Sadr’s background and views suggest he will not be an easy partner for Russia
The results of the May 12 parliamentary elections in Iraq are being carefully assessed in Moscow in terms of the impact the results may have on Russia’s relations with Iraq.
The Russian Foreign Ministry praised the elections as a “landmark on the road to stabilization in the country,” adding it hopes ...
Iraq is important for Russia not only as an economic and trade partner, but also as a factor in influencing regional policy
Moscow’s interest in the Middle East and the growing Russian presence in the region go beyond Russian involvement in the Syrian ...
The role of the peshmerga as an asset and a potential regular force will determine the orientation of local/regional conflicts
Introduction
The study of the
peshmerga
in Iraq is highly pertinent to wider debates surrounding the interrelation of foreign policy and security and the contemporary nature of conventional and unconventional war, both in terms of conflict typology and the relevant actors [
1
]. This debate has ...
... a security system of their own. Iran has been relying on its regional influence, including religious and cultural influence, to build so-called
Islamic resistance
by financing projects to create and maintain cross-border non-governmental actors in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and — some analysts believe — Yemen. [
2
]2 Some experts explain Iran’s policy by its desire to consolidate a fairly large territory in the Middle East predominantly populated by Shiites. The very term Shiite Crescent,...
... conflict with more and more countries and regions being created.
There is Yemen, where the number of projects of this kind has already exceeded a dozen; Syria, where a vigorous struggle for a new constitution unfolds and only the lazy does not participate; Iraq, where the Kurds recently showed the shakiness of the line between federalism and secession; Libya, where decentralization is the only chance to stop anarchy and chaos.
The most ambitious plans concern Turkey, Saudi Arabia and even Morocco. One country,...
Shiite Leader Seeks to Return Iraq to its Arab Family
Muqtada al-Sadr is a descendent of the religious Sadr dynasty, a prominent family of Shiite intellectuals. He is one of a small number of politicians who possess significant influence in modern Iraq and who are capable of inspiring ...
The official referendum for Iraqi Kurdistan is soon. The referendum which is designed to sense the will of Iraqi Kurds about independence from Iraq and starting a Kurdish state among Iran, Syria, Iraq and Turkey. Theoretically, this might seem possible since Kurds already enjoy ...
... return to the Middle East and the increasing role that Kurdish political forces are playing in the region, Moscow has started to shape its “Kurdish policy”. In addition, over the last year, Russia’s energy companies have boosted their presence in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Old Comrades
Russia has traditionally maintained contacts with Kurdish political forces in various parts of the region. The unresolved Kurdish question periodically affected the agenda in Moscow. Since the late XIX century, Russia has ...
With the continuous fight against Islamic State a lot of attention is paid to Syria and Iraq as well as Russia’s involvement in the process. Haidar Hadi, the Ambassador of the Republic of Iraq to Russia, comments on the ways Islamic State should be fought, Russia-Iraq cooperation in the energy sector as well as the areas in bilateral relations ...
As the three-year campaign to forcefully remove the Islamic State from Iraqi borders appears to have shifted toward Baghdad’s favor, perennial issues tied to Kurdish statehood are expected to reemerge amidst the backdrop of a rapidly changing regional order. In early June 2017, Masoud Barzani - President of Iraq’s Kurdistan ...