The Islamic State militant group is staging increasingly bold attacks on both security forces and civilians in northern Iraq, with energy infrastructure also at risk.
Developments in Afghanistan have cast a shadow over the U.S. role in supporting anti-ISIS forces in Iraq, but the longstanding Peshmerga commander says there's no sign of an American pull out.
Gaps remain between Iraqi and Kurdistan region security forces in northern Iraq, and insurgents are still able to carry out attacks against energy infrastructure, kidnap and kill civilians, and ambush security forces.
Lax oversight, outdated infrastructure, and extreme heat combust as Iraq’s oil capital suffers three fire emergencies in a single day.
For over two decades, rival Kurdish powers have sworn to avoid civil war — but deadly fighting has strained an informal truce to its breaking point.
After two years of talks, federal and KRG security forces have opened joint coordination centers that could help close security gaps exploited by insurgents.
Kirkuk's oil fields lack adequate protection because so many security forces were removed in a government crackdown on corrupt units involved in smuggling.
In Nassiriya, the arrest of an oil official highlights a kind of corruption that usually stays in the shadows of political protection networks.
Political upheaval and unabated protests have once again boiled over, shutting down the Nassiriya refinery and causing fuel shortages.
Harbiya, who was moved to the Joint Operations Command in Baghdad last week, discusses the fight against insurgents, improving coordination among rival security services, and winning the trust of locals.
