Wladimir van Wilgenburg

What’s Behind Iraq’s New Anti-Corruption Campaign?
24/07/2026
The new Iraqi government, led by Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Al-Zaidi, launched the “Dawn Crackdown” (Sawlat Al-Fajr) anti-corruption campaign on June 28, resulting in 47 arrests. The campaign might recover $7.6 billion in assets through the return...
A New Kurdish Offensive in Iran?
03/07/2026
For the last four days, heavy clashes between Iranian security forces and Iranian Kurdish opposition parties in different areas near the border have occurred, leading to casualties on both sides. The key question...
Why PJAK Has Largely Escaped Iran’s Attacks in Iraqi Kurdistan
18/06/2026
The majority of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan, an alliance of six Iranian Kurdish opposition parties  formed in February, has reportedly been targeted hundreds of times in Iranian drone and...
The Future of ISIS Detainees After Their Transfer from SDF Custody to Iraq
05/06/2026
The U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in January transferred 5,704 remaining ISIS detainees from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic (SDF) detention facilities in Syria to government facilities in Iraq to prevent further ISIS escapes. The question is now...
What Happened to Foreign ISIS Families from al-Hol Camp?
27/04/2026
After a conflict erupted between the United States and Israel with Iran on February 28, Syria has largely disappeared from the international limelight, including any media attention for the thousands of foreign families...
Former Syrian Kurdish Leader Warns Iranian Kurds: “Kurdish Blood is Not Cheap”
04/04/2026
Syrian Kurds Warn Iranian Kurds not to Repeat Their Mistakes. Polat Can, a former Syrian Kurdish military official who helped forge the U.S.–Kurdish alliance during the battle of Kobani, is cautioning Iran’s Kurds...
Hotel Attack Highlights Baghdad’s Inaction on Armed Groups
17/03/2026
On Monday, March 16, 2026, a drone struck the top floors of the Royal Tulip al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad’s Green Zone, which houses many diplomatic missions. The hotel hosts the European Union Advisory Mission in...
Kurdish Party With Ties to Iran Hit in Latest Iran Attacks
10/03/2026
Over the past two days, heavy drone and missile strikes have hit targets in Slemani (Sulaymaniyah), the stronghold of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), an Iraqi Kurdish party with strong links to...
Iraqis Sign Up to Russian War in Ukraine Shows the Globalization of Conflicts
02/03/2026
In the past, Syrians were recruited with financial promises by Turkey and Russia for foreign wars, for instance, in Azerbaijan and Africa. Now, there are reports that an estimated 3,000 Iraqis were recruited by Russia for salaries between $2,000 and $3,000. An...
​A Change in Allies? U.S. Abandons SDF to Leave Syria
27/01/2026
Last year, U.S. Ambassador Tom Barrack, on Dec. 13, underlined that U.S. forces remain deployed in Syria solely to finish the job of defeating ISIS once and for all. After Dec. 13, a...