BAGHDAD — Iraqi military leaders expect victory this week against the Islamic State (IS) in the battle for Mosul, and the government has unveiled a $100 billion, 10-year reconstruction plan for the country that, despite some challenges, is slated to begin next year. Mosul will be particularly important to rebuild because of the number of citizens who were for
Read MoreUNICEF Representative in Iraq Peter Hawkins recently visited schools in Anbar province. As tens of thousands of families return to Anbar, UNICEF is rehabilitating 100 schools and in August launched a ‘Back to School’ campaign to reach about 70,000 girls, boys and families to encourage enrollment. I visited Anbar earlier this year shortly after military operations had
Read MoreSince I started researching and polling public opinion in Iraq in 2003, I cannot remember more interesting findings than the ones from the recent nationwide survey conducted a few weeks ago. In general - and as a rule since 2003 - hundreds of previous quantitative and qualitative studies have shown that sectarian divisions are the key determinants Iraqi public opinion. Kurds
Read MoreIts Arab communities and the Kurds need to decide on their political status US leadership of the international coalition against Isis has brought Iraq to the brink of defeating the terrorists who took control of a third of the country. Thanks to the efforts of the Iraqi security forces, the Peshmerga and Hashd al-Shaabi, Isis will soon be pushed out of Mosul. Iraqi Prime Min
Read MoreA view of Baghdad International Airport, Iraq, uploaded Dec. 26, 2013. (photo by Baghdad International Airport/Facebook) BAGHDAD, Iraq — Even if it were true that Sumerians built the first airport at Nasiriyah in 5000 BC, as Iraqi Transport Minister Kazem Finjan claimed in October, they would be shocked at the state of Iraqi aviation today. While Kazem said Iraq's early set
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