The contemporary displacement landscape in Iraq is both problematic and unique. Minorities originating from the so called ‘Disputed Territories’ and perceived ISIS-affiliates represent two of the most vulnerable groups of IDPs in Iraq. The authorities currently have a real opportunity to set a positive precedent for IDP protection by formulating pragmatic durable solutions whic
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A great deal of media spinning has attempted to portray these demonstrations as an anti-Iranian, anti-resistance revolt A Lebanese protester stands in front of burning tyres on the northern outskirts of Beirut on 13 November (AFP) The wave of protests shaking the world resembles a global uprising against neoliberalism. This could be a sign of the insoluble c
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The unprecedented protests in Iraq underline the reality that Iraq is slowly failing as a state. Though life inside the country has improved in some ways, there are still nearly a million new job-seekers each year left unemployed, militias continue to openly humiliate the government, and little is being done to prepare for the day when oil rents can no longer cover the huge bil
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Ever since the U.S. signalled through its effective withdrawal from Syria that it now has little interest in becoming involved in military actions in the Middle East, the door has been fully opened to China and Russia to advance their ambitions in the region. For Russia, the Middle East offers a key military pivot from which it can project influence West and East and that it ca
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Barely a month goes by without yet another corruption scandal emerging or developing in Iraq. Whether it be the Barzanis’ industrial-scale corruption in the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan or the endemic multi-level corruption in the south it is little wonder that Iraq ranks as one of the very worst countries in the world for bribery and corruption. The last month or so has
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