- Show all
- Arab Americans/ Muslim Americans
- Climate and Environment
- Conflicts and Conflict Resolution
- Democracy and Governance
- Diplomacy and Negotiations
- Economic Affairs
- Education and Development
- Energy and Economics
- Global Health and Health Policy
- Identity Politics and Sectarianization
- Infographics and Fact Sheets
- International Law
- International Law and International Bodies
- Israeli War Tactics and Genocide
- Justice, Equality, and Human Rights
- Media and Technology
- Migrants, Refugees, and IDPs
- Protests and Activism
- Public Opinion
- Public Opinion, Protest, and Debate
- Regional Implications and Geopolitics
- Regional Relations and Geopolitics
- Religion and Politics
- Security and Defense
- The GCC
- The War in Ukraine
- The War on Gaza
- Top 10 Readings on the Gaza War
- Topic-Test
- US Domestic Politics and Elections
- US Foreign Policy
- US Policy
- Violent Extremism
- Women & Gender Issues
- Policy AnalysisIraqViolent Extremism
The Islamic State Is Trying to Rebound
Aug 29, 2024Gregory AftandilianTaking advantage of the world’s attention to the Israel-Hamas and Israel-Hezbollah conflicts, the so-called Islamic State (IS) is trying to reconstitute itself…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Iraq’s Sudani Runs the Risks of Sustained Relations with the United States
May 7, 2024Rend Al-RahimOn his recent visit to the United States, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia` al-Sudani proposed a bold new relationship with America, basing it on the joint S…
- Policy AnalysisLevantUS Foreign Policy
US Troops to Stay in Syria and Iraq but Perhaps Not for Long
Feb 22, 2024Gregory AftandilianIn recent weeks, there have been meetings in Washington and in Baghdad about the presence in Iraq and Syria of US troops, whose official mandate is to aid loca…
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Iran Between Managing Allies and Modulating Its Deterrence
Jan 25, 2024Daniel BrumbergThis is a bad time for Iran to become embroiled in an expanding regional war that pits the Islamic Republic and its allies in Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen against …
- Policy AnalysisTurkeyEnergy and Economics
Turkey’s Ambitions in Iraq Play Out in Kirkuk
Oct 3, 2023Mustafa GurbuzIn late August, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani stirred the pot of existing tensions when he ordered the evacuation of the Iraqi military’s Joint…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iran’s Hardliners on the March: The Quiet Before the Storm?
Aug 3, 2023Daniel BrumbergThe recent redeployment of Iran’s dreaded “morality police” signals much more than a victory for the country’s hardliners. Instead, it seems to be part and par…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Sudani’s Premiership Is Failing in the Iraqi Fight Against Corruption
Jul 12, 2023Patricia KaramWhen Mohammed Shia` al-Sudani became prime minister of Iraq, he made it a priority to combat endemic corruption in the country and help restore citizen trust i…
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Shock and Awe: Life in Iraq Twenty Years after the US-led Invasion
Jun 16, 2023Yara M. AsiThis year marks a significant milestone in the American-led “Global War on Terror,” especially in relation to Iraq. It has been 20 years since former Secretary…
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Twenty Years after “Mission Accomplished” in Iraq: A Critical Assessment
May 2, 2023Charles W. DunneThe crisis had been building for months when, on March 20, 2003, this author stood with a group of military officers deep inside the Pentagon, watching a telev…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraqi Prime Minister al-Sudani Upstages His Benefactors in the Coordination Framework
Jan 31, 2023Rend Al-RahimIraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, who was sworn in on October 27, 2022, has nearly completed the first 100 days of his tenure. In this short perio…
- Policy AnalysisIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Depoliticizing Iraq-Gulf Relations Through Soccer
Jan 11, 2023Zeidon AlkinaniIraq is defying its reputation and fighting against all odds in its attempt to depoliticize its regional image through the use of soccer. Between January 6 and…
- Policy AnalysisIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Iraq’s Foreign Policy Balancing Act Is Likely to Continue
Nov 29, 2022Gregory AftandilianDespite the support that Iraq’s new prime minister, Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, has received from pro-Iran factions in the Iraqi Parliament, he is likely to purs…
- Policy AnalysisTurkeySecurity and Defense
Turkey’s Self-Fulfilling Prophecy in Iraq
Sep 28, 2022Mustafa GurbuzHead of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization Hakan Fidan’s recent visit to Baghdad was an attempt to heal wounds that were opened during a diplomatic ro…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iran’s Cautious Stance on Iraq’s Current Political Crisis
Sep 27, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniIraqi politicians have repeatedly failed to form a government in the eleven months that have passed since the country’s October 2021 elections, in large part d…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
In Iraq’s Political Stalemate, Sadr May Be in Charge
Aug 23, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniIraq’s political deadlock has grown more intense and complex in recent months. The stalemate that has reigned since the re-election of Speaker of Parliament Mo…
- Policy AnalysisThe Arabian Peninsula and The GulfUS Foreign Policy
Reflections on President Biden’s Predictably Disappointing Middle East Trip
US President Joe Biden visited Israel, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia from July 13 to 16 to meet with various regional leaders. This was Biden’s first visit as pr…
- Policy AnalysisLevantRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Iraq-Jordan-Egypt Entente Moves Ahead Despite the GCC’s Shadow
Jul 19, 2022Gregory AftandilianIn recent years, Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan have come together to form a sort of alliance based on shared security, political, and economic interests. Since 2019,…
- Intern CornerIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraq’s Opposition Builds a Blueprint for Dismantling a Corrupt Sectarian System
Jun 28, 2022Zahraa AlribeawiIraqi politicians’ continued failure to form a functioning government calls for a reexamination of the country’s current political system, al-muhasasa al-ta'if…
- Policy AnalysisIraqProtests and Activism
The Political Transformation of Protest Movements in Iraq and Lebanon
Jun 24, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniDespite the limited achievements of Iraq and Lebanon's recently-established protest movements compared to their stated objectives, the movements’ small gains m…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraq’s Government Formation Hindered by Intra-Group Political Competitions
May 2, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniZeidon Alkinani argues that the current political deadlock in Iraq in choosing a president and a prime minister is fueled by intra-group competitions in the Sh…
- Policy AnalysisIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Current Iraq-Gulf Relations: Economics over Politics?
Mar 23, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniThe Gulf Arab states practiced an almost unified approach to post–2003 Iraq, which was generally derived from their established alliance following the 1990–199…
- Policy AnalysisLevantViolent Extremism
Is the Islamic State Rebounding in Syria and Iraq?
Feb 25, 2022Gregory AftandilianThe nearly two-week siege in January of the Ghuwayran prison and parts of the town of Hasaka by fighters of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in northeastern Sy…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
The Quiet Kurdish Rivalry over Iraq’s Presidency
Feb 9, 2022Zeidon AlkinaniZeidon Alkinani discusses the rivalry between Iraq’s main Kurdish parties—the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)—and i…
- Policy AnalysisIranDemocracy and Governance
Iraq’s Post-Election Government Formation: Political Deadlock
Dec 28, 2021Zeidon AlkinaniMajor changes to the Iraqi political scene are awaiting the formation of a new government following the results of the early parliamentary election that took p…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraq’s Tishreen Protest Movement: The Exceptional Domestic Pressure Tool
Nov 10, 2021Zeidon AlkinaniIn October 2019, Iraq witnessed its most significant anti-government protests since the US-led invasion and occupation in 2003. The demonstrations blasted the …
- Policy AnalysisIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
The Erbil Conference: Iraq Rejects Normalizing with Israel
Oct 12, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabOn September 24th, some 300 Iraqi tribal and political leaders, mostly from Iraq’s six Sunni-majority governorates, met at a conference in Erbil, capital of th…
- Policy AnalysisIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Kadhimi Tries to Boost His Domestic Standing
Sep 1, 2021Imad K. HarbAs a basic principle, foreign policy serves as an extension of a country’s domestic politics and an instrument wielded by policy-makers to enhance their domest…
- ViewpointIran
Iran’s Presidential Election as Viewed in Iraq
Jun 29, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabAll political developments in Iran have serious repercussions in Iraq, and the election of Ibrahim Raisi as president of the Islamic Republic is no different. …
- ViewpointIraqDemocracy and Governance
Time to Address Impunity in Iraq
Jun 4, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabOn May 26, Iraqi security forces arrested General Qasim Muslih, commander of Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) in Anbar province, basing their action on…
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
The United States Ends its Combat Role in Iraq
Apr 26, 2021Gregory AftandilianAt the recent meeting of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue, negotiators decided to end the combat mission of US troops engaged in the fight against remnants of th…
- ViewpointIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
A Struggle of Wills over Iraq’s Identity
Mar 30, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe last few days witnessed serious efforts by some Arab countries to influence developments in Iran-friendly Iraq. On March 24, Qatari Foreign Minister Mohamm…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Complicated and Challenging Security Situation
Mar 16, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabMany of Iraq’s pro-Iran militias were encouraged with Joe Biden’s election as president of the United States and the ensuing Democratic control of both houses …
- ViewpointIraqViolent Extremism
The Terrorist Attacks in Baghdad: A New Chapter in Iraq’s Instability?
