Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: Integrity Commission Chief Faces Legal Action, Bribery Allegations; Parliament Concludes Discussions Of Controversial Personal Status Law Amendments Despite Strong Opposition – On September 16, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said it will take legal action against the head of the Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, for making “misleading” allegations about senior judges. Hanoun recently accused the judiciary of obstructing the investigations into the theft of $2.5 billion from government accounts in a major corruption scheme often called the “heist of the century.” Among other things, Hanoun blamed the judge in charge of the case for the alleged deliberate disappearance of case documents. The Supreme Judicial Council argued that Hanoun made these “untrue” allegations to divert attention away from recently published audio recordings that appear to implicate Hanoun in taking bribes. On September 16, Iraq’s parliament held a session during which it concluded its discussions of controversial proposed amendments to the Personal Status Law no. 188 of 1959. With discussions formally over, parliament can move forward to vote on the amendments, though a timeline has not been set. The Monday session met despite strong opposition from female lawmakers and moderate and secular parties, who mustered 110 signatures in support of a motion to take the amendments off the agenda. The amendments would allow Muslim Iraqis to seek guidance from clerics of their respective sects in matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Opponents fear they could revive sectarian divisions and undermine women and children rights. In other developments, on September 17, political sources in Baghdad said that IRGC commander, Esmail Qaani, arrived in Baghdad on an undeclared visit for talks with politicians and militia commanders, starting with Hadi al-Amiri, Qais al-Khazali, and Kataib Hezbollah’s Hussein al-Hamidawi. more…
- SECURITY: Four IEDs Strike In Dhi-Qar, Salah Ad-Din, Ninewa, And Anbar; Militias Conduct New Drone Attacks Against Israel; Turkish Airstrike Kills One At A Refugee Camp – On September 15 – 16, four IED explosions were reported in Dhi-Qar, Salah ad-Din, Ninewa, and Anbar provinces. The bombs, which targeted a local militia commander, a tribal chief, a joint army-Peshmerga patrol, and PMF fighters, left several people injured but caused no fatalities. Between September 15 – 17, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed that it conducted two new attacks against targets inside Israel using explosive drones. There were no reports confirming that the drones reached their targets, and authorities in Jordan said their military shot down a drone that was attempting to cross Jordanian airspace. On September 16, a Turkish military drone struck a camp housing Turkish Kurdish refugees in the Makhmour district. The airstrike killed a member of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and injured two other PKK members, according to security sources in the Kurdistan region. In other developments, on September 19, an airstrike by Iraqi F-16 jets killed a cell of six ISIS militants in Kirkuk province. more…
- ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Lawmakers Oppose Iran Railway Link; Iraq Launches Environmental Protection Strategy; Government Receives Draft Of New Income Tax Law – On September 17, a group of 125 lawmakers signed a letter expressing their opposition to the construction of a railway line that will connect Basra with Iran through the Shalamcheh border crossing. The signatories say the line’s design suggests that it could be used to carry freight instead of passengers as was initially declared. By having the capacity to carry freight, the line would threaten to bypass Iraq’s Grand Faw Port, whose aim is to provide the shortest link between the Persian Gulf and Europe via Turkey, the lawmakers contended. The Basra-Shalamcheh project was a priority item in talks between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and PM Sudani last week. On September 18, UNDP, USAID, and the Iraqi Ministry of Environment launched Iraq’s National Strategy for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment in Iraq (2024-2030). A joint press release described the strategy as a pivotal step in Iraq’s ongoing efforts to address environmental challenges while aligning with the country’s broader development objectives. Over the next six years, the strategy will provide guidance for environmental protection efforts, offering plans to tackle critical issues such as rapid population growth, unsustainable use of natural resources, and regional water management difficulties. On September 19, the Iraqi government received the draft of a new income tax law that was prepared by a group of international organizations led by Germany’s GIZ. The development of the draft law is the culmination of consultation launched during a conference on tax reform that Baghdad hosed in January and reflects the government’s desire to increase non-oil revenue through fair and transparent tax collection, the prime minister’s office said. more…
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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.
