The Political Logic Behind Iraq’s Fragmented Armed Forces
On the cusp of losing power following a poor performance in the October 2021 election, Iraq’s Fateh Alliance and its Popular Mobilization Forces—a coalition of armed factions under the umbrella of the Iraqi state—sent protesters to occupy parts of Baghdad’s heavily...The Rise and Fall of Kurdish Power in Iraq
More than thirty years after its founding, the KRG faces an uncertain future.
Two Decades of Uneven Federalism in Iraq
Transforming the centralized Iraqi state into a federal state was one of the most pressing political goals for the engineers and so-called nation builders behind the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. Proponents of federalism, like the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and...Water, Oil and Iraq’s Climate Future
Two resources tell the story of Iraq’s climate vulnerability.
Iraqi Women’s Activism—20 Years After the US Invasion
What the last two decades have meant for Iraq’s women’s movement.
Perpetual Protest and the Failure of the post-2003 Iraqi State
Tishreen transformed Iraq’s protest culture. Can protest transform the post-2003 state?
Interview—The Past, Present and Future of Iraq’s Cultural Heritage
A conversation with archaeologists Mark Altaweel and Jaafar Jotheri.
Issue 306 (Spring 2023) Masthead
Middle East Report, “The State of Iraq–20 Years After the Invasion,” Spring 2023, No. 306, Vol. 52 No. 1 Executive Director Mandy Terc mandyterc@merip.org Executive Editor Katie Natanel katienatanel@merip.org Managing Editor Marya Hannun...A Note on the Cover Image
Iraqi visual artist, Atef Al Jaffal, describes the symbolism behind his cover image.
Dispatch from Taiz—Yemen’s Passage to Peace
The “peripheral” city is central to peace in Yemen.
The Maghreb’s Peripheral Centers in Permanent Crisis
Informal trade in the Maghreb’s borderlands.
Illicit Flows to the UAE Take the Shine off African Gold
Following Mali’s artisanal gold to the markets of Dubai.
Exit France—The Influence of External Actors in the Sahel Region
Where France went wrong in Mali.
