CAMBRIDGE – This month marks the tenth anniversary of the controversial American-led invasion of Iraq. What has that decision wrought over the last decade? More important, was the decision to invade rightly made? On the positive side, analysts point to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the creation of an elected government, and an economy growing [...]

We have all heard about Blackwater and American, English and South-African modern-day “mercenaries” serving in Iraq, protecting targets in the Green Zone and in the Red Zone. But few of us have heard of the thousands of private military contractors (PMCs) that come from developing countries, such as Uganda or Honduras. According to some estimates, [...]

The situation for Christians in the Middle East is difficult and increasingly precarious. From Morocco to Egypt and Iraq, they have come under pressure either from governments or from Islamic groups. The latest dramatic event happened this weekend, when a Christian church was attacked in Iraq by a group linked to al-Qaida, killing at least [...]

Test your knowledge on Iraq, the topic of this week’s Special Report.

With US combat troop operations in Iraq at an end, less than 50,000 US service personnel remain in a country mired in political quagmire. This week the ISN looks toward Iraq’s future on its own in the wake of US occupation. This ISN Special Report contains the following content: An Analysis by Philip McCrum about [...]