Iraq

Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) discusses the imperative and difficulty of Turkey’s pushback against Kurdish and Iranian-backed militant groups in the Sinjar district of Iraq.

Prof. Ofra Bengio analyzes the place of Kirkuk in the current Kurdish campaign for independence. In Hebrew.

Gilad Shiloach examines the proliferation of Saddam Hussein's image as defender of the Arab world, which is magnified by fear of Iranian regional influence.

Ronen Zeidel analyzes recent developments in Iraq's efforts to retake Mosul from the Islamic State (IS).

Gilad Shiloach investigates the duality of ISIS' social media messaging, which alternately posits a climactic battle between the few and the many, or denies altogether that it has suffered severe setbacks.

MDC Director Professor Uzi Rabi explains what recent developments in Iraq and Syria mean for the Islamic State and the region.

MDC Researcher Dr. Ronen Zeidel explains how the battle for Fallujah fits into the broader war against the Islamic State in Iraq.

MDC Director Prof. Uzi Rabi dissects the current position of the Islamic State against the backdrop of its recent battlefield setbacks. In Hebrew.

Seth J. Frantzman explains the challenges facing the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) based on his two trips to Kurdistan, in June and December of 2015.

Eliyahu Kamisher explains how the Kurdish quasi-state managed to sidestep Baghdad and construct an independent oil industry.