The unveiling of the Spice Route potentially poses a significant setback to Sudani's ambitious vision of bridging Asia and Europe through a development road project. Indeed, global infrastructure endeavors carry both economic and political significance, and this could explain why Iraq finds itself excluded from the recent initiative aimed at linking Asia and Europe, as unveiled during the latest G20 meeting.
For instance, a substantial gap of 1 trillion 258 billion dinars is evident in the total expenditures alone. This discrepancy has been identified by multiple entities, including the Ministry of Finance, the Parliamentary Finance Committee, the Iraqi High Economic Council, and 327 Members of Parliament (pp. 60-63). What adds an intriguing dimension to this issue is the variance in expenditures for Anbar province, a matter that should have garnered the attention of the speaker and Sunni members within the finance committee. While the allocated budget for Anbar province was originally set at 466 billion dinars, the actual sum tallies up to just 436 billion dinars. Thus, this stark contrast amounts to a substantial 30 billion dinars in the collection of the allocated budget for this province!
Alina L. Romanowski, the US Ambassador to Iraq, has asserted that the repositioning of US troops within Iraq constitutes a routine rotational measure, unrelated to the internal dynamics of the country. Romanowski the powerful American woman in Iraq emphasized Washington's dedication to cultivating collaborative ties with Baghdad. In a contrasting perspective, Hashd commander Waad Qaddo, who leads the 30th Brigade, he unveiled that officials in Washington have communicated a clear message to the Iraqi military delegation: their intention to assume control over the Iraqi-Syrian border. As part of this endeavor, they are strategically substituting 2,500 troops with Ohio National guard fighters, In accordance with this, the movement is planned and directed elsewhere.
Navigating Water Scarcity in the Kurdistan Region: Challenges, Causes, and Crucial Solutions
The KRI's water crisis is a result of a combination of challenges that demand attention and innovative strategies for resolution. This article explores five crucial factors that play a role in the crisis and possible routes to tackle these challenges.
Climate Change in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq; Deforestation, Fires and Burning of Trees
According to GFW, Iraq will lose 137 hectares[1] of wooded land between 2000 and 2022, 22 hectares due to fire alone and the remaining 115 hectares due to various reasons. The year with the highest loss of trees and green space was in 2003 when 7 hectares of wooded land were destroyed by fire.
Considering the late elections, which cover only 15 central and southern governorates, as one of the most important stages both for drawing a map of the political streets in Iraq and for bridging the gap created by the dissolution of local councils after the 2019 demonstrations, legal deadlines and accusations of corruption. . After the formation of the coordination framework government, the elections will be a popular referendum on the position of the current Shiite front alone in power. Within this front, the weight and size of the two opposing poles are pitted against each other
The development and exploration of the Durra gas field was delayed each time due to a problem, but this time Saudi and Kuwaiti officials said that the matter is serious, although Iran announced its seriousness in owning the field and starting work in its name. However, the success of the strategy is any party and how to determine and how to develop the gas field and the prospects for Saudi-Iranian relations in the meantime will have an impact.
Undoubtedly, The ongoing discussions among the political parties in the Kurdistan Region in the context of the efforts towards reconciliation, particularly concerning the Kurdistan parliamentary elections, is a multifaceted matter.
A Series of Assessments on Climate Change in the Kurdistan Region and Iraq; High temperature and its consequence
The North Atlantic Treat y Organization (NATO) Global Warming Modeling predicts that "that over the next decade in Iraq, temperatures will rise by 1°C in the short term and 2°C in the medium and long term, while the whole world is now trying not to rise by 0.5°C." .
ong the Shiite reactions to the incident of burning the Qur’an in Sweden, al-Sadr was the most insistent when he threatened that “if the government does not take a stand,” he will act in his own way. Indeed, later supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr raided the Swedish embassy (July 20, 2023), which led to The birth of another crisis for Iraqi diplomacy, while the reactions in Iran and Saudi Arabia, the two largest Islamic poles in the region, were more formal and diplomatic. A statement of condemnation was issued by the Foreign Ministry in Saudi Arabia, as well as in Iran, and the two countries summoned the Swedish ambassador to protest. There is no other Islamic and Arab country where the situation has deteriorated as much as the situation in Iraq.
According to the survey findings, young people in the Kurdistan Region have a significant financial, social, and even safety bond with their families. A remarkable 90% of young people do not want to leave their families, and 52% rely on them for financial support. When faced with difficulties, 66% said they would seek assistance from family and relatives, while just 33% would turn to formal government organizations.
Despite its substantial size and significant spending, the budget's ratification has set new precedents and instigated political and structural discord with deep implications
While Kurdish ambitions have aspired to be a pivotal force in post-2003 Iraq, they have struggled to retain control and influence in Baghdad
This budget, which the Kurds seem to have reluctantly accepted due to internal pressures may hold a minefield of unintended consequences and conflicts
The Oil Minister indicated that Turkey's decision to continue suspending oil exports from the Kurdistan Region and Kirkuk is not connected to purported technical problems with oil pipelines that followed the earthquake
Decoding the Federal Court's Decision: A Deeper Dive into its Implications for the Kurdistan Region
The court's twenty-page verdict offers an in-depth, holistic analysis of the reasons for the rejection of Law No. 12 of 2022, drawing on the internal regulations of the Kurdistan Regional Parliament
The autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan has many important oil and gas reserves, but the exploitation of these resources has been, for a long time, a source of tensions between Erbil and Baghdad. The new agreement, negotiated under the auspice o the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is considered to be an important step toward the reconciliation in Iraq and could bring a much needed long-term stability to the country.
The American occupation of Iraq in the light of the British "imperial precedent" twenty years later
This article aims to review the American occupation of Iraq (2003-2011) in light of the domination that the British had in this country in the aftermath of World War I. This article compares the strategy of the two powers to rebuild the Iraqi state and protect their interests, a process characterized by the same hegemonic aspiration and the same claim to build a state from above in a coercive context.
This article proposes a deep analysis of this historical agreement made between the government and TotalEnergies for the GGIP project, underlining the major impact on Iraq's economy and its significant implications for the global energy industry.
The journalist and author Laure Marchand explains the attack that happened in the head office of France’s Kurdish Democratic Council (CDK-F), exploring the different theories and arguments regarding this case. An enlightening reading for those who are interested in international news. Three months after the crime, the Kurdish community still doesn’t believe it was an isolated racist crime and is still in quest of understanding the outside actors that could’ve influenced the presumed murderer.
On October 1st 2019, a protest, unprecedented in its nature and its magnitude, shook Iraq. The ruling elite, in a state of generalized panic, adopted a strategy of repression, just as unprecedented, at least since 2003.