Key Takeaways:

• Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court Removes Parliament Speaker Halbousi From Office – On November 14, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court issued a ruling, final and not subject to appeal, terminating the tenure of parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. The ruling was in response to charges filed by Laith al-Dulaimi, a former lawmaker, and once member of Halbousi’s Taqaddum party, who was stripped of his parliamentary seat by Halbousi in January. In his case, Dulaimi, argued that Halbousi had forged a resignation letter signed by Dulaimi and used it to remove him from parliament. In a statement announcing the verdict on Tuesday, a member of the Court said that investigations confirmed the forgery allegations. Three government ministers from Halbousi’s party, those of Planning, Industry, and Culture, submitted their resignations in protest. Other party lawmakers resigned from the parliamentary committees they chair, including those of higher education, oil and gas, and integrity. Halbousi called the ruling “bizarre” and argued that the Court acted outside of its constitutional powers, as stated in article 93 of the constitution, as well as the established conditions for ending a lawmaker’s tenure. The leaders of the Coordination Framework said after a meeting on November 16 that the Framework “affirms its respect for the principle of separation of powers…and its compliance with the decisions of the judicial authority and Federal Court,” calling on all sides to “support the rule of law.” Other than Halbousi himself, the KDP was perhaps the only other voice to criticize the Court’s decision, warning that it will have “deep complications” and may exacerbate Iraq’s political problems in a manner that “puts peace and stability at risk.” more…
• Fewer Attacks Targeted U.S. Forces This Week; Militias Claim Attack On Israel; More Counter-Terrorism Commanders Replaced – On November 11, Iraqi military bases at Ain al-Asad and Hareer were attacked by drones and mortars or rockets fired by Iran-backed militias. Meanwhile, bases used by U.S. military personnel in eastern Syria were attacked five times between November 12 – 14. This week’s attack pattern represents a decline in frequency from the 13 attacks (10 in Iraq and 3 in Syria) tracked by ISHM during the previous week. Meanwhile, the U.S. military launched new retaliatory strikes in Syria against targets linked to Iran and its allied militias, reportedly killing eight people, including two Iraqis. On November 13, the commander of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba militia, Akram al-Kabi, claimed that the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq” had successfully struck targets in the Israeli city of Eilat. Kabi suggested that the weapons used in the attack, which he didn’t specify, had passed through Jordanian and Saudi airspaces. The claim came as the “Islamic Resistance” said that a guided, short-range ballistic missile “has entered service” against Israel. Images of the missile, dubbed “Sarem,” show close resemblance to the Iranian-made Fateh-110 missile. On November 13, Iraqi security sources said that orders had been issued to replace the three top operational commanders in Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS). Maj. Gen. Hassan Makanzi has reportedly been appointed as the new overall commander of CTS forces, while Brig. Gens. Alaa Yasir and Mohammed Zubeir will lead the first and second special operations commands (brigades) within the CTS. In other developments, on November 14, security sources in Baghdad said that more than a dozen stores and restaurants that are franchises of foreign, particularly American brands had their fronts vandalized and were told to close or face bomb attacks. more…
• Iraq Shuts Down Sulaymaniyah IDP Camp As More Return To Their Home Districts – On November 16, the Ministry of Migration and the Displaced said that it shut down the Qoartu camp for IDPs in Sulaymaniyah province, noting that this is the first camp closure to take place in the Kurdistan region since the beginning of the 2014 displacement crisis. Twenty five IDP camps remain open in Iraq, all of which are located in the Kurdistan region, with the exception of al-Jad’ah in Ninewa. Meanwhile, between November 13 – 14, more than 500 IDPs from Iraq’s Yazidi community returned from the Berseve-1 IDP camp in Duhok province to their districts of origin in Sinjar. In other developments, on November 12, Iraqi officials said that 192 households comprising 776 Iraqis had left from al-Hol camp in eastern Syria and were headed back to Iraq. Iraqis returning from al-Hol typically spend several months at al-Jad’ah camp in Ninewa to go through rehabilitation programs. more…
• ExxonMobil Exits Basra Oil Field; Iraq Takes Measures To Address Foreign Currency Troubles; Baghdad And Erbil Make New Push To Resume Oil Exports – On November 10, Iraq Oil Report said that U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil signed an agreement with Iraq’s Basra Oil Company to relinquish its stake in the West Qurna-1 oil field. ExxonMobil’s 22.7% stake is to be acquired by PetroChina. On November 11, Iraqi government sources said that negotiations in Abu Dhabi between the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and U.S. officials have produced agreements on several measures to facilitate foreign currency transfers needed to cover Iraqi imports. The measures include boosting the dollar reserves of 10 Iraqi banks through Citibank and J.P. Morgan. The two sides also agreed to streamline the processing of foreign transfer requests to result in fewer denials. Amid these reports, the exchange rate on the parallel market pulled back from the highs reached last week, settling around IQD 1,589 to $1, down from 1,650 to $1 a week ago. On November 12, Iraq’s Oil Minister visited Erbil for another round of talks with senior KRG officials to resume oil exports from the region through Turkey. At the meetings, KRG PM Masrour Barzani reiterated that the region was ready to resume exports “according to a mutual understanding to meet the financial and technical requirements…within the framework of constitutional principles and signed contracts.” Barzani also underscored that Erbil was seeking “solutions to guarantee payment of arrears” associated with the cost of producing and transporting the region’s oil, estimated by the KRG and oil companies to be about $22 – $24 per barrel. After his meetings, the Iraqi minister said that both sides were serious about resuming exports as soon as possible, and have discussed revising the production sharing contracts between the KRG and foreign oil companies to better align them with federal policies. more…

