Iraq

Niqash.org | (Baghdad) | – – As the Islamic State becomes weaker in Iraq, locals anticipate a post-extremist era. But even the most optimistic Iraqis know it won’t be easy. Some of those crises may be more dangerous than the extremists. Recent reports from Iraq indicate that, although progress against the extremist group known as […]

Iraq

Is the US Suddenly entering a Major new War in Iraq & Syria?

contributors

Paul Rogers | ( OpenDemocracy) | – – The spreading influence of ISIS is forcing Washington into a strategic decision: escalate. Suddenly, and without almost anyone noticing, the war against ISIS in Syria and Iraq is developing and growing rapidly. Some elements are already clear enough: they include the expansion of ISIS-controlled territory in Libya, […]

Featured

Russo-Turkish Conflict over Syria & Iraq Boils: “Manifestations of impotent Rage”

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – The Turkish and Russian government have continued their war of words that followed on the shooting down of an Su-25 bomber on Nov. 24. Issues include a new Turkish accusation that Russian bombing in the north of Latakia province aims at ethnically cleansing the Turkmen populations […]

Iraq

Iraqis wrangle over who should free Mosul: Kurds, Russia, US or Shiite Militias?

contributors

Iman Asaad | Sulaymaniyah | (Niqash.org) | – – Who would be the best to liberate Mosul from the Islamic State group? A survey of Iraqi opinions on NIQASH’s Facebook page received 900 comments and show just how deeply divided the country is. An unofficial survey on Facebook that garnered over 930 replies from Iraqis […]

Featured

If Defeating ISIL/ Daesh is so imp’t, why isn’t Ramadi Campaign all we’re talking about?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Given the large number of vehement pronouncements by US presidential candidates about the dire threat from Daesh (ISIS, ISIL), and attacks on President Obama for not doing more, you would think that the American public would be hanging on every word about any progress against the […]

Colonialism

Western Invasions can’t fix the Middle East because they wrecked the Middle East

contributors

By Baher Kamal | (Inter Press Service) | – – MADRID (IPS) – One hundred years ago, on 6 May 1916, two men, Briton Sir Mark Sykes and French diplomat François Georges-Picot, were entrusted by their respective governments with a rather exceptional task. That task, which initially counted with the assent of the Tsarist Russia, […]

Featured

Shiite Iraqi politicians denounce Turkish ‘Invasion,’ call for Aerial bombardment

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Sawt al-`Iraq reports that sources in the Turkish military announced Saturday that about 150 Turkish troops had been placed into northern Iraq along with 20-25 tanks. The head of the Iraqi parliament’s Security and Defense Committee, Hakim Ilzami, said that this incursion was just switching out […]

Iraq

In the Actual fight against Daesh/ ISIL, the Key is Cutting off Mosul

Juan Cole

By Special Correspondent | ( Niqash.org) | – – The Sinjar victory saw the route between Mosul and Raqqa cut. But local truckers have found another way in the desert that extremists are thought to be using too. If this road closes too, Mosul will be fully isolated. The new route out of Mosul heads […]

Iraq

Beyond ISIS: Suicide by World War IV

contributors

By Andrew Bacevich | (Tomdispatch.com) |- – Introduction by Tom Engelhardt Let’s consider the two parties in Washington. I’m not referring to the Republican and Democratic ones, but our capital’s war parties (there being no peace party, of course). They might be labeled the More War Party and the Much (or Much, Much) More War […]