Key Takeaways:
Government Crackdown Kills At Least 110, Injures Thousands; Prime Minister Offers Reform And Aid Packages To Contain Crisis; Parliament To Suspend Provincial Councils; Two New Ministers Confirmed In Cabinet Reshuffle – Anti-government protests in central and southern Iraq, which started on October 1, escalated through October 8, amid… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Iraq’s Top Counter-Terrorism Commander Sacked; Iraq Officially Blames Airstrikes On Israel; Government Uses Force To Suppress Widespread Demonstrations, Killing 21, Injuring Hundreds – On September 27, PM Abdul-Mahdi removed Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi from his position as commander of the Counter Terrorism Services (CTS) amid wide expressions of… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Iraq’s Prime Minister Visits China And Saudi Arabia, President Attends UNGA; Abadi Warns of Government Collapse; KRG Links Oil Obligations To Baghdad With Its Debt To Oil Firms – On September 19, PM Adil Abdul-Mahdi traveled to China for five days of diplomatic and economic meetings. Abdul-Mahdi signed… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Iraqi Minister Resigns Under Pressure; Parliament Moves to Abolish Public Inspector Offices; New Calls for Removing U.S. Forces From Iraq – On September 15, Iraqi Health Minister Alaa al-Alwan announced his resignation, citing extortion by external political forces seeking illegal profit from corrupt deals. The prime minister rejected… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Sadr Threatens To “Disown” Abdul-Mahdi’s Government; Kurdish Parties Unite To Contest Kirkuk Elections In 2020; KRG President Appoints Two Deputies – On September 6, Moqtada al-Sadr said he would “disown” the Iraqi government if it didn’t take strict measures to assert its authority after the deputy chairman of… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Maliki Renews Push For VP Post; Fayyadh In Moscow Seeking Weapons; New Border Dispute With Kuwait; Hikma To Form “Shadow Cabinet” – On August 31, Nouri al-Maliki said he was awaiting a decision from President Barham Salih to nominate him for the vice presidency. On September 2, PMF… Read more
Key Takeaways:
PMF Affiliates Call Israeli Airstrikes “A Declaration Of War”; Government Issues Six-Point Statement To Contain Crisis – On August 25, the PMF-affiliated Fatah coalition called Israel’s recent airstrikes against PMF weapons stores a “declaration of war”, and accused the U.S. of complicity. On August 26, Prime Minister Adil… Read more
Key Takeaways:
PMF Accuse U.S., Israel Of Targeting Their Bases; President Salih Tries To Contain U.S.-Iran Tensions; Parliament Removes Immunity Of Several Lawmakers – On August 21, senior PMF leader, Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis said the PMF hold the U.S. and Israel responsible for recent attacks on PMF sites and threatened… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Abdul-Mahdi Defends Pace Of PMF Reforms; Unidentified Bodies Spark Sectarian Recriminations; Election Law May Harm IDPs – On August 10, PM Abdul-Mahdi defended his stumbling measures to replace the PMF brigade 30 with regular troops in Ninewa. He affirmed that there was “no confusion from our end” about… Read more
Key Takeaways:
Iraq, Egypt And Jordan Discuss Trilateral Cooperation; Ninewa Standoff Tests PM’s Resolve to Control Militias; PM Appoints Inspectors In Key Institutions – On August 3, the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan visited Baghdad and discussed reducing tensions in the Gulf region between Iran and the U.S./Arab states,… Read more
