Iraq

By Juan Cole 1. Airstrikes killed 7 and wounded 30 in Mosul on Sunday. But it isn’t clear who was flying the planes! The US denies it was Americans, and the spokesman for the Baghdad government said he did not know anything about it. The Syrian and Iranian air forces are other possibilities. It is […]

Iraq

Shiite Volunteers: Asset for Iraqi Army or Drawback?

contributors

By Daoud al-Ali | Baghdad | niqash | Volunteers on the streets of Baghdad who have responded to the call to defend Iraq. Thousands of Shiites have volunteered to fight Sunni extremists in Iraq. But in the clashes between extremist groups and volunteers, the illegal Shiite militia groups are proving by far the best fighters […]

Iran

How are Iran’s Special Forces intervening in Iraq?

contributors

By Golnaz Esfandiari To help Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government battle militants of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), Iran could potentially offer significant assistance through its powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which reportedly has been active in Iraq during the past decade, analysts say. What Can Iran Offer? Afshon […]

Featured

In Midst of Tikrit Campaign, al-Maliki refuses to step Down

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Despite the Iraqi parliament’s failure to reach a quorum on Tuesday, in a clear slap in the face to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other incumbents running for another term, on Friday Mr. al-Maliki insisted that he remains a candidate for a third term as prime minister. Sunni and Kurdish parliamentarians on […]

India

Inside the Mosul of the ‘Islamic State’: Manhunts, Salafi Coercion and Fired Christians

contributors

Niqash | Special Correspondent | Mosul | It has been several weeks since Sunni Muslim extremists took over the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Locals continue to adapt to their new circumstances; tensions are rising because of fighting outside the city, fuel and food stocks continue to dwindle and the Sunni militia are starting to […]

Barack Obama

As Hundreds of US Troops are Sent to Iraq, Fears of Mission Creep

contributors

By Lauren McCauley Lawmakers and anti-war groups raise flags about additional troop deployments and calls for executive "flexibility" As the number of American troops sent to Iraq nearly doubled on Monday and the White House continues to flex its executive privilege to make unilateral military decisions, citizens and lawmakers alike are raising concerns and objections […]

Featured

Syrian Opposition: Baghdadi “Caliphate” lame attempt to take Spotlight off his Crime Spree

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s proclamation of himself as “caliph” is rather like the Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan declaring himself the Holy Roman emperor. A small criminal/ terrorist group making claim on an archaic institution is more worthy of ridicule than awe. Having offended educated Muslims around the world, the extremely […]

Human Rights

Uneasy Caliphate: Inside Hawija in Iraq

contributors

By Shalaw Mohammed | Hawija NIQASH visited Hawija, a large northern Iraqi town near Kirkuk, which is currently controlled by Sunni Muslim extremists and local tribes. The town is dominated by ISIS’ black flags and ISIS’ rules. And on the way into town, everybody gets a free Koran. The area south of the Iraqi city […]

Featured

The Debacle of the Caliphates: Why al-Baghdadi’s Grandiosity doesn’t Matter

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole Ibrahim al-Badri, a run-of-the-mill Sunni Iraqi cleric, gained a degree from the University of Baghdad at a time when pedagogy there had collapsed because of the Saddam Hussein dictatorship and international sanctions. After 2003 he took the name Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and turned to a vicious and psychopathic violence involving blowing up […]