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IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionIraq will Remain a US-Iran Point of Contention
May 31, 2018Gregory AftandilianThe United States’ more belligerent position toward Iran, in the wake of the Trump Administration’s recent withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal, is likely to …
- Viewpoint
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceIraq’s Elections and the Arduous Road Ahead
May 25, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabIraq has just finished a fourth round of parliamentary elections. What Iraqis await now are the results of consultations between political parties and factions…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceThe Many Challenges of Iraq’s Upcoming Elections
May 1, 2018Abdulwahab Al-QassabTranscending ethnic and sectarian divisions could be one of the most significant outcomes of the upcoming Iraqi elections that can transform the currently divi…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA Mysterious Strike Renews Israel-US Coordination in Syria
Apr 10, 2018Joe MacaronThe Israeli strike on Iranian assets in Syria last Monday and the imminent US strike on Syria renew the US-Israeli coordination there for the first time since …
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIs There a US Policy Toward the Kurds in Iraq and Syria?
Feb 21, 2018Gregory AftandilianRecent tensions between the United States and Turkey over US support for the Syrian Kurds have brought to the forefront the issue of US policy toward the Kurdi…
- Policy Analysis
IraqEnergy and EconomicsJordanian-Iraqi Relations on the Mend, but Problems Remain
Feb 8, 2018Gregory AftandilianEconomic necessities and opposition to the so-called Islamic State have brought Jordan and Iraq closer together, but Amman remains concerned about Baghdad’s li…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceUnsettling Times for Iraqi Kurdistan
Jan 10, 2018Mustafa GurbuzThe Sulaymaniyah protests last December have revealed a deep split in Iraqi Kurdistan. By pitting Sulaymaniyah against Irbil, Baghdad aims to capitalize on the…
- Policy Analysis
IranDemocracy and GovernanceRegime Unity Will Decide the Fate of Iran’s Protests
Jan 4, 2018Imad K. HarbIranian protesters’ slogans and demands indicate that there is much angst and frustration with the slow pace of political reform, the glacial movement of econo…
- Policy Analysis
IraqRegional Relations and GeopoliticsAmid Regional Chaos, US Seeks Improved Saudi-Iraqi Ties
Nov 6, 2017Charles W. DunneDespite many pitfalls, the Trump Administration is quite keen on helping to improve relations between Saudi Arabia and Iraq in an effort to contain Iranian inf…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Kirkuk Battle Is a Watershed Event for Iraq
Oct 19, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Iraqi central government harnessed domestic and international support to abort the Kurdish referendum for independence, in the process weakening the KRG’s …
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceThe Kurdish Referendum and Cross-Communal Dynamics in Iraq
Oct 12, 2017Gregory AftandilianWhile Abadi’s popularity has risen because of his stewardship of the successful anti-Islamic State campaign, his standing could be jeopardized if the crisis ov…
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationDoes Turkey Really Want to Punish Iraqi Kurdistan?
Oct 3, 2017Mustafa GurbuzTurkey may feel that it has to impose punitive measures against Iraqi Kurdistan over the referendum but countervailing Turkish domestic political conditions ma…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceIraq’s Kurds Vote to Secede, but Problems Loom
Oct 2, 2017Imad K. Harb Khalil E. Jahshan Joe Macaron Marcus Montgomery Abdulwahab Al-Qassab Radwan Ziadeh Mustafa GurbuzThe widespread disapproval of the Kurdish referendum inside Iraq, the region, and internationally points to potential serious developments for the Kurds and a …
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Strategic Implications of Reopening the Baghdad-Amman Highway
Sep 29, 2017Joe MacaronWhile pivotal for Jordan’s and Iraq’s economies, the recent re-opening of the Amman-Baghdad highway has strategic and security implications for faraway powers …
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceThe Follies and Pitfalls of the Kurdish Referendum
Sep 22, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe Kurdish referendum is a dangerous play with delicate Kurdish and Iraqi politics to shore up KRG President Masood Barzani’s legitimacy in Iraqi Kurdistan.
- Policy Analysis
IraqSecurity and DefenseThe Realities and Challenges of a New US SOFA with Iraq
Aug 15, 2017Gregory AftandilianThe United States and Iraq are currently negotiating a new Status of Forces Agreement that is contingent upon numerous domestic, regional, and American conditi…
- Policy Analysis
IraqDemocracy and GovernanceExistential Questions: Iraq Gears up for Elections
Aug 7, 2017Charles W. DunneIraqi political forces are beginning to come together, pick fights, ingratiate themselves with potential foreign patrons, and evaluate the mood of the country …
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionImproving Iraq-GCC Relations: No Time Like the Present
Jul 27, 2017Charles W. DunneIraq’ reintegration into the Arab world, particularly in terms of improving its relations with its Gulf neighbors, will support its stability as well as ensure…
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe Day after Mosul’s Liberation
Jul 25, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabCrafting a new social and political order after the defeat of ISIL in Mosul, and elsewhere in Iraq, is a responsibility for the Iraqis, their allies, the regio…
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationThe Independence Referendum: A Pyrrhic Victory for Barzani
Jul 10, 2017Mustafa GurbuzThe Kurdish decision to hold a referendum on independence from Iraq may bring happiness to the Kurds but will come at a heavy price for the Kurdish leadership.
