Key Takeaway: Iraq's Federal Court will issue an important ruling on May 25 that could have a major impact on the political crisis. The issues at stake are the legitimacy of Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi's ministerial appointments and the speakership of the Council of Representatives. Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a driver of the political party that has raised
Read MoreContinued bombings could bring a devastating flood of sectarian attacks to Baghdad and delay the battle for Mosul, so the coalition should help Iraqis address the capital's longstanding vulnerability. More than 100 people were killed on Wednesday in three separate attacks in Baghdad, with more than 165 wounded. The most devastating bombing, in Sadr City's Urayba Market
Read MoreIraqi Kurdish leader calls for redrawing regional borders—and attacks fellow Kurds Suheil, Iraq—A century after Britain and France drew their famous line in the sand, dividing the Middle East into zones of influence, the leader of one of the region’s few oases of stability, Iraqi Kurdistan, says it’s time to replace artificial with “natural” borders according to national ide
Read MoreWater injection scheme now not expected to be completed before 2020 BAGHDAD—A stalled project aimed at sustaining Iraq’s record oil production has become a symbol of missed opportunities for a country reeling from the fall in crude prices and the war against Islamic State. The government has ramped up production to meet its large payroll and fund the battle against the Sunn
Read MoreFor the past decade the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had established what ended up being a false sense of financial security. The KRG economy has been chronically dependent on oil revenues, be it coming from Baghdad or through independent oil sales. The pre-2014 economic boom resulted from high oil prices; however the KRG’s economic security was quickly shaken by the
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