Maliki Struggles to Hang On While Iraq Seethes
via LobeLog by Wayne White Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Baker al-Baghdadi’s declaration of a caliphate could be too much for quite a few of his Sunni Arab Iraqi allies to swallow. Yet, capitalizing on...
View ArticleThe Dangers of Partitioning Iraq
via LobeLog by Wayne White The spike in discussion about partitioning Iraq into Sunni Arab, Shia and Kurdish states is hardly surprising given the sweeping success of what is now being referred to as...
View ArticleThe Kurdish Future in Iraq: Independence or Confederation
via LobeLog by Mohammed A. Salih Ebril — The Iraqi Kurdish media and public are these days buzzing with heated discussions about independence. The reason is simple: never before has there been such a...
View ArticleIraq: Maliki on the Way Out?
via LobeLog by Wayne White After a drought of news on Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s bid to stay in power, a July 22 Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article claimed he has run into real trouble. Now,...
View ArticleAs a Jew, This Makes Me Angry
via LobeLog by Mitchell Plitnick On Monday, I attended the National Leadership Assembly for Israel. The gathering was more than a little disquieting. Big names were in attendance and addressed the...
View ArticleISIS on the Move With Baghdad Still Gridlocked
via LobeLog by Wayne White Forces of the Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS, have lunged toward two strategic dams earlier this month, one in the north and the other west of Baghdad. The northern...
View ArticleWanted: Reliable Iraqi Partners for the US
via LobeLog by Wayne White An old military dictum still applies: no determined enemy can be stopped by air power alone. Much will depend on whether the Kurdish Peshmerga militia proves willing to make...
View ArticleIraq: Maliki Goes Rogue
via LobeLog by Wayne White Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki resorted to a bare-knuckle power play on Aug. 10 in a frantic attempt to forestall his unfolding political defeat. Leaders recognizing...
View ArticleMessy Realities and the Unhelpful Debate on U.S. Foreign Policy
by Paul Pillar Much current debate in the United States about foreign policy can be boiled down—at the risk of the sort of oversimplification that too often characterizes the debate itself—to the...
View ArticleTo Fix Iraq, Don’t Lose Sight of Syria
via LobeLog by Julien Barnes-Dacey The designation of Haider al-Abadi as the new prime minister of Iraq is a significant step toward opposing the Islamic State if his premiership can be secured and...
View ArticleMaliki is Gone: Now What?
via LobeLog by Shireen T. Hunter Nouri al-Maliki is no longer Iraq’s prime minister, but his departure does not mean that Iraq’s problems will be resolved easily or soon. A basic change must first...
View ArticlePublic Offers Support for Obama’s Iraq Intervention
by Jim Lobe Despite rising criticism of his foreign policy — even from his former secretary of state — President Barack Obama’s decision last week to carry out airstrikes against Islamic State...
View ArticleLearning the Wrong Lessons from the Wrong Wars
via LobeLog by James A. Russell The apparent beheading of American journalist James Foley adds a particularly gruesome and tragic twist to the sports event-like reporting of our attempts to thwart the...
View ArticleA Proposed UNSC Ceasefire Plan For Gaza
by Mitchell Plitnick The attempt to resolve the ongoing, albeit highly uneven, exchange of fire between Israel and Gaza has now reached the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The draft proposal,...
View ArticleThe Kurdish Future in Iraq: Independence or Confederation
via LobeLog by Mohammed A. Salih Ebril — The Iraqi Kurdish media and public are these days buzzing with heated discussions about independence. The reason is simple: never before has there been such a...
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Why Washington’s War on Terror Failed
The Underrated Saudi Connection by Patrick Cockburn [This essay is excerpted from the first chapter of Patrick Cockburn’s new book, The Jihadis Return: ISIS and the New Sunni Uprising, with special...
View ArticleAs US Shuns Iran in Fight Against ISIS, History Repeats
by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj Last week epitomized the highs and lows of hoping for an improvement in US-Iran relations. A BBC report on Sept. 5 that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had approved...
View ArticleUS Ground Troops Possible in Anti-ISIS Battle
by Jim Lobe US combat troops may be deployed against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) if the strategy announced by President Barack Obama last week fails to make substantial progress against...
View ArticleIran Nuclear Deal Likely to Increase US Regional Leverage
by Jim Lobe A successful agreement on Iran’s nuclear program could significantly enhance US leverage and influence throughout the greater Middle East, according to a new report signed by 31 former...
View ArticleFighting ISIS and the Morning After
by Emile Nakhleh As the wobbly anti-ISIS coalition is being formed with American prodding, the Obama administration should take a strategic look at the future of the Arab world beyond the threat posed...
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