I am an independent consultant and specialist in Middle East affairs based in the Washington D.C. area. Welcome to my website. I provide open source analysis on the region based on Arabic-language source material in the areas of politics, political risk, political economy and political Islam. I am also an attorney and published author.
My current work focuses on three areas. The first is southern Iraq. My work on this region includes a full spectrum of analysis – national and provincial politics, political risk, political economy, Islamist movements, Shia clerical networks and associated organizations. I also follow Shia affairs in other countries in the region, although mainly for context. Second, I am interested in Iraqi state formation. This includes national politics, Iraqi legislation, the formal structure and actual function of executive institutions, and the Iraqi judiciary. This overlaps with the first area to a degree, the main difference being that I don't follow matters in the Sunni provinces at the same level of detail as the Shia. My third focus is Persian Gulf regional affairs, including the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council plus Iraq and Iran. Of the GCC countries, the only two whose internal affairs I follow at any level of detail are Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. My main interests in this regard involve politics, political economy, Islamist movements (Sunni and Shia) and Iranian foreign policy.
My research is based on original Arabic source material – newspapers, online periodicals, party websites, forums and the like, mostly web-based sources supplemented by some print sources I pick up. The product I produce on this website is written for those who want a in-depth understanding of the subject. My 2004 book, The Arab World: An Illustrated History, was based on secondary sources and written for those seeking a broad overview.
If you want to follow my work elsewhere on the web, you can do this in three ways. One, you can read my blog, Shrine Cities Blog, which focuses on the Iraqi Shia and the clerical networks in Najaf and Karbala. Two, you can take a look at my Amazon Reviews. Three, you can check out my bookmarks on Delicious, which I use to store articles from publications which I know keep their material online. For Arabic sources which do not, I use scrapbook.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Kirk H. Sowell