Iraq

Will the declaration of a new caliphate unite the world’s jihadists or tear them apart?

Aaron Y. Zelin examines the history and evolution of relations between ISIS and al-Qaeda, detailing factors that could help determine their respective agendas in the global Jihadi arena.

Hezbollah's past operations in Iraq show that a limited number of experienced "consultants," working with Iran's Qods Force, could significantly increase the lethality of the local Shiite militias currently gearing up to counter the ISIS offensive.

Significantly undermining ISIS's financial base would require rolling back the group's access to local Syrian and Iraqi income sources.

In conventional political terms, Maliki likely remains the frontrunner for the premiership, but the argument that he is unable to stabilize the country by sharing power is once again gaining currency.

Events on the battlefield will reveal the true effects of the crisis, but the ISIS campaign in Iraq could ultimately help the Syrian opposition and hurt the Assad regime.

Why ISIS brags about its brutal sectarian murders in Iraq.

ISIS would likely welcome deeper involvement from the IRGC.

The group's approach to other areas it has seized -- a mix of harsh repression and soft-power outreach -- offers insight into how it might consolidate control in Mosul.