Threats
Iraqi Troops Not Ready for Mosul, Nor What Comes Next, Says Top US Commander
But in Syria, the fall of Manbij is just one to two weeks away, Lt. Gen. MacFarland says in his final war assessment.
Ideas
ISIS Is Switching Tactics in Iraq. Baghdad Needs to Get Its Act Together
As the Islamic State returns to urban terror attacks, Iraqi security agencies must learn to work with each other.
Ideas
Gold Star Families Deserve Better Than One News Cycle
Hashtag sympathy must be matched by real-world caring.
Threats
As Anti-ISIS Forces Close In on Mosul, Coalition Leaders Focus on What’s Next
At a closed-door meeting outside Washington, the multinational group called for more post-conflict planning.
Ideas
This Time, Post-War Iraq Needs a Real Plan With Real Money
A plan for reconciliation in Iraq should also come out of this week’s counter-ISIS coalition meeting in Washington.
Ideas
In Iraq, the 'Real Mystery' Is What Comes After ISIS
Even as Iraqi special forces and Shia militias roll back the self-proclaimed Islamic State, Baghdad has done little to address the underlying causes of Sunni militancy, says journalist Ned Parker.
Ideas
What Comes Next After Raqqa and Mosul?
Obama is making U.S. special operators and locals do most of the fighting. When ISIS falls, Iraq and Syria need better leaders to keep this from happening again. So, what’s the plan?
Policy
Trump Was For Invading Libya (and Iraq) Before He Was Against It
The presumptive Republican nominee tries to draw a contrast between himself and Hillary Clinton, but both of them supported U.S. involvement in both Libya and Iraq.
Threats
Iraq Is Trying to Fight a War Around 50,000 Civilians in Fallujah
Only 800 people have fled the city since Baghdad began attacking IS positions on Sunday. What happens next may set the template for Mosul as well.
Threats
Watch: This Is What It's Like to Live and Die for ISIS in Iraq
A violent and graphic new video suggests the reality of fighting for the Islamic State is much different from the dominating successes their online messages portray.
Ideas
Meet the Small Iraqi Town that Breeds Jihadis
No matter where you turn when covering the Islamic State's two years of terror in Iraq and Syria, one name repeatedly crops up: Tal Afar.
Threats
Retaking A Booby-Trapped City, With US Help
Several months after Iraqi troops flushed ISIS from Ramadi, the work of making the city safe is just beginning.
Ideas
The Hell After ISIS
Even as the militant group loses ground in Iraq, many Sunnis say they have no hope for peace. One family’s story shows why.
Threats
Citing ‘Momentum Shift,’ Pentagon Wants to Deploy More Troops to Iraq
ISIS is on their heels in Iraq and Syria, say U.S. military leaders who plan to ask the White House for more forces.
Threats
The Battle for Mosul Has Begun
ISIS is under air, ground, and cyber attack as Iraqi and coalition troops encircle the group’s final stronghold in Iraq, the Joint Chiefs chairman says.
Threats
Back to Iraq: US Military Contractors Return In Droves
Behind the president’s directive to ‘accelerate’ the counter-ISIS campaign came a surge in the number of contractors assisting in the campaign against ISIS.
Policy
Donald Trump's Big Lie on the Iraq War
Trump’s opposition to the invasion is an important part of his claim to sound judgment. And he is making it up. I would know.
Ideas
Meet the Guerrilla Fighters of Kurdistan
While the fight against the Islamic State has been devastating for Kurdish communities, many guerrillas convey an optimistic message: When the war ends, the Kurds could finally have an independent state.
Ideas
The Americans Who Volunteer to Fight ISIS
'A lot of people come over here thinking they’re going to be Rambo. It’s not like that.'
Ideas