Once everywhere, Saddam’s image scrubbed from Baghdad
April 9, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Of his countless stories of his life as a hairdresser in Iraq, the one Qaiss al-Sharaa most enjoys retelling is about the day April 9, 2003, when he watched Iraqis and American Marines pull down the statue of Saddam Hussein in front of his salon in Baghdad’s Firdos Square.
Iraqi federal and Kurdish officials reach oil export deal
April 2, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Authorities in Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region said Sunday they have reached a preliminary deal with the central government in Baghdad that will allow oil exports from the northern Kurdish region by way of Turkey to resume.
Ruling halts oil exports from Iraq’s Kurdish area via Turkey
March 25, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Iraqi officials announced Saturday that Baghdad has won an international arbitration case that will halt oil exports from the semi-autonomous Kurdish region by way of Turkey.
Officials in Baghdad and Irbil, the seat of the Kurdish regional government, have long been at odds over sharing of oil revenues.
Kurds remain biggest winners from US-led invasion of Iraq
March 22, 2023 GMTIRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Complexes of McMansions, fast food restaurants, real estate offices and half-constructed high-rises line wide highways in Irbil, the seat of the semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq.
20 years after U.S. invasion, young Iraqis see signs of hope
March 17, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — On the banks of the Tigris River one recent evening, young Iraqi men and women in jeans and sneakers danced with joyous abandon to a local rap star as a vermillion sun set behind them.
Timeline of events: 20 years since U.S.-led invasion of Iraq
March 17, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — It’s been 20 years since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq began. Here are some key dates from the invasion and following developments.
Why US troops remain in Iraq 20 years after ‘shock and awe’
March 15, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Twenty years after the U.S. invaded Iraq — in blinding explosions of shock and awe — American forces remain in the country in what has become a small but consistent presence to ensure an ongoing relationship with a key military and diplomatic partner in the Middle East.
UNESCO chief promises help in restoring Iraq’s looted sites
March 6, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — The head of the United Nations cultural agency promised Monday to continue helping to repair the damage done to Iraq’s historic sites by decades of war.
In a visit to Baghdad ahead of the 20-year anniversary of the U.S.
Hundreds protest new proposed election law in Baghdad
February 27, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Baghdad on Monday to denounce a draft elections law that would increase the size of the country’s electoral districts, potentially undermining independent candidates.
Top Arab lawmakers in Syria for talks with President Assad
February 26, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Senior Arab lawmakers were in Syria on Sunday for talks with President Bashar Assad on bringing his country back into the fold of the Arab world. The visit follows a mini-summit in Baghdad that affirmed the Arab League's intentions of having Syria return to the organization despite the country's devastating civil war.
Iraqi soldiers killed in clashes with suspected IS cell
February 16, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Three Iraqi troops were killed Thursday when a suspected Islamic State militant detonated an explosive vest, state media reported, as security forces remain on high alert for sectarian attacks.
Iraqis protest in Baghdad as currency crisis continues
February 3, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi protesters rallied Friday in Baghdad, demanding the government take action to stop the economic crisis and the slide of the national currency after the Iraqi dinar plunged further.
Iraq’s Kurdish region warns against ‘unlawful’ stop to funds
January 26, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi Kurdish authorities on Thursday pushed back against a decision by Iraq's top court that blocked payments from state coffers funding the semi-autonomous region.
Jutiar Adel, a spokesperson for Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government said in a statement that the “unlawful decision from an illegitimate court will impact (the) mutual understanding” between Kurdish authorities in northeastern Iraq and the central government in Baghdad.
Hundreds in Baghdad protest devaluation of Iraq’s currency
January 25, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Hundreds of protesters rallied Wednesday near the Central Bank in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, angered by the recent devaluation of the Iraqi dinar and demanding the government take action to stabilize the currency.
Iraq reopens Baghdad’s Green Zone to ease traffic jams
January 8, 2023 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi authorities reopened Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone on Sunday in an attempt to ease traffic jams in the capital after it was closed and reopened several times in recent years.
