Iraq, resting at the heart of the Middle East, is no stranger to conflict or controversy. Its role as a regional power dates back to the beginning of civilization, but so do its challenges, wedged between other countries vying for influence. In this episode of the Stratfor Podcast, Middle East and North Africa analysts Emily Hawthorne and Ryan Bohl sit down to explore the geopolitics of Iraq, from its geography and early history to the handful of critical decisions that have shaped the Iraq we know today.