Washington Sanctions Leader of Iran-backed Iraqi Militia
The United States labelled Ahmad al-Hamidawi, secretary general of Kataib Hezbollah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist yesterday and imposed sanctions on the leader of the Iran-backed Iraqi militia (U.S. State Department)
Iraq’s New Prime Minister Forms Cabinet
Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mohammed Allawi announced he will seek a vote of confidence for his chosen cabinet next week. Former Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi, who resigned in November but continues to serve in a caretaker capacity, said he would quit the role if Allawi’s government failed to win support by March 2 (Reuters)
Iraq Approves Continued Presence of NATO Forces
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the Iraqi government had authorized the coalition to remain in the country to continue to train and equip local security forces (Associated Press)
Seven Killed in Attack on Protestors in Iraq
Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr assaulted a camp of anti-government demonstrators in the city of Najaf, killing seven people. Sadr’s followers initially supported the demonstrations against the government in Baghdad, but defected from the opposition following their agreement to back newly appointed Prime Minister Mohammad Allawi (Agence France-Press)
Iraq Appoints New Prime Minister
Iraqi President Barham Salih appointed Mohammed Allawi prime minister on Saturday. Allawi, a former communications minister, will have one month to form a government. Anti-government protesters demonstrated against his appointment, demanding a complete overhaul of the political establishment (Al Jazeera)
Joint Operations Targeting Islamic State Resume in Iraq
Joint U.S.-Iraq operations against the Islamic State have resumed after a pause following the U.S. killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani (Washington Post)
Three Rockets Hit U.S. Embassy in Iraq
A rocket attack hit the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, injuring one person, according to a U.S. official (CNN)
Hundreds of Thousands Protest U.S. Presence in Iraq
Hundreds of thousands of people demanded an end to the U.S. presence in Iraq at a march in Baghdad called for by prominent Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr (CNN)
Five Protestors Killed in Iraq
Five people were killed in a fresh round of anti-government protests, medical and security sources said (Al Jazeera)
Operations Resume Targeting Islamic State in Iraq
Joint operations between the Iraqi military and the United States targeting the Islamic State resumed yesterday, after a ten-day pause (New York Times)
Iraqi Air Base Targeted in Rocket Attack
A rocket attack on an air base outside Baghdad that hosts U.S. forces killed four Iraqi service members, security officials said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack (Associated Press)
Iraq Votes to Begin Process of Expelling U.S. Forces
Blowback to the United States’ killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad now includes a decision by Iraq’s parliament to work toward ending all foreign troop presence in the country (CNN)
NATO advisors are set to hold an emergency meeting today after Iraq’s vote on troop expulsion, and the U.S. Department of Defense announced it was pausing its operations in Iraq against the Islamic State (U.S. Defense Department)
U.S. Monitoring Baghdad Embassy After Protesters Withdraw
Around 750 troops U.S. troops were ordered to deploy to Kuwait and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delayed a trip to Ukraine in order to monitor the situation at the U.S. embassy compound in Baghdad, where protesters withdrew after storming its outer walls on Tuesday (Associated Press)
Many of the protesters were members of Iran-backed militias denouncing U.S. airstrikes on the Kata’ib Hezbollah militant group, and they withdrew on militia leaders’ orders (New York Times)
Iraqi Protesters Storm U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
Protesters denouncing U.S. strikes on the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hezbollah militant group attempted to break into the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, prompting security personnel to fire tear gas and stun grenades (CNN)
The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and other staff were evacuated from the embassy (Reuters)
Iraq’s government said the U.S. air strikes forced it to review its security partnership with the United States (Wall Street Journal)
U.S. Targets Iran-Backed Militia in Iraq, Syria
U.S. forces carried out air strikes against the Kata’ib Hezbollah Shiite militant group in Iraq and Syria in response to a Friday attack that killed a U.S. civilian contractor and wounded four U.S. troops (Wall Street Journal)
The Iran-backed militia said the strikes killed at least twenty-five fighters, and one of its former commanders promised a “very tough” response against U.S. forces in Iraq (Reuters)
Iraq’s Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi called the strikes a dangerous escalation, while Iran’s foreign ministry condemned them as terrorist acts (Guardian)
Iraq’s President Threatens to Quit Amid Protests
President Barham Salih said he would resign rather than approve an Iran-backed candidate for prime minister who has been rejected by protesters in month-long anti-government demonstrations (Associated Press)
Iraq’s protest movement, which led to the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi earlier this month, calls for new political leaders without ties to the current establishment (Agence France-Presse)
Following the nomination by the parliamentary bloc of mostly Iran-backed lawmakers, a rival bloc said it would not put forth its own candidate (Financial Times)
U.S. Mission in Iraq Plans Scale-Down
The U.S. Mission in Iraq plans to reduce its staff by nearly 30 percent by the end of May, according to plans sent to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The majority of personnel cuts will be to State Department positions, but the Defense Department and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) also plan to reduce staff (Foreign Policy)
Assailants Target Iraqi Protesters, Cleric
Unidentified gunmen opened fire on unarmed anti-government protesters in Baghdad, killing a dozen people and wounding about one hundred others. Hours later, a drone bombed the home of a prominent cleric who supports the protest movement. Iraq’s president blamed criminal gangs for the attack on protesters (New York Times)
Iraqi Prime Minister Resigns
Iraq’s parliament has approved the resignation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi. Abdul-Mahdi announced his departure on Friday following renewed violence in which security forces reportedly killed at least forty-five protesters (Washington Post)
Scores Killed, Consulate Burned in Iraq Protests
Clashes between anti-government protestors and security forces continued across Iraq today, with more than forty demonstrators killed (BBC)
Protestors also attacked and set fire to the Iranian Consulate in the city of Najaf (Washington Post)
Clashes in Iraq Kill At Least Six
At least six people were killed and dozens more wounded in clashes over the weekend between anti-government protesters and security forces, according to Iraq’s human rights commission (Al Jazeera)
Three More Protestors Killed in Iraq
At least three more anti-government protestors were killed and nearly thirty others wounded today in clashes with Iraqi security forces (Associated Press)
Seven Killed, Scores Injured in Iraq Demonstrations
Iraqi security forces fired live rounds and tear gas, killing at least seven protesters and wounding nearly eighty others. Medical sources claim the deaths were caused by both bullets and the impact of tear gas canisters fired directly at the heads of protesters (Reuters)
Report Details Pervasive Iranian Influence in Iraqi Affairs
Leaked intelligence cables from 2014–15 detail vast Iranian influence in Iraq, including yearslong efforts to co-opt the country’s leadership, according to a new report by the New York Times and the Intercept (New York Times)
Iraq’s Military Bans Live Fire Against Protesters
A top Iraqi military official said that security forces have been ordered not to use live ammunition on protesters as the country’s human rights commission reported at least three people were killed demonstrations yesterday. On Tuesday, a UN spokesperson condemned reported human rights violations by security forces (Al Jazeera)