Attention readers! ISHM will take a break next week for Thanksgiving, but it will be back the week after, with comprehensive coverage of the week we missed!

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.

Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court Removes Parliament Speaker Halbousi From Office

On November 13, the top commander of the Iranian police force, Ahmed Reza Radan, visited Baghdad and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani. The talks between Radan and Sudani focused on enhancing border security and combating drug trafficking and organized crime, a statement by Sudani’s office said. 

On November 13, a senior commander in the Saraya al-Salam militia of Muqtada al-Sadr warned members of the militia who are preparing to compete in the upcoming provincial elections in December that they must withdraw their candidacy within 15 days. The militia commander, Tahsein al-Hamidawai, threatened that non-compliance with the warning would result in “other consequences,” without offering specifics. The warning came after Sadr renewed his instructions to his followers to boycott the provincial council elections. Replying to an inquiry from a follower, Sadr emphasized that boycotting the polls “pleases me, upsets the enemies, reduces the elections legitimacy…and reduces the control corrupt parties have on Iraq.”

On November 13, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court rejected an appeal filed by Cardinal Louis Sako, in which he challenged a decision by Iraqi President Abdul-Latif Rashid in July to recall a 2013 decree by his predecessor that recognized Sako as Patriarch of the Chaldeans. A copy of the ruling shows that the Court had determined that the decree by President Rashid was valid and did not involve any legal violations.

