The World’s Most Expensive Parliament: How Much Does a Session of the Iraqi Parliament Really Cost?
On November 11, 2025, citizens of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region will head to the polls to elect the sixth session of the Iraqi Parliament — an institution that costs nearly half a billion US dollars every year to maintain. Record-Breaking Election Numbers According to the Independent High Election Commission (IHEC), 7,768 candidates are competing […]
Four-State Solution for the Kurds
The Legacy of Sykes–Picot and the Forgotten Promises After World War I, the Sykes–Picot Agreement divided the vast territories once ruled by the Ottoman Empire. From this geopolitical carving, the Kurdish and Palestinian questions emerged as two of the Middle East’s longest-standing conflicts. Before the war, Britain and its allies promised that every nation under […]
If the Law Prevails
The Kurdistan Region, as a semi-independent entity, has several laws that theoretically guarantee freedom of expression, press, and access to information. Among these, Law No. 35 of 2007 on Journalism and Law No. 11 of 2013 on the Right to Access Information stand out as pillars meant to make the Kurdistan Region a model of […]
The Kurds in Syrian Kurdistan and the Challenge of Negotiation
Syria’s Decade of Turmoil Over the past decade, Syria has undergone dramatic changes that shattered its political and social fabric. The collapse of state structures, the loss of territorial control, and the deepening conflict have turned the country into a fragmented landscape of chaos. Many once hoped that the fall of the old regime would […]
The Historic Meeting of Two Kurdish Generals: Mustafa Barzani and Ihsan Nuri Pasha
Kurdish History and Its Legendary Leaders Kurdish history is filled with great figures who dedicated their lives to the nation. Among the most respected are General Mustafa Barzani and General Ihsan Nuri Pasha, two military leaders who left an enduring mark on the Kurdish struggle for freedom. General Ihsan Nuri Pasha led the Ararat Revolution […]
The Impact of Integrating the ASICOD System Across Iraq
Iraq has been working to modernize its trade and customs procedures through the introduction of the ASICOD system—a digital platform designed to replace outdated paper-based processes with electronic solutions. This transformation is more than just technological progress; it represents a major step toward improving transparency, efficiency, and economic growth in the country. Benefits of the […]
Ba’athist Documents: How Saddam Hussein Planned to Invade Kurdish Territory
The Arabization Campaign: A Long History of Occupation The Arabization of peoples and nations around the Arabian Peninsula passed through several stages, each with its own character. Yet one theme remained constant: the seizure of agricultural lands from non-Arab communities. From the early Islamic conquests to Saddam Hussein’s Ba’athist regime, Arabization always meant dispossession of […]
Expansion of Power in the Kurdistan Region
One of my recent guests, an official from a local administrative unit, voiced deep frustration over the lack of authority within his office. When I asked about his main concern, he said: “The promised devolution of powers to administrative units in the Kurdistan Region has never reached us. Even something as small as replacing a […]
Iraq’s Federal Oil and Gas Law: Between the Constitution and Political Disputes
A Cycle of Conflict Instead of Solutions Iraq once again finds itself trapped in a recurring scenario—returning to complications instead of solutions, conflict instead of cooperation, and suspicion instead of goodwill. The latest dispute was triggered by contracts signed between the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and two American energy companies in the gas sector. The […]
The Next Phase in U.S.–Iraq Relations: A Strategic Realignment, Not a Withdrawal
The security relationship between the United States and Iraq is entering a new phase. Rather than a retreat, this shift represents a deliberate realignment from coalition-led missions to a bilateral security partnership. While Operation Inherent Resolve is set to formally conclude in 2025, a phased drawdown through 2026 will still ensure a limited but critical […]
