Threats
ISIL Is Now a ‘Full Blown Army’ in Iraq
House lawmakers grilled State and Pentagon officials to find out why the Obama administration has failed to stop ISIL from carving up Iraq and Syria. By Ben Watson
Threats
ISIL Is Winning the Battle Against Al-Qaeda for Young Terrorist Recruits
ISIL is quickly picking up new supporters by using social media to showcase its territorial gains across Iraq and Syria. By Global Security Newswire
Threats
Surge in Western Fighters to Iraq and Syria Continues to Grow
The number of foreign fighters flocking to the battlefields of Syria and Iraq have increased by a third since February, and looks poised to keep growing. By Global Security Newswire
Ideas
You Can’t Fight Terrorists By Partnering With Guys Like Maliki
The U.S. needs to choose better counterterrorism partners than the likes of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. By Michael J. Quigley
Science & Tech
Could a Brain Scan Protect U.S. Troops from Insider Attacks?
U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan often don’t know who to trust. Brain scans to the rescue? By Patrick Tucker
Policy
What Would Reagan Do In Iraq?
Rand Paul and Rick Perry each claim to be the Gipper’s heir in the Middle East. Who's right? By Peter Beinart
Ideas
The One Thing the U.S. Can't Train the Iraqi Army To Do
The U.S. has trained the Iraqi military for years. But there’s one thing you can’t teach an army to do. By Lt. Gen. Robert Gard
Ideas
A Chance to Drive a Wedge Between Jihadists and Sunnis
ISIL’s overreach into Iraq is Washington’s opportunity to shift Sunni allegiances for good. By Dave Miller
Threats
ISIL Is Taking Iraq's Black Gold to the Black Market
The narrative of a ruthlessly managed, financially savvy rebel group just got a new chapter. By Steve LeVine
Threats
Hagel Declares ISIL Clear and 'Imminent Threat’ To U.S.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warns Americans – and skeptical lawmakers – that the extremists carving up Iraq and Syria threaten ‘every stabilized country on Earth.’ By Ben Watson
Ideas
NATO Must Stop ISIL Before It’s Too Late
NATO’s road to Iraq runs through Turkey, then Washington—if the alliance really wants to bring an end to ISIL. By Philip Seib
Threats
Former Bush Advisers Push Old Candidate Chalabi for New Iraq
Bush insiders think the man who gave U.S. officials false intelligence on Iraq more than a decade ago just might be the man to bring order to the political instability that plagues the country now. By Clara Ritger
Ideas
‘You Have to Kill Them’ Says Former U.S. Ambassador to Iraq
America can ‘twiddle our thumbs’ no longer, say former U.S. ambassadors in the region. By Gayle Tzemach Lemmon
Threats
Dempsey Says Iraq Can’t Beat ISIL, Won’t Rule Out More U.S. Troops
Don’t call it ‘mission creep’ in Iraq, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dempsey says, call it ‘mission match.’ By Stephanie Gaskell
Threats
Why the U.N. Is Likely Underestimating the Iraq Death Toll
Before we can prevent deaths in Iraq, we first have to learn to count them correctly. By Patrick Tucker
Threats
The Rise and Fall of Our Man in Baghdad
How Washington made Nouri al-Maliki, then lost control of it's Middle East strongman. By David Rohde, Warren Strobel, Missy Ryan and Ned Parker
Ideas
U.S. Power and the Future of Arab Democracy
From the Aspen Ideas Festival, how can we get to a political solution in the Middle East without the credible use of force? By J.J. Gould
Threats
Obama Sends Another 300 U.S. Troops to Iraq
Increasingly worried about the unraveling security situation in Iraq, President Obama puts more boots on the ground. By Stephanie Gaskell
Ideas
Taking the Long View on Iraq
Three experts at the Aspen Ideas Festival discuss why it may take decades before the Middle East stabilizes from the current crisis in Iraq. By Uri Friedman
Threats