Mohammed Salih

ARBIL – Disputes have arisen within Kurdistan over the role Islam should play in a new constitution. The Iraqi national constitution asserts Islam as the country’s official religion and a major source of legislation. But not everyone wants that for a Kurdish constitution. Secular forces call for a clear separation of religion from state, while … Continue reading “Iraqi Kurds Wrangle Over Islam”

ARBIL – Polishing the picture of her husband hanging on a wall, Samira Jabbar, 44, was euphoric after an Iraqi judge handed the death sentence to several men for the massacre of tens of thousands of Kurds in the late 1980s. Samira lost her husband and four other close relatives in April 1988 when Iraqi … Continue reading “Kurds Want More Convictions Over Massacres”

ARBIL – A huge building complex is rising above Arbil’s ancient citadel and mosques, for long the outstanding features of this city in Iraqi Kurdistan. Once complete, Arbil’s Modern Market with its four 33-floor towers will accommodate more than 5,000 shops and business offices. Yes, this too is Iraq. The billion-dollar project is a symbol … Continue reading “Is Iraqi Kurdistan a Good Investment?”

ARBIL – Iraq is again haunted by the ghosts of Samarra, with last week’s attack on the Shia-revered al-Askari mosque raising fears that it could touch off a new wave of sectarian violence in a country already crippled by large-scale violence and political crisis. In a similar move last year, al-Qaeda in Iraq bombed the … Continue reading “What Next After Samarra Bombing?”

ARBIL, Iraq – US-Iranian talks about Iraq have been received with skepticism and some foreboding here, with some calling for limitations on the extent of issues that the two countries can negotiate regarding Iraq. The ice-breaking ambassador-level talks Monday between the two countries, which have had hostile relations since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, signal a … Continue reading “Anxiety in Wake of US-Iran Talks”

ARBIL – More than four months after the launch of the U.S. government’s new Iraq strategy aimed at curbing violence in this war-torn country, the situation here shows no clear signs of improvement. Indeed, a recent report by a British think-tank warns [.pdf] that Iraq is a "failure" on the verge of "collapse and fragmentation." … Continue reading “The Surge: From Worse to Worst?”

ARBIL – The working environment for Iraq’s journalists is becoming increasingly dangerous and difficult, with 31 killed since the start of this year, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The dire situation has prompted both international and local media groups to design a new "safety strategy" involving the creation of special offices charged … Continue reading “Journalists Face Repression on All Sides in Iraq”

ARBIL, Iraq – A United Nations report on Iraq’s human-rights situation has provoked mixed reactions in the northern Kurdistan region. Officials accuse the UN of "exaggeration and inaccuracy" while human rights activists say the "actual extent of violations has been understated by the UN." The report by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) … Continue reading “UN Human-Rights Report Sparks Uproar in Kurdistan”

QANDIL MOUNTAINS (Iraq-Iran-Turkey) – The fragile quiet in this no-man’s-land is broken by a young fighter shooting into the air at a regular morning ceremony to “commemorate martyrs.” The firing is more than ceremonial. A new threat of war is looming in this mountain range in the north of Iraq, cutting into Turkey and Iran. … Continue reading “Kurds Fear a New War”

ARBIL – The security situation in Iraq’s northern oil rich-city Kirkuk has deteriorated over the past few weeks as a constitutional deadline approaches to determine the fate of the city. The city is home to a mix of Kurds, Turkmens, and Arabs, with the population of each hotly disputed. Bombings on Feb. 3, 6, and … Continue reading “Kirkuk: Sparks Rise From a Time Bomb”