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Rudaw Net
08-04-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
US, Iraq move to enhance private sector ties amid new US tariffs hike
Also in Iraq Iraqi forces foil smuggling of 400,000 Captagon pills from Syria No significant barriers left to resume Kurdish oil exports: Baghdad Iraqi army, Peshmerga cooperate to upgrade Turkey border security Faili Kurds in Mandali lament neglect decades after genocide A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The US Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Iraqi Chambers of Commerce on Monday signed an agreement to enhance private sector cooperation between their countries, the US embassy in Baghdad said. This comes as Iraq is seeking to mitigate the impact of Washington's recent tariffs increase on a wide range of its goods. The US embassy described the memorandum of understanding as pivotal 'to strengthen ties between the US and Iraqi private sectors,' adding that 'this partnership will foster long-term economic collaboration' between the US and Iraq. For its part, the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Monday cited the US diplomatic mission to Baghdad as announcing that a delegation comprising '60 companies' from the US 'energy, health and technology sectors' arrived in Iraq. "This is the first trade mission approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce to Iraq and the largest U.S. business delegation to Iraq in the history of the Chamber," the embassy said, adding that the visit will last until Wednesday and will see the delegation 'meet with high-level Iraqi officials, engage with Iraqi companies, and sign several agreements." The efforts come as Iraq is looking to mitigate the impact of newly-implemented US tariffs through expanded sector partnerships and increased opportunities for American businesses, the office of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani stated on Saturday. On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump introduced what he described as 'reciprocal tariffs' in several countries, including Iraq. He argued that Baghdad imposes a 78 percent tariff on US goods, adding that Washington would respond with a 39 percent tariff on Iraqi products. However, Baghdad rejected those figures on Saturday, saying the US tariffs are linked to the broader trade imbalance between the two countries rather than to specific customs duties imposed by Iraq. Sudani's office explained that most US goods enter Iraq indirectly via 'third countries,' due to particular commercial practices by American companies. For his part, the Iraqi premier's financial advisor, Mazhar Mohammed Salih, on Thursday downplayed to Rudaw the potential impact of the tariffs, noting that they would have 'zero' effect as Iraq exports little to the US aside from oil and gas, which are exempt from the new measures.
Rudaw Net
07-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi forces foil smuggling of 400,000 Captagon pills from Syria
Also in Iraq No significant barriers left to resume Kurdish oil exports: Baghdad Iraqi army, Peshmerga cooperate to upgrade Turkey border security Faili Kurds in Mandali lament neglect decades after genocide Iraq releases 1,000 detainees under general amnesty law A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces thwarted an attempt to smuggle 400,000 Captagon pills across the Euphrates from Syria into Iraqi territory, the interior ministry announced on Monday. 'The operation was carried out using advanced thermal cameras, and the drugs were hidden inside tightly-sealed plastic jerry cans,' ministry spokesperson Miqdad Miri said in a statement. The narcotics were being smuggled from Syria's eastern Deir ez-Zor province, according to the statement. In mid-March, the Iraqi interior ministry announced the seizure of a truck packed with some 1,100 kilograms of Captagon pills coming from Syria towards Iraq through Turkey. Also in March, Iraq's narcotics control directorate reported that Baghdad has seized some 1.75 tons of illicit substances since the beginning of 2025 and made 2,000 arrests in the process. Three months prior, in December, the narcotics directorate revealed that a total of six tons and 183 kilograms of illicit drugs were seized in 2024, with 14,483 suspects arrested. Among these, 144 individuals have been sentenced to death for international drug smuggling, while 454 local dealers were sentenced to life in prison - a term of 20 years. Saad Maan, the head of Iraq's Security Media Cell, told Rudaw in February that drug trafficking is 'the most widespread crime' in Iraq, highlighting that Erbil and Baghdad are working jointly and with regional neighbours to address the issue. Maan also said that 'drugs are almost exclusively imported' into Iraq and that there have been 'failed attempts' to manufacture crystal methamphetamine and Captagon - the most commonly used types of psychotropic substances - within the country. The drug trade, especially Captagon, is a growing concern in the Middle East, including Iraq. Syria, under fallen dictator Bashar al-Assad, was a major source for the Captagon trade. The drug was one of the power cards used by the Assad regime for political leverage and his brother Maher is believed to have been largely behind the illegal business. With the collapse of his rule, observers have urged the international community to end the Captagon trade among the prerequisites for providing relief to the new Syria leadership.
