Five months after declaring victory over the Islamic State group, Iraq will tomorrow go to the polls to elect a new parliament.

“Squeezing the Kurds too much could turn an armed standoff into an all-out ethnic conflict between two U.S.-armed forces. Given these developments, the only sensible way forward is for Baghdad and Irbil to make negotiations a priority.

“In the post-IS era old wounds threaten to resurface. Especially after IS, the Iraqi society became especially militarised. Everybody carries a weapon now. The risk of future conflicts being managed in a more violent way is much higher.”

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“The lack of a common narrative shared by both Arabs and Kurds regarding the history of Hasan Sham village is an obstacle to reconstruction and reconciliation”

Even a complete military victory over the Sunni extremists in Mosul will not change the reality that there is still no political agreement in place, or even basic trust, that could reconcile Iraq’s Sunni Arab minority with the Shiite-dominated national government.

“Instead of breaking off relations between communities in Nineveh it is better to find ways for how to improve those relationships”

Kurdish Peshmerga forces are expected to participate in the offensive from the northern front as part of an agreement signed with the United States and Iraqi army.

The U.S. strategy against Islamic State extremists figured prominently in the first presidential debate Monday night. The candidates, Democrat Hillary Clinton, 68, and Republican Donald Trump, 70, offered starkly different takes on defeating the extremist group.

An interview with the president of Middle East Research Institute.

Barzani’s term is set to end this week, but a controversial government decision could extend it for another two years.