Iraq

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the highest Shiite religious authority in Iraq, on Friday called on politicians to hurry up in reforming electoral laws and said the changes would be the only way to resolve weeks of deadly unrest. “We affirm the importance of speeding up the passing of the electoral …

Iraqi officials say three protesters have been killed and 25 wounded amid ongoing clashes with security forces near a strategic bridge in Baghdad. Security and hospital sources said three people were killed Friday on Baghdad’s Rasheed Street in clashes with security forces. Two protesters died because of tear gas, and …

The Middle East Eye (MEE) has reported on November 21, that the US and British military ran at least two secret prisons in Iraq during the months following the 2003 invasion, effectively concealing prisoners from Red Cross inspectors. MEE claims that the British army’s most senior legal advisor in the …

Four people were killed and 48 wounded early on Thursday when Iraqi security forces shot live fire and tear gas canisters at protesters near two key bridges in Baghdad, security and medical sources said. The cause of death was live fire and tear gas canisters aimed directly at the head, …

A news outlet has revealed that the current Iraqi Defense Minister Najah al-Shammari is a Swedish citizen with a criminal record while enjoying years of benefits in Sweden for an alleged “memory problems”. According to an investigation by Swedish news outlet Nyheter Idag, Shammari holds Swedish citizenship and previously lived …

The Popular Mobilization in Iraq announced on Tuesday the destruction of three additions to the terrorist organization “IS”, while seizing motorcycles and weapons in the province of Nineveh. In a statement, the crowd said that a force from Brigade 44 in the Popular Mobilization Command of the Nineveh Operations Command …

A large security force cordoned off the central bank building in central Baghdad amid tight security measures, a security source said Monday (November 18th). According to the source, the force included a large number of anti-riot forces, deployed at the gate, and the perimeter of the Central Bank of Iraq, …

Protesters blocked entry to Iraq’s main commodities port again on Monday while schools and government offices in many southern cities were shut in response to calls for a general strike. Protesters are demanding the overthrow of a political class seen as corrupt and beholden to foreign interests. Unsatisfied by government …

“The new draft electoral law sent by the government to the House of Representatives contains many advantages and meets the demands that call for the independence of the Commission and the amendment of the electoral system,” Prime Minister Dr. Asifa Moussa’s press office said Sunday. “The new law guarantees the …

The British government and military have been accused of covering up the killing of civilians by British forces in Afghanistan and Iraq. British investigators have found “credible” new evidence of war crimes committed by British soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a BBC and Sunday Times investigation with 11 …

Iraq closed its southern Shalamcheh border crossing with Iran to travelers from both countries on Saturday, an Iraqi security source and an Iranian diplomat said. The security source said Tehran had demanded the closure because of ongoing public protests in both Iran and Iraq. The border would remain shut until …

Sixty-six Iraqi security officers have been put on trial over the excessive use of force in dispersing protesters, government spokesman Saad Hadisi, said. On Thursday, the spokesman said that “1,600 demonstrators arrested for participating in protests have been released and 66 security officers faced trial”. Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul …

In the name of of Allah the Merciful Once again the supreme religious authority explains its position on the current protests calling for reform, among other things: First: Supporting the protests and affirming their commitment to their peacefulness and free from any form of violence, condemning the attack on peaceful …

Iraqi forces carried out an operation to destroy a hideout for the Islamic State (IS) in southwest Kirkuk province on Wednesday, killing at least three terrorists after a confrontation broke out. According to local security sources, the operation was carried out in the Mabazili area outside Hawija (some 55 kilometers …

The spokesman of the Ministry of Interior described the security situation in Baghdad and the provinces on Wednesday, as calm, pointing out that there are no significant violations so far, according to al- Iraqiya News Agency. The spokesman of the Ministry of Interior revealed the circumstances of the attack on …

Basra police chief Lieutenant General, Rashid Fuleih said that the security situation in the province is stable, unlike the rest of the other Iraqi provinces, pointing out that the situation is calm in front of all the people of the city and the evidence is the movement of vehicles and …

Iraqi police forces in Nineveh province on Tuesday arrested four alleged Islamic State terrorists in the city of Mosul, local authorities said. Mosul has been relatively stable since Iraqi forces regained control of the city about two years ago—although some Islamic State attacks have taken place amid worries by local …

Iraqi demonstrations have gripped much of the country, but the streets in the Kurdish region have been calm. When in early October Joseph Salio received a phone call from a group of students in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI) asking him to help organize a demonstration in solidarity with …

Iraqi security forces carried out an operation against the Islamic State (IS) near Mosul, north of Iraq, during which they killed at least 14 jihadists. According to Iraq’s state-owned news agency, the operation was conducted in the remote areas south of Mosul, Nineveh province. Other reports claimed also that 13 …

Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani is concerned the political elite is not serious about enacting promised reforms to defuse mass unrest and believes protesters will not go home without concrete steps to realize their demands, a senior U.N. official said. The government has been unable to find an answer to the …