Patrick Oliver Cockburn is an Irish journalist who has been a Middle East correspondent since 1979 for the Financial Times and, presently, The Independent. He has written four books on Iraq 's recent history. He won the Martha Gellhorn Prize in 2005, the James Cameron Prize in 2006 and the Orwell Prize for Journalism in 2009.
Afganistanin sotaa kaunistellaan valheilla, 4.3.2014 (Patrick Cockburn)
Isis in Syria: Aided by US air strikes, Kurds cut terrorists' supply line linking Syria and Iraq, The Independent, 25 February 2015
War with Isis: Militants kidnap up to 90 Assyrian Christian men, women and children from villages in north-east Syria, The Independent, 24 February 2015
Private donors from Gulf oil states helping to bankroll salaries of up to 100,000 Isis fighters, The Independent, 22 February 2015
Isis in Iraq: Assyrian Christian militia keep well-armed militants at bay - but they are running out of ammunition, The Independent, 22 February 2015
Isis has made many enemies, but it may be saved by their inability to unite, The Independent, 22 February 2015
‘Isis: Paranoid but determined, Islamic State is ready for fight to the death in Mosul, The Independent, 17 February 2015
It's the little lies that torpedo the news stars - as Brian Williams has found to his cost last week, The Independent, 15 February 2015
Assad's Weak Hand, CounterPunch, 12 February 2015
Isis in Iraq: Britain has no plan for tackling the militants, and no idea who's in charge, The Independent, 8 February 2015
As in 1942, Germany must show restraint over Greece, The Independent, 1 February 2015
How books can defeat Isis: Patrick Cockburn was able to update his agenda-setting 'The Rise of Islamic State' while under attack in Baghdad, The Independent, 1 February 2015
Isis hostage crisis: Militant group stands strong as its numerous enemies fail to find a common plan to defeat it, The Independent, 28 January 2015
Greece elections: In times like these, the EU has far more dangerous adversaries than Syriza, The Independent, 27 January 2015
Greece elections: Greek PM Alexis Tsipras takes aim at 'neo-liberal' Europe as country gears up for prolonged austerity battle, The Independent, 26 January 2015
Greece elections: Syriza and EU on collision course after election win for left-wing party, The Independent, 25 January 2015
Greece elections: Voters will choose the Syriza party - and send a defiant message to the EU, The Independent, 25 January 2015
Patrick Cockburn: ‘An effective terrorist attack requires the complicity of governments' by David Shariatmadari, The Guardian, 24 January 2015
War on Isis: Flood of jihadi volunteers to Syria 'unstoppable', warns Turkish Prime Minister, The Independent, 21 January 2015
If all right-thinking people are united against terrorism, where are the 'Je suis Nigeria' banners? The Independent, 18 January 2015
Al-Qaeda gains ground in Yemen as country descends into civil war, The Independent, 12 January 2015
Paris attacks: Don't blame these atrocities on security failures, The Independent, 11 January 2015
Charlie Hebdo attack: A ceasefire with Syria's President Assad may help to turn the jihadi tide, The Independent, 7 January 2015
War with Isis: The West is wrong again in its fight against terror, The Independent, 4 January 2015
Dispatch From Northern Iraq: If Only They Would Leave, CounterPunch, 2 January 2015
War with Isis: Despite billions spent on weapons, the US has not been able to counter the militants' gruesome tactics, The Independent, 28 December 2014
CIA 'torture Report': Agency Conduct Was Driven by Pressure to Link Iraq to al-Qaeda Following 9/11, The Unz Review, 14 December 2014
Torture: It didn't work then, it doesn't work now, The Independent, 14 December 2014
The CIA's real failure? It pursued the wrong targets, The Independent, 9 December 2014
Building a British naval base in Bahrain is a 'symbolic choice' – for no clear reason, The Independent, 7 December 2014
War with Isis: Iran joins ‘Great Satan's' fight against militants with bombing raids over Iraq, The Independent, 3 December 2014