POLITICS: Integrity Commission Chief Faces Legal Action, Bribery Allegations; Parliament Concludes Discussions Of Controversial Personal Status Law Amendments Despite Strong Opposition
On September 16, Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said it has decided to take legal action against the head of the Integrity Commission, Haider Hanoun, for making “misleading” allegations about senior judges. In a press conference on September 4, Hanoun, had accused the judiciary of undermining the Commission and obstructing its investigations into the theft of $2.5 billion from government accounts in a major fraud scheme that is often referred to as the “heist of the century.” Among other things, Hanoun blamed Judge Dhiya Jafar of the Anti-Corruption Investigation Court for the deliberate disappearance of case documents and evidence. In a press conference, an agitated Hanoun also attempted to defend his reputation against allegations that he abused his office to illegally acquire public land and otherwise enrich himself. These allegations are based on audio recordings, whose authenticity is being investigated, that appear to implicate Hanoun in taking bribes. But in its September 16 statement, the Supreme Judicial Council argued that Hanoun made these “untrue” allegations to “mislead public opinion” in response to the legal measures that were being initiated against him in connection with the acquisition of land in Maysan province. In its statement, the Supreme Judicial Council also commended Judge Dhiya Jafar for “exceptional efforts” in the performance of his responsibilities.
On September 16, with the attendance of 180 lawmakers, Iraq’s parliament held a session during which it concluded its discussions of controversial proposed amendments to Iraq’s Personal Status Law no. 188 of 1959. With discussions formally finalized, parliament can now move forward to vote on the amendments, though a timeline has not been set for this next step. The Monday session took place despite strong opposition from many female lawmakers and moderate and secular parties, who mustered 110 signatures in support of a motion to take the discussion of the amendments off the agenda. The proposed changes in question are meant to allow Muslim Iraqis to resort to clerics from their respective sects to rule into matters of marriage, divorce, and inheritance. Remarkably, the amendments themselves do not include specific rules for how these matters are settled, Instead, the proposal tasks religious scholars from various sects with drafting the rules, which parliament would then “approve” within six months after the amendments are passed. The presentation of the bill was previously postponed after it raised strong opposition from secular parties and rights groups who fear the amendment could reenergize sectarian divisions within society, undermine women rights, and exacerbate the problem of child marriages. The bill was put back on the parliamentary agenda under pressure from the powerful Coordination Framework bloc which defended the amendments as “harmonious with the constitution which states that Iraqis are free in their choices that are not inconsistent with the fundamentals of Sharia and the principles of democracy.”
On September 16, groups of recent college graduates demonstrated outside the local government building in Nasiriyah, the capital of Dhi-Qar province, demanding job opportunities. Protesters blocked roads leading to the government building with burning tires, which prompted riot police to fire teargas to disperse the crowd and arrest a number of protesters. Similar demonstrations by graduates demanding jobs, and by civil servants demanding better pay were also reported in Baghdad and Basra, respectively. There were no reports of friction between protesters and security forces in these demonstrations though.
On September 17, political sources in Baghdad said that the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Esmail Qaani, arrived in Baghdad on an undeclared visit for talks with Iraqi political leaders and Iran-backed militia commanders. Soon after his arrival, Qaani met with Badr leader Hadi al-Amiri, Asaib Ahl al-Haq leader Qais al-Khazali, and Kataib Hezbollah commander Hussein al-Hamidawi, the sources added.
Sources cited in this section include: al-Sumaria, Ultra Iraq, Baghdad Today, ISHM archive, Social Media, al-Hurra, INA, Iraq Observer, Shafaq.
