Country Report on Terrorism 2012 - Chapter 2 - Iraq

Iraq. In 2012, the Government of Iraq was aware of the extent of terrorist activities occurring in its territory, and Iraqi leaders and security forces expended considerable effort to counter terrorist groups and deny terrorists safe havens. While the level of counterterrorism pressure exerted by security forces varied by region, overall the central government took strong action to eliminate terrorist safe havens, maintained strong counterterrorism cooperation with the United States, and made progress in preventing the proliferation and trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) both within and across its borders.

Lax border enforcement by the Kurdistan Regional Government, tensions between the central government and Kurdish security forces, and the ongoing crisis in Syria, however, increased the likelihood that al-Qa’ida in Iraq and its Syria-based front group, al-Nusrah Front, could successfully smuggle WMD, conventional weapons, and operatives across the Kurdish areas of the border into Iraq from Syria.

The Iraqi government made progress in preventing the proliferation and trafficking of WMD. In February 2012, the Government of Iraq passed the Nonproliferation Act, which will serve as the basis to further develop its legal infrastructure to control strategic goods through implementing regulations. The Iraqi government also committed to adopting the EU control list. Furthermore, Iraq has established a radioactive source regulatory infrastructure, the Iraq Radioactive Source Regulatory Authority.

The United States continued to work with Iraq to build Iraqi government capacity to secure potentially dangerous biological and chemical materials and infrastructure housed at Iraqi facilities, while also productively engaging Iraqi scientists and engineers that have WMD or WMD-applicable expertise in peaceful, civilian science.

Associated documents