عراق

The U.S. military mission in Iraq started with a deliberate skewing of intelligence and ended that way too.

Washington Institute fellow Michael Knights addressed a joint hearing of the House Subcommittee on Terrorism, Non-Proliferation and Trade and the Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa. The following is an excerpt from his prepared remarks; download the PDF to read more, or watch video of the full hearing

On November 14, 2013, Michael Knights and David Pollock addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute to discuss their recent trips to the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Kirkuk, and Azerbaijan. Knights is a Lafer Fellow with the Institute and has worked extensively in Iraq as an advisor to local

Since winning a second term, Iraqi prime minister Nouri Maliki has strengthened his grip on power.

Absent greater U.S.-Iraqi cooperation and stronger political leadership in Baghdad, the country's security crisis could stretch beyond the current decade and become part of the regional landscape.

The Strategic Framework Agreement offers an unspectacular but important roadmap for the recapitalization of U.S. influence in Iraq, particularly in terms of security, energy, and capacity-building commitments.

With Iran's help and Baghdad's continued inaction, Iraqi Shiite militants have moved from fighting U.S. forces in their own country to fighting on Assad's side in Syria.

Loosening the ties that bind Iraq together is a risk, but holding too tightly is the greater danger.

The next six months could see either a game-changing strategic energy compact between Turkey and the Iraqi Kurds or movement toward a more sustainable Ankara-Baghdad-Erbil relationship. Washington has a strong interest in encouraging the latter.