Bloody attacks, coalition withdrawal, elections sparked controversy in Iraq 2021
ERBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – Iraq, during 2021, witnessed a series of security and political events the most prominent of which were war against the Islamic State Organization (ISIS) and its ongoing attacks, the US-led Global Coalition withdrawal, and the elections that sparked broad-scale controversy that has been settled by the court recently.
Almost every week, Iraq witnessed an attack by ISIS or a campaign against it particularly in the central and disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad, interspersed by unidentified drone attacks on US sites in Baghdad and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRG).
ISIS attacks and drones
Most of the attacks were carried out in the disputed areas extended from Khanaqin, in the east, to Mosul, in the west, according to the secretary general of the KRG Ministry of Peshmerga, Jabar Yawar.
“The disputed areas have witnessed 220 attacks by ISIS since early 2021 until the end of November, during which 869 people were either killed, wounded or missed,” Yawar told North Press.
The most bloodiest attacks were those that occurred during November reporting more than 24 casualties most of whom were of the Peshmerga.
So far the Iraqi party has not released the annual statistics of the security events related to ISIS.
Additionally, Iraq witnessed another major threat due to drone attacks that targeted either US sites or those of the US-led Global Coalition while accusation fingers were unofficially directed at pro-Iranian militias.
However, official statistics on the drone and missile attacks were not released, but reports revealed that more than 20 attacks were carried out, during the current year, with most of them launched on the outskirts of Erbil and Baghdad airports, Green Zone, and Balad and Ain Assad bases in the center of the country.
Coalition withdrawal
On December 9, Iraqi officials and leaders of the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS announced that the combat mission of the coalition forces has ended and will withdraw from Iraq in accordance with the strategic agreement between Iraq and the US.
According to received information, about 3,500 foreign soldiers present on Iraqi territory including 2,500 US soldiers deploying in several posts.
The withdrawal decision and switching tasks of the US-led Global Coalition forces was based on the Washington-Baghdad agreement following a strategic dialogue in late July, to provide fields of training, advising and capacity building, and remove the combat forces on the ground by the end of this year.
During the last month of 2021, high-ranking Iraqi delegations visited the bases of al-Anbar, in the city center, and Harir, north of Erbil, in order to supervise measures of converting the tasks.
Pope’s visit and neighboring countries summit
During the current year, Iraq received Pope Francis and hosted important forums at regional level.
On March 5, 6 and 7, were full of activities that accompanied the first pontificate visit by the Pope of the Vatican to the country in history.
The visit got notable global attention, perhaps because it was the Pope’s first trip outside Rome since the breakout of the coronavirus epidemic, during which Pope Francis held important meetings with Iraqi officials, which included tours and masses in Baghdad, Erbil, Najaf, Mosul and pilgrimage to the historical city of Ur.
On August 28, Iraq hosted conference of Iraq’s Neighboring Countries, with wide international and regional participation, the goal was to highlight the Iraqi role in the region.
The conference was attended by representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as leaders and representatives of the neighboring countries of Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan, as well as French President Emmanuel Macron, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Qatari and Emirati officials.
Although the Iraqi Foreign Ministry released statements supporting the readmission of the Syrian government into the Arab League, Syria had not participated in the conference because it had not been invited in order “to succeed the conference and avoid tensions,” according to conference sponsors.
On June 27, Baghdad hosted a tripartite summit at a presidential level with Jordan and Egypt, which came as a continuation of the first summit that was held in Amman last year, to sign a series of memoranda of understanding and agreements, foremost of which are investment projects related to oil, energy and infrastructure.
Early elections and UN concern
The early elections of Iraq that were launched on October 10 was one of the most prominent issues that drew the world’s attention to Iraq and received the UN attention as it came as an implementation of the demands of the Iraq’s October Revolution in 2019.
However, the early elections sparked controversy because the results were shocking for some Shiite forces, such as the alliances of Al-Fateh and Al-Nasr and other Shiite forces, while Sadrist Movement won the biggest victory by obtaining 73 seats.
Following the poll, Iraq witnessed a phase of exchanging accusations, lawsuits and appeals rejecting the results and had lasted for two months before the Federal Court resolved the controversy by rejecting the appeals and approving the results four days before the end of the year.
Those incidents and events coincided with dry weather due to lack of rainfall and projects of neighboring countries which Iraq tried to solve through negotiations with Iran and Turkey to increase its water allocations to end the crisis.
Mesopotamia dried up during 2021
Observers and officials concerned about the water issue attribute the reason behind the harm that Iraq witnessed to projects of the neighboring countries Turkey and Iran addition to climate variability and lack of rainfalls.
In mid-March, the first Baghdad International Water Conference was hold and during it they the participants stressed the continuation of negotiations with Turkey and Iran in order to reach understandings on this regard.
In late November, the Iraqi Minister of Water Resources, Mahdi Rashid al-Hamdani announced that activated the memorandum of understanding signed with Turkey to obtain fair shares of water, but he condemned the Iranian projects that caused the drought of Diyala province.
Meanwhile, Iraqi officials expressed their concerns regarding al-Jazira Dam that Turkey intends to establish on Tigris River which will harm the water supplies of Iraq and Its danger exceeds that of the Ilisu Dam, which led to the drying up of the Tigris River in 2018.
As for Iran, Iraq is waiting to come together with it on the negotiation table to reach agreements that to ensure that the water cut off in Diyala governorate will not be repeated, according to the minister.
In early December, rains heavily came and flash floods were hit Erbil and other parts killing 14 people.