UK and Iraq to expand security relationship

During a visit to Baghdad, UK Security Minister Tom Tugendhat on Monday pledged more support for Iraq in battling terrorism and drug trafficking, highlighting British officials’ wish to expand the countries’ security ties in order to “address shared serious organised-crime threats.”

Iraq has lately been serving as a prime transit country for drugs, particularly the addictive Captagon amphetamine pills, which are largely produced in neighbouring Syria. But there have been some indications that drug production was also gradually expanding into Iraqi areas.

Last month, authorities in Iraq discovered a factory producing the drug in a province sharing borders with Saudi Arabia, for easier access into the kingdom, Tugendhat said. The minister tried to highlight the overlap between drugs, terrorism, human trafficking and violence.

Agreements Outlining Their Cooperation On These Issues

Tugendhat raised concerns over drugs, human trafficking and criminal groups affecting Iraq, the wider region and “many of our friends and allies in the region.” In a statement, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani stressed the country’s efforts to battle serious crimes.

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Al Sudani said Iraq has made “significant efforts” to combat drugs and human trafficking, adding interior ministries of the two countries were preparing to sign agreements underscoring their cooperation on the worrying issues.

The agreements would focus on sharing key information to support efforts to battle “serious organised crime”, according to a British official. It remains to be seen how well the two countries expand their security relationship to entirely dismiss organised-crime threats.