Expanding Access to Banks in Iraq: Challenges & Pathways to Reform
One of the major obstacles to the development of the private sector in Iraq is the lack of access...
Living Among the Hashd: Relations Between Citizens and Security Actors in Five Iraqi Provinces
Based on interviews and focus groups in five provinces (Baghdad, Basrah, Thi Qar, Ninewa, Kirkuk),...
Breaking the Impasse: The Baghdad-Erbil Budget Divide
The annual debate over the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s share of the federal budget in...
Displacement and Iraq's Political Marketplace: Addressing Political Barriers to IDP Return
At the peak of the fighting between Iraqi forces and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in...
The National Budget: Short and Medium-Term Prospects
There is a growing sense among the Iraqi populace that the economy is irreparably broken. Over the...
Why Did Protests Erupt in Iraqi Kurdistan?
In comparison to previous demonstrations in the KRI, the rhetoric of the December 2020 protests was...
Iraqi Women in Civil Society
This report argues that throughout Iraq’s continued attempts to transition to democracy, women’s...
Protestors and Civil Society Actors in Iraq: Between Reform and Revolution
This report argues that the protest movement emerged spontaneously and represents a novel kind of...
Living Apart Together: Decentralized Governance in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
After the reunification of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in 2005, the region was governed...
Running Out of Options: Why Iraq’s Elite Fails to Address Protest Demands
This piece analyses past and present elite responses to protests for insight into how al-Kadhimi...
The Power of Local Ties: Civilian Resistance to Sectarian Displacement in Iraq
In February 2006, Ahmed Sharif’s (names of individuals have been changed to preserve anonymity)...
Assessing Iraqi Kurdistan's Stability: How Patronage Shapes Conflict
The Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) has generally lacked the security incidents common throughout...
Iraq’s Political Marketplace at the Subnational Level: The Struggle for Power in Three Provinces
Since 2003, analysts have conceptualized Iraqi politics from the standpoint of the national scene...
The Failure of Reconstruction in Mosul: Root Causes from 2003 to the Post-ISIS Period
This report addresses the root causes of the failure of reconstruction in Mosul between 2003 and...
Prisoner of the Deal: Nineveh’s Governor and Local State Capture
After two years of political turmoil in Nineveh, the appointment of the retired general Najm al-...
Why Iraq’s Protesters Won’t Go Home: 10 Voices from the Movement
**تتوفر ادناه نسخة من المقال باللغة العربية** Iraqi protesters’ resilience and commitment to their...
The US Presence in Iraq: Emerging Positions of Iraqi Political Parties
**تتوفر ادناه نسخة من المقال باللغة العربية** Amidst the ongoing policy conversation about US-Iran...
Mosul and Basra After the Protests: The Roots of Government Failure and Popular Discontent
Based on 50 interviews with key figures in Basra and Mosul’s government, private sector, and civil...
The Kurdish Duopoly: The Political Economy of Two-Party Rule
The violence and political instability of the post 2003 era has generated a shifting set of...
Basra's Protest Movement & Unemployment: Contesting Party Dominance of the Oil Sector
In Basra’s mass protests of 2018, unemployment was central to the rhetoric and mobilization...
Basra's Political Marketplace: Understanding Government Failure After the Protests
To date, the policy discussion on Basra has revolved around whether or not the newly appointed...
Reintegration of Combatants in Iraq after ISIL
The campaign against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) culminated on 9 December 2017...
Iraq's Disputed Internal Boundaries After ISIS: Heterogeneous Actors Vying for Influence
Conflict between Erbil and Baghdad over the disputed internal boundaries (DIBs) has long been a...
Iraq's 2018 Government Formation: Unpacking the Friction Between Reform and the Status Quo
This report analyzes the 2018 government formation process in Iraq. It argues that the process is...
The Bishop and the Prime Minister: Mediating Conflict in the Nineveh Plains
Originally published in the LSE Middle East Centre blog by IRIS Director of Research and Policy,...
Anti-ISIS Operations in Syria: Assessing Scenarios after the U.S. Withdrawal
U.S. Marine Corps firing a howitzer in Syria, June 2017. Photo Credit: Sgt. Matthew Callahan, U.S...
