Video: Civil War Fears Rising
Posted on 11 June 2013 .
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
A wave of car bombings in central and northern Iraq has killed at least 57 people, heightening fears that the country may be returning to sectarian civil war.
No group has claimed responsibility for the series of attacks, but officials blame most of the violence that has killed nearly 2,000 people since April on Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda's local wing, known as the Islamic State of Iraq.
Iraq civil war fears: PM Maliki vows action against extremists as sectarian violence spirals.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has vowed to confront sectarian militants following a recent spate of car bombings in Baghdad that have left over 75 people dead.
Al-Maliki, a Shia Muslim, was flanked by four ministers at the news conference, including two senior Sunni politicians, in an apparent display of unity:
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Video: Attacks on Sunni Mosques
Posted on 18 May 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
There has been a sharp rise in attacks on Sunni holy sites in Iraq, causing a fear that the country could face more sectarian violence reminiscent of the bloodshed that the country experienced back in 2006 to 2007.
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Video: Iraq – ‘Disciplining’ the media
Posted on 06 May 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
In Iraq, tensions have again flared up in a new wave of deadly attacks against political and sectarian targets. Iraqi media, especially outlets that speak to the Sunni minority, called it a crisis out of the government’s control.
Then, when government forces loyal to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki killed 27 Sunni protesters, Iraq’s private media erupted with rage. Anger on the privately-owned airwaves spelled trouble for the government and Maliki’s response was to shut down 10 satellite TV stations — including Al Jazeera’s Arabic language channel — for propagating an “undisciplined media message”.
All but one of the channels are aligned with Sunni financial backers, and the government’s move is being seen as a crackdown on dissent by Maliki’s majority Shia government.
In Iraq’s factionalised media landscape, who you are largely determines who you listen to. So for Maliki, silencing Sunni TV was nothing less than removing a weapon from the hands of his rivals. For the Sunni minority, Maliki’s move was just one more sign that their rights and interests are under attack.
This week’s News Divide looks at both sides of the struggle. Speaking for the government is Ali Al-Shalah, the president of the Iraq Culture and Media Committee; assessing the government’s actions are Dahr Jamail, a producer for Al Jazeera English, Arab media analyst Nehad Ismail and Ammar Shahbander from the Institute of War and Peace Reporting:
(Source: Al Jazeera)
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Video: Media Regulator Muzzles TV Networks
Posted on 01 May 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
In a blow to freedom of the press in Iraq, the country’s media regulator has announced it has suspended the licences of ten satellite news networks, including Qatar-based Al Jazeera.
The Communication and Media Commission (CMC) regulator took the action after accusing the networks of inciting violence through their coverage of deadly clashes triggered by a security force raid on a Sunni Muslim protest camp last week:
(Source: Jewish News One)
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Video: Maliki Calls for Talks to End Violence
Posted on 30 April 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki has called for talks to end the violence that has entered a third day in the country’s north where Sunni Muslims are angry over a raid on an anti-government protest camp.
Security forces had stormed a protest camp igniting a gun battle between troops and protesters killing some 50 people, the worst clashes in the country since the US pulled out its forces in 2011:
(Source: Jewish News One)
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Video: Landmark Iraq Provincial Councils Vote
Posted on 22 April 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Polls have closed in Iraq in the first elections since the US troop withdrawal. Iraqis were voting to elect members of provincial councils in 12 of the country’s 18 provinces:
(Source: Jewish News One)
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Video: Iraq on Terror Alert
Posted on 15 April 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
With the Iraqi provincial elections now just days away, members of the police force and army have cast their votes ahead of time, with lines developing outside polling stations across the country, including in Baghdad and Basra:
(Source: Jewish News One)
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Video: Jihadis in Iraq and Syria Joining Forces
Posted on 06 April 2013.
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Iraqi intelligence officials have said a cross-border alliance is growing between the Islamic extremist groups al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the al-Nusra Front in Syria.
(Source: Jewish News One)
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Qatar Airways Launches 4th Destination in Iraq
Posted on 07 June 2013 .
By John Lee.
