Tallha Abdulrazaq

The torture of children in Iraq's Kurdish region must stop

A Human Rights Watch report on the treatment of children in custody of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq should lead to an inquiry and accountability by the Iraqi government.

Treating Iraq as a colony doesn’t make you relevant, Trump

Trump has undermined what's left of Iraq's sovereignty, but are those who cry wolf over it any different?

No, Khashoggi and Yemen are not Saudi Arabia’s 'internal' affairs

Saudi Arabia's criticism of the US Senate resolution is unconvincing and is a sign that US-Saudi relations could be further tested under a Democrat-led Congress next year.

George Bush Sr: Speaking ill of the dead

The death of George Bush Senior will be remembered mostly for the wars he caused and the destruction he visited upon the Middle East. In America, the whitewhashing begins.

The G20 won’t rehabilitate MBS’ reputation

Saudi Arabia's MBS is attempting to resuscitate his career by publicly mixing with foreign leaders, but it may be too late.

For Trump: it's America First, morality last

The world is slowly finding out what naked American power unsheathed from the usual platitudes looks like.

Jamal Khashoggi is Dead. Long live the Crown Prince.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman may walk away unscathed, while Jamal Khashoggi, innocent critic and journalist is now confirmed dead. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to distance himself from a fiasco the world is convinced he masterminded.

How Western pollsters pushed for Kurdish independence in Iraq

Reports that a major British pollster might have influenced a referendum in Iraq should serve as a warning for democracies around the world both young, and old.

Criticism of Khabib smacks of racism

Khabib's reaction to McGregor's racism, thuggish behaviour, insults towards his family and faith should be scrutinised. But in America, only the Muslim can be judged.

Iraq’s dysfunctional democracy needs to change

Iraq's current system of democracy is hardwired for sectarianism, but its discontents suffer without prejudice.

Protests reveal an inconvenient truth about Iraqi politics

In the international media, Iraq is often portrayed between sectarian binaries. The reality is far more simple. Iraqis of all backgrounds suffer from corruption and nepotism, and that, more than anything, unites them.

Western strikes on Syria are nothing more than theatrics

Striking the Syrian regime for the chemical attack in Douma has come too little, too late, and is not likely to deter the Assad regime or Russia. Worse still, a Trump-Bolton White House inspires little confidence in any large scale US intervention.