Iraq's Investment Spending Deficit: An Analysis of Chronic Failures
The proposed 2019 budget law brought into sharp focus systemic failures in the crafting of...
Regional Dynamics: What now for the US, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia?
Anitkabir / Ataturk's Mausoleum, Ankara, Turkey. Photo Credit: Barin Kayaoglu BARIN KAYAOĞLU Since...
Security and Governance in the Disputed Territories Under a Fractured GOI: The Case of Northern Diyala
Originally published in the LSE Middle East Centre blog by IRIS Research Fellow Zmkan Ali Saleem,...
Iraq Synthesis Paper: Understanding the Drivers of Conflict in Iraq
It has now been over a year since the liberation of Mosul by Iraqi government forces in July 2017...
Public Authority and Iraq’s Disputed Territories
Originally published in the LSE Middle East Centre blog by IRIS Director Christine van den Toorn in...
Was Iraq’s recent election a democratic success? Depends whom you ask.
Originally published in The Washington Post Monkey Cage by IRIS Director Christine van den Toorn on...
Kurdistan Politics at a Crossroads
With their legitimacy and credibility irreparably damaged, Kurdish political elites stand to lose...
Internal Divides Behind the Kurdistan Referendum
The Kurdistan Region’s “yes” vote in the independence referendum does not translate to...
The 2018 Iraqi Federal Elections: A Population in Transition?
IRIS's second report in the three-part election series, "The 2018 Iraqi Federal Elections: A...
Iraq Votes 2018: Election Mobilization Strategies
This report — the first in a three-part series dedicated to pre- and post-election developments and...
Iraq's Economy after ISIS: An Investor's Perspective
Iraq's potential as a post-conflict investment opportunity has slowly improved since the fall of...
Toward Economic Recovery and Food Security in Post-DAESH Iraq: A Framework for Governance Moving Forward
Conflict drives farmers from their land, disrupts economic activities, and prevents people from...
Water Resources Management in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
While water crises are commonly framed as natural hazards or the result of suboptimal economic...
Decentralized Rent-Seeking in Iraq's Post-ISIS Economy
IRIS Non-Resident Fellow, Dr. Mark DeWeaver , an emerging-markets fund manager, ISX investor,...
War, Health & Refugees in Iraq: Stakeholder meeting report
On April 27, 2017, IRIS hosted a roundtable entitled “War, Health, and Refugees in Iraq,” in...
Obstacles and Opportunities for Entrepreneurship in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region
In the context of the AUIS Entrepreneurship Initiative (AEI), this report, written by IRIS fellow...
Getting Peshmerga Reform Right: Helping the Iraqi Kurds to Help Themselves in Post-ISIS Iraq
This report was produced jointly by IRIS and the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI) . The...
Reporting on Minorities Across Iraq in Arabic & Kurdish Press
IRIS, with the support of Free Press Unlimited (FPU), conducted an assessment project looking into...
Fifth Annual Sulaimani Forum Proceedings
Now in its fifth year, the Sulaimani Forum is a high-level policy conference that explores issues...
IRIS Booklet Series: The State of the Economy
The following is a series of IRIS Iraq Reports (IIR) on the economy of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq...
IRIS Booklet Series: Post-ISIS Iraq
This booklet consists of is a series of articles and reports on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of...
The Wars after the War for Sinjar: How can Washington avert a new civil war
While the frontline with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) lies only 4.5 kilometers...
High Noon in Iraq's Wild West
The Islamic State is finally being forced out of the country, but anarchy is taking over...
Rivalries Trump Resettlement in Liberated Territory
The town of Sulaiman Bek epitomizes a major challenge facing Iraq: IS has been ousted, but ethno-...
Splits over Sinjar Strategy Leave Town in IS Control
Power struggles among rival Kurdish forces, several backed by the U.S., are frustrating a long-...
Kurdistan’s Missed Chance for Reform
Political deadlock within the Kurdistan Regional Government is hindering the shift from an...
