Six years after the Islamic State’s genocidal rampage across northern Iraq, circumstances for traumatized religious and ethnic minorities remain dire. Thousands remain displaced, unable or unwilling to return to their homes in Nineveh province amid ongoing security challenges and other barriers to their safe return. Meanwhile, new sources of instability in Iraq—including the coronavirus pandemic, a financial crisis, and renewed threats of an ISIS resurgence—have highlighted the fragility of any improved stability in minority-rich areas, as well as the need for ongoing and intensive efforts to facilitate the sustainable return of all displaced communities.

On June 30, USIP hosted Assistant Secretary Robert A. Destro from the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), as well as a panel of experts, for a discussion on the current reality for Iraqi religious and ethnic minorities, the international response in the aftermath of ISIS’s military defeat, and the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the new Iraqi government, and potential early elections. The event also featured analysis from USIP based on its Conflict and Stabilization Monitoring Framework.

Speakers

Nancy Lindborg, opening remarks
President & CEO, United States Institute of Peace

Robert A. Destro, keynote speaker
Assistant Secretary for the U.S. State Department Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor 

William Warda
Member of the General Assembly and External Relations Committee, Alliance of Iraqi Minorities; and 
Director of Public Relations, Hammurabi Human Rights Organization

Susan Aref
Director and Founder, Women Empowerment Organization

Osama Gharizi
Iraq Senior Program Advisor, United States Institute of Peace

Lee Tucker, moderator 
Senior Program Officer, Middle East, United States Institute of Peace 

Related Publications

Kurdish Official Lists ISIS and Climate Change as Top Threats

Kurdish Official Lists ISIS and Climate Change as Top Threats

Thursday, June 22, 2023

By: Ashish Kumar Sen

More than five years since the Iraqi government declared victory over ISIS, a senior Kurdish official says the terrorist group is among the top threats facing the region. Alongside ISIS, Rebar Ahmed, minister of interior in the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), listed climate change and the resource scarcities and migration it would trigger as a critical challenge.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & GovernanceEnvironmentViolent Extremism

Disengaging and Reintegrating Violent Extremists in Conflict Zones

Disengaging and Reintegrating Violent Extremists in Conflict Zones

Tuesday, May 16, 2023

By: Andrew Glazzard

Dealing with people who leave violent extremist groups has become one of the most pressing security issues of our time. Drawing on new primary research conducted by the author in Iraq, Syria, and Nigeria, and existing research on disengagement and reintegration, this report underscores the challenges of administering rehabilitation programs in conditions of chronic insecurity—and of doing so at a scale sufficient to make a difference to hundreds or even thousands of people in short order.

Type: Peaceworks

Violent Extremism

The Latest @ USIP: A Veteran Reflects on the Evolution of the Iraq War

The Latest @ USIP: A Veteran Reflects on the Evolution of the Iraq War

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

By: Col. Jim Modlin

From battling insurgents to securing provincial elections, USIP military fellow Colonel Jim Modlin saw firsthand how the war in Iraq evolved over the course of his four deployments to the country. Twenty years later, Modlin discusses why he regrets not engaging more with the Iraqi people on a personal level during his first deployment, his experience helping guide a fledgling peace process to prevent sectarian violence in northwestern Iraq, and the lessons that the United States cannot afford to forget from the war.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

Stephen J. Hadley on the Invasion of Iraq 20 Years Later

Stephen J. Hadley on the Invasion of Iraq 20 Years Later

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

By: Stephen J. Hadley

Twenty years after the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the country’s path toward stability and democracy remains perilous. In the last two decades, Iraq has been plagued by insurgencies, the Islamic State, political gridlock, Iran’s meddling and economic crises, among other things. Despite this, Iraq has managed to hold together, and the country’s story is still unfolding. Stephen J. Hadley, former national security advisor under President George W. Bush and former chair of USIP’s Board of Directors, reflects on the invasion of Iraq two decades later.

Type: Blog

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

View All Publications