government

Syrian Kurds attempt to stimulate their economy through oil trade

In northern Syria the economy is struggling in the wake of the Islamic State war, the Kurds of Rojava have resorted to the oil trade to stimulate it. You would think it is doing well by appearances, oil tanker trucks line the highways there. Their haul of oil has been gathered from the oil fields […]

OPCW currently testing for evidence of chemical weapon use in Syria

An evidence gathering mission held in Douma, Syria by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) was completed this week. This was only the first part of their investigation but was still a big step in discovering if chemical weapons were used there or not. The OPCW announced that at the end of […]

Voting in Iraq to be done electronically

Iraq has adopted a new electronic system for voting this election and President Fuad Masum is confident it will prevent potential voter fraud. The old system was arguably vulnerable to external manipulation on multiple levels throughout the voting process. President Masum told local press that, “When it is manual, an extension of one hour [for voting] might […]

Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution and CTG director Lahur Talabani

Controversy over the proposal of Article 140 to the Iraqi constitution continues, as Kurdish leaders push to renew efforts towards Kurdish independence. Article 140 would give the Kurdish Regional Government the ability to reacquire disputed territories lost during the previous referendum. Lahur Talabani, who leads the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s CTG (Counter Terror Group), addressed […]

UN Security Council set to meet in Iraq following elections

The council will be sending 15 delegates to Iraq in support of the upcoming parliamentary elections. The meeting is scheduled to be held sometime this month. Holland’s ambassador to the U.N. spoke to local press while visiting the U.N. in New York, he confirmed the meeting would be in an effort by the U.N. to […]

Iran protests continue as government cracks down

Iran has been plagued with nationwide protests since last December as its citizens continue to demand fundamental rights from the government. Recently, Iran has banned the use of Telegram — a secure messaging app — to block communication and collaboration efforts by protesters. This has led to activists relying on more creative methods to get […]

Committee formed to investigate ethnic cleansing in Kirkuk

When the city of Kirkuk changed hands between the Peshmerga and Hashd al-Shaabi militants last October, many residents fled their homes as looting and murder began. Now, order has been somewhat restored by Iraqi security forces but these same displaced citizens believe they cannot return home. An investigative committee has been established by the central […]

KDP says they will fight for Kurdistan’s independence

Kurdistan’s current Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, is making some rousing statement amidst the current parliament electoral race in the region. In a campaign speech Barzani told supporters that, “The Democratic Party of Kurdistan agrees thoroughly with the right of self-determination, here, in Baghdad, or any place in the world. The KDP will struggle for it and seek […]

Korea contributes to Kurdistan government modernization

The Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) met with the Kurdistan Regional Government in Erbil last week to sign a memorandum. The memorandum was titled “Modernization of the Public Procurement System in the Kurdistan Region, Iraq.” The directer of KOICA, Ra Kapchae, met with the Minister of Planning, Dr. Ali Sindi, to sign the document. A statement from the […]

SDF now fighting Syrian regime in southern Rojava

The Syrian Democratic Forces stationed near Deir ez-Zor, a city on the border of Syrian regime territory and not far from the Iraqi border, have been engaged by President Bashar al-Assad’s Syrian regime government forces along with supporting militia elements. Based on conflict monitor, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, findings so far 6 SDF soldiers […]

US may send ISIS fighter to foreign country to face trial

An American Islamic State militant that was captured by the Syrian Democratic Forces last year and is currently being held in Iraq by the United States military. He has a dual U.S./Saudi Arabian citizenship but will most likely not face a trial stateside. Court documents that had previously been redacted were unsealed this week disclosing […]

Iraq begins airstrikes in Syria against ISIS

This past week the Iraqi Air Force began carrying out coordinated air strikes on Islamic State positions in Syria alongside the Syrian government. A Tweet from the Iraqi Air Force read, “Based on the orders from Abadi, the commander-in-chief, our air forces by using F-16s bombarded ISIS terrorists’ positions in Syria on the border with Iraq on […]