Iraqi Civil War News & Analysis
Iraq’s Political Deadlock: Headed for a Reckoning in 2022?
A nearly year-long political deadlock is posing serious threats to Iraq’s long-term stability.
Iraq: PM Drone Attack Reveals Risk of Political Violence
The message sent by the attack is loud and clear: if certain parties don’t get what they want from the new government, they won’t hesitate to advance their interests through violence.
Closing the Security Vacuum in Northern Iraq
The costs of discord between Erbil and Baghdad are being laid bare in the chaos of northern 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.
Decision Time Looms for US Troops in Iraq
There are push and pull factors pointing to a US troop pullout. But a swift destabilization of Iraq may remove the luxury of choice.
Corruption and Sectarianism Sinking PM Hopefuls in Iraq
The old guard has yet to moot a palatable candidate for the young Iraqis demanding change.
2019 Iraq Protests in Recent Historical Perspective
The seeds of the current crisis were planted during the demise of the Hussein regime.
As Islamic State Retreats, the Battle to Rebuild Is Only Beginning
Large swathes of Iraq and Syria remain utterly devastated by the war with Islamic State.
Muqtada al-Sadr Closes in on Surprise Win in 2018 Iraq Elections
The avowed foe of both the United States and Iran has seized on popular grievances to win the 2018 Iraq elections, but forming a government won’t be easy.
Egypt’s Samir Al Ghatas on the Nature of Terrorism
Is terrorism fueled by economic, social, religious, or psychological factors?
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.
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.
Historical Holocaust: Daesh’s Lasting Legacy
Daesh’s wanton destruction of cultural relics helped fray the national fabric of countries like Syria and Iraq. It’s now up to the international community to help mend them.
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.
Global Forecast (05-12-17)
Good news from Mosul, bad news from Afghanistan, and President Trump angers Turkey by arming Syria’s Kurds.
Global Forecast (03-29-2017)
Brexit begins, the Iraqi army makes slow steady in Mosul, and China looks to turn up the heat on Taiwan.
Who Will Lead in a World on Fire?
Faced with spreading conflict and instability throughout the world, who will lead?
If Mosul Falls, Lookout West
Security services should prepare for the possibility that the fall of Mosul will trigger terrorist attacks in Western countries.
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.
Global Forecast (10-04-2016)
FARC peace deal suffers a shock defeat at the ballot box, Kunduz under siege again, and the Iraqi government prepares to attack Mosul.
