Faced with political deadlock, open American meddling and the threat of war across its borders, is Iraq being dragged back to darker times after achieving hard-won stability?
After decades of conflict and chaos, Iraq has recently regained a sense of normalcy, yet its politics is haunted by the struggle to balance relations with its two main allies, Iran and the United States.
kAm(2D9:?8E@? >2<6D ?@ D64C6E @7 :ED H:== E@ :?E6C76C6 :? xC2B: 5@>6DE:4 564:D:@?\>2<:?8] (9:=6 xC2B:D 5:D4FDD65 49@@D:?8 E96:C ?6IE AC6>:6C[ &$ C6AC6D6?E2E:G6D =@33:65]k^Am
kAm%96? !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A :DDF65 2? F=E:>2EF>i E96 &$ H@F=5 6?5 :ED DFAA@CE 7@C xC2B :7 }@FC: 2=\|2=:<:[ 2 A@H6C7F= A@=:E:4:2? 4=@D6 E@ xC2?[ C6EFC?65 2D AC:>6 >:?:DE6C]k^Am
kAmx? E96 G:6H @7 xC2B: 2?2=JDE x9D2? 2=\$92>2C:[ Q%CF>AVD 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 5@6D ?@E 5:DE:?8F:D9 36EH66? xC2? 2?5 xC2B[ :?DE625 :E EC62ED E96> 2D 2 D:?8=6[ :?D6A2C23=6 :DDF6]Qk^Am
k9am\ (92E 92AA6?65n \k^9am
kAmx? }@G6>36C =2DE J62C[ xC2B 96=5 :ED 86?6C2= 6=64E:@?]k^Am
kAm{2DE H66<[ 27E6C :?E6?D6 E2=<D 2>@?8 A@=:E:42= =6256CD[ E96 r@@C5:?2E:@? uC2>6H@C<[ 2? 2==:2?46 @7 $9::E6 8C@FAD H:E9 G2CJ:?8 E:6D E@ xC2?[ 6?5@CD65 |2=:<: 2D xC2BVD ?6IE AC:>6 >:?:DE6C]k^Am
kAm|2=:<: H2D xC2BVD @?=J EH@\E6C> AC:>6 >:?:DE6C[ D6CG:?8 36EH66? a__e 2?5 a_`cX]k^Am
kAmw6 7:CDE 6?;@J65 E96 DFAA@CE @7 E96 E96? &$ @44FA2E:@?[ 3FE =2E6C 76== @FE H:E9 (2D9:?8E@? @G6C 9:D 8C@H:?8 E:6D H:E9 xC2? 2?5 2==682E:@?D E92E 96 AFD965 2 D64E2C:2? 286?52]Â k^Am
kAmr@>:?8 7C@> xC2BVD =2C86DE $9::E6 A2C=:2>6?E2CJ 3=@4[ E9:D ?@>:?2E:@? H@F=5 ?@C>2==J D64FC6 E96 42?5:52E6 E96 A@DE]k^Am
kAmqFE %CF>AVD >655=:?8 92D >F55:65 E96 H2E6CD]k^Am
kAm%2=<D 2C6 DE:== F?56CH2J H:E9:? E96 r@@C5:?2E:@? uC2>6H@C< E@ 7:?5 2 H2J @FE[ 2 D@FC46 4=@D6 E@ E96 $9::E6 2==:2?46 E@=5 pu![ 255:?8 E92E :E :D 2 Q4@>A=:42E65 D:EF2E:@?]QÂ k^Am
kAmxC2B: =6256CD 2C6 5:G:565i D@>6 H2?E |2=:<: E@ C6EC62E E@ AC@E64E xC2B 7C@> %CF>AVD E9C62ED]k^Am
kAm~E96CD :?D:DE @? DE2?5:?8 E96:C 8C@F?5 2?5 C6;64E:?8 p>6C:42? :?E6C76C6?46]Â k^Am
kAmp? xC2B: @77:4:2= 4=@D6 E@ |2=:<: D2:5 96 :D ?@E D66<:?8 4@?7C@?E2E:@?] x?DE625[ 9:D E62> :D H@C<:?8 E@ C6249 2? F?56CDE2?5:?8 H:E9 E96 &$]k^Am
kAmQ%96 D:EF2E:@? :D 5:77:4F=E[ 3FE ?@E :>A@DD:3=6[Q 96 D2:5] QxE H:== E2<6 E:>6]Qk^Am
