Tomorrow محمد شياع السوداني meets President Biden at the White House. See my Q&A on the priorities for each side

So it does appear that Muqtada al-Sadr is in the process of returning to the Iraqi public sphere. This coincides with some other changes such as the breakdown in the Shia Framework's unity & much-reported concern that PM Sudani might launch a new party. 🧵
aawsat.com/%D8%A7%D9%84%D…

The origins of this mafia class can be traced back to the power vacuum the US invasion of #Iraq created in 2003. 21 years later its influence is pervasive and its presence ostentatious.
Ayad Al-Anbar examines this in #AlMajalla 👇
إياد العنبر
en.majalla.com/node/297366

As Iraqi PM Sudani travels to Washington to meet Biden, Iran looms large on the agenda for both leaders. Century International fellow Sajad Jiyad سجاد discusses the key questions ahead of the April 15 White House visit, Sudani’s first tcf.org/content/commen…

What will Iraqi prime minister Sudani be discussing with Biden in his April 15 state visit to Washington (Sudani’s first)? Read analysis from Century International fellow Sajad Jiyad سجاد tcf.org/content/commen…

Q&A with The Century Foundation Century International colleague Sajad Jiyad سجاد on Iraqi prime minister Sudani's forthcoming visit to Washington and the bilateral issues at stake: tcf.org/content/commen…

Next week PM محمد شياع السوداني will meet President Biden with security at the top of the agenda. This primer for Century International looks at the key issues they will discuss and the risks to the Iraq-US relationship
tcf.org/content/commen…

Gulf Arab states test waters with Iraq investment
reuters.com/world/middle-e…

In #Iraq , children cram into dilapidated classrooms in a converted farmhouse, a symptom of education neglect in the oil-rich but war-weary country.
8,000 new schools are needed- & through a Chinese partnership 1,000 schools should be constructed this year.
rb.gy/2xph31

Recent US strikes in the Middle East seem to have ended hostilities with the axis of resistance. But these ceasefires never last. Here I argue that moving past cycles of conflict and towards lasting peace requires promoting accountability across the region foreignaffairs.com/iraq/why-ameri…

Key points from Ambassador Alina L. Romanowski interview reuters.com/world/islamic-…

on anti-ISIS mission: 'our work is essentially not done'

on troop withdrawal: 'It's going to take some time' and 'we need to do this in an orderly fashion'

on banking reforms: 'it will be painful'

My latest for World Politics Review: The United States should probably start thinking about how to responsibly withdraw troops from Iraq and Syria – the latter, certainly – now that the counter-ISIS rationale for staying is basically defunct.

worldpoliticsreview.com/us-military-ir…

How does corruption in #Iraq lead to (in)direct harm to citizens, and what mechanisms are used to facilitate it? A new PeaceRep paper by Sajad Jiyad سجاد discusses this and the reforms needed to hold institutions and political elites to account
peacerep.org/publication/co…

🚨NEW: Responding to instability in Iraq’s Sinjar district

This XCEPT Research @chathamhouse paper by Zmkan Saleem & Renad Mansour explores how Sinjar became a transnational conflict hub & what this means for peacebuilding in the Middle East.
Chatham House Africa
chathamhouse.org/2024/03/respon…

KDP Boycott of the Already Two Years Delayed KRI Elections: Will the Elections Take Place on June 10th?

Private Thoughts:

1) Either I am dumb or I always find it fascinating how much missing and misleading analysis and trivial information there are on Twitter in relation to…

The replacement of Baathism with a plural constitutional system has given rise to a more assertive society in Iraq.

news.ae/3IJD3wT | Zaid Al-Ali Zaid Al-Ali via The National

Book review of God's Man in Iraq: The Life and Leadership of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani by Sajad Jiyad سجاد, published by The Century Foundation middleeastmonitor.com/20240314-gods-…

A great series published by 1001 Iraqi Thoughts on a number of important issues pertaining Iraq’s society, economy, foreign policy, and security. The young authors of these articles are graduates of a policy program lead by Sajad Jiyad سجاد. Details and articles below:

Proud to have worked with young researchers on important policy issues, do read the articles to get an intro into the topics these young Iraqis felt were a priority for policymakers. My thanks to Century International and 1001 Iraqi Thoughts for their support
1001iraqithoughts.com/2024/03/08/emp…

Empowering Change in Iraq: Policy Recommendations for a New Era | By Sajad Jiyad سجاد

1001iraqithoughts.com/2024/03/08/emp…