Iraqi opposition
All topics-
US withdrawal from Iraq
Not Afghanistan: Why the US and Iraq won't leave one another
While agreeing last week to a withdrawal of US combat troops from Iraq, neither Iraqi nor US leaders can admit publicly how much they need each other. By Cathrin Schaer
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The politics of the Pope in Iraq
Pope Francis and Ayatollah al-Sistani, meeting in faith
When Pope Francis sets foot in Iraq, he will be breaking historic ground while manoeuvring religious and political minefields. So will his foremost religious counterpart, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, one of the Shia Muslim world’s foremost scholars and leaders. By James M. Dorsey
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Iraqi women filmmakers
The power of stories and moving images
The four short films produced as part of the "Women Make Film" project are well worth seeing. They grapple with the ghosts that haunt Iraq: the horrors of IS rule, outdated gender roles and the aftermath of dictatorship. Christopher Resch spoke to the filmmakers
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Iraq's new government
Mr Kadhimi begins a clean-up operation
The new Iraqi Prime Minister, Mustafa al-Kadhimi, has great plans. As he moves to realise those plans, he's fighting on many fronts. As the Americans pull out of Iraq, militias supported by Iran are violently consolidating their position. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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The icon of Tahrir Square in Baghdad and Cairo
Arab Spring and October Revolution
The past enthusiasm of the Egyptians lives on in the Iraqis of today. But just as they were nine years ago in Cairo, current prospects in Baghdad are dim. A comparison by Birgit Svensson
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Interview with Iraqi author Sinan Antoon
The West and its cliched view of Iraq
Looking outwards with the knowledge from within: a conversation with the Iraqi writer Sinan Antoon on the future of his homeland. Interview by Lena Bopp
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Unrest in Iraq
Sadr City – a hotbed of resistance
The resignation of Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi has not managed to quell the unrest in Iraq. After a deadly weekend in which many lost their lives, the wave of protests has swelled up once again. Most of the demonstrators come from Sadr City in Baghdad. Birgit Svensson paid a visit to the Shia suburb of the Iraqi capital
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Facing the Mahdi militias
Iraqi civilians in the firing line
Of all the protests currently in progress around the world, those in Iraq have been the most deadly. But just who exactly is firing on the demonstrators? The question is difficult to answer – and constitutes political dynamite. Birgit Svensson reports from Baghdad
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Anti-government protests
Is this Iraq's Arab Spring?
Iraq is currently facing such an alarming array of economic, political and social problems that many observers fear no-one will be up to the task of delivering the much-needed reforms. By Stasa Salacanin
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Unrest in the Arab world
The genie is out of the bottle
The Arab world is one gigantic pressure cooker. For the most part the lid of repression is on, but it is boiling over with increasing frequency. Whether in Lebanon, Iraq or in Algeria, where people are rising up against political despotism and corruption. By Karim El-Gawhary
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Iraq post-Islamic State
Baghdadʹs new era of freedom
With Islamic State out of the picture, the people of Iraq are breathing a sigh of relief. The recent re-opening of Baghdadʹs Green Zone to all traffic is just one indication that times are changing. Judit Neurink reports from Baghdad.
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Birgit Svensson's biographical account "Murderous Freedom"
Between heaven and hell – fifteen years in Iraq
Journalist Birgit Svensson arrived in Iraq in 2003 and never left, enjoying the dubious status of being the only German-language reporter in the country for much of the time since. Recently published in German, "Moerderische Freiheit" recounts her experiences, offering insights into Iraq that go beyond terrorism and war. By Christopher Resch