Summary The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) continue to puzzle policymakers inside and outside of Iraq. Following the territorial defeat of the Islamic State (ISIS), PMF networks have developed into significant security, political and economic forces that compete for power in the Iraqi state. At the heart of unsuccessful attempts to understand, engage or navigate this dy
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Iraq’s New Prime Minister and the Challenge of Change A Conversation with Kanan Makiya Organized and edited by David Siddhartha Patel, Associate Director for Research The largest and most sustained demonstrations in Iraq’s post-Ba‘th era began in early October 2019, which led to the resignation of then Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. After five months without a govern
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Toby Dodge (L), with Hisham al-Hashimi, former EU Ambassador to Iraq Ramon Blecua, and Chatham House’s Renad Mansour. My friend and colleague, Dr Hisham al-Hashimi, was brutally murdered outside his house in Baghdad on Monday night, 6 July. This is obviously a profound tragedy for his wife and young children who found him. It is also a huge blow for all of us worki
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The murder of a popular scholar could galvanize opposition to militias backed by Iran. For Iraq, the murder of a well-known scholar in Baghdad is a tragedy that stands out from an abundance of adversity. For Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, it is also a leadership test — and just possibly, a political opportunity. The scholar, Husham al-Hashimi, was shot dead
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After nearly 20 years of political chaos in Baghdad, Mustafa al-Kadhimi is trying incremental reform. Iraqi Prime Minister-designate Mustafa al-Kadhimi makes a speech before the Iraqi Parliament in Baghdad on May 6. ANADOLU AGENCY VIA GETTY IMAGE After months of horse-trading and two failed attempts, Iraq finally has a new prime minister. Former head of intelligence Musta
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