PM Barzani Opens Deralok Hydropower Project
In a ceremony attended by Japanese new Ambassador to Iraq, Mr. Fumio Iwai, KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani inaugurated the 36 megawatt hydropower project near Deralok town in Duhok Governorate. The project is funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) within the framework of Japan’s loan to Iraq. Earlier last week, Prime Minister Barzani […]
Court Orders KRG Pay Dana Gas $100m
The UK's High Court has ordered the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to pay a consortium led by Dana Gas $100 million within 14 days. In a statement, the KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources said: “The Court’s decision does not relate to the substantive merits of the claims and counterclaims in the on-going arbitration between the […]
Baghdad-KRI Flights Suspended
By Simon Kent. The Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority has suspended flights from Baghdad to Sulaymaniyah and Erbil in the Kurdish region of Iraq (KRI) for two days, effective from today. The move follows concern that Russian jets and cruise missiles pass though that airspace from the Caspian Sea region, to targets in Syria. It is […]
Japan Lends Funding for Water Treatment
By Simon Kent. Japan will extend a loan worth "billions" of Yen to construct a water treatment facility in Samawah, southern Iraq. According to the Japan Today, the southern city of 300,000 people currently lacks adequate treatment facilities. Between 2003-04 a contingent of Japanese troops were stationed in the city, and the new loan represents […]
Coalition Airstrikes Continue Against ISIL in Syria, Iraq
U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported on Sunday. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, ground-attack, fighter, bomber […]
Currency Auction Results, 23rd Nov
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 26 banks and 19 remittance companies took part in its currency auction on Monday. A total of $271,347,366 sold at a price of 1166 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)
Rare Attack Hits Yusifiyah
By Simon Kent. An improvised explosive device has killed at least 9 people and injured many more in the town of Yusifiyah, about 20km south of Baghdad. The town used to be part of what was once called the "triangle of death" along with nearby Mahmudiyah and Iskandariyah, and was once the scene of almost […]
Concern Grows Over Cholera Outbreak
By Simon Kent. Concern is mounting in Iraq following an outbreak of cholera which has caused at least 5000 cases since September, with many more suspected to have gone unreported. World Health Organization official Rana Sidani described the current crisis, noting that, "We expect an increase in the rate of infections [beyond] the officially declared […]
Row Over Paramilitary Salaries
By Simon Kent. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi faces new political pressure over the payment of salaries for the 100,000 strong Popular Mobilization Units (PMU) or Hashd al-Shaabi, as they are known in Iraq. The Hashd al-Shaabi were formed last summer after a call from the holy figure Grand Ayatollah Ali al Sistani, to defend […]
Ashti Hawrami: KRG Disguises Oil Shipments
By Simon Kent. In a striking admission of the policy of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Minister of Natural Resources Ashti Hawrami (pictured) has described the outcome of the political deadlock with Baghdad, which has led to secret oil exports by the KRG. Quoted in Reuters, Hawrami says that following former PM Nouri-al Maliki's blocking of the KRG […]
PM Abadi: Maysan is a Model Province
By Simon Kent. A recent piece about Basra in The Economist made an interesting point about Iraqi politics today, noting that while in Basra the provincial council suffers deep political divisions, the nearby province of Maysan has a spirit of cooperation under the much lauded, long time governor Ali Dawai Lazem. PM Abadi (pictured) seems to share this […]
Kurds Discover ISIS Tunnel Complex
By Simon Kent. Kurdish Peshmerga forces in newly liberated Sinjar, the Yazidi majority town en route to Mosul, have discovered an ISIS tunnel complex of fighting positions. The Wall Street Journal has documented the find in a photo essay report. Tunnel complexes have previously been used by ISIS in the battle of Jurf al Sakhar last year, […]