SECURITY: Four IEDs Strike In Dhi-Qar, Salah Ad-Din, Ninewa, And Anbar; Militias Conduct New Drone Attacks Against Israel; Turkish Airstrike Kills One At A Refugee Camp
On September 15, security sources in Dhi-Qar province said that unidentified individuals placed an improvised explosive device (IED) outside the home of Ziyad al-Ajli, a local commander of the Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia in the Souk al-Shuyukh district, south of Nasiriyah. The explosion destroyed a vehicle parked outside the building but there were no reports of casualties.
On September 15, the Security Media Cell reported that Iraqi F-16 jets struck a position used by ISIS militants in the Pulkana Mountains in Salah ad-Din province. The airstrike killed an unspecified number of ISIS militants who were gathered in that position at the time, the Cell added. A few days later, on September 19, Iraq’s Joint Operations Command said that new airstrikes by F-16 jets killed a cell of six ISIS militants in an unspecified location in Kirkuk province.
On September 15, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said that its intelligence forces killed two suspected “terrorists” after tracking them to the Banja Ali neighborhood of Kirkuk. The suspects were wearing explosive vests during the engagement, which detonated when security forces fired upon them, the ministry added.
On September 15, the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a front group for Iran-backed Iraqi militias, claimed in a statement that it conducted a new attack against an unspecified “vital target” in the Israeli city of Haifa using explosive drones. On the following day, the group claimed that it also attacked an unspecified Israeli military target in the Jordan River valley using explosive drones. There were no reports confirming that the drones had indeed reached their targets. Authorities in Jordan, however, said on September 17 that the Jordanian military shot down a drone that was attempting to cross Jordanian airspace.
On September 16, security sources in the Kurdistan region said that a Turkish military drone struck a target in a camp housing Turkish Kurdish refugees in the Makhmour district between Ninewa and Erbil. The airstrike killed a member of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and injured two other PKK members, the sources added.
On September 16, security said that an IED explosion struck an Iraqi military patrol belonging to a joint Iraqi army-Peshmerga brigade on a farm road east of the Tuzkhormatu district in Salah ad-Din province. The explosion seriously injured a Kurdish Peshmerga fighter who was part of the patrol.
On September 16, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) said that four members of its media department were injured when their vehicle struck an IED while covering security operations in the western sector of Ninewa province.
On September 16, security sources in Anbar province said that an IED explosion struck a vehicle that was transporting local tribal chief Sheikh Awad al-Jughaifi. The explosion, which the sources described as an assassination attempt, injured several of Jughaifi’s associates.
On September 17, security sources in Salah ad-Din province said that federal police personnel conducting search operations targeting suspected ISIS hideouts in al-Kosh region near Samarra were fired upon by unknown individuals. A captain in the federal police and another member of the unit were injured by the gunfire.
On September 17, security sources in Kirkuk said that unidentified gunmen shot and killed a policeman in the Shorao neighborhood of the city.
On September 18, Iraq’s Interior Ministry said that border guard troops in Diyala and Maysan provinces intercepted and clashed with individuals who were attempting to smuggle weapons across the border from Iran into Iraq. During the clashes, security forces killed one of the suspected smugglers and arrested two suspects, one of whom was injured, and confiscated 12 assault rifles. The ministry said the suspects were foreign nationals, without providing further details.
Sources cited in this section include: Shafaq, INA, NINA, Mawazin, Reuters, al-Hurra, Baghdad Today, Iraq Observer.
ECONOMY & CLIMATE: Lawmakers Oppose Iran Railway Link; Iraq Launches Environmental Protection Strategy; Government Receives Draft Of New Income Tax Law
On September 15, the Association of Iraqi Private Banks said that electronic payment systems have seen significant growth this year as a result of a government initiative led by the Central Bank of Iraq to encourage the use of electronic point of sale (POS) systems in commercial and government institutions. According to the head of the association, Ali Tariq, the number of POS systems operating in Iraq has grown to 30,000 (compared to 23,906 a year ago). The number was under 11,000 in January 2023, when the government launched the program that requires all government agencies and private businesses to open bank accounts and have POS systems available for their customers. Meanwhile the number of payment cards issued nationwide has reached 20 million, with tw million cards issued in the last 12 months. Iraqis have used these systems to conduct transactions worth nearly IQD 2 trillion last month alone, according to Tariq. He added that at least 600 government institutions have been set up with electronic payment service companies and deployed at least POS systems, up from 337 a year ago.