Rockets hit US base in eastern Syria, no casualties reported
January 4, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — Two rockets struck a base housing American troops in eastern Syria on Wednesday without causing any human or material losses, the U.S. military said.
The morning attack on Mission Support Site Conoco came as Iran and its allies in the region marked the third anniversary of the killing of Iran’s leading general and chief of the powerful Quds force, Qassem Soleimani, in a U.S.
Iraq prime minister orders crackdown on trademark violations
December 28, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s prime minister has ordered a crackdown on local businesses operating under the names of international brands without legal permission, his office said Wednesday.
The move by the premier, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, comes after The Associated Press reported last week that Iraq has become a major center of trademark violations and piracy.
Navy to name ship after Marine battles in Fallujah, Iraq
December 27, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Navy's next amphibious assault ship will be named after the city of Fallujah, which saw some of the bloodiest battles in the Iraq war when U.S. Marines fought al-Qaida extremists in deadly house-to-house combat.
Real coffee, but a fake ‘Starbucks’ in piracy-ridden Iraq
December 23, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Everything from the signboard outside down to the napkins bears the official emblem of the top international coffee chain. But in Baghdad, looks are deceiving: The “Starbucks” in the Iraqi capital is unlicensed.
Iraq officials: Explosion in northern Iraq kills 9 policemen
December 18, 2022 GMTIRBIL, Iraq (AP) — An explosive device went off in northern Iraq on Sunday, killing at least nine members of the Iraqi federal police force who were on patrol, Iraqi security officials said.
Among the fatalities was an officer with the rank of major, according to a tweet from a military spokesman, Yahya Rasool.
Iraq’s military: 3 killed in explosion north of Baghdad
December 14, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Three members of the Iraqi security forces were killed in an explosion north of Baghdad on Wednesday, Iraq's military said.
The personnel were killed when an explosive device detonated during a security operation in the Khan area of the Tarmiyah district.
2 killed in protest over Iraqi activist’s prison sentence
December 7, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — At least two protesters were killed Wednesday in southern Iraq after security forces opened fire on a crowd demonstrating against a harsh prison sentence handed down against a young Iraqi activist over a Twitter post, local officials said.
Influential Iraqi cleric launches anti-LGBTQ campaign
December 2, 2022 GMTAn influential Iraqi cleric who announced his withdrawal from politics four months ago has broken a period of relative silence to launch an anti-LGBTQ campaign.
US-Iran match mirrored a regional rivalry for many Arab fans
November 29, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — The U.S. team’s victory over Iran at the World Cup on Tuesday was closely watched across the Middle East, where the two nations have been engaged in a cold war for over four decades and where many blame one or both for the region’s woes.
Iraqi PM: Probe recovers part of $2.5B embezzled from taxes
November 28, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's government said on Sunday it will recover part of nearly $2.5 billion in funds embezzled from the country's tax authority in a massive scheme involving a network of businesses and officials.
Iran bolsters border security to prevent ‘infiltration’
November 25, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iran has sent additional units of special forces to fortify its northern border with Iraq and clamp down on what it says is infiltration by Kurdish opposition groups, Iranian state media reported on Friday.
Official: Iran airstrikes target Kurdish groups in Iraq
November 22, 2022 GMTIRBIL, Iraq (AP) — Iran on Tuesday launched a new round of strikes at Iranian Kurdish dissident groups based in Iraq’s northern, semi-autonomous Kurdish region, a spokesman said.
Iranian opposition groups were targeted in two locations, in the areas of Perdi and Degala, according to a tweet by the local government's spokesman, Lawk Ghafuri.
Auditors in Iraq uncover staggering $2.5 billion tax fraud
November 22, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Auditors in Iraq have uncovered a massive scheme in which a network of businesses and officials embezzled some $2.5 billion from the country’s tax authority, despite layers of safeguards.
