Table Of ContentIraq in the Twenty-First Century
Much has been written about the events surrounding the 2003 Anglo-American
invasion of Iraq and its aftermath, especially about the intentions, principles, plans
and course of action of US policy, but much less attention has been given to the
consequences of US policy on Iraqi political and social development. This book
provides an in-depth analysis of the impact of US policy on the social and political
development of Iraq in the twenty-first century. It shows how not just the institu-
tions of the state were destroyed in 2003, leaving the way open for sectarianism,
but also the country’s cultural integrity, political coherence and national-oriented
economy. It outlines how Iraq has been economically impoverished, assessing the
appalling situation which ordinary people, including women and children, have
endured, not just as a result of the 2003 war, but also as a consequence of the 1991
war and the sanctions imposed in the following years. The book argues that the
social, political and cultural ruin that accompanied the Iraq war was an absolute
catastrophe, that the policies which had such adverse effects were the foreseeable
consequences of deliberate policy choices, and that those responsible continue to
evade being made accountable.
Tareq Y. Ismael is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the
University of Calgary, Canada.
Jacqueline S. Ismael is a Professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University
of Calgary, Canada.
Durham Modern Middle East and Islamic World Series
Series Editor: Anoushiravan Ehteshami, University of Durham
1. Economic Development in Saudi 9. The Secret Israeli–Palestinian
Arabia Negotiations in Oslo
Rodney Wilson, with Abdullah Al-Salamah, Their success and why the process
Monica Malik and Ahmed Al-Rajhi ultimately failed
Sven Behrendt
2. Islam Encountering Globalisation
Edited by Ali Mohammadi 10. Globalization and Geopolitics in the
Middle East
3. China’s Relations with Arabia and Old games, new rules
the Gulf, 1949–1999 Anoushiravan Ehteshami
Mohamed Bin Huwaidin
11. Iran–Europe Relations
4. Good Governance in the Middle East Challenges and opportunities
Oil Monarchies Seyyed Hossein Mousavian
Edited by Tom Pierre Najem and Martin
Hetherington 12. Islands and International Politics in
the Persian Gulf
5. The Middle East’s Relations with The Abu Musa and Tunbs in strategic
Asia and Russia perspective
Edited by Hannah Carter and Kourosh Ahmadi
Anoushiravan Ehteshami
13. Monetary Union in the Gulf
6. Israeli Politics and the Middle East Prospects for a single currency in the
Peace Process, 1988–2002 Arabian Peninsula
Hassan A. Barari Emilie Rutledge
7. The Communist Movement in the 14. Contested Sudan
Arab World The political economy of war and
Tareq Y. Ismael reconstruction
Ibrahim Elnur
8. Oman: The Islamic Democratic
Tradition
Hussein Ghubash
15. Palestinian Politics and the Middle 25. The Muslim Brotherhood in
East Peace Process Contemporary Egypt
Consensus and competition in the Democracy defined or confined?
Palestinian negotiation team Mariz Tadros
Ghassan Khatib
26. Social and Gender Inequality
16. Islam in the Eyes of the West in Oman
Images and realities in an age of terror The power of religious and political
Edited by Tareq Y. Ismael and Andrew tradition
Rippin Khalid M. Al-Azri
17. Islamic Extremism in Kuwait 27. American Democracy Promotion in
From the Muslim Brotherhood to the Changing Middle East
Al-Qaeda and other Islamic political From Bush to Obama
groups Edited by Shahram Akbarzadeh, James
Falah Abdullah al-Mdaires Piscatori, Benjamin MacQueen and Amin
Saikal
18. Iraq, Democracy and the Future of
the Muslim World 28. China–Saudi Arabia Relations,
Edited by Ali Paya and John Esposito 1990–2012
Marriage of convenience or strategic
19. Islamic Entrepreneurship alliance?
Rasem N. Kayed and M. Kabir Hassan Naser M. Al-Tamimi
20. Iran and the International System 29. Adjudicating Family Law in Muslim
Edited by Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Courts
Reza Molavi Cases from the contemporary Muslim
world
21. The International Politics of the Red Edited by Elisa Giunchi
Sea
Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Emma 30. Muslim Family Law in Western
C. Murphy Courts
Edited by Elisa Giunchi
22. Palestinian Christians in Israel
State attitudes towards non-Muslims in a 31. Anti-Veiling Campaigns in the
Jewish state Muslim World
Una McGahern Gender, modernism and the politics of
dress
23. Iran–Turkey Relations, 1979–2011 Edited by Stephanie Cronin
Conceptualising the dynamics of politics,
religion and security in middle-power 32. Russia–Iran Relations Since the End
states of the Cold War
Suleyman Elik Eric D. Moore
24. The Sudanese Communist Party 33. Islam and Pakistan’s Political
Ideology and party politics Culture
Tareq Y. Ismael Farhan Mujahid Chak
34. Iraq in the Twenty-First Century 36. The Emerging Middle East: East
Regime change and the making of a failed Asia Nexus
state Edited by Anoushiravan Ehteshami and
Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael Yukiko Miyagi
35. Islamism and Cultural Expression in
the Arab World
Abir Hamdar and Lindsey Moore
Iraq in the Twenty-First
Century
Regime change and the making of
a failed state
Tareq Y. Ismael and
Jacqueline S. Ismael
First published 2015
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2015 Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael
The right of Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael to be identified as authors
of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs
and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or
utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now
known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the
publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Ismael, Tareq Y.
Iraq in the twenty-first century : regime change and the making of a failed state /
Tareq Y. Ismael and Jacqueline S. Ismael.
pages cm. -- (Durham modern Middle East and Islamic world series ; 34)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-138-83133-9 (hardback) -- ISBN 978-1-315-73663-1 (ebook) 1. Iraq-
-Politics and government--2003- 2. Iraq--Social conditions--21st century. 3. Iraq
War, 2003-2011--Influence. 4. Failed states--Iraq. 5. Postwar reconstruction--Iraq.
6. Political culture--Iraq. I. Ismael, Jacqueline S. II. Title.
DS79.769.I76 2015
956.7044’3--dc23
2014025516
ISBN: 978-1-138-83133-9 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-73663-1 (ebk)
Typeset in Times New Roman
by GreenGate Publishing Services, Tonbridge, Kent
In memory of ‘Ali al-Wardi (1913–1995) on his
centennial, a professor and mentor to generations
of Iraqis
This page intentionally left blank
Contents
List of illustrations xii
Notes on authors xiii
Preface xiv
List of abbreviations xvi
1 Introduction: Iraqi ruination—the humanitarian costs of
an imposed state 1
From “debating” the war to seeing its reality 4
An outline of what follows 8
PART I
Deconstruction and reconstruction of the state 11
2 Whither Iraq? Beyond Saddam, sanctions and the occupation 13
Civilizational foundations and imperial imposition 13
The impact of Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship (1968–1990) 15
“Shock and awe” and the humanitarian catastrophe of
sanctions (1990–2003) 17
The 2003 invasion and occupation of Iraq 20
Regime change, reconstruction and the resistance to
external impositions 21
State building versus nation building 25
The Kurdish question 27
Foraging for legitimacy: the occupation’s Interim
Governing Council 31
Conclusion 34