The Hero Yazidis Hope Will Save Them
When the Yazidi city of Sinjar fell to ISIS last year, the U.S. got sucked into a new war. Now, who...
Shootout between ‘Allies’ Underscores Iraq Divisions
In Tuz Khurmatu, a gun battle between Shia militia and Kurdish fighters – nominal partners in the...
Sunni Tribes Turning on ISIS and Peshmerga
Peshmerga are under attack by Sunni tribal forces – but it's unclear if they are allied with ISIS...
The Forgotten Front
Outside the zone of American air strikes, Kurdish forces are reeling as insurgents advance in...
On the Ground, Collaborators With ISIS Could Be Its Big Weakness
The support of local Sunni Muslims has paved the way for the ISIS conquests in Syria and Iraq. They...
How the U.S.-Favored Kurds Abandoned the Yazidis when ISIS Attacked
Interviews with witnesses show the Kurds who are now getting weapons and air support from...
Hanifa's Story: Her Five Sisters Taken by ISIS to Be Sold or Worse
Obama’s limited military help has raised hopes for some in Iraq. But Yazidi families despair as...
ISIS Earning $1M Per Day from Iraqi Oil Smuggling
Militants have begun selling thousands of barrels per day of oil stolen from Iraq's traumatized...
Clashes and Tension along Kurdistan’s New Border
After gaining new territory, Kurdish forces are providing badly needed security – but in volatile...
The Iraqi Kurdish ‘Winners’ of the Current Crisis Haven’t Won Quite Yet
So far, the Iraqi Kurdish have managed to carve the most benefit out of Iraq’s current security...
The Solution to Iraq’s Political Problems? Better Education
Iraq’s education system relies heavily on rote learning and answers online. American educator,...
Election Day Conspiracy Theories
Last week on election day, thousands of voters originally from outside Iraqi Kurdistan were told...
Elections Unleash Political Flux in Kurdistan
The upstart Gorran party is likely to take control of key posts, upending the old political order...
Suicide Bombing Penetrates KRG Security Cordon
A suicide bomber detonated an explosive vest at a political rally in the Kurdish-controlled city of...
Ninawa Pre-Election: Fake parties, fraud and other strong-arm tactics
Iraq’s provincial elections might be over. But Ninawa’s are coming up. Some say that pre-election...
Power, Money, Influence, God: Which will Iraqi voters choose?
As elections near, a closer look at the town they call “little Iraq” may well reflect the way the...
Iraq al Msagher: National politics challenge local peace in Bashiqa
One of the most peaceful towns in Iraq, near one of the most dangerous cities in Iraq, is under...
Making Ends Meet: Economic Reforms in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq
IRIS Non-Resident Fellow, Dr. Mark DeWeaver, an emerging-markets fund manager, ISX investor,...
Internal Displacement in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq: Impact, Response and Options
On May 16, 17, and 18, Chatham House , in partnership with IRIS, hosted a policy workshop on the...
Sinjar after ISIS: Returning to Disputed Territory
Image Source: Le Carabinier 2016 In May 2016, IRIS Director Christine van den Toorn, journalist and...
The Last Piece of the Puzzle: Achieving Lasting Stability in Post ISIS Jalawla
This IRIS Iraq Report, titled " The Last Piece of the Puzzle: Achieving Lasting Stability in post-...
Inside Iraq's Cash Economy
IRIS Non-Resident Fellow, Dr. Mark DeWeaver, an emerging-markets fund manager, ISX investor,...
Turkish Boots on the Ground
What is IIR? The IRIS Iraq Report (IIR) offers on-the-ground reporting and analysis on Iraq’s most...
Kurdistan's Great Recession
IRIS Non-Resident Fellow Dr. Mark DeWeaver, emerging-markets fund manager and ISX investor,...
Five Takeaways from the Sinjar Operation
What is IIR? The IRIS Iraq Report (IIR) offers on-the-ground reporting and analysis on Iraq’s most...
Iraq & KRG Energy Policies: Actors, Challenges, and Opportunities
Former IRIS Fellow and current Associate Professor in the Social Sciences Department, Dr. Bilal...