Turkey and the Kurdish Vote for Independence in Iraq

by Omer Taspinar Recent developments in Iraq, with the Kurdish referendum for independence taking place as scheduled on Monday, put the Turkish government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan between a rock and a hard place. According to most recent press reports, more… Continue Reading

Attacks in Iran: The Enemies of My Enemies

by Fatemeh Aman As Iran fires missiles into Syria as part of its “crushing response” to the perpetrators of the recent unprecedented terrorist attacks in Tehran, these attacks can also have an enormous impact on Iran’s internal politics. They could… Continue Reading

Can Rouhani Meet the Expectations of Iran’s Sunnis?

by Fatemeh Aman Sunni religious minorities had a high turnout in Iran’s recent presidential election that led to Hassan Rouhani’s victory. Is there now a better prospect for improving the rights of minorities, or were they only used as a… Continue Reading

Obama Brought the Islamic State to Its Knees; Watch Donald Trump Take the Credit

by Wayne White Much like the vicious rampage against suspected German Army “cowards” and “traitors” by SS fanatics in Nazi Berlin in 1945 as the Red Army closed in, Islamic State cadres have been on a frenzy executing real or… Continue Reading

Turkey’s Intentions in Iraq and the Battle for Mosul

by Robert Olson Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has warned Turkey that if it keeps its forces in Iraq, it will risk “regional war,” especially if continues to train Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) Peshmerga forces. Spokespersons for the KRG came… Continue Reading