Rudaw Net
07-04-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
No significant barriers left to resume Kurdish oil exports: Baghdad
Also in Iraq Iraqi army, Peshmerga cooperate to upgrade Turkey border security Faili Kurds in Mandali lament neglect decades after genocide Iraq releases 1,000 detainees under general amnesty law Iraqi PM lays out trade strategy to mitigate US tariffs A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq's oil ministry said on Monday that there are no major obstacles remaining to resume Kurdish oil exports via the Iraq-Turkey pipeline and only minor technical issues remain to be resolved between Erbil and Baghdad. 'The issue of restarting oil exports from the Kurdistan Region is tied to the interests of the people,' Iraqi oil ministry spokesperson Abdulsahib al-Hasnawi told Rudaw, adding that both Baghdad and Erbil are 'rushing' to resume exports and that 'they need to do so.' Oil exports from the Kurdistan Region through the Iraq-Turkey pipeline have been suspended since March 2023 after a Paris-based arbitration court ruled in favor of Baghdad against Ankara, saying the latter had violated a 1973 pipeline agreement by allowing Erbil to begin exporting oil independently in 2014. Despite ongoing talks between Erbil, Baghdad, Ankara, and oil producers - with added pressure from the United States - the exports remain stalled, with their suspension costing Iraq billions of dollars in revenue. 'Certainly, meetings to resume oil exports will take place in the coming days, and they will be productive,' Hasnawi affirmed, emphasizing that there are 'no major disagreements' between Erbil and Baghdad regarding their resumption. Only 'a few specific points to reorganize the exports' remain, according to Hasnawi - points he expects to be resolved 'soon.' In late March, the Association of the Petroleum Industry of Kurdistan (APIKUR), a coalition of eight international oil companies operating in the Kurdistan Region, accused the Iraqi government of being "unwilling" to negotiate a solution that honors their contracts with Erbil, claiming Baghdad was instead attempting to unilaterally alter the terms. APIKUR shared another statement on Thursday, saying that their investments have been 'fundamentally harmed' by the closure of the pipeline and that they are in a 'hurry' to resume the oil exports - for which they have been 'at forefront to push negotiations with Baghdad.' 'Investments will continue when the ITP reopens and IOCs [international oil companies] are ensured of their contractual rights,' their statement read. In response, Baghdad's oil ministry on Friday said it 'regrets the publication of this erroneous and misleading statement.' It also called for an 'urgent meeting with the parties concerned' to negotiate the resumption of the exports 'in accordance with the modified budget law' as well as to reach an agreement that 'protects Iraq's rights and guarantees its commitments to investors.' The ministry further stated that the 'primary challenge' to negotiations stems from 'non-constructive steps' and 'unrealistic demands' made by other parties operating outside the existing legal framework. In early February, the Iraqi parliament approved amendments to the federal budget law, authorizing a $16-per-barrel fee for production and transport costs in the Kurdistan Region - a move seen as a crucial step toward restarting exports. The amendments also require both the federal government and the KRG to establish an international technical consultancy within 60 days to assess production and transportation costs for oil fields in the Kurdistan Region. If an agreement cannot be reached, the federal council of ministers will appoint the consultancy.
