The Eyes of the World are on Iraq
The eyes of the world are on Iraq at the moment, as the country struggles to contain the advance of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS). And while the attack on the important oil refinery at Baiji is a setback for the government, many are now of the opinion that ISIS […]
Baghdad’s Revenue-Sharing Deal: Avoiding a Kurdish Split
By Ruth Lux, Managing Director of political risk consultancy Strategic Analysis. The security situation in Iraq has significantly declined over the last week. Mosul and Tikrit fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), an al-Qaeda off-shoot, and Tal Afar, in the Nineveh province, was seized on Monday. Additionally, Baquba, only 37 […]
Gazprom Neft "has No Problems in Iraq"
By John Lee. Gazprom Neft has said it has no problems in Iraq and does not feel that its work in the country is under threat. Deputy CEO Vadim Yakovlev (pictured) told reporters on Tuesday: “Of course we are worried because we operate there and our people are still working ... [but] we do not […]
US Consul General attends Khudairi Open Day
Khudairi Group (KG) has stepped away from its projects to organize its inaugural Customer Appreciation Day at its Erbil dealership. Guests enjoyed a reception at John Deere, watched HSE-trained operators demonstrating the finesse of John Deere and SANY heavy machinery, including the 25-ton crane, the 315SK backhoes, and the 444K wheel loaders. They also viewed SANY’s […]
Hawrami: New Iraq Needs Power-Sharing
By John Lee. The key to Iraq's unity is power-sharing, revenue-sharing and the implementation of the Constitution, Dr Ashti Hawrami (pictured), the Kurdistan Regional Government's Minister of Natural Resources, told a London conference yesterday, saying: “The policies of centralisation and discrimination have put Iraq's future at risk ... As of last week (following the crisis […]
Syrian Refugee Teachers Receive Training
The Kurdistan Regional Government's Ministry of Education has initiated a one-month teachers’ training programme for Syrian refugees working as teachers in the refugee camps in the Kurdistan Region. The training will target 549 refugees working as primary education teachers in Duhok, Slemani and Erbil. The intensive teachers’ training of Syrian refugees is one of the […]
Video: Paul Bremer "Wrong"
From CNN. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Brooke Baldwin talks to Michael Holmes about why he disagrees with Paul Bremer on Iraq's situation after the U.S. invasion.
"Business as Usual" at Baghdad's Embassies
By John Lee. Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied claims that some embassies and foreign diplomatic missions had closed their offices and left Baghdad. In a statement on Tuesday, the Ministry said: "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserts the invalidity of such reports which lack credibility. No embassy or mission left the capital. The […]
Baiji Refinery Under Attack
By John Lee. Islamist militants from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS, ISIL) have attacked Baiji [Bayji] oil refinery (pictured), 155 miles north of Baghdad. A security official told Associated Press that the attack on Iraq's largest refinery began late on Tuesday night and continued into Wednesday, with militants targeting it with […]
Iraq: Reconciliation or Partition?
By Tariq Abdell. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. “…The ultimate test of statesmanship is what to do in the face of war…” -- Thatcher’s statecraft The upsurge in Sectarian violence across Iraq underscores the blatant failure of Iraq’s consensual democracy […]
Video: What's Next in Iraq?
From CNN. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass weighs in:
Video: Biden says Iraq Needs Urgent Assistance
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. US Vice President says Iraq needs urgent assistance, as he visited the Brazilian capital. Joe Biden also says American will continue to provide support to the war-torn country: