Tuesday, October 13. 4:00 PM.
Podcast now available for this talk below:
Institute of Regional and International Studies (IRIS) will host an event to discuss and analyse recent Russian expansion in Syria and Iraq. The event will host IRIS fellow Ahmed Ali, AUIS Professors Bilal Wahab and Akeel Abbas.
Russia's recent intervention in Syria and intelligence sharing alliance with Iraq, Iran and Syria will have a huge impact on the Middle East. Many of you have been wondering about the implications for Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Russia has just changed the regional balance of power. It deployed air power and military assets to Syria. It has started an alliance with the federal government of Iraq to reportedly share intelligence in the war against ISIS. These developments represent a direct competition to the United States and have implications for Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). What does the Russian role mean for Iraq and the KRG? What does it mean for the war against ISIS? Are Iraq and the KRG going to be beneficiaries of Russia's new role? What does the new role mean for U.S. Iraq and KRG policy? What will the U.S. do to counter Russia's aggressive role? Will Russia start playing a role in Iraq's and KRG's political affairs? How will the regional countries react to Russia's new role?
Please join us for what promises to be a lively discussion and debate about the changing geopolitics of the region.