This publication is now archived. IntroductionBack in July, John Burns of the New York Times posed a provocative question: If there’s civil war in Iraq, how will we know it? The answer may be unclear…

This publication is now archived. What’s the status of Iraq’s various militia groups?Despite repeated U.S. requests for them to disband, Iraq’s various ethnic and sectarian militias continue to exist…

This publication is now archived. Have Iraq’s insurgents shifted tactics?It’s unclear. In the months after the January 30 elections, insurgent attacks had grown more sophisticated and larger-scale, b…

President Obama has made "strategic communications" an essential part of his move to boost the military and nation-building effort in Afghanistan. But experts say countering Taliban messaging will ta…

This publication is now archived. IntroductionU.S. officials in Iraq claim to be holding talks with Sunni Arab members of the insurgency, according to recent news reports. The talks coincide with a r…