Iraq Elections: A Step Toward Rebuilding Popular Power

by David Bacon The U.S. media quickly dismissed the results of Iraq’s national elections on May 12. Journalists were puzzled by what the followers of Muqtada al-Sadr and the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) might have in common, and even more,… Continue Reading

The Iraqi Elections: Implications for Regional Politics

by Shireen T. Hunter  The victory of the electoral list supported by Muqtada al-Sadr called Sairoon has led to speculation about the future orientation of Iraq in regard to its regional and international ties. The early verdict pronounced by Arab… Continue Reading

Iran’s Future: Hybrid Nationalism?

by Gareth Smyth In threatening Iran with the “strongest sanctions in history,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was probably not thinking of the Mongol sieges of Iranian cities. Two days later, however, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei evoked Iranians’ sense of their… Continue Reading

A Meaningful Plan for North Korea’s Development

by Emanuel Pastreich  We must feel sympathy for the North Korean government officials suddenly faced with slick corporate operators from Koch Industries, or elsewhere, who come in to overwhelm them with gaudy presentations, to bribe them and to do everything… Continue Reading