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Home » Ever wonder what’s happening in Iraq these days?

Ever wonder what’s happening in Iraq these days?

The New Neo Posted on by

Austin Bay tells you:

After four months of vote recounts and bitter negotiations following May’s indecisive election, in September Iraq’s strife-ridden Council of Representatives voted to form the nucleus of a stable government when its parliamentarians agreed to select Barham Salih as president…

The three main posts are still distributed according to an ethnic-sectarian formula. The largely ceremonial Iraqi presidency has been reserved for a Kurd and Salih is a Kurd. Adel Abdul Mahdi, in the prime minister’s power position, is a Shiite Muslim Arab. The Speaker of the Council of Representatives is Mohammed al-Halbousi, a Sunni Muslim Arab.

All three have flaws and possess complex political backgrounds, but then Iraq is a complex place. Iraqi media regard Salih and Abdul-Mahdi as “consensus” political leaders, meaning they have worked with almost everyone.

When Iraq is relatively quiet, that’s a good thing. It’s been relatively quiet lately, as far as I can tell. Good.

Here’s an article from last March, not long before the election:

Iraq has defeated IS [ISIS] and avoided the wave of Shia-on-Sunni violence that many predicted would follow. The number of civilians killed each month in fighting is a fraction of what it was in 2014. The government in Baghdad saw off a premature Kurdish push for independence last year. Oil production is up and the state has money. The power of foreigners, including Iran and America, has diminished as Iraqi politicians have learnt how to play one off against the others. In six weeks Iraq will hold an election, affirming its status as the only Arab democracy east of Tunisia.

Good.

Comments

Ever wonder what’s happening in Iraq these days? — 24 Comments

  1. The history of the artificial states made up from fragments of the failed Ottoman Empire without proper borders to separate old enemies according ethnic and religious identities does not support optimism. Syria, Lebanon, Yugoslavia all made analogous attempts to divide positions of power within a single state – and all ended in bloody civil wars. Every time when nationalism challenges democracy, nationalism wins. This does not mean that these ideologies can not peacefully coexist, but when they are engaged in conflict, democracy is doomed.

  2. Per Iraq Body Count, there were just north of 3,700 civilian deaths during the period running from 1 Oct. 2017 to 30 Sept. 2017, the quietest 12 month period since Feb. 2003. They haven’t published the regional death tolls for 2017 or 2018 yet. In 2016, there were about 11,000 deaths in provinces with ISIS contingents and 5,300 deaths in provinces outside the ISIS zone of occupation. Of those 5,300 deaths, < 2% were in the three Kurdish provinces up north and < 4% were in the eight Shi'ite provinces in the southern part of the country. ISIS or no, the violence has been concentrated where you have a critical mass of Sunni Arabs. About 45% of the population lives in the quiet provinces.

  3. affirming its status as the only Arab democracy east of Tunisia.

    Iraq has electoral and parliamentary institutions. However it is still suffering. N.B. Lebanon, Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain have competitive electoral institutions as well (and are not suffering as Iraq does).

  4. Art Deco:

    I assume he means full democracy, not just with some democratic institutions. For example, Lebanon is classed as a “hybrid regime,” meaning “Hybrid regimes are nations where consequential irregularities exist in elections regularly preventing them from being fair and free.”

  7. Neo What’s good about Iraq?

    The US handed Iraq to Iran, A lot of Militia controlled and followed Iran orders directed by Qassim Sulimani (The Shadow Commander) according to reports who met with US officials few times inside Iraq.

    In another story, Adel Abdul Mahadi a new PM he is Iran’s proxy was In Iran fighting Iraq??

    Another Iranian man Hadi Alamiry who were fighting with Iranina in 1980 Iraq –Iran war , in the vedio he said (@1:30) we follow Imam Khomieni.

  9. Biden voted for the Iraq war. Clinton’s vote for the war was perhaps the single most important reason she ultimately lost the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 to Barack Obama. Both Biden and Clinton have since said it was a mistake to trust President Bush to conduct the war effectively.

    Joe Biden is no savior for progressives

  10. The US handed Iraq to Iran,

    In your imagination only. Iran has influence over some Shia parties, and that’s it.

  11. The second Iraq war was a conclusion to the first Iraq war after a decade of unproductive, but profitable, isolation and waiting. Hopefully, they have now managed to secure their nation, and others that region, after a decade of instability.

  12. Art Deco

    Let not talking about our imagination…

    Do your homework, go to south iraq citys and you find by yourselfe the reality.

  13. Do your homework, go to south iraq citys and you find by yourselfe the reality.

    I hate four-flushers.

  14. People want democracy in Iraq while criticizing Democrats for making the US more of a democracy…

    The US handed Iraq to Iran

    Just like Americans handed the election to Putin and Russia… hilarious American / Western “logick” there.

  16. Art Deco
    With all due respect, if you were unhappy with my wording the reality on the ground telling the truth more clearly than your “imagination”.

    After 2003 Shock & Awe war and after 35 years under the tyrant regime, presumably, that Shock & Awe war designed and the goal of it to make Iraqi can’t think in the right way or feel, they living freedom scenarios for 16 years as the US having Iranian-Proxy in power which now they are demonstrating to revoke them.

    After 16 years of corruption and uncontrolled Militias with Iran domination on their country despite they are Shia ‘at but they are nor Iran’s lover neither Iran’s mullah regime followers.
    Three months passed with Iraqi demonstrating peacefully in Al-Tahrir Square Centre of Baghdad city demanding their country, service and jobs.
    I don’t except you following those “bad “news…..

    Now From Baghdad to Najaf & Karbala (The of Shia’t ‘s Religious heartland) to Dewaniya, Samawah Babylon, Basra & Masan all these cities demonstrating against corruptions, bad Services Iran proxy, and Millais and Iran domination of their country.

    So looks you need to ask others. Hope this will makes yo to do” your homework “ by searching for truth rather blame me for my imaginations and my wordings
    Thank you

    https://twitter.com/firasalsarrai
    https://twitter.com/ALiDabDab13
    https://twitter.com/Gomaro_iraqi888
    Najaf City Demands: https://twitter.com/i/status/1208825963632644098

  18. With all due respect, if you were unhappy with my wording the reality on the ground telling the truth more clearly than your “imagination”.

    You’ve been stewing over this exchange for 14 months?

  19. ArtDeco:

    Get a clue, He called out your BS, better late than never. Humility, try it for a change?

  24. Balsam@M_Balsam
    3:21 PM – 22 Dec 2019

    “We don’t want a tail of any embassy
    We don’t want a leader who is Jaafari (Shia),
    Yet turn to be Sarsary (corrupt/immoral)
    We want an honourable politician
    We no longer care about any religion”

    https://twitter.com/M_Balsam

    My attempt to translate some of today’s chants in great Nasiriyah.

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