Author: M Barbu

Iraq’s Election: Outcomes and Next Steps

Sudani did very well at the ballot box, but the peculiarities of Iraq’s long government formation process and the final distribution of parliamentary seats may leave the main Iran-backed coalition in the driver’s seat.

At first blush, the results of Iraq’s November 11 parliamentary election were encouraging, including for U.S. relations. Despite a boycott by Muqtada al-Sadr’s influential movement, participation rose to 55%, up 12 points from 2021’s low of 43%. Still, the faction that came in first—the Reconstruction and Development Coalition led by incumbent Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani—received only 15% of the seats in parliament (46 out of 329). As such, Iraq will likely experience a long, tedious period of political wrangling before a new government is seated, similar to previous post-election delays (eight months in 2010, eleven months in 2021–22).

Voyage au bout de l’enfer macroniste

Alors que je commençais ce texte consacré à la Macronie et son irrésistible fuite en avant dans la négation du réel, voilà que j’apprends que notre farfelu président veut vendre cent Rafale à l’Ukraine. Ce serait drôle si ce n’était pas aussi grave. Mais il s’agit là d’une véritable démonstration du caractère totalement déconnecté et nihiliste du macronisme. Le réel n’existe littéralement plus, on le change par des discours et des postures de communicant. Pourtant cette annonce devrait immédiatement faire sourire n’importe quelle personne un peu intéressée aux questions géopolitiques, militaires et économiques. D’une part la France est totalement incapable de fournir cent Rafale. Ce sont des avions coûteux et très long à produire et, depuis des années que nos armées ont été taillées comme des bonzaïs, les capacités de production se sont adaptées à ces armées miniatures. Nous n’avons simplement pas les moyens humains pour produire ces avions dans un délai raisonnable au sens de la guerre en Ukraine actuelle.

The Iranian Regime Is Preparing Its Next War — Prevent It Now

Since its inception, the current Iranian regime has not been built on peace, but on the sword. The revolutionary slogans of the regime are not about coexistence or mutual respect; they are about domination, erasing enemies, and building an empire under the flag of the Supreme Leader. The regime has never sought to win influence by persuasion or diplomacy, but through nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, and global assassinations. Pictured: Iran’s Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei gives a speech on November 1, 2023, televised on Iran’s Channel 1. (Image source: MEMRI)

Pakistan says troops killed 20 militants in a region bordering Afghanistan

Pakistani security forces killed 20 Pakistani Taliban insurgents in raids on hideouts in the northwest region bordering Afghanistan, the military said Monday, as tensions between the two countries escalated.

Separately, militants including a suicide bomber tried to storm a cadet college in Wana, a city in the South Waziristan district also in the northwest, triggering a gunbattle that killed at least two of the attackers, the military said.

Strategic Targets: Analyzing Facility Selection in Global Terrorist Attacks

Terrorist organizations are rarely random or senseless in their acts of violence. Rather, their attacks are often strategically planned to reflect their ideological goals, operational capabilities, and political objectives. While some groups are selective in targeting military and law enforcement personnel, others adopt a more indiscriminate approach, directing violence toward infrastructure, commercial centers, or cultural landmarks. The Global Terrorism Trends and Analysis Center (GTTAC), operating under the US Department of State, has compiled extensive records on global terrorist incidents, documenting over 60,000 cases from January 2018 to June 2025. These records include detailed variables such as perpetrator group, attack type, victim category, logistical details, and—critically—the type of facility targeted. Facility types are classified into six categories: commercial, government, cultural, infrastructure, military, and miscellaneous.

Who are Iraq’s militias?

The Iraqi Army is intensifying its campaign against the so-called Islamic State, driving on towards the main prize, the second city of Mosul.

The campaign was given a boost this week when US Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the deployment of 560 more American troops, to add to 4,000-plus already there.

Mapping Iraq’s fighting groups

A synopsis of the various fighters in Iraq grouped by religion, culture, region, and political agendas.

Following the US military’s withdrawal from Iraq at the end of 2011, Sunni and Shia militias changed course: Some joined the political process, while others went through a period of inactivity. The ongoing conflict in Syria, however, has given a new lease on life to many of those groups.

Israel wants ‘Gaza gangs’ to manage post-war securty and reconstruction

Israel wants ‘Gaza gangs’ to manage post-war securty and reconstruction

Israel is making plans for ‘Gaza gangs’, who oppose Hamas, to lead post-war reconstruction and security efforts.

Israel is seeking to grant powers to “gangs” in Gaza accused of looting aid and other criminal activities to dominate post-war policing and reconstruction in the enclave.

Palestinian terror groups have violated Gaza ceasefire at least 18 times since implementation, IDF claims

On October 14, four days after Israel and Hamas agreed to phase one of US President Donald Trump’s 20-Point Ceasefire Plan for Gaza, Trump addressed the Israeli Knesset. “After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace,” Trump stated. However, a month after the implementation of the first phase of the ceasefire, which laid out clear guidelines for the cessation of hostilities and the return of Israeli hostages, Hamas and allied terror groups have violated the agreement at least 18 times, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) claims.