Foreign Policy Blogs

Iraq

Baghdad Set to Host Next Round of Talks on Iran

Baghdad Set to Host Next Round of Talks on Iran

Today, Iran and the 5+1 group of permanent UN Security Council members (plus Germany) will sit down in Baghdad to discuss the terms of Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Iran’s ambassador to Baghdad, Hassan Danaiifar, explained that merely hosting the talks demonstrated a historic chapter in the history of Iraq. But what does the event actually mean […]

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Clerical “Closening” Between Iraq and Iran

Clerical “Closening” Between Iraq and Iran

Over at The National, Hassan Hassan has authored an excellent analysis of Iraq’s complex relationship with Iran, and the evolving nature of her ties to the Arab Gulf states. Hassan suggests Iraq’s Arab neighbors should resist knee-jerk presumptions regarding another Persian proxy. Hassan complements his take with an interesting aside regarding clerical connections between the […]

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The Donkeys’ Party Enters Kurdistan’s Political Bray

The Donkeys’ Party Enters Kurdistan’s Political Bray

The Donkeys’ Party of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region unveiled an aptly wrought statue of its four-legged namesake today. Cast in bronze by famed Kurdish sculptor Zerak Mire, the officious fellow is buttoned up in a suit, collared shirt and tie. The political m’ass’cot stands five feet tall (I believe that’s ‘15 hands’ in ‘Equinese’), and […]

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Iraqi Political Tensions Alarm Arab Neighbors

Iraqi Political Tensions Alarm Arab Neighbors

Iraq’s fugitive vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, initially fled Baghdad to Kurdistan to avoid capture at the hands of Shi’a forces loyal to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Rumors spread that the vice president’s body-guard had been slaughtered in a bloody attempt to seize the Sunni VP on trumped-up charges of “terrorism.” It is now being reported […]

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Shaima Alawadi and the Fickle Discourse of Instant Obsession

Shaima Alawadi and the Fickle Discourse of Instant Obsession

America is in a state of public mourning for a young man by the name of Trayvon Martin, whose death at the hands of an over-zealous neighborhood watch volunteer – and under suspicions of racial profiling – has sparked a national dialogue on race. His shooting death has prompted outrage across with country, with dozens […]

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A little self-promotion…

Recently, the folks over at The American Spectator saw fit to publish a piece I wrote about the political threat posed by radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr…

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UPDATE: Iraq Demands Return of Stolen Billions

Iraqi lawmakers are demanding the return of $17 billion they say was stolen during the second Iraq war.

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Move Over Madoff: US Billions Potentially Stolen in Iraq

Move Over Madoff: US Billions Potentially Stolen in Iraq

Reports are swirling that nearly $ 7 billion of Iraq’s oil money, siphoned into the country to rebuild critical infrastructure, may have simply been lifted by some enterprising crooks

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Bowling Green Based Jihadis Stumble into FBI Snare

Bowling Green Based Jihadis Stumble into FBI Snare

Federal officials announced Tuesday that two Iraqi nationals have been arrested in Bowling Green, Kentucky on charges that they conspired to provide weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI).

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On Memorial Day, Let's Honor the Memory of Those Who Have Served

On Memorial Day, Let's Honor the Memory of Those Who Have Served

Here in America, a lot of us are aware of what Memorial Day stands for – it formally commemorates the men and women who fought and died while in military service. However, too often, it’s simply summer’s annual kick-off, and the official start to vacation season. Once upon a time, Memorial Day marked a moment […]

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We tried to get out…but Th(AEI)y Keep Pulling Us Back In

As the architects of the Iraq war remain holed up in this last bastion of neo-conservatism, AEI’s continued influence and Gates’ congruence to their guidance may come as a surprise to many, in an era of hope and change

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A New Chapter for America in the Middle East

President Obama’s speech on Thursday was designed to introduce a symbolic redefinition of American policy in the Middle East. Assuring his international audience that an ever-changing world demands continued leadership, his words ushered in a new chapter of American diplomacy.

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Al Qaeda in Iraq Suffers Samarra Setback

Al Qaeda in Iraq Suffers Samarra Setback

Iraqi security forces announced the arrest of four suspected leaders of the al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) network

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Iraq's Manama Moment

Iraq's Manama Moment

Given their increasingly vocal stance on the Bahraini matter, and pressing regional issues, perhaps Iraq’s role at the helm of the contested Arab League summit might suit them after all.

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Despite Budget Impasse, US Military Will Get Paid…to Stay in Iraq Indefinitely

In his farewell tour of greater Mesopotamia, the Defense Secretary remarked that the US and Iraq would have to negotiate the terms of any American presence, while admitting that he had dreamed up at least a couple scenarios that might keep American forces in Iraq, perhaps indefinitely.

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