Iraq's 50,000 ‘ghost soldiers' analysis: This is further proof of army corruption, The Independent, 1 December 2014
War with Isis: Theresa May tinkers while Iraq and Syria burn, The Independent, 30 November 2014
Rise of the jehadis by Vijay Prashad, ZNet, 29 November 2014
Isis in Iraq: The trauma of the last six months has overwhelmed the remaining Christians in the country, The Independent, 23 November 2014
Isis extends deadly reach with suicide bombing in Kurdish capital, The Independent, 19 November 2014
Isis in Iraq: Baghdad hails the retaking of the Baiji oil refinery as the start of the long fightback against the Islamist militants, The Independent, 18 November 2014
War with Isis: Islamic militants have army of 200,000, claims senior Kurdish leader, The Independent, 16 November 2014
Isis: the Kurds strike back - Army retakes control of oil refinery town as Kurds stand firm against overstretched Isis, The Independent, 14 November 2014
War against Isis: PKK commander tasked with the defence of Syrian Kurds claims 'we will save Kobani, The Independent, 11 November 2014
Isis in Iraq: The brutal reality of life in Mosul under Islamic State - 'We are dying', The Independent, 9 November 2014
War with Isis: The militants will remain until the region's Sunnis feel safe, The Independent, 9 November 2014
The West is silent as Libya falls into the abyss, The Independent, 2 November 2014
ohn Cantlie video proves that Isis expects victory in Kobani, The Independent, 28 October 2014
Fall of the Berlin Wall eyewitness: An accidental explosion of freedom, The Independent, 27 October 2014
Saudi Arabia: As executions rise, allies must focus more closely on warring anti-IS forces, The Independent, 26 October 2014
Isis in Kobani: US resupplies Kurdish fighters by plane - then Turkey allows reinforcements through its border, The Independent, 20 October 2014
Ankara bombs PKK rebels inside Turkey while Kurds in Kobani face Isis, The Independent, 14 October 2014
Iraq descends into anarchy: Shia militias 'abducting and killing Sunni civilians in revenge for Isis attacks', The Independent, 14 October 2014
War against Isis: US air strategy in tatters as militants march on, The Independent, 12 October 2014
Isis in Kobani: Turkey ignores Kurdish fury as militants close in on capturing the town, The Independent, 9 October 2014
Isis in Kobani: Turkey's act of abandonment may mark an 'irrevocable breach' with Kurds across the region, The Independent, 7 October 2014
Isis on the verge of victory in Kobani as US strategy lies in ruins: Jihadists close to taking city near Turkish border in Syria, The Independent, 7 October 2014
Isis militants: Twitter provides one of the few forums in which Saudis can discuss what they really feel - and it says they blame the clergy for Isis, The Independent, 5 October 2014
Isis an hour away from Baghdad - with no sign of Iraq army being able to make a successful counter-attack, The Independent, 30 September 2014
The Rise of ISIS and the Origins of the New Middle East War by Tariq Ali and Patrick Cockburn, CounterPunch, 29 September 2014
Air strikes alone will fail to stop Isis, The Independent, 28 September 2014
On the eve of yet another war in Iraq, is the UK's strategy any more coherent than in 2003? The Independent, 25 September 2014
Air strikes will not beat Isis, but on the ground it's hard to tell friend from foe, The Independent, 24 September 2014
Syria air strikes: President Obama undergoes Damascene conversion as Isis forces America to change tack, The Independent, 23 September 2014
Nothing will stop Isis except a Syrian truce, The Independent, 21 September 2014
Islamic State: Widespread fear of Isis is producing strange bedfellows across the region, The Independent, 14 September 2014
Islamic State: 'US failure to look into Saudi role in 9/11 has helped Isis', The Independent, 14 September 2014
The impossible war: Isis 'cannot be beaten' as long as there is civil war in Syria, The Independent, 11 September 2014
Syria and Iraq: Why US policy is fraught with danger, The Independent, 9 September 2014
An obvious first step - close the jihadis' highway, The Independent, 24 August 2014
