Iraq: ISHM: April 30 - May 7, 2020
Key Takeaways:
Iraq’s Parliament Approves Partial Cabinet Led By Mustafa Al-Kadhimi; U.S. Offers Kadhimi Support And Extended Sanctions Waivers; Sulaymaniyah Pushes For Decentralization As Divisions Hit KRI Parliament – On May 4, the provincial council in Sulaymaniyah began preparing proposals for decentralization within the KRI with support from the the Gorran (Change) movement and Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). On May 5, the KRG dispatched a new delegation to Baghdad to resume budget negotiations with the federal government after the latter suspended its monthly transfers. On May 7, Iraq’s Parliament approved the government program and a partial new cabinet led by the new Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi after a long evening of bargaining between Kadhimi and various political blocs. Parliament approved 15 members of the new cabinet, rejected five ministerial candidates (Trade, Education, Migration, Justice and Agriculture) and postponed voting on the Oil and Foreign Affairs portfolios, pending further negotiations. Kadhimi stressed that his government’s priorities will be to prepare for early elections, establish state monopoly over arms, and prevent Iraq from becoming a battleground for proxy wars. On May 7, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo welcomed the formation of the new government and offered to extend the waivers that allow Iraq to import gas and electricity from Iran by 120 days. On May 7, the KRI Parliament removed the parliamentary immunity of one of its members after he accused the region’s prime minister of corruption. The vote divided the legislature, as the speaker and representatives of most parties walked out in protest of the KDP-led vote. more…
ISIS Escalates Complex Attacks On Iraqi Forces In Multiple Provinces; Iraqi Forces Respond With Large Scale Operations; New ISIS Attack Target The Electric Grid – On May 1, ISIS militants killed one member of the Iraqi security forces (ISF) and wounded two in Diyala. On May 2, ISIS militants killed ten members of the popular mobilization forces (PMF) in multiple attacks in Salah ad-Din. On May 2, an IED killed one ISF member and injured three in Diyala. On May 2, ISIS militants injured two PMF fighters in Salah ad-Din. On May 2, ISIS militants killed five members of the ISF and a civilian and injured six others. On May 3, the ISF launched military operations in Salah ad-Din, Diyala, Ninewa and Anbar in response to the recent ISIS attacks. On May 3, the ISF killed six ISIS members in Salah ad-Din and Anbar, while ISIS militants killed three tribal mobilization fighters in Diyala. On May 4, an IED wounded three ISF members in Diyala. On May 4, the ISF killed two ISIS militants between Salah ad-Din and Ninewa. On May 4, ISIS militants killed one Iraqi soldier and injured three more in Diyala. On May 5, the ISF killed three ISIS militants in Kirkuk while an ISIS attack killed three tribal mobilization fighters and wounded a policeman. On May 5, two IEDs placed under vehicles wounded two ISF members near Baghdad. On May 5, ISIS militants killed two policemen south of Mosul. On May 6, three Katyusha rockets struck near Baghdad international airport without causing casualties. On May 7, ISIS militants sabotaged a high voltage power line that feeds the Kirkuk water project. Another attack sabotaged three high voltage towers in Ninewa, while an IED wounded two employees of the Ninewa electricity directorate. On May 6, PMF fighters foiled an attempt to blow up high voltage towers in Salah ad-Din. On May 7 an IED killed one Iraqi soldier and wounded two others in Ninewa. On May 7, Turkish airstrikes killed four members of the PKK in the KRI. On May 7, the ISF unit killed two suicide bombers and destroyed two vehicle-borne IEDs in Anbar. more…
Tribes In Salah Ad-Din Threaten To Evict Families With Alleged Links To ISIS; COVID-19 Cases Rise Above 2,500 – On May 2, the World Health Organization representative in Iraq attributed the increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country to poor compliance with preventative measures and more proactive testing. On May 5, a tribal leader in Salah ad-Din province said that dozens of tribal leaders in the Shirqat area have agreed to evict 250 families allegedly related to ISIS members because the tribes perceive their presence to pose a security risk following a spike in ISIS attacks in the province. On May, Iraq’s Health Ministry reported that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases increased this week to 2,543 while deaths from the virus reached 102 and a total of 1,626 patients have recovered. more…
Iraq’s Oil Revenue Collapses; World Bank Expects GDP To Shrink More Than 9%; Federal Government, KRG Consider Wage Cuts; Fires Pose A Threat To Grain Harvest – On May 1, Iraq’s Oil Ministry said that oil exports averaged 3.438 million bpd in April and generated $1.432 billion in revenue, roughly half of last month’s $2.988 billion and dramatically lower than February’s $5.5 billion. Iraq sold its oil at an average price of $13.8 per barrel. On May 4, a World Bank report predicted that Iraq’s economy will experience its worst year in 18 years. The report expects massive decline in oil revenue and the disruptive effects of COVID-19 to cause Iraq’s GDP to retract by almost 10% in 2020. On May 4, a government official said the government was considering proposals to significantly slash wages and pensions to address Iraq’s financial crisis. On May 5, Iraq’s Planning Ministry said it signed two contracts with a development company to create industrial, agricultural and trade centers to provide jobs for 4,600 young Iraqis in Ninewa and Babylon provinces. On May 6, the farmers cooperatives union in Iraq urged farmers to speed up the wheat and barley harvest to protect their crops from sabotage after reports of unexplained fires that recently destroyed grain fields in several provinces. On May 6, the KRG Finance Ministry said it has begun the process of distributing delayed public sector salaries for January. PUKMedia reported on May 6 that the KRG has made several decisions to slash salaries, suspend investment spending and cancel tax and customs waivers. 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.