Ranj Alaaldin

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Today’s parliamentary elections in Iraq are the country’s first since the Islamic State was militarily defeated in December, and there are hopes Iraq will turn a new chapter and move forward in its attempts to remedy challenges to its security, endemic corruption and the polarization within its society and political elites.

There are few certainties in an election in which close to 7,000 candidates are running for just 329 seats — in a country where the political landscape has become increasingly fragmented. One near-certain outcome is the political ascendancy of Iraq’s Shiite militias, the most dominant of which lead the Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) and have extensive ties to Iran.…  Seguir leyendo »

Evacuating the rebel-held enclave of Douma, Syria, on March 20 after shelling by Syrian and allied forces. Iranian proxies have led the fight to take back cities like Homs and areas around Damascus. Credit Hamza Al-Ajweh/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Global anxiety that the United States will take military action against Iran has increased now that President Trump has appointed John Bolton as his national security adviser. Mr. Bolton has long promoted regime change in Iran, argued for bombing Iran and a more assertive American policy against Iranian expansionism in the Middle East.

But the United States cannot effectively confront Tehran and its proxies until it appreciates Iran’s role in state building in Middle Eastern countries decimated by conflict.

Iran has increased its influence in the region since the eruption of the Syrian civil war and the rise of the Islamic State.…  Seguir leyendo »

A suspected mass grave of Yazidis killed by Isis, found after the jihadi group was driven out of Sinjar. Photograph: Sam Tarling for the Guardian.

The carnage in Iraq continues. Yet another terrorist attack took place today in Baghdad, the latest in a series of such atrocities that have hit the capital and other parts of the country over the past week. Isis is undergoing a losing battle in Mosul, its last remaining stronghold in Iraq, and it is expected to lose control of the city in the coming months. However, it still has a deadly capacity to carry out terrorist acts. Even without its so-called caliphate, Isis will continue to undermine stability in the country.

The bombings over the past week have barely registered in the international media and the conscience of the international community.…  Seguir leyendo »

A Dangerous Rivalry for the Kurds

In August, Iraq’s Kurds faced their most serious threat since the Baath Party’s massacres and genocide of the 1980s. The Islamic State came within 30 kilometers of Erbil, the bustling capital of the Kurdistan region.

The jihadist offensive forced the once-feared Kurdish fighters, known as pesh merga, to withdraw from the town of Sinjar, in northern Iraq. Up to 300,000 residents fled and tens of thousands were stranded on Mount Sinjar, leading to a humanitarian crisis and the threat of a genocide. It was only through American airstrikes that the Islamic State’s gains, which many Kurds believed involved the very survival of Kurdistan, were reversed.…  Seguir leyendo »

On Tuesday, Iraq just about managed to form a government – only days before a constitutional deadline, and nine months since the elections took place. With the cabinet now named and accepted by parliament, the hard work starts for a country that still has many challenges and disputes to overcome.

High on the agenda for the Iraqi government and the prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, (who will run the ministries of interior and defence himself until accepted candidates are found) will be to consolidate the security gains of the past three years. In tandem with this will be the usual efforts to improve basic services and infrastructure.…  Seguir leyendo »

Iraq is expected to have a fully functioning government in less than a month now president Jalal Talabani has formally asked Nouri al-Maliki to form a new one. Parliament convened two weeks ago to reappoint Talabani as president after nearly nine months of political deadlock.

As part of the efforts to form a national unity government the position of parliament speaker went to Osama Nujayfi, the controversial ultra-nationalist who contested the elections as part of the Iraqyiah bloc of Ayad Allawi, the United States' favourite. Allawi's coalition won 91 seats – two more than Maliki's bloc – in the March elections.…  Seguir leyendo »

Last week, more than 600 delegates from across the globe headed to London for a conference on investment opportunities in the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

As the rest of Iraq continues to be beset by political wrangling, terrorist attacks and violent protests bemoaning the lack of electricity, Kurdistan continues to look more and more like an independent state. This was the underlying message to be taken from the conference – that the business opportunities in Kurdistan are also opportunities to play a role in the building of a nation.

And where better to start than with oil, the foundation of any future independent Kurdish state.…  Seguir leyendo »

When Iranian forces entered an oil area in Iraqi territory, the response from Baghdad was a quiet one. This starkly contrasted with the fierce nationalistic and potentially violent reaction that might have been expected of Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Was this just a taste of Baghdad's future receptivity towards potential Iranian expansionism? Not exactly.

The Fakka oilfield – in an uninhabited part of Misan province where the precise line of the border with Iran is disputed – currently produces about 10,000 barrels per day; Iran took control of one (inoperative) well out of the seven in the field. On Sunday, it was reported that Iranian troops had withdrawn partly, though Tehran had initially denied ever crossing into the territory in the first place.…  Seguir leyendo »