Key Takeaways:
Parliament Approves Electoral Districting Bill; Protests Subside After Violent Episode; New Group Seeks To Unseat Speaker Halbousi; Militia Commander Threatens Attacks On U.S. – Between October 24 – 28, Parliament voted on the boundaries of 83 electoral district across Iraq’s eighteen provinces. On October 25, thousands of protesters… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Militia Supporters Attack KDP Baghdad Office; Political Leaders Condemn Extra Judicial Killings In Salah Ad-Din; Kadhimi Tours European Capitals; Former Ninewa Governor Arrested – On October 17, militia supporters burned the office of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Baghdad. A new group calling itself “Rab’ Allah” is… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Kadhimi Announces Deal On Normalization In Sinjar; Parliament Holds Controversial Vote On Districting; Militias Announce Conditional Truce; Economic Reform White Paper Released – On October 9, PM Kadhimi announced an agreement with the KRG to “restore stability and normalize conditions” in Sinjar. The deal assigns security responsibility to… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Iraqis Mark Anniversary Of 2019 Protests; Kadhimi Underlines Determination To Protect Diplomatic Missions; Sadr Threatens Protesters Following Clashes In Karbala – On October 1, thousands of Iraqis gathered in Tahrir Square to commemorate the anniversary of the 2019 protests which forced the resignation of PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi and… Read more
Originally published by the LSE Middle East Center Blog – October 5, 2020
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s threat to close the American embassy in Baghdad exposes a dangerous dichotomy in the Trump administration’s Iraq policy. Less than six weeks ago, the administration gave visiting Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Tensions Rise As U.S. Plans To Close Its Embassy, Exchanges Threats With Pro-Iran Militias; Election Law Vote Postponed – On September 25, Moqtada al-Sadr called for an investigation into attacks on diplomatic missions, saying they damage Iraq’s reputation. PM Kadhimi endorsed the proposal, saying that “the coalition of… Read more
