ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkey's armed forces have conducted several large-scale military operations over the decades in northern Iraq and northern Syria.
The political instability that has wrangled Iraq since October's elections has spilled over into the Gulf, as Iran-backed Iraqi and Yemeni groups target the UAE.
Muqtada al-Sadr, a Shia cleric whose Mahdi Army followers battled U.S. forces during the years of the occupation, made big gains in Iraq’s parliamentary election on October 10. His victory could pose problems for the United States and Iran. But despite the Sadrist List’s electoral success, it is not a given that al-Sadr will be the next man to lead Iraq, or even be the only kingmaker. USIP’s Elie Abouaoun examines the outcome of the election, the electoral process and the implications for Iraq’s future.
Iraq s election results put militias between rock and hard place al-monitor.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from al-monitor.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.