26 January 2021
Australia bribe scandal sheds light on Iraq oil corruption Friday, 20 November 2020 03:59
The scandal erupted when Australian police arrested a man in connection with US$78 million in bribes used to secure lucrative Iraqi oil contracts linked to an alleged international corruption ring. BAGHDAD – A bribe scandal involving an Australian man, officials from Iraq’s oil ministry and government officials in the South Oil Company of Iraq, revealed on Wednesday the extent to which corruption plagues the Arab country and its state institutions. The scandal erupted when Australian police arrested a man in connection…
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Pentagon to cut troop levels to 2,500 in Iraq, Afghanistan Thursday, 19 November 2020 04:02
WASHINGTON: The US will slash troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq to their lowest levels in nearly 20 years of war after President Donald Trump pledged to end conflicts abroad, the Pentagon announced Tuesday. Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller said around 2,000 troops would be pulled from Afghanistan by January 15, and 500 more would come back from Iraq, leaving 2,500 in each country. The moves reflect Trump's policy "to bring the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to a successful and…
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Take Action Against Enforced Disappearance, Human Rights Watch Tells Iraqi Gov’t Thursday, 19 November 2020 03:50
Iraq has one of the highest disappearance rates in the world Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Iraqi government to find people who have been subject to enforced disappearance and to bring the perpetrators to justice. The group singled out Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, who had pledged to deal with the illegal abductions. Iraq has one of the highest numbers of missing people in the world, according to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Enforced disappearance is a…
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Iraqi military says rocket attack in Baghdad kills child Wednesday, 18 November 2020 15:35
BAGHDAD (AP) — Rockets struck Iraq’s capital Tuesday with four landing inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, Iraq’s military said, killing a child and wounding at least five people, signaling an end to an informal truce announced by Iran-backed militias in October. Two Iraqi security officials said one of the rockets that hit the Green Zone struck close to Iraq’s National Security Service, just 600 meters (2,000 feet) from the American Embassy. Some of the rockets were intercepted by the…
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Iraq: No Justice for Enforced Disappearances Tuesday, 17 November 2020 23:08
(Beirut) – Iraqi authorities should fulfill a commitment to locate victims of enforced disappearance and ensure that those responsible are held accountable, Human Rights Watch said today.Since taking office in May 2020, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi announced that his government was creating a new mechanism to locate victims of enforced disappearances, but authorities appear to have done little follow-through. Iraqi authorities did not respond to a November 5 letter from Human Rights Watch requesting information about eight disappearances that occurred between December…
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They served alongside U.S. soldiers. Now they fear that Iran’s allies in Iraq will strike back. Saturday, 14 November 2020 20:25
At a time when militia attacks on supply convoys for the U.S.-led coalition and against other U.S. interests have been on the rise, the sharing of this information — including names, addresses and license plate numbers — could present a heightened threat to hundreds of Iraqis who have long worked with American forces, in particular as translators. The U.S. military provides this personal information to the Iraqi security forces, as required by Iraqi authorities, to secure permission for the translators…
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Iraqi parliament approves emergency funding bill offsetting shrinking revenues Saturday, 14 November 2020 20:22
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi lawmakers on Thursday passed an emergency spending bill to allow the cash-strapped government to borrow abroad as the economy reels from low oil prices, although they approved less than a third of the original amount requested. Under the new law, the finance ministry will be allowed to borrow $10.1 billion from international markets and local banks, much less than the $35 billion originally sought by the government. Due to infighting, parliament has failed to approve a…
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Saudi Arabia forges ties with neighbouring Iraq to counter Iranian influence Friday, 13 November 2020 03:56
Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa Al Kadhimi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman spoke late on Tuesday and agreed to enhance bilateral relations and co-operate to stabilise oil prices, which have plummeted on the international market. The two countries, which severed diplomatic ties for 25 years when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1990, held an online meeting to review and endorse deals signed in different areas in recent days. Both sides stressed the importance of “expanding and enhancing co-operation to serve the…
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Iraq closing displacement camps and leaving thousands homeless Wednesday, 11 November 2020 06:43
Up to 100,000 people could be forced to find new accommodation despite vulnerabilities, food insecurity and the raging pandemic Authorities in Iraq have closed a number of displacement camps with little or no notice to residents, leaving thousands in a vulnerable state amid the coronavirus pandemic and harsh winter conditions. Camps in Baghdad, Karbala, Divala, Anbar, Kirkuk, Ninewa and Sulaymaniyah had all faced closures, without new accommodation or food aid secured. As many as 100,000 displaced people were at risk as the…
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Iraqi forces kill protester, wound 40 in southern Basra: security, rights sources Sunday, 08 November 2020 05:20
BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqi security forces killed at least one anti-government protester using live gunfire and wounded at least 40 others in the southern city of Basra on Friday, security sources and a rights official said. It was the first killing of a protester by security forces in Basra since Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi took office in May. Iraq’s interior ministry confirmed the death but said in a statement that no Iraqi security forces were being allowed to use…
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Iraq ratifies new election law, paves way for vote next year Sunday, 08 November 2020 05:15
BAGHDAD – Iraq’s president ratified Thursday a new election law aimed at giving political independents a better chance of winning seats in parliament, paving the way for early elections next year. President Barham Salih stressed the need for free, fair and transparent balloting that would restore Iraqi citizens’ confidence in the legitimacy of the process. The new law changes each of the country’s 18 provinces into several electoral districts and prevents parties from running on unified lists, which has in the…
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