Qatar Airways has launched flights to Basra, its fourth destination in Iraq. The new services, operating four-times-a-week non-stop from the airline's Doha hub, takes the carrier's global network to 128 destinations worldwide.
The launch also marks the rapid expansion by Qatar Airways in Iraq since the middle of 2012 when it began flights to Erbil, followed by the capital Baghdad and, earlier this year, Najaf.
With today's route launch, Qatar Airways' frequency across Iraq rises from 12 to 16 flights each week - representing a more than 25% increase in services.
The arrival of Qatar Airways' flight QR448 was welcomed at Basra International Airport with a reception presided by local officials. Fathi Al Shehab, Qatar Airways Senior Vice President GCC, Levant, Iran and Indian Subcontinent led an official delegation on the flight from Doha.
Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker said he was delighted to see additional flights open up another entry point to Iraq:
"The Republic of Iraq has been on our list of expansion priorities for some time and the last 12 months have seen us move forward very quickly opening up four new gateways in Iraq with a fifth Sulaymaniyah starting in August.
"Qatar Airways' commitment is strong as we continue to build on our already strong relationship between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Iraq. Opening up Iraq to the world with more travel options and flexibility has always been part of our general strategy to enter underserved markets and give the travelling public to and from such places the ability to travel with greater choice, bringing the world closer to them."
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Clyde & Co Launches Middle East Deal Study
Posted on 06 June 2013 .
Clyde & Co launched its inaugural Middle East Deal Study at an exclusive event hosted at the Ritz Carlton recently.
The study, the first of its kind in the region, analyses data from 86 of the Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Joint Venture (JV) transactions the firm worked on in the region during 2012.
The study establishes a baseline for 'market practice’ in the Middle East, providing a unique insight into doing business in the Middle East, identifying trends and providing statistics. Interestingly, Joint Ventures remained as attractive as M&As in providing a route to market.
In fact, JV transactions occurred as frequently as M&A transactions which can be explained by the regulatory environment in the Middle East, where local partners and market knowledge is often required.
Overall, analysis of the deal study highlights an increase in market confidence, a rise in the use of the auction sale processes and an enthusiasm from new entrants trying to gain a foothold in the region. These elements have transformed the Middle East into a seller friendly market, with entrepreneurial businesses attracting international investors looking to access the Middle East market.
With possible reductions to the ‘barriers of entry’ in doing business in the Middle East market, brought about by either the new investment law which may increase foreign ownership limits or the eagerly awaited announcement by MSCI to upgrade the UAE and Qatar to emerging markets, has the potential to make the region even more attractive to international companies and investors.
This could have a positive impact on the regions deal market, invigorating the private sector to follow the upward investment trend seen through public sector spending in critical areas of the economy.
The study highlights that sellers and buyers should expect split signing and completion when doing an M&A deal. 31%of M&A deals took between three and six months to complete, bringing up a host of related issues such as walk away rights and management of the target during this period.
The study also found a clear tendency towards the use of English law, with M&A deals split between courts and arbitration (41% and 59% respectively) whilst arbitration remained the preferred forum for joint ventures (93%).
Philip O'Riordan (pictured), partner in Clyde & Co’s MENA corporate group, said:
"Globally, we see the importance of the public sector in stimulating growth and providing employment.
"The findings of the study show that regionally there is the emergence of a vibrant private sector, which we expect to grow on the back of increased public investment in critical areas of the economy such as energy, infrastructure and construction.
"We believe the deal study provides valuable information for any company planning and implementing a transaction in the region."
To request a copy of the deal study please email [email protected].
(Source: Clyde & Co)
Posted in Construction & Engineering In Iraq 1 Comment
Economy Starts to Hum, but Projects Need to Ramp Up
Posted on 30 May 2013 .
By Sherif Salem.
As has often been the case in Iraq, developments in recent weeks have inspired both pessimism and optimism.
On the one hand, an increase in bomb attacks – with 300 fatalities in April – raised fears of a return to the peak in levels of violence seen of 2005-2006. And events in neighbouring Syria have served to heighten nerves.
However, on the economic front, there has been a steady flow of positive news. Fortunately, investors seem to be focusing on this, and taking a long-term view, with the stock market holding firm. This is important as Iraqi companies will increasingly turn to capital markets in coming years to build scale and seek to fulfill their potential.
