I took the lead on The Times’s analysis of the material because I was the Baghdad bureau chief for seven years, including 2014 and 2015, the period covered by the cables. Those were the momentous years in which the Islamic State rose up and took control of about a third of Iraq.

What I saw in the raw, unfiltered documents confirmed and added depth to my earlier reporting, revealing Iran’s use of agents, spies and bribery to infiltrate the highest echelons of the Iraqi government.

It took time, resources and reporting experience to understand what the cables showed. If you want to be a part of more groundbreaking reporting, please subscribe to The Times. We’re offering a special price of $1 per week exclusively to our Morning Briefing readers.





That’s it for this briefing. See you next time. — Mike

Thank you

Mark Josephson and Eleanor Stanford provided the break from the news. You can reach the team at briefing@nytimes.com.

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