Kurds prepare for counteroffensive as US strikes IS

US airstrikes against the Islamic State (IS) have boosted the morale of Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga forces that are getting ready for a counteroffensive to regain lost territory.

Iraq

Turkey downplays IS threat, but concerns grow

As the Islamic state draws closer to the Turkish border and Ankara struggles to overcome its differences with the Iraqi administration, Turkey may be left to face the jihadist threat on its own.

Iraq

US airstrikes alone will not defeat IS

The US militarily intervention in Iraq will be limited, according to President Barack Obama.

Iraq

Moscow sees opportunity in Iraq instability

Moscow is continuing arms sales to Iraq and pursuing a policy that may allow it to weaken US influence in the country.

Iraq

Feeling heat, Maliki warns Sistani against opposing third term

Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani hinted at Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s intention to seek a third term, saying that Iraqi officials should not cling to their positions in power.

Iraq

Najaf takes in Christians displaced by Islamic State

The religious authorities in Najaf and Karbala showed their support to displaced minorities, notably Christians from Mosul, and expressed their readiness to offer their help.

Iraq

Mental health a concern for displaced Iraqis

Humanitarian organizations and residents of Babil have been providing material assistance to displaced persons from Kirkuk, but many of the displaced continue to suffer from psychological trauma.

Iraq

Kurdish security chief: Turkey must end support for jihadists

The head of the Syrian Kurdish security police forces, Ciwan Ibrahim, tells Al-Monitor that they are willing to cooperate with Turkey if it halts its support for jihadist groups.

Iraq

Turkey wakes up to Islamic State threat

An inflammatory sermon in Istanbul has made Turkey realize that the Islamic State has become a serious threat to its internal security and stability.

Iraq

8 months in, clashes in Anbar continue

Houses and shops have been completely destroyed in Anbar as a result of the clashes between the Iraqi army and members of armed factions.

Iraq

Independent media fades in Iraqi Kurdistan

The proliferation of independent media organizations in Iraqi Kurdistan in the early 2000s is reversing as political parties invest heavily in media outlets while intimidating independent journalists.

Iraq

Iraqi volunteers ill-prepared to fight IS

Volunteer fighters are signing up en masse to join the "righteous jihad" against the Islamic State in the name of nationalism and economic opportunity.

Iraq