Policy
EXCLUSIVE: ISIS ‘Will Fight to the Death’ for Mosul, Says Top Peshmerga General
The Kurds’ chief of staff, who dreams of Kurdish independence, hopes the American military stays long after Mosul.
Ideas
The Other Front Line: Iraqi Schools Need Our Help
The ultimate success of the coming military assault on Mosul will depend on reviving a shattered educational system.
Ideas
The UK Is Having the War Debate That America Isn't
The U.S. and Britain both intervened in Iraq and Libya. Only one is now seriously reckoning with those choices.
Science & Tech
Two Iraqi Guys Built an Armed Robot to Fight ISIS
The Baghdad Post says the machine-gun-wielding unmanned ground vehicle will be used in the effort to retake Mosul.
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