Desperate for stability and lured by promises of a life of luxury, a Syrian widow accepted a marriage proposal from a member of an Iraqi militia. She did not know that she would become one of dozens of Syrian women to fall victim to Iraqi marriage exploitation in the past year alone. A new Mezze from the CSIS Middle East Program.

• Josh Phillips, "The Bonds of Marriage between Syria and Iraq," CSIS, May 1, 2024.