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Rudaw Net
21-04-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraq showcases locally made surveillance drones at defense expo in Baghdad
Also in Iraq Iraqi Shiite politicians at odds over Sharaa's visit to Baghdad KRG, Iraqi officials meet with oil companies to discuss restarting Kurdish oil exports From Russia to Jordan, cultural performances dazzle in Babil Congo-Crimean fever kills two in Kirkuk A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's Defense Industries Commission (DIC) exhibited domestically produced drones during a two-day security and defense exhibition in Baghdad to bolster border surveillance and internal security. 'We have started building drones used for surveillance,' DIC Chairman Mustafa Aati told Rudaw during the second day of the event on Sunday. The drone weighs 60 kilograms, has a wingspan of 4.8 meters, and can fly at distances between one to three kilometers. It can remain airborne for five to six hours, cover a range of around 80 kilometers, and be deployed within 20 minutes. 'We also have contracts with security agencies to increase it [drone production], which will be made use of for border surveillance and internal security,' he added. 'We have the right to build drones within the framework of the objectives that the security forces need.' Around 150 domestic and international companies participated in the exhibition. Among them, Iran displayed a range of drones and both heavy and light weapons, expressing readiness to expand support for Iraq. According to Iranian political and security analyst Amir Mousavi, who spoke to Rudaw at the event, Iran's participation signals that it has 'opened the door to providing assistance with all its military and security capabilities, especially in the areas of border security, electronic issues, and the supply of drones, to control sensitive and remote areas on the border, as well as desert and mountainous regions." In late March, the DIC announced it had saved $700 million over the past two years by manufacturing weapons and ammunition locally, reducing reliance on imports. In September 2019, Iraq's legislature passed a bill to establish the DIC with aims of expanding military production. Iraq's interior minister last September showcased the first batch of domestically produced armored vehicles manufactured by the commission. Halkawt Aziz contributed to this report.
Rudaw Net
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi Shiite politicians at odds over Sharaa's visit to Baghdad
Also in Iraq KRG, Iraqi officials meet with oil companies to discuss restarting Kurdish oil exports From Russia to Jordan, cultural performances dazzle in Babil Congo-Crimean fever kills two in Kirkuk Mining is a potential '$16 trillion' industry in Iraq: Official A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran-aligned politicians and armed groups in Iraq have expressed strong opposition to the potential participation of Syria's interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa in an upcoming Arab League summit, set to be held in Baghdad in May. They argue that there is an outstanding arrest warrant against Sharaa in Iraq due to his former ties to al-Qaeda. The Islamic Dawa Party stated on Sunday that 'the blood of Iraqis is not cheap so that those who shed it or violated its sanctity would be invited or welcomed in Baghdad.' Of note, former prime minister and senior member of the Shiite-led Coordination, Nouri al-Maliki, was reelected as the Dawa Party's secretary-general last week. The party's remarks came after Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani held the first of its kind meeting with Sharaa in Qatar on Thursday. The meeting came as Baghdad is set to host the 34th Arab League Summit on May 17. During his participation at the Sulaimani Forum on Wednesday, Sudani confirmed that Sharaa had been invited to attend the key summit, however, his participation remains uncertain. In its Sunday statement, the Dawa party additionally drew comparisons between Sharaa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over core crimes under international law. 'An approach similar [to that of the ICC] must be adopted in Iraq toward those who have committed heinous crimes against its people,' the Dawa Party noted, adding that the issue is a matter of 'respect for Iraqi blood and the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the dignity and honor of this nation.' For his part, Qais al-Khazali, leader of the Iran-allied Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq armed group and another senior official from the Shiite-led Coordination Framework, on Saturday warned against Sharaa's 'premature' visit to Iraq. The US-sanctioned figure also cautioned that the visit would 'lead to consequences, if the law is enforced and he [Sharaa] is arrested by security forces.' Likewise, Abu Ali al-Askari, spokesperson for Kata'ib Hezbollah, another Iran-allied armed group, said on Saturday that the Arab summit "would surely not be cancelled over the absence' of Sharaa. Askari notably referred to the Syrian interim President by his former nom de guerre, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, which he seemingly abandoned after assuming his position. In a subtle rebuttal to the critics of Sharaa's visit to Iraq, National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji stated on Sunday that 'political work is not assessed by sharp slogans, but by its adherence to the constitutional framework, commitment to the public interest, and fostering awareness over reactions.' Sharaa came to power in late January after a coalition of opposition groups headed by the Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham he led, toppled the regime of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in early December. While Sharaa was congratulated on his appointment by the majority of Arab countries, Iraq notably withheld support, highlighting its cautious stance vis-a-vis the new leadership in Damascus as well as the potential influence of Iran-aligned groups in Baghdad. In a report it published in March, AFP cited several Iraqi security officials as confirming that an old arrest warrant for Sharaa remains in place from when he was a member of al-Qaeda. Around that same time, the Financial Times reported in March that Sharaa was arrested by US forces in Iraq in 2005 and imprisoned at multiple detention centers, including Abu Ghraib and Camp Bucca, west and south of Baghdad, respectively.
Rudaw Net
20-04-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
KRG, Iraqi officials meet with oil companies to discuss restarting Kurdish oil exports
Also in Iraq From Russia to Jordan, cultural performances dazzle in Babil Congo-Crimean fever kills two in Kirkuk Mining is a potential '$16 trillion' industry in Iraq: Official Sadr rejects Iraqi president's appeal to join elections A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Officials from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the Federal Government of Iraq and representatives of international oil companies (IOCs) operating in the Kurdistan Region met in Erbil on Saturday to discuss the resumption of Kurdish oil exports, a KRG official stated. The convening parties 'explored the possibility of resuming oil exports from the Kurdistan Region with oil companies, and the viewpoints of oil investment companies on the matter,' said Umed Sabah, president of the Diwan of Council of Ministers, in a post on X. However, a separate meeting that was set to be held in Baghdad on Saturday, between representatives of the Kurdistan Region's natural resources ministry, the Iraqi oil ministry and IOCs was postponed at Baghdad's request, Rudaw English has learned from a representative of an IOC operating in the Region. On the same day, an Iraqi Oil Ministry spokesperson, Abdulsahib al-Hasnawi, confirmed to Rudaw that the Saturday meeting would not be held. Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, Iraqi Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani had announced that 'a delegation from the Kurdistan Region's natural resources ministry would visit Baghdad on Saturday to complete the negotiation process' with his ministry on the resumption of Kurdish oil exports. 'We all hope to reach an agreement' to restart oil exports, the minister said. Kurdish oil exports, through Turkey's Ceyhan port, have been halted since March 2023. The suspension came after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad that Ankara had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to export oil independently. In February, the Iraqi parliament passed amendments to the federal budget law, authorizing $16 per barrel in production and transportation costs for IOCs. The step was seen as crucial to restarting Kurdish oil exports. The amended budget law also set a 60-day deadline for the Iraqi government and the KRG to establish an international consultancy body to assess those costs. Despite months of talks between Erbil, Baghdad, and IOCs, Kurdish oil exports have yet to resume. Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani stated on Wednesday that Erbil has suffered losses exceeding $23 billion since the suspension of oil exports.
