Policy Analysis

Violent protests broke out after al-Sadr announced his withdrawal from Iraqi politics, but this is unlikely to be the end of al-Sadr's political maneuvering.

New polling reveals how the Iraqi public views Baghdad’s ongoing political crisis.

Turkey’s involvement in the reconstruction of Mosul Airport could cause problems amidst regional tensions with France and Iran, but it is also emblematic of the growing economic ties between Turkey and Iraq.

10 months after Iraqi elections, intra-Shia feuding between the Sadrist movement and the Coordination Framework has led to several public demonstrations but few viable solutions.

The Maliki audio leaks highlight the inherent fragility of Iraqi politicians while offering an insight into the dynastic politics of Iraq.

Iran’s allies in Iraq mounted a judicial coup at the start of this year. Now, Muqtada al-Sadr is trying to place the system under his control through mob action. U.S.-led friends of Iraq should care about both these developments, not just the most recent one.

As the feud between Sadr and Maliki takes an unprecedented turn, its result is likely to have an impact on the role of Shia Islamist parties in Iraq.

Iraq’s model of opposition traditionally focuses on ideological frameworks and regime change at the expense of working within the political system to effect change.

The conflict between the Sadrists and the Shia Coordination Framework signals the potential for a new political order in Iraq and a shift in Iran's influence in the country.

Iraq’s Tishreen movement, driven by a reduced fear of political authority, is reshaping Iraqi politics by injecting fear of the popular will into the political elite.

The current stalemate in Iraq may lead to a complete collapse of its political institutions and prompt the international community to intervene if domestic political actors fail.

Time and again, the professional institutions and legal protections allegedly afforded to Iraqi journalists are failing them.

Turkey’s continued invasions in the KRI are part of Turkey’s broader regional strategy and expansion.

Some reject the idea of a potential ‘ISIS-ification’ of southern Iraq, but radicalization can occur anywhere when the social tensions are sufficiently severe. Southern Iraq certainly faces this dilemma.

Political tensions in Iraq have escalated amid ongoing disagreements on government formation as two main political blocs vye for power, with Iraq’s constitutional deadline for electing a president expiring earlier this week.

For high-ranking officials visiting the capital of Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, there is a well-established expectation that they will meet separately with three political figures from the same family and party: Masoud, Nechirvan, and Masrour Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

Hate speech and social dialogue have given rise to increased levels of violence against women in the KRI.

The fractured state of Iraqi politics is evident in the various forms of political discourse utilized by the country’s movements and factions.

After months of deadlock over who will hold the position of Iraq’s president and prime minister in a laborious process towards government formation, an agreement finally seems possible, and perhaps even likely.

In recent years, the Iraqi drug trade has gone from a purely commercial endeavor practiced by traffickers to a lucrative network with links to armed groups and influential political and tribal forces who rely on the profits to maintain their influence.