Iraq

According to officials, last week Iraq came to an agreement with Iran to exchange Iraqi food items for Iranian gas and energy supplies. Iraq’s President Barham Salih, on Saturday, started an official visit to neighboring Iran which aims to foster positive political and economic relations between the two countries. Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani welcomed Salih […]

Iraq

Iraqi Parliamentarians Demand Timetable for US Troop Withdrawal

Middle East Monitor

Iraqi MP Ahmad Al-Assadi, senior leader of the Iraqi Construction Alliance, revealed on Friday parliamentarian moves to pressure the Iraqi government to evict US forces from the country. Al-Assadi said that the previous Iraqi parliament had started the calls, but now the new parliament was calling for a clear timetable for the US withdrawal from […]

Featured

New Shiite-led Gov’t in Baghdad: How Iran won the Iraqi Elections & Frustrated Trump

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Shiite politician Adil Abdul Mahdi has been appointed prime minister by new Iraqi president Barham Saleh, bringing to a close months of gridlock in Iraqi politics after the parliamentary elections in June failed to produce a clear winner. Parliament in the past couple of weeks has finally been able to […]

Iraq

Miss Iraq: Death Threats target Women Media Activists after Miss Baghad was Assassinated

Middle East Monitor

Iraqi fashion model and media activist, Shaimaa Qasem, holder of the title of Miss Iraq in 2015, yesterday said that she had received “death threats.” Qasem, who held the title of Miss Iraq in 2015, posted a short live video on Facebook’s Instagram, revealing that she had received a message read “your turn is coming.” […]

Featured

15 Years after US Occupied Iraq, it is too Unsafe for Trump Admin to keep a Consulate There

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – A little over 15 years after the United States invaded and occupied Iraq on false pretences, the Department of State has been forced to close the US consulate in Basra because the US cannot guarantee its security. Basra has been roiled this summer by huge protests against lack of services […]

Donald Trump

US, having created 4 mn Refugees in Iraq, Slashes Immigrant cap to 30,000

Juan Cole

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Monday that the Trump administration would slash refugee admissions to 30,000 in 2019, down from 45,000 in 2018 and from 85,000 in fiscal 2016. Refugees come in numbers to the US when there is a crisis in their own country. At the same time, US policies toward refugees in […]

Iraq

Defying Trump, Iraq Parliament Elects pro-Iran Candidates on Advice of Tehran Super-Spy

Ammar Karim

Baghdad (AFP) – The Iraqi parliament elected pro-Iran candidates as speaker and first deputy speaker on Saturday, boosting the country’s chances of forming a new administration more than four months after national elections. National politics has been in paralysis since the May 12 ballot, but Saturday’s selections are expected to solidify new parliamentary alliances. The […]

Iraq

Iraq: Muqtada al-Sadr demands PM Abadi Resign after Massive Basra anti-Corruption Protests

Ammar Karim

Baghdad (AFP) – Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi faced calls to resign Saturday as his alliance with a populist cleric who won May elections crumbled over deadly unrest shaking the country’s oil-rich south. The two leading groups in parliament called on Abadi to step down, after lawmakers held an emergency meeting on the public anger […]

Iraq

Iraq: Basra Protesters Torch Iranian Consulate in ongoing Water Protest

AFP

Basra (Iraq) (AFP) – Iraqi protesters on Friday torched the Iranian consulate in the southern city of Basra in fresh demonstrations over poor public services after parliament called for an emergency session on the unrest. Unidentified attackers also fired shells into Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone in a rare attack on an area that houses parliament, […]