Iraq: ISHM: April 9 - April 16, 2020
Key Takeaways:
Militia Castigates Political Parties Over Kadhimi’s Appointment; U.S. And Iran Welcome The Consensus On Kadhimi; Political Parties Claim To Offer Kadhimi Freedom To Select His Ministers – On April 10, Kataib Hezbollah condemned the appointment of Mustaf al-Kadhimi as the new PM-designate, calling it a “declaration of war on the Iraqi people,” indicating a rift between the militia and political allies in the Fatah coalition. On April 12, a representative of the Iraqi Forces Alliance and an adviser to KDP leader Masoud Barzani said that the new PM-designate enjoys strong support from Sunni and Kurdish parties, predicting this will persuade Shia parties to support his cabinet formation effort. On April 13, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that Washington welcomed the agreements among Iraqi parties that led to Kadhimi’s selection as the new PM-designate. Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Tehran too welcomed Kadhimi’s appointment. On April 14, al-Mada reported that senior Shia political leaders decided to grant Kadhimi freedom to select his members without interference. The Saeroun alliance urged Sunni and Kurdish parties to do the same. But there were soon reports that several Shia political parties have dispatched negotiators to demand specific ministries be given to specific individuals, and that Sunni and Kurdish parties were also demanding their share of ministries. On April 15, PM-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi told reporters that the names of his cabinet members were now ready, adding that he was about to begin negotiations to secure support for a vote of confidence in Parliament “as soon as possible.” Kadhimi said his priorities were to protect Iraq from becoming a battleground for regional conflicts, to rescue Iraq’s struggling economy, contain the COVID-19 pandemic, and prepare for early elections. more…
New Wave Of Attacks Target Security Forces In Kirkuk Amid Warnings Of ISIS Resurgence; Turkish Airstrikes Kill Two At Refugee Camp Near Erbil – On April 9, ISIS militants wounded two members of the Iraqi security forces (ISF) in an attack south of Kirkuk. On April 9, popular mobilization forces (PMF) clashed with ISIS militants south of Kirkuk. Two PMF fighters and two ISIS militants died in the fighting. On April 10, an IED wounded two PMF in Babylon. On April 11, an under-vehicle IED wounded two members of the ISF in Kirkuk. On April 12, U.S. military officials said that the Patriot anti-missile defense units the U.S. recently deployed at the Ain al-Assad and Harir bases have become operational. On April 12, an IED killed one civilian and wounded three more in Diyala. On April 12, ISIS snipers killed one member of the ISF in Kirkuk. On April 12, the KRG Minister of Peshmerga warned that ISIS has regrouped in the disputed territories by exploiting gaps between areas controlled by the ISF and those controlled by the Peshmerga. The minister said ISIS has started collecting illegal taxes from locals, attributing the deteriorating security to lack of coordination between the ISF and Peshmerga. On April 13, the ISF clashed with ISIS militants in the Wadi Shie region in Kirkuk, killing twenty three ISIS militants. One member of the ISF was also killed and four more were wounded. On April 13, an IED injured two civilians in Ninewa while an explosion in a booby-trapped building killed two members of the Sinjar protection units and wounded three others. On April 16, ISIS militants wounded a policeman in an attack on a checkpoint for the North Oil Company’s police force in Kirkuk. On April 15, a UVIED injured the chief of civil defense in Rutba in Anbar province. On April 15, Turkish military airplanes fired rockets at a security post used by the guards of a refugee camp near Makhmour, killing two women. Iraq condemned the attack, calling it “a flagrant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.”
more…COVID-19 Impacts Aid Delivery; WHO Recommends Continuing Preventative Measures; KRG Extends Public Office Closures; Growth In New COVID-19 Cases Slowing – On April 13, aid workers operating in Iraq reported experiencing difficulties in delivering food and cash assistance to beneficiaries in IDP camps due to COVID-19 movement restrictions and the departure of many foreign NGO staff. On April 14, Iraq’s deputy Health Minister said the country has “defeated the coronavirus.” But although the increase in COVID-19 cases in Iraq appears to be slowing down, the WHO warned against relaxing preventative measures. On April 15, the KRG decided to extend the closure of government and public institutions until May 2 as a precaution against the spread of COVID-19. The KRG PM said curfew in the region will remain “until we have full control over the spread.” On April 15, Iraq’s Ministry of Justice asked the Council of Ministers to approve the release of 1,007 inmates, including 57 juveniles, eligible to benefit from a new amnesty designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in crowded prisons. On April 15, Iraq said it began producing prototype respirators needed for treating COVID-19 patients. On April 16, Iraq’s Halth Ministry of Health reported that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country has risen to 1,434 and deaths reached 80, while a total of 856 patients have recovered. more…
Iraq To Cut Oil Output By 1 Million Barrels; Iraq Anticipates Good Grain Harvest; Baghdad Seeks Foreign Debt Payment Relief – On April 12, major oil producing countries (OPEC+) agreed to cut oil output by 9.7 million barrels per day (bpd) starting in May to support collapsing oil prices. Oil Minister Thamir al-Ghadban said that Iraq, including the KRG, must reduce production by 1.06 million bpd. On April 13, Iraq’s Planning Ministry said it signed a contract with a development company to create industrial, agricultural and trade centers in Dhi-Qar province to provide jobs for 2,300 young Iraqis within a year. On April 15, Iraq’s Ministry of Agriculture said it has mobilized its resources and departments to begin the grain harvest season that will include 13 million dunams (~32,000 acres) growing wheat and barley. On April 16, an economic adviser to care-taker PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi said that due to collapsing oil exports revenue, Baghdad was negotiating with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to secure its support for allowing Iraq to temporarily stop making payments to foreign creditors. 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.
