Iraq Weekly Report 22nd August 2024

As in the previous period, Iraq finds itself navigating a complex landscape of internal and external pressures, while simultaneously striving to push forward with ambitious economic and infrastructure projects. Relations with foreign powers were tested, particularly in light of the British Ambassador Stephen Hitchen's remarks about Iraq's security challenges.

His comments, which highlighted the difficulties faced by foreign businesses operating in a lawless environment heavily influenced by militias, were met with strong criticism from the Iraqi government and the factions.

Amidst these tensions, security concerns remained paramount. The ceasefire between Iraqi resistance groups and coalition forces unraveled, with the Al-Nujaba Movement openly declaring an end to their truce. This announcement signals a likely resurgence in attacks on U.S. military installations, adding a layer of complexity to the security situation. Concurrently, Turkish military operations in Northern Iraq continued unabated, The assassination of a key PKK figure by Turkish forces one of many on-going actions in the North.

Despite these challenges, Iraq made noteworthy strides in its economic and infrastructural initiatives. A significant development was the agreement with British Petroleum to revitalize the Kirkuk oil fields, shifting from a service contract model to a profit-sharing arrangement. This move is part of Iraq’s broader strategy to attract foreign investment back into its oil sector, which has been plagued by years of instability and underinvestment.

Iraq is also making a concerted effort to diversify its energy sources by investing heavily in solar power. With projects like the Amara solar power station and a major solar plant in Basra, Iraq is positioning itself to meet a significant portion of its electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030.

Socially, Iraq faces ongoing unrest, particularly among the youth, who continue to protest in Baghdad over the lack of job opportunities. At the same time, a controversial amendment to the Personal Status Law is under consideration, which could significantly roll back women's rights by allowing religious authorities to dictate marriage and inheritance matters.

This proposed legislation has sparked protests and drawn sharp criticism from activists who see it as a threat to the progress made over the past decades. Grid North are a small team of consultants providing resilience building strategies and assessments for NGOs, Media teams, oil and gas companies, investors, the insurance industry, and private clients. We offer a modern, dynamic approach to security, underpinned by extensive operational experience and a world-wide network of professional contacts, enabling organisations to identify gaps in their security apparatus and develop actionable plans to enhance their security. Our core services being broad spectrum Risk management, Intelligence, Security Advisory, Crisis Support, Training, Due Diligence and Strategy. With high level experience of risk management and mitigation strategies in challenging regions we are able to reach the places other aren’t and deliver the honest and clear answers you need without an up-sell of security services. We also offer medical risk assessments, due diligence on security partners, embedded medics, emergency planning and project monitoring services. Ready and able to deploy fast, globally we look forward to supporting you.

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