Iraq’s New PM: Militias, Fiscal Pressure, and Balancing the U.S. and Iran

Featured Speakers: Dr. Muhanad Seloom, Dr. Shahla Al Kli, Dr. Anthony Pfaff, Mohanad Adnan, and Anas Alqaed.

Dr. Muhanad Seloom

Assistant Professor of Critical Security Studies, Doha Institute for Graduate Studies; Senior Non-Resident Fellow, Gulf International Forum

Dr. Muhanad Seloom is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Gulf International Forum and Assistant Professor of Critical Security Studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. A scholar of intelligence and Gulf security, his forthcoming Cambridge University Press book traces the Iraqi intelligence state from 1915 to 2025, drawing on more than 160 practitioner interviews. He advised the U.S. State Department and writes regularly on Iraqi security-sector reform and PMF/DDR. An Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, he appears across Al Jazeera, CNN, and Newsweek.

Dr. Shahla Al Kli

Middle East Regional Growth Director, Counterpart International

Shahla Al Kli is Counterpart’s Middle East Regional Growth Director. She previously served as Chief of Party for the U.S. government-funded Iraq Civil Society Activity, Research, Analysis, and Knowledge Mobilization Director at Proximity International, Middle East Deputy Regional Director at Mercy Corps, Principal Development Specialist at DAI Global, Advisor to the Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives, Senior Advisor to the Speaker of the Kurdistan Parliament, Country Director for Counterpart’s Iraq programs, and Auditor at the Central Bank of Iraq. A long-term political economy and development practitioner with more than two decades of experience across the Middle East, Dr. Al Kli specializes in governance, state-building, security, and decentralization in fragile and conflict-affected states. She holds a PhD from the Fletcher School at Tufts University, where her dissertation on governance and decentralization in Iraq received the Peter Ackerman Award for Outstanding Scholarly Work.

Dr. Anthony Pfaff

Director of the Strategic Research and Assessment Department, U.S. Army War College; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council

Dr. C. Anthony Pfaff is the Director of the Strategic Research and Assessment Department at the U.S. Army War College, where he leads research on national security strategy, military ethics, and emerging technologies. He is also a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Iraq Team. A retired U.S. Army colonel, he has served in key policy and operational roles, including on the National Security Council staff and as a senior advisor to the Department of State. Dr. Pfaff holds a PhD in philosophy from Georgetown University and has published extensively on just war theory, irregular warfare, and the ethical and strategic implications of artificial intelligence in military operations.

Mohanad Adnan

Executive Director, Roya Development Group

Mohanad Adnan is a political analyst and communications strategist with more than a decade of experience advising politicians, civic activists, elected officials, and international organizations. He founded Roya Development Group, a research and strategic advisory firm based in Baghdad, where he leads government relations and a nationwide team that analyzes Iraq’s political economy and security landscape. Previously, he managed political development and civic advocacy programs at the International Republican Institute, overseeing a multi-million-dollar U.S. government- funded portfolio. Mohanad holds a diploma in political campaign management from The Campaign School at Yale University and a graduate certificate in peacebuilding and conflict resolution from the University of Baghdad.

Anas Alqaed

Director of Programs, Gulf International Forum 

Anas Alqaed is the Director of Programs at Gulf International Forum. In addition to his role, he has conducted extensive research on political and social changes in Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, and the power and influence of paramilitary groups throughout the Middle East. Before joining the Gulf International Forum, Anas worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for 10 years in the Syria IDP Operation, Iraq Refugee Operation, and Libya Refugee Operation. At UNHCR, he specialized in refugee community resilience, capacity-building for governmental and non-governmental organizations, and community mobilization. Anas holds a Master’s in International Public Policy with a Middle East concentration from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).