Political Deadlock Fuels Sectarian Tensions in Iraq
Iraq’s legacy of sectarian conflict is coming to the fore amid dysfunction and deadlock in Baghdad.
Airport Attack Reflects Growing Instability in Iraqi Kurdistan
A recent missile attack on Erbil airport in Iraqi Kurdistan portends growing instability in what has generally been a relatively peaceful region of Iraq.
Will US Troops End Up Stationed in Iraqi Kurdistan?
What might seem like an appealing option to US military planners is actually fraught with its own geopolitical perils.
Corruption and Sectarianism Sinking PM Hopefuls in Iraq
The old guard has yet to moot a palatable candidate for the young Iraqis demanding change.
Muqtada al-Sadr Closes in on Surprise Win in Iraq Elections
The avowed foe of both the United States and Iran has seized on popular grievances to win last week’s election, but forming a government won’t be easy.
Global Forecast (03-29-2018)
Frantic US-China trade talks get underway, Turkey eyes Iraq’s Sinjar region, and Russian diplomats are expelled throughout the Western world.
Russia and Iraqi Kurdistan: Friends without Benefits
Russia wants to protect its economic interests in Iraqi Kurdistan, but not at the cost of disrupting other key alliances in the MENA region.
Pressured from All Sides, Will Iraqi Kurdistan Back Down?
The blowback against Iraqi Kurdistan’s independence referendum was swift as it was fierce, with every neighboring state piling pressure on Irbil to back down.
Kurdish Independence: The Next Phase of the Iraq Civil War?
With the oil-rich city of Kirkuk under its control, the government of Iraqi Kurdistan is moving toward formal independence from Iraq.
The Battle of Mosul Has Begun
Iraqi and Kurdish forces have launched an assault on the last major urban holding of Islamic State in Iraq.