Condensate Exports Continue
By Simon Kent. Iraq's Ministry of Oil have announced a 20,000 m3 shipment of condensate, the third since exports began in March. It is likely that the proceeds from this sale will go to pay IOCs, who are still owed funds for contractual work, as stipulated by their Technical Service Contracts. A number of observers […]
Iraq's Parliament is Impotent
By Ali Mamouri for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq finds itself facing a major political crisis, as parliament is obstructed, the formation of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's new cabinet has yet to be completed and popular protests continue to demand radical reform to the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The […]
New Green Zone Protest, Fatalities Reported
By Simon Kent. A new wave of protesters have entered Iraq's parliament, forcing Iraqi security forces to escalate force with tear gas, rubber bullets and according to reports, live ammunition. Four protesters are reported dead, with estimates putting injured at over 50. Pictures on social media showed a man who appeared to have a serious […]
Iraq to Jordan: Extradite Saddam's Daughter
By Simon Kent. Iraq has made another plea to the Jordanian government to send Raghad Hussein, daughter of the late dictator Saddam, to Baghdad and face justice for crimes against humanity. The Iraqi government also accuses Raghad of financing terror, and she has made a number of statements against Iraqi governments since 2003. The terror […]
Zebari Confirms $5.4bn IMF Standby Loan
By Simon Kent. Iraq's Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari (pictured) and the IMF's Christian Josz (head of the IMF Iraq mission) have announced a standby loan for Iraq, following weeks of negotiations in Jordan. The loan is conditional on Iraq taking certain measures, for example, complying with an IMF monitoring scheme to reduce public sector expenditure and make […]
Greece Opens Erbil Consulate
By Simon Kent. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has announced the opening of a consulate in Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region of Iraqi- Kurdistan. Greece already has an embassy in Erbil, and the announcement suggested the new consultate will "substantially upgrade" the country's diplomatic presence in Iraq. (Source: Independent Balkan News Agency)
Iraqi Forces Retake Rutbah
By Simon Kent. Iraqi forces have retaken a remote town on the road to Jordan, 360km from Baghdad in the south west part of Anbar. Anbar is a Sunni majority, mostly desert province home to the towns of Fallujah and Ramadi. The fall of the town to the so called Islamic State in 2014 was […]
Kurdish PUK, Gorran Parties Strike Deal
By Mohammed al Salih for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. A deal between two main Iraqi Kurdish political parties, Gorran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), is expected to increase tensions and lead to further fragmentation and destabilization of Iraqi […]
Before Mosul, a Fourth Battle of Fallujah?
By Simon Kent. Elements of three Iraqi army divisions have cut off Fallujah, bolstered by Ministry of Interior forces and Hashd al Shaabi paramilitaries. According to The Daily Beast, there is new urgency to move into the center of the town, which is a short drive from Baghdad, following a wave of bombings targeting civilians in the […]
Finland contributes Funding for Newly Liberated Areas
Finland contributes funding to accelerate stabilization in newly liberated areas The Republic of Finland is providing US$1,13 million (€1 million) to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support stabilization in areas newly liberated from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). The Finnish contribution will be allocated to UNDP’s Funding Facility for […]
Wyndham brings first Branded Hotels to Najaf
Wyndham Hotel Group has announced plans for two new hotels in the Iraqi holy city of Najaf, in a deal announced with Bukhamseen Group For Real Estate, Tourism, General Trading & Contracting Company. Located just 800m from the Imam Ali Holy Shrine, the third holiest site for the estimated 200 million followers of the Shia […]
UN Advertises Jobs in Iraqi Kurdistan
By John Lee. The United Nations has advertised several new positions in Iraqi Kurdistan: Social Protection Officer (UNAMI) Finance Officer (Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC) Human Resources Officer (Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC) Monitoring & Evaluation Officer (Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC) Rapid Response Project Officer - Assessment (Norwegian Refugee Council, NRC) Rapid Response Project Officer - Cash Distribution […]