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Iraq has in recent months tried to assuage Turkey's concerns about the PKK while pursuing its own agenda focused on growing economic ties and increasing access to scarce water from the Tigris and ...
BAGHDAD (Reuters) -The United States and Iraq have reached an understanding on plans for the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces from Iraq, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
The largest military air base in Iraq, formerly LSA Anaconda, Balad Air Base, or Al-Bakir Air Base, is located within the municipality of Yathrib near Balad.As of early 2007 the base was the central hub for airlift and US Air Force operations in Iraq; it was also a major transshipment point for US Army supply convoys.
A March 7, 2007 survey of more than 2,000 Iraqis commissioned by the BBC and three other news organizations found that 51% of the population consider attacks on coalition forces "acceptable", up from 17% in 2004 and 35% in 2006. Also: 64% described their family's economic situation as being somewhat or very bad, up from 30% in 2005.
One of the key economic challenges was Iraq's immense foreign debt, estimated at $130 billion. [16] Although some of this debt was derived from normal export contracts that Iraq had failed to pay for, almost all of it was a result of military and financial support during Iraq's war with Iran.
The economy of Iraq is dominated by the oil sector, which provided 89% of foreign exchange earnings in 2024. [15] During its modern history, the oil sector has provided about 99.7% of foreign exchange earnings. [16] Iraq's agrarian economy underwent rapid development following the 14 July Revolution in 1958 which overthrew the Hashemite monarchy.
On 8 November 2011, as U.S. forces were in the process of withdrawing from Iraq, Joint Base Balad was handed back to the Iraqi Air Force, after which it returned to being called Balad Air Base. [1] The base is home to the Iraqi Air Force's General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcons [ 24 ] of 9th Fighter Squadron (34 aircraft operating in 2023).
Until the early 1990s, Iraq's healthcare system was considered one of the most advanced in the Middle East. Following the Gulf War, it began to deteriorate. Prior to the Iraq War, healthcare spending amounted to 50 cents (US) per Iraqi per year. Today, the Iraqi healthcare system has regressed to a chronic and smoldering condition.