Pesha Magid

Pesha Magid is a freelance journalist who has previously reported in Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, and Lebanon. Her work has appeared in the Intercept, the Guardian, the Daily Beast, the Independent, and the New York Review of Books, among other publications.

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Articles by Pesha Magid
A Polisario fighter wearing a turban is shown from behind as he surveys a desert war scene in the Western Sahara. A vehicle with a rocket launcher and more fighters stand in the sand beyond him.
A Polisario fighter wearing a turban is shown from behind as he surveys a desert war scene in the Western Sahara. A vehicle with a rocket launcher and more fighters stand in the sand beyond him.

Decolonization’s Last Stand in the Sahara This article has an audio recording

Dispatch
Andrea Prada Bianchi, Pesha Magid
Members of the Iraqi military check the body temperature of people wearing protective masks against the coronavirus near a plane at the Qayyarah air base, before a planned U.S. pullout on March 26.
Members of the Iraqi military check the body temperature of people wearing protective masks against the coronavirus near a plane at the Qayyarah air base, before a planned U.S. pullout on March 26.

Islamic State Aims for Comeback Amid Virus-Expedited U.S. Withdrawal

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
A protest over the killings of the Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani and the Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis
A protest over the killings of the Iranian commander Qassem Suleimani and the Iraqi paramilitary commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis

In Death Suleimani May Achieve His Life’s Dream: Preserving Iranian Power in Iraq

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
Iraqi protesters clash with security forces at Baghdad's Khallani Square during ongoing anti-government demonstrations on Nov. 11.
Iraqi protesters clash with security forces at Baghdad's Khallani Square during ongoing anti-government demonstrations on Nov. 11.

Shades of Saddam

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
Iraqi protesters hold a candlelight vigil for those killed during anti-government demonstrations in Karbala, south of Baghdad, on Nov. 1.
Iraqi protesters hold a candlelight vigil for those killed during anti-government demonstrations in Karbala, south of Baghdad, on Nov. 1.

Enraged Iraqi Protesters Blame Iran for Killings

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
Iraqi protesters speak to police
Iraqi protesters speak to police

Angry Iraqis Demand New Government

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
Members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces carry the coffin of their comrade Kazem Mohsen, known by his nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Dabi, during his funeral procession in Najaf, Iraq, on Aug. 26.
Members of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces carry the coffin of their comrade Kazem Mohsen, known by his nom de guerre Abu Ali al-Dabi, during his funeral procession in Najaf, Iraq, on Aug. 26.

How a Proxy War Could Blow Up Iraq—Again

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
A French woman, Djamila Boutoutaou, attends her trial at the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad on April 17, 2018. She was sentenced to life in prison for belonging to the Islamic State.
A French woman, Djamila Boutoutaou, attends her trial at the Central Criminal Court in Baghdad on April 17, 2018. She was sentenced to life in prison for belonging to the Islamic State.

How Europe Is Handing Off Its ISIS Militants to Iraq

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
Sinjar city, seen in March 2017, remains severely damaged and largely deserted years after Islamic State militants were pushed out.
Sinjar city, seen in March 2017, remains severely damaged and largely deserted years after Islamic State militants were pushed out.

How ISIS Still Threatens Iraq

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
Members of the mostly Kurdish People’s Protection Units, part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, gather in the Syrian town of Shadadi on Sept. 11, 2018. (Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images)
Members of the mostly Kurdish People’s Protection Units, part of the Syrian Democratic Forces, gather in the Syrian town of Shadadi on Sept. 11, 2018. (Delil Souleiman/AFP/Getty Images)

Kurdish Commander Laments American Betrayal, Urges U.S. to ‘Be Loyal’

Dispatch
Pesha Magid
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