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Showing posts from June, 2026

Abdul El-Sayed defies $60 Million campaign against him, wins Michigan Democratic Senate Primary

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis Despite massive spending by outside groups and high-profile endorsements for his opponent, Abdul El-Sayed secured a decisive Democratic Senate primary victory and now heads into a closely watched November showdown. Abdul El-Sayed has scored one of the most closely watched political upsets of the 2026 election cycle, defeating Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary despite facing more than $60 million in outside spending , much of it from pro-Israel political groups. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the progressive wing of the Democratic Party and sets up a high-stakes general election contest against Republican Mike Rogers in November. El-Sayed's campaign prevailed even after Stevens received late endorsements from Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and influential national Democrats, including Representative James Clyburn . Those endorsements failed to reverse momentum behind El-S...
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From Reform to Statehood: Can Iraq Turn Anti-Corruption Into a Nation-Building Project?

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     Baghdad’s campaign against corruption, armed fragmentation, and economic stagnation may represent more than governance reform—it could become Iraq’s most ambitious state reconstruction effort since 2003. Iraq’s reform agenda under Ali Falih Al-Zaidi aims to reduce corruption, centralize authority, attract investment, and restore sovereignty. But can Iraq transform political promises into lasting state-building? Iraq may be attempting something bigger than an anti-corruption campaign. If Baghdad can reduce corruption, centralize force, attract investment, and preserve independent decision-making, this would not be government reform—it would be state reconstruction. The question is whether institutions can outlive politics. #Iraq From Reform to Statehood: Can Iraq Turn Anti-Corruption Into a Nation-Building Project? For decades, Iraqi politics has often been described through the language of crisis: insurgency, sectarian fra...
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From Corruption Crusader to Corruption Accused: How Alia Naseef Became the Face of Iraq’s Biggest Political Scandal

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     She Built Her Image Fighting Corruption—Then Iraq Accused Her of Becoming Part of It: The Rise and Fall of Alia Naseef Once known for anti-corruption rhetoric, Alia Naseef now faces allegations that have turned Iraq’s political narrative upside down. What led to her arrest, and what does it reveal about Iraq’s wider anti-corruption campaign? For years she positioned herself as a voice against corruption. Now she stands at the center of one of Iraq’s most explosive political scandals. How did Alia Naseef go from exposing alleged corruption… to facing allegations herself? This may be bigger than one politician—it could reveal whether Iraq’s anti-corruption campaign is becoming institutional… or political. On June 28, 2026, the name of Iraqi politician and parliamentarian Alia Naseef made headlines, especially since she was previously known as a corruption hunter, but this time she was arrested on corruption charges. The arr...
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The Arrests Are Not the Story: Iraq’s Real Corruption Reckoning Has Yet to Begin

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     Iraq’s recent corruption-related arrests may signal something larger than accountability. The real story could be the political, institutional, and power shifts that follow—and they may redefine Iraq’s next phase. Public attention today is focused on the widespread arrests targeting influential political and parliamentary figures after years of corruption. Many see this as a necessary step to restore the state's credibility and rebuild public trust in its institutions. However, a strategic analysis doesn't stop at the surface of the event, because arrests are usually not the end of a project but its beginning; they are not an end in themselves but a means to pave the way for broader transformations. If this campaign succeeds in ending the influence of the political class that has been associated with corruption throughout the previous period, the most important question is not who will leave the scene, but rather the nature ...
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Baghdad arrest raids; Can Ali Zaidi eradicate corruption in Iraq?

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi has said the government will continue its efforts to fight corruption in order to restore public funds. He stressed that he would not neglect his responsibility "to protect the interests of the Iraqi people. "The situation has reached a stage where it can no longer be kept quiet," Zaidi said during a cabinet meeting. During the meeting, the prime minister instructed monitoring agencies to take any clues and information relating to the performance of the government or the performance of ministries, with a view to uncovering cases of corruption or negligence. Meanwhile, National Movement leader Muqtada al-Sadr praised the government's arrest raid as a "heroic" move that would give hope to Iraqis and strengthen efforts to fight corruption. Sadr called for next Friday's sermon to be devoted to talking about corruption and the prayer to be held under the slogan: "Yes t...
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War or Anti-Corruption Operation? Iraq’s Arrest Campaign Could Reshape the Post-2003 Political Order

