Iran-Iraq Cooperation on Border Security
By Patrick M Schmidt. The Iranian Defense Minister, Brigadier General Hossein Dehghan (pictured), confirmed that Iraqi and Iranian security forces have been coordinating their border security efforts. The coordination is aimed at preventing militants from the Islamic State (IS) from crossing the Iran-Iraq border. Dehghan added that the threat of the Islamic State (IS) is […]
Currency Auction Results, 3rd Sept
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 16 banks took part in its currency auction on Wednesday. A total of $197,197,000 was sold at a price of 1166 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)
Weekly Security Update, 26 August - 01 September 2014
Iraq’s casualty figures released by the UN on 01 September showed that at least 1,420 people were killed in August alone, in a slight decrease compared to last month. Meanwhile, Prime Minister-designate Haider al-Abadi continued to hold meetings with Iraqi parliamentary leaders, in order to facilitate negotiations towards the formation of a new government. Forming […]
Iraq Invites Airport Investment
By Patrick M Schmidt. The governor of Al Diwaniyah officially announced the start of the bidding process for a new airport in the southwest of the province. The project recently received approval from the central government for the construction of a civilian airport. The local government will soon begin presenting the idea to foreign contractors. […]
Oil Export Figures Fall
By Patrick M Schmidt. According to data collected by Reuters and estimates by other energy industry sources, exports from Iraq’s southern oil terminals averaged 2.3 million barrels per day worth of crude oil exports. This figure is almost 140,000 barrels per day less than Iraq’s July figure. Iraqi officials insist the decline was not because […]
Iran to Double Non-Oil Sales to Iraq
By John Lee. The Iranian FARS news agency reports that former Iranian Oil Minister Rostam Qassemi (pictured), who is now in charge of an economic body charged with improving Iran-Iraq trade ties, said Iran can double its non-oil exports to Iraq to $30 billion. Addressing a Joint Iran-Iraq Trade Conference in Tehran on Tuesday, Qassemi […]
Turkey Denies Buying Oil from ISIL
By John Lee. The Turkish Energy Minister Taner Yildiz (pictured) has denied buying crude oil from The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), pointing out that Turkey is a state of law. According to a report from KUNA, the Minister strongly denied that Turkey's oil refineries processed crude oil coming from ISIL, saying […]
KRG Seeks Mine Clearance Tools
By Patrick M Schmidt. A Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official has announced that security forces need more advanced equipment to clear minefields in areas once controlled by the Islamic State (IS). He also suggested there was a need for machines that can detect mines and also dispose of buried ordinance. “During the short time that […]
Germany Approves Arms Sale to KRG
By Patrick M Schmidt. At a press conference held by German Defense Minister Ursula Von Der Leyen (pictured) and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German government officially announced the supply of arms to the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG). The deal includes 8,000 G36 assault rifles, 8,000 G3 rifles, ammunition, 200 Panzerfaust anti-tank systems, thirty MILAN […]
Amnesty International Reveals Evidence of Ethnic Cleansing
From Amnesty International. Fresh evidence uncovered by Amnesty International indicates that members of the armed group calling itself the Islamic State (IS) have launched a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing in northern Iraq, carrying out war crimes, including mass summary killings and abductions, against ethnic and religious minorities. A new briefing, Ethnic cleansing on historic […]
Currency Auction Results, 2nd Sept
By John Lee. The Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) has reported that 15 banks took part in its currency auction on Tuesday. A total of $180,206,000 was sold at a price of 1166 Iraqi Dinars (IQD) per dollar. (Source: Central Bank of Iraq)
Gazprom Starts Oil Deliveries from Badra
By John Lee. Russia's Gazprom Neft, the operator of the Badra oil field (pictured) in Iraq, has announced that first oil from the field is now being delivered to Iraq’s main pipeline system for transfer to the export terminal in Basra, on the Persian Gulf. Current deliveries from Badra to the pipeline stand at over […]