1. The Transformation of the Iraqi-Syrian Border: From a National to a Regional Frontier
- Author:
- Harith Hasan and Kheder Khaddour
- Publication Date:
- 03-2020
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
- Abstract:
- Over the past nearly two decades, the presence of a variety of state and nonstate military and security forces has transformed the Syrian border district of Bukamal and the neighboring Iraqi district of Qa’im. Following the end of the self-proclaimed Islamic State’s caliphate, Iranian-backed militias began to play a major role in the area, turning it into a flashpoint between Iran and its allies on the one side and the United States and Israel on the other. The strain of tensions and the threat of instability are liable to ensure that this heavily securitized part of the border will remain a magnet for conflict for years to come.
- Topic:
- Geopolitics, Islamic State, Conflict, and Borders
- Political Geography:
- Iraq, Iran, Middle East, and Syria