Firstly, global oil majors continue to pour money into the development of key oil fields, which is vital for long-term economic stability. BP allocated $2.85 billion to further develop the Rumaila oilfield this year, up from $2.2 billion last year. Exxon Mobil is spending $1.65 billion on the West Qurna 1, slightly up on the $1.6 billion spent last year.
Iraq aims to raise oil production to 6 million barrels per day (bpd) by 2017 from the current 3.1 million, which should fund a huge programme of spending on social and physical infrastructure.
On the micro level there are also signs that the grassroots Iraqi economy is starting to hum. For example, Al Mansour Bank, in which Qatar National Bank (QNB) has a majority stake, has just reported loan growth of 12 percent in the first quarter, compared to a year earlier. However, with deposits expanding more than four-fold from a year earlier, the scope for lending should be much higher.
Posted in Sherif Salem Comments Off on Economy Starts to Hum, but Projects Need to Ramp Up
Iraq's Sunni-Shiite Divide About Governance
Posted on 09 May 2013 .
By Harith al-Qarawee for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
There are two conflicting trends at the core of the sectarian dispute that is intensifying in Iraq.
The first trend is influenced by domestic political considerations pertaining to the failure of the Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish forces to develop a governance and state administration formula that would reduce the sense of marginalization or exclusion by some parties that could lead to the division of the country.
The second trend is influenced by regional dynamics, and is represented by the more sectarian Sunni and Shiite groups. These groups see the current conflict in Iraq as an integral part of the wider conflict taking place in the Levant region divided between a Sunni camp led or supported by Sunni regional powers such as Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, and a Shiite camp led by Iran.
As a result, the greater the disagreement and difficulty to reach an internal Iraqi solution, the greater the power of radical groups, and thus the impact of their narrative, which tends to portray the situation as a Sunni-Shiite cosmic struggle that does not recognize existing borders or internal environments.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) and Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria are the two main manifestations of the presence of such cross-border ideologies and organizational relations among groups that espouse them. The war being fought by the two groups is not one aimed at "spreading democracy," achieving "social justice" or reaching a political system based on broad participation. This war aims to achieve victory for the sake of the Salafist jihadist version of Islam against its enemies, which in this case are the Shiite-led government in Iraq and the Syrian regime dominated by Alawites (dubbed by Jabhat al-Nusra as "Nusayri" as a kind of insult and disrespect).
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Video: KSA, Qatar "Need Sectarian War in Iraq"
Posted on 07 May 2013 .
From Iran’s PressTV. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
Iran's PressTV has conducted an interview with Zayd al-Isa, a Middle East expert from London about recent surges of violence in Iraq:
(Source: PressTV)
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Video: Media Regulator Muzzles TV Networks
Posted on 01 May 2013 .
From Jewish News One. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
In a blow to freedom of the press in Iraq, the country's media regulator has announced it has suspended the licences of ten satellite news networks, including Qatar-based Al Jazeera.
The Communication and Media Commission (CMC) regulator took the action after accusing the networks of inciting violence through their coverage of deadly clashes triggered by a security force raid on a Sunni Muslim protest camp last week:
(Source: Jewish News One)
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Iraq Suspends Licences of 10 TV Stations
Posted on 30 April 2013 .
Reporters Without Borders firmly condemns yesterday’s decision by Iraq’s Media and Communications Commission to suspend the licences of 10 foreign-based satellite TV channels for “inciting violence and sectarianism.”
Reporters Without Borders said:
“This draconian and disproportionate decision has seriously endangered freedom of information. Although the media must act responsibly, they are just doing their job when they cover Iraq’s current serious divisions and tension.
“We urge the Media and Communications Commission to quickly rescind this decision and to allow the media to cover all developments of general interest throughout the country.”
Iraq has experienced sectarian conflicts for years but the surge in violence of the past week suggests that it could escalate into civil war at any time. More than 230 people have been killed and at least 350 have been injured in a wave of Sunni protests against Shiite Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki’s government.
