A version of this appeared at The Jerusalem Post By SETH J. FRANTZMAN MOUNT QARACHOGH, Iraq – A long mountain that juts from the flat plains like a knife today separates Kurdish […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN There has been shock at the sudden decision by US President Donald Trump to withdraw from Syria. Here are some thoughts and questions, and maybe some […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN The National Defense Authorization Act that US President Donald Trump signed today (August 13) at a signing ceremony at Fort Drum, NY includes almost 100 references […]
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 […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN After the rapid conquest of Kirkuk on October 16th there are reports that the Iraqi Security Forces and particularly the Hashd al-Shaabi or Shia militias, have […]
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. […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Hawija, a town near Kirkuk in northern Iraq, was conquered by ISIS in June 2014. It was home to around 150,000 people. It was a mostly […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Over the last two years I have written about the war against Islamic State. This has involved numerous visits to northern Iraq to cover the battle […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN There is an article making its rounds claiming an independent Kurdistan would be a “failed state.” It has been republished by Newsweek, the website eKurd, and the […]
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN Just after noon on May 29th the Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), a mostly Shia group of militias that have been officially part of […]
Seth J. Frantzman - author - analyst 