Lahib Higel Senior Analyst, Iraq Please submit all media inquiries to media@crisisgroup.org or call +32 (0) 2 536 00 71 Crisis Group Role As Crisis Group’s Senior Analyst for Iraq, Lahib Higel covers politics, governance, security and conflict in the country. Professional Background Lahib has worked in Iraq and the Kurdistan region in various capacities since 2013. Most recently she worked on mediation efforts in Iraq, Libya and Syria for the Dialogue Advisory Group (DAG). She has worked as a security adviser for the International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO) and conducted research for a wide range of organisations and institutions, including the EU, UNDP and Minority Rights Group (MRG), on topics such as displacement, security and politics in Iraq. She holds an MSc in International Relations from the London School of Economics and an MA in International Security from Sciences Po, Paris. Languages English Arabic Swedish In The News 7 Oct 2021 [Shiite Muslim cleric] Sadr has been selling himself as a viable option, and a central one in Iraqi politics. Washington Post Lahib Higel Senior Analyst, Iraq 2 Jun 2021 Successive [Iraqi] governments since the military victory over ISIS have failed to integrate the PMF. It has become a force in itself, pursuing its own interests. Al Jazeera Lahib Higel Senior Analyst, Iraq 26 Feb 2021 Irrespective of its Iran policy, the U.S. should develop an Iraq policy. Iran-linked armed groups in Iraq do not only exist to react to U.S.-Iran tensions. Newsweek Lahib Higel Senior Analyst, Iraq 12 Dec 2020 In comparison to previous protests [in Iraq's Kurdish north] these are significant as the current fiscal crisis affects larger swaths of the population. The Washington Post Lahib Higel Senior Analyst, Iraq 27 Sep 2020 The trend here is that the U.S. is withdrawing (from Iraq). If they are not doing it now, then they are doing it eventually. The Washington Post Lahib Higel Senior Analyst, Iraq Latest Updates Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 16 November 2021 Iraq’s Surprise Election Results Though it did not produce fundamental change, the October voting in Iraq did upset the balance of power in parliament. The most likely outcome is a coalition that can sustain the political status quo but perhaps not the social peace. Also available in العربية Q&A / Middle East & North Africa 5 October 2021 Will Iraq’s Early Elections Solve Its Legitimacy Crisis? Protests in 2019-2020 forced Iraq’s government to resign, parliament to adopt a new elections law and authorities to organise early elections, scheduled for 10 October. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Lahib Higel says ruling parties are vying for support amid apathy and low expectations. Also available in العربية Podcast / Middle East & North Africa 30 July 2021 Iraq: Protests, Iran’s Role and an End to U.S. Combat Operations This week on Hold Your Fire!, Richard Atwood and Naz Modirzadeh talk to Crisis Group’s Lahib Higel about the Tishreen uprising that upended Iraqi politics and what President Biden’s announcement that U.S. forces will end their combat mission in Iraq means for the country. Commentary / Middle East & North Africa 8 May 2020 On Third Try, a New Government for Iraq The new Iraqi prime minister has several daunting tasks. Not only must he navigate the politics that delayed his cabinet’s formation, but he must also deal with plummeting state revenues, simmering public discontent and – last but hardly least – rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran.