Iraq

Turkey is ‘On Alert’ After Al Qaeda Affiliate Seizes Turkish Hostages in Iraq

By Hurriyet Daily News

The state of Turkey was “on alert” late June 11 after 80 Turkish citizens, including Consul General Öztürk Yılmaz, have been taken hostage by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)

Turkey Calls for Emergency NATO Meeting on Security Situation in Iraq

By Reuters and Telegraph

From Reuters:  NATO ambassadors held an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening at Turkey’s request to discuss the situation in Iraq, where militants took 80 Turkish citizens hostage,a NATO official said.

The United States Should Reconsider the Kurds

By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

The United States has opposed Kurdish ambitions in both in Iraq and Syria for more autonomy, citing the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Iraqi and Syrian state.

Iran: King of Kingmakers in Iraq

By Ramzy Mardini

With the results of the national elections announced by the electoral commission last week, the process of forming the next government in Iraq is now underway. Much is at stake for multiple parties and personalities, but no other individual has more to lose than the current prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, who is adamant on securing […]

The Kurdish Dilemma: Counterterrorism and Realpolitik in Iraq

By Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Increased calls from the Iraqi army to the United States to provide promised F-16 fighter jets and Apache helicopters are aimed at destroying the Iraqi offshoot of al-Qaeda in Sunni heartland of Iraq. However, the Iraqi army’s fight against Sunni insurgents rather than increased border protection raises worries among Kurds that the Iraqi army could […]

Iraq’s Post-Election Environment: A Preliminary Assessment

Following Iraq’s April 30 parliamentary elections, the Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East hosted a discussion on implications of the latest round of voting on Iraq’s future. Atlantic Council Executive Vice President Damon Wilson moderated a discussion with Ambassador James Jeffrey, the former US envoy to Iraq, and Ambassador Feisal Istrabadi, who was previously […]

Could a Maliki Win Hurt Democracy in Iraq?

By Ryan J. Suto

Iraqis went to the polls on April 30 to elect a new Council of Representatives, which will produce a new government and prime minister. These elections come in the face of intense sectarian violence and bring forth deeply important questions about how the government should address these and other issues moving forward.

Iraq’s Maliki, A Third Term?

By Ramzy Mardini

Today, Iraqis head to the polls to take part in the country’s parliamentary elections, the first since the United States completely withdrew its military forces in December 2011. While elections will only initiate the game in shaping the next government in Baghdad, it is the post-election gamesmanship, which involves an interplay of internal and external […]