Iraq
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The Spoils of Oil
Oil’s Divisive Influence: The Case of Iraq The future economic security of Iraq rests upon the management of its natural resources, but an acrimonious dispute between the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan and the central government in Baghdad threatens to destabilize more than just Iraq’s economy. An Iraqi petroleum worker walks past a gas burn off flame in the Anzalla oil fields in the Ninewa Province of Northern Iraq It has long been speculated that oil can be a driver for civil conflict, and one needs to look no further for evidence than the sectarian power politics now playing out in Iraq. The oil-fuels-conflict hypothesis is well-documented in academic studies on war and conflict: In one such recent analysis, Michael Ross offers a comprehensive assessment of the causal links between civil conflict and oil in cases involving Middle East countries.
Decoding Iraq's Sectarian Rivalries
By many accounts, Iraq appears to again be in the throes of sectarian conflict. Last month, the country’s judiciary issued an arrest warrant for its Sunni vice president, Tariq al-Hashemi, for his alleged involvement in terrorism. At the same time, Nouri al-Maliki, the Shiite Prime Minister, sought to remove another high-profile Sunni official from office, Deputy Prime Minister Saleh al-Mutlak, who had accused Maliki of being a dictator.In a tumultuous year that witnessed the fall of Arab tyrants and the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq, proponents of the 2003 invasion, including former Vice President Dick Cheney and conservative academic Fouad Ajami, have sought to portray the decision to topple Saddam Hussein's regime as the hidden driver of the Arab Spring. But rather than revisit history, why not -- on this one-year anniversary of Tunisian strongman Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali's downfall -- try our hand at alternate history: If the United States had never invaded Iraq, would Saddam's Baathist regime still be standing in today's Middle East? This question, of course, is a bedeviling one. It is difficult to imagine the region absent U.S. military intervention in Iraq.
The Iraqi Revolution We’ll Never Know - By Michael Wahid Hanna
If you are to read only one article on where Iraq stands today, I heartily recommend this Foreign Affairs essay, “The Iraq We Left Behind: Welcome to the World’s Next Failed State,” by Ned Parker, a former Los Angeles Times correspondent in Baghdad who is now spending a year at the Council on Foreign Relations (where I am a senior fellow). Parker accurately sums up the country as follows: Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki presides over a system rife with corruption and brutality, in which political leaders use security forces and militias to repress enemies and intimidate the general population. The law exists as a weapon to be wielded against rivals and to hide the misdeeds of allies. The dream of an Iraq governed by elected leaders answerable to the people is rapidly fading away.
Not Too Late for Active Role in Iraq
The walls of Um Hussein's living room in Baghdad are hung with the portraits of her missing sons. There are four of them, and each picture frame is decorated with plastic roses and green ribbons as an improvised wreath for the dead. Um Hussein had six children.
rruption in Iraq: 'Your son is being tortured. He will die if you don't pay' | World news
Exit from comment view mode. Click to hide this space Comments View/Create comment on this paragraph DENVER – The narrative of contemporary Iraq is becoming etched in stone: United States troops are leaving, and the country is falling apart.
Iraq’s Politics, Iraq’s Problem - Christopher R. Hill - Project Syndicate
A Blessing in Disguise | The Majalla
Tareq Al-Hashemi: “My Case is Extremely Political” Only a few days ago in Iraq, government forces detained more than a dozen members of Vice President Tareq Al-Hashemi’s bodyguard, and the Ministry of Interior made further accusations that Hashemi’s employees were “practicing assassinations.” The accused politician spoke with The Majalla.
Seif Abdel Sadeh’s eyes lolled as his brother tipped a cup of orange juice to his swollen lips. As he lifted his arm to push his brother’s hand away, he grimaced, agitating the charred skin on his face, causing still more pain. The day before, Seif, 18, was walking to his Sadr City high school when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle exploded.
Iraq: Under Worse Management
Top Iraqi Leaders Meet Again To Discuss Confidence in Maliki
The meeting held by the National Iraqi Alliance proved unsuccessful at finding a replacement for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, or at responding to the demands as stated in the letters that were issued by previous conferences in Erbil and Najaf. This has forced the leaders of the Erbil Conference to meet within 48 hours to find a conclusive solution to the crisis. This time, they will be joined by the head of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Ammar al-Hakim. A statement issued by the Iraqi List yesterday [May 27] said that the five leaders of the Erbil Conference, "President of Iraq Jalal Talabani, President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Massoud Barzani, Speaker of the Council of Representatives of Iraq Osama Najafi, Head of the Iraqi List Ayad Allawi, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and al-Hakim will meet in Erbil within 48 hours."
A Lesson in Undemocratic Institution Building | The Majalla
As the withdrawal of American troops draws nearer, International Crisis Group draws attention to the Iraqi government’s immediate and structural problems of corruption. The challenges to the Iraqi government’s legitimacy may ultimately harm a stability, which has mercifully developed since 2008. Failing Oversight: Iraq’s Unchecked Government International Crisis GroupCanon Andrew White discusses his unique role as leader of a Baghdad parish Canon Andrew White serves as Vicar to St George's Parish in the center of Baghdad. A significant part of his work is devoted to multi-faith dialogue and healing sectarian rifts in a complex environment. Despite his undoubted good work and successes, the so-called Bishop of Baghdad is no stranger to controversy.