Kurdish PDKI Peshmerga commander is assassinated

A Peshmerga commander affiliated to the PDKI (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan), identified as Qadir Qadiri, was found dead on Wednesday in a village near the Kudish/Iranian border. The IPDK has claimed that Qadiri was assassinated by the Iranian government. Qadiri’s body was found in the village of Hartal according to Ibrahim Zewayee who is head of the […]

US Army Admits it Mishandled War Dogs and Will Comply With Reforms

The dogs who serve ably and bravely among U.S. and coalition troops in war-torn areas of Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria and other places are not being treated with any respect once they return home. The Army confirmed an Inspector General’s report that it mishandled war dogs and vowed to comply with recommendations in the DOD report […]

Iraq contemplates acquiring Russian S-400 air defense missile systems

The Iraqi government has just purchased a large order of Russian T-90 tanks but is now eyeballing their S-400 air defense missile systems as well. The Foreign Minister for Iraq, Ibrahim al-Jaafari, who made a recent trip to Russia stated, “The issue is being studied in every detail. All necessary decisions aimed at strengthening Iraq will be made […]

Car bomb in Kurdistan severely injures 2 Peshmerga

A bomb exploded in Erbil, Kurdistan yesterday around 4:00 pm local time in what appears to be a targeted attack. The bomb was placed under the chassis of a car belonging to two Peshmerga from PDKI (Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan) and was detonated remotely. The Peshmerga injured were a father and son and remain […]

Six people freeze to death on the Turkish border

Human trafficking is a big business in Kurdistan, the travel ban and continual state of chaos that the Kurdish region finds itself in are motivation enough for people to want to flee the “country”. Smuggling is a booming business and the men who facilitate these activities are always on hand. In terms of Iraqi Kurdistan […]

Kurdistan flight ban gets extended

An international flight ban (local flights are unaffected) in Kurdistan was put in place by the Iraqi government shortly after the Kurdish referendum vote for independence. The Iraqi government backed proxy forces of Hasdt al-Shaabi and the Iranian PMU militias had just taken control of Kirkuk as well. In a way, the airport ban was […]

US Must Counter Russia, China in Middle East After Defeat of ISIS

With the defeat of Islamic State, both Russia and China are attempting to grow their influence across the Middle East, adding to the growing concerns for the United States, the commanding general of Central Command said on Tuesday. Gen. Joseph Votel, head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), described an array of steps those “great power” […]

United States releases Peshmerga salaries to the KRG

According to the Kurdish Regional government’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Peshmerga, Jabar Yawar, the United States has begun paying the Peshmerga’s monthly salaries with an allocated fund of $365 million. Yawar told local media during a press release, “This year, the US will assist the Peshmerga with $365 million contribution. It’s expected these funds […]

Iraq is ranked among the world’s most corrupt countries

Transparency International is a Berlin based organization that has bestowed upon Iraq a corruption ranking of 169th out of 180 different countries. The report was filed yesterday and it comes as no surprise given Iraq’s propensity for extortion on any given level of authority or government. Turkey was ranked 81, Iran was 130, and Syria […]

Iraq declares intentions for Kurdistan flight ban.

Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told press that he will only lift the flight ban for Kurdistan if the conditions put forth are met. He said, “If the conditions are met, I will open [the airports] tomorrow. If the conditions are not met, they will not be opened in five years or even 10 years. I […]

Hasdt al-Shaabi combats remnants of ISIS

On Sunday Hasdt al-Shaabi forces began anti-terror operations in southwest Kirkuk, where they engaged a substantial force of Islamic State fighters. In the course of the battle, 27 Hasdt al-Shaabi were killed or captured in the province of Hawija over the span of several days. The operation was in an effort to combat known ISIS […]

Kurdish PUK plans restructuring of party

In an effort to create a inclusive structuring for the newest generation of Kurds, the PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan) is planning a major overhaul of their political party. Plans to overhaul the party were proposed in light of the upcoming congress to be held among its members. On Thursday acting head of the PUK, […]