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.

MDC Senior Researcher Prof. Ofra Bengio has published an article on Fikra Forum, wherein she discusses the possibilities and challenges of Kurdish independence in Iraq, following recent regional developments.

Dr. Ronen Zeidel discusses the May 2015 Islamic State offensive in Ramadi, and places the battle for Ramadi within the wider context of the current military stalemate in Iraq.

In the latest Middle East Crossroads, Prof. Ofra Bengio analyzes the ways that two important players (the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Islamic State) are shaping the face of the new Middle East. In Hebrew.

MDC Director Prof. Uzi Rabi and Ben Mendales examine the transformative effects that the Islamic State has had on the region, primarily through their doctrine of ‘kasr al-hudud’ [shattering the borders].

Raz Zimmt examines the discourse on social media around Operation Karbala, following the repatriation of the bodies of 175 Iranian divers killed in the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.

In this edition of Iqtisadi: Middle East Economy, Dr. Paul Rivlin analyzes through an economic lens the humanitarian crisis gripping Syria.