Weekly Security Update 26 Sep - 02 Oct 2013
By Tom Walker, Director, Assaye Risk COUNTRY OVERVIEW Nearly 900 civilians were killed across Iraq in September as sectarian violence worsened, raising the death toll for 2013 to more than last year's total, the United Nations reported this week. Sunni Islamist militants have perpetrated the overwhelming majority of violence, with the ISI leading the campaign. […]
Southern Oil Exports Down
By John Lee. Reuters reports that Iraq's southern oil exports averaged 1.821 million barrels per day (bpd) in September. This is down from from the 2.308 million bpd in August as a result of maintenance work at that al-Basra Oil Terminal (ABOT) (pictured). The work has closed two of the port's four berths, and the […]
US, Iraq Collaborate on Electricity and Energy
The United States Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability conducted a workshop in Baghdad, September 22-26, on electricity operations and maintenance for 20 engineers from the Ministry of Electricity who work at power plants across Iraq. The five-day workshop provided the Iraqi participants with tools and methods to enhance efficiency […]
UN Releases Casualty Figures for September
By John Lee. According to casualty figures released today by UNAMI, a total of 979 Iraqis were killed and another 2,133 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in September. The number of civilians killed was 887 (including 127 civilian police), while the number of civilians injured was 1,957 (including 199 civilian police). A […]
First Suicide Bombing in 6 Yrs Hits Kurdistan
By Wladimir van Wilgenburg for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. On Sept. 29, the Directorate of Security (Asayish) in Erbil became the target of a successful suicide attack and another that failed. According to a statement by the directorate, six […]
Video: One-on-one with Foreign Minister
From CNN. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. CNN's Isha Sesay talks with Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari about chemical weapons and Syria:
KRG Cracks Down on Unauthorized Gas Stations
By John Lee. The KRG's Ministry of Natural Resources plans to monitor tanker trucks carrying fuel from local refineries to petrol stations in order to regulate the price and quality of petrol in the region, according to a report from Rudaw. Petrol stations receiving petrol from the government at a subsidized price are required to […]
Australian Bank had Talks with Iraq, Despite UN Sanctions
By John Lee. ABC and Fairfax Media report that Note Printing Australia, which is owned by the Reserve Bank of Australia, tried to do business with the Saddam Hussein regime despite UN sanctions. Company officials are said to have visited Iraq in 1998, during the UN sanctions, to discuss a contract to replace the country's paper […]
AUIS Announces New Scholarship Program
By John Lee. The American University of Iraq, Sulaimani (AUIS) has announced a donation from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) that supports AUIS' mission to offer high-quality education and empower the next generation. This donation will fund the 2013 KRG Academic Excellence Scholarship, a program that will award full merit scholarships to high-achievers. Students who […]
FM Zebari Meets Syrian Counterpart
By John Lee. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari held a meeting with his Syrian counterpart, Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem, on Saturday. They discussed the Security Council resolution that was issued on 27th September relating to the removal of chemical weapons from in Syria. In addition, they discussed the ongoing preparations for the Geneva Conference. (Source: MoFA)
PUK Falls to Third Place In Iraqi Kurdistan Elections
By Mushreq Abbas for Al-Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. The Iraqi election commission decided to postpone declaring the election results in Iraqi Kurdistan because fraud accusations were made by the oppositionist Movement for Change against its adversaries — the Patriotic […]
Rare Violence Targets Erbil
By John Lee. A series of bombings has rocked Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, killing six members of the security services and wounding a further 62 people, including 42 security and police officers. A car bomber reportedly rammed a checkpoint leading to the interior ministry and a number of security agencies; as emergency services […]