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Iraq

Policy Analysis on Iraq

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KH flag
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Kataib Hezbollah
Kataib Hezbollah is the premier militia in Iraq, operating under Iran's direct command and fielding a wide range of cells responsible for kinetic, media, and social operations, some bankrolled by the Iraqi state.
Apr 1, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
WH
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq
A facade group with unique ties to Kataib Hezbollah, Alwiyat al-Waad al-Haq has been used exclusively to claim or threaten attacks against Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Apr 1, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
Brief Analysis
One Less Hurdle Before Iraqi Elections
A complicated parliamentary compromise has reactivated some of the machinery required for this year’s proposed ballot and a potential resolution to the KRG energy dispute, though the country’s hobbled legal institutions are still holding back reform.
Apr 1, 2021
◆
  • Safwan Al-Amin
  • Bilal Wahab
AK img
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Ashab al-Kahf
The first and best-known of the facade groups that Iran-backed militias use to conceal their involvement in operations, Ashab al-Kahf has a particularly strong connection to Asaib Ahl al-Haq.
Apr 1, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
QJ
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Qasem al-Jabbarin
Qasem al-Jabbarin is a Kataib Hezbollah-directed facade group that specializes in roadside bombings against Iraqi supply trucks servicing the U.S. military in Iraq.
Apr 1, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
AD graphic
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Profile: Saraya Awliya al-Dam
With probable links to Asaib Ahl al-Haq, this minor facade group is occasionally used to claim bombing attacks on U.S. supply convoys and rocket attacks on the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Mar 29, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
  • Hamdi Malik
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
How to Use Militia Spotlight: Profiles
The profiles are a repository of institutional memory on the various armed groups, facade groups, and social organizations associated with Iraqi militias, to be used as concise reminders of how these entities are connected.
Mar 28, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight: Profiles
Articles & Testimony
Why Iran’s Proxies Fear Evidence
Iraqi militias value legitimacy and try to portray themselves as acting within the law, so evidence-based approaches can be very effective at reining in those who attack on Tehran’s behalf.
Mar 25, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
Map showing Syrians in need of humanitarian assistance.
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
Expanding Humanitarian Assistance to Syrians: Two Deadlines Approaching
Syria may not be a priority for the Biden administration, but the Brussels pledging conference and the July vote on the UN cross-border mechanism mean that major donors can no longer keep the disastrous humanitarian situation on the back burner or expect NGOs to resolve it on their own.
Mar 23, 2021
◆
  • Calvin Wilder
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militia members in Syria
Articles & Testimony
Jihadi Movements 2021: ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
A closer look at the attack patterns, ideological disagreements, and shifting strategies of the world’s foremost jihadi organizations over the past year.
Mar 17, 2021
◆
  • Aaron Y. Zelin
QJ
Maps & Graphics
Brief Analysis
A Return to the Convoy Strategy and Projection of Unity
The muqawama are trying to put squabbles over the utility of convoy bombings behind them and are making a concerted attempt to demonstrate inter- and intra-group unity.
Mar 15, 2021
◆
  • Crispin Smith
◆ Militia Spotlight
Articles & Testimony
Our Presence in Iraq Remains a Vital US National Security Interest
American withdrawal would doom efforts against the Islamic State, undermine confidence in Baghdad, exacerbate Iraq's economic crisis, and deliver the country completely to Tehran.
Mar 11, 2021
◆
  • David Schenker
Brief Analysis
Reshaping U.S. Force Posture in the Middle East
By adjusting carrier rotations, ISR capabilities, headquarters locations, and other key aspects of its posture, the Biden administration can contribute to regional security and self-sufficiency while still shifting toward great-power competition.
Mar 10, 2021
◆
  • Christine McVann
KH
Brief Analysis
KH Publicly Leads Calls for Escalation Against U.S. Presence
After being struck by U.S. forces, Kataib Hezbollah dropped the pretense of the coordination committee and acted unilaterally.
Mar 7, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Erbil hit
Brief Analysis
The Erbil Rocket Cell: Insights from Haidar Hamza al-Bayati's Confession
What we learned about the detainee and his description of being recruited by Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada.
Mar 7, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
◆ Militia Spotlight
Assistant secretary of state David Schenker speaks at the Department of State in Washington, DC, alongside secretary of state Mike Pompeo
Video
Brief Analysis
Middle East Policy from Trump to Biden: Views from Inside the State Department’s Near East Bureau
The former assistant secretary of state in charge of the Middle East portfolio from 2019-2021 discusses his time in office and how the region’s challenges and opportunities are evolving at the start of the Biden administration.
March 10, 2021
◆
  • David Schenker
  • Robert Satloff
NATO solderis with alliance and national flags
Brief Analysis
NATO in Iraq: Not a Surge
NATO stands ready to increase its commitment in a slow and steady manner consistent with Baghdad’s needs, but careful communication will be crucial, as will a more strategic discussion on how to combine different assistance efforts.
Mar 5, 2021
◆
  • Michael Knights
  • Pierre Morcos
Sabereen News Logo
Brief Analysis
The Tuna and Noodles Saga: Findings from a War of Words Between Militias
Bitter squabbles between the social media platforms of two competing Iraqi militias offer insights into the movements and their relationship.
Mar 3, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik
◆ Militia Spotlight
Pope Francis departs an airplane
Brief Analysis
The Pope Meets the Ayatollah
The Vatican’s outreach to Iraq is laudable in its goal of decreasing religious violence, but Western officials should be realistic about what engagement with Shia religious leaders can accomplish in the near term.
Mar 3, 2021
◆
  • Mehdi Khalaji
Brief Analysis
Understanding Iran’s Vast Media Network in Arab Countries
Designating Iranian-linked media outlets can limit their activities, but a more holistic strategy is needed if Washington hopes to effectively counter the regime’s regional propaganda machine.
Mar 2, 2021
◆
  • Hamdi Malik

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