News, Rumors and Opinions Tuesday 1-20-2026
Ariel : US Military Leaves Iraq, What this means for IQD Holders
1-20-2026
US Military Leaves Iraq: 23 Years Of Occupation Now Over (What This Means For IQD Holders)
Can you all feel the electricity in what is being laid out? It’s like watching puzzle pieces snap together after years of waiting in the shadows.
Iraq’s been grinding through reforms for ages, and with the US pullout from federal territory hitting the wires just yesterday (January 18, 2026), the timing feels charged.
Trump’s old 2020 line about not leaving until Iraq “pays us back” for those billion-dollar bases is echoing louder now, especially as Baghdad navigates how to settle accounts in a world where the dinar sits at roughly 1,310 to the dollar.
You’re spot on that a massive reval would be the cleanest “repayment” mechanism on paper, but let’s dig deep into the why and how of this moment, especially your sharp question: why route so much through Erbil over Baghdad?
I’ll try to explain with layers of context, pulling from the real dynamics at play, because this isn’t just surface noise it’s structural.
Iraq’s pushing multiple fronts right now, and it does feel anticipatory, like the country is finally clearing the runway for deeper global integration:
Sovereign rating push → Confirmed. That joint meeting with Oliver Wyman, chaired by CBI Governor Ali Mohsen Al-Alaq and attended by PM advisor Mazhar Mohammed Saleh, zeroed in on the five pillars (institutional strength, monetary policy, economic growth prospects, political risks, governance). This isn’t cosmetic they’re building a narrative for S&P, Fitch, and Moody’s to justify upgrades. Better ratings mean cheaper borrowing, more FDI, and smoother access to international markets.
Banking cleanup and OFAC coordination → Real and ongoing. The CBI has been isolating bad actors, tightening dollar auction rules, and aligning with US Treasury to choke illicit flows (think Iran smuggling networks). This creates “clean pipes” for legitimate capital.
WTO track → Accelerating. After resuming talks in 2024 following a 16-year pause, Iraq’s adopting laws (commercial agency tweaks, IP protections) to meet accession criteria. Full membership isn’t tomorrow, but the momentum is there UNCTAD systems at ports like Umm Qasr are modernizing customs to tie into global trade rails.
US withdrawal context → Fresh and nuanced. Reports across CNN, Reuters, AP, and others confirm the full handover of bases like Ain al-Asad in federal Iraq. But notice the precise wording: “federal territory” or “non-Kurdish regions.” That’s deliberate. Remaining advisory/training elements are heavily concentrated in the Kurdistan Region, where US-KRG ties run deep and ISIS remnants still justify a footprint.
All this choreography clean banks, rating upgrades, trade prep does scream preparation for a more open economic regime. But the currency angle? The 2026 budget officially locks in ~1,300 IQD/USD, with no public signals of a dramatic shift. Which of course is very smart to keep the markets in line.
Read Full Article: https://www.patreon.com/posts/us-military-iraq-148634263
Courtesy of Dinar Guru: https://www.dinarguru.com/
Frank26 What is the #1 law for the citizens that is going to be passed right away? The #1 law is the HCL and that requires a new rate. But we learned the HCL can be passed without the rate...[but] if anyone is silly enough to believe they're going to do it at 1300 I got some land to sell you on the moon...The moment you see the HCL, within nanoseconds, you will see the new exchange rate.
Jeff The news is phenomenal. Looks amazing. The next critical thing we're looking for is when they're going to have and hold a session of parliament to tackle and vote on the president. They haven't given us that date yet but they're in close proximity to doing that...When they get to the point of a prime minister, this can go very fast...They could announce the prime minister the same day they announce the president.
Militia Man You see the corruption falling. You see the bite back from the corruption because the new systems are working. They're not having it. They're not liking it. Today's theme in the news has been about misinformation. It's quite evident...You have to be very careful on what you read and how you read it because there's a lot of propaganda out there.
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BofA Warns: $6 TRILLION BANK RUN IMMINENT!
Steven Van Metre: 1-19-2026
CEO of Bank of America Brian Moynihan is warning there will be a six trillion dollar run on the banks that will spur a massive liquidity crisis even too big for the Fed to fix that could collapse the entire banking system.