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ISHM: February 7 – February 14, 2019

Countries
Iraq
Sources
EPIC
Publication date
Origin
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Key Takeaways:

  • **Iraqi Politicians Debate Future of U.S. Forces in Iraq and Ties with Iran –**On February 11, Nassar al-Rubaie, a Sadrist official, and Hadi al-Ameri, the head of the Fatah Alliance, announced in a joint press conference an agreement between the two Shi’ite blocs on the need to remove foreign forces from Iraq. On February 12, United States Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan landed in Baghdad to discuss possible continued U.S. military presence in Iraq with Iraqi officials. On February 13, Abdul Amir al-Mayahi, a Member of Parliament for the Fatah Coalition, claimed that U.S. troops crossed the border into Iraq without providing prior to notification to the Iraqi government, thus breaching the Strategic Framework Agreement between the United States and Iraq. On February 13, the Iraqi Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the Islamic Azad University in Iran signed a cooperation agreement concerning scientific research, including agreed to exchange researchers and scholarships. On February 14, al-Sumaria reported that the Iraqi parliament will hold a hearing at the start of the second legislative term regarding the presence of foreign forces in Iraq. more…

  • Iraqi Officials Meet Foreign Counterparts; Budgetary Allocations to Iraq’s Provinces Revealed; KDP and PUK Negotiate Common Positions – On February 8, the French defense minister, Florence Parly, met with President Barham Salih to discuss strengthening Iraqi-French relations and the continuing fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS). On February 11, the allocations of the 2019 budget for each Iraqi province were revealed. The province with the largest share of the budget is Baghdad, followed by Basra, Babil, Karbala, Dhi Qar, Diyala, Diwaniya, Najaf, Wasit, Maysan, Anbar, Salah ad-Din and Ninewa. On February 12, United Kingdom International Trade Minister William Fox wrote to Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi that the U.K. is willing to help resolve the water crisis in Basra province. On February 13, Iraqi Speaker of Parliament Mohammed Halbusi met with the Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. On February 13, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) stated that it would like to sign an agreement with the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) to unify their position on a series of matters. more…

  • Militant Attacks Continue to Plague Iraq; Security Forces Target ISIS and Fake PMU – On February 8, militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) killed three young men in the Makhoul mountains in the Salah ad-Din province. On February 9, a roadside bomb killed two Iraqi soldiers in the Hit, a western city in the Anbar province. On February 11, the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office reported that ISIS remains a threat and continues to develop a global network of supporters. On February 11, Kurdistan 24 reported Iraqi security forces rescued six Yazidi women and their children during a “sting operation” targeting ISIS members. On February 12, the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) reported that headquarters in Baghdad belonging to militant groups claiming affiliation to the PMF have been closed. On February 14, Iraqi security forces succeeded in freeing 30 civilians held by ISIS during an operation in the Salah ad-Din province. On February 14, an IED explosion in Samarra in southern Salah al-Din province killed eight members of the Saraya al-Salam militia. On February 14, a roadside bomb explosion in northern Salah al-Din province killed the director of the explosives control unit in the Salah al-Din police force, Colonel Ghaleb al-Duri. more…

  • Some IDPs Return Home, but Durable Solutions Lacking for 1.8 Million Still Displaced – On February 9, the Ministry of Displacement and Migration announced the closure of a camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the Lailan district of Kirkuk, following the return of 402 IDPs to their homes in the Hawija district. On February 10, the Ministry of Displacement and Migration reported that 109 internally displaced families returned to their homes in the Qa’im district in Anbar province from camps in al-’Ameriya and Fallujah. On February 11, Shafaaq News reported that many Iraqi Christians from the Northern Iraqi town of Bartella, Ninewa Province, fear returning home. On February 12, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released a update showing that they have supported about 155,000 displaced people and refugees during the winter by providing aid and financial grants. On February 12, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) released a study they conducted on durable solutions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Iraq. The study follows 4,000 displaced families living outside of camps; these families were interviewed at different stages of displacement to encourage more strategic solutions to the issues they face. On February 13, Rudaw reported that many Christians in Iraq are returning to live in camps for the displaced because of destruction, lack of livelihood opportunities and aid in their places of origin. more…

  • Budget Insufficient to Cover Food Rations; Sweden Increases Support for Mine Clearing; Hilla Prison Overcrowded – On February 9, Iraq’s Ministry of Trade announced that it cannot continue to provide food rations to Iraq’s population due to insufficient funds for the program in Iraq’s 2019 budget. On February 10, the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS) received approximately USD 8.3 million from the Swedish government to make headway in the Mine Action Strategy announced by the office last week. On February 10, the independent Iraqi Commission for Human Rights announced that the central prison in Hilla in overcrowded after visiting the facility. more…

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.