Threats
The Flash Point Between America and Iran Could Be Iraq's Militias
U.S. troops and Iran-backed fighters had an alliance of sorts in the anti-ISIS campaign. With Washington and Tehran at odds, could they turn on each other?
Ideas
Who Are the Private Contractors Fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan?
An inside look at this invisible military force.
Ideas
The US Army Is Trying to Bury the Lessons of the Iraq War
By scuttling plans to help its leaders understand what went wrong, the service is turning a blind eye to insights of enduring relevance.
Policy
Senior Officials Downplay Trump Plan to Keep Troops In Iraq to ‘Watch Iran’
Some Baghdad watchers say the president’s remarks could imperil the U.S. troop presence in Iraq.
Threats
US Official: We May Cut Support for Iraq If New Government Seats Pro-Iran Politicians
The senior administration official’s warning is the latest tack in a largely fruitless bid to shape a new governing coalition in Baghdad.
Threats
Trump’s Latest Warning to Iran Didn’t Come out of Nowhere
The White House condemned the Islamic Republic for rocket attacks on U.S. facilities in Baghdad and Basra. Such attacks have been common—but it’s not always clear who exactly is driving them.
Threats
ISIS Never Went Away in Iraq
“You can say that almost all of Iraq has been liberated from ISIS during the day, but you can’t say that at night.”
Ideas
The Rise of Iraq's Young Secularists
On Facebook and in the cafés of decimated Mosul, they envision a country free from political Islam. Do they have a shot?
Threats
Deputy Commander in Iraq Misused Staff for Personal Tasks
IG absolves Brig. Gen. Rick Uribe of charges he wore unearned medals and skipped weigh-ins.
Threats
What the Long, Corruption-Enabling, Mostly Failed Afghanistan-Stabilization Effort Tells Us
It’s about managing expectations: ours about the timeline, the foreign population’s about governance.
Ideas
Counting the Dead in Mosul
The civilian death toll in the fight against ISIS is far higher than official estimates.
Threats
The War in Iraq Isn’t Done. Commanders Explain Why and What's Next
Senior US and Iraq officers say the 15-year fight isn’t quite finished and they need to ensure that another ISIS can’t rise.
Threats
The Return of the Iraq War Argument
The North Korea debate shows the enduring attraction of "preventive war."
Ideas
The Iraq War and the Inevitability of Ignorance
The U.S. is destined to keep overlearning the lessons of the last conflict.
Threats
Turkey’s Attack on Kurds Tops US Concerns in Syria, Even as ISIS Keeps Fighting
Over the past three days, the leader of U.S. Central Command and other American military commanders in the region have sounded increasingly alarmed.
Threats
The Remarkable Resilience of the Prime Minister of Iraq
In December, Haider al-Abadi declared victory over ISIS. But with Iranian militias still to contend with and tensions with the Kurds high, challenges to peace remain.
Ideas
Washington Still Doesn’t Understand Iraq
The U.S. dream of a democratic and federal Iraq is over. Appointing Iran the next boogeyman won’t help.
Ideas
America Has Become Dispensable in Iraq
The conflict in Kirkuk offers further evidence of Iran’s steady rise.
Ideas
Can the United States Broker Peace Between Iraq and the Kurds?
Washington should respond to sectarian conflict near Kirkuk by seeking to preserve a united Iraq while supporting Kurdish autonomy.
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