Iraq

Short animation explaining why international policymakers must develop strategies to transform elite bargains into accountable political systems.

Short video explainer about how, since 2003, Iraq’s elites have appropriated the country’s rich cultural heritage in the service of various undesirable agendas.

This short video explores the pernicious effects of politically sanctioned corruption on governance in Iraq, and why it is the key barrier to reform.

Renad Mansour, a research fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, discusses the new government and the current state of ISIS in Iraq.

Omar Mohammed explains motivations which drove ISIS recruitment in Iraq, and how citizens are now rediscovering a national identity.

Episode 27 of our weekly podcast examines the Syrian regime with signs that governments in the Middle East are prepared to engage with Bashar al-Assad again.

Countries across the Middle East have engaged in an unprecedented pattern of reconciliation to protect their interests amid fluctuations in the international order. But without deliberate international support, these new ties can easily unravel.

The journalist tells Roxanne Escobales about how the 2003 invasion failed his country, the importance of the BBC World Service and flourishing Iraqi fiction.

With consistent and long-term support from the US, the Abraham Accords could have a transformative impact on Middle East economic cooperation and regional security.

The latest restrictions are a symptom of increased US-Iran tensions. But as Iraq’s elite find ways around them, ordinary Iraqis are the ultimate victims.

Short animation explaining why international policymakers must develop strategies to transform elite bargains into accountable political systems.

After avoiding obliteration by Islamic State, the Yazidis of Iraq and beyond began an urgent project to record their rich heritage, says Helen Fitzwilliam.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani must address politically sanctioned corruption head-on, or he risks falling into the same trap as his predecessors.

Stephanie Carvin explains why technology does not overcome the challenges of war.

Episode five of our new weekly podcast has a Middle East focus with insights into what is driving the ongoing protests in Iran, and the progress of Iraq in the years since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

This paper explores the ever-shifting identity and political strategy of Iraqi cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and offers a sociological analysis of his voter base.

Political unrest since last year’s election has claimed dozens of lives – but high-level corruption has quietly killed many more Iraqis, says Renad Mansour.

Examining the crossover between water security and climate change with the next two COPs taking place in regions with a history of being water stressed.

After supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr storm the Iraqi parliament, a Chatham House survey of residents in Baghdad’s Sadr City gives a rare insight into the actions and motivations of the populist cleric.

Despite their disillusionment with Iraq’s political system, the country’s youth have hope and aspirations for real change.

Poor infrastructure and even poorer governance is a critical part of the story of healthcare in Iraq, but so too is the complex issue of the movement and supply of medicines.

Prime Minister Masrour Barzani discusses the challenges and obstacles to reform in Kurdistan

Short video explainer about how, since 2003, Iraq’s elites have appropriated the country’s rich cultural heritage in the service of various undesirable agendas.

Political and religious elites are increasingly capturing Iraq’s cultural heritage for sectarian and commercial purposes, reducing its role as a public good and further dividing Iraqi society.

The UK has axed its Middle East and North Africa minister. This will leave the Foreign Office stretched thin and constrain Britain’s global influence.

A new generation of independent MPs and parties emerging from the protests in Iraq can reform the country’s politics, but only if they work together.

To tackle corruption in the MENA region, the international community must prioritize accountability over stability.

Although the election results appear to show a shift in political support, there is a clear disparity between the popular vote and the allocation of power.

Many Iraqis are disillusioned with their unaccountable political system, which deprives them of basic services and fundamental standards of living.

This paper examines why successive updates to Iraq’s electoral laws have failed to reform the dynamics of government formation.

As Iraqis head to the polls on 10 October, the headline for this election likely will be less about winners and losers and more about low voter turnout.

Congratulations to Dr Renad Mansour for his work on the BBC documentary series Once Upon a Time in Iraq, a winner at the 2021 Emmy Awards.

The US chooses to overlook similarities between the Taliban and ISIS, supposedly in the national interest. But ‘Islamist terrorism’ is in the eye of the beholder.

Momentous decisions made during the post-2001 era have failed to control weapons of all types, but now is the time to put right those wrongs.

Hospital fires and electricity cuts have prompted angry protests, and many Iraqis see government corruption and mismanagement as the root of their suffering.