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Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

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AK image
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Ashab al-Kahf's Takeover of the Convoy Strategy
Militia attacks on supply convoys are experiencing a (likely temporary) lull, and the sub-group Ashab al-Kahf appears to have taken the lead.
Nov 22, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
A Middle Eastern migrant with guards at the Belarus/Poland border. Source: Reuters
Brief Analysis
The EU Migrant Crisis: Options for Border Security and U.S. Interests
Spurred by conflicts in the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan, the migration emergency in Belarus gives Washington an opportunity to foster cooperative agreements and goodwill.
Nov 19, 2021
◆
  • Kenneth R. Rosen
  • Calvin Wilder
Fake image of MC-12W Liberty over Baghdad concurrent with Nov 7 attack
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Technical Disinformation and the Nov. 7 Drone Attack
To deflect responsibility for the assassination attempt on Iraq’s prime minister, self-styled "resistance" groups have assembled a dodgy dossier of convincing-looking disinformation.
Nov 17, 2021
◆
  • Anwar al-Zamani
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Sabereen logo
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Sabereen News Criticizes Iran for Lack of Support
Elements of Asaib Ahl al-Haq and Kataib Hezbollah are seemingly trying to extract domestic and Iranian support for more forceful pushback against their recent political isolation.
Nov 13, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Crispin Smith
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Quadcopters in Syria and Iraq, 2019-2021
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Muqawama Meltdown, Part 2: Drone Attack on the Prime Minister
Militias followed up Qais al-Khazali's threats against Kadhimi by attacking his residence, shattering the narrative of victimhood they had been building through protests.
Nov 7, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Michael Knights
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Sit-in tent, Baghdad, November 6, 2021
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Muqawama Meltdown, Part 1: Protesting the Election
In the wake of their failed election campaigns and other recent setbacks, militias sought to deepen their claims of victimhood and politically damage Prime Minister Kadhimi with protests.
Nov 7, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Rocket
Brief Analysis
Militia Rocket Attacks on the Iraqi National Intelligence Service
Such attacks are a specialized subset of violent militia actions, with the most recent incident likely undertaken by Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
Nov 2, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Iraqi forces marching
In-Depth Reports
Back to Basics
U.S.-Iraq Security Cooperation in the Post-Combat Era
Questions about the viability of the Iraqi security forces—brought into sharp focus by the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan—require a data-led analysis of where the forces are today and what mix of U.S., NATO, and European efforts can help them thrive in the future.
Oct 26, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Alex Almeida
Tanf
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militia Propaganda Around the Attack on al-Tanf
Iraqi militia actors appear to have had forewarning of the attack, reflecting an increasing focus on anti-coalition operations in Syria.
Oct 22, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Articles & Testimony
Discordance in the Iran Threat Network in Iraq: Militia Competition and Rivalry
Hardline groups are struggling to satisfy demands for action against American forces while simultaneously de-escalating U.S.-Iran tensions and evolving their non-kinetic wings.
Oct 21, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
Anti air
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Iraqi Militias Show Off Iranian Anti-Air Missile
Iran-backed resistance groups are seemingly staging missile "discoveries" as a way of warning off coalition air forces.
Oct 21, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Figure 2: Ahmad Abdal-Sadah, muqawama-affiliated commentator on al-Etejah TV, May 27, 2021.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Militias Issue Post-Election Threats Against UNAMI and the UAE
After their humiliating defeat in the parliamentary election, Iran-backed groups launched a bizarre campaign against UN and Emirati officials.
Oct 19, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Brief Analysis
Elections Without Democracy in Iraq?
The often-hazardous two-year struggle that led to this vote has left many of the youth movement’s most ardent supporters disillusioned with the electoral process entirely, so Washington will have to narrow its focus.
Oct 6, 2021
◆
  • Bilal Wahab
  • Calvin Wilder
Erbil con
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Sabereen News Calls for Beheading of Iraqi Citizens
After the Erbil conference, which called for normalizing ties between Iraq and Israel, the largest resistance social media organ called for beheadings and then tried to cover its tracks.
Oct 3, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Hoquq candidates
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
The Hoquq Candidates: Kataib Hezbollah’s Aspiring Parliamentarians
Hoquq is competing head-to-head with other "resistance" factions in key Shia constituencies, especially Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
Sep 30, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Iraqi Kurds display Kurdish and Israeli flags
Articles & Testimony
A Pro-Israel Summit in Erbil Breaks New Ground
At great personal risk, Iraqi civil society leaders gathered to demand entry into the Abraham Accords, and their efforts need more American support.
Sep 30, 2021
◆
  • Dennis Ross
President Biden addresses the UN General Assembly
Articles & Testimony
Biden UN Speech Misunderstands the Point of ‘Forever Wars’—in the Mideast and Elsewhere
U.S. military deployments create the strong alliances and local partnerships that the president said he wants.
Sep 20, 2021
◆
  • Ido Levy
Hossein Moanes
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Hossein Moanes Sparks Angry Words Between Kataib Hezbollah and Asaib Ahl al-Haq
The senior KH member now leads a new political movement that is competing with other Iran-backed militia factions for votes in the coming election.
Sep 14, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Brief Analysis
Sistani vs. the Militias: The Future of Iraqi Sovereignty
The international community needs to pay more attention to developments in Najaf, where Sistani-backed groups are forcefully pushing back against Iran but still face the longer-term question of who will continue his message.
Sep 14, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
Drone wreckage, Erbil, April 14, 2021
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Iran’s Proxies in Iraq Undertake the World's Only Terrorist Attack Commemorating 9/11
Two drones were intercepted in a mission that Sabereen News dedicated to “reminding the Americans of the September 11 attacks."
Sep 14, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight

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