
After Sectarianism
FANAR HADDAD — Iraqi sectarian and political identities have changed fundamentally since 2014. Continue reading “After Sectarianism”
FANAR HADDAD — Iraqi sectarian and political identities have changed fundamentally since 2014. Continue reading “After Sectarianism”
RENAD MANSOUR — The most powerful groups within the PMU existed long before ISIS, and will continue to build influence. Continue reading “Iraq’s Permanent Mobilization”
BILAL WAHAB — Preparations for the independence referendum highlight political and generational divides in Iraqi Kurdistan. Continue reading “Erbil’s Endgame”
MICHAEL KNIGHTS — To manage complex security challenges after ISIS, Baghdad should look to the pre-2014 period for guidance. Continue reading “Back to Iraq’s Future”
BARHAM A. SALIH — Policymakers in Iraqi Kurdistan must restore their people’s faith in the government, or jeopardize the region’s future. Continue reading “Risk and Reform in Iraqi Kurdistan”
SHERRI KRAHAM TALABANY — Helping vulnerable populations requires an integrated approach to mental healthcare and socio-economic empowerment. Continue reading “Iraq’s Hidden Wounds”
BELKIS WILLE — Uncertainty regarding proper screening, detention, and civilian return procedures threatens future instability in Iraq. Continue reading “The Fog of War Against ISIS”
CHRISTOPHER D. KOLENDA — Unless the United States changes its strategy in Afghanistan, that country could experience even greater tumult. Continue reading “Averting Disaster in Afghanistan”
TIM ARANGO — Although the risks for journalists in Iraq may be highly visible, reporting in the country has only become easier. Continue reading “Beyond Iraq’s Headlines”
SAHR MUHAMMEDALLY — Iraq’s government can implement civilian protection policies to promote national reconciliation and reduce tensions between the country’s myriad communities. Continue reading “How to Protect Iraq’s Civilians”
SARAH HOLEWINSKI — Protecting civilians during wartime must be a strategic priority for American policymakers. Continue reading “Learning Civilian Protection”
Today, the status of Iraqi armed groups remains ambiguous despite Baghdad’s attempts to integrate them into the military command structure — a situation that highlights the complex, multifaceted, and poorly-understood roles they will play in Iraq’s political, social, and military development after ISIS. Continue reading “The Future for Iraq’s Popular Mobilization Units”
For Iraqi youth, opportunities to attend school have diminished. Without renewed investment in the country’s education system, the next 30 years will witness the maturation of a generation lacking its predecessor’s skills and training — reshaping its socio-economic environment. Continue reading “Empty Classrooms and Black Market Textbooks”
JOOST HILTERMANN — In northern Iraq, Turkey and Iran are dangerously playing their proxies against each other.
Continue reading “Proxy War in Post-ISIL Iraq”
In Tal Afar, an overstretched Iraqi Army leaves regional powerbrokers and their proxies room to fight, with little chance of mediation.
Continue reading “Tal Afar: Spark for a Turkey-Iran Proxy War?”
The Iraqi government has ignored Hawija’s plight, risking future unrest. Continue reading “Forgotten Front Line in Hawija”
PAUL STANILAND — Uncertainty regarding internal Afghan Taliban politics limits options for leaders in both Kabul and Islamabad.
KENNETH POLLACK — The same political mistakes that sparked Iraq’s conflict in 2006 and 2014 threaten to tear the country apart again.
Continue reading “Cycles of Crisis”
MADAWI AL-RASHEED — Limited social and political reforms in Saudi Arabia only prolong the life of authoritarianism. Continue reading “Mystique of Monarchy”
MICHAEL KNIGHTS — Iraq lacks credible national leadership, and that may be alright. Continue reading “One Million Man Moment”
MICHAEL KNIGHTS — The Islamic State is the least of Iraq’s challenges. Continue reading “Devils You Don’t Know”
FANAR HADDAD — Iraq’s sectarian competition has been much more about differences in national truths than religious ones. Continue reading “Myths and Marginalization”
MOHAMMED SHAREEF — Since 2003 Iraqi Kurdistan has changed from a pawn to an actor. Today this transformation is being put to the test. Continue reading “On the Verge”
RODGER SHANAHAN — As the country wobbles, Lebanon’s “Party of God” advances narrow, sectarian interests as its regional capabilities increase. Continue reading “Hezbollah’s New Ground”
Information at a glance from one of the P-WW’s contributors, Harith al-Qarawee, on the current developments in Iraq.
MATTHEW SCHWEITZER — The United States must pressure Maliki to enact political changes to prevent further disaster, that is, if Iraq has not already fallen into the abyss.
JOHN NAGL — The Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) was kicked out of Al Qaeda for being too violent. It may soon be kicked out of Iraq, and history. Continue reading “An Unthreatening Storm”