Programs

The Iraq Initiative provides transatlantic and regional policy makers with unique perspectives and analysis on the ongoing challenges and opportunities facing Iraq as the country tries to build an inclusive political system, attract economic investment, and encourage a vibrant civil society.

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Content

New Atlanticist

Apr 21, 2016

Former US Ambassador to Afghanistan and Iraq Offers a Prescription for Success

By Mitch Hulse

The “integration of civil-military forces” and “sustainable economic development” are critical to the success of state-building efforts, Zalmay Khalilzad, a former US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations, said at the Atlantic Council on April 20. “There was a clear road map for political transition [in Afghanistan], but we never knew what the […]

Afghanistan Iraq

In the News

Apr 21, 2016

Hassan Writes for EastWest.ngo on the Secular Characteristic of the Kurdish Population

By Atlantic Council

Iraq Task Force Member Kawa Hassan publishes his remarks to the European Parliament on EastWest.ngo. He says the Kurdish population in Iraq and Syria are largely secular and are therefore an indispensible partner for the struggle against jihadi Salafism. Read the full article here.

Iraq

In the News

Apr 14, 2016

VOA Covers Iraq Task Force Event with Kanan Makiya

By Future of Iraq Task Force

VOA Kurdish Service covers the Iraq Task Force event “Identity, Sectarianism, and Conflict in Iraq: A Conversation with Kanan Makiya” on April 6. Watch the full coverage here.

Iraq

New Atlanticist

Apr 14, 2016

US Foreign Policy Needs to be ‘Balanced’ Between ‘Great Exertions’ and ‘Retreat’

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Interview with Zalmay Khalilzad, former US Ambassador to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United Nations Zalmay Khalilzad served as the US Ambassador to Iraq, Afghanistan, and the United Nations in the George W. Bush administration. A member of the Atlantic Council’s Board of Directors, Khalilzad has recently authored an insightful and widely praised memoir—The Envoy. In […]

Afghanistan Iran

New Atlanticist

Apr 13, 2016

Iraq’s Prime Minister Abadi Stuck Between Parliament and Protesters at the Gates

By Nussaibah Younis

No matter what he tries, Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi just can’t catch a break. Faced with thousands of protesters threatening to breach the Green Zone in Baghdad, Abadi relented to their demand that he assemble a group of independent technocrats to form a new cabinet. But when Iraq’s political blocs got wind of the […]

Iraq
Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Ft. Bragg, April 5, 2016

NATOSource

Apr 7, 2016

NATO Chief Proposes Rapid-Deployment Training Force

By Paul Sonne, Wall Street Journal

The head of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization outlined plans to create an at-the-ready crew of trainers prepared to deploy at a moment’s notice to help local forces aligned with the military alliance.

Afghanistan Iraq

In the News

Apr 7, 2016

Dodge Writes for Foreign Policy on the Crumbling Iraqi Political Process and the Communal Infighting Taking Over

By Toby Dodge

Iraq Task Force Member Dr. Toby Dodge writes for Foreign Policy on the weakening Iraqi political system and the further strain that the economic crisis has put on political stability, saying that the future of the country could be marred with civil war because of political in-fighting and a lack of popular representation

Iraq

Webcasts

Apr 7, 2016

Identity, Sectarianism, and Conflict in Iraq: A Conversation with Kanan Makiya

By Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East

On April 6, 2016, the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center hosted Iraqi thought leader Kanan Makiya to discuss his new book The Rope, a novel on the tumultuous months between the invasion of Iraq and the execution of Saddam Hussein.

Iraq

In the News

Apr 5, 2016

Ashooh Quoted by Voice of America on ISIS Operations and Politics in Iraq

By Jessica Ashooh

Read the full article here.

Iraq

In the News

Apr 5, 2016

Knights Writes for Al Jazeera on Sectarianism in Iraq and the Effect ISIS has on Sectarian Violence

By Michael Knights

Iraq Task Force Member Michael Knights writes for Al Jazeera on how ISIS’s presence in Iraq has actually fostered a sort of community-building program between Sunni and Shia communities who had previously been fighting each other.

Iraq

Experts