Iraq Sees Surge In Voting Across Most Of The Country (REVISED)

 

Iraq’s Election Commission released partial early results for voter turnout in the provinces. It showed a surge of voting across the country compared to the last parliamentary elections in 2021.

Iraq’s Political Parties Prepping to Cheat In November Election

Iraq’s parliamentary elections are a month away and already the media is full of stories of the political parties cheating as happens every time votes are cast.

US Army In The Iraq War Volume 2 Ch 5 “The Surge Of Operations”

Chapter 5 of the second volume of the U.S. army’s history of the Iraq War focuses upon the summer of 2007. The Americans expanded their operations from Baghdad into neighboring Diyala while there were still differences over the new strategy. Part of that effort to turn tribes and insurgents against the Islamic State of Iraq ran into continued opposition from Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. On the other hand, Iranian backed militias were fighting each other for control of southern Iraq.

Final Results For Iraq’s Provincial Elections

(Wikipedia)

The final results of Iraq’s provincial elections have been announced. The ruling Coordination Framework won the most seats and wants to control the south. That will put it into conflict with several governors that won the most votes in their governorates. On the other hand the Kurds misplayed their hand running separately because the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) wanted to dominate the community.

Coordination Framework Looks To Take Control Of Most Of Iraq’s Provinces

As expected the ruling Coordination Framework was the biggest winner in Iraq’s 2023 provincial elections. Even though it ran as three separate lists, Nuri al-Maliki’s State of Law, Hadi Amiri’s Nabni, and Haidar al-Abadi and Ammar Hakim’s National State Forces Alliance, they won the most seats up for grabs on governorate councils. They will now re-unite and attempt to control most of Iraq’s provinces solidifying their hold on the Iraqi state.

More Iraqis Displaced Due To Climate Change

(IOM)

The United Nations said that Iraq is one of the top 5 nations in the world susceptible to climate change. Fertile land is becoming arid due to drought and desertification. Rain has decreased along with the flow of water down the Euphrates and Tigris due to dams in neighboring countries. Salinity and pollution in the water is increasing as well. Crops have declined as a result along with livestock and fishing. Thousands of people have left their homes because they can no longer make a living. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) released a survey for September 2023 that found the number of people displaced due to the environment has increased.

Climate change induced displacement increases in Iraq

(IOM)

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the premier group working with the Iraqi government on the country’s displaced (IDP) problem. In recent years it has been documenting a new phenomenon which is people being forced out of their homes by climate change. The United Nations said Iraq is the fifth most vulnerable country to the environmental crisis.  In a July report the IOM noted that this new IDP population is increasing.

Violence Drops In Iraq For The 2nd Month

Violence in Iraq has been down in the new year. Incidents have remained in single digits each week and the Islamic State is barely active anymore. There were 3 attacks by pro-Iran groups that wanted to let the world know that they are still around even though operations are no longer their priority.

Violence Drops In Iraq In May After Islamic State Offensive Ends

Violence dropped in Iraq in May as the Islamic State’s annual Ramadan offensive came to an end. There were also less incidents by pro-Iran groups compared to April. That could change as IS usually launches a summer campaign.

Security In Iraq May 15-21, 2022

The number of security incidents in Iraq doubled from the second to third weeks of May. This was due to an increase in operations by both the Islamic State and pro-Iran groups. The overall number of attacks was still insignificant compared to previous years.

Security In Iraq May 8-14, 2022

Violence went back to its usual low level during the second week of May. The previous weeks saw the Islamic State’s annual Ramadan offensive and attacks spiked. That’s now over and security incidents are back to normal.

Islamic State Returns In Iraq With Ramadan Offensive

Violence surged in Iraq in April as the Islamic State launched its annual Ramadan offensive. Pro-Iran groups also picked up their operations. That led to the most incidents in 8 months.

Security In Iraq April 15-21, 2022

The Islamic State’s annual Ramadan offensive continued while incidents by pro-Iran groups dipped.

Security In Iraq April 8-14, 2022

Operations by both the Islamic State and pro-Iran groups increased during the second week of April. IS began its annual Ramadan offensive. It hasn’t amounted to much yet however largely due to the general decline of the group.

Islamic State Continues To Fade Away In Iraq

While the number of incidents by the Islamic State in Iraq slightly increased from February to March 2022 its overall number of operations remains at an all-time low. This has lasted for six months now also a record for general inactivity. This all points to the insurgency finally fading away in Iraq. Attacks by pro-Iran groups also leveled off in March.

Security In Iraq Mar 8-14, 2022

The Islamic State has a new leader and the group went back to its usual pace of operations at Iraq. That being said it was still at a very low level compared to previous periods. Pro-Iran groups also carried out very few attacks and Tehran fired a salvo of missiles at Irbil as well.

Security In Iraq Mar 1-7, 2022

Is the Islamic State’s insurgency over in Iraq? For all intense and purposes it is. Incidents by the group plummeted to an all time low in February and that continued into March. The group has also not chosen a new leader after Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed in a U.S. raid last month. Perhaps after it selects a new commander it will restart its operations but as of now it is doing little to nothing in Iraq.

Security Incidents In Iraq Hit A New Low In February 2022

Security incidents in Iraq hit an all time low in February 2022. The Islamic State was already winding down its operations since September. That combined with the death of its leader Abu Ibrahim al-Qurayshi during the month seems to have led the group into a tailspin with the fewest ever incidents during any month since 2003. At the same time pro-Iran groups appeared to be focused upon their political dispute with Moqtada al-Sadr over forming a new government and carried out fewer attacks upon American targets as a result.

Security In Iraq Feb 8-14, 2022

Violence remained at a very low level for another week in Iraq. Both the Islamic State and pro-Iran groups were barely active during the second week of February.

Security In Iraq Feb 1-7, 2022

Security remained relatively stable in Iraq at the start of February. There were very few attacks by either the Islamic State or pro-Iran groups.