Iraq: ISHM: May 10 – 16, 2019
Key Takeaways:
Escalating Tensions Between the U.S. and Iran Affect Presence of Foreigners in Iraq – On May 12, the United States Embassy in Baghdad released a statement advising “all U.S. citizens of the heightened tensions in Iraq” and telling them to “remain vigilant.” On May 14, during a briefing to the press, U.K. Major General Chris Ghika, the Deputy Commander of the anti-ISIS Operation Inherent Resolve stated that “there’s been no increased threat from Iranian-backed forces in Iraq and Syria,” thus contradicting claims made by U.S. government officials. On May 16, in a move contradicting the earlier briefing, the U.K. raised the threat level for U.K. forces and diplomats stationed in Iraq, stemming from “increased likelihood of Iran or its proxies taking action against British, US or other allied interests in the region in a way that can be plausibly denied so as to avoid triggering an all-out war.” On May 15, the United States Embassy in Baghdad “ordered the departure of non-emergency U.S. Government employees from Iraq, both at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and the U.S. Consulate in Erbil.” On May 15, Major General Tahseen al-Khafaji, the Media Director of the Iraqi Ministry of Defense denied earlier reports that Germany, the Netherlands and the United States are suspending their military training of Iraqi and Kurdish forces due to threats from Iran. On May 15, oil prices jumped by $2 per barrel after unconfirmed reports that the American oil company, ExxonMobil is pulling its employees from Basra, southern Iraq. more…
Iraqi Officials Meet Foreign Counterparts; New Governor Elected in Ninewa – On May 11, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim arrived in Kuwait for the seventh meeting of the Kuwait-Iraq Joint Committee. Five agreements were reached between the two nations concerning bolstering their relations in various spheres. On May 13, Mansour al-Mareed was elected as the new governor of Ninewa province. On May 14, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi reported that he made three phone calls to United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo while Pompeo was in Iraq last week that were not previously publicized. On May 15, Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hakim spoke with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed to discuss how to foster the relationship between the two nations. On May 15, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi arrived in Ankara and met with Turkish President Tayyip Erod?an. On May 16, Iraqi Airways announced they will resume flight to Damascus, Syria, after halting such flights to the war-torn neighbor eight years ago. more…
Militant Attacks Continue Throughout Iraq; Iraq Asks for Millions to Construct New Prison for ISIS Detainees – On May 11, a roadside IED exploded in the neighborhood of Jisr Diyala in southeast Baghdad. Killing a child and injuring two others. This is one of the first bombings in Baghdad in recent months. On May 12, a mortar exploded near Halabja, northeastern Iraq, killing one Peshmerga fighter and injuring others. OOn May 13, an IED exploded in the village of Umm al-Masayed in western Ninewa province, near Telafar, killing one Iraqi soldier and injuring three of them. On May 14, Iraqi security forces opened fire on protesters in Baghdad’s Tahrir Square, killing two and injuring 12 others. On May 15, Rudaw reported that ISIS cells operating in the Qarachogh Mountains of Makhmour, in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, torched several fields at the base of the mountains after locals refused to pay extortion money to the militants. On May 15, NRT TV reported that Iraq is asking the U.S. government for $100 million to construct a new prison to hold ISIS fighters ahead of the expected handover of about 1,000 ISIS prisoners currently held by the Syrian Democratic Forces in northeastern Syria for trials in Iraq. On May 15 and May 16, in two separate incidents, seven members of the Iraqi security forces were killed in hit-and-run attacks in Kirkuk, northeastern Iraq. The attacks were apparently carried out by ISIS; among those killed were four federal police officers. more…
New Statistics on Yazidis Kidnapped by ISIS; WHO Opens New Facility in Ninewa; Water Continues to be Wasted in KRI – On May 12, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Coordinator for International Advocacy Dindar Zebari announced that 2,913 of the 6,284 Yazidis kidnapped by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in 2014 are still missing. On May 12, eight mass graves of Yazidis were exhumed in the village of Kocho in Sinjar province. The remains of 137 individuals were found within the grave. On May 12, the Danish Refugee Council and the International Organization for Migration published the Returns Working Group (RWG) Annual Progress Report for 2018. On May 12, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported opening a health care facility in Ninewa province, to provide care for up to 150,000 people. On May 16, Director for Dams and Water Resources at the KRG, Akram Mohammed, stated that 30 billion cubic meters of freshwater was wasted this year due to the lack of dams throughout the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).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.