
A meeting in Paris is held to debate how best to cope with the self-proclaimed Islamic State's successes.

Deploying an American-led global army against the self-proclaimed Islamic State would be a really bad idea.

With the collapse of national armies across the Middle East, governments increasingly turn to militias for security. However, a structured national guard may be a more effective long term solution.

With more than half of Syria under the control of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, there are concerns the militants are edging towards Baghdad.

Sunni tribal disagreements over the role of the Popular Mobilization Forces—which have so far prevented developing a broader security strategy against the Islamic State—might change in the aftermath of Ramadi.

Recent major territorial gains by the self-proclaimed Islamic State are making many players very nervous.

The Iraqi government’s military stumbles gave Iran-aligned militias a chance to push back, but for now Prime Minister Abadi holds on.

Rumors are again circulating regarding the health of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, sparking discussions of potential replacements and their necessary qualifications.

National guards are no panacea for the challenge of building effective states, but they can play an important role in addressing security concerns and moving toward more effective power sharing.

Amid the fight against the Islamic State, Iraq is witnessing another struggle for power between Abadi’s nationalist Shia factions and Iranian-backed militias.