A Conversation with H.E. Hoshyar Zebari

Iraq is in the throes of the worst political deadlock since ratifying its constitution in 2005. Nearly a year has passed since parliamentary elections last October, and Iraqi leaders have yet to appoint a new prime minister or form a government. In late July, supporters of Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of one of the largest Shi`ite political blocs in Iraq, stormed Iraq's parliament and government buildings in the Green Zone in Baghdad, sparking a tense confrontation between Sadrists and leaders of other Shi`ite parties. On August 29, the situation erupted into violence when bouts of street fighting in Baghdad and southern Iraq left 30 dead and hundreds injured. The violence has ended for now, but the political deadlock seems set to continue.

Please join the CSIS Middle East Program for a conversation with former Iraqi minister of foreign affairs Hoshyar Zebari on the unfolding political situation in Iraq, Erbil-Baghdad relations, and the security situation in Iraqi Kurdistan.