Tomgram: Patrick Cockburn, How to Ensure a Thriving Caliphate, TomDispatch.com, 21 August 2014
How the Islamic state became the juggernaut it is today, VICE, 19 August 2014
Fear brings the enemies of Isis together at last, The Independent, 17 August 2014
Iraq crisis: The ultimate power struggle - why Nouri al-Maliki had to go, The Indepedent, 15 August 2014
Isis makes further advances in Syria while West vacillates over Iraq, The Independent, 14 August 2014
Iraq crisis: New Prime Minister named, but Nouri al-Maliki refuses to stand down without a fight, The Independent, 11 August 2014
raq crisis: American intervention against Isis boosts Kurdish morale as President Obama launches more air strikes, The Independent, 10 August 2014
Crisis in the Middle East: The end of a country, and the start of a new dark age, The Independent, 10 August 2014
Iraq crisis: Barack Obama sends in bombers to tackle Isis' 'potential genocide', The Independent, 8 August 2014
Isis consolidates, London Review of Books, 7 August 2014 (21 August issue)
Israel-Gaza conflict: What has Israel achieved in 26 bloody days? The Independent, 3 August 2014
Isis winning its w on two fronts: Militants conquered Sunni regions of Iraq and are now consolidating hold on north-east Syria, The Independent, 31 July 2014
Israel's propaganda machine is finally starting to misfire, The Independent, 29 July 2014
The secret report that helps Israel hide facts, The Independent, 27 July 2014
Time runs out for Christian Iraq: Isis deadline passes with mass flight, The Independent, 20 July 2014
The truth about conspiracy theories is that some require considering, The Independent, 20 July 2014
Malaysia Airlines MH17 crash: Collateral damage is inevitable in the chaos of proxy war, The Independent, 18 July 2014
Syria conflict: Isis marches further into Syria tipping the balance of power in the civil war, The Independent, 15 July 2014
Iraq crisis: How Saudi Arabia helped Isis take over the north of the country, The Independent, 13 July 2014
Iraq crisis: Accusations fly between Kurdish leaders and Baghdad hampering co-ordinated action against militants, The Independent, 10 July 2014
Battle for Baghdad, London Review of Books, 10 July 2014 (17 July issue)
Bahrain moves to expel 'unwelcome' US official for meeting Shia opposition group, The Independent, 8 July 2014
Isis leader preaches holy war: Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi puts persecution of Shias at heart of his ideology ahead of push on Baghdad, The Independent, 7 July 2014
Iraq crisis: As Shia shrines are targeted and Tikrit is strangled, the fiercest of wars lies ahead, The Independent, 6 July 2014
Ahmed Chalabi: Right man, wrong time for Iraq's once-exiled opposition leader? The Independent, 4 July 2014
Iraq crisis: Saudi Arabian troops mass at border after claims 2,500 Iraqi troops have abandoned their positions, The Independent, 3 July 2014
Parliamentary Paralysis in Iraq, CounterPunch, 2 July 2014
Isis Caliphate has Baghdad worried because of appeal to angry young Sunnis, The Independent, 30 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Tikrit turns into a 'town of ghosts' as Isis occupation leaves Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on the edge, The Independent, 29 June 2014
Iraq crisis: John Kerry's search for moderates is five years late, The Independent, 29 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Sectarian hatred stalks Baghdad as the rise of Isis widens the gulf between Shia and Sunni, The Independent, 27 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Nouri al-Maliki is 'taking Iraq to hell' by rejecting salvation government, The Independent, 25 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Kurds winning the battle for self-rule as country disintegrates, The Independent, 24 June 2014
raq crisis: Fears of partition grow as Islamists seize border crossing with Jordan and sweep towards Baghdad, The Independent, 23 June 2014
Iraq crisis - the great unravelling: US and Iran need to work together fast, as the barbarians are at the gate, The Independent, 22 June 2014