- Policy Analysis
IraqConflicts and Conflict ResolutionThe GCC in Turmoil: Repercussions of the Gulf Crisis on Iraq-GCC Relations
Jun 27, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabIraq and the GCC have a long history of cooperation as well as enmity. How has the relationship between Iraq and GCC nations developed and what is the impact o…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionA US-Iran Race to Control the Damascus-Baghdad Highway
May 31, 2017Joe MacaronSecuring the Damascus-Baghdad highway and deterring Iran’s regional activities might lead to a direct US involvement in the Syrian war.
- Policy Analysis
IraqIdentity Politics and SectarianizationIraq Beyond the Islamic State
May 17, 2017Charles W. DunneAfter the defeat of ISIL and the reconquest of Mosul, how will Iraq’s government address the lingering issues of national identity, minorities, and Kurdish asp…
- Policy Analysis
IranConflicts and Conflict ResolutionGenocide in Mosul: The Repercussions of Targeting Civilians
Apr 4, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThere have been widespread allegations that the destruction of Mosul, the major Sunni Iraqi city after Baghdad, is the aim of the Iranian-backed Shiite militia…
- Policy Analysis
IraqReligion and PoliticsWhy Is the Battle against ISIL not Going Well?
Mar 28, 2017Radwan ZiadehOn March 22nd, the foreign ministers of the Global Coalition to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) concluded their meeting in Washington, D…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Regaining Western Mosul: Consequences and Implications
Mar 2, 2017Abdulwahab Al-Qassabimg { margin: 5px; padding: 5px;}Since October 2016, the Iraqi government, supported by the US military, has waged one of its most difficult battles t…
- Policy Analysis
IranIdentity Politics and SectarianizationGeneral Mattis and Iraq: Motivations and Apprehensions
Feb 3, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabThe appointment of retired US General James Mattis as Secretary of Defense comes during cautious times for both Iraqis and Americans. The Iraqis are anticipati…
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Iraqi Kurdistan’s Bid for Independence: Challenges and Prospects
Jan 26, 2017Mustafa GurbuzMasoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraqi Kurdistan, has expressed his expectation for “a big change” in US policy under P…
- Policy AnalysisIraqUS Foreign Policy
Syria and Iraq in the Age of Trump: Challenges to American Interests
Jan 25, 2017Imad K. HarbNow that the Trump Administration has taken over the reins of American diplomatic and military power, questions arise about how it intends to preserve America’…
- Policy AnalysisIraqIdentity Politics and Sectarianization
Turkish-Iraqi Relations: Old Trends and Future Possibilities
Jan 17, 2017Abdulwahab Al-QassabRelations between Iraq and Turkey have been cordial and cautious since Iraq became independent of Ottoman suzerainty after WWI, when British forces invaded and…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
Mosul will not be Truly Liberated Without Strong Political Leadership
Nov 17, 2016Mustafa GurbuzThe military victory in Mosul will not be sufficient unless the United States finds a political resolution, in cooperation with local parties, that addresses S…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
The Battle of Mosul Portends the Future of Iraq
Oct 28, 2016Imad K. HarbThe long-awaited battle to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is underway. Months prior, the Iraqi army and police,…
- Policy AnalysisIraqConflicts and Conflict Resolution
‘Underlearning’ the Lessons of Iraq: American Agility and Russian Influence
Oct 20, 2016Yousef MunayyerPerhaps one of the most cited criticisms of US foreign policy relating to Syria today is the notion that President Barack Obama has “overlearned” the lessons o…
- Policy AnalysisIranReligion and Politics
Battle over Fallujah Tests US-Iran Tacit Deal against ISIL
Jun 3, 2016Joe MacaronAs Major General Qassem Soleimani, commander of Iran’s al-Quds Force, was reportedly spotted in the northern outskirts of the besieged city of Fallujah, …
- Policy AnalysisIraqDemocracy and Governance
Defeating ISIL is Not Enough to Save Iraq
May 10, 2016Joe MacaronTwo years into the fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and amid the persistent downward trend of global oil prices, Iraq is obviously…
