Members of the Iraqi Kurdish military are quitting fighting the Islamic State and taking illicit routes to Europe. Why should we pay for our own ammunition and fight for a country that cares so little about us, they ask. In the middle of August, Ahmed Mohammed, became one of the many Iraqis seeking a safer place to live in Europe. He arrived in Germany less than a month after
Read MoreA capital city in Iraq is in turmoil. The government has been hit hard by collapsing oil prices and is under pressure from an array of activist groups to reveal the fate of missing oil revenues, and be far more transparent. At the helm is a man many have long accused of intimidation and close links to one of the worst dictators of modern times. This government is seen by some
Read MoreKey Take-Away: The political crisis in Iraqi Kurdistan caused by delayed Presidential elections descended into outright political violence on October 8. Regional President Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP), has continued to hold office even though his term expired on August 19 and no elections have occurred. Other Iraqi Kurdish political parties,
Read MoreOne of the country's most strategic provinces is up for grabs, but Baghdad and the KRG are too politically and economically broken to reach out and help. Iraq's Kirkuk province has long been identified as a fulcrum for political and ethnic tensions, with the potential to make or break national reconciliation efforts between Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen. With each passing week, Kir
Read MoreOnce upon a time I was a refugee who, unlike many of my relatives, was fortunate to escape persecution and genocide. The plight, struggle and impact of the exodus of refugees engulfing Europe is something I feel obliged to write about. Historically the migration of refugees is nothing new in our global history. The proliferation of the social media and the precarious state of
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