On November 14, Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court issued a ruling, final and not subject to appeal, terminating the tenure of parliament speaker Mohammed al-Halbousi. The ruling was in response to charges filed against Halbousi by Laith al-Dulaimi, a former member of parliament, and once member of Halbousi’s Taqaddum party, who was stripped of his parliamentary seat by Halbousi in January. In his case, Dulaimi, argued that Halbousi had forged a resignation letter signed by Dulaimi and used it to remove him from parliament. At the time, news reports indicated that the feud began after Halbousi and Dulaimi had clashed during a party meeting in 2022. The speaker then allegedly used a blank paper signed by Dulaimi, and an old letter of resignation that Dulaimi had provided to his party leadership during the previous parliamentary cycle (a common practice in Iraqi parties to ensure allegiance) in his maneuver to remove the lawmaker. In a statement announcing the verdict on Tuesday, a member of the Court said that investigations have proven the forgery allegations to be true, leading to the decision to remove Halbousi from office. Three government ministers from Halbousi’s Taqaddum Party, those of Planning, Industry, and Culture, submitted their resignations in protest. Other party lawmakers resigned from the parliamentary committees they chair, including those of higher education, oil and gas, and integrity. In his first reaction to the news, Halbousi called the ruling “bizarre” and told fellow lawmakers that he would work to “preserve the constitutional rights,” before leaving Tuesday’s parliamentary session. In a subsequent statement, Halbousi argued that the Court acted outside of its constitutional powers, as stated in article 93 of the constitution, as well as the established conditions for ending a lawmaker’s tenure in parliament. On the following day, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani had separate meetings with Halbousi and his first deputy, Mohsin al-Mandalawi. During the meetings, Sudani stressed the need to “continue the dialogue between all political powers and resolve problems in a manner that doesn’t violate the law and constitution,” a brief statement by Sudani’s office said. (Editor’s note: it was interesting that the statement by Sudani’s office did not refer to Halbousi as the “former” speaker.) Meanwhile, the leaders of the Coordination Framework said after a meeting on November 16 that the Framework affirms its “respect for the principle of separation of powers…and its compliance with the decisions of the judicial authority and Federal Court,” calling on all sides to “support the rule of law.” Other than Halbousi himself, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) was perhaps the only other voice to criticize the Court’s decision. KDP spokesman Mahmoud Mohammed said the ruling will have “deep complications” and may exacerbate Iraq’s political problems in a manner that “puts peace and stability at risk.”     

Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, ISHM archive, INA, Kurdistan24, Reuters, Mawazin, Rudaw, Iraqi PM’s office, Iraq’s parliament.

Fewer Attacks Targeted U.S. Forces This Week; Militias Claim Attack On Israel; More Counter-Terrorism Commanders Replaced

On November 9, news reports said that an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated targeting a joint patrol of Iraqi counter-terrorism service troops and U.S. military personnel near the Mosul dam in Ninewa province. There were no reports of casualties as a result of the attack.

On November 11, Iraqi security sources said that Ain al-Asad airbase in Anbar province, which hosts U.S. military personnel, was attacked with two mortar rounds. On the same day, security sources in the Kurdistan region said that the Hareer airbase in Erbil was attacked with an explosive drone that hit a vacant building, causing material damage. On November 15, Iraqi security forces located and destroyed a launcher loaded with 10 Katyusha-type rockets that had been prepared for another strike on Ain al-Asad. Across the border, in eastern Syria, bases used by U.S. military personnel were attacked with drones and rockets at least four times between November 12 – 14. These attacks targeted the bases at al-Shaddadi, the al-Omar oil field, and Rumaylan. This week’s incidents brought the total number of attacks against U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17 to 55, leading to minor injuries among 59 servicemembers, according to Pentagon officials. Meanwhile, the U.S. military launched new retaliatory strikes in Syria against targets linked to Iran and its allied militias, reportedly killing eight people, including two Iraqis. The latest strikes hit what was described as a training camp run by Iran backed militias near the border town of Albu-Kamal. The escalation in violence came after the commanders of several Iraqi militias, including Kataib Hezbollah, Asaib Ahil al-Haq, Badr, and al-Nujaba, had threatened to target U.S. interests if Washington decided to intervene in the ongoing fighting between Israel and Hamas militants. 

On November 12, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command (JOC) said that security forces in the Salah ad-Din sector killed four ISIS militants during an operation in the northern parts of the Tharthar region. The JOC statement added that one Iraqi soldier was also killed in the fighting, noting that two of the militants had been wearing suicide explosive vests. To the northeast, in Kirkuk province, an Iraqi military spokesman said on November 14 that troops from Iraq’s counter-terrorism service backed by army helicopters killed three ISIS militants during operations in the Wadi Zghaytoun region of the province. 