Feb 3, 2021Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab Al-Qassab writes that the latest suicide bombings in Baghdad portend a feared return of the Islamic State after it was supposedly vanquished in Dece…
- Policy AnalysisEgyptRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Egypt-Iraq-Jordan Alliance Tries to Change Middle East Dynamics
Sep 16, 2020Curtis R. RyanOn August 25, 2020, the leaders of Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan met in Amman for the third in a succession of meetings marking ever-closer relations between the thr…
- ViewpointIraqUS Foreign Policy
Iraq’s Mustafa Al-Kadhimi Comes to Washington
Aug 18, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab Al-Qassab previews Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi’s upcoming visit to Washington and writes that the American capital may be too preoccupie…
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue: Important Achievements, but Much Remains to Be Done
Jul 14, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne reports that the first round of the US-Iraq Strategic Dialogue in June made progress on security issues, but many challenges remain for the tw…
- Policy AnalysisIraqViolent Extremism
The US and Iraq Must Shore Up the Fight against the Islamic State
May 8, 2020Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq faces numerous setbacks, including the coronavirus, and that the upcoming US-Iraq Stra…
- Washington Policy WeeklySaudi ArabiaUS Foreign Policy
Did the Saudi-Led Oil Deal Diminish Republicans’ 2020 Electoral Chances?
Apr 15, 2020Marcus MontgomeryBecause the health of the US economy is critical for Donald Trump's reelection hopes, Marcus Montgomery asks if the recent Saudi-led OPEC+ cuts will contribute…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Confusion in Iraq: A Fractious Political Process and Free-Wheeling Militias
Mar 30, 2020Abdulwahab Al-QassabAbdulwahab al-Qassab highlights Iraq's current political problems and calls upon Iraqi politicians to put aside their differences and concentrate on how to avo…
- Policy AnalysisIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The United States and Iran Continue to Maneuver in Iraq
Feb 21, 2020Gregory AftandilianGregory Aftandilian contends that after the very tense period of December 2019-January 2020, the United States and Iran are seeking to restore their credibilit…
- Policy AnalysisIranSecurity and Defense
Washington’s Strategy in the Post-Soleimani Middle East
Jan 15, 2020Joe MacaronJoe Macaron writes that the post-Soleimani Middle East offers both challenges and opportunities but the Trump Administration does not seem to have a strategy t…
- Policy AnalysisIranSecurity and Defense
Soleimani’s Assassination Backfires Big Time
Jan 7, 2020Daniel BrumbergWashington’s killing of Qassem Soleimani violates the red lines that the United States and Iran had previously respected in order to avoid escalation, and make…
- ViewpointIranSecurity and Defense
A Middle East Calamity Is about to Unfold
Jan 3, 2020Imad K. HarbKilling Soleimani has put the Middle East at the edge of a dangerous abyss and hastened an inevitable confrontation between the United States and Iran.
- Policy AnalysisIranProtests and Activism
The United States and Iran Readjust to New Realities in Iraq and Lebanon
Dec 18, 2019Joe MacaronAfter 15 years of rivalry in Iraq and Lebanon, the United States and Iran are adjusting their policies based on a new reality of popular uprisings that challen…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
With Iraq’s Mounting Chaos Spreading, Time for a US Policy Reboot
Nov 27, 2019Charles W. DunneCharles W. Dunne argues that in light of Iraq’s current crisis, the United States must take bold steps to help stabilize the country, enhance anti-corruption a…
- ViewpointIraqUS Foreign Policy
Putting al-Baghdadi’s Demise in Perspective
Oct 30, 2019Khalil E. JahshanKhalil E. Jahshan looks at the deeper meaning of the United States’ killing of IS leader Abu-Bakr al-Baghdadi and doubts if his demise will portend the end of …
- ViewpointIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Cruel Killings Will Not Stop Mass Protests
Oct 8, 2019Imad K. HarbProtests have again rocked Iraq’s streets as thousands of young people voiced their opposition to rampant corruption and sectarian politics. While the demonstr…
- ViewpointIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Disturbing Developments in Iraq’s Security Establishments
Oct 1, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabInterference by Iran and Iraqi political groups in the functioning of the Iraqi armed forces and security services has resulted in deteriorating discipline amo…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Iraq’s Dilemma: The Uncertain Future of the Popular Mobilization Forces
Sep 13, 2019Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies (ACRPS)Although Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Forces were instrumental in defeating the Islamic State, their political influence has had a profound impact on the future…
- ViewpointIranConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Iraq Enters the Israel-Iran Proxy War
Aug 20, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabIsraeli strikes against the Popular Mobilization Units in Iraq may have created another battleground in the proxy war between Israel and the Islamic Republic o…
- Policy AnalysisIranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Militias and the US-Iran Impasse
Jun 6, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Iraqi government has a difficult time managing its mutual relations with Iran and the United States because of the influence of Iran-supported militias in …
- Policy AnalysisIranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq Torn between Iran, the United States, and the Islamic State
Apr 3, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabSince the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, Iran has implemented policies to ensure its regional influence and control of Iraqi affairs. Recent American isolationi…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Iran Should Worry about New Iraq-Jordan Relations
Feb 13, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe recent economic agreement between Iraq and Jordan sends signals to Iran that Iraq may find Arab alternatives to its relations with the Islamic Republic.
- Policy AnalysisIraqSecurity and Defense
The United States and the Turkish-Kurdish Conundrum in Northern Syria
Jan 11, 2019Mustafa GurbuzFuture US-Turkey relations depend on Ankara’s demands in northern Syria regarding the Kurds and how its relationship with Moscow develops.
- ViewpointIraqInternational Law
Trump’s Visit Violated Iraq’s Sovereignty
Jan 8, 2019Abdulwahab Al-QassabWhile many in Iraq considered Trump’s visit a violation of sovereignty, there is no plan for changing the ongoing security relationship with the United States …
- ViewpointIranUS Foreign Policy
American Sanctions on Iran Will Seriously Impact Iraq
Nov 13, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabWhile the new set of American sanctions on Iran will undoubtedly have a negative impact on its interactions with the world, the fear is that Iraq will be an un…
- ViewpointIraqRegional Relations and Geopolitics
Russian Gains Are American Losses in the Arab World
Oct 30, 2018Imad K. HarbPutin’s assessment of a receding American international influence paves the way for an even larger Russian role in the Arab world.
- Policy AnalysisIranIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Iraq’s Changing Political Landscape: The Beginning of a New Era?
Oct 17, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabElecting a new president and choosing a new prime minister may provide some hope for positive changes in Iraq’s current political conditions.
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Time to Reboot American-Iraqi Relations
Sep 13, 2018Charles W. DunneAs the conflict in Syria draws to its inevitable bloody close, the United States can't afford to ignore Iraq. In fact, it is time to reboot US-Iraqi relations.
- ViewpointIraqDemocracy and Governance
The Complicated Formation of the Iraqi Government
Aug 30, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabIraq’s fourth parliament since the 2003 American invasion will convene in regular session on September 3, amid confusion and speculation about the formation of…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraq’s Southern Intifada: Mere Demands or a Popular Revolution?
Jul 25, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe latest protests in Iraq point to a public backlash against entrenched Shia parties involved in widespread corruption, sectarian politics, and loyalty to Ir…
- Policy AnalysisIraqEnergy and Economics
Controlling the Nasib Crossing Is a Game Changer for the Syrian Regime
Jul 19, 2018Joe MacaronThe imminent opening of the Nasib crossing on the Syrian-Jordanian border could revitalize commercial activities in the Levant; but challenges lie ahead, inclu…