Publications

The Pitfalls of Relying on Kurdish Forces to Counter ISIS

February 3, 2016 - Chris Kozak

American over-reliance on Kurdish forces as the primary ground partner in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) threatens the long-term success of the anti-ISIS campaign. These pitfalls could promote future regional disorder and prevent the U.S. from successfully degrading and destroying ISIS.

The Pitfalls of Relying on Kurdish Forces to Counter ISIS

February 3, 2016 - Patrick Martin

American over-reliance on Kurdish forces as the primary ground partner in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) threatens the long-term success of the anti-ISIS campaign. These pitfalls could promote future regional disorder and prevent the U.S. from successfully degrading and destroying ISIS.

Iraq Situation Report: January 26 - February 1, 2016

February 1, 2016 - Patrick Martin

Financial difficulties stemming from collapsed oil prices, corruption, and the cost of the anti-ISIS fight pose an increasingly dire threat to Iraq that may prove more destabilizing than ISIS. 

Iraq Situation Report: January 20-25, 2016

January 25, 2016 - Patrick Martin

The U.S. is actively searching for ways to increase its impact on the anti-ISIS fight in Iraq. U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter called on Coalition members on January 22 to increase the amount of support they provide, and the U.S. indicated plans to intensify its own assistance for anti-ISIS actors in Iraq.

Competing Visions for Syria and Iraq: The Myth of an Anti-ISIS Grand Coalition

January 20, 2016 - Hugo Spaulding

This second report defines American strategic objectives in Iraq and Syria, identifies the minimum necessary conditions for ending the conflicts there, and compares U.S. objectives with those of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in order to understand actual convergences and divergences.

Competing Visions for Syria and Iraq: The Myth of an Anti-ISIS Grand Coalition

January 20, 2016 - Chris Kozak

This second report defines American strategic objectives in Iraq and Syria, identifies the minimum necessary conditions for ending the conflicts there, and compares U.S. objectives with those of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in order to understand actual convergences and divergences.

Competing Visions for Syria and Iraq: The Myth of an Anti-ISIS Grand Coalition

January 20, 2016 - Harleen Gambhir

This second report defines American strategic objectives in Iraq and Syria, identifies the minimum necessary conditions for ending the conflicts there, and compares U.S. objectives with those of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in order to understand actual convergences and divergences.

Competing Visions for Syria and Iraq: The Myth of an Anti-ISIS Grand Coalition

January 20, 2016 - Jennifer Cafarella

This second report defines American strategic objectives in Iraq and Syria, identifies the minimum necessary conditions for ending the conflicts there, and compares U.S. objectives with those of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in order to understand actual convergences and divergences.

Competing Visions for Syria and Iraq: The Myth of an Anti-ISIS Grand Coalition

January 20, 2016 - Kimberly Kagan

This second report defines American strategic objectives in Iraq and Syria, identifies the minimum necessary conditions for ending the conflicts there, and compares U.S. objectives with those of Iran, Russia, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia in order to understand actual convergences and divergences.

Iraq Situation Report: January 12 - 19, 2016

January 20, 2016 - Patrick Martin

Iraqi Shi’a militias significantly escalated their confrontation with the U.S. by kidnapping three American contractors and an interpreter in southern Baghdad on January 15.

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