Iraq: ISHM: June 27 - July 4, 2019
Key Takeaways:
Abdul-Mahdi Issues New Regulations To Control Militias; U.S. Accuses Iraqi Factions of Attacking Saudi Pipelines; UNSC Delegation Visits Iraq – On June 28, U.S. officials claimed that attacks on Saudi pipelines in May were undertaken by certain Iraqi groups backed by Iran. Iraqi officials dismissed the accusations and demanded evidence. On June 29, The UN Security Council visited Baghdad for the first time since Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990. The council representatives discussed humanitarian efforts and implementation of the 2018-2022 National Government program. On July 1, Prime Minister Abdul-Mahdi issued a decree for all Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) paramilitaries to integrate into the Iraqi Security Forces by July 31. The paramilitaries must choose between integrating into the military or pursuing political activities. Most political leaders publicly supported the decree. On July 3, NRT reported that the KDP and the PUK have reached an initial agreement on a candidate to be the next governor of Kirkuk province. On June 28, Karbala’s provincial council elected Nassif Jassem al-Khattabi as the provinces’ new governor. more…
Protesters Arrested As They Demand Services in Basra and Dhi-Qar, Others Storm Bahrain’s Embassy; Multiple Militant Attacks Strike Kirkuk, Diyala And Baghdad; Group Threatens To Target Turkish Forces In KRI – On June 27, protesters broke into the Bahraini embassy to condemn a U.S. workshop in Bahrain to promote Arab-Israeli peace. On June 27, four grenades exploded in eastern Baghdad, injuring three people. On June 27, an IED exploded in Kirkuk, injuring eight civilians. A second explosion in Kirkuk wounded at least six more. On June 27, one “sticky bomb” detonated on a bus in central Kirkuk, killing one person and wounding 18 others. On June 27, Turkish warplanes bombed the Qandil Mountains, killing four civilians and wounded four others. Baghdad condemned the strikes as “unilateral acts of war”. On June 28, five mortar shells fell on a village west of Kirkuk, killing two and injuring one. On June 29, two explosive devices targeted power lines and security forces west of Kirkuk, wounding one officer. On June 29, three members of the PMF were injured by clashes in Khanaqin district. On June 30, an IED exploded north of Baghdad, wounding two civilians. On June 30, Basrawi protesters clashed with Iraqi riot police during a demonstration against the lack of public services. On June 30, protesters set the municipal administration building in Dhi-Qar province on fire. On July 1, a roadside bomb exploded in Diyala province, injuring two soldiers. On July 2, Peshmerga reinforcements were sent to Duhok after a group threatened Turkish troops in the KRI. On July 3, a grenade detonated inside a marketplace in northeastern Diyala, killing one person. more…
Committee Says Torture Widely Practiced In Iraqi Prisons; Coalition Says Airstrikes Killed 1,319 Civilians; Government Wants Anbar IDP Camps Closed Next Year – On June 27, the Iraqi Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights said that torture was and is currently used by various government institutions, including the Ministries of Justice, Defense, and Interior, alongside counter-terrorism and intelligence organizations. On June 27, Rudaw reported an outbreak of hepatitis among Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Ashti camp outside of Sulaymaniyah amid lack of proper medical care at the camp. On June 28, the U.S.-led coalition against ISIS said its airstrikes have inadvertently killed 1,319 civilians from August 2014 to May 2019. On June 30, the Iraqi Directorate of Civil Defense said that 329 fires had destroyed 54,000 acres between May 8 and June 29. On July 2, the Iraqi Minister of Immigration, Nawaf Baha Mousa, said he expects that Anbar would be the first province without IDP camps by next year.
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Iraq And Russia Discuss Investment In Oil Sector; Iraq Finds “Loophole” To Continue Importing Energy From Iran; Central Bank Sets Up Deposit Insurance Co. – On June 29, the Iraqi Ministry of Electricity announced the completion of the Baiji power transoformer station. On June 29, the KRG’s Minister of Electricity said supply was sufficient tp provide 14 to 20 hours of electricity/day. On July 1, the Iraqi and Russian Eoil ministers met to discuss expanding Russia’s role in Iraqi’s oil industry. On July 1, Iraq reached separate agreements with South Korea and the Netherlands to prevent double taxation and encourage more foreign businesses to invest in Iraq. On July 1, OPEC extended oil supply cuts until March 2020. On July 2, Agence France-Presse reported that Iraq has found a “loophole” in U.S. sanctions to continue buying Iranian power and repay around $2 billion of arrears for previous energy purchases. On July 3, the Central Bank of Iraq announced the establishment of the Iraqi Deposit Insurance Company, which will allow companies to secure deposits. On July 3, the Iranian Rail Company announced that it was pursuing a project to link Iranian ports on the Gulf with Syrian ports on the Mediterranean with rail lines that would cross through Iraq. 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.