Embassy of Iraq, Ottawa
 | This article needs to be updated. (January 2024) |
| Embassy of Iraq in Ottawa | |
|---|---|
 The old chancery on McLeod Street. The embassy has since moved to Laurier Avenue. | |
 | |
| Location | Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Address | 189 Laurier Ave. East |
| Coordinates | 45°24′49″N 75°41′19″W / 45.41361°N 75.68861°W |
| Ambassador | Dr. Abdlu-Rahman Al-Hussaini |
The Embassy of Iraq, Ottawa is the
History
In the 1980s, the embassy was best known for its gala party held each year at the
One negative incident occurred on August 10 (Year???) when an
Iraqi former President Saddam Hussein never replaced al-Shawi as an ambassador and for a number of years, the embassy was run by more junior officers. In the late 1990s the embassy was perennially short of cash and got in trouble for paying employees in alcohol and cigarettes. The Canadian government did not bow to U.S. pressure to close the embassy during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, but Canada did expel a number of diplomats on suspicion of espionage. The lone Iraqi diplomat who remained, chargé d'affaires Mamdouh Mustafa, shuttered himself inside the embassy, attending few functions and refusing to talk to the media. In December 2003 Mustafa returned to Iraq, leaving the embassy vacant.
Today
In May 2004 the embassy reopened with a staff dispatched by the new Iraqi government, and a new then-ambassador Howar Ziad arrived at the end of the year.
See also
- Foreign relations of Canada
- Foreign relations of Iraq
- Iraqi diplomatic missions