Mapping and tracking reports of renewed ISIS attack in Iraq’s Kirkuk-Hawija area
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN On February 24th several members of the PMU reportedly came under attack from ISIS on a road from Kirkuk to Hawija in Iraq. It is unclear […]
Tag Archives: Kirkuk
Six Questions on the Kurdistan crises
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN In mid-December anger began to boil over in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq. On December 19 several protesters were shot and killed in Rania, a […]
Follow the money: Kirkuk, Baghdad, Tehran and London, how oil drove an attack on Kurdish control of Kirkuk
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN In mid-October 2017 Iraqi forces, backed by Shia militias, launched an offensive to take Kirkuk from the Kurdistan Regional Government. It was a major setback for […]
The Kurdistan crises and Saudi -Iraq relations: Unintended consequences or planned reduction in KRG power?
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Renewed clashes at Altun Kupri between Kurdish Peshmerga and Iraqi Security Forces on October 20th led to more confusion in the ongoing crises that is reshaping […]
Many questions remain about Kirkuk debacle
By Seth J. Frantzman The rapid and unprecedented fall of Kirkuk on October 16, 2017 will likely be remembered as a turning point in Kurdish history and perhaps Iraq’s history. […]
Reporting on the Kurdistan independence referendum by Seth J. Frantzman
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN On September 25 millions of residents of the Kurdistan Regional Government in northern Iraq turned out to vote in an independence referendum. It had been months […]
Everything you want to know about the Hawija operation, just launched
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Hawija, a town near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, was conquered by ISIS in June 2014. Â It was home to around 150,000 people. It was a mostly […]
Hurdles and high hopes on the way to Kurdistan’s historic referendum
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN With the Kurdistan referendum in the Kurdish region of Iraq quickly approaching, many of the processes set in motion years ago, even decades or 100 years […]
“Wild boar kill ISIS” clickbait story keeps growing
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN The “wild boar kill ISIS” story is the one that keeps on giving. It began as a simple story about some ISIS members who went out […]
Seth J. Frantzman - author - analyst 