.iq
| Status: | Active |
| country: | Iraq |
| Registry Provider: | Communications and Media Commission |
| Date Implemented: | 1997 |
| Type: | ccTLD |
More information: 
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.iq is the ccTLD for Iraq. It is managed by the Communications and Media Commission (CMC). [1]
Delegation History and Controversy[edit | edit source]
In 1997, the University of Southern California's Information Sciences Institute (USC's ISI), which then performed the IANA functions, approved a request for establishment of the .iq ccTLD. In May 1997, .iq was delegated to the Alani Corporation, affiliated with the InfoCom Corporation.
In January 2000, the ccTLD information was updated to reflect InfoCom as an organization related to the named sponsoring organization and the administrative contact, and as the address for the technical contact, Mr. Bayan Elashi. In July 2004, Elashi, InfoCom, and others were convicted in a United States court, for conspiracy to violate the Export Administration Regulations and the Libyan Sanctions Regulations. In April 2005, Elashi, InfoCom, and others were convicted in a United States court for conspiracy to deal in the property of a Specially Designated Terrorist and conspiracy to commit money laundering, along with other related crimes. Additionally, Bayan Elashi was convicted of dealing in the property of a Specially Designated Terrorist and money laundering.
The .iq ccTLD was not active for most of the time the ccTLD was operated by Alani Corporation/InfoCom, the only entries appeared to be two that pointed to the registry itself.
In June 2004, the Coalition Provisional Authority formally contacted ICANN regarding the steps necessary for redelegation of the .iq ccTLD. In December 2004, Prime Minister Allawi sent ICANN a letter designating the appropriate party representing Iraq and requesting that ICANN begin the process of redelegating the domain to the National Communications and Media Commission of Iraq.[2] On 29 July 2005, the .iq country code top-level domain was redelegated from InfoCom Corp. to National Communications and Media Commission (NCMC). In 2009, the .iq record in the IANA WHOIS database was updated to reflect NCMC’s name change to “Communications and Media Commission (CMC)”.[3]
Rules and Restrictions[edit | edit source]
The registration of .iq domains is limited to commercial commissions, Internet service providers, nonprofits, or schools and private institutions recognized by Higher Education, natural individuals, citizens, or residents in Iraq.[4]