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Country of Origin Information Iraq COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION IRAQ United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) October 2005 This report has been produced by UNHCR on the basis of information obtained from a variety of publicly available sources, analyses and comments. The purpose of the report is to serve as a reference for a breadth of country of origin information and thereby assists, inter alia, in the asylum determination process and when assessing the feasibility of returns to Iraq in safety and dignity. The information contained does not purport to be exhaustive with regard to conditions in the country surveyed, and incomplete, inaccurate or incorrect information cannot be ruled out. The inclusion of information in this report does not constitute an endorsement of the information or views of third parties. Neither does such information necessarily represent statements of policy or views of UNHCR or the United Nations. In particular the use of ethnic-sectarian terms such as ‘Shiite’, ‘Sunni’ or ‘Kurd’ does not constitute an endorsement of sectarianism but merely reflects the current realities on the ground (i.e. these groups should not be considered homogenous entities). ii Table of contents TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ III LIST OF ACRONYMS ..................................................................................................VII EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ 1 A. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................ 4 B. CHALLENGES IN TODAY’S IRAQ ........................................................................... 5 I. Current political environment ................................................................................................................................5 1. Overview of political parties and their role in the Iraqi political system ..............................................................5 a) Main Shia Arab parties and movements ...........................................................................................................5 b) Main Kurdish parties........................................................................................................................................5 c) Main Sunni Arab parties and movements.........................................................................................................6 d) Parties representing other minorities ................................................................................................................6 e) Parties without an overt sectarian identification...............................................................................................7 2. Overview of political process and current government.........................................................................................7 a) The ‘transitional period’ ...................................................................................................................................7 b) Transitional National Assembly elections and formation of the Iraqi Transitional Government.....................8 c) The Permanent Constitution ...........................................................................................................................10 d) Regional and Governorate authorities ............................................................................................................12 II. Security situation..................................................................................................................................................14 1. Overview.............................................................................................................................................................14 2. Emergency laws ..................................................................................................................................................17 III. Economic situation..............................................................................................................................................18 IV. Infrastructure and reconstruction.....................................................................................................................23 V. Displacement issues ..............................................................................................................................................24 1. Introduction.........................................................................................................................................................24 2. Overview of populations.....................................................................................................................................25 a) Refugees and asylum-seekers in Iraq..............................................................................................................25 b) Iraqi refugees and others of concern...............................................................................................................27 c) Internally displaced persons ...........................................................................................................................27 d) Returnees (returning refugees and IDPs)........................................................................................................29 iii e) Stateless persons.............................................................................................................................................30 3. The Ministry of Displacement and Migration.....................................................................................................30 VI. Situation of women and children.......................................................................................................................31 1. Women................................................................................................................................................................31 a) Overview ........................................................................................................................................................31 b) Legal status and protection of women‘s rights...............................................................................................32 c) Current situation of women ............................................................................................................................34 2. Children and adolescents.....................................................................................................................................40 C. PHYSICAL, MATERIAL AND LEGAL SAFETY ...................................................... 43 I. Introduction............................................................................................................................................................43 II. Physical safety.......................................................................................................................................................43 1. Overall situation..................................................................................................................................................43 2. Re-establishment of enforcement agencies .........................................................................................................44 a) Multinational Forces and private security companies.....................................................................................44 b) Iraqi Security Forces ......................................................................................................................................46 c) Iraqi Police, Border Enforcement, Facilities Protection Service and Special Services ..................................49 d) Iraq’s detention and prison system .................................................................................................................52 e) New Iraqi Army / Iraqi Armed Forces............................................................................................................55 f) State security and intelligence agencies..........................................................................................................57 g) Militias ...........................................................................................................................................................59 h) Insurgency ......................................................................................................................................................64 3. Mines / Unexploded ordnance.............................................................................................................................73 4. Security situation in the different areas...............................................................................................................75 a) Northern Iraq ..................................................................................................................................................75 b) Central Iraq.....................................................................................................................................................80 c) Southern Iraq ..................................................................................................................................................87
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