Iraq
The Sirens We Remember
A writer based in Doha reflects on living through Iran's strikes on the Gulf states during Ramadan, drawing on memories of Kuwait during the 2003 Iraq War to explore the lasting psychological and social toll the conflict is leaving on Gulf societies.
The Waiting Peshmerga
As U.S. and Israeli airstrikes batter Iran, exiled Kurdish militant groups in northern Iraq see their best chance in decades to challenge the Islamic Republic. But without air cover or firm backing from Washington, most are holding the line and waiting.
The Uncanny Echoes of Iraq in Trump’s War With Iran
There are uncanny similarities in how Bush spun and justified the Iraq War and how Trump is spinning and justifying the war in Iran. Yet Trump administration officials are trying to combat the perception that the two wars are at all similar, no doubt to avoid any association with a generational U.S. foreign policy failure.
Big Oil Is Fueling a Rise in Cancer in Iraq’s Basra
In Iraq’s Basra, age is a luxury. Residents live under a constant cloud of pollution from oil flares, leading to a surge in cancer cases, while the government colludes with oil companies to dismiss the crisis
Why a Candid Conversation From 55 Years Ago Has Scandalized the Arab World
Rare audio of a candid conversation between Egypt's Gamal Abdel Nasser and Libya's Moammar Gadhafi in 1970 has scandalized the Arab world in recent days, ultimately revealing more about contemporary Middle Eastern politics than history.
A Lost Library Holds Secrets to Our Past
Historian Selena Wisnom and New Lines’ Lydia Wilson discuss why ancient Mesopotamia is such an important, but underlooked, part of the West’s heritage.
The Weight of Gold: A Mandaean Journey Through Exile
Mandaeans follow ancient precepts of Gnosticism and worship John the Baptist. During Mesopotamia's golden era they settled along the banks of the Tigris, Euphrates and Karun rivers in what is now known as Iraq and Iran. Forced into exile by the 2003 invasion of Iraq, they are slowly disappearing.