By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the launching of a military operation to retake Shirqat from the Islamic State group (IS, ISIS, ISIL, Daesh) on Tuesday. The town, on the banks of the Tigris River, 100 km (60 miles) south of Mosul, is thought to contain tens of thousands of civilians. Abadi […]
By Omar Sattar for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Three lists of candidates have been proposed to Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi for the position of minister of defense, held by a Sunni, to replace sacked Minister Khaled al-Obeidi. […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi (pictured) has issued a temporary travel ban for some sitting lawmakers and politicians, according to Associated Press. The move follows allegations of corruption that emerged during the questioning in parliament of the country’s defense minister, Khaled al-Obeidi, who claimed that speaker Salim al-Jabouri and at least five […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has accepted the resignations of the ministers of oil, transport, housing and construction, water resources and industry, as well as interior, which had been previously announced. Abadi has previously called for the cabinet to include technocrats, a call later taken up by Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, but […]
By John Lee. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has reportedly ordered the removal of 'ADE651' fake bomb detectors from checkpoints, as the death toll from Saturday’s bombings in Baghdad rose to at least 147. According to a report from The Telegraph, he also asked the interior ministry to launch a new investigation into “corrupt deals” […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. When Haider al-Abadi took over as prime minister of Iraq in 2014, he lifted bans on media outlets that had been shuttered under the former administration. Less than two years later, press freedom […]
By Ali Mamouri for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraq finds itself facing a major political crisis, as parliament is obstructed, the formation of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's new cabinet has yet to be completed and popular protests continue to demand radical reform to the legislative, executive and judicial branches. The […]
From Al Jazeera. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Mass protests against Iraq’s government have once again swamped the streets of Baghdad. They want the government out and new leadership that prioritises eliminating corruption. The political standoff in Iraq’s parliament is having […]
By John Lee. Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Baghdad to protest at a months-long political crisis and lack of reform, according to BBC News. Supporters of the Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr (pictured) marched towards the Green Zone to press Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to push ahead with his plan […]
By Simon Kent. As Iraq's political crisis drags on, Moqtada al Sadr's erratic posturing continues. Last month, he called for mass demonstrations outside of the International Zone in Baghdad, formerly the Green Zone, and threatened to storm the area with protesters unless PM Abadi appointed a technocratic cabinet. But when Abadi announced 14 nominees, Al […]
From AFP. Any opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Iraqi lawmakers held an all-night sit-in at parliament protesting efforts by powerful political blocs to maintain control of key government posts, pushing the speaker to convene an emergency session Wednesday.
By John Lee. Several dozen members of Iraq's parliament held an overnight sit-in in the parliament building to demand that Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stick to his plans for cabinet reform. In central Basra, several hundred supporters of Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr blocked the main street voicing similar demands, according to Reuters. Abadi was forced to […]
