Attachments
Key Takeaways:
- POLITICS: Former PM Abadi Won’t Compete in Elections; Iraq’s Federal Supreme Court Gets New Chief Judge – On June 27, the Nasr (Victory) Coalition of former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced that it will not field candidates in the upcoming parliamentary elections in November. The coalition said it refuses to participate in elections “lacking firm enforcement of legal regulations that prevent manipulation, vote-buying, misuse of public funds, foreign money, and exploitation of state resources.” On June 30, Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid issued a presidential decree appointing Judge Munthir Ibrahim Hussein as the new chief judge of the Federal Supreme Court (FSC). Hussein was nominated by the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) after former FSC chief judge Jasim al-Omairi suddenly retired, citing “health reasons.” Judge Hussein previously served as deputy chief of Iraq’s Federal Court of Cassation. Meanwhile, nine FSC members who had recently submitted their resignations returned to work on Monday following Omairi’s departure. At a joint meeting of the FSC and SJC, Judge Faeq Zaidan, head of the SJC, thanked the judges for withdrawing their resignations “after the causes that prompted them [to seek retirement] had dissipated.” The nine judges had reportedly resigned in protest of Omairi’s unilateral decision-making and perceived attempts to subject the FSC to political interference. Before his retirement, Omairi formally asked Iraq’s president and the speaker of parliament to convene a meeting of the ruling coalition to resolve growing conflicts between his court and the Court of Cassation, which is led by the powerful Zaidan. The requests were dismissed. The turmoil comes as the FSC is expected to rule on two sensitive cases: the deadlock over public sector salaries in the Kurdistan region, and the validity of a maritime borders treaty with Kuwait. The FSC and SJC had also recently clashed over the FSC’s handling of legal challenges to three controversial laws passed by parliament in January, dealing with the Personal Status Law, General Amnesty, and the return of land confiscated by the Ba’ath Party regime. Judge Hussein was formally sworn in as the new FSC chief judge on Thursday. more…
- SECURITY & HUMANITARIAN: Rockets, Drones Strike Kirkuk Airport, Peshmerga Bases, and IDP Camp; PKK Disarmament to Begin Within Days – On June 30, three 122mm rockets struck Kirkuk’s airport just before midnight. Another rocket hit a residential area more than two miles away. The strikes caused minor damage, and no casualties were reported. Meanwhile, local officials in Baiji said up to ten drones targeted the city’s refinery complex but were intercepted by security forces before reaching their targets. The Oil Ministry said refining operations were unaffected. In the meantime, another drone targeted the Darkar camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Duhok province, causing an explosion but no casualties. On Tuesday, sources in Sulaymaniyah said two drones targeted a base of the Peshmerga’s 70th Force in the Taslouja area. Both drones were shot down without causing casualties. On Thursday, another military drone of unknown origin crashed in an open area in Kefri district, Sulaymaniyah. Local officials said the drone was carrying two unexploded rockets. On June 30, Rudaw reported that a small group of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters is expected to be the first to lay down arms in a gesture of goodwill to advance a peace process with Turkey. The disarmament ceremony is scheduled for on or around July 10 in Sulaymaniyah province and may involve up to 30 fighters. The PKK confirmed the reports in a statement Thursday, saying that “a group of guerrilla fighters will come down from the mountains and bid farewell to their arms in an effort to declare their goodwill for peace and democratic politics.” In May, the PKK announced it would disband and end its armed struggle against Turkey, which has lasted over 40 years. more…
- ECONOMY & CLIMATE: New Water Crisis Threatens Basra; Strike Shuts Down Karbala Refinery – On June 29, reports highlighted a worsening water shortage and sharply rising salinity levels in Basra. Local experts warned that total dissolved solids (TDS) had reached dangerous levels, ranging from about 11,000 mg/liter in central Basra to as high as 30,000 mg/liter in Siba. Water treatment plants shut down, and residents—receiving municipal water for just over an hour a day—took to the streets in protest. In response, the Iraqi military dispatched tankers to deliver potable water. Prime Minister Sudani visited Basra and met with the governors of Basra, Dhi-Qar, and Maysan to discuss mitigation measures. Sudani said he formed a technical team to support the execution of a strategic seawater desalination project, which Basra’s governor had been authorized to sign with a Chinese company last year. As an immediate step, Sudani said diplomatic efforts with Turkey had led to Ankara agreeing to release more water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Authorities also moved to shut down illegal fish farms siphoning water north of Basra, leading to clashes between security forces and operators, with reports of injuries. Despite these efforts, some Basra neighborhoods were still without water as of Thursday. On July 3, sources at the Karbala refinery said workers from an Indian contractor had gone on strike over unpaid wages. The strike shut down all operations control units at the 140,000 bpd refinery. In other developments, on July 1, the Electricity Ministry said the grid had lost nearly 3,800 megawatts due to a sudden drop in natural gas supplies from Iran. On July 3, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned Iraqi-British businessman Salim Ahmed Said for orchestrating a major oil smuggling network that helps Iran evade sanctions. more…