Arab & Islamic Politics

A group led by U.S.-sanctioned figure Rayan al-Kildani escaped accountability from Iraqi Christian communities by abusing the courts and buying non-Christian votes.

Amman worries that the war in Gaza will increase Hamas’s domestic popularity and embolden the group’s supporters—especially with Jordan’s upcoming parliamentary elections in August 2024.

A comprehensive study of the various institutional, financial, and military levers that have enabled Iran’s “resistance” camp to take over another country even under the international community’s watchful eye.

Geographic location and oil wealth give the sheikhdom significance far exceeding its size and population.

Given the inability—or unwillingness—of Iraqi institutions to adequately combat corruption, the need for an international entity to step in becomes evident. That is why supporting the global campaign for the creation of an International Anti-Corruption Court (IACC) is necessary in order to hold kleptocrats accountable when national court fails to do so.

From removing the speaker of parliament to overturning election results, the court has repeatedly overstepped its role to a degree that warrants more international pressure.

Popular anger against this self-claimed "Christian leader" has grown since the tragic September fire in the Nineveh Plains region, casting a shadow over his election hopes.

An in-depth look at the group’s post-2007 activities confirms that it was steadily preparing the ground (and the population) for war while lulling foreign officials into awaiting a moderation that would never come.

The risky tit-for-tat strikes between U.S. and militia forces are one symptom of a wider competition between rival actors in Iraq—one that American and European officials should work together on containing.