Iraq

01 August 2022; MEMO: Thousands of demonstrators opposed to Iraq's powerful cleric, Moqtada Al-Sadr, staged a protest on Monday at the edge of Baghdad's fortified government zone, where Sadr's supporters were holding an open-ended occupation of Iraq's Parliament, Reuters reports.

The rival Shia Muslim groups are affiliated with heavily armed militias, raising fears of clashes as tension soars over the failure to form a government nearly 10 months after an October election – the country's longest post-election deadlock.

BAGHDAD, Jul 31 (NNN-NINA) – The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) and the Arab League, yesterday, called for an end to the escalation in the country, during protests against the nomination of Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani for the post of prime minister.

“The ongoing escalation is extremely concerning. Voices of reason and wisdom are critical to prevent further violence,” UNAMI said on Twitter, encouraging all sides to “de-escalate in the interest of all Iraqis.”

BAGHDAD (AP) — With mattresses strewn about, food trucked in and protesters playacting as lawmakers, hundreds of followers of an influential Shiite cleric were camped out Sunday inside the Iraqi parliament after toppling security walls around the building and storming in the previous day.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric breached Iraq’s parliament on Saturday, for the second time this week, protesting government formation efforts lead by his rivals, an alliance of Iran-backed groups. The alliance called for counter-protests, raising the specter of civil strife.

Iraqi security forces initially used tear gas and sound bombs to try to repel the demonstrators and caused several injuries. Once inside, the protesters declared an open-ended sit-in and claimed they would not disperse until their demands are answered.

29 July 2022; MEMO: The formation of a new government in Iraq has been elusive as long-running tensions continue to ramp up between prominent Shia leaders, cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr and former Prime Minister, Nouri Al-Maliki, who have been known as traditional rivals since 2008, Anadolu News Agency reports.

Baghdad, Jul 23 (AP-PTI) Iraq has filed a complaint to the UN Security Council, requesting an urgent session to discuss a deadly artillery attack this week that Baghdad blames on Turkey, the Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Wednesday's attack on the district of Zakho in Iraq's northern, semi-autonomous Kurdish region killed nine Iraqi tourists, including a child, and wounded 20.

BAGHDAD, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Iraq on Saturday requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council after the deadly bombardment on a resort in Iraq's northern province of Duhok.

"The ministry submitted a complaint to the Security Council and requested an urgent meeting to discuss the Turkish attack, which resulted in the killing and wounding of many civilians, in Duhok Province," said Iraqi Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf said in a statement.

BAGHDAD, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Turkish forces shot down two drones targeting its military base in Iraq's Duhok province on Friday, a local official said.

Two drones targeted the Turkish base in the Bamarne area in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan at 6:30 a.m. local time (0330 GMT), and were shot down by the Turkish forces, Mayor of the Bamarne area Miran Ismail told Xinhua.

There were no casualties in the attack, Ismail said.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

BAGHDAD, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Thursday handed a sternly worded protest note to the Turkish ambassador, demanding the withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraqi territory.

The ministry summoned Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Ali Reza Guney over the deadly bombardment on a resort in Iraq's northern province of Duhok, said the ministry in a statement.

15 July 2022; MEMO: Hundreds of thousands of Iraqi cleric, Moqtada Al-Sadr's followers thronged the streets of Baghdad on Friday, answering the populist leader's call to a mass prayer in a show of strength to his political rivals, Reuters reports.

Sadr, a Shia Muslim, whose party came first in a general election in October, has vowed to disband powerful Iraqi militia groups loyal to Shia Iran and to hold corrupt Iraqi politicians to account.