Why Russia Protects the YPG in Syria
Moscow was expecting to enter the far east of Syria at the Iraqi border and the oil-rich region of Deir Ezzor in the southeast, but Trump’s decision to protect the oil hindered Russia from doing so.
The Pope and the Grand Sheikh of Al Azhar Show the Way Forward
Daesh’s beheadings of western journalists and aid workers in Syria led to military intervention but little was said of the much larger numbers of Syrians and Iraqis beheaded and even crucified by the group.
Iran Outsources War and Rules States by Proxy
Unlike Hezbollah, however, the PMF is legally considered as a separate branch of the Iraqi armed forces.
Erbil Conference on Normalization with Israel Stirs Debates
he Erbil Conference that took place on September 24, 2021, and hosted more than 300 Iraqi delegates from all across Iraq, including tribal and religious leaders, called for the normalization of ties between Baghdad and Tel Aviv following the examples of Bahrain, Morocco, the UAE, and Sudan in 2020.
Political Shiism and State-Building in Iraq: An Interview with Ali Taher El-Hammood
ighteen years after the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, Iraqi Shiites are divided on the relationship between political power, ethnicity, and religious legitimation.
Realpolitik vs. Idealpolitik: Turkey-Gulf Re-friending after a Decade-Long Rivalry
The Middle East has proven this several times: yesterday’s enemy could be tomorrow’s ally.
Al-Kadhimi’s Dashing Hopes: Regional Security Conference Held in Baghdad
raqi Premier al-Kadhimi and his mentor Iraqi President Barham Saleh are making a futile attempt against all odds at home to carve a new leadership role for the country by availing themselves of the chaotic internal conditions and the strained and fragile post-Arab Spring Middle East order.
Post-Islamism in the Muslim World
In Patriotic Ayatollahs: Nationalism in Post-Saddam Iraq, Caroleen Sayej has followed the attitudes of Islamist parties and activists in post-2003 Iraq and has provided a deep analysis of senior Iraqi clerics in the Iraqi political sphere.
Notturno: A Dark Purgatorial World in the Fertile Crescent
One of the actors shouts ‘no to America… no to Iran’ as another video montage throws a blitz of imagery that reveals colonial roots to Iraqi civil war alongside a ‘Palestine is Lost’ mantra; Notturno seems about to end with an Arabic song of lament and the close-up of the actors but instead the film turns back to imagery of the everyday (one of the earlier characters, Ali and his silent work assisting bird hunters).
Contractors and Mercenaries will Live on after the US Leaves Iraq and Afghanistan
ExxonMobil, one of the world’s largest oil and gas companies headquartered in Texas, operates two subsidiaries in Iraq, one of which deals with the Northern Iraq Region and one of which specializes in contracts relating to the richer oil fields in the Iraqi south.
Turkey’s UAV Breakthrough Creates Another Path to MENA
The Turkish military experience in Turkish, Iraqi, Afghani, and Syrian territories might also serve as leverage for the increasing Turkish influence and trust in Turkish military technology.
‘America is back’; So What? On Why the United States is Losing the World
Even those who genuinely supported the war based on concocted intelligence - that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction, or the equally fallacious notion that Saddam and Al-Qaeda cooperated in any way - must, by now, realize that the entire American discourse prior to the war had no basis in reality.
With Jerusalem, Hezbollah Is Now Playing Catch-up
Around the time of the conflict, Iran-backed Iraqi sectarian militias and the Houthis in Yemen had all ramped up their anti-Israel rhetoric, suggesting that they may be involved in a “next conflict.
Summits between Jordan, Iraq, and Egypt Signal a New Regional Bloc
gyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Baghdad on June 27, 2021 and was received by Iraqi President Barham Salih.
“How Did We Get Here?” Facing the Political Histories of Islamophobia and Anti-Arab Racism in Canada
During the first Gulf War, Canada joined forces with the United States and began targeting its own Iraqi-Canadian population with CSIS interrogations as it was receiving intelligence from Canadian posts in Iraq.
Iraq Assassinations Prove There Is No Room for Anti-Iran Dissent
It has the semblance of democracy through fairly regular elections, and the trappings of a judiciary and security forces serving the interests of the nation by “fighting terrorism” and “ensuring justice is served”, as Iraqi politicians often like to pontificate in an attempt to polish their credentials as public servants.
The Politics of Sighting the Crescent Moon in the Muslim World
Due to this fact, we see that sometimes countries that are located, for the most part, on the same meridian (line of longitude), for instance Iran and Saudi Arabia, or different parts of a country (for example, Iraqi Kurdistan and the Arab regions of Iraq) declare different first and last days of Ramadan.
Hezbollah’s Spying Games Amidst Lebanon’s Demise
Read: The Hezbollah Empire in Lebanon and the Assassination of Lokman SlimNonetheless, the announcement of Ayyash’s reward came only days after an Iraqi-based U.
Meetings Between Iraq, Egypt, and Jordan will Amount to Little
In fact, an agreement between Egypt and Iraq at the end of last year has already paved the way for Egyptian contractors to redevelop dilapidated and bombed out Iraqi cities in exchange for oil.
The Foreign Factor in Jordan’s Plot Crisis
Despite its minimal resources, it became a destination for Palestinians, Iraqis, Syrians, and even Lebanese.
