Iraq
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Volker Perthes: "The end of the Middle East, as we know it"
The end of Sykes-Picot?
Almost a century ago, France and Britain carved up large swathes of the Middle East between them. Now the order imposed by the Sykes-Picot Agreement in 1916 appears to be disintegrating. In his new essay, Volker Perthes outlines the reasons for this development and suggests potential scenarios for the region. A review by Anne Allmeling
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The global risks of an imploding Middle East
A region in flames
Among today′s geopolitical risks, none is greater than the long arc of instability stretching from the Maghreb to the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. With the Arab Spring an increasingly distant memory, the instability along this arc is deepening. An analysis by Nouriel Roubini
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Art from Iraq and the Armenian diaspora in Venice
A far cry from what we′ve seen before
While in the mass media, the war of images with and over Islamic State is making headlines, very little attention has been paid to the visual art being created in the region. To get an idea of the diversity of artistic production in the Arab world and the Middle East, head to this year′s international Venice Biennale. Felix Koltermann was in the city on the lagoon, and introduces the most exciting national contributions and artistic installations from the region
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Juergen Habermas awarded Kluge Prize for Philosophy
″Asylum is a human right″
What holds society together and what's our role in it? Philosophers Juergen Habermas and Charles Taylor have recently been honoured in the US for their work on these issues. By Klaus Kraemer and Stefan Reccius
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Combatting Islamic State
Foreign fighters ″crusade″ against IS
IS may have proved adept at attracting foreign nationals to its cause, but many have also joined up to fight the pseudo caliphate. And there′s no lack of religious fervour among the ranks either – some see it as their Christian duty. By Manar Ammar
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The role of Qassem Soleimani in Iraq
Reining in the lion
Until recently, General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards "Quds" Force, was still being hailed as a military hero and man for the future. But more and more details are emerging concerning his destructive role in Iraq. By Ali Sadrzadeh
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Islamic art
Iconoclasm: the counter-narrative
Although received wisdom would have us believe otherwise, Islam is not actually an anti-iconic religion. Indeed, down through the ages, it has always produced images. Today, artistic creativity needs to resist the appalling flood of visual information being produced by the jihadists. By Asiem el Difraoui and Antonia Blau
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Popular unrest in the Middle East
Who says popular demand for change is off the agenda?
Recent protests in Beirut against government corruption and incompetence highlight a growing revival of non-violent dissent across the Middle East and North Africa. As well as an end to corruption, protesters in Egypt, Iraq and Lebanon have been taking to the streets demanding improvement in basic public services such as waste management, accountability and transparency. By James M. Dorsey
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Protesting corruption and mismanagement in Iraq
Caught in the spotlight
Haider al-Abadi′s faltering reform programme and the effects of partial IS occupation are being thrown into stark relief by the latest wave of protests against corruption and government inefficiency in Iraq. By Chiara Cruciati
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The National Museum in Beirut
Fighting to save the region's cultural heritage
As world heritage sites in Iraq and Syria continue to be bombed, blown up and bulldozed, the question as to what can be done to save their historical treasures has taken on a new urgency. The National Museum in Beirut is playing its part in trying to save the region's cultural heritage. By Juliane Metzker in Beirut
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Gertrude Bell
Queen of the desert
Gertrude Bell was many things: an archaeologist, an intelligence officer and a great British eccentric. Above all, however, writes Iris Mostegel, she was a key figure in the Middle East during the First World War and the woman who shaped modern-day Iraq
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Interview with journalist Chris Woods on drone warfare
"It's not risk-free war, it's displaced war"
For more than a decade now, the US has been using drones in warfare. During this time, thousands of people, especially civilians, have been killed by the unmanned machines. In this interview, Chris Woods, one of the leading investigative journalists on drone warfare, explains to Emran Feroz why use of drones is on the rise and what the consequences are