Syria Is At A Crossroads. What’s At Stake Now?
Can the new government stabilize the country? Additionally, can Washington make sure it doesn’t miss an opportunity to leverage a decade of work with the Kurds and other partners?
Peshmerga
Destroyed by ISIS, a historic minaret in Mosul rises again
The repairs to this site which is in the old city of Mosul on the western bank of the Tigris river that runs through the city, is an important accomplishment.
Op-eds
Kurdish solidarity delegation from Germany visits Israel
The visit was to express the Kurdish solidarity with the Jewish people and the Kurdish sentiments that the Jews are not alone.
Op-eds
Comparing Gaza with Mosul
When the war broke out in Gaza, observers made a number of comparisons to the challenges faced by the US-backed anti-ISIS coalition in the battle of Mosul. I was in northern Iraq when it began in October...
Op-eds
Biden should not pass up chance to reengage Iraq
After Iraqi politicians threw a wrench into their state, putting self before country, the trip of President Joe Biden to Saudi Arabia offers Iraqis a chance to make things right. And by the same token it...
Op-eds
Iran has Iraq’s Kurds in its crosshairs
After decimating Iraq’s Sunnis during years of political and military conquest, Iran and its Iraqi militias have now set their sights on Iraqi Kurdistan, harassing its government, targeting its energy...
Op-eds
Biden Faces a Decision on Our Presence in Iraq
Overcharged political rhetoric about 'endless wars' masks the reality of the situation.
Op-eds
Islamic State wages desert-based insurgency in Iraq and Syria
The Islamic State is far from dead in Iraq and Syria. Despite losing its physical caliphate, the group maintained enough manpower and resources to continue waging an insurgency in both countries. And America’s...
Op-eds
Iraq’s 2018 Budget Deadlock Deepens Tensions Ahead of Elections
On March 3, the Iraqi Parliament adopted...
Policy Briefs
The Kurdish test
In a just world, the Kurds would have a state of their own. Their culture is ancient. They speak a distinctive language. They have a homeland, Kurdistan, ruled for centuries by Arabs, Turks and P...
Op-eds
The United States Must Prevent Disaster in Kurdistan
You have to hand it to them. U.S. officials nailed it. Prior to the Sept. 25 independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, they couldn’t have been clearer in setting out the parade of horribles that m...
Op-eds
Unfinished Business
Donald Trump is fond of claiming that his predecessor mismanaged America's role in the world. "And I have to just say that the world is a mess. I inherited a mess," the president noted durin...
Op-eds
Turkish Airstrikes Complicate Campaign against IS
Turkish jets carried out airstrikes Tuesday and...
Policy Briefs
Ankara’s Influence: Asset or a Liability?
The Mosul operation, launched on October 17, has once again highlighted the complicated nature of Turkey’s involvement in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). Ahead of the offensive, T...
Op-eds
The Battle of Mosul
Ayman al-Zawahiri was correct. Believed to be ensconced in the tribal lands of Pakistan, the leader of what’s sometimes called al Qaeda Central has dedicated his life to a ji...
Op-eds
Despite Coalition Military Gains, No End in Sight in Anti-IS Campaign
The Kurdish Peshmerga commander sat on a couch at his headquarters in Sulaymaniyah. On a nearby table there was a bowl of dried fruit and nuts. Two large sniper rifles lay on the floor by his des...
Op-eds
Peshmerga troops running on empty in fight against ISIS
Kurdish Peshmerga forces – arguably the most effective ground troops battling the Islamic State terror group in Iraq – have been fighting for the past three months without a paycheck,...
Op-eds
One Of The Most Important Forces Fighting ISIS Hasn’t Been Paid For Months
The Kurdish Peshmerga, one of the premier forces fighting Islamic State in northern Iraq, is buckling under budget deficits to the point it hasn’t been able to pay its troops for months....
Op-eds
If the Kurds Go Broke, It’s Lights Out for Obama’s War on the Islamic State
Here’s a worrying bit of news: America’s best ally in the war against the Islamic State, Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), is nearly broke. That’s a major proble...
Op-eds
How To Change The Game
With Royal Air Force Tornados and Typhoons finally taking to the Syrian skies alongside French Mirages and Rafales, and President Obama addressing the nation on America’s role in the...