Key Takeaways:
U.S. Sanctions Four Iraqi Politicians/Militia Leaders; EU Backs Iraqi Proposal For Iran Conference; Draw-Down Of U.S. Diplomats May Be Permanent – On July 12, Foreign Policy magazine reported that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo intends to make the drawdown of embassy personnel in Baghdad permanent. On July 13, Bahrain’s ambassador to Iraq returned to Baghdad after he was recalled to Manama following the storming of the Bahraini embassy by Iraqi protesters. On July 13, EU foreign policy chief visited Baghdad and expressed the Union’s support for an Iraqi proposal to hold a conference on U.S.-Iran tensions. On July 16, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani arrived in Baghdad to discuss oil exports, the implementation of Article 140, and security cooperation. On July 15, the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad announced that Turkish President Erdogan would be visiting Iraq by the end of the year. On July 18, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was imposing sanctions against four Iraqis over their involvement in corruption and human rights abuses. The four are militia leaders Rayan al-Kildani and Waad Qado, and former governors Nawfal Hammadi al-Sultan and Ahmed al-Jubouri. more…
Militant Attacks Hit Diyala And Baghdad; Turkey Launches New Anti-PKK Operation, Turkish Diplomat Killed in Erbil – On July 12, the Turkish military launched “Operation Claw-2” against the PKK in the KRI. On July 12, an IED exploded in the Shaab district in Baghdad without causing casualties. On July 15, two suicide bombers attacked a Shia mosque south of Baghdad, killing at least two people. On July 15, an IED attached to a motorbike exploded north of Baghdad, killing one person. On July 16, ISIS militants stormed a village south of Kirkuk and executed two civilians. On July 16, a bomb targeted Turkish forces in the KRI killing one soldier. On July 17, two bombs exploded in Diyala province injuring seven people. On July 17, gunmen killed the Deputy Consul of Turkey in the KRI inside a restaurant in Erbil. On July 12, four PMF fighters were killed in an IED explosion in Diyala. Between July 15 and 17, three coalition airstrikes killed seven ISIS militants in Salah ad-Din province and eight others in Ninewa. more…
Nadia Murad Outlines Plan For Yezidis’ Safe Return; 423 IDPs Return to Their Homes in Ninewa; New Reports Emerge Of Torture In Iraqi Prisons – On July 17, Yezidi activists and ISIS survivor Nadia Murad outlined a plan to enable the safe return of Yazidis. She called for ending the rivalry between Baghdad and Erbil, focusing on long-term stability and sustainable development, including religious minorities in the ISF, the quick prosecution of ISIS fighters, and she also appealed to the international community to not forget the Yazidis. On July 14, the Ministry of Migration announced that it had resettled 423 IDPs in Ninewa province. On July 15, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry announced that it had deported 33 Russian children, believed to have been fathered by Russian ISIS fighters, back to Russia. On July 17, the KRG Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs called on the federal government to sign the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to allow for the prosecution of of those who committed crimes of genocide. On July 16, the governor of Najaf launched an investigation into the death of a detainee held by the Najaf Criminal Investigation Office. A member of the Human Rights Commission in Iraq acknowledged that deaths due to torture in Iraqi prisons have increased. more…
Electricity Supply Increased 18% From 2018; Iraq Signs Gas Processing Deal With Honeywell; Baghdad Prepares To Host Its 46th Annual International Fair – On July 17, the Ministry of Electricity released statistics on electricity supply showing that 15 of Iraq’s provinces, excluding the KRI, received at least 8% more electricity compared to last year, while nationwide supply was up by 18%. On July 12, the Iraqi government began preparations for the 46th Baghdad International Fair, scheduled to begin in October. On July 15, Turkey’s Ambassador to Iraq, Fatih Yildiz, visited Mosul and pledged Turkish support for its reconstruction, prioritizing the city’s airport, industrial base, and a railway line from Mosul to Turkey. On July 17, Iraq’s oil ministry signed an agreement with Honeywell to process natural gas from Basra’s Artawi oil field and eventually produce 600 million cubic feet per day. more…
For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.