Kurds as US Allies against Iran?

by James M. Dorsey There may be a silver but risky lining for Kurdish nationalists in their devastating loss of Kirkuk and other cities on the periphery of their semi-autonomous region as they lick their wounds and vent anger over… Continue Reading

The Islamic State is Losing: Now Comes the Hard Part

by Paul R. Pillar A major deficiency in America’s history of involvement with armed conflict overseas has been inattention to whatever would follow defeat of the bête noire of the moment. The outstanding example is, of course, the U.S. invasion… Continue Reading

The People of Iraq Are Dying To Be Heard

by Charles Davis Imagine that the people of Iraq are real human beings with hopes and fears who are subject to the influence of powerful regional actors but are nonetheless capable of acting without someone in Washington, Tehran, or Riyadh… Continue Reading

Spotlight on the Islamic State

by Wayne White The extraordinarily gruesome execution of the Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh generated intense regional backlash against the self-anointed Islamic State (ISIS or IS). However, aside from Jordan, this affair may not translate into a major increase in military… Continue Reading

Iraqi Kurds Seek Greater Balance Between Ankara and Baghdad

by Mohammed A. Salih Erbil—After a period of frostiness, Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and Turkey seem intent on mending the ties, as each of the parties show signs of needing the other. But the Kurds appear more cautious this… Continue Reading