05
October 2017
Past Event
Iraq After the Kurdistan Referendum: What Next?

Iraq After the Kurdistan Referendum: What Next?

Past Event
Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters
October 05, 2017
Iraqi Kurds fly Kurdish flags during an event to urge people to vote in the upcoming independence referendum, September 16, 2017 (SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images)
Caption
Iraqi Kurds fly Kurdish flags during an event to urge people to vote in the upcoming independence referendum, September 16, 2017 (SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images)
05
October 2017
Past Event

1201 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 400
Washington, DC 20004

Speakers:
Eric Brown

Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute

Jonas Parello-Plesner

Executive Director, Alliance of Democracies Foundation

The fight against ISIS helped to bring parts of Iraq’s deeply fractured society closer together, but that fragile unity is now under pressure. While the Kurds are expected to vote in an historic popular referendum on September 25 to pursue independence, the lack of political inclusion and security for Sunni Arabs—which facilitated ISIS’s rapid expansion—remains unsolved. Meanwhile, Iran’s growing influence in Baghdad and its support of militias throughout Iraq has added to the sectarian divide and the country’s political dysfunction.

On October 5, Hudson Institute hoted a panel discussion on the implications of the referendum and the way forward. Hudson Senior Fellows Eric Brown and Jonas Parello-Plesner, having recently returned from Kurdistan, examined how the scheduled referendum is likely to impact stability and political reconstruction after ISIS, as well as discussions both between Erbil and Baghdad and among Kurdistan, Turkey, and Iran, which all have independent interests in the referendum’s outcome. Hudson Adjunct Fellow Michael Pregent visited Mosul after it was liberated from ISIS and will assess Iran’s positions and influence throughout Iraq and what it means for unity and for U.S. national interests.

Related Events
28
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Domestic Politics, the US-Japan Alliance, and Tokyo’s Global Role: Bipartisan Views from the Diet
Featured Speakers:
Koichiro Gemba
Itsunori Onodera
Shinjiro Koizumi
Kimi Onoda
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
Getty Images
28
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Domestic Politics, the US-Japan Alliance, and Tokyo’s Global Role: Bipartisan Views from the Diet

A panel of experts will discuss how the Japanese government should approach domestic political questions, its partnership with America, and Japan’s role in the world.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
Koichiro Gemba
Itsunori Onodera
Shinjiro Koizumi
Kimi Onoda
Moderator:
Kenneth R. Weinstein
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base with Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
Senator Mark Kelly
Michael Roberts
Bryan Clark
Fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) enters Dry Dock 1 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii, on September 4, 2024. (US Navy photo by Justice Vannatta)
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Rebuilding America’s Maritime Industrial Base with Senators Mark Kelly and Todd Young

Hudson will welcome Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN) to discuss their proposal to restore America’s shipping and shipbuilding industries to help deter Chinese aggression.

Fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777) enters Dry Dock 1 at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii, on September 4, 2024. (US Navy photo by Justice Vannatta)
Featured Speakers:
Senator Todd Young
Senator Mark Kelly
Michael Roberts
Bryan Clark
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Strategy in Motion: The Policies and Tactics of Modern Warfare | Political Studies Policy Certificate Program
Featured Speakers:
Garrett Exner
Rachel Mackey
Brendan McBreen
SIM
30
April 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Strategy in Motion: The Policies and Tactics of Modern Warfare | Political Studies Policy Certificate Program

The Hudson Institute Political Studies Policy Certificate Program gathers talented early career professionals for advanced study of American foreign and domestic policy and national security, led by policy experts and experienced government officials.

SIM
Featured Speakers:
Garrett Exner
Rachel Mackey
Brendan McBreen
01
May 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Cuba’s Kleptocracy: How It Works and Why It Matters for US Policy
Featured Speakers:
John Suarez
Nora Gámez Torres
Daniel Batlle
Moderator:
Nate Sibley
Getty Images
01
May 2025
In-Person Event | Hudson Institute
Cuba’s Kleptocracy: How It Works and Why It Matters for US Policy

As the Trump administration indicates a “tough” new approach toward Havana, join Hudson for an expert discussion on how kleptocracy operates in Cuba and its implications for American policy.

Getty Images
Featured Speakers:
John Suarez
Nora Gámez Torres
Daniel Batlle
Moderator:
Nate Sibley