Iraq

Factbox: Iraq’s 2018 parliamentary elections

By Audrey Bolus and Savannah Carter

Iraqi citizens will vote in their fourth parliamentary election on May 12th, 2018, since the 2003 US invasion to remove Saddam Hussein from power. There is an increase of cross-sectarian and pro-reform parties this election. Experts predict this will prevent a single coalition from winning an outright majority in parliament, and that alliances will likely be formed after […]

Iraq ‘s Upcoming Elections: Likely Outcomes, Key Issues, and Impact on US-Iraqi Relations

On April 25, Atlantic Council hosted a panel discussion of experts on the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary election, post-election dynamics, alliances to form a new government that may emerge, what political and constitutional reforms the next government needs to adopt, and how the election may impact US-Iraq elections. The panel featured Ambassador Feisal al-Istrabadi, Ambassador Rend […]

An advance look at Iraq’s 2018 elections

By Rend Al-Rahim

Iraq’s 2018 parliamentary elections, simultaneously embodying continuity and change, will be held in a particularly divisive atmosphere. The elections are taking place in the shadow of the devastation left behind by the conflict with ISIS and serious splits within the governing Shia party. As a result, voting on May 12 will be a litmus test […]

US Army’s ‘Teacher Corps’ Faces an Uphill Battle Providing Instruction to Foreign Troops

By Elisabeth Braw

Supply teachers are not to be envied. While they may be highly qualified in a particular subject, they re often sent in to teach classes they are not familiar with and doing so without the necessary training. Over the past several years, similar scenes have been repeating themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan, where Western troops […]

Baghdad and KRG locked in a standoff

By Dr. Nussaibah Younis

Both Iran and the United States have been pushing Iraq and the KRG to normalize their relationship, but Baghdad’s maximalist approach means the KRG is likely to hold out until after the May 2018 elections to make a deal. Baghdad is demanding the return of Khurmala oil field from the Kurdistan Regional Government, and is […]