The US wanted Syria to abstain from meddling in Iraqi affairs, deny refuge to former Saddam loyalists, expel Palestinian organisations from Syria, and withdraw Syrian military forces from Lebanon
In part 4 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla sheds light on a meeting between Rafic Hariri and George W. Bush. The Lebanese PM left with an understanding as to Saddam's fate and with a message for Iran.
Before it invaded Iraq in 2003, the US was trying to reassure Iran that it would not be targeted next. In part 3 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla publishes private discussions held in Damascus.
The Kurdish leader was party to secret talks with the Americans in the run-up to the US invasion of Iraq. In part 2 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla reveals for the first time what he told the Syrians.
In 2002, the CIA informed Iraqi Kurds of its plan for regime change. In part 1 of a 7-part series, Al Majalla publishes first-hand accounts of the conversations that would change the Middle East.
Damascus and Tehran wanted invading US troops to get stuck in a 'new Vietnam' and set up an operations room headed by their top lieutenants to cause havoc, never-before-published documents show.
After the US invasion in 2003 toppled Saddam, Shiite clerics in Najaf helped the country get back on its feet. Its views are still sought, shaping the direction of Iraq today.
Armed groups have proliferated in the Iraqi security vacuum, in some cases supported by Iran. After three US soldiers were killed, the Americans have hit back. How will the militias react now?
Friday's drone attack on one of Iraq's largest gas fields has led to a temporary suspension of production, resulting in major power cuts across the country's northern Kurdistan region.
A 24-minute standing ovation at the film premiere was more than a symbolic gesture of justice for Israel's murder of little Hind, but a heartfelt cry of real anguish over the ongoing genocide in Gaza
Armed groups are being formed in places like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, where state militaries cannot defeat jihadists and separatists alone. Once formed, however, they seldom stay loyal.
For nearly two years, protests around the world calling for an end to Israel's war on Gaza haven't fizzled out, but grown. Their geographic reach and longevity appear to have no precedent in history.