Blaming Kurds for unrest, Iran threatens Iraq with offensive
November 18, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — A senior Iranian military official visiting Baghdad this week threatened Iraq with a ground military operation in the country’s north if the Iraqi army does not fortify the countries’ shared border against Kurdish opposition groups, multiple Iraqi and Kurdish officials said.
Second fire breaks out in Baghdad airport, prompting probe
November 17, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — A fire broke out in Baghdad's international airport Thursday for a second time in 48 hours, prompting Iraqi authorities to open an investigation.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani dismissed the head of the Iraqi Civil Aviation Authority over the incidents, according to a statement from his office.
Firefighters put out fire in Baghdad international airport
November 15, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Firefighters at Baghdad's international airport on Tuesday put out a fire that broke out in its departure hall that temporarily suspended flights.
According to Iraqi state media, citing Iraq’s civil defense directorate, the fire broke out in a cafeteria kitchen, causing plumes of smoke to spread across the airport, as some passengers looked on from a distance.
US identifies American slain in Baghdad, questions remain
November 8, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — An American citizen who was fatally shot in central Baghdad was identified as 45-year-old Stephen Edward Troell, the U.S. Embassy based in the capital said Tuesday.
Troell, a native of Tennessee, was killed by unknown assailants in his car as he pulled up to the street where he lived with his family in Baghdad's central Karrada district.
Officials: US aid worker shot dead in Baghdad in rare attack
November 8, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Assailants fatally shot an American aid worker Monday in a rare killing of a foreigner in the Iraqi capital in recent years, two police officials said.
The man was shot in his car as he entered the street where he lives in Baghdad's central Karrada district on the east bank of the Tigris River but the reason for the killing was not immediately clear, they said.
Fire, building collapse injures 20 people in Iraq’s capital
November 6, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — More than two dozen people were injured, including the head of Iraq’s civil defense directorate, when a commercial building in the capital caught fire and then collapsed Sunday, authorities and the state news agency reported.
At least 9 killed in Baghdad gas tanker explosion
October 29, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — A gas tanker exploded near a soccer field in northeastern Baghdad on Saturday, killing at least nine people and wounding 10 others, according to security officials.
Shrapnel from the tanker tore into residential buildings and into the soccer pitch.
Iraqi parliament approves new Cabinet in long-awaited vote
October 28, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's parliament gave its vote of confidence to a new Cabinet on Thursday, breaking a yearlong political stalemate. It's the first government since 2005 that doesn't include members from the bloc of a powerful Shiite cleric.
Iraq: 4 officers wounded in Baghdad Green Zone rocket fire
September 28, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Four Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone government area Wednesday, wounding four security officers, Iraqi state news reported.
The rockets landed as parliament voted to keep Speaker Mohammed Halbousi on the job, rejecting his resignation request.
Iraq top court says it can’t dissolve parliament amid crisis
September 7, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's top court ruled Wednesday that it does not have the legal right to dissolve parliament, a much anticipated decision that raises the stakes in the country's unprecedented 11-month political crisis.
4 militiamen killed in reprisal attacks in southern Iraq
September 2, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Four militants were killed in reprisal attacks between rival Shiite militia groups in southern Iraq, two security officials said Thursday, after violent clashes in Baghdad brought the country to the precipice of street warfare.
Political crisis continues in Baghdad after bloody clashes
August 31, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraqi paramilitary forces killed in heavy clashes with the supporters of a powerful Shiite cleric were laid to rest on Wednesday as Iraq’s parliament speaker announced three days of mourning.
Iraqis heed cleric’s plea to leave streets after clashes
August 31, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Armed supporters of a powerful Iraqi cleric who clashed with security forces in the capital began to withdraw from the streets Tuesday, restoring a measure of calm after a serious escalation of the nation's political crisis.
EXPLAINER: What spurred the bloody armed clashes in Baghdad?
August 30, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s long-running power struggle between rival Shiite camps devolved into bloody street violence this week – the culmination of months of simmering tensions and a political vacuum.
