World Dec 08 After fighting common enemy ISIS, how will rising tensions between U.S. and Iran affect Iraq? In a 2016 offensive to take Mosul back from ISIS, the U.S. and Iran fought on the same side without ever publicly acknowledging it. The militant group defeated, both countries still have a stake in Iraq and tensions have been…
World Dec 07 This Iran-backed militia helped save Iraq from ISIS. Now Washington wants them to disband In 2014, when most U.S. ground forces were gone and Iraqi forces were too weak, the threat of ISIS in Iraq spawned the PMF, a government-sanctioned militia that was armed, funded and trained by Iran, America's long-time foe. In the…
World Dec 06 Does Iran's deep religious influence in Iraq translate to politics? During the rule of Saddam Hussein, few Iranians dared to make the religious pilgrimage to the holy city of Karbala in Iraq. But the toppling of Saddam has drawn millions of worshippers back, revealing Iran's powerful influence there. In the…