k9am\ (92EVD 2E DE2<6n \k^9am
kAm%96 &$ H:6=5D =6G6C286 @G6C xC2B 2D :ED @:= 6IA@CE C6G6?F6D 2C6 =2C86=J 96=5 2E E96 u656C2= #6D6CG6 q2?< :? }6H *@C<[ :? 2? 2CC2?86>6?E C624965 27E6C E96 a__b &$ :?G2D:@? E92E E@AA=65 $2552> wFDD6:?]Â k^Am
kAm|2?J &$ 4@>A2?:6D :?G6DE :? xC2B[ 2?5 E96 8@G6C?>6?E @7 :?4F>36?E !| |@92>>65 $9:2 2=\$F52?:[ H9@ 6?;@JD 2 8@@5 C6=2E:@?D9:A H:E9 (2D9:?8E@?[ 92D 366? 9@A:?8 7@C >@C6 :?G6DE>6?E[ 6DA64:2==J :? E96 @:= D64E@C[ H9:49 AC@G:56D 23@FE h_ A6C46?E @7 xC2BVD C6G6?F6]k^Am
kAm%96 D@FC46[ 4=@D6 E@ E96 7C2>6H@C<[ D2:5 E96C6 2C6 D6C:@FD 4@?46C?D E92E %CF>A 4@F=5 :>A@D6 D2?4E:@?D @? xC2B :7 |2=:<: C6EFC?D E@ @77:46]k^Am
kAmqFE xC2B :D DECF88=:?8 H:E9 H62< 64@?@>:4 8C@HE9 2?5 42??@E C:D< AF?:E:G6 >62DFC6D 3J E96 &$[ H9:49 92D 2=C625J E2<6? 24E:@? 282:?DE D6G6C2= xC2B: 6?E:E:6D[ 244FD:?8 E96> @7 96=A:?8 %69C2? 6G256 D2?4E:@?D]k^Am
kAm$92>2C: H2C?65 E92E :7 xC2B 4@?E:?F6D :ED 4FCC6?E 2AAC@249 E@H2C5D xC2?[ :E H:== C:D< Q:D@=2E:@? E9C@F89 D2?4E:@?D @C %CF>AVD >2I:>F> AC6DDFC6 42>A2:8?[ H9:49 H@F=5 6IE6?5 E@ E96 64@?@>J 2?5 7:?2?4:2= DJDE6>D]Qk^Am
k9am\ (2C ?6IE 5@@Cn \k^9am
kAmx? xC2B[ <66A:?8 xC2? 2E 32J :D ?@E 62DJ]Â k^Am
kAm$:?46 E96 &$\=65 :?G2D:@?[ xC2? 92D D66? :ED $9::E6 2==:6D :?DE2==65 :? q289525VD 92==D @7 A@H6C]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ :E ?@E @?=J 324<D :?7=F6?E:2= A@=:E:4:2?D 3FE 2=D@ DFAA@CED 2C>65 8C@FAD]Â k^Am
kAm&$\D2?4E:@?65 2?5 xC2?\2=:8?65 2C>65 8C@FAD 92G6 =@?8 G@H65 E@ :?E6CG6?6 E@ 5676?5 E96 xD=2>:4 #6AF3=:4[ 2=E9@F89 E96J 5:5 ?@E 7:C6 2 3F==6E 5FC:?8 E96 =2DE xC2?\xDC26= H2C]k^Am
kAm%@52J[ H:E9 %CF>A E9C62E6?:?8 2 A@DD:3=6 DEC:<6 @? xC2?[ EH@ @7 E96D6 8C@FAD D2J E96J 2C6 C625J 7@C H2C[ 6G6? @A6?:?8 C64CF:E>6?E @77:46D 7@C E9@D6 H:==:?8 E@ 5:6 7@C E96 42FD6]k^Am
kAm$92>2C: H2C?65 E92E 2 &$ H2C @? xC2? >:89E EFC? xC2B :?E@ Q2 32EE=68C@F?5[ 2 32D6 7@C C6E2=:2E:@?[ @C 2 E@@= @7 >:=:E2CJ AC6DDFC6]Qk^Am
kAm(2D9:?8E@?VD E9C62ED QE@ E@AA=6 E96 C68:>6[ E2C86E E96 xC2?:2? $FAC6>6 {6256C[ @C @7 2 >:=:E2CJ DEC:<6 ]]] H:== D:8?:7:42?E=J 27764E xC2B 2E 2== =6G6=D[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 xC2?:2? C68:>6 492?86D[ QxC2?\2=:8?65 7@C46D :? xC2B H:== 36 7@C465 :?E@ 2 A@=:E:42= 2?5 >:=:E2CJ DECF88=6 7@C DFCG:G2=]Qk^Am
kAmxE >:89E =625 E@ 2 C6DECF4EFC:?8 @7 xC2BVD A@=:E:42= DJDE6>]k^Am
kAmC9\438^54k^Am
