, and arguably for several years before, argues Gareth Stansfield in a report for Chatham House. Looking ahead, Iraq is now in a position to develop its foreign relations fully, yet how these relations will be constructed remains unclear. As with all states, Iraq's foreign policy remains […]
North Last week saw violence concentrated in Mosul, although attacks were also recorded in Tal ‘Afar, Kirkuk, Hawijah and Riyadh. Civilians and the Iraqi security forces bore the brunt, but with eight recorded fatalities the week was less bloody than normal for what is otherwise one of the most hostile parts of the country. In […]
The Brookings Institution in Washington DC has issued a new report entitled "Unfinished Business: An American Strategy for Iraq Moving Forward". Ignoring the gratuitous use of the term 'moving forward' in the title, it's a thought-provoking read. The executive summary is shown below, and the full report can be downloaded from the Brooking Institution by […]
The disputed internal boundaries in northern Iraq between the Kurds and the Arabs have been a persistent fault-line in the state's history and have rapidly emerged as a core dispute since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. According to a report from Peter Bartu at Chatham House, the Kurds underwrote, more than any other constituency, the […]
Overview After a quiet ‘Eid ul-Adha levels of violence rose again last week, with at least 46 people killed and over 110 injured in attacks around Iraq. The majority of violence was concentrated in Baghdad and Mosul, with a scattering of activity around Kirkuk, Ba’qubah and the northern fringes of Salah ad-Din province. Basrah airport […]
The following article was written by Ali Al-Mawlawi, an Iraqi research fellow at Baghdad-based independent think tank, the Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform. It was published by openDemocracy, and is reproduced here under their Creative Commons licence. The World Bank has described corruption as ‘the single greatest obstacle to economic and social development.” The prospects […]
Basrah airport has been hit by several mortars over the last week. Although no casualties were reported the facility was shut for several hours and flights delayed and cancelled as a result. Local militancy Blame has speculatively been assigned to local Shi'ah militia groups, such as those affiliated with the now splintered Jaysh al-Mahdi (the […]
The United States Department of Defense has issued notification of proposed sales of arms from the US to Iraq. General Dynamics is to be the prime contractor on a $36m deal for the supply of ammunition for Iraq's Abrams M1A1 tanks (pictured). The sale consists of: 14,010 TP-T M831A1 120mm Cartridges; 16,110 TPCSDS-T M865 120mm […]
The Chairman of the Iraqi Commission on Integrity, Rahim al-Ugeily, has announced on Thursday that 2,300 defendants have been prosecuted this year on charges of corruption, totalling in excess of 600 billion (b) Iraqi Dinars (US$535 million approx.). 600 people have been sentenced to various jail sentences. Judge Ugeily was speaking in a workshop taking […]
According to a report from Chatham House, the 'oil question' in Iraq has traditionally been viewed almost exclusively through the prism of ethno-sectarianism. Disputes over the management and licensing of the hydrocarbon sector and over revenue distribution have been seen as a battle for power between Iraq's ethnic and sectarian communities, as if these were […]
