Iraqi expats play an important role in the future of the country. Sadly, they are accused of being apathetic of what is happening in Iraq, yet in the election seasons, they become subject to a campaign that discourages them from voting. The justification for boycotting the election is supposed to be a form of protest and a rejection of the current situation. Continue reading →

It is understandable that many Iraqis are reluctant about feeling optimistic towards the future of their country. Hope before 2003 was nonexistent and could be dangerous, while after 2003, people’s hopes mostly consisted of expectations that the fall of Saddam’s regime would mean the direction of the country would move only upwards. However, the country faced difficult challenges from occupation and terrorism to ethnic and sectarian unrest that caused painful disappointment and loss of hope. Continue reading →

On the 4th of April 2018 Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, accompanied by a high-level delegation, headed to Japan. The visit lasted four days and Iraq received a big welcome. The main focus was economy and investment, so much, that some observers called it a minimized rebuilding conference, referring to the Iraq Rebuilding Conference event, taking place last February. Continue reading →

The question of good leadership is not only the concern of scholars and experts but of every voter who will have to make a decision based on this complicated question at the ballot box. Therefore, which politicians to choose to lead the country in the forthcoming years poses more or less a dilemma for people in democracies, especially nascent democracies like Iraq that face an abundance of challenges and difficulties. Continue reading →

Kurdistan Region of Iraq is once again witnessing waves of protests. Just like that of December 2017, the cause of people’s outrage is the issue of salaries of employees administrated by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Since 2014, the KRG has not been paying their employees’ salaries in full, and in many instances not paying them at all. Continue reading →

Balanced news coverage and realistically optimistic analysis about Iraq remains rare. Another instance where this has become clear is how the Kuwait International Conference for Rebuilding Iraq was covered by the media.

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Foreign influence is certainly one of the most serious challenges facing Iraq since 2003. While the issue is extensively discussed in the media and analyzed by think tanks, the prevailing theme of the discussion is how foreign influence in Iraq manifests itself. Continue reading →