by Henry Johnson More so than flaws in the Iraqi army or lack of U.S. support or suicide bombers, the Islamic State (ISIS or IS) owes its stunning victories across Iraq to widespread ambivalence toward violence against the state. This… Continue Reading
by Thomas W. Lippman In the unending panorama of violence that is today’s Middle East, one hopeful note emerged earlier this month with a low-key announcement from Saudi Arabia that drew scant attention from the American news media. King Salman… Continue Reading
by Wayne White President Obama, under pressure to hasten the recovery of Iraqi territory held by the Islamic State (ISIS or IS), has opted to allow the participation of Iranian-backed, anti-Sunni Arab Shi’a militias. He stipulated that they must answer… Continue Reading
by Wayne White A desperate Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi last week requested US air support to jumpstart Iraq’s stalled offensive in Tikrit. Many observers describe this as an American triumph. Yet, Abadi’s initial choice to ignore Washington’s concerns and… Continue Reading
by Wayne White To revive a united Iraq, it’s not so important when Mosul and other Sunni Arab urban areas are retaken from the self-styled Islamic State (ISIS or IS). Rather, it’s how they are recovered. The nature of the… Continue Reading