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  1. RAND
  2. >The RAND Blog
/content/rand/blog/jcr:content/par/bloglist .topic.iraq
The RAND Blog

Iraq

  • Sailors from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Two move in a tactical formation during a training evolution to locate, identify, render safe and dispose of an IED, July 12, 2010
    Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

    commentary

    Competition in Iraq

    Ben Connable, James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins

    Jun 5, 2020

    Rudaw

    Tensions between the United States and Iran reached a boiling point in January 2020, when Iranian-backed forces attacked U.S. military and diplomatic facilities on Iraqi soil, and the United States retaliated. Policymakers and experts again asked: Why are we in Iraq? What would happen if we left, and why would it matter?

    Read More »
  • A demonstrator holds a picture of Iranian Major-General Qassem Soleimani with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during a protest in Tehran, Iran, January 3, 2020, photo by Nazanin Tabatabaee/West Asia News Agency/Reuters
    Iran

    commentary

    Iran Claws Back Its Regional Influence

    Jordan R. Reimer @Jordan_R_Reimer

    Jan 17, 2020

    The World Post

    Last year, Iran faced protests at home as well as in Iraq and Lebanon, where thousands rallied against Tehran's regional hegemony. But with its recent machinations and the fallout over the killing of Soleimani, Iran has succeeded in changing the regional conversation.

    Read More »
  • Iran

    blog

    Iran, Mental Health and Jail, Russia: RAND Weekly Recap

    Jan 10, 2020

    This weekly recap focuses on Iran and Iraq following the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, supporting those experiencing mental illness in jails, Russia's hostile measures, and more.

    Read More »
  • An Iranian mourner holds a picture of late General Qassem Soleimani as people gather to mourn him in Tehran, Iran, January 4, 2020, photo by Nazanin Tabatabaee/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Reuters
    Iran

    commentary

    How Will Iran Respond to Soleimani's Killing—and Where Will the Escalation End?

    Elisa Catalano Ewers, Ariane M. Tabatabai

    Jan 7, 2020

    The Washington Post Monkey Cage Blog

    Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani's death will reverberate in the Middle East region for a long time. The United States must know its end game and be able to respond to this changing landscape of its own making, without stumbling into another full-fledged conflict that the Trump administration itself, Congress, and the American people have said they do not want.

    Read More »
  • Members of Iraqi security forces in front of U.S. Embassy during a protest, in Baghdad, Iraq, January 1, 2020, photo by Khalid Al Mousily/Reuters
    Iraq

    commentary

    Baghdad Siege Wasn't Benghazi, and Never Will Be

    Raphael S. Cohen

    Jan 6, 2020

    Fox News Channel

    Given the heightened tension between the United States and Iran and the ongoing instability in Iraq, the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad may very well be attacked again. If such an attack were to be successful, it would be more akin to the fall of the U.S. Embassy in Saigon than the U.S. mission in Benghazi.

    Read More »
  • Following the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, members of Iraq's parliament voted to expel American soldiers from Iraq, January 5, 2020, photo by Iraqi Parliament Media Office/Handout via Reuters
    Iraq

    commentary

    Iraq's Vote to Expel U.S. Troops Is Iran's True Victory

    Ben Connable

    Jan 6, 2020

    Los Angeles Times

    If American soldiers are ejected from Iraq, the consequences may be far-reaching and damaging to U.S. strategic interests. What options remain to reset the relationship between Washington and Baghdad?

    Read More »
  • Hezbollah supporters attend a funeral ceremony rally to mourn Iran's Qassem Soleimani, in the suburbs of Beirut, Lebanon, January 5, 2020, photo by Aziz Taher/Reuters
    Iran

    commentary

    All-Out U.S.-Iran War Is Unlikely. But Low-Level War Expected to Continue

    Brian Michael Jenkins @BrianMJenkins

    Jan 6, 2020

    Fox News Channel

    Iranian retaliation for Soleimani's killing and counter-retaliation by the United States seem likely. But Tehran and Washington have good reasons to inflict limited pain without engaging in a full-scale war.

    Read More »
  • U.S. Army soldiers man a defensive position at Forward Operating Base Union III in Baghdad, Iraq, December 31, 2019, photo by Maj. Charlie Dietz/Task Force-Iraq Public Affairs Handout via Reuters
    Iraq

    commentary

    Can Iraq Evict U.S. Forces?

    Stacie L. Pettyjohn @StaciePettyjohn

    Jan 6, 2020

    The Washington Post

    The Iraqi parliament voted to expel U.S. troops from Iraq. This vote was nonbinding, and the Iraqi caretaker government cannot pass laws, but it does indicate that a majority in parliament wants U.S. forces to leave.

