Joel Wing's blog

The Islamist Side Of Maliki’s Dawa Party

One of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s main appeals today in Iraq is his secular stance, something he is running on for the 2010 elections. Despite his Dawa Party’s Islamist roots, Maliki has largely discarded that past history to run on things like security, services, and Iraqi nationalism.

Iraq’s Oil Exports Continue To Rise And Fall

The October 7, 2009 State Department Iraq Status Report, found that while Iraq’s oil production has continued to increase since the beginning of the year, its exports took a dip over the last two months. 2008 saw the highest average monthly oil production since the U.S. invasion. For that year, Iraq produced an average of 2.41 million barrels per day, and exported 1.84 million barrels.

Iraqi National Census Returns

In the summer of 2009 Iraq announced that it would have its first national census since 1987. The date was set for October 24, 2009, but the government was afraid that it would cause tensions in provinces like Tamim and Ninewa where there are disputed territories. In those areas, the make up of the population is a major point of contention. Whoever has the largest numbers has an immediate advantage in its claims for control. This led to a delay in the poll.

More On Monthly Death Counts In Iraq

The Brookings Institution recently updated their Iraq Index in mid-September 2009. The newest edition includes updated monthly death statistics. At first, Brookings relied upon several sources, including their own analysis of Iraq Body Count's statistics, and the United Nations. Currently, they use U.S. government numbers based upon occasional briefings and reports by the State and Defense Departments. These come in the form of charts, which Brookings then interprets.

Kurds Will Suspend All Oil Exports

As reported before, after the Kurd’s row with the Norwegian oil company DNO blew up in their faces over a secret stock purchase from 2008, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has now announced they will suspend all oil exports. In mid-September 2009, the KRG stopped DNO’s operations for six weeks until it cleared the regional government’s name in an investigation by the Oslo Stock Exchange.

Ayatollah Sistani’s Influence On The Open/Closed List Voting System Debate In Iraq

Iraq’s parliament missed its October 15, 2009 deadline to come up with a new election law for the January 2010 vote. There are two major issues holding up the bill. First, is the issue of how balloting will take place in Tamim province, home of the disputed city of Kirkuk. The second is whether the country will use an open or closed list voting system.

Iraq Ready To Blacklist Major Chinese Oil Company, and Maybe South Korean One As Well

China and South Korea have increasingly become involved in Iraq’s petroleum industry. They have signed deals with both the central government in Baghdad and the regional government in Kurdistan. This has placed the Asian businesses in the middle of the on-going dispute between the two sides, which is now playing out with the Oil Ministry warning two companies that they will be blacklisted if they continue to work with the Kurds.

Violence In Mosul Takes A Small Dip

Mosul, Iraq's third largest city and second most violent in the country, saw a slight drop in the number of dead and wounded in September 2009. While deaths have gone up and down each month in Iraq overall, violence has basically stayed the same in Mosul. In September there were an average of 2.40 attacks/security incidents per day, compared to 2.48 in August. The real difference was in the casualty counts. There were an average of 2.16 deaths per day last month and 2.00 wounded.

No SOFA Referendum?

The Wall Street Journal reported on October 5, 2009 that there might not be a referendum on the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) signed between Iraq and the United States. The SOFA is actually two documents that set the future relations between the two countries.

Mass Casualty Bombings And Views Of Iraq

The vast majority of Western reporting on Iraq is dominated by stories about violence. Mass casualty bombings grab the headlines because of the number of dead and wounded. Reading such pieces, however, gives people a distorted picture of Iraq. It gives the impression that the country is constantly engulfed in chaos. The problem is that there is no direct correlation between the number of bombings and security incidents, and overall deaths in Iraq.