Iraq Archives - Page 7 of 23

Fighters of the Hashed Al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization units) advance through a street in the town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, after the Iraqi government announced the launch of the operation to retake it from Islamic State (IS) group control, on August 26, 2017.

Iraqi Militias Split Over New Iran-Backed Head, Reflecting Wider Divisions

Understanding the differences among the Hashd al-Sha’abi factions is vital as the organization gains increasing influence in government, including the official Iraqi security…

Mar. 4, 2020 Crispin Smith

Iraqi anti-government protesters rest beneath graffiti at Tahrir Square as nationwide protests entered a third month on December 5, 2019, in Baghdad, Iraq. The graffiti art reads, “An idea cannot be destroyed,” and shows a police officer beating a dandelion. On the other side of the wall, there is an image of an injured person lying on a cloud while their blood rains down on people below.

After Soleimani Killing, Iran and Its Proxies Recalibrate in Iraq

Understanding the motivations and capabilities of leading Iranian-backed militia units is vital for an effective US and Iraqi response to likely violence in the coming months.

Feb. 27, 2020 Crispin Smith

The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.

Why the US Military Needs to Rethink How It Investigates Civilian Harm

A new report analyzed a total of 228 investigations into reported civilian harm in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria between 2002 and 2015.

Feb. 13, 2020 Priyanka Motaparthy

Student protesters call for a strike as they gather during an anti-government demonstration in the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar province on February 8, 2020.

As ISIS Regroups, No Time to Cut U.S., U.N. Assistance to Iraq

Iraq is teetering, and the U.S. presence is uncertain. All the more reason to retain the kinds of U.N. and other civilian programs that prevent backsliding.

Feb. 12, 2020 Jordie Hannum

French jihadist Djamila Boutoutaou attends her trial at the Central penal Court in Baghdad, on April 17, 2018.

UN Report Should Pressure Countries to Repatriate Foreign Fighters

A new UN report raises serious doubts about the respect of fundamental rights for those accused of being members of the Islamic State and facing trial in the Iraqi court system.…

Feb. 6, 2020 Margherita Stevoli

A group of school boys recruited as Ashbal-Saddam, or young militia commandos, train 12 July 2001 at a military camp in Baghdad.

Counterterrorism Laws Punish Legitimate Asylum Seekers

Exclusions to refugee status in U.S. law -- originally developed to prevent Nazi war criminals from attaining asylum -- have dramatically expanded in scope, preventing many innocent…

Feb. 3, 2020 Niku Jafarnia

Members of the 7th Armoured Brigade, who have recently returned from service on operations in Iraq, march through Parliament Square towards the Houses of Parliament on February 23, 2009 in London.

U.K. Proposes to Limit Accountability for Violations by Armed Forces

The British government is considering an unprecedented and comprehensive package of measures designed to shield both individual members of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of…

Jan. 30, 2020 Nadia O'Mara

Members of Iraq's Hashed al-Shaabi military network set a door ablaze as they try to break into the US embassy building in the capital Baghdad, on December 31, 2019.

After Soleimani Strike, Iran-Backed Militias Threaten Iraq’s Stability: An Explainer

There is a real risk that Iran-backed militias are driving Iraq back towards conflict. And their power is greatly enhanced by their legal status as organs of the Iraqi state.

Jan. 28, 2020 Crispin Smith

The number 30 on a calendar is surrounded by a big red box.

The 30-Day Clock: Recent Law Requires Trump Admin. to Make Full Public Report on Soleimani and Shahlai Strikes

A classified war powers report won't do it. A formal, public explanation of the facts and legal justifications is legally required thanks to Congress’ having recently passed…

Jan. 13, 2020 Rita Siemion and Benjamin Haas

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sits with Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Kelly Craft at the United Nations (U.N.) General Assembly on September 24, 2019 in New York City.

U.S. Legal Defense of the Soleimani Strike at the United Nations: A Critical Assessment

A critical annotation of the principal claims in the United States' formal letter to the U.N. justifying the Soleimani strike.

Jan. 10, 2020 Adil Ahmad Haque

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo leaves the stage to US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper during a briefing on the past 72 hours events in Mar a Lago, Palm Beach, Florida on December 29, 2019.

Why the 2002 AUMF Does Not Apply to Iran

There is no congressional statute authorizing military attacks on Iran.

Jan. 9, 2020 Ryan Goodman and Steve Vladeck

Iranians gather around a vehicle carrying the coffins of slain major general Qassem Soleimani and others, as they pay homage in the northeastern city of Mashhad on January 5, 2020.

The Targeted Killing of General Soleimani: Its Lawfulness and Why It Matters

Analyzing the killing of Soleimani from an international law standpoint matters a great deal. Reasserting the primacy of international law in such times of crisis is a solemn and…

Jan. 8, 2020 Agnes Callamard

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