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     The arrests of politicians and senior officials may represent more than an anti-corruption drive—they could become Iraq’s most serious attempt to redefine power, weaken patronage networks, and test whether the state can govern beyond the quota system. Iraq’s latest anti-corruption arrests may signal more than accountability. This analysis explores whether Baghdad is launching a structural war against corruption or another temporary political operation—and what it means for Iraq’s political future. War or Anti-Corruption Operation? Iraq’s Arrest Campaign Could Reshape the Post-2003 Political Order For years, Iraq has treated corruption as a chronic governance problem—widely acknowledged, politically debated, occasionally investigated, but rarely confronted at its structural core. Governments announced campaigns, committees were formed, reports were published, and individual figures periodically became symbols of accountability...
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Kirkuk’s Outsourced Politics: How External Bargains Are Rewriting Iraq’s Most Contested City

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     The election of Kirkuk’s first Turkmen governor in nearly a century may look like a breakthrough for inclusion—but beneath the symbolism lies a deeper transformation in Iraqi politics where local power increasingly depends on bargains struck in Baghdad, Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Ankara, and beyond. Kirkuk’s new power-sharing agreement and the election of a Turkmen governor reveal deeper changes in Iraqi federal politics. A 3000-word geopolitical analysis of Kurdish rivalry, Turkmen politics, and Iraq’s evolving balance of power. Kirkuk’s Outsourced Politics: Iraq’s Most Strategic City Is Being Governed From Somewhere Else For decades, Kirkuk has been described as Iraq’s powder keg. Its ethnic complexity, strategic oil wealth, and disputed constitutional status have made it impossible to reduce to a simple formula of majority rule or territorial control. But the latest political developments in Kirkuk suggest something more signifi...
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Lindsey Graham Passing Reshapes Republican Foreign Policy—and Raises Questions for the Kurds

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis The sudden death of one of Washington's most influential Republican hawks removes a powerful congressional advocate for Ukraine, Israel, a hardline Iran policy, and Kurdish aspirations in the Middle East. The death of Senator Lindsey Graham removes one of Washington's strongest advocates for the Kurds, Ukraine, Israel, and a tougher US policy toward Iran. Lindsey Graham's Sudden Death Leaves a Strategic Void in Washington WASHINGTON — Senator Lindsey Graham , one of the Republican Party's most influential foreign policy voices and one of President Donald Trump's closest congressional allies, has died at the age of 71 following a sudden illness, according to a statement released by his office. His unexpected death comes at a particularly volatile moment in American and Middle Eastern politics. Graham had recently traveled to Ukraine, remained deeply involved in congressional debates over Iran and Israel, and was p...
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Lindsey Graham's Death Leaves a Void in US-Kurdish Relations

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  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis     The passing of Senator Lindsey Graham removes one of the most influential American advocates for the Kurdish people, raising questions about the future of bipartisan support for Kurdistan amid shifting US foreign policy priorities. The death of Senator Lindsey Graham removes one of Washington's strongest advocates for the Kurdish people, creating uncertainty for future US-Kurdish relations. The Loss of a Longstanding Friend of Kurdistan The sudden death of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham has prompted an outpouring of tributes not only across Washington but throughout the Kurdistan Region, reflecting the rare position he occupied as one of the most consistent and influential American advocates for Kurdish interests. The Washington Kurdish Institute described Graham as a steadfast supporter whose commitment to the Kurdish people extended beyond political rhetoric, offering condolences to his family while highlighting...
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Can the stateless Nation of Kurdistan help save the Global Order?

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By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj A new geopolitical analysis argues that Kurdistan's experience of survival, mediation, and pragmatic diplomacy offers unexpected lessons as the international order faces its deepest crisis since World War II. A new geopolitical analysis argues Kurdistan's experience offers vital lessons for rebuilding international order amid the Iran war and global instability. As the World Fragments, Kurdistan Offers an Unexpected Lesson The international system is under unprecedented strain.  Russia's war in Ukraine, escalating tensions between Iran and the West, the paralysis of the United Nations, and growing competition among major powers have raised a fundamental question: Who still defines the rules of international order? According to a new geopolitical analysis by Greg Mills and Basil Gavalas , the answer may not come from Washington, Moscow, Beijing, or Brussels—but from an unlikely place: Iraq's Kurdistan Region . While lacking international r...
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