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Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

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A priest leads an Easter mass at the Grand Immaculate Church in Al-Hamdaniya, Iraq, April 9, 2023 - source: Reuters
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Blunting the Militia Campaign Against Iraq’s Christian Leaders
A U.S.-sanctioned, Iran-backed militia leader aims to sideline the country’s Chaldean Patriarch and take over billions of dollars’ worth of Christian property.
Jul 25, 2023
◆
  • Yaqoub Beth-Addai
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Iraqi Basij logo
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Iraqi Basij
Formed by Ashab al-Kahf and Harakat Hezbollah al-Nujaba, this Persian-named violent protest movement has been used to carry out threats against the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.
Jul 20, 2023
◆
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
Brief Analysis
Iraq’s Power Problem (Part 2): Implications of the New Oil-for-Gas Deal with Iran
Baghdad hopes to avoid power cuts, political turmoil, and U.S. sanctions by striking a barter agreement with Tehran, but the deal raises many questions.
Jul 19, 2023
◆
  • Bilal Wahab
  • Dennis Ross
Photo of an oil facility in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Brief Analysis
Iraq’s Power Problem (Part 1): Persistent Financial and Technical Challenges
Diversifying Iraq’s energy supplies won’t mean much if its power infrastructure is not rehabilitated, and the skewed cost-revenue ratio at the Ministry of Electricity is unsustainable.
Jul 17, 2023
◆
  • Noam Raydan
AK protests cover
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Ashab al-Kahf's "Iraqi Basij" and the Threat Against the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
The militia entity has created a new Persian-named protest group and called on mobs to storm the embassy compound.
Jul 17, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
kadhimi Iraq
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
The Abu Ragheef Committee Crisis: Security Repercussions for Iraq
The repercussions of the Abu Ragheef committee are still playing out in Iraq, as the Sudani government attempts to assign blame and pursue justice.
Jul 14, 2023
◆
  • Fawzi al-Zubaidi
Hakan Fidan
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
Hakan Fidan and the New Turkish Diplomacy in Iraq
As Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hakan Fidan will have to navigate urgent changes and new challenges in crafting Turkish policy towards Iraq.
Jul 13, 2023
◆
  • Firas Elias
Tsurkov
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Propagandists Comment on Tsurkov Kidnapping
The March kidnapping has been widely attributed to Kataib Hezbollah, while most militia commentators link the incident to supposed Israeli spying.
Jul 7, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Brg 16
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Infighting Between Northern Hashd Units Requires IRGC-QF Mediation
Iran's senior Revolutionary Guard operator in Kirkuk and religious-political leader Ammar al-Hakim were recently brought in to mediate between feuding state-paid militias.
Jul 6, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Federal Commisison of Integrity
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Federal Commission of Integrity
Iraq's Federal Commission on Integrity, taken over during a critical period by a Sudani-appointed Badr judge, has been used to block investigations of corruption undertaken by Coordination Framework factions.
Jun 19, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
Kurdistan Flag
Fikra Forum
Fikra Forum
In Iraq, the Kurds Are Their Own Worst Enemy
Kurds were once referred to as kingmakers, a pillar of stability, and the most powerful force in the fight against ISIS. Now, the Kurdish Region of Iraq is crippled by ferocious partisanships, tribal politics, and internal splits.
Jun 17, 2023
◆
  • Yerevan Saeed
AK escalation
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Three New Facade Groups Launched in Iraq
Efforts are being made to create new brands for anti-American "resistance" on Iraqi soil, even as politically connected militias try to distance themselves from kinetic attacks on U.S. targets.
Jun 12, 2023
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Salman Rushdie, attacker Hadi Matar, cell phone, Qasem Soleimani
Maps & Graphics
In-Depth Reports
Is Iran Looking to Inspire Shia Homegrown Violent Extremist Attacks?
Amid a social media space rife with inflammatory content, two attacks last year showcased the willingness of Iran-inspired perpetrators to act.
Jun 12, 2023
◆
  • Moustafa Ayad
  • Matthew Levitt
Qazi Muhammed salutes at the founding of the Kurdish Republic of Mahabad in 1946 - source: Wikimedia Commons
Articles & Testimony
Russia and the Kurds: A Soft-Power Tool for the Kremlin?
An in-depth look at how Russian leaders have played the Kurdish card over the past two centuries, including recent engagement in Syria and Iraq.
Summer 2023
◆
  • Anna Borshchevskaya
PMF troops in Iraq
Articles & Testimony
Washington Keeps a Watchful Eye as the PMF Consolidates Its Dominance in Iraq
The Biden administration’s low-key, patient approach with Prime Minister Sudani has produced some positive results, but the lesson of Hezbollah and the Houthis is that Iranian proxies tend to cement their grip over a state when left unchecked.
Jun 8, 2023
◆
  • David Schenker
A woman at the Al-Hawl (or Al-Hol) detention camp in Syria - source: Reuters
Video
Brief Analysis
What to Do With Families of Islamic State Foreign Fighters
Backed by hard data, on-the-ground observations, and best practices, three experts explore the thorny question of repatriating the children and spouses of imprisoned jihadists.
Jun 5, 2023
◆
  • Martyn Warr
  • Austin Doctor
  • Devorah Margolin
◆ Counterterrorism Lecture Series
Iraq's Federal Supreme Court building
Articles & Testimony
Iraq Is Quietly Falling Apart
While Washington focuses on great power competition, Iran’s proxies have seized power in Baghdad and are gutting the state.
Jun 5, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
Muhandis Company Logo tight
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Arabic Original of Muhandis General Company Articles of Incorporation
PDF copy of the Arabic original of the February 26, 2023, articles of incorporation of the Muhandis General Company for Construction, Engineering and Mechanical, Agricultural and Industrial Contracting (hereafter shortened to Muhandis General Company).
Jun 5, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Muhandis General Company articles of incorpration front page
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Certificate of Incorporation of the Muhandis General Company
A translation of the articles of incorporation for a major IRGC-like firm run by Iraq's "resistance" militias.
Jun 3, 2023
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Fayyad says that PMF is 204k
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Extraordinary Popular Mobilization Force Expansion, by the Numbers
The PMF is growing fast by every metric, from budget to authorized manpower to training and economic programs, though militia leaders seem wary of highlighting this expansion.
Jun 3, 2023
◆
  • Amir al-Kaabi
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight

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The Washington Institute's Linda and Tony Rubin Program on Arab Politics focuses on social, political, and economic developments in the Arab world, with an emphasis on the Arab countries of the Levant.

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Featured experts

Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt
Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Senior Fellow and director of The Washington Institute's Military and Security Studies Program.
Michael Knights
Michael Knights
Michael Knights is the Jill and Jay Bernstein Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and cofounder of the Militia Spotlight platform, which offers in-depth analysis of developments related to Iran-backed militias.
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab
Bilal Wahab was the Nathan and Esther K. Wagner Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute.
Elizabeth Dent - source: The Washington Institute
Elizabeth Dent
Elizabeth Dent is a Senior Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where she focuses on U.S. foreign and defense policy toward the Gulf states, Iraq, and Syria.
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