    Read More »
  • Militia members hold a portrait of Iranian Commander Major General Qassem Soleimani during a protest of an air campaign in Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition, Baghdad, March 31, 2015, photo by Thaier Al-Sudani/Reuters
    Iran

    blog

    Iranian Commander Soleimani Killed: RAND Experts React

    Jan 3, 2020

    The White House has confirmed that a U.S. airstrike authorized by President Trump killed Iranian Major General Qassem Soleimani just outside the Baghdad airport in Iraq. We've rounded up how RAND researchers reacted to the news.

    Read More »
  • Iraqi demonstrators carry pictures of people who were killed during ongoing anti-government protests in Nassiriya, Iraq, December 4, 2019, photo  by Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters
    Iraq

    commentary

    Iraq at the Crossroads

    Linda Robinson @RobinsonL100

    Dec 18, 2019

    Fox News Channel

    The protests gripping Iraq pose an extraordinary challenge to Baghdad's political leadership, which must move the country ahead or step aside. Unless it finds the will to compromise for the common good, the governing class could risk thrusting the country into civil war.

    Read More »
  • Medicare

    blog

    Medicare, Climate Change, 'Superbugs': RAND Weekly Recap

    Nov 22, 2019

    This weekly recap focuses on opening Medicare to Americans at age 50, how to assess climate change plans, antibiotic-resistant superbugs, and more.

    Read More »
  • An Iraqi demonstrator gestures during the ongoing anti-government protests in Najaf, Iraq, November 18, 2019, photo by Alaa Al-MarjaniReuters
    Political Reform Movements

    commentary

    The Arab Spring in the Upside-Down

    Jordan R. Reimer @Jordan_R_Reimer

    Nov 21, 2019

    The World Post

    Where the original Arab Spring protests removed authoritarian leaders, the current demonstrators in Iraq and Lebanon are trying to topple popularly elected governments. This could have dramatic implications for the future of representative democracy in the Middle East.

    Read More »
  • A demonstrator reacts as he walks in front of Iraqi security forces during ongoing anti-government protests in Baghdad, November 14, 2019, photo by Alaa Al-Marjani/Reuters
    Political Reform Movements

    commentary

    Don't Overestimate the Power of Iraqi Protests

    Jeffrey Martini, Ariane M. Tabatabai

    Nov 14, 2019

    Foreign Policy

    As protests in Iraq grow, a “good news” narrative seems to be developing that they are a significant blow to Iranian influence. But the bigger story is not who is up and who is down between Washington and Tehran; it is that yet another Arab public has taken to the streets demanding change.

    Read More »
  • A convoy of U.S. vehicles after withdrawing from northern Syria, on the outskirts of Dohuk, Iraq, October 21, 2019, photo by Ari Jalal/Reuters
    The Islamic State (Terrorist Organization)

    commentary

    How the U.S. Withdrawal from Syria Provides a Boost to ISIS

    Colin P. Clarke

    Oct 21, 2019

    Fox News Channel

    President Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria could provide the ISIS terrorist group with the time and space to regrow its organization and extend its networks throughout the Middle East. The longer-term strategic effects of the decision could reverberate in the region for years to come.

    Read More »
  • A convoy of U.S. vehicles is seen after withdrawing from northern Syria, in Erbil, Iraq October 21, 2019, photo by  Azad Lashkari/Reuters
    Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

    commentary

    The Syrian Withdrawal: Where Things Stand

    James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini

    Oct 21, 2019

    Fox News

    Without an orderly process for its national security decisions, the Trump administration has defaulted to the worst option regarding Syria. The sudden withdrawal of U.S. forces has left an opening for Russia to exploit. It also left the Kurds, a U.S. partner, to fend off a Turkish assault.

    Read More »
  • A Turkish army howitzer is positioned near the Turkish-Syrian border in Sanliurfa province, Turkey, October 17, 2019, photo by Murad Sezer/Reuters
    Peacekeeping and Stability Operations

    commentary

    Indecision in Washington Compounded the Kurds' Dilemma

    James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins, Jeffrey Martini

    Oct 18, 2019

    The Hill

    Core qualities of statesmanship and statecraft have been notably lacking in charting the U.S. administration's Syria end game. This has compounded the unavoidable costs of withdrawal with charges of betrayal and a retreat under fire.

    Read More »

Quoted

  • Instead of a new domestic terrorism law, this moment calls for rigorous and equal enforcement of existing law, treating offenders as ordinary criminals, and avoiding legislation that may undermine Americans' rights and create labels that deepen the current political divide.

    brian michael jenkins, brian jenkins

    Brian Michael Jenkins

    Senior Adviser to the RAND President

    Source: The Hill

  • While I am glad to see all the teaching resources available today, our survey suggests a more systemic approach to expanding civic education is necessary. A first step toward that would be to make civic education a priority in state education standards and requirements.

    julia kaufman, k0442

    Julia H. Kaufman

    Senior Policy Researcher

    Source: The RAND Blog

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