Policy Analysis

Due to economic instability and militia activity, human trafficking has become an increasingly urgent issue in Iraq.

Calls to reject the results of Iraq's October 10 parliamentary election by the Fateh alliance and other parties affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces that underperformed have garnered much attention. Yet the successful strategies and ideologies of relatively new parties that took seats in the recent election cycle deserve a closer look.

The explosion that rocked Basra on Tuesday may prove a harbinger of greater instability throughout the country in the post-elections period.

The question of how Iraqi militias will respond to their decreased presence in parliament becomes increasingly salient with the finalization of Iraq’s election results.

With rivers and lakes drying and record breaking droughts, there is a dire need for greater regional cooperation on water issues.

Pro-Iranian militia media channels are relying on distortion, character assassination, and misinformation to attract Iraqi audiences, after dependence on constant religious messaging proved futile.

Militias' repeated targeting of Kadhimi, including this week's attack on his home, emphasizes that Kadhimi has done something right in his past two years as Prime Minister of Iraq.

As Gulf countries pursue dialogue with Iran, they must realize the threats posed by Iranian-backed Iraqi militias – both to Iraq itself, and to wider regional stability.

With a sizable number of independents in Iraq’s next parliament, young Iraqi MPs are hoping to push the Iraqi government to finally deliver on their protest demands from 2019.

While Iraq’s new electoral law did have some successes, the reforms it attempted to achieve will only be able to come to fruition if the Iraqi electorate is convinced that elections can make a tangible difference in their lives.

As a lawyer who has specialized in defending minorities right, religious freedom, and civil rights in Iraq, I have come to the conviction that giving justice to Iraq’s Jews is impossible under Iraq’s current legal system, as it must include restoring their stolen rights under a new, democratic Iraq.

Amid growing calls for pluralism in Iraq, the U.S. should take steps to promote preservation of Iraqi-Jewish heritage, before it is too late.

Preliminary election results illustrate Iraqi opposition to foreign influence and the impact of the Marja'iyya of Najaf, as the Sadrists lead the coalition-building process to form the next parliament.

Iraqis are preparing to participate in the country’s most important elections since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003. As all parties prepare for the ballot, interviews with those who choose to participate and those boycotting it emphasize what’s at stake.

On October 10, a new generation of Iraqi voters, who have lived their entire lives in a fledgling democracy rife with bureaucracy and corruption underpinned by sectarian patronage networks, could have their say in who governs them.

Sistani’s call for Iraqis to participate in the elections along with a recent announcement about the formation of the Holy Shrine Units as independent entities from the PMF are likely to have a major impact on the Iraqi political and social scene.

Uncontrolled weapons are the most prominent barrier to the electoral process, along with insufficient international observation to ensure free and transparent elections.

Recent polling shows that a majority of Iraqis anticipate that elections will lead to increased security and political problems as militias and dominant factors are expected to maintain control.

As Iraq’s electoral coalitions campaign for parliament spots, old alliances and political players are likely to prevent the elections from leading to major changes in Iraq’s political sphere.

The ongoing rift between PUK party leaders Bafel and Lahur Talabani indicates potential shifts in KRI politics, and likely drivers of continued regional instability.