Analysis & Opinions - Foreign Affairs

The Struggle Over Sinjar

| June 05, 2017

Who Wants the Territory, and Why It Matters

The Iraqi town of Sinjar first became widely known in August 2014 thanks to an Islamic State (ISIS)-led genocide of much of its Yazidi population. But now, this remote area in northern Iraq is prominent for another reason. Although the territory is not rich in natural resources or population, geopolitically, it is invaluable. In fact, it is probably the most contested thousand square miles in the Middle East.

Kurdistan and the Iraqi federal government both claim the territory....

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For more information on this publication: Belfer Communications Office
For Academic Citation: Mironova, Vera and Mohammed Hussein.“The Struggle Over Sinjar.” Foreign Affairs, June 5, 2017.

The Authors

Mohammed Hussein

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