What is the Arabic for democracy?
The collapse of the post-colonial Arab system is, at its heart, a crisis of legitimacy. The impact of colonialism, often blamed by Arabs for their woes, should not be… Read more »
Category: Iraq
Can populist demagogue help resolve Iraq’s ‘profound political crisis’?
The top U.N. envoy in Iraq strongly urged the country’s leaders and civil society on Friday to work together to resolve the current political deadlock, warning that the ongoing crisis… Read more »
Prospects for compromise in Iraq
The decision by Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr to have his supporters seize and then vacate parliament in Baghdad appeared to be the act of a man who—at least for now—wants to control rather than… Read more »
What’s next for Iraq?
Iraq is facing a looming economic crisis, with a displaced population of 3.3m people, according to the UN, and renewed sectarian bloodshed which could fuel the very resentments that helped… Read more »
What are Khalilzad memoir’s lessons for U.S. policy?
Raymond Tanter, Professor Emeritus at the University of Michigan, asks in The National Interest: First, regarding theory: recognize bureaucratic principles, as modified by recent research, which is quite critical of… Read more »
Iraq: authoritarian nostalgia or shift from sectarian politics?
Secretary of State John Kerry made an unannounced visit to Baghdad on Friday, promising continuing American military and humanitarian aid in the fight against the Islamic State, and showing… Read more »
The case for negotiating with Iran
Under the right conditions, which must include a hard-headed approach and tough actions to check Iran’s ambitions, Washington can benefit from bringing Iran into multilateral forums where the United States… Read more »
Iraq is not lost to Iran
Iraq is decidedly not lost to Iran—and today U.S. leverage is at a new post-withdrawal high, says Zalmay Khalilzad, a former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Nations…. Read more »
Engage civil society in party-building to consolidate democracy
Criticizing U.S. missteps in promoting democracy is certainly reasonable—particularly in light of the debacles in Iraq and Libya—but elevating these criticisms into high doctrine and principled critiques of democracy promotion… Read more »
Envoy Khalilzad’s knack for being in room while history was written
One of the most intriguing individuals to play a leading role in the Bush-era wars is Zalmay Khalilzad, a polished diplomat who was the most senior Muslim in the White… Read more »