On September 17, a group of 125 members of parliament representing various blocs signed a letter expressing their opposition to the construction of a new railroad project that will connect Basra with Iran through the Shalamcheh border crossing. The signatories argue in their brief letter that the line’s design suggests that it could be used to carry freight instead of passengers, which is the declared intended use of the railroad project. The lawmakers argue that by having the capacity to carry freight, the line would threaten to bypass Iraq’s under-construction Grand Faw Port, whose aim is to provide the shortest link between the Persian Gulf and Europe via Turkey. The Basra-Shalamcheh project has received much attention and support from Iranian leaders. Last year, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani laid the cornerstone for the line in a ceremony that was attended by Iranian vice president Mohammad Mukhbir. Progress on the project was a priority item in the talks that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian had with Prime Minister Sudani during his visit to Baghdad last week.
On September 18, UNDP, USAID, and the Iraqi Ministry of Environment announced the launch of Iraq’s National Strategy for the Protection and Improvement of the Environment in Iraq (2024-2030). A joint press release by UNDP and USAID described the strategy as a pivotal step in Iraq’s ongoing efforts to address environmental challenges while aligning with the country’s broader development objectives. Over the next six years, the strategy will serve as a guide for environmental protection efforts, with the goal of ensuring that sustainability remains central to policy development, legislation, and the execution of key initiatives. According to the agencies, the strategy seeks to offer a clear plan to tackle critical issues such as rapid population growth, unsustainable use of natural resources, and regional water management difficulties. These challenges have led to severe environmental problems, including desertification, biodiversity loss, and the depletion of water resources. The strategy is said to aim at reducing these impacts and bolster the resilience of vulnerable communities, enhancing Iraq’s environmental, social, and developmental sustainability. The full strategy document can be accessed here.
On September 19, the Iraqi government received the draft of a new income tax law that was prepared by a group of international organizations led by Germany’s GIZ, officials in Prime Minister Sudani’s office said. The development of the draft law is the culmination of efforts and consultation launched during a conference on tax reform that Baghdad had convened last January, and reflects the government’s determination to increase non-oil revenue through fair and transparent tax collection, the deputy director of the prime minister’s office added.
On September 19, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani convened a meeting with the Association of Iraqi Private Banks to discuss problems facing the country’s private banking sector. At the meeting, Sudani announced the creation of a high-level committee to oversee the implementation of measures designed to bring private banks into compliance with international requirements, a statement by Sudani’s office said. The move comes a few weeks after the Central Bank of Iraq (CBI) signed a contract with consulting company Oliver Wyman to conduct a comprehensive review of more than twenty Iraqi banks that have been banned from dealing in U.S. dollars over money laundering concerns and suspicious dealings with Iran.
On September 19, Iraq’s Finance Ministry signed a loan agreement with Austrian Bank Erste Group to finance a deal with another Austrian company to provide center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems to Iraq’s Agriculture Ministry. The loan is worth more than €262 million, according to a statement by the Finance Ministry.
Sources cited in this section include: Rudaw, ISHM archive, al-Sumaria, UNDP, Reliefweb, INA, Iraqi PM’s office, Ultra Iraq.
IED Incidents and Resulting Casualties
Casualties Due To IEDs and ERWs from September 12, 2024 - September 19, 2024
| Date | Location | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/15/24 | Souk al-Shuyukh, Dhi-Qar province | 0 | 0 |
| 9/16/24 | Between Tuzkhormatu and Kifri, Salah ad-Din province | 0 | 1 |
| 9/16/24 | West of Mosul, Ninewa province | 0 | 4 |
| 9/16/24 | Unspecified location, Anbar province | 0 | "Several" |
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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