World Feb 2, 2022
Islamic State group hits back, aided by power vacuum in Iraq and Syria
by John Davison
Years after the group lost its grip on the area, Islamic State fighters are re-emerging, thriving on the lack of central control.
World Dec 28, 2021
Iran seeks to cool tensions in Iraq
by John Davison, Ahmed Rasheed and Bozorgmehr Sharafedin
Iran is intervening in Iraq to quell destabilizing internal unrest stirred up by Iranian-backed militias as Tehran seeks to preserve its deep influence in the country.
World / Politics Sep 26, 2021
'Apathy and despair' seep through Baghdad ahead of Iraq's October election
"The only people who vote are those who've been promised a job, or people who vote for someone close to them or from their tribe," said a 30-year-old economics graduate.
World / Social Issues Jan 28, 2020
Violence escalates in Iraq as government pushes to end protests; rockets hit U.S. Embassy
Gunmen shot dead two protesters in Iraq's southern city of Nassiriya overnight and a Baghdad district became a battlefield on the third day of a drive by security forces to end months of demonstrations against the largely Iran-backed ruling elite. Clashes over the weekend had ...
World / Crime & Legal Jan 6, 2020
Mike Pompeo defends U.S. killing of Iranian general as Democrats ask 'Why now?'
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday defended President Donald Trump's decision to kill Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, as Democratic lawmakers questioned whether the action was justified and the United States braced for retaliation. Democrats in Congress said it was not clear why the ...
World Jan 3, 2020
One reported killed, several wounded as Katyusha rockets fall on Baghdad airport premises
Three Katyusha rockets fell on Baghdad International Airport, the military-run Security Media Cell said in a statement early on Friday. The rockets landed near the air cargo terminal, burning two vehicles and injuring several people, Security Media Cell said. At least one person was killed and ...
World Jan 3, 2020
U.S. sees signs Iran or its allies may be planning attacks: Pentagon chief
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said on Thursday that there were indications Iran or the forces it backs may be planning additional attacks and said it was possible the United States might have to take preemptive action to protect American lives. "There are some indications ...
World Jan 2, 2020
Iran-backed paramilitary forces in Iraq under focus after U.S. strikes
The most powerful paramilitary groups in Iraq: Kataeb Hezbollah Formed in 2003 after the U.S.-led invasion, the secretive Iran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah (Battalions of the Party of God) is one of the smallest Iranian-backed militias in Iraq, with an estimated 5,000 members. But it is considered one ...
World Jan 2, 2020
Supporters of Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary groups who stormed the U.S. Embassy's perimeter and hurled rocks in two days of protests withdrew on Wednesday after Washington dispatched extra troops and threatened reprisals against Tehran. The demonstrators, angry at U.S. airstrikes against the Tehran-backed Kataeb Hezbollah group ...
World Jan 1, 2020
U.S. to send Marines to besieged Iraq embassy as Trump blames Iran for attack
U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Iran on Tuesday for "orchestrating" an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad and said he would hold Tehran responsible, as officials said more Marines were expected to be sent to the mission. "Iran killed an American contractor, wounding many. ...
World Dec 12, 2019
A senior U.S. military official said on Wednesday attacks by Iranian-backed groups on bases hosting U.S. forces in Iraq were gathering pace and becoming more sophisticated, pushing all sides closer to an uncontrollable escalation. His warning came two days after four Katyusha rockets struck a ...
World / Social Issues Nov 6, 2019
Iraqi forces shoot dead 13 protesters in renewed crackdown on unrest
Iraqi security forces shot dead at least 13 protesters in the past 24 hours, dispensing with weeks of relative restraint in favour of trying to stamp out demonstrations against political parties that control the government. After eight people were killed during the day on Monday, ...