Iraq crisis: As the Sunni terror spreads, its fighters look for wives, The Independent, 22 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Maliki's days in power numbered as Iran and US lose faith, The Independent, 20 June 2014
Iraq crisis: In Baghdad, a city gripped by fear, news is priceless - but Isis is winning the propaganda war, The Independent, 19 June 2014
Iraq crisis: US precision attacks will hurt the jihadists but they won't defeat them, The Independent, 19 June 2014
Iraq crisis exclusive: US rules out military action until Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki stands down, The Independent, 19 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Fears grow that Baghdad could be engulfed in sectarian violence as Isis edges in on capital, The Independent, 17 June 2014
Iraq crisis: In Baghdad, the fear index is the price of a bullet and it has tripled, The Independent, 16 June 2014
Who are Isis? The rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, The Independent, 16 June 2014
Iraq crisis: US lines up Iran talks to combat Isis as 'mass execution' pushes Iraq towards sectarian war, The Independent, 16 June 2014
Iraq crisis: West must take up Tehran's offer to block an Isis victory, The Independent, 15 June 2014
Iran to step in to prevent collapse of Iraqi state, The Independent, 13 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Baghdad prepares for the worst as Islamist militants vow to capture the capital, The Independent, 13 June 2014
Iraq crisis: 'Do not fall prey to your vanities' - the philosophy of the country's new conquerors, The Independent, 12 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Capture of Mosul ushers in the birth of a Sunni caliphate, The Independent, 11 June 2014
Iraq crisis: Islamist militants attack Tikrit and near Baghdad after 500,000 are forced to flee Mosul, The Independent, 11 June 2014
Mosul emergency: Who is the jihadi leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi? The Independent, 10 June 2014
Mosul emergency: Anarchy in Iraq as militants seize northern capital and free 1,200 prisoners in jail break, The Independent, 10 June 2014
Battle to establish Islamic state across Iraq and Syria, The Independent, 9 June 2014
In the war on terrorism, only al-Qa'ida thrives, The Independent, 8 June 2014
Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl release: Email exchange reveals extent of US failure in Afghan war, The Independent, 3 June 2014
The Chilcot inquiry's focus on Bush-Blair secrets distracts us from disaster in plain sight, The Independent, 1 June 2014
Syria: Fighting a civil war through the ballot box, The Independent, 28 May 2014
Syrian rebels cut off water to Aleppo in botched attack on regime areas - and manage to create shortage in their own strongholds, The Independent, 12 May 2014
Foreign Jihadis in Syria Pledge Their Own 9/11, CounterPunch, 5 May 2014
In Syria, rebel attacks in the north reflect a number of important changes, The Independent, 17 April 2014
Syria conflict: A shift for fading insurgency as foreign backers look to reverse months of military defeats at the hands of government soldiers, The Independent, 16 April 2014
MI6, the CIA and Turkey's rogue game in Syria, The Independent, 13 April 2014
Al-Qa'ida, the second act: Syria's secular uprising has been hijacked by jihadists, The Independent, 20 March 2014
Al-Qa'ida, the second act: Is Saudi Arabia regretting its support for terrorism? The Independent, 17 March 2014
Endless War? As Syria Conflict Enters 4th Year, Deadly Stalemate Favors Assad Regime, Democracy Now! 17 March 2014 (video and transcript)
Syria's road to hell: A hair-raising journey between Damascus and Tartous, The Independent, 8 March 2014
The nature of war has changed, which is bleak news for Syria's minorities, The Independent, 1 March 2014
Local truces aside, the ingredients for a long Syrian war are all still in place, The Indepedent, 23 February 2014
Syria conflict: Enemies cross the front lines in Damascus. But will the truce hold? The Independent, 19 February 2014