The satellite TV stations affected by the ban have all been covering these developments. Some carried speeches by Sunni leaders on 26 April urging young men to take up arms against the government. The Media and Communications Commission subsequently announced it was suspending the licences of “certain satellite TV channels using a language that encourages violence and sectarianism.”
Nine of the ten TV stations are Sunni-financed. They include Qatar-based Al-Jazeera and Dubai-based Al-Sharqiya, which is owned by a rich Iraqi businessman and has many viewers among the Iraqi public. The other stations are Baghdad, Al-Sharqiya News, Al-Fallujah, Babylonian, Salah Al-Din, Al-Tagheer, Al-Gharbiya and Anwar 2.
The decision to suspend their licences is widely seen as way of silencing the government’s opponents. As the stations are all based abroad, the Iraqi government cannot prevent them from broadcasting, but their Iraq-based crews will no longer be able to cover events and move about the country.
(Source: Reporters Without Borders)
Posted in Iraqi Communications News, Security Comments Off on Iraq Suspends Licences of 10 TV Stations
Iraq’s Arab League Presidency: Wasted Opportunity?
Posted on 06 April 2013 .
By Mustafa al-Kadhimi for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
A few days ago, Iraq handed over the Arab League presidency to Qatar a year after taking the reins, thus marking its return to the Arab political sphere and confirming its intention to occupy its natural space in the Middle Eastern balance of power after having achieved full sovereignty.
At first glance, one would think that Iraq was unfortunate to have taken command of the Arab League when the region was experiencing unprecedented turmoil and as the Arab Spring revolutions swept across it, successively changing regimes through popular uprisings that changed the Arab mood and coincided with the outbreak of the bloody conflict in Syria and its surrounding regional divisions. These complex conditions may have constituted, however, a perfect chance for Iraq to succeed in filling its seat as head of the Arab League for a full year.
Iraq, whose political system is still affiliated with the emerging regimes in the Middle East — which were until two years ago the preserve of old political regimes whose rule extended for decades — found itself more comfortable and experienced in terms of dealing with the recent Arab Spring regimes, especially in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and Yemen. Its relations with those countries have become better than they were under the previous regimes.
Moreover, Iraq received the presidency at a time when the Arab League, founded in the 1940s, needed different approaches and systems to go with the changing Arab mood and the emergence of trends that favor standards of modern democracy, human rights, peaceful transfer of power and ballot boxes. All those terms are supposed to be points of strength for Iraq, such that it can offer experience in them.
What's more, Iraq received the presidency in the midst of the Syrian crisis that had been raging near its borders, a crisis that it affects and is affected by. Iraq, which fought a civil war and was plagued by security turmoil, could turn into a real reference for countries that are witnessing increasing turbulence and need more expertise in this area.
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Iraqi Aviation Industry Takes Off
Posted on 02 April 2013 .
By Omar al-Shaher for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News.
In light of Iraq’s complicated political and security climate, even the most optimistic could not expect Baghdad International Airport (pictured) to have 125 flights — even including both arrivals and departures — in a single day.
The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority ranks Baghdad International Airport as the largest airport in Iraq. It registered 125 flights on March 20, probably the highest number of daily flights in the history of this airport, which suffers from major problems in terms of infrastructure, equipment and services.
Iraq witnessed a series of attacks this month amid a severe political crisis between the Shiite-led government and Sunnis and Kurds who demand a greater role in the government.
In 2006, at the height of the civil war in Iraq, Baghdad airport had more than four flights per day. Yet those currently in charge of the airport expect a significant increase in aircraft movement in the next few months, as part of a plan to advance commercial aviation and maximize its revenues in a country where 92% of the annual budget relies on oil money.
Commercial aviation in Iraq has witnessed significant improvements over the past two years, after relative security stability was achieved in the country.
Iraqi Airways, the national carrier of Iraq, seeks to start flights to new destinations, while Baghdad itself is becoming a popular destination.
This month, the first Iraqi Airways flight took off from Britain and landed in the Sulaymaniyah International Airport in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, after the route had been suspended for 23 years.
Posted in Iraq Transportation News Comments Off on Iraqi Aviation Industry Takes Off