• Op-Ed

Winners and Losers of the Decade: The Global Edition

• David Rothkopf
• December 30, 2009
• Foreign Policy

On a global stage, losers of the decade include the people of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, who are suffering from violence, poverty, and extremism. Global winners include Google, J.K. Rowling, and Hugo Chavez, who has proven more resilient than expected in surviving both his opponents and his own misdeeds.

• Article

At Last, Iraqi Lawmakers Agree on the 2010 Election Law

• December 14, 2009
• • عربي

On December 6, 2009, the Iraqi parliament finally passed an election law for the 2010 elections. The law deals with the most controversial issues regarding the election.

• Op-Ed

Sunnis in Iraq, 6 Years after Saddam

• Marina Ottaway, Danial Kaysi
• December 10, 2009
• Analysis of the 2010 Iraqi Parliamentary Elections
• • عربي

As Iraq’s second parliamentary election approaches, Sunnis appear as uncertain about what strategy to pursue and as divided among themselves as they were in 2004 and 2005.

• Op-Ed

Election Law, Take Two

• Marina Ottaway, Danial Kaysi
• December 02, 2009
• Analysis of the 2010 Iraqi Parliamentary Elections

A fragile agreement on Iraq’s new election law has fallen apart over the apportionment of parliamentary seats among the provinces, casting doubt that the country’s upcoming parliamentary elections will be held by the January 31, 2010 deadline.

• Article

Iraqi Vice President Rejects Election Law, Threatening January Vote

• Danial Kaysi
• November 19, 2009
• • عربي

One of Iraq’s vice presidents, Tariq al-Hashemi, has vetoed the country's new election law, threatening to delay elections which according to the constitution must happen by the end of January 2010.

• Article

Will Alliances Among Iraqi Sectarian Parties Lead to Non-Sectarian Outcomes?

• Marina Ottaway
• November 13, 2009
• • عربي

Some analysts have suggested that the 2010 elections are being contested on a non-sectarian basis, or a less sectarian basis than the 2005 elections. But party alliances are organized predominately on an ethnic or confessional basis.

• Article

Fragmentation of Iraq's Political Spectrum

• Marina Ottaway
• November 13, 2009

With a combined total of 296 parties and independent candidates registered to compete for a place in a 275-seat parliament, Iraq displays a degree of political fragmentation usually found in first-time multi-party elections but rarely seen thereafter.

• Paper

Iran, the United States, and the Gulf: The Elusive Regional Policy

• Marina Ottaway
• November 12, 2009
• • عربي

Any effective U.S. diplomatic approach to Iran must involve other countries in the Gulf, but Washington will not succeed if it continues to strive for an anti-Iranian alliance. A normalization of relations between Iran and its neighbors is an important and attainable step for reintegrating Iran into the international community.

• Article

Clearing the Way for Elections in Kirkuk

• Marina Ottaway
• November 12, 2009
• • عربي

The Iraqi parliament's last-minute compromise to allow parliamentary elections in Kirkuk solves the immediate problem of who is legally entitled to vote in the city, but guarantees that the controversy will resume right after the elections.

Inside the 2010 Iraqi Elections

• November 12, 2009
• Iraq Election Resource
• • عربي

A concise guide to the Iraqi electoral system and the controversy surrounding the country's elections laws.