Announcements
October 30, 2009
The Iraqi National Alliance, the New Shia Coalition, Online Exclusive
Iraq's upcoming parliamentary elections - now scheduled for January 16 but increasingly likely to be postponed - will feature a variety of competing coalitions, including two major Shia powers. This paper looks at the new Iraqi National Alliance (INA), the primary Shia sectarian coalition.
October 3, 2009
Nuri Maliki, the Shia Factions & Iraq's Provincial Elections, Online Exclusive
Iraq's January provincial elections shifted the balance of power in favor of Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki. This paper looks at the post-election coalition process which took place March-May with a focus on Maliki's political alliances.
August 11, 2009
Saudi King Puts His Foot Down, But Gently, Online Exclusive
The controversy surrounding a Wahhabi cleric's repeated anti-Shia statements - and challenges to King Abdullah - illustrates the balance that the Saudi king maintains between reform and stability. This paper shows how the Saudi elite manages Wahhabi dissent.
July 5, 2009
How Muthanna was Won, Online Exclusive
The intrigues surrounding Abd al-Aziz al-Hakim's surprise victory in Muthanna over Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki show the fight between the two men has become a zero-sum game. This paper explains how Muthanna's new provincial government was formed.