Democracy on the Brink in Iraq

by: Eli SugarmanOmar and Al-Nidawi In two weeks, Iraqis will go to the polls to elect a new legislature for the first time since the U.S. military withdrew its forces in 2011. Incumbent Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is seeking a third term over the objections of Sunni, Kurdish, and even some Shi’a parties, who blame him for Iraq’s dangerously dysfunctional …

Iraq’s Elections: What Washington Must Do

By: Zalmay Khalilzad Today, Iraq holds its most important elections since the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003. The elections could mark a fresh start for Iraq, or could plunge the country deeper into dysfunction and conflict. The likely outcome of the elections—that no single party will win enough seats to form a new government—provides the United States with an …

Afghanistan deal faces many hurdles

By Zalmay Khalilzad, Published: July 25, 2013 Zalmay Khalilzad was the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005 and ambassador to the United Nations from 2007 to 2009. There is a risk that the United States and Afghanistan will not reach a deal on the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan after 2014. Both sides want to negotiate a bilateral …