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WASHINGTON--The United States has renewed a waiver allowing Iraq to pay for electricity imported from Iran, this time giving Baghdad 120 days to reduce its energy dependence on neighbouring Tehran, a State Department spokesman said on Wednesday.

The waiver was renewed despite American sanctions imposed after former US President Donald Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal between the Islamic Republic and world powers and Iran began breaching the deals terms.

Washington has issued regular waivers to Iraq since it reimposed sanctions, but last year shortened their length to encourage Iraq to reduce its use of Iranian energy.

Wednesdays 120-day extension was the first under President Joe Biden, who has sought to restart diplomacy with Iran over returning to the nuclear deal.

The waiver ensures that Iraq is able to meet its short-term energy needs while it takes steps to reduce its dependence on Iranian energy imports, the spokesman said.

However, such steps are taking time. Three years ago the Baghdad governments Mass Energy Group Holding was negotiating a deal with GE Power to add up to 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity to the Besmaya power plant not far from the capital. This will bring the capacity of what is already the countrys largest power station up to 4.5GW, enough to supply four and a half million homes.

Link:
Washington grants Iraq a waiver to pay for Iranian electricity | | AW - The Arab Weekly

By Khalid Al-Ansary on 3/28/2021

The deal would cover oil, gas and renewable energy infrastructure projects.

(Bloomberg) --Iraq is discussing a giant agreement with French oil giant Total SE to build large infrastructure installations, develop oil fields and produce gas, Oil Minister Ihsan Abdul Jabbar told Asharq News in an interview that aired on Saturday.

The minister said he expected the contract to be finalized before July. The relationship with Total will be based on targeting low-carbon industry and capturing all flaring gas, and is set to produce 1GW of solar energy in the first stage. A specialized team from the oil ministry is leading these discussions with Total.

The agreement is giant, and the volume of the investment exceeds $7 billion, the minister said.

Abdul Jabbar said conditions, including the political and administrative decisions for the economic model that protects the rights of both parties, had been hammered out already.

In January, Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding with Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne on capturing natural gas, clean energy and infrastructure. Talks between Iraq and Total were first reported in October.

Iraq this year is also expected to ink a deal to build an oil export pipeline from the southern province of Basra to Jordans Aqba port on the Red Sea. A framework agreement may be signed before mid-April, Abdul Jabbar said.

The minister said Iraq will lower its gasoline and gasoil imports by 50% in 2021 and by 90% in 2022. Iraq will need a very limited volume of gasoil imports to support power generation, he said.

Iraqs current gas output stands at 1.5b scf/d and will reach 4b scf/d in 2025. The country in 2010 built gas-fired turbines to generate 20GW, and those plants need 5b scf/d of gas.

Iraq now buys gas from Iran and is trying to diversify imports from Qatar, Kazakhstan and other producers, Abdul Jabbar said.

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Iraq and Total mull $7 billion oil and gas infrastructure deal - WorldOil - WorldOil

Challenges and Priorities for Persons with Disabilities in Iraq Outlined in New IOM Report

Baghdad Persons with disabilities have enormous potential to contribute to economies and societies, and can bring determination, innovation, and energy, among other qualities, to their workplaces and communities. In Iraq however, people with disabilities have been disproportionately impacted by armed conflict and economic hardship and continue to face significant barriers to their full and equal inclusion. Moreover, despite Iraq having one of the largest populations of persons with disabilities in the world, there has been little consultation with persons with disabilities and their representative groups by government and humanitarian and development agencies.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has prepared a new report, Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in Iraq: Barriers, challenges and priorities, to shed light on the perspectives of persons with disabilities in Iraq. The report draws upon interviews conducted with 81 representatives of 53 Organizations of persons with disabilities across 18 governorates and identifies concrete actions that stakeholders such as the Government of Iraq, United Nations agencies, national and international Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), and local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) must take to address the barriers experienced by persons with disabilities, including responses to the key challenges and priorities of their representative organisations.

We are glad that persons with disabilities from different regions of Iraq contributed to this report, which clearly recognizes the international slogan 'Nothing about us without us. We look forward to having the findings of this report considered by decision-makers, the government of Iraq, donors, international organization, civil society, lawmakers in order to empower and better include persons with disabilities. Said Mwafaq Al-Khafaji Head of Iraqi Alliance Of Disability (IADO).

