Iraq

Interview with former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal
Interview with former Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal

As recent events have deepened uncertainty in the Gulf, zenith asks former Saudi intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal for his thoughts on the death of Qassem Suleimani, Saudi support for Iraq and a possible rapprochement between the kingdom and Iran.

Interview with Iraqi poet Umar Abdul Nasser
Iraqi poet Umar Abdul Nasser on Mosul, Poland and Weimar

Iraqi poet and multimedia performer Umar Abdul Nasser speaks to zenith about performing in a Mosul basement under ISIS, making life-long friends in Poland and finding fresh inspiration in the footsteps of Goethe.

Democracy in Lebanon and Iraq
Democracy in Lebanon and Iraq

Have the Middle East’s only two experiments in consociationalism failed? Demonstrators in both Lebanon and Iraq are demanding a change of their respective political systems. Yet, there are differences between the situations in the two countries.

The demographics of Iraq’s protest movement
The demographics of Iraq’s protest movement

Are the largest protests in Iraq’s history seeing the left's comeback or the birth of a new youth movement? A Communist party veteran and an icon of the 2019 popular protests explain to Iraq researcher Inna Rudolf why they are taking to the streets.

Iraqi militias and the Aramco attack in Saudi Arabia
Iraqi militias and the Aramco attack in Saudi Arabia

Despite the warmongering rhetoric following Aramco attacks, Iraq's Prime Minister remains committed to preserving Iraq’s neutrality. Will the shield of the Iraqi security forces suffice to keep the various PMF factions in line and out of trouble?

Irakische Armee
Interview with Iraqi pollster Munqith Daghir

Munqith Daghir runs the Iraqi polling organization IIACSS. The rise of the so-called Islamic State (IS) could have been predicted, he believes. He shares what to expect from the newly formed government and why the S in IS matters more than the I.

Agriculture, conflict and climate change in Iraq
Agriculture, conflict and climate change in Iraq

A year after the military defeat of the so-called Islamic State group in Iraq, livestock breeders living in the outskirts of Mosul cannot afford to repopulate herds decimated by the war, drought, climate change and government neglect.

A technocrat with an unorthodox streak - Iraqi PM Abdul Mahdi
New Iraqi Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi

Branded as a compromise candidate, Iraq’s new Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi has made a bold entrance, issuing a number of unorthodox policy proposals. But will his nomination trigger a sustained momentum before the euphory fades away?