Iraq Accepts Int'l Support Against IS
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. Some Shiite circles in Iraq are unhappy about the US role in the war against the Islamic State (IS), and some politicians are saying that Washington is offering aid to IS […]
Why Army is Stuck on Outskirts of Tikrit
This article was originally published by Niqash. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The offensive to re-take Tikrit from extremists seems to have stalled as troops surround the city but cannot go further. The same thing is happening elsewhere. And there are three […]
Genel Completes $230m Bond Issue
By John Lee. Genel Energy has announced that it has priced an issue of U.S. $230 million in senior unsecured bonds due 14 May 2019 on the same commercial terms as the existing GENEL01 PRO U.S. $500 million bond. The Bonds were issued at a market price in line with the trading level of GENEL01 […]
€114m Write-Off Expected at Petroceltic
By John Lee. Analysts expect Dublin-based Petroceltic International to incur a write-off of just under €114 million ($125 million; 146 billion Iraqi dinars) as a result of abandoning its operations in Iraqi Kurdistan. According to a report from the Irish Independent, it is also expected to take a cash cost hit of about €6.4 million ($7 […]
PM Barzani: Shiite Militias should be Regulated
By Amberin Zaman for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. As the battle grinds on against the Islamic State — also known as IS, ISIL and Daesh — there is growing concern about the mounting influence of Iran and Shiite militias known […]
Video: Reconstruction Underway in Salaheddin
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Reconstruction is underway in Salahaddin province, following the destruction brought about by Islamic State (IS, ISIS, ISIL) forces:
Hess, Petroceltic Abandon Dinarta Licence
By John Lee. Irish-based Petroceltic International has announced that it and its partner Hess will abandon their Dinarta licence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The company told the stock market: "As previously announced on 15 January, drilling operations on the Shireen-1 exploration well in the Dinarta licence (Hess ... (Operator) 64%, Petroceltic 16%, and […]
Beechcraft Wins $27m Iraq Order
By John Lee. Beechcraft Defense has been awarded a $27,048,576 (31 billion Iraqi dinar) firm-fixed-price contract to sell the Iraqi military one King Air 350 extended range aircraft modified with intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capability; one Scorpion ground station and one complete spare Scorpion ground station. Work will be performed at Wichita, Kansas, and San […]
NYNEX Extends Broadband Coverage
NYNEX satellite OHG, a leading VSAT systems operator and integrator, has grown its capacity contract with Avanti Communications to extend satellite broadband coverage across Iraq and Syria. Following the successful deployment to Afghanistan and Libya over the last two years via Avanti’s HYLAS 2 satellite, the latest contract extension will enable NYNEX to target professional […]
Iraq Leads World in Porn Websites
By John Lee. A study by online traffic analysts has found that Iraq hosts the world's highest percentage of pornographic websites. Joint research by Similarweb and The Next Web shows that around 11 percent of sites in the country are X-rated, with Egypt coming in second place with 9 percent, followed by Serbia and Japan […]
FM al-Jaafari Meets Syrian President al-Assad
By John Lee. During an official visit to Syria on Tuesday, Foreign Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al Jaafari met Syrian President, Bashar Al Assad, and Foreign Minister, Walid Al Muallem. Minister Jaafari stressed in a joint press conference with his Syrian counterpart that the visit is part of Iraq's diplomatic endeavor to communicate with all world […]
Weekly Security Update: 17 - 23 March 2015
National Overview Coalition prepares to cooperate in ISF-militia campaign to liberate Tikrit, amid extension of US reconnaissance and air support. While US drone flights are known to have been taking place since 21 March, (reaching as far east as Muqdadiya, 50km from the Iranian border), official participation by the United States in the stalled Tikrit […]