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It would seem that German voters reserved the big bang for the ballot box, as if to counteract what many observers had decried as a "boring election". In a major shake-up, a record number of seven parties secured seats in the Bundestag following Sunday's election, including the extreme right-wing…

Both Sunni and Shi’a PMF have played a large role in this Sunni Arab district on the border of Ninewa and Salah ad-Din. Reports of mass forced displacement and abuses of the civilian population suggest that the road to reconciliation and recovery will be long, even after the eastern bank is retaken…

Die Re­gie­run­gen in Un­garn und Po­len ern­ten schon seit Län­ge­rem Kri­tik von ih­ren eu­ro­päi­schen Nach­barn. So sag­te der fran­zö­si­sche Prä­si­dent Em­ma­nu­el Ma­cron erst kürz­lich, man­cher po­li­ti­sche Füh­rer aus Ost­eu­ro­pa of­fen­ba­re ei­ne „zy­ni­sche Her­an­ge­hens­wei­se“…

For two decades after the end of the Cold War, the direction of international influence was clear: it radiated from liberal democracies outward, as the West sought to spread its model of governance around the world. With the help of Western-led democracy promotion, the thinking went, authoritarian…

Just as Germany’s run for a nonpermanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for the 2019-20 term is gathering steam, its government has published a new white paper, titled “Preventing Crises, Managing Conflicts, Building Peace.” In this release, Germany promises to become more active in the…

Shi’a PMF forces helped to capture and still control significant parts of this Sunni Arab district. They also looted the area’s most valuable asset, an oil refinery. Civilian returns have been minimal to this district, which faces diminished economic prospects, ongoing security threats from the…

Vergangene Woche forderte Ungarns Ministerpräsident Viktor Orban in einem Brief an EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker 440 Millionen Euro. Damit solle die EU „im Geiste der europäischen Solidarität“ die Hälfte der Kosten für den Grenzzaun übernehmen, den Ungarn seit 2015 an seiner Schengen-…

On August 19, in Granada, the Spanish police detained the author Dogan Akhanli, a German citizen of Turkish origin, because the international police organization Interpol had issued a red notice for a worldwide search. The German government reacted swiftly and clarified to the Spanish government…

ISIL’s advance on Kirkuk created opportunities for Kurdish forces to tighten control over oil resources and Kirkuk city in this most coveted part of the Disputed Territories; however, a strong (for now officially accepted) PMF presence in the south, anchored with local Turkmen PMF forces, threatens…

Local, Sunni tribal forces have been key to recapturing and holding ISIL-held areas. However, different mobilization and control patterns in Ninewa and Salah ad-Din have created different forms of Sunni forces, and may determine how much these Sunni forces contribute to stability or tension in the…

Shi’a PMF and local tribal Sunni Arab hashd hold off ISIL on the frontline in Dour, but their strong presence, and periodic outbreaks of violence and looting challenge ISF’s ability to maintain rule of law in Salah ad-Din’s capital area.…

Autoritäre Regierungen nutzen die Roteckfahndung von Interpol für grenzenlose politische Verfolgung. Das Problem ist bekannt – die kurzfristige Festnahme des deutschen, türkischstämmigen Schriftstellers Dogan Akhanli im spanischen Granada ist leider nicht der erste Fall, nur das jüngste Beispiel für…

Although Iraq now appears awash in pro-government militias, the majority of the sub-state or non-state groups that exist today are a relatively recent phenomenon. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Saddam Hussein’s strong security apparatus dominated the security landscape. Except for a few notable…

Shi’a Arab PMF from the south have been the main forces present around this ISIL-held area, but if they retake this mixed Sunni-Shi’a Turkmen city, it may spark sectarian and regional conflict.…

Only fully liberated in July 2017, half of the city is severely damaged while weak rule of law allows ample opportunities for a range of armed actors to intervene in Iraq’s second largest city.…