On November 13, the commander of the Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba militia, Akram al-Kabi, claimed that the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a title used by Iran-backed militias, had successfully struck targets in the Israeli city of Eilat. In his statement, Kabi suggested that the weapons used in the attack, which he didn’t specify, had passed through the airspaces of both Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The claim came as the “Islamic Resistance” said that a guided, short-range ballistic missile “has entered service” against Israel. Images of the missile, dubbed “Sarem,” show close resemblance to the Iranian-made Fateh-110 class of missiles.   

On November 13, Iraqi security sources said that orders had been issued to replace the three top operational commanders in Iraq’s Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS). According to the sources, Major General Hassan Makanzi has been appointed as the new overall commander of CTS forces, while Brigadier Generals Alaa Yasir and Mohammed Zubeir will lead the first and second special operations commands (brigades) within the CTS. The latest changes in the CTS came just two weeks after Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani removed CTS chief, General Abdul-Wahab al-Saidi, from his position and appointed Lieutenant General Karim Aboud Mohammed as his replacement. 

On November 14, security sources in Baghdad said that more than a dozen stores and restaurants that are franchises of foreign, particularly American brands, had received threats or had their fronts vandalized. According to the sources, and images circulating on social media, the businesses, which include KFC, Pizza Hut, and Cinnabon franchises had their fronts splashed with red paint and told to close or face bomb attacks. 

On November 14, Peshmerga sources in Sinjar said that an armed drone fired a missile that struck a vehicle in the Sinuni subdistrict after 11pm on Monday, killing two individuals who were in it, believed to be members of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS). 

On November 14, security sources in Baghdad said that unidentified militants attacked an Iraqi army outpost in the Tarmiyah district, north of the capital. The attack killed an Iraqi soldier and wounded a civilian who was in the area at the time of the attack. 

On November 15, security sources in Kirkuk said that a civilian man was killed when a remnant of war detonated in the al-Faylaq region, northwest of Kirkuk City.

Sources cited in this section include: Mawazin, Rudaw, Reuters, Shafaq, ISHM archive, INA, DijlahTV, NINA, al-Sumaria. 

Iraq Shuts Down Sulaymaniyah IDP Camp As More Return To Their Home Districts

On November 13, the Iraqi Ministry for Migration and the Displaced said that a new group of 375 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Iraq’s Yazidi community had returned voluntarily from the Berseve-1 IDP camp in Duhok province to their districts of origin in Sinjar. On the following day, the Ministry said another group of 145 Yazidi IDPs also left the Berseve-1 IDP camp and headed back to their districts of origin in Sinjar. Earlier this week, on November 12, Iraqi officials also said that 192 households comprising 776 Iraqis had left from al-Hol camp in eastern Syria and were headed back to Iraq. Iraqis returning from al-Hol typically spend several months at al-Jad’ah camp in Ninewa to go through rehabilitation programs. In related news, the Ministry of Migration and the Displaced said on Thursday that it has shut down the Qoartu camp for IDPs in Sulaymaniyah province, noting that this is the first camp closure to take place in the Kurdistan region since the beginning of the 2014 displacement crisis. Twenty five IDP camps remain open in Iraq, all of which are located in the Kurdistan region, with the exception of al-Jad’ah. 

Sources cited in this section include: INA, al-Hurra, Rudaw. 

ExxonMobil Exits Basra Oil Field; Iraq Takes Measures To Address Foreign Currency Troubles; Baghdad And Erbil Make New Push To Resume Oil Exports

On November 10, Iraq Oil Report said that U.S. energy giant ExxonMobil had signed an agreement with Iraq’s Basra Oil Company to relinquish its stake in the West Qurna-1 oil field to the Iraqi state-owned company. ExxonMobil’s 22.7% stake in the field, which produces about 550,000 barrels per day (bpd) would then be acquired by its partner in the field’s consortium, PetroChina, which will also become the field’s operator. 

