Analysis
Tom Barrack in Baghdad in an Official Capacity, A New American Story Stirring the Iraqi Street
Whenever Tom Barrack, the U.S. Presidential Envoy to Iraq, is discussed, attention inevitably turns to the approach he personally helped shape toward the Kurds. Barrack largely sidelined Syria’s Kurds when he declared that the role of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) had ended with the defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS) in January of this year. This came after years of partnership during which his predecessor, Joel Rayburn, had prioritized cooperation with the SDF despite strong Turkish opposition. Barrack, by contrast, shifted his focus toward strengthening the central government in Damascus.
After decades in power, can Khamenei’s death change the system of the Islamic Republic?
The death of Ali Khamenei opens a new chapter in Iran. The regime stands at a crossroads, protests continue, and the ruling elite searches for balance, while the country’s political future remains uncertain.
The Code is More Dangerous Than a Bullet: Cyber and Drone Warfare in the Middle East
The digital transformation in the Middle East accelerated over the past two decades through artificial intelligence, cloud computing, advanced communications, drones, and commercial satellites. This transformation reshaped the regional security landscape on two interconnected levels: intelligence (expansion of collection and analysis sources, and the emergence of the private sector as a key information provider), and strategy (the expansion of the scope of power into cyberspace and drones, and changes in deterrence equations and costs). Events in the region, from Stuxnet and Shamoon to the threats of drones to navigation in the Red Sea, demonstrate how technology has simultaneously become both…
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The deadly thirst: Iraqi Kurdistan is drying too!
Thirst is no longer confined to southern Iraq and its salty Basra. Even the mountains of Kurdistan, once described as the country’s water reservoir, are beginning to wither. Rivers are cut off, wells run dry, and villages are silently abandoned. This is drought creeping in relentlessly.
The birth of Halabja: What lies ahead for the new
Halabja recently became a province through political agreements and a renewed power struggle, following decades of chemical attacks, suffering, and manipulation. Will this newly created province be drawn further into the growing contest for control? Or could it mark a new beginning, one that is situated among cities in transition?
Generation Z in the Iraqi electoral arena: what will change?
A new generation of voters may decide the outcome of Iraq’s upcoming parliamentary elections — and the political class cannot afford to ignore them. Given the significance and size of their vote, politicians will inevitably turn their attention to this group. This in-depth article examines the role of Gen Z…
“Handled Internally”: When Corruption Becomes Inevitable
In Iraq, corruption didn’t just emerge from the absence of institutions; it arose because they adapted to new roles, no longer concerned with applying rules but with postponing accountability and re-arranging priorities far from the public interest. The question here isn’t about the nature of the flaw, but about the…
Al-Muthanna: Anti-corruption protests or factional power struggle?
Progress in Nineveh and Anbar highlights stark contrasts in southern governorates ravaged by corruption.
In oil-rich Basra; two worlds, two classes
Corruption, poverty and unemployment grapple Basra, Iraq’s richest city, as thousands suffer to make ends meet.
“The Dervish and the Sultan”: The Relationship between Sufism and
The Salafism ideology has tightened the noose on Sufism, depriving them of the benefits they previously obtained through the endowments of certain shrines attributed to righteous saints. This has diminished the influence of their spiritual leaders within society. However, how did the Sufis embark on a journey towards politics and…
