Don’t Put US Advisors in Greater Danger in Iraq

by Wayne White Senior American officials are considering the deployment of US advisors to some largely isolated pockets of resistance in Iraq’s al-Anbar Province. Such a move would be fraught with risk since Anbar is mainly controlled by the Islamic… Continue Reading

Iraq: Maliki Goes Rogue

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 the importance of a fresh new government appeared to overwhelm him.… Continue Reading

Trouble Brewing in Kurdish-Controlled Kirkuk

by Mohammed A. Salih* Ebril — The Kurdish flag is flying high in the wind from the rooftop of an old brick house inside Kirkuk’s millennia-old citadel, as Rashid – a stern-looking man sitting behind a machine gun – monitors the… Continue Reading

Iraq: US-Maliki Face-off Backfires

by Wayne White Secretary of State John Kerry’s June 23 meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki sent a risky symbolic message, albeit unintended: perhaps the US could work with Maliki after all. So it was no surprise today when… Continue Reading

What Iran Wants in Iraq and Why

by Shireen T. Hunter For some time, the problems of Iraq and indeed of all of the Middle East have been blamed on Iran for its interference and meddling, especially for exporting its ideology and attempting to establish hegemony over… Continue Reading