Iraq: ISHM: January 23 - January 30, 2020
Sadr And Militias Organize Anti-U.S. March; Hundreds Of Civilians Killed And Injured In New Crackdown; President Salih Gives Parties Three Days To Select A New PM – On January 24, supporters of Moqtada al-Sadr and several militia groups turned out for a mass protest against American presence in Iraq. Sadr demanded the closure of all “American bases” and offices of American security firms in Iraq, and closing Iraq’s airspace to U.S. combat and intelligence aircraft. On January 25, government forces launched a new crackdown and used live bullets, pellet guns and tear gas against protesters to forcibly reopen key roads and squares in Baghdad. In Nasiriyah, unidentified gunmen set fire to protesters’ tents and used live ammunition to disperse protesters. At least 12 protesters were killed and 230 were injured over two days during the crackdown that was also heavy in Basra. The crackdown followed a statement by Muqtada al-Sadr in which he withdrew his support for the anti-government protests. On January 27, following a new mortar attack on the American embassy in Baghdad, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo voiced his frustration with Baghdad’s inability to stop these incidents. On January 27, the ambassadors of 16 countries, including Canada, France, Germany, the UK and the U.S., condemned the latest killing and injuring of protesters by Iraqi security forces and militias. On January 27, the PUK elected Iraqi President Barham Salih as the party’s new secretary general, and elected Bafel Talaban and Lahore Janki as his two deputies. On January 29, Iraqi President Barham Salih gave political blocs until February 1 to nominate a new prime minister who is acceptable to the Iraqi public. Salih warned that if the blocs fail to reach an agreement by this deadline, he would use his constitutional powers to choose a candidate whom he deems qualified and acceptable to the Parliament and the people. more…
U.S. Embassy In Baghdad Attacked Again; Germany Resumes Training Operations In The KRI; Iraq Asks Pakistan To Help Train Pilots – On January 26, Germany resumed its mission of training Iraqi security forces through its 90-person mission in Erbil, but Germany’s personnel who were evacuated from central Iraq have not returned yet. On January 26, five mortar shells targeted the American embassy in Baghdad. One shell struck an embassy dining facility, injuring at least one person. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. On January 27, an IED killed a policeman in northeastern Diyala. On January 28, an under-vehicle IED injured two people in Mosul. On January 29, an IED killed one man and injured three children south of Mosul. On January 27, Western security officials attributed a series of 2018-2019 cyber attacks on Iraq’s national security adviser to state-backed Turkish operations. On January 28, ISIS militants killed one fisherman and injured another near the Tigris river in civilian in Salah ad-Din. On January 29, an ISIS sniper killed an Iraqi soldier in Diyala. On January 29, ISIS militants killed two Iraqi soldiers on the road between Kirkuk and Baghdad. On January 28, the commander of the Iraqi air force met with a visiting Pakistani delegation and discussed potential collaboration, including Pakistan’s training Iraqi pilots and logistical support for Iraq’s air force. more…
UN Humanitarian Plan Targets 1.7 Million People In 2020; UN Report Identifies Serious Problems With Terrorism Trials In Iraq; Report Points To Continuing “Grave Violations” Against Children – On January 24, one Iraqi and three French nationals working for a French Christian Charity were reported missing in Baghdad. On January 25, Pope Francis met with President Salih and called for open dialogue and peaceful coexistence between Iraqi Christians and Muslims. On January 27, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the Humanitarian Response Plan for 2020 needs $519.8 million to provide assistance to 1.77 million people in need. The plan’s “priorities will include vulnerable IDPs who have not been able to achieve durable solutions…returnees living in areas of high severity and people with critical protection needs.” On January 28, Iraqi government forces raided and closed down the Baghdad office of Dijlah TV following a January 20 interview that ended in an on-air shouting match between a Dijlah news anchor and a government spokesman about the number of protesters killed by security forces. On January 28, UNAMI and the UNHCR released an evaluation of the Iraqi justice system’s performance with regard to terrorism related trials in Iraq. The report identified several serious shortcomings, and urged Iraqi authorities to seek improvements in trial standards to avoid recreating the injustices that helped the rise of ISIS. On January 29, the IHCHR said that there were at least “49 assassinations or attempted assassinations, and 72 kidnappings of demonstrators, activists and bloggers,” since October 1. On January 29, a report by the UN Office for Children and Armed Conflict documented 2,114 cases of severe violations of children’s rights, mostly dating back to the 2015-2016 period. It mentions that 1,722 children died or were seriously injured as a result of military operations or post-conflict explosions of remnants of war, while government forces were holding 778 children in custody for alleged links to ISIS. more…
Nasiriyah Oil Field Faces New Shutdown; Iraq Approves New Gas Contracts; Fuel Oil Revenue Rises; EASA Relaxes Flight Restrictions – On January 23, Iraq was forced again to suspend production at the Nasiriyah oil field for several days as protesters cut roads across the province, including those which oil workers use to reach the field. On January 23, the Iraqi government agreed to approve contracts initialed in 2018 for the development of multiple gas fields in Diyala province. The government expects the fields to produce at least 750 million cubic feet/day of gas within 36 months. On January 28, the Oil Ministry said it generated more than $174 million from selling four spot shipments of fuel oil in December and January under a new mechanism designed to boost revenue from the byproduct fuel. On January 29, the European Aviation Safety Agency reduced restrictions on overflights through Iraqi airspace by European airlines that were put in place earlier this month. 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.