On November 11, Iraqi government sources said that negotiations in Abu Dhabi between the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) and U.S. officials have produced agreements on several measures meant to facilitate the procedures for foreign currency transfers needed to cover Iraqi imports. The sources said the U.S. agreed to boost the dollar reserves of 10 Iraqi banks that have accounts with intermediary banks in Jordan through Citibank and J.P. Morgan. The sources added that the two sides resolved some problems concerning rejected transfer requests and agreed that rejections would have to be based on stronger reasons going forward. Meanwhile, Iraqi officials have also made arrangements to boost the reserves of Iraqi banks in other foreign currencies to support imports. This includes 13 Iraqi banks that will be allowed to grow their Chinese Yuan reserves in cooperation with Singapore’s DBS Bank, as well as an agreement with Turkey to establish Euro accounts for Iraqi banks to be able to finance imports. Meanwhile, the exchange rate of the Iraqi dinar against the U.S. dollar on the parallel market pulled back from the highs reached last week. As of writing, the exchange rate on the parallel market was hovering around IQD 1,589 to $1, down from 1,650 to $1 a week ago. 

On November 12, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayan Abdul-Ghani visited Erbil for another round of talks with senior officials in the Kurdistan regional government (KRG) regarding efforts to resume oil exports from the region through Turkey, which have been halted since March 25. During his visit, the Iraqi minister met with KRG president Nechirvan Barzani and KRG prime minister Masrour Barzani. The regional premier reiterated that the region was ready to resume exports “according to a mutual understanding to meet the financial and technical requirements” for producing and exporting the oil “within the framework of constitutional principles and signed contracts.” Barzani also underscored that Erbil was seeking “solutions to guarantee payment of the arrears” associated with the cost of producing and transporting the region’s oil, estimated by the KRG and oil companies to be about $22 – $24 per barrel, according to a report by Kurdistan24.  After his meetings, the Iraqi minister said that both sides were serious about resuming production and exports as soon as possible. He added that federal and KRG officials had discussed making changes to the production sharing contracts signed between the KRG and foreign oil companies operating its oil fields to better align them with the policies of the federal oil ministry. Abdul-Ghani also told reporters that federal oil officials will have talks with the companies to have a better understanding of their profit shares and outstanding balances. 

On November 13, Iraq’s State Enterprise for Ports inaugurated a new dock at the Khor al-Zubeir port that is built specially to handle loading oil products. The construction of the new dock, which is 340 meters long, was financed through a loan from the government of Japan. 

On November 15, the Department of State approved a new sanctions waiver that allows the Iraqi government to pay for electricity imported from Iran, State Department officials told reporters. According to the officials, funds released from frozen assets in Iraqi banks, estimated at $10 billion, could only be used to pay for humanitarian goods and other transactions not prohibited by sanctions. The new waiver, which lasts for a period of 120 days, is the 21st of its kind to be issued by Washington, and is meant to give Iraq’s government enough room to implement its ambitious energy independence plans, the officials added. 

On November 16, Iraq’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said that Iraq had joined the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), becoming the bank’s 74th member nation. The country made its bid to join the EBRD several years ago in 2018, and in 2020, the bank’s governors approved Iraq’s request to become a shareholder. Membership in the bank allows Iraq to become a recipient economy, with the opportunity to receive financing and policy support.

Sources cited in this section include: Iraq Oil Report, INA, Shafaq, al-Sumria, Rudaw, Kurdistan24, NINA, al-Hurra, Reuters. 

IED Incidents and Resulting Casualties

Casualties Due To IEDs and ERWs from November 9, 2023 - November 16, 2023

Please note: some geographic locations represented are approximations and this map may not represent all incidents.

Derived from firsthand accounts and Iraq-based Arabic and Kurdish news sources, the Iraq Security and Humanitarian Monitor is a free publication of the Enabling Peace in Iraq Center.

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