Rudaw Net
07-04-2025
- Business
- Rudaw Net
Iraqi army, Peshmerga cooperate to upgrade Turkey border security
Also in Iraq Faili Kurds in Mandali lament neglect decades after genocide Iraq releases 1,000 detainees under general amnesty law Iraqi PM lays out trade strategy to mitigate US tariffs KDP reopens Kirkuk office closed since 2017 A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraq is bolstering security on its border with Turkey through increased cooperation with the Peshmerga forces and the deployment of advanced technology and logistical support, an army spokesperson said on Sunday. 'Iraq now prioritizes protecting its territory by enhancing security infrastructure and implementing advanced surveillance systems,' Sabah al-Numan, spokesperson for Iraq's Joint Operations Command, told Rudaw, adding that the measures aim to secure the country's 384-kilometer frontier with Turkey. Numan confirmed that the measures are being carried out through coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)'s Peshmerga forces to 'strengthen security along the border with Turkey.' He also highlighted efforts to fortify the Turkish border with 'new outposts equipped with cutting-edge technology and logistical systems,' as well as the establishment of additional border stations tailored to the region's strategic importance and difficult terrain. Iraq's border with Turkey runs through the northern provinces of Erbil and Duhok, both under the KRG's jurisdiction. The area's rugged, mountainous landscape poses significant challenges for border security operations. Sections of the Iraqi-Turkish border are loosely controlled by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish group engaged in conflict with Turkey since the 1980s. The PKK's presence has been cited by Ankara as justification for military incursions into Kurdish territory, including the establishment of bases, airstrikes, and artillery shelling. In March 2024, Baghdad banned the PKK, a move welcomed by Turkey. However, despite pressure from Ankara, Iraq has not designated the group as a terrorist organization. In August 2024, Iraq and Turkey signed a memorandum of understanding on security cooperation, partly aimed at addressing the PKK. Turkey has designated the PKK as a terrorist group. 'We aim to translate our growing counter-terrorism understanding with Iraq into concrete on-the-ground actions,' Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated at the time. As of March 2025, clashes between the PKK and Turkish forces have led to the full or partial displacement of 1,190 villages and resulted in 721 civilian deaths, according to the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a US-based human rights organization monitoring the conflict.
Rudaw Net
06-04-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Faili Kurds in Mandali lament neglect decades after genocide
Also in Iraq Iraq releases 1,000 detainees under general amnesty law Iraqi PM lays out trade strategy to mitigate US tariffs KDP reopens Kirkuk office closed since 2017 Iraq oil ministry denies reluctance to negotiate Kurdish exports A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Faili Kurds in Mandali are expressing frustration over ongoing neglect and the lack of basic services, just days after Iraq marked the 45th anniversary of the genocide committed against the minority group under the toppled Baath regime. Residents of Mandali, a town in Diyala province east of Iraq, say the effects of Arabization policies imposed by the regime of toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein are still deeply visible today, with a continued lack of infrastructure and essential services. 'Neither the central government nor the [Kurdistan] Region's government has done anything for the Kurds of Mandali,' Hussein Aalay, a resident of Mandali, told Rudaw. 'There is nothing left of Mandali, there are no services left. Its people are Kurdish, but they have moved to Baghdad, Sulaimani, and Baquba,' he added. The Faili Kurds have historically settled across the Zagros Mountain range. They speak a distinct dialect of Kurdish, a sub-dialect of Luri. Unlike other Kurds, who are predominantly Sunni Muslims, Failis are Shiites and have faced persecution, especially under Baath rule. 'Our situation has not changed,' said Abbas Ismael, a retiree from Mandali. 'There are no services, no construction. We still don't have fresh water, our water is salty,' he added. 'In 1975, these people [Faili Kurds] were all relocated to Baradruz, Baquba [in Diyala] and Baghdad. They have not returned yet,' recalled Shukr Abbas, another retiree, speaking to Rudaw. '[The people of Mandali] were transferred overnight, taken away in military vehicles. The [Baath] regime relocated them away from here,' said Saadr Ahmad, a Peshmerga fighter. In the 1980s, Saddam Hussein stripped Faili Kurds of their citizenship, confiscated their properties and deported many of them to Iran. Over 22,000 Faili youth were also executed during that period. In 2006, the Baathist-era decree was repealed, and the citizenships of Faili Kurds were restored. Iraq's Federal Supreme Court in 2010 ruled that the crimes committed against the Faili Kurds under the Baath regime amount to genocide. In early January, the Iraqi government designated April 2 as 'Faili Martyrs Day' to honor those killed by the Baath regime. Marking the 45th anniversary of the occasion, Kurdish leaders on Friday urged the Iraqi federal government to compensate victims and their families who were stripped of their citizenship, deported, and executed during the Baathist regime's rule. Minority Rights Group in 2017 estimated that around 1.5 million Faili Kurds live in Iraq. However, there are no confirmed figures regarding how many of them have had their property returned or have received new citizenship documents. Hunar Hameed contributed to this article.
