Once viewed as having one of the most robust healthcare systems across the Middle East, the Iraqi healthcare system has experienced a steady decline since the late-1980s as a result of conflicts and the resultant economic troubles that have gripped the country. The biggest blows to the system came...
Russia has been seeking a more robust relationship with Iraq since the so-called Arab Spring started in 2011, eager to build on the remnants of what was once a strong Soviet-Iraqi alliance during the Cold War. The Kremlin’s appetite for courting Iraq has been driven by security considerations, shrewd...
Since assuming the seats of the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China and President of the People’s Republic of China in 2012, the governance of Xi Jinping has been defined by far-reaching projects and initiatives. On the surface, these policies have sought to continue China’s upward economic...
This report primarily concentrates on the oil sector in ‘federal’ Iraq, i.e. that outside the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI). It can be read in conjunction with my earlier study for the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies (OIES) of the petroleum industry in the KRI.
The defeat of ISIS (Da’esh)...
For several years now, the Middle East, and particularly Iraq, has been suffering from a dire water crisis, compounded by the decrease in water quantities from rivers flowing from upstream to downstream countries. Iraq has been severely affected by this; as there are no alternative sources of water commensurate...
Al Quds or Jerusalem is a city that captivates you with its beauteous majesty, splendour, and heritage. It has a special place in the hearts of Muslims; its land is holy, and blessed in texts of the Holy Quran. In it lies the Al Aqsa Mosque, the second mosque...
The electoral system in Iraq has become a controversial issue that has driven demonstrators to call for major reforms to the electoral commission and the electoral law. Last month, parliament approved the new commissioners of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) but the current debates center on whether to...
The terrorist attacks in New York on September 11, 2001 and the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have exposed the West to notions of extremism never seen before. Whereas many of the conflicts during the Cold War and its immediate aftermath were characterised by political ideologies or ethnic...
On the 18th April 2017, during a time of uncertainty in contemporary British history, the Prime Minister Theresa May announced that a snap election would be held on June 8th, 2017. The announcement draped in the shadow of Brexit negotiations, (the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the European Union)....
On June the 23rd 2016, the British public went to the polls to have their say on whether they wished the United Kingdom to remain part of the European Union or whether it should leave. In an outcome that shocked many observers, analysts, members of the public and politicians,...