Clashes erupt after Iraqi Shiite cleric resigns, 15 dead
August 30, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — An influential Shiite cleric announced Monday that he would resign from Iraqi politics, prompting hundreds of his angry followers to storm the government palace and sparking clashes with security forces.
Iraqi PM: Political crisis undermining security achievements
August 27, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s caretaker Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi warned Saturday that the political crisis in the country is threatening security achievements made in past years.
Al-Kadhimi’s warning is a clear indication of the dangers of one of Iraq’s worst political crises since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Explosive detonates in Baghdad, targets Australian diplomats
August 26, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — A small homemade explosive detonated on Friday near Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone as an Australian diplomatic convoy made its way into the area, two security officials told The Associated Press.
Iraq Shiite cleric’s supporters demand assembly be dissolved
August 23, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Hundreds of supporters of an influential Shiite cleric in Iraq rallied on Tuesday in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, demanding the dissolution of parliament and early elections.
Officials: Landslide at Shiite shrine in Iraq kills 8
August 22, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — A landslide collapsed the ceiling of a Shiite shrine in central Iraq over the weekend and killed at least eight people, including a child, officials said Monday as rescuers continued to search for survivors.
Iraqi PM calls meeting of senior politicians to end crisis
August 17, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s caretaker prime minister called a meeting of senior political leaders and party representatives Wednesday, seeking a way out of a monthslong crisis amid a power struggle between rival Shiite blocs.
Iraq’s finance minister resigns over political crisis
August 16, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq's finance minister resigned Tuesday, two government officials said, over the country's worst political crisis in years involving an influential Shiite cleric and his Iran-aligned rivals.
Despite public anger, no progress in Iraq political deadlock
August 14, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Weeks after followers of an influential cleric stormed parliament, Iraq’s political crisis shows no signs of abating, despite rising public anger over a debilitating gridlock that has further weakened the country's caretaker government and its ability to provide basic services.
Iraqi judiciary says it has no powers to dissolve parliament
August 14, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Iraq’s top judicial body said Sunday it doesn't have the authority to dissolve the country’s parliament, days after an influential Shiite cleric gave it one week to dismiss the legislature so that new elections can be held.
Rival Iraq protests underscore inter-Shiite power struggle
August 12, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Supporters of Iran-backed Shiite groups rallied in Baghdad on Friday to denounce their rivals, followers of an influential Shiite cleric who stormed the parliament last month and have since been holding a sit-in outside the assembly building in the Iraqi capital.
Iraq Shiite cleric behind parliament sit-in steps up demands
August 10, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — An influential Shiite cleric in Iraq whose supporters earlier this month stormed the parliament in Baghdad and have since held a sit-in outside the building, stepped up his demands Wednesday and issued a veiled threat of renewed violence.
Shiite Muslims in Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan mark Ashoura
August 9, 2022 GMTKARBALA, Iraq (AP) — Shiites in Iraq, Lebanon and Pakistan chanted, paraded and beat their chests on Tuesday as they marked Ashoura, one of the most important dates on the religious calendar, commemorating the 7th century martyrdom of the Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein.
In Baghdad’s Sadr City, cleric’s support underpins protests
August 5, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Khalil Ibrahim’s four sons are among thousands of followers of an influential Shiite cleric staging a sit-in outside Iraq’s parliament after storming the building last week in a stunning move that threw the country into a new era of political instability.
Hundreds of thousands gather for mass prayer in Baghdad
August 5, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis heeded the call of an influential Shiite cleric to gather in a show of strength for a mass prayer in the heart of Baghdad's government zone on Friday. The gathering took place amid an escalating political crisis that has put the country's capital on edge.
Iraqi cleric calls for dissolution of parliament, early vote
August 3, 2022 GMTBAGHDAD (AP) — Influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told followers Wednesday to continue their sit-in inside Iraq’s government zone, and called for the dissolution of parliament and early elections, signaling a deepening power struggle with his rivals.