Video: US Holds Talks with Iran over Iraq
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. US President Barack Obama is weighing up how to deal with a Sunni-led rebellion in Iraq. The Obama administration is considering working with its longtime foe Iran, after fighters from the Islamic State […]
Security Update 16 June 2014
By Anne-Laure Barbosa at Constellis Consulting www.constellis-consulting.com ISIS related violence in the last 48 hours Tal Afar The multi-ethnic and religiously-mixed town of Tal Afar, mostly populated with Sunni Turkmen, reportedly fell to ISIS insurgents early on Monday and is now being hit by Iraqi airstrikes. This development is neither surprising nor significant, as the majority of […]
Oil Price Surges amid Iraq Turmoil
By John Cookson. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Traders will tell you the price of oil is a speculative market based on expectations. Most of Iraq's oil production is from the mega fields in the south, far from any fighting. But […]
Despite Uprising, Kurdish Oil Exports Rise
By John Lee. Reuters reports that Iraqi Kurdistan is ramping up independent oil exports, with a third tanker of crude scheduled to leave the Turkish port of Ceyhan on 22nd June. The supply of oil through the Kurdistan Regional Government's new pipeline to Turkey has continued uninterrupted, despite the escalating violence in northern Iraq. Speaking […]
KRG Renews Ties with Lower Saxony
On behalf of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations, Minister Falah Mustafa, successfully concludes a three-day visit to Lower Saxony, northwestern Germany, upon the invitation of Birgitt Hone, State Secretary at the State Chancellery of Lower Saxony. The three-day visit consisted of a number of meetings with Ministers, members […]
UN Responds to Urgent Food Needs
UN World Food Programme Responds to Urgent Needs of Displaced People in Iraq The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is launching an initial emergency operation to provide food assistance to 43,500 of the most vulnerable people displaced by conflict this week in Iraq. WFP has deployed emergency and logistics staff to Erbil in the […]
UK to Provide Humanitarian Support
Britain will provide an initial £3 million ($5.1 million) of emergency humanitarian assistance to help civilians fleeing the ISIS advance in Northern Iraq International Development Secretary Justine Greening has activated the UK’s Rapid Response Facility (RRF), which provides emergency support via pre-approved organisations in the event of a humanitarian crisis overseas. It follows an initial […]
Video: Iran Offers Help to US
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Shiite Iran offered Saturday to consider working with longtime foe the United States if it takes the lead in helping push back Sunni Arab militants who have seized a swathe of northern Iraq:
Video: Kirkuk Military Base Wrecked
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Millions of dollars worth of US made equipment has been reduced to wreckage in the Iraqi town of Kirkuk after a rebel led advance on the city. Sunni rebels captured Kirkuk's largest military […]
Video: Iraq Calls For Volunteers
From CNN. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Nic Robertson reports thousands of Iraqis have volunteered to take up arms against ISIS:
Video: Maliki Behind Sectarian Divide?
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Shia volunteers answer a call to arms after Sunni rebels take over Iraqi cities. Adrian Finighan speaks to Lara Fatah - an Iraqi-Kurdish analyst; Alaa Makki - an Iraqi member of parliament with […]
Water and Wheat: ISIS Weapons?
By John Schnittker, Chief Economist at Schnittker Associates, and former Ministry Advisor at the US Embassy in Baghdad. With much of Iraq’s wheat production coming from Northern Iraq and nearly all of Iraq’s water resources flowing through areas under ISIS control, Iraq’s food security may be facing a severe threat. Iraq has about two thirds of […]