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Iraq + 1 more

ISHM: January 16 - 23, 2025

Attachments

Key Takeaways:

  • POLITICS: Lawmakers Challenge Legality of Controversial Vote Passing Three Divisive Bills – On January 21, Iraq’s parliament approved amendments to three contentious laws during a controversial session. The amendments included changes to the Personal Status Law No. 188 of 1959, the General Amnesty Law No. 27 of 2016, and a bill addressing the return of land confiscated by the Ba’ath Party regime. The Coordination Framework-backed changes to Law 188 empower state-selected clerics to set guidelines on family matters, including marriage, inheritance, and child custody. Sunni parties supported the Amnesty Law changes, which could expedite the release of thousands of prisoners. Meanwhile, Kurdish-backed legislation seeks to restore nearly 300,000 dunams of farmland in Kirkuk and other disputed areas to their original Kurdish and Turkmen owners. The vote on all three bills, conducted as a single package, drew criticism from lawmakers who accused Speaker Mashhadani of procedural violations, including claims of insufficient quorum. Some lawmakers have filed cases with the Federal Supreme Court to nullify the session, citing breaches of parliamentary bylaws. Even supporters of the Personal Status Law amendments, such as the Al-Nahj al-Watani bloc, questioned the session’s integrity, noting that key sections of the bills were not properly reviewed before the vote. Mashhadani has since met with the Federal Supreme Court president to address these disputes. In other developments, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Commander Mazloum Abdi visited Erbil on January 16 for talks with Iraqi Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani. The talks, said to be part of an initiative by Barzani, focused on unity among Syrian Kurds and peace with Turkey. more…
  • SECURITY: Explosion at Weapons Cache Kills Four Iraqi Soldiers – On January 21, a weapons cache belonging to ISIS exploded during Iraqi security forces’ search operations in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad. The explosion killed four soldiers and injured five. Military officials stated that inspection procedures deviated from protocol and lacked the supervision of military engineers. An investigation has been launched into the incident. In other news, violent tribal clashes erupted in Baghdad’s al-Zafaraniyah neighborhood on January 16, injuring one person. On January 17, unexploded remnants of war detonated in Basra and Diyala, killing a woman and wounding another civilian. On January 22, Iraqi army forces and tribal fighters killed three ISIS militants during an ambush in Anbar province. more…
  • ECONOMY & CLIMATE: New Plant To Generate Power From Waste; Iraq Announces Major Oil Discovery; Oil Exports Lower in December – On January 20, Baghdad’s Mayoralty announced a deal with a foreign company to construct a power plant that will generate 100 megawatts of electricity using 3,000 metric tons of waste daily under high environmental standards. That same day, the Midland Oil Company reported a major oil discovery at the East Baghdad oil field, with a new well producing 5,000 barrels per day (bpd) and boosting reserves by an estimated two billion barrels of medium and light crude oil. On January 23, Iraq’s Oil Ministry reported that December oil exports averaged 3.258 million bpd, down 37,000 bpd from November. Most exports came from southern and central fields via Basra, as shipments through Turkey from Kirkuk and the Kurdistan region remained suspended. Separately, Iraq’s Water Resources Minister noted improved Euphrates water levels due to increased releases from Syria, marking a reversal of longstanding challenges. more…

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For more background on most of the institutions, key actors, political parties, and locations mentioned in our takeaways or in the stories that follow, see the ISHM Reference Guide.