Iraq: From War To A New Authoritarianism

by Toby Dodge

Iraq recovered its full sovereignty at the end of 2011, with the departure of all US military forces. The 2003 invasion was undertaken to dismantle a regime that had long threatened its own population and regional peace, as well as to establish a stable, democratic state in the heart of the Middle East. This Adelphi looks at the legacy of that intervention and subsequent state-building efforts. It analyses the evolution of the insurgency, the descent into full-scale civil war and the implementation of the ‘surge’ as a counterinsurgency strategy. It goes on to examine US and Iraqi efforts to reconstruct the state’s military and civilian capacity. By developing a clear understanding of the current situation in Iraq, this book seeks to answer three questions that are central to the country’s future. Will it continue to suffer high levels of violence or even slide back into a vicious civil war? Will Iraq continue on a democratic path, as exemplified by the three competitive national elections held since 2005? And does the new Iraq pose a threat to its neighbours?

Genres: Politics, History, Nonfiction

222 pages, Paperback

First published January 8, 2013

Reviews

[Rob Stets · Rating 5 out of 5]

The news of increasing violence in Iraq these days makes one worry and wonder if the country will slip back into civil war.

This book is a very thorough analysis of the current political, social, and (to some extent) economic situation in Iraq, and it explains the possible and the unlikely paths the country's future may follow.

In terms of potential for civil war, many of the common characteristics that foster internal conflicts are still present in Iraq but the author argues that the large military constructed after the US invasion gives the government sufficient coercive force to prevent return to civil war.

Unfortunately, a return to an authoritarian government seems very likely. The author analyzes the steps Maliki has taken to successfully consolidate his power and also covers the lack of sufficiently powerful adversaries. The author's discussion of how Maliki maneuvered out of seemingly damaging 2010 election results to instead further increase his power was sobering.

Overall, this book is an excellent read for anyone interested in a detailed analysis Iraq's post-invasion history and its political and social future.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hindsight is 20-20 in this description of Iraq. Mr. Dodge seem to put a lot of blame not on Mr. Maliki for the slide to authoritarianism, but the United States being totally unprepared to hand over Iraq back to the civilian population after destroying the military and civil service. Mr. Dodge tends to note that a free and more peaceful Iraq could have existed, but once Mr. Maliki was in place, he decided to become a strongman to cover up his weakness and the United States, most notably the Bush Administration, was more than content to ignore any of the warning signs on the ground. Obama wanted nothing to do with the mess that the previous administration had gotten themselves into and rather (correctly) tried to focus on East Asia as the United States number one foreign policy objective. I think this is a good book to see what the shortcomings of the intervention were and why certain decisions were made and what the effects were. As any good political scientist does, they see the picture under the hindsight is 20-20 method when describing the actions of both the U.S. and Iraq.

[Jacob Vasicek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of this book. I felt like the author cared more about proving his thesis than giving an accurate description of the history. Not that the thesis was bad, it’s just not what most people expect out of a history book.

[JPW Marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative on the Years Covered

I lived in Riyadh 2011-2012 so found reading about how events unfolded in Iraq from 2003-2012 of particular interest. Unfortunately book is dated. Now wld like to better understand what has transpired in Iraq from 2012 to present.

[Galena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Need to know more about Iraq? This book provides an insightful look at the situation.

[Ian Bebbington · Rating 3 out of 5]

A thoroughly upsetting and dismal read. Reading all the bad news of the last few years summarized and assessed in context is discouraging but wether it should lead to the almost blanket conclusion to stay out of everywhere is not necessarily fully supported. Thousands of Syrians must be hoping for more.

[xhxhx · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good summary history of Iraq from 2003 to ca. 2011. A recap of the things you should have read in the newspapers, but didn't.