Tag Archives | United States

US Interests and the Unsustainable Status Quo in Iraq

By Michael Knights, for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. U.S. Interests and the Unsustainable Status Quo in Iraq The unprecedented protests in Iraq underline the reality that Iraq is slowly failing as a state. […]

Mosul International Airport Returns to Civilian Control

Following the completion of a U.S.-funded, 18-month demining project, the Nineveh provincial government assumed control of the Mosul International Airport during a turnover ceremony on November 5. Demining teams from Janus, TetraTech, and local Iraqi partner Al Fahad carried out the project from April 2018 to October this year. Together, the contractors cleared more than […]

US Response to Ongoing Violence in Iraq

The United States has a strong and abiding interest in a secure and prosperous Iraq able to defend the nation against violent extremist groups and able to deter those who would undermine Iraqi sovereignty and democracy. As the world watches events in Iraq unfold it is increasingly clear that the Government of Iraq and the […]

Unaoil Directors Plead Guilty in US

Two brothers have pleaded guilty in the US to facilitating the payment of millions of dollars in bribes to officials in nine countries, including Iraq. Cyrus Ahsani, 51, and Saman Ahsani, 46, both of United Kingdom (UK), ran the Monaco-based oil and gas consultancy Unaoil. They are due to be sentenced on 20th April, 2020. […]

US Firm wins $25m Iraq Training Deal

By John Lee. Spartan Air Academy Iraq LLC, Irving, Texas, has been awarded a $24,863,731 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor logistics support (CLS) services. The contract provides for CLS services and material support for 15 T-6A aircraft. Work will be performed at Balad Air Base, Iraq and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2020. […]

MAG, Facebook Reducing Casualties from ISIS Mines

MAG teams up with Facebook to reduce casualties from ISIS mines in Iraq The Mines Advisory Group (MAG) has launched an innovative project with Facebook and the US government to help people in northern Iraq learn how to stay safe from the landmines and unexploded bombs left behind after years of war. The initiative uses […]

The Long Game in Iraq

By Robert S. Ford and Randa Slim, for Foreign Affairs. Any opinions expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. Last week, rockets landed in what was once known as the Green Zone—the heavily fortified neighborhood in western Baghdad where the American embassy is located. It was […]

New USAID Funding for Victims of ISIS Genocide

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Mark Green announced the first tranche of recipients under USAID's New Partnerships Initiative (NPI) on Thursday during his remarks at the Accord Network's Annual Forum. The organizations will carry out programs that improve global health outcomes in USAID's partner countries, and assist populations in the Republic of Iraq […]

How the US Could Lose Iraq

By John Lee. There is a battle for influence in Iraq today, and Iran is winning, according to an opinion piece in National Interest. Michael Rubin (pictured), resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, writes that while diplomats from other countries are free to enjoy the return to normalcy in Baghdad, with its new and […]