This report and the consultations that informed it aim to improve our understanding of the barriers experienced by persons with disabilities, including the key challenges and priorities of their representative organizations, in order to inform our programming, said IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Gerard Waite. It centres their unique perspectives, since there is no one better qualified to provide information on the barriers they experience than persons with disabilities themselves and the organizations that represent them.

IOM Iraq has also launched a Directory: Organization of persons with disabilities (OPD) in Iraq which lists the contact details of representative organisations of persons with disabilities across 18 governorates.

We all have a role to play in promoting a rights-based approach in the delivery of humanitarian and development assistance. This will ensure that people with disabilities can participate in decision-making processes that affect them and they can benefit on an equal basis with others said Australian Ambassador, Ms Paula Ganly. Importantly, this report gives voice to people with disabilities and their representative organisations in Iraq and is an important step towards our commitment to the 2030 agenda to leave no-one behind.

Globally, IOM is committed to reducing and addressing barriers facing people with disabilities. In December 2019, IOM Iraq launched the IOM Iraq Disability Inclusion Strategy 20192021, which proposed recommendations for mapping and collaborating with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities; working towards making IOM community centres accessible; and developing contextualised guidance for staff to implement disability inclusive programming.

The report was funded by funded by the Government of Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the project Supporting Social Cohesion through Reintegration, Revitalization and Stabilization Support in Iraq.

Watch this video that shares a selection of the persons with disabilities feedback.

For more information, please contact IOM Iraqs Public Information Unit, Tel: +964 751 402 2811, Email: iraqpublicinfo@iom.int

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Persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in Iraq: Barriers, challenges and priorities [EN/AR] - Iraq - ReliefWeb

Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS Small Group Co-Hosted by The Kingdom of Belgium and The United States of America March 30, 2021

At the invitation of Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sophie Wilms and U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, the Foreign Ministers of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS Small Group met virtually today to reaffirm our shared determination to continue the fight against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and to create conditions for an enduring defeat of the terrorist group,which remains the Coalitions sole purpose,through a comprehensive, multifaceted effort.The Ministers emphasized the protection of civilians and affirmed that international law, including international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians, particularly children, and international human rights law, as well as relevant UN Security Council resolutions, must be upheld underallcircumstances. In this regard the Ministers emphasized the need to stop and prevent violence, and grave violations of childrens rights, and to durably improve the protection of children affected by the armed conflict, as well as to ensure womens human rights. The Ministers, recalling their statement of June 4, 2020,committedto strengthen cooperation across all Coalition lines of effort toensure that Daesh/ISIS and its affiliates are unable to reconstitute any territorial enclave or continue to threaten our homelands, people, and interests. Together they remain firmly united in their outrage at Daesh/ISISs atrocities and in their determination to eliminate this global threat.

The Ministers acknowledged that while Daesh/ISIS no longer controls territory andnearlyeight million people have been freed from its control in Iraq and Syria, the threatremains. The Ministers expressedtheir condolences andreiterated theirsupport to Iraqi authorities following the increased Daesh/ISIS activity in Iraq and Syria in recent months, including the double suicide attacks in Baghdad on January 21, and called for continued and coordinated action. This includes allocating adequate military and civilian resources to sustain Coalition and legitimate partner forces efforts against Daesh/ISIS in Iraq and Syria, including stabilization support to liberated areas, to safeguard Iraq and Syrias stability and our collective security interests. The Ministers noted the new 2021 Pledge Drive for Stabilization, reiterating the importance of collective stabilization efforts to the long-term defeat of Daesh/ISIS and the elimination of the conditions conducive to its rise.

The Ministers reiterated their unwavering commitment to continueclose cooperation with and support to the Government of Iraq. Appropriate measures to enhance the operational efficiency and coordination of our collective efforts to maintain necessary pressure on Daesh/ISIS remain essential.The Coalition operates in Iraqat the request of the Government of Iraq, in full respect ofIraqs sovereigntyand aiming at strengthening its security. Ministers recalled that attacks against Coalition forces and Iraqi partners, such as those that occurred in Erbil, Baghdad, and Al Asad, are unacceptable and compromise our collective efforts at the expense of the people of Iraq. They welcomed the decision of the February 18 NATO Defence Ministerial Meeting regarding the incremental expansion of NATOs non-combat advisory and training mission in Iraq, with the full consent of the Government of Iraq and complementing the Coalitions efforts.While the COVID-19 global crisis has had animpact on the Coalitions activities and operations, the Ministers welcomed the continued work with partner forces that mitigated the fallout of the pandemic while providing continued support to further dismantle Daesh/ISIS. The enhanced sharing of terrorist-related criminal information by Iraqi authorities, via INTERPOL channels, supported this progress within the Coalitions law enforcement line of effort.

In Syria, the Coalition stands with the Syrian people in support of a lasting political settlementin accordance withUN Security Council Resolution 2254. The Coalition must continue to be vigilant against the threat of terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, to build on the success it has achieved and continue to act together against any threats to this outcome to avoid security vacuums that Daesh/ISIS may exploit. The Ministers took note of the resumption in Daesh/ISIS activities in areas where the Coalition is not active and its ability to rebuild its networks and capabilities to target security forces and civilians.

The Ministers also welcomed the Coalition meeting held on November 10, 2020 on Daesh/ISIS threats in West Africa, noting with concern the serious and growing threat Daesh/ISIS affiliates pose across West Africa and the Sahel, as well as the emerging threat in other parts of the continent, particularly in East Africa. The Coalition reaffirmed its willingness to further explore how it can contribute to collective efforts to cope with the threat posed by Daesh/ISIS in these regions, and that such efforts be upon the request and prior consent of countries concerned, and be in close coordination with African partners and existing initiatives such as the International Coalition for the Sahel, and in full respect of international law. The Ministers noted that collecting, preserving and sharing battlefield evidence via bilateral and/or INTERPOL multilateral channels, and the need for comprehensive border security, were identified as potential areas for Global Coalition engagement in the region.

The Ministers, recognizing the challenge posed by foreign terrorist fighters who are in custody as well as family memberswho remain in Iraq and Syria, committed to pursue existing effective accountability mechanisms in close coordination with the countries of origin, including accountability for fighters who have used sexual violence as an instrument of terror. They remained committed to promoting efforts to ensure that accused terrorists, including those of foreign nationality, are treated appropriately and tried consistent withinternational lawobligations, includingapplicable fair trialguarantees, and they urged the custodians of the detained Daesh/ISIS terrorist fighters to treat them humanely at all times,in accordance with international law. The Ministers further recognizedthat the situation for Daesh/ISIS detainees and their family members in northeast Syria is of grave concern and stressed the importance of finding a comprehensive approach to this serious challenge.

The Coalition reaffirmed its belief that acomprehensive and collective effortremains necessary to achieve a full and enduring defeat of Daesh/ISIS worldwide. The Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh/ISIS has proven that it is a cohesive, adaptable and successful vehicle that will continue to sustain this important endeavor through stabilization, political, military, communications, counter finance, and law enforcement lines of effort. The Ministers also reaffirmed their intent to hold the next ministerial meeting of the Global Coalition in Italy as soon as circumstances permit.

Link:
Joint communiqu by Ministers of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS Small Group - Iraq - ReliefWeb

BAGHDAD--While Assyrians around the world are currently preparing to celebrate their Assyrian ancestors tradition of Akitu or the Assyrian New Year, an ancient Assyrian heritage site is being bulldozed by heavy earth moving machinery.

The wall of Nineveh built during the reign of King Sennacherib (reigned 705-681 BCE) which stretches 12 km along the city of Nineveh (Mosul, Iraq) is being partially bulldozed by private contractors. Activists and locals fear the remains will be used as building materials or sold as artefacts in the black market.

But the Antiquities Commission in the Nineveh province has denied the demolition is in the vicinity of Nineveh wall saying it is actually taking place 600 metres away from the protected structure.

SBS Assyrian correspondent Naseem Sadiq from Duhok, Iraq told SBS that the wall is being knocked down to allow for road building in the city.

The land surrounding the part of the site is claimed by an Iraqi family who states the previous government of Saddam Hussain confiscated it making it government property.

Since the fall of Saddam and the old regime, the family has been fighting in courts to get the property back. Recently, the family won their appeal and the land was returned to them. However, none of these procedures was discussed publicly.

Naseem Sadiq also spoke to Dr. Audisho Malko, an Assyrian historian and president of the Assyrian Writers Association who says he is devastated by this act.

Dr. Malko explains that the partial destruction of a three-thousand-year-old structure built during the Assyrian empire is not only a loss to the Assyrians, but for the Iraqi people, Iraqs history and to the international community. The wall was initially constructed to protect the city of Nineveh from intruders and invaders.

The issue of this destruction is not over yet. So far, a number of letters objecting the spoliation has been sent to Iraqi ministries and to the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mustafa al-Khadhimi.

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3000 Year-old wall destroyed in Nineveh, Iraq | | AW - The Arab Weekly