National Security Advisory calls on parliament to pass cybercrime law

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s National Security Advisory called on parliament Tuesday to pass a law to combat cybercrime, citing the absence of a legal framework to address electronic offenses.

Saeed al-Jiyashi, strategic affairs adviser at the advisory, made the remarks during a dialogue session on the sidelines of the fourth media conference organized by the Counter Terrorism Service.

“There is still no dedicated law to combat cybercrimes and provide legal coverage for them, and here the responsibility of the Council of Representatives emerges to assume its role and close this gap,” al-Jiyashi told the Iraqi News Agency.

He said media outlets have expanded broadly since 2003 but some have become “part of the problem by stirring strife without the presence of deterrent accountability mechanisms.”

Al-Jiyashi said terrorism began with a media arm, adding that the fall of Mosul in 2014 was not due to a lack of manpower or weapons but to rumors that affected public opinion. “The strength in counterterrorism lies in society rather than weapons,” he said.

The Islamic State group captured Mosul in 2014 after Iraqi security forces withdrew, seizing large areas in Nineveh, Salah al-Din and Anbar.

Al-Jiyashi said the state’s responsibility is to provide accurate information, warning that delayed official accounts lead